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Southland Times, Issue 1814, 4 November 1873, Page 2

It is officially notified that Mr Adam, the Provincial Emigration Agent, will be in Invercargill on Thursday and Friday, 6th and 7th November, and in Kiverton on Saturday, the Bth inst. In order that the merchants and business people of Invercargill may have an opportunity of testing the accommodation and sea-going qualities of the s.s. Wanganui, we understand that it is the intention of her owners to issue invitations for an excursion trip to Stewart's Island on Thursday first. I Mr John M'Leod, the gentleman appointed by ; the Provincial Government of Wellington as Emigration Agent for that Province in Canada and Nova Scotia, has been for a few days past visiting the Southland district, and left yesterday morning for Queenstown and the Lake district. The object of Mr M'Leod's visit has been to make himself acquainted with the suitability of Southland ac a place for settlement. Mr M'Leod being a native of Nova Scotia, has been settled in New Zealand now nearly twenty years, having in the interval left the Colony some eight or ten i years since on a visit to Canada and Nova Scotia, (

with a view of inducing emigration therefrom, in which effort he was highly successful, having introduced into the province of Auckland a number of the bent class of immigrants, who have given evidence of the suitability of their adopted country to their peculiar tastes and habits, as well as of their own capabilities for forming good colonists, in the thriving settlements established by them. Mr M'Leod's visit may be taken as semi-official, and possibly arrangements may be completed by which his visit to Canada may be turned to our advantage, especially as he has by personal inspection satisfied himself that the district of Southland possesses every natural feature to satisfy the class whom his visit to Canada U intended to influence. The details of an engagement between Mr M'Leod and the Provincial Government of Otago are not yet finally settled, and in the meantime we can but I express the hope that such as may be entered I into may be of a liberal character, as there ' appears to be do valid reason for placing emigrants from Canada in a less favorable position than those from the old country. During his stay in the district, Mr M'Leod visited Wallacetown and the neighborhood, and subsequently, under the guidance of Messrs Pearson and Matthews, inspected the New Zealand Meat Preserving Company's works at Woodlands, and travelled through the Mataura district, expressing himself as greatly pleased with his trip. He is confident in his ability to introduce several thousands of immigrants into tho province, provided the tarms he has to offer are equal to those of other competitors, and speaks with equal confidence of the trade which may hi expected to spring up were passenger ships laid on. We have been more accustomed to hear of the large numbers of immigrants absorbed by Canada than of any considerable number emigrating therefrom, yet it appears however to be a fact that While 60,000 persons (it is computed) annually arrive in Canada, at least half as many find their way thence to other regions, being moved presumably by climatic influence. Of these latter, a large number are natives of the soil, and some few specimens have drifted hither, giving, wherever met with, very favorable impressions as to the value which' would result from the immigration upon a large scale of such a class. We understand that the Railway and Immigration Committee are taking this matter io hand with the view of securing to Mr M'Leod's agency the same terms as those upon which the Agent-Geueral is instructed to act. We have received from the Registrar-General of Victoria a large sheet containing statistical tables of that Colony, prepared for the London International Exhibition of 1873 ; also a volume entitled "Patents and Patentees for 1871," which shows lhat during that year 133 patents were applied for in Victoria, of which number 81 were granted, wholly or in part, the remainder having been refused or allowed to lapse by the applicants. The Waste Lands Board sat yesterday, the Chief Commissioner, Messrs M'Arthur, M'Cul— loch, and Baker being present. The separate applications of Messrs Escott, Ttiddell, and Walker for mineral leases a: Orepuki, made in terms of order ot the Board at a former meeting, were granted. The application of Messrs Henry and George Howell and others, by DMurchie, agent, for mineral leases on Taunoa Creek, Orepuki, was held over, applicants to be informed that each must make separate application, accompanied by plan of section applied for. A letter from Mr C. Cowan was read, advising that tha supposed south boundary of Bun 207 b was in a different position on the ground to that shown by the office map, and that the area of the run would therefore probably be less than sated. The matter was referred to the District Surveyor, with instructions to traverse the creek forming the southwestern boundary, and to advise with tWe Inspector of Surveys before placing the pegs. The Australasian Sketcher, to hand per the Omeo, contains a number of very interesting illustrations, among which we observe a sketch of .the Wairau Lake, New Zealand, from the pencil of Mr John Gully. Writing on the 31st ult., our Riverton corres pondent says : — The charge of indecent as a ilt, preferred against E. Mortimer, was heard yesterday by J. Cook, Esq., J.P., and T. Daniel, Esq., J.P. Two or three witnesses were examined, but there was not a tittle of evidence elicited to warrant the assumption that the youth intended to commit any offence. The whole affair was simply a " romp" between a boy and girl. Mr Wade defended the accused with his usual ability, and caused a titter to run through the Court when he appealed to the Bench, rejuesting the Justices to look back to their school days, and try to remember if they ever kissed the girls ; but the Bench appeared to be deaf to the touching appeal. Mr Wade than callled two or three witnesses to testify to the good character previously borne by the accused, among whom were Inspector Pox and Sergeant Barry, who both spoke very highly of him. The Court wag then adjourned for ten minutes, and on resuming, accused was fined £5, with the alternative of one month's imprisonment. Mr Daniel has received intelligence from Orepuki of the discovery of a seam of coal and shale, about 15 ft. thick. The shale has been tested in a retort, and has produced an oil found to ignite and burn very freely. The diggers use the shale for the purpose of kindling their fires. After discussing the question of religious instruction in schools, the Diocesan Synod, now sitting in Dunedin, has adopted the following resolutions : — " That the insufficiency of the religious instruction, as given in the Government schools, is greatly to be deplored ; that this Committee is of opinion that an opportunity should be afforded to the clergymen of giving religious instruction to the children of members 'of the Church of England in Government schools ; that the religious instruction should be given the first half-hour of the school day ; and that the President be asked to lay the resolutions before the Board of Education, with a request that they be agreed to." In reply to a question why no representatives had been returned for the districts of Invercargill and Campbelltown, the Bishop said no returns had been sent in as yet. Messrs Reid and Gray, the well-known agricultural implement makers, of Dunedin and Oamaru, carried off the first prizes at the Timaru show on the 29th ult. for the following articles : — Reaper, combined reaper and mower, mowing machine, three-furrow plough, and drill grubber.

