SOUTHERN NEWS.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 174, 30 April 1872, Page 3

SOUTHERN NEWS.

(From papers by the Taranaki.)

Thebe seems to be an excellent field foi money-lenders open in sonic of the op country districts of Otago, if we inay judge by the following extract from tin letter of the Lawrence correspondent oj the Bruce Ilerald :—“ Money terribly scarce, and very dear, 100 per cent. 01 small sums being frequent.” It n rumoured that the Hon. Colonel Whitmore will take proceedings for false imprisonment against the Justices of Peace at Whanganui who issue 1 the warrant foi his arrest. —Steps are being taken by tin Government to extend the line of telegraph from Grcymouth to Reefton, a dis tance of about 50 miles. Most if not all of the line will be through heavily timbered country and extensive bush clearing A work of considerable cost and Inborn will have to be done.—Amongst the objects of interest lately added to the exhibits in the Dune-fin Museum, is a veritable lock of the hair of the poet Robert Burns, presented by Mr James Barr, —Thetrusteesof the Wellington Grammar School had an interview with his Honor the Superintendent on the subject of a site for University buildings. A definite promise of a site for grammar school, affiliated college, and University offices, has been made. The trustees believe that they will shortly have £3,000 available for the erection of such buildings, which will be completed within twelve months. —Mr Backhouse, the Australian agent for the British and Foreign Bible Society, who lately delivered addresses throughout the colony, left New Zealand for Melbourne by the s.s. Albion on the 12th inst.—There was a slight shock of earthquake at New Plymouth on April 21, at 3.30 p.in.—The “latest thing” in advertising is from Reefton. It runs thus :—“ If the individual who took from the Star Hotel a new fryingpan will be kind enough to call again he will receive a beefsteak—for his eye.”—The Taranaki News has changed hands, and is now the property of Air Charles Brown, late of the firm of Brown and Duthio, and formerly Superintendent of Taranaki. —Some of the Picton fishermen had a good haul lately. The fish they caught turned out to be the veritable mackerel—not the fish known as horse or New Zealand mackerel, but the genuine mackerel. The fish were very large, weighing as much as 71b or 81b each, and the quantity was large also.—A peculiar phenomenon was seen at sea recently, within a few miles of the outflow of the Grey. What seemed to be the smoke of a steamer

gradually grew in dimensions and in appearance until it assumed the semblance of what it was—a waterspout. It—the phenomenon —travelled southward at a rapid rate, and, seen by the light of the setting sun, it was very picturesque.—ln New Zealand there are 112 Wesleyan Sun-day-schools, 876 teachers, and 6,536 scholars. —Bishop Viard,s health has much improved during the last few days. It is stated that the good Bishop will resume his pastoraldut ics in a few weeks.—TheProvincial Council of Taranaki has decided, in a most emphatic manner, that a railway should be commenced in tiio province. The whole of the members were present, and two-thirds of them spoke in favour of the works being commenced as soon as the necessary surveys of that portion of the railway between the Waitara and New Plymouth were ready.—The wet season appears to have set in vigorously at Wellington. Between nine o’clock on April 16 and the same hour on the 20th, 5{ inches rain fell in Wellington. Of these, 3.17 inches fell during the twentyfour hours ending 9 o’clock on the 20th, being the heaviest recorded for a similar time in Wellington, with the exception of oug day, for several years. —The Nelson races commence on the 30th instant. The Examiner states authoritatively that the 5 best horses running in New Zealand will be present, barring accidents, namely— Peeress, Flying Jib, Black Eagle, Slander, and Yattcrina.—The list of accidents and offences in our files is scarcely so numerous as usual. The man Bradley, who sustained severe injuries by falling down the hold of the brig Gazelle in Lyttelton, has since died from injury received to the spine.—At an inquest held at AValtham, near Christchurch, on the body of a girl named Isabella Thompson, whose death was supposed to be the result of beatings with a whip inflicted by her master, Mr Birch; the jury found that the deceased died from natural causes, but were of opinion that Mr Birch and his wife did not treat the child well, and that she was harshly used, and put to very severe work for her age.—A reward of £25 has been offered by the Provincial Secretary of Canterbury for the discovery of the person who set fire to six stacks of wheat on Shand’s Track. The property destroyed was valued at £SOO. —George Mercott, of Waimea East, was on April 25 brought before the Resident Magistrate, Nelson, charged with having attempted to commit suicide by hanging himself.—William Beattie, a miner, was killed at the EightMile, Westland, on the 13th instant. Deceased and two of his mates—one of them being his brother—were in the act of filling a truck in the face of their sluicing claim, when a tree fell from the top of the face and knocked the three of them down. The other two men quickly extricated themselves, but deceased was held down by a portion of the trunk of

