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Southland Times, Issue 1788, 2 September 1873, Page 2

The Albion arrived at the Bluff last night from Melbourne, bringing the English mail, as also the missing letters, reported in our columns some three weeks ago. The Registrar of the Supreme Court held a sitting in Bankruptcy yesterday, at the Council Hall, at 11 o'clock. There was only one matter set down for hearing, being that of William Birchall, adjourned for the production of amended accounts. Mr Matthews appeared for bankrupt, who was not in attendance, and Mr Wade for the trustee in the estate. The Registrar, in consequence of the absence of the bankrupt, directed the matter to be struck out.

The Chief Commissioner of Crown Lancia visited Stewart's Island last week, for the purpose of locating the special settlers on the sections of land assigned to them by the Government. Of the special settlers, two will locate themselves at; Halfinoon Bay, and the remainder at Port William. The sawmill in course of erection by Messrs Stock and Co. on the Island will soon be ready for working, and in anticipation of this, orders are already received for timber for (jantempl.ated erections. Upon, the whole, there is perhaps more of activity at the present time at Stewart's Island than for long previously. We would remind oar readers that the complimentary benefit to Mrs Thomson, widow of the Shetland Island immigrant who recently died in the Hospital, takes place at the Theatre this evening. The people of Invercargill are wont to make a liberal response on similar occasions, and from the special circumstances of this case, we have no doubt the praiseworthy i efforts of the amateurs will be the means of placing a large sum to the credit of the fund now being raised on behalf of Mrs Thomson. Mr Fred Clifton and Miss Fanny Sara having volunteered their services, the first part of the entertainment this evening will be furnished by them, after which the amateurs will give their very successful performance, " A Day after the Fair." A number of buildings are now in process of erection at the north end of Dee-street. Of these, no fewer than three are intended to be occupied as blacksmiths' shops. This part of the town would seem destined to become a sort of Lemnos, where, according to the heathen mythology, the fiery god built himself a palace, and raised forges to work metals. The Illustrated New Zealand Herald for August contains a number of engravings of Australian scenes and incidents, together with portraits of Mr Anthony Musgrave, Governor of South Australia, and the late Mr John Stuart Mill. There is also a representation of the Emperor's pavilion at the Vienna Exhibition, and a portrait of Baron de Schwarz-Senborn, the director-general of the Exhibition. We publish in another column a copy of the Bill introduced into the Assembly for the purpose of amending the Southland Land Laws. We referred in last issue to the prospect of the acclimatisation of the sea trout by the Society's operations at the ponds at Wallacetown. The hon. secretary of the Acclimatisation Society informs us that after a visis to the ponds he has satisfied himself by personal inspection, that a successful spawning may be expected. Should this prove to be the case, its importance cannot well be over-estimated, many persons regarding the introduition of sea trout a 9 being of equal benefit with that of salmon. Messrs Gk Lumsdeu, of Invercargill, and J. L. M'Donald, of Riverton, have been appointed Justices of the Peace in virtue of their position as Mayors of the respective municipalities. Mr Jas. G-reig, of Stewart's Island, is appointed a Justice of the Peace, and Resident Magistrate for Southland. Contractors will observe in another column that additional fencing tenders are invited by the Corporation. We are sorry to report that un to last evening the illness of Mr Andrew Fleming continued without any visible improvement in tho symptoms. A meeting of the Lindhurst Road Board was held at Halfway Bush on the 20th ult., when all the members, excepting Mr Brydon, were present. Th. j bilance-sheet for the year, as submitted, was passed. Mr Thomas MacG-ibbon was unanimously re-elected chairman, and, Messrs White, Dawßon, and Kinross were appointed clerk, engineer, and treasurer respectively. The members of each subdivision were appointed committees to carry out works in their respective subdivisions, and also to revise tbe valua • tion roll for the current year, and report thereon at next meeting. It was resolved that tenderers for work above £20, should deposit 5 per cent. with their tenders, and contractors for work below £20 should commence operations within ten days after acceptance, otherwise to be null and void. The next meeting is to be held on 3rd September. At the Waste Lands Office on Friday, an acre of land at the Mataura Falls, being a mill site, was put up to auction, and realised the sum of £65, Mr John Bathgate being the purchaser. An inquest as to tho origin of the late fire in Esk street was held on Thursday, 28th ult. before H. M'Culloch, Esq. Several witnesses were examined, who were upon the spot shortly after the fire broke out, but no information was obtained as to its origin. The jury returned a verdict that the fire originated from causes unknown. A Dunedin contemporary announces that Capt. Baldwin has retired from the Civil Service, The Star of the South has arrived at Aucklaud from Fiji, bringing Dr Clarkson, the Fijian Minister of Finance, as a passenger. The appeal against the sentence passed on John Rennie, formerly of Dunedin, for a brutal assault on a native, has been decided, the verdict being bustaiued. The chief Maufu has written to Captain Chapman, of the Dido, denying tbat he intends to secede from the Government. Government notes are now received at par. Mr John Underwood, planter at the New Hebrides, was smoking outside his house, when a spark from his pipe fell into a barrel of gunpowder, blew him to pieces, and destroyed the house and trees around. The Clio sailed for Sydney on August 13. Tin Takuka was seized by H.M. Conflict, for carrying laborers without a license. Messrs Phillipps and Gresham, planters at Ba, were killed, and four persons wounded » in & fight at Ba. The Fiji expedition against Vititiku resulted in favor of the Government. Three thousand prisoners were taken. The Wellington correspondent of the Southern Cross writes : — I wind up with the latest bon mot, said to have come from Auckland, and told by a grave and reverend seigneur. It i 3 this : " Do you know why the Government would not go to war with, the Natives ?" " No," was my reply. " Because," quoth he, "so many of the I Constabulary have their lives insured in the Government Assurance Office that they can't afford to run the risk of having them all killed by the Natives !" The total number of different articles from New Zealand, exhibited at the Vienna Exhibii tion, exceeds 700.

