The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3933, 31 March 1870, Page 3

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO. NON URO. If I have been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beaoons from the spark I bore.

THURSDAY, MARGE 31, 1870,

Our Southern exchanges, to hand by the ' John Penu/ contain several articles on Northern affairs. We propose to make extracts from some of these, with the view of informing the Auckland public what other provinces think of questions which, more or less, engross their attention. And first, with regard to the goldfield at the Thames, we find some very sensible remarks iv the Wellington inde pendent. .Referring, in his issue of the 22nd instant, to our article on the Thames census, our cotitemporary has the following remarks : — It is proverbial that gold-diggers, as a class, do not look far into futurity. But we were hardly prepared to find that they are so extremely short-sighted as recent events it the Thames have shown them to be. After hearing of monster public meetings of the unein- ' ployed, and of three thousand starving diggers sending deputations to the Superin- I tendent of Auckland to learn how it was pro- I posed to supply them with food, it is with no little surprise that we learn the reductio ad absurdum from 3,030 destitute miners to 13 individuals actually in want. So conclusive is the evidence in favour of the welldoing of the great majority of the supposed paupers, that the only semblance of a discussion as to the truth of the figures produced goos to show that the thirteen destitute may be reduced to four. The Independent tnen pi'oceeds to criticise the conduct of the local journals, who failed to expose the deception practised upon the Superintendent and the Auckland public We certainly think the censure is well merited. The ' Thames papers, being published on the spot, were iv a position to expose the huge impo-,hire, which wa3 countenanced by men whose standing should have been a guarantee that they would not lend themselves to anything like a public deception. The Independent »-ays :—: — A recent number of the Thames Advertiser supplies us with a key to the riddle, which ' otherwise might well be beyond our solution, as to what has become of the 3,000. "We hope," say a our contemporary, "that by i this time the Wellington people are quite | convinced that 'the 3,000 starving men,' who have \ een so frequently paraded in print, are myths, and were merely used up here to frighten the Government into more strenuous exertions to open Ohinemuri." We have seldom been witness to more unblushing effrontery than these few sentences display. However easily we may excuse the miners for being misled into lending themselves to such a deception, nothing will palliate the conduct of the press in allowing the bugbear to be paraded without exposure of its real character. Dishonesty of this kind will certainly prove itself m the end to be the very worst possible policy. In this instance it has not only failed ignominiously to effect its # immediate object, but it has done an injury to the mining interests at the Thames, which it will take many months at least to recover. Next to a faith in the value of the mine 3, implicit trust in the local directory is essential to the intending investor. The small fry of speculators, who make up the bulk of the capital with which the gold mines are worked, are very ahy fish indeed, when once a suspicion of danger is exciced. Already the cry of wholesale destitution and distress has effectually prevented any return to nibble at the golden bait. They have retired into quiet corners, to sum up their experiences of friends and neighbours who have been hooked before, ana determine to keep out of the reach of further temptation themselves. The Superintendent of Auckland, it is true, has stripped off the sheet, and smashed the illuminated turnip which was to frighten the Government out of its sober reason ; but it is only to expose a reality quite as repulsive as the fiction of poverty, to those who, from the nature of mining investments, are forced to trust in very great measui'e to the honour of those who are on the spot. We invite all whom it may concern to bear the foregoing remarks in mind. They will find that, in the end, honesty is the beat policy. That there has been a great and scandalous departure from honesty in this matter, is incontrovertible ; and the truth, that such conduct always brings its own punishment, was never mure strikiugif illustrated than at the Thames, Again the Independent says : — We are not aware that "the Wellington P if o] s£" cs P eci * u y » eed to be convinced that the Thames miners are not on the verge of ruin. Not a single article, as far as we are •ware, has ever appeared in the Wellington papers, aince this stalking-horse to cover an attack on Ohinemuri was put forward, but has expressed a full belief in the resources of the Thames goldfielda. If the miners, to suit their own purposes, and the pre»s to gratify and assist their, subscribers, have chosen to manufacture and publish fact* which have no foundation in truth, and we draw the legitimate conclusions from the premises they, provide, it .is their fault, and certainly not that of the Wellington people, if tho^ conclusions are .in error. The only charge which can be .made. against the Wellington people is, that they believed their Northern itftighboursjfcold tae.tratib; WJien tHe murder comes out,; and lire, are told tiat the sensational stories of 3,000 diggers

