SOUTHERN NOTES.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 191, 20 May 1872, Page 3

SOUTHERN NOTES.

(From papers per s.s. Wellington.) The Press of the 10th inst. commences its lender thus •—Just as we expected, upon Mr Vogel’s return, the dead lock between the Government and the railway contractors has been speedily terminated. The Government without Mr Vogel is like a body without brains;, now tliat’the brains are in their place again, the body begins t,» move. The telegrams we published on Wednesday brought word that the point in dispute had been arranged, and that the working plans of half-a-dozen railways had been, or were on point of being, handed over to Mr Brogden. This news fully confirms all that we have written on the subject. It proves what a disgraceful mess the Government made of their railway scheme in the Treasurer’s absence, and how unable they are to take a single step without having him at hand to direct and support them. By a private telegram from Auckland, we (Press) learn that a report Was current there to tue effect that Mr Gillies, the Superintendent, is about to accept iJudgeship! Mr Williamson,' formerly Superintendent, and Air Alackay, an spoken of as probable candidates for the vacancy;' dh d ! -•- J »» '■>

One of the Dunedin clergymen is reported by a contemporary to have given a very plain hint to his congregation a few Sundays since. In the course of his prayer lie offered up the following petition “ And, 0 Lord ! cause them to give up their barking and snapping at each other, and so re*store peace and har-

mony in this Congregation.” The writer of casual notes in the. Otago Daily Times says: “Cock-a-doodle-doo-o----o! 1 !” crows the self-styled “cock shootist of New Zealand, Mr J. W. Walker,as with his rifle in one hand and a bundle of banknotes in the other, he shouts defiance to all and sundry. His bank-notes, indeed, are more characteristic of hitn than his shooting. He.flourishes them vauntingly before him, and will have nothing to do with anyone who is unprovided with them or who declines to shoot for money. Last August he challenged Captain Wales, but that gentleman, in his reply, said— 11 1 will not accept a money challenge from any person.” Mr. Walker, on the contrary, with characteristic vulgarity, says —“Dont let anyone talk, unless he is prepared to bet." By so expressing himself, he shuts out Captain Wales and others who have the same objection to shooting for money, from competing with him, which is a nice way of getting rid of dangerous antagonists. But this is not all. Mr Walker issued a challenge to fire with a small-bore only, whereas the Volunteers of New Zealand are almost wholly unacquainted with that weapon, which, as Captain Wales said in the letter from which I have quoted above, “ is unquestionably superior to the Enfield.” 1 Like a professional duellist in days now happily gone by, Mr Walker manoeuvres sorts to use only the weapon with which he is acquainted and his antagonist unacquainted. He would not accept Captain Wales s offer to fire with Government rifles and Government ammunition, Probably Mr Walker may say that he is as unacquainted with the Government rifle as the Volunteers are with the small-bore. Well, be it so that will only show the advantage lie enjoyed in the last match, and which, to equalise matters, he should forego in tho next one. But above all, let him drop his excessively offensive style of thrusting his money into people’s faces, and learn at the same time to speak like a gentleman. Otherwise no gei'lteman “ shootist ” will enter the lists against him, any more than a gentleman, though skilled in the use of his fists, would accept a challenge from a prizefighter. The Otago Provincial Council evidently appreciate the doiniis of their Volunteer representatives. The Otago Daily Times lias the following :—Mr Cutteti has tabled a notice in the Provincial Council of his intention to move, on Monday, “ 1 hat this Council desires to express its thanks to the Otago Representative Volunteers ot 1872, for the able and successful manner in which they represented their province at the competition for the colonial prizes at Christchurch, and requests Mr Speaker to present them witli this resolution. Seveiat Southern papers are complaining of the short supply of coal, owing to the scarcity of freight from Newcastle and other coal ports. In Wellington the Alliion was detained from the present smallness of the supply. We notice Mr Aamodt Ims been fortunate enough t<> secure a cargo of Newcastle coal at Nelson before it was snapped up. It seems inexplicable to us bow our ports can be left so bare of steam fuel, considering the steady demand for it, and the extent of our New Zealand coal deposits. The late heavy rains have inflicted serious inconvenience on the inhabitants of Blenheim, whose dwellings have been invaded by water, while the streets have only been passable for boats and horsemen. This, unfortunately, is no. new occurrence —but what is a novelty, is the visit of a denizen of the ocean which Blenheim received the other day, when a gentleman riding through one of the streets narrowly escaped being thrown by the fright his horse sustained from a large fish'—whether shark, dog-fish, or porpoise, could not be said—coming against the animal. Whatever the fish, it must have been of an adventurous turn to have ventured some ten or twelve miles from the sea into the very streftts of the capital of Marlborough.