Tho Ri'7. Father Nivard, prior to his departure from the Thames for China, was presented with n, testimonial of a substantial character — a purse containing 200 guineas and an illuminated address. In acknowledging the gifts he referred to the good feelings that had existed between other denominations and himself, and said, " Even the bell of his church was given to him by a Protestant." A contemporary remarks : — Contrary to expectation, His Excellency Sir Jamea Fergu?son is a High Church Episcopalian. Most people thought he was a Presbyterian. The Provincial Government of Canterbury have agreed to charge single fares on the railways on Friday for the double journey, so a§ to facilitate the Saturday half-holiday movement now on foot in Christchurch. Mr H. B. Roberts, a well-known solicitor of Wauganui, is reported to have died suddenly on the 27th ult. In some remarks on a pro posal to alter the object of a reserve in Dunedin, the Daily Times says that " there has been far too much ignoring of reserves by municipal au thorities. Once the sacredness of reserves is invaded, we do not know what the result may be." The largest casting ever yet turned out in Wellington was successfully performed lately at Mr E. W. Mills':! Foundry, in presence of a large number o f spectators. The article cast was a now screw, for the Ladybird, weighing very nearly two tons. The Examiner says that Nelson is the natural depdt of mails sent via Melbourne, or received in the Colony. It is a fact (continues our contemporary), that if the Cook Strait route had been adopted, and Messrs M'Meckan, Blacki wood and Co. had been the successful tenderers [ as no doubt they would— they were prepared to keep in store on the wharf at all times 2,000 tons of coals for the use of their si earners, and to make Nelson the provisioning station. The labor which would have been involved in coaling and storing the ships would hare represented a sum of from £1000 to £1500 per month — no mean consideration. The first appearance of Miss Isabella Carandini in Wellington is thus spoken of by the Post — " The great sensation was naturally the debut of Miss Isabella, which was in every way a marked success. That she was most cordially received va sans dire, but the applause was infinitely increased after hearing the first sweet tones of her fresh young voice— a mezzo-soprano of peculiarly pleasing quality. Its timbre is excellent both in voce di testa and voce di petto ; the intermediate register, a3 might bo expected, Bhows signs of youthful immaturity, and will ♦ improve with age ;' her method and phrasing are tasteful and artistic, and she sings with genuine feeling." In introducing the Permissive Bill to the Assembly, Mr Fox said that in the matter of petitions he was not so well backed up as he was last year, seeing that he had only two petitions, one containing 1630 names, einanatiug from Christchurch, signed by the heads of the various religious denominations, traders, and working m n, and another from th 9 Independent Orde 1 * of Good Templars in Auckland. Two others from Invereargill, to which were attached 650 signatures, were held by hiji but could not be prpsßntor] nwing to n frer-h nieal irregularity. The satisfactory completion of tho delivery of one of the largest pastoral properties in Australia, recently purchased by Messrs Shanahan and Jennings, of Riverina, in the Liverpool Plains and Bligh districts has (the Sydney Empire reports) just been effected. These stations ware previously occupied by Messrs Campbell and Orr, and were sold to their present owners with 175,003 merino sheep and about 1,000 cattle. The arrangements for the washing and ;»ettin» up of wool at G.irrawil'a, which i 3 the homosteal in chief of the establishment, are of the most extensive and improved character. In order to maintain the high character which, tha G irrawilla wool has achieved in the London market, a purchase of 1100 young rams has been made by Messrs Shanahan and Jennings from Mr E; K. Oox, of Rawdon, through Messrs Ryan and Hammond. We should imagine (says a Wellington contemporary) that the honorable members of tho Legislative Council will at once send the Hon. Mr Scotland to Coventry. Accustomed to the seclusion of Taranaki, however, tha punishment is scarcely likely to be very severely felt by tha hon. member, who ha 3 dared to tell his brother Councillors a few .wholesome truths. Mr Scotland mu3t really be a very brave man to have bearded the Legislative lions in their own den in the way he has done. Had he in the olden days lived in the country from which he derives his name, there would have been no need to have sought for a champion to bell the cat. Mr Scotland would have been reidy and willing. He has practically performa I the oporat-ion in the present instance. Great indeed must be the courage of any member who could tell his fellows that they betray indifferenca to outside public opinion ; that they being themselves rich in this world's goods, lack all sympathy with their fellow colonists who are 1e33 richly endowed ; that while they themselves are lord 3 of great estates, they, like Ahab, envy their poor neighbors their small vineyards ; and abive all that their conduct proves them desirous of reducing socioty to two classes — themselves and hewers of wood and drawers of water. It will be well if honorable members, overcoming their first sensations of horror and indignation at being thus brought I face to face with the truth, endeavor to act more wisely for the future, and ; practically show that they have acted in the manner described rather from accident than design. As for Mr Scotland, he has hitherto been unknown to fame, but if the Council is ever made elective, we think he will have little difficulty in commanding a seat on the strength of his recent speech.

Intending passengers by the Albion will be pleased to learn that she will not leave the Bluff until after the arrival of the afternoon train today. We have to acknowledge the receipt of a further batch of Parliamentary papers, including a copy of the Estimates for the year ending 30th June, 1874.