in distress "wore jnerely used up here to frighten the Government into more strenuous exertions to open Ohinemuri," our faith ia shaken, and were it not for • the Government census we might be inclined to question the truth of the explanation, which is a glib and impudent acknowledgment of an attempted fraud. For the credit of the Assembly we hope that there is no truth in the assertion that more than on© of its 1 members are intimately connected with the journal we have quoted. It is impossible to imagine a more suicidal act than the fraudulent declaration of insolvency —wo may almost terra it so — practised at the Thames ; its dishonesty is only equalled by its folly. The story of the supposed absolute ruin of thousands of the workers on what was considered a prosperous goldfield will have gone forth to the world before the refutation which has lately been made can come to the knowledge of those at a distance watching the progress of the field, either with an idea of future investment, or with an eye to dividends on moneys already sunk. We i learnt by the last mail that moneys were being sent from France for investment in the Thames mines, but on the receipt of the news of the deputation to the Superintendent of Auckland, any such distant sources of revenue for the development of j the mines will be effectually stopped. Instead of the Thames having any reason to complain of this part of the colony for the j action taken, or the language used here in I respect of this matter, Wellington has good reason to complain of this uncalled-for depreciation of the goldfields by the mining population on the field. Anything which lessens the public appreciation of the rich- ' ness of the mines, lessens considerably the j value of the property in shares which the people in this province are known to hold. It is for this reason, and because, as an integral part of the colony, we feel that any failure m one part of the colony of any industry employing a large number of hands, injuriously affects the whole, and especially the chief source from which supplies are drawn, — that we rejoice to hear that the starvation cry was merely a hoax, and that the real state of the Thames affords matter for congratulation. The recent change in the constitution of the Auckland Armed Police appears to have given rise to some speculation in the South. The Wellington Advertiser says :—: — At Auckland the provincial police force have been sworn into the Armed Constabulary. This seems a step indeed not only to doing away with Provinoialism, but also to leading U 3 under the generalship of Mr. Branigan. Of course, the Advertise?' Las a disparaging word to .say of the Commissioner, Mr. Branigan, who appears to excite the ire of most writers in the Empire City. The same journal thus ' magnifies the paltry squabble at Whang.ipoua, into a political event of great importance. Thus :—: — The news from Auckland is somewhat ! startling. Te Kooti is still in some unknown ' position ; a collision has taken place between ' the natives and Europeans at Coromandel ; * and yet Mr. Fox ia talking about ragged schools, forgetting how ragged our condition is with regard to the natives. We can al'ay our con temporary's ' fears. Tho affair to which he refers has no political significance whatever, and arose out of a dispute between two saw-mill proprietors as to the possession of some kauri logs. It is a police case, and not a case in which the General ! Government are at all concerned. The Wanganui Chronicle conies out in a new character. " Blessed are the " peacemakers ;" and the Chronicle, in the character of a peace-maker, attempts to reconcile Wellington and Auckland in this fashion :—: — Let us hope that Auckland, having cause for rejoicing over its being made the port of call for the San Francisco 3teamers, will allow Wellington to enjoy in peace its j eminence as the political capital of the coun- ; try. It is not much, and the other provinces ' may grant the boon ungrudgingly. The time has really come when provincial dissen* ' sions, in which Auckland and Wellington have taken the largest and least enviable • share, should cease. Provinces are likely to ] come to au end ; their feuds should do so at ' all events. A little banter is well enough.