the tree, which had apparently struck him on his back, quite dead. —“ Snow-drop-I ping”—stripping clothes’ lines—has become very prevalent in Wellington. The Greg River Argus, in devoting a leading article to Messrs Brogdens’ proposal in regard to tire obtaining of a large grant of land in return for erecting the Mikonui water race, says:—“ Of course the concessions asked, do, on the face of them, suggest the granting for a very long period of privileges which may or possibly may not —bo prolific of huge pecuniary benefits. No doubt the area of land asked for may indicate, a priori, a desire to monopolise an extent of country which it is inconsistent with some of the prevailing doctrines of the day to alienate from the sovereign people. But, after all, can it be expected that a capitalist will embark, in a strange land, the money necessary to construct some twenty-one miles of water-race without securing a sufficient area of timber laud to provide for the requirement s of that race, and also, it may be, some share of the auriferous laud which his capital and his enterprise will alone render available for the general good of the community ? Further on, in discussing the probabilities of Messrs Brogden monopolising the ground for their own exclusive purposes, the Argus says: —‘‘Again, in reference to the supposed auriferous ground along the course of the race, it can hardly be anticipated that Mr Brogden w'ould woi it himself; although even if he did we fail to see any particular injustice which : would be done, unless it can be proved that the ground might presently be worked by miners as ordinary claims. U e rather . incline to the opinion that, if the suggestions made were realised, Mr Brogden s , policy would be to let these, at present ' apocryphal fields, when developed by his

exertions, to miners upon liberal tribute. Such a course would open up new payable fields, and would, if the speculations now indulged in prove sound, employ a large population and furnish a source of groat benefit to the immediate district,and indirectly to the colony generally. Upon the whole ,qucstion, the more reflection the subject receives the more the desirability of encouraging such proposals becomes obvious. No doubt the question will be considered carefully, both in reference to the known character of the country through which the race is run, and the interference with vested interests which may be anticipated. If'such a consideration is given, and a proper attention be paid to the general rules of policy which should govern the granting of such rights as these, there can be no reason why the proposal should not meet with favourable consideration, and become ultimately a great public benefit.” The Otago Daily Timex say :—We learn that the shipments during March of preserved meats from the three establishments of the New Zealand Meat Preserving Company, reached the very high figure of 1,087,000 lbs. The daily production of those establishments during the last four months, and at the present time, exceeds 40,000 lbs, and this rate is expected to be maintained for two months to come. These figures afford gratifying evidence of the flourishing condition of the meat-preserving industry, and the energy with which the company named is carrying on its operations. The Queenstown paper mentions, as an on (lit, “ that some steps arc about to be taken to present some testimonial to Mr C. E. Ilaughton, in recognition of his long and faithful services in behalf of the interests of this district.” The Oainaru Timex says: —The starlings imported into the district some two years ago appear to have multiplied very rapidly. A gentleman informed us yesterday that lie had seen, a day or two before, a flock of four or five hundred near Totara station. The Evening Poxt says—The tenders for the erection of the new Lunatic Asylum were considered to-day, and that of Messrs Halley and Ewing, for £4,916, was accepted. The building is to be completed by the 2nd of October. The Native Commissioner of Wanganui (Mr Worgan) has gone to Wellington, the Government of that province having interfered with his duties—purchasing land, from the natives, that has been individualised by the Natives Laud Court. Major Turner, the new Inspector of Armed Constabulary at Patea, inspected the men on the 15th April ; his being put in command, it appears, has given the greatest satisfaction to the men.