The Bruce Herald TOKOMAIRIRO, OCTOBER 19, 1865.

Bruce Herald, Volume III, Issue 80, 19 October 1865, Page 3

The Bruce Herald TOKOMAIRIRO, OCTOBER 19, 1865.

There is at present under process of signature if the Clutha : district and neighborhood, a petition to the . Government praying* that a bridge may be placed across the' Molyneux river, at the Government Ferry at Balclutha. It is now a year or two since a bridgj was erected across the Taieri river. That was an extremely useful work, and one well worthy the application of the public money. There sire g-Ood reasons for supposing that a bridge across the Molyneux river is now quite as necessary as one across the Taieri river. The Molyneux being a nj§ich more rapid river than the Taieri, is much more difficult to cross by a punt or boats, and a much more difficult river to put cattle across. There is now a considerable population on both sides of the river Molyneux j that is to say as regards the country on one side as far as Tokomairiro, and on the. other side the whole of the Clutha and Pomahaka districts. Both at Tokomairiro and at Balelutha sales of cattle are' continually being held, and for attending these sales, and lor many other purposes, stockowners, runholders, and others, are very frequently under the necessity of putting cattle and sheep across .the river. It appears that the punt is not of much use for this purpose, and ijiat. it is often necessary to swim- beas^^cross. at the risk of great loss and exnaMfe^j«R)ne gentleman, it is said, incurrec^^P^P>rt time since, through drowned beasts and extra: expenses, a loss of £80 on crossing 29 head. On account of this difficulty of crossing cattle, and for various other reasons, it may well be considered that the formation of a bridge would, be of very great use to the locality. Not only, however, as regards these districts, but as regards the whole Province, this is a subject for the first consideration. Across tins river those have to pass who are going to Dunedin, or to Invercargill and the South : this river intercepting, as it does, the main trunk 'road of the Province. Travellers of all sorts must suffer considerable inconvenience by having to pass •the! river by the present means. It is bad enough for the traveller on foot who arrives at the ferry on the north side of the river. He will probably have Jo stop and cool himself, and amuse himself by kicking his heels about and shouting for some tinje before he will get put across. To ai horseman it is worse, especially i*' his beast/ be shy, or be crossing for the first time; ' and still worse for a conveyance or dray. Occasionally, in a high wind, the punt cannot be crossed at all, and inasmuch as there are neither houses nor hotel accommodation for man or beast on the north side of the river, should a person arrive at that side in a vehicle of any sort at a time when the punt cannot cross, he would have nothing for ie but to return' on the way he came some eight or. twelve miles to a place where he could put up. Not long 1 since there' were great complaints of the punt being out of orfler, and through punting the river there- has, already been not' only considerable loss of and^jim^ge to goods, but even loss of life. Tliere cafi be little doubt that the present is a highly dangerous mode of crossing such a vapid river. ■■„■■■• It may be said that the present mode of crossing is a vast improvement on former j times. Very true. There was a time in the history of England when a stout rowing boat would have been considered a vast improvement on the canoe of the ancient Britons, for the purpose of crossing the Thames at London Bridge, but the time came when the population were not content with a boat of any sort ; and, considering thie great engineering' skill of the present .day, and the amount of population in these 1 districts, a time has now come in the history of this Province when the present manner of crossing a rapid river like the Molyneux must be considered . as far behind the times. It may be said that a railway bridge will before lopg 1 be* required across the river. The sooner we nave a railway the better, but as there, seems to be no immediate intention of making a railway, and as, if even a railway bridge were made, this bridge will! still be absolutely necessary, this objection cannot go very far. The settlers have gob^L gronndj for asking for this great im-

pfoyement to their rifcigntyorh'<ybd : , wheh : as tftey stiate, 20p;OOQ of :land have been sold by ' Government at the Clutha. This must represent a very large sum paid into the Provincial Treasury. .' It is much to be hoped the Government will look Jayoralily on this petition , and should the Council see fit to vote a sum of money io.r the purpose prayed,. th«y will be doing an act of justice to the district' and conferring ,a great benefit on ths Province. There can be no doubt that this is a work not only highly important and useful, l>ut one absolutely necessary arid iridispedsable.

\y"E have found it utterly impossible to obtain the hands; necessary to issue the * Herald' in its usual form, and are therefore again compelled to offer an apology to our" feadars. We can, however, assure tiiem that no exertions on our part have been or will be spared -to endeavor to obtain the' labor necessary for supplying- them with their usual' amount of. reading matter. ■ ■•■:

The « Evening Star' of Thursday last states that the directors of the Southern Steam Navigation Company have commenced operations with a spirit which must be most assuring to the shareholders: They purchased this morning the well-known favorite paddle steamer 'Geelong 7 from Mr. John Jones, the purchase money being, we believe, £5000, and she makes her first trip, since her - thorough overhaul, to Oamaru and Lyttleton on Sunday. The few days which have elapsed between the issue of the company's prospectus and the sailing of its pioneer steamer is a fact which has never "been equalled in the colonies, and should inspire with confidence those amongst us who are continually prophecyihg the decadence of the province and its commerce. There was a rumor going the round of the home papers at date of the latest advices, to the effect that Sir James Ferguson, M.P. for the county of Ayr, was likely to be appointed Governor of New Zealand. The Bishop of Wellington, in lm opening address to the Diocesan Synod, thus refers to the Hau Hau fanaticism : — 1 cannot allow such a remarkable feature to pass unnoticed as the Hau Hau superstition, which haa swept over the land like a pestilence, . and carried off in its train the great mass of the people, from Waikato to the Wairarapa. But lam bound to say I should consider it a grave mistake if we were to merge the whole people in one indiscriminate condemnation, as guilty of, or sympathising with, the- worst and most disgusting features of the fanaticism. To use their own language, two canoes started, by the false prophet Te Ua's command, from some place between Taranaki and Wangahui. One canoe was full of wrath, and the other of peaceful propagandism. Some of the crew paddling in the latter were captured near Taurariga, .when Hori Tapea was made prisoner. But th& wrathful one went towards Opotiki and Taiiranga, and alas ! we know too much Of its deeds of darkness. Still it would be, I repeat it, a grave mistake to suppose that . bur neighbours in the Wairarapa, who almost to a man have joined the Pai Marirel flag, 'are murderers in heart and willj any more than I can believe that William Thompson (Taf apipipi) and the Waikatosas a body,/ guilty- of .the same crimes in wiir or thought. Doubtless he,, and thousands of others, have joined the fanatical movement, merely as a political engine for upholding their 'nationality. 5 They have established a Maori National Church, which is 'to embrace all sects; Their •creedand fornfcof worship' includes articles taken from the Roman Catholic faith, from Wesleyahismj from bur prayer-book, and especially from Judaism' ami the Old Testament. This is the religion for those who sail in the '■■« peaceful' canoe, and for those that belong to the wrathful canoe there are added some of the worst features of the old Maori usage and 'the days' of cannibalism. I have been frequently on board the hulk where there are 56 Maori prisoners, who had all joined the Hau Hau superstition, but they have nearly^all attended divine Service most gladly and regularly. As generous treatment, medicinally speaking, masters fevers and pestilences, so I" believe that strong; measures will soon destroy the canoe of wrath, and that just and generous measure's will empty^the peaceful canoe of its propagandism and separate nationality: Faiit Deast f Amen, •■■"■■ ; ••■'= •. • : : • Our Dunedin correspondent writes : " The Southern Steam Navigation Company (Limy ited)' have purchased the steamers ■■'*■ Geelong' and « Tuapekal For the first-iiamed they pay L 5000". The * Tuapeka will, wind and weather permitting^ leave tomorrow to -resume the trade, for which she was originally built, upon the Clutha river, and; the * Geelongf will also proceed to Port Molyneux oriher return from Lyttelton, about the 22nd izup^. £his will, at last, prove a great boon to ypur wide and important agricultural ■^atrict/' ;• ■ " '■' •• ■ ■■■■ r- ■■■ -■>• '

have! bfeeii elected ' Members* of Council for " theCity ; ©i Dunedin. : v\ ' ' : We are reluctantly compelled to hold over the report of proceedings at the: Resident Magistrate's Covurt; (Extended Jurisdiction), :■ yebterday^ before Mr. .'Wiliiioii Gray. '.'■'.-.'. , '..- .— \ ; The annual meeting of ihe subscribers and others interested in the Tokomairird -Biitriefc i Library is advertised to, be: held in ithov Schoolhouse on the evening of Monday, Nov. ;. 6, at six- o'clock. v-;V • . ; {/? :.-" :-.-■ A meeting of the members of the Church, of England is to be held in the Courthouse this evening, at half-past five o'clock, r- • The' Secretary of the Education Board advertises'that he is now prepared to receive, applications' ' for - leasing * the ; Education Reserves throughout the province. ? After* perusal; 'we cain say/ thai the; conditions bf lease adopted by the' Board are of % 'liberal . character. • .; • :-•- s • The Building formerly occupied as a'store by Messrs. Smith and Hibbard is now undergoing alterations to adapt it to the purpose of a Catholic Chapel. . Itia expected thatthe required alterations.will be completed in time . to allow of the opening service tp take place . ■ on next Sunday fortnight, on which occasion : Mrs. W. H. Mumford will ; assist iie choir in. the celebration of High Mass. . . /, We are glad to learn that Mr. R. W. Capstick intends erecting a large Assembly Hall on • the . ground • immediately opposite the ;' White Horse Hotel and that it will probably. . be completed in time to be used for the Amateur. Concert in aid of the Church of^ England Funds, advertised to come, off in. the early part of next month. : : - ; We understand that Mr\ Barnes lias accepted a contract for the erection of a permanent bridge^ over Salmorid?s- Creek, on #ie old line of roadi and that he intends to com^ mence the -work at once» - • We are very glad to be able to state that there are at last some signs of the establish-: iment of a Telegraphic Station here being shortly proceeded "with. Some of tHe necessary instruments have already arrived, and ,it is probable that the remainder will soon arrive and an office be opened in a portion of the present Post-office.. The work o£ stretching a wire from the Post-office to the junction of the Tuapeka and Molyneux roads, • 'and thence to the Lakes, wiathe Dunstanand. other gold-fields,- has also been commencedv3 The gold-fields^^ line will join the main line at the. Tokomairiro station, and front tlience. to the junction the wires run along the poles of the main line. . . f : A fortnight ago, the ' Proviacial Government Gazette ' contained a notice, occupying . several columns, specifying certain roads which it is intended to- close in, this and the neighboring road districts. Singular to say r although tlie Government advertised ia. ouir col u ni ns a notice which, appeared; at the same time of toads to . be closed ia the Salisbury district, , they have :not thought proper to pursue a similar course' in reference to the notice affecting roads in the Milton and^ adjoining districts., As the time for giving in objections to the closing, of these roads i» limited, persons interested should be On the watch. . ; • :