—- j a joke now and again at the expense of a town { or district is rather pleasant than otherwise ' — but when newspapers take to calling whole < communities a parcel either of rogues or fools, < and by a process of persistent nagging keep < up a feeling of irritation and misunderstand- * ing among people who ought to be living on ] the most friendly terms together, the ] thing assumes a different and even a serious ' aspect. It does, in fact, an infinitude of harm. We need not quote further from thiB i well-meant article. It is a little weak i in the middle, and shaky towards the * end ; but no matter for that, the inten- ] tion is good,aud we dare say if our fellow < citizens would sign a declaration sur- J rendering their pretensions to the seat y of Government, a treaty of peace might ' be ratified with Wellington. For our- J selves, we desire peace above all things, « and we would nob on any account write ( a word thab could be construed into 1 fomenting provincial squabbles. We trust this general assurance will satisfy our > 'ook's Strait friends ; — only, for < all that, we don't give up the seat of < Government question. ' 'i he Otago Daily Times has the fol- ' lowing pertiuent remarks, ■which we insert in this connection : — < The attitude assumed by the city of Wei- , lington towards the rest of the colony is a \ comical one. Conscious that in itself it is wanting in the true elements of prosperity, it . devotes its energies to obtaining wealth from ] extraneous sources. Thus it jealously guards ' its position as the seat of Government, and fiercely resents any insinuation that the 3 business of the colony can be conducted ' more advantageously elsewhere. In the ] same way it demands that all the steam-sor- ' vices of the colony should centra in itself. ' During the existence of the Panama Com. 1 pany this ambition may be said to have been realised ; and the fact may perhaps account ' in some measure for the chagrin now felt in '. Wellington at the departure of its prestige. ( A few weeks ago, the Wellington papers de- 1 nounced the idea of making Auckland the 1 porfc of call for the San Francisco service, < not because it was against the interests of 1 the colony, but because it was against the i interests of Wellington. In the same i way, no sooner is it stated that there is i some prospect of another service being ' started between England and New Zealand, ; via the Straits of Magellan, with Otago as '. its terminus, than Wellington is up in arms again. Its prerogative is in d nger, and it hastens to defend it. The leading journal? commenting upon the proposed service, reI marks that, "as steamers of 2,000 tons burden would not enter the harbour of Otago, we may at once put the claims of Dunedin on one side ; but it may be worth while to inquire into the advantages of this connecting link to New Zealand and Australia, making this port the terminus." As to the statement that steamers of the size named would not be able to enter the harbour of Otago, it will be sufficient to say that the projectors of .the new line .propose <to build steamers , apecinlly.Josuit.the.ytrade of our port... We « may point out that steamers, particularly if they curry mails, are nowadays bnilt of great length and of , comparatively light draiight of water, a marked change having taken place - in the building of. steam vesse sof late*, years . . in this respect. „ A vessel of *" much lirger , carrjong eapwity th»n that named might.

i therefore be constructed to pass over our bar • without difficulty. The origin of the Indepen- ' dent's statement is no doubt to be found in the 1 fact that it was notconsidered advisable forthe . ' Galatea' to attempt to enter our harbour, . There is no analogy, however, between the I • Galatea' and the proposed steamers. In the first place, the 'Galatea' is a vessel of 3,286 tons register, or two-thirds larger than the new steamers ; and, in the second place, she is a man-of-war with a heavy armament, and is consequently constructed on entirely different principles from a merchant steamer. Again, the graving dock now in course of construction at Port Chalmers will, when finished, be capable of taking in a vessel of nearly double the size indicated. Ihe ex stence of this dock, also, is one of the strongest inducements to the projectors to make this the New Zealand terminus of the line, inasmuch as it affords every facility for the cleaning or repair of their vessels. Wellington cannot offer any advantages of this kind. Its patent slip is still to be built : and it is i consequently absurd on the part of the Independent to say that Wellington " would require to be their head-quarters for docking and re-fitting." The Panama steamers were obliged to go to Sydney for docking, and the new steamers would require to go either there or to Otago, if Wellington were the port chosen. j Speaking of the graving dock at Port i Chalmers reminds us that there is a company formed for the construction of a floating dock at uckland. There is no time to be lost in " floating" this enterprise, if it is to compete with its j Southern rival. And we may mention that the Provincial Government recently obtained a valuable endowment, being the foreshore from kauri Point to the North Head, for the construction of a graving dock at this port. Auckland is now the port of call for the San Francisco steamers ; let us then manifest that we are enterprising enough to make the most of our position. A suitable graving dock should be constructed without unnecessary delay. San Francisco possesses a graving dock, which admits the lai-gest sea-going ships ; Valparaiso has a floating dock of like capacity ; Sydney also has its docks ; and now Otago is taking the lead in New Zealand. If Auckland cannot take the lead therefore, in our colony, it ought at least to come in a good second to Otago in this enterprise.

Our monthly summary will be published to-morrow morning. Orders for extra copies should be left at our publishing office Queenstreet, not later than this (Thursday) evening Dr. Nicholson, the Provincial Secretary, met the trustees of Waitakere East, near Hendersons Mill, on Tuesday last, in order ; to settle the long-standing grievance of a i road through Mr. Hendersons land. Mr. ( T. Macffarlane was present on behalf of Mr. Henderson, and Mr. J. Probert and another trustee on behalf of the residents. After considerable discussion it was decided to recommend to Mr. Henderson that the road should be earned through his property in a more southerly direction and nearer the ranges, and that a piece of Government land on the western side of the creek should be offered to Mr. Henderson as compensation for the loss of the land required for the proposed road. It is believed that these proI posals will meet with Mr. Hendersons approval. There was yesterday some very welcome rain in Auckland. The fall was occasionally heavy, but was not at all constant ; and householders, having regard to the state of their tanks, would no doubt be glad to have two or three showery days. His Honor the Chief Justice sat yesterday to hear applications under the Bankruptcy Acts, and was so engaged from eleven o'clock until half-past four. In the case of John Grey, there was an application with a view to set aside a deed of arrangement. Some points of interest were raised, but the application was unsuccessful. An application was made, in the case of S. M. Green and Co., to postpone a proof on behalf of the estate of Black and Co. until after the partnership creditors of Green and Co. have been paid. It was stated that the amount sought to be proved for was £8,000. There was a preliminary discussion, and then, on the ground of the great length to which the examination of witnesses would extend, the case was postponed until May sth. In the case of Alexander Gillan, there was an examination of witnesses relative to an alleged fraud on the creditors, for the particulars of one side of which story we must refer our readers to the report elsewhere. The case was adjourned until to-day. Messrs. J. H. Horns and G. B. Owen were the presiding Justices at the Police court yesterday. Three drunkards were fined in the usual manner. Thomas Jones and Warnock Brothers were fined for breaches of the Municipal Police Act. William Messenger and Richard Sandall were fined for breaches of the Slaughter-house Regulations. James Moulds, chai-ged by his wife Mary Moulds with having violently assaulted her, pleaded not guilty. The offence was, however, proved, and defendant was sentenced to one month's imprisonment, and ordered at the expiration of that period to find two sureties of 1 50, and to enter into his own bond in the sum of £100, to keep the peace for six months. The Tokatea Goldmining Company's lease was issued yesterday. From it the ground claimed by the Excelsior was excepted. The other claims (seven) merge in the Tokatea. This case has been so long and vigorously contested before the Warden's and Supreme Courts that it has become one of the causes cel&bres of our goldfields. The litigation connected with this claim has been one of the chief means of keeping Ooromandel back, and we hope that an end has now been put to the proceedings in connection with it. His Excellency the Governor, by an Order in Council, dated at Auckland, March 14th, directs that, under the Lunatics Act, 1868, "a percentage at the rate qf seven pounds per centum shall be charged on all moneys collected by, or paid to, or coming under the control of, the several Registrars of the Supreme Court, within the Judicial Districts of the colony, for or on behalf of any lunatic patient or his estate." It hag been shown over and over again th at Hobart Town blue gum is surpassed by many New Zealand woods, both for durability and cheapness. A few months ago we referred to the superiority of the local timber over that of Hobart Town, as exemplified on the Queen-streefc Wharf. We notice, however, that persons igiorant of these facts still continue to import Hobart Town timber into the colony, when New Zealand woods of a superior character, and at a far lower price, could be obtained on the spot. The timber used in the Cape Farewell Lighthouse was Hobarfc Town blue-gum, cut at great expense to the requisite dimensions previous to exportation. Much satisfaction is expressed in Canterbury at the rapid increase of the pheasants. A great many of,the birds have however been destroyed. The LytteUon Times says : — "As an insect destroyer, the pheasant is a valuable auxiliary, and one of the best checks against the spread of the locust." The annual meeting of Justices of the Peace of. the Auckland Petty Sessions District ia appointed to be held at noon on the fourth Tuesday in April, "for the pur, ose of choosing a Chairman of Petty Sessions, jftnd settling » rota of attendance." 'At the Featherston Boiling-down works, a mixed Jflock of 100 wethers realised the net •urn of 10s., averaging 10s. 6d f per head cleaV of all expenses. It is expected' that 2a,000 sheep will be boiled down at these works during the present season, in addition . to those which have bwn already disposed of.

r The Colonial surveying schooner 'Edith' • returned from her cruise in the Hauraki s Gulf yesterday, having on board his Exceli lency the Governor. The Wellington papers state, on the ' authority of Mr. John Martin, of the I Circular Saw Company, that the company's " tender has been accepted for the Inter-Pro-1 vinoial Mail Service from Bluff to Manukau, and vice versa, commencing at the Bluff on the 25th instant, and arriving at Manukau on the Ist April, with passengers and maila for England, vifi. San Francisco. Passengers by this line will be conveyed to Auckland at a . considerable reduction in fai'es. The despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, announcing the appointment from the Hon. Colonel Whitmore to be a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, is dated December 27th, and reads thus :— " With reference to your Despatch No. 125, of the 18th December last, I have the honour to acquaint you that her Majesty has been graciously pleased to issue the final authority for the appointment of Colonel Whitmore to be a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George. The Grant of the dignity, together with the Insignia, will be conveyed to that officer by the Secretary of the Order." The members of the late General Government are respectively authorised to retain the title_of "Honorable," within the colony. Lord Granville, in a despatch addressed to the Governor, and dated December 13, writes, "I have received your Despatch No. 124, of the 18th September Jasfc recommending that the members of the late Ministry of New Zealand, viz., Messrs. E. W. Stafford, W. Fitzherbert, J. Hall, J. C. Richmond, and Colonel T. M. Haultain, should be permitted to retain the title of Honorable ; and to acquaint you that the Queen has been graciously pleased to approve of those gentlomen retaining the title within New Zealand. In conveying her Majesty's decision, I have much pleasure in placing on record my appreciation of the services rendered to the colony by Mr. Stafford during a long and distinguished political career ; and Mr. Fitzherbert, in the able and judicious conduct of his recent negotiations with the Government of this country, respecting the adjustment of the Imperial and Colonial claims arising out of the war in New Zealand," His Excellency the Governor has left to their operation the following Acts passed by the Provincial Council of Auckland during the late session : — The Members Remuneration Act ; the Auckland Municipal Police Act, 1866, Amendment Act ; the Repeal Act ; the Appropriation Act ; and the Highways Act, 1867, Amendment \.ct. The following having been reserved for the signification of the Governor's pleasure, his Excellency has assented to the same : — The Representation Amendment Aot, and the Auckland Saltwater Bath Company's Lease Act. It ia not often that we hear of babies being born into the world with teeth, but, if we are to believe the Cobden correspondent of the (h'eymoutfi Star, an event of that kind haa occurred at that plice. He writes thus :-— " Knowing that you always receive local news of note, I beg to communicate to you the fact that Mrs. Clark, wife of the late Mr. Christopher Clark, was confined of a boy, on the 17fch March, having a set of teeth — an occurrence the like of which I have never heard of before." What a blessing it must have been to the parent, to be relieved of all the anxiety and the worry which the infant would have caused during the process of "teethiug." j Messrs. Webster and Hulke, of Tarauaki, have applied to the Provincial Council of that province for a bonus in aid of a woollen manufactory which they propose to , establish. Mr. Marian Stewart has been duly authorised by the Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court, to act as au interpreter, j A horse's head has recently been presented to the Museum of Ofcago under the impression that it was a relic of the ' Bunnah' on the Auckland Islands. It has since been pointed out, however, that, in the year 1860, Captain J. P. Ridly visited the larger island in the ship 'Artemisia,' and landed thereon 500 sheep, 100 head of cattle, and four horses. The custodians of the Museum may as well throw the " mysterious" head out of doors. The Kew Zealand Gazette of the 23rd inst. contains proclamations reprinted from the Victorian Government Gazette, repealing rules 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 92 of the Port and Harbour Regulations, and substituting new rules. A correspondent of the Ly Helton Times suggests that a bonus of £1,000 should be ' offered by the Provincial Council of Canterbury for the establishment of a paper-mill in that province. He thinks there is a great waste of flax, tow, and other suitable raw material for paper. The Colonial Government steamer ' Sturt' i is offered for sale ; and tenders for purchasing her will be received at the ofhee of Dr. Pollen, up to noon on Saturday, the 23rd proximo. The Governor has made the following ap* pointments in the Poverty Bay Militia :—: — James Woodbine Johnson, to be lieutenant ; James Benjamin Poynter, to be ensign. The commissions are dated February 16. The resignation of his commission by lieutenant