\ The people of Christchurch would appear to suffer from an evil which is beginning to be much complained of in Invercargill, namely, the use of unsuitable gravel for the construction of footpaths. A Chmfcehurch contemporary says : — Shingle boulders of from eight to ten pounds weight, the admeasurement of which may bo guessed, are not con luoive to the comfort of pedestrians, though they are eminently calculated to increase the consumption of shoe leather, and the use of language more forcible than elegant. A general impression prevailed that the labor supply, which was deficient everywhere ehe, was redundant in Auckland. Tkis, however, does not appear to be the case. The immigrants recently arrived by the Hydaspes, we learn, have all been placed, and there is a demand for more hands. An extraordinary lambing is reported from Edgecombe, near Auckland. Fifty-six ewes gave 103 live lambs — some four at a birth. All classes of crops are reported to be looking most healthy and promising throughout the Wcfcatip district. Operations have been suspended on the Shotover G-old Mining Company's claim, pending the appointment of a new mine manager, Mr Fred. Evans having received the appointment. The Upper Shotover correspondent of the Wakatip paper says : — " The stoppage of the Shotover claim has given rise to numerous comments with regard to the company which are not at all favorable to them." We learn that the Nokomai Flat Gold Mining Company, finding that the wooden pumps at first prepared, after going down 27 feet, were not capable of doing the work required, have arranged for the 14 inch iron pumps that were used in the Victoria Company's claim, and have them now on the ground. Tenders are out for placing the new pump in the said shaft, and also for sinking the same till they obtain the bottom, which is expected to be about 60 or 65 feet. In the Oamaru district winter-sown wheat is reported to be both thin and weakly. At the meeting of the Otago Waste Land Board, held in Dunedin on the 30th, a petition was received from certain settlers at Mataura Bridge, requesting that the sale of a mill-site on the east side of the Mataura should be burdened with the condition that a mill of the value of £1000 should be erected. The reception of the petition was merely noted. Dr Hector states that the bone 3of the unknown bird recently discovered in a cave in the Dunstan district belong to tho goose tribe. Of this family, the only living ropresontative in New Zaaknd is tho Auser Novce Zealandia or Paradise Duck. The specimen which has been obtained from the cave is much larger than the latter birl, and is of greater size than the common goose. This stranger, curiously enough, waa unable to swim, and being possessed of only rudimentary winga, like so many of the extinct birds of New Zealand, it caull not fly. Oats are now selling at nine shillings per bushel in Cromwell, and are still reported as on the rise. The rate of carriage from Dunedin to Cromwell is reported at £14 10s per ton. Several of the largpst Bhearing sheda in tho province of Hawke's Bay have been wholly ia;en up by Maories this season, the price pau{ being from 20s to 22s 6d per 100. The session of the University of Otago closed on the 30th ult. In th 3 department of " logic and psychology, 1 ' the following students have earned distinction : — " Class I, marks over 75 per cent. — John E. Denniston, Dunedin, 1 ; Allan S. M'Leod, Danedin, 2; Arthur Grant, Waikiwi, 3." The Advertiser says that the ojst^M in the Geelong Oyster Company's beds at Cowie's Creek are thriving vigorously, and that four thousand additional tiles are to be laid down for this se son's spat. Mr Mussen elsewhere announces that his studio will be closed for ten days.