William Buchanan, of the Pukekohe Rifle Volunteers, has been accepted. The agricultural statistics of the province of Canterbury show that, in February last, there were 3,244 separate holdings of land within the province ; and that those holdings comprised 31,7904 acre* broken up. but uot under orop, and 217,5274 acres under orop. There were 52,425^ aores under wheat, the estimated gross produce being 1,461, 9534 bushels; 1,708f acres undei oats for green food or hay ; and 39,95 1| under oats for grain, the estimated produce being 1,328,880£ j bushels ; and 16,063f aores under barley, estimated to produce 504,4754 bushels. As to land laid down in grass, there were 102,3664 acres, including 8,2754 in hay, estimated to yifild 11,1584 tons. There were 1,947^ acres under potatoes, and the estimated yield was 10,670^ tons. The extent of land under " other crops" was 3.064J acres. The Selwyn electoral district alone had 49,61 1£ under crop j the greatest extent in any other district being 32,635| aores in Heathcote. Mr. Charles Elliott, the compiler and publisher of the "New Zealand Stud Book," is about to seiid a third volume to press. The forthcoming volume will contain a portrait of Manuka. The monthly Government inspection of arms, &c, of the Auckland Rifle Volunteer battalion, will take place on Monday morning next, at half -past six o'clock, in the Albert Barrack Square. "Every member I must be present." Mr. John Mac Williams has been appointed by the Governor to be Inspector of A Weights and Measures in the provmce of Auckland, under the Weights and Measures Act, 1868. We stated last week that a telegram had been received by a gentleman in Auckland reporting a destructive fire at Wairarapa. The following particulars are given by the Wairarapa correspondent of the Wellington Independent :—": — " At about half -past ten o'clock on Ttrarsday morning flames were seen issuing from one of the stables belonging to Mr. A. McMasters, at Tuhitarata, which quickly spread to the adjoining buildings, and reduced them to ashes. These buildings were the finest and most spacious of any in the Wairarapa/ and comprised two stables, a barn, storeroom, cowshed, and coachhouse, valued at £2,000. There was also a quantity of stores, grain, hay, harness, farm implejnents, &c, destroyed, nothing being rescued except a trap, two carts, and an American '-wagonette. The buildings were insured. It is not known how the fSre^prigina^ed, , and in that case it will, of cotirse, be ascribed to spontaneous combusjtion, f brtuately there was no flax cm the premises." _ , Mr. William Kerr Nesbitt, of " Auckland, ' has given the requisite notice to apply, for jregißtmtion under the Medical Practitioners Registration Aot, . rj

1 In a letter from the Honorable Mr. Fox L to the school-teachers of Auckland, he says : , . — "So long as Provincial institutions exist, I education seems to me to be precisely one of , ' the subjects which ought to be administered \ by them ; and that, peopled as this colony has been and divided as it is, it would pr6bably be altogether impossible to devise *ny scheme which would be universally acceptable, which could be administered better By the General Government than the educational ', institutions are now by the Provincial authbrities, in several of the provinces." A change in the performance at the Prince ■ of Wales Theatre is announced for this evening. There is to be a revival of "Jack Sbeppard," which is to be regretted ; but it will probably "draw" better than the good and pleasant pieces played recently. We beg to remind holders of kerosine, having temporary licenses for quantities exceeding 50 gallons, that the time allowed expires to-day, and that importers and dealers will be required to find storage for the quantities in excess after to-day. Amended licenses will be issued on application at the City Board office. Aucklanders and visitors to Auckland would certainly be convenienced, if there was a prominently placed public clock, with striking apparatus, including a well-toned bell. Who will erect sucli a clock ? Can. the Town Board do it ; or can some arrangement be made, in connection with the new building for the New Zealand Insurance Company 1 A " superior striking turret olock" ia to be received by Mr. A. Q-. Bartlett, of Queen - street, by the 1 Kate Waters' j so that the means of supplying a public want will soon be in the city, provided the requisite arrangements for utilising those means can be effected. I The adjourned first meeting of creditors in the estate of Charles D. Bowden, tailor, Shortiand, will be held on Monday, at noon, in the office of the Provisional Trustee, Supreme Court-house. An extraordinary meeting of shareholders in the Golden Point Goldmining Company is to be held, at ten o'clock this forenoon, at the office of Mr. M. Sholl, Queen-street. It is not a pleasant commercial fact that the announcement of "bankrupts' stocks" for sale should be often made. It is to be presumed, however, that the public gain, in some respects, by such sales ; ana so wo mention that Messrs, Coombes and Johnston advertise that they will commence on Saturday to dispose of the stock of clothing, &c, on the premises recently occupied by Mr. Hyman Joseph, in Queen-street. A fire recently occurred at the farm «f Mr. McNeil, near Balclutha, Otago, by which grain to the value of £1,000 or £1,200 was destroyed. I The Kelson, Examiner says: — "The Government propose to send though to New York, in # company with the first mail for Europe vi& San Francisco, a Commissioner, whose duty it will be to report on the new service. An off r of this appointment was made by the Postmaster-General to N. Edwards, Esq., one of the members for this city, but was declined." We have to acknowledge the receipt of a large parcel of papers, &c, from , for the use of the inmates of the Lunatic Asylumn. Also, two large parcels of books from W. Piattray, Esq. The Superintendent of Canterbury, in his speech at the Harvest Dinner, said:— "l j think it exceedingly desirable, and an object which I, as Superintendent, having the welfare of the people of this province at heart, and as a member of the General Assembly, should endeavour to promote, that immigration should eventually be taken up by the colony as a whole. (Hear, hear.) lam one of those who believe, having had the opportunity of studying the history of the colony I elsewhere than in Canterbury, that the days of Provincial Governments in a considerable portion of the colony are numbered, and that therefore the view of all people who take an interest in the future of this colony must b ' to promote a unanimity and unity of Government throughout the colony. But, with regard to this question of immigration, I do not think at the present time that the colony will take up that question. Ido not think that, so long as the native war lasts, so long as the General Assembly is rent with the dissensions of bankrupt provinces and political squabbles, the Colonial Government ia likely to take up this great work in a manner that is likely to be beneficial to the colony at large. There is no doubt in my mind that we here will have to pay for our immigration, and that at present it is better for us to retain, as far as we can, the management of that for which we shall pay. :> A stranger reading the following from the Wellington Advertiser might be led to believe that the s.s. 'Airedale' had been substituted for the ' Wonga Wonga, ' and was going to steam right through to Europe :— ," The s.s. 1 Airedale,' the pioneer boat which is to open the new mail route to England and Europe, via the Pacific Ocean and the continent of , America, will leave Wellington, under con- . tract, on Tuesday, the 29th instant, at mid- : night, conveying the mails for America, the West Indies, the United Kingdom, and the : Continent of Europe." ; A flaxmill is being erected in the Mataura i river, at Menzies Ford, upon two pontoons moored in the stream. The chief advantage ' claimed for this idea is that the mill can be " floated up or down the river to the flax ■ growing upon its banks, thus saving the ex- ! pense of the cartage o! the raw material. We are informed-that the specimens stolen, ' as mentioned in yesterday's issue, were not the property of the City of Glasgow Goldmining ■ Company, but belonged to the City of Glasgow Claim, Moanataiari. The company is on the eve of a crushing of about 80 tons of . stone. , Dr. Pollen, as Commissioner under the New Zealand Settlements Act, 1863, notifies ! in the New Zealand Gazette that at the ; Waikato Lands Office, Auckland, on Thursday, April 14th, there will be an auction sale : of lands, including— Town lands, in Tau- ; ranga, Opotiki, Newcastle, Tuakau North, \ Churchill, Mercer, and Whakataue North. — Suburban lands in the parishes of Opaheke, • Maungatawhiri, and Pukekohe, and in Williamsons Clearing. — Special rural land, in Opaheke and Waiuku, county of Eden ; Pukete, Tuhikaramea, Ngaroto, and Puniu, County of Waikato; Otau, Kirikiriroa, Hautapa, and Whangamarino, Banks' County ; Te Papa, Cook's County. It was decided yesberday that Friday, April 22nd, shall be the day for re-hearing of award made to Dr. Samuels on account of losses occasioned at thelate Taranaki war, the particulars of which have been before the public before now. No other claimants will I be heard than those who were represented yesterday at the sitting of the Compensation Court. A long correspondence on "The Utilisation of Aloe Fibre " appears in the Bombay Gazette of a late date, which illustrates the way in which public money is so often misapplied in India. At a soldiers' industrial exhibition, a private exhibited a bundle of the fibre of the agave, called American Aloe by Anglo-Indians, and at once his sympathetic colonel addressed the Military Secretary to the Bombay Government on it, procuring a grant of land to a company to be got up in Dundee to grow and spin it. "If it spins well, large fortunes will be made." "Labour and land are cheap." The fact being that labour and land are practically dearer in India — i.e. in British India — than in almost any other country, and that aloe fibre will not spin into yarn. Then follows an elaborate statement of the machinery and organisation required, which could be supervised by "retired noncommissioned officers of this and other regiments." "Once rooted, the aloe would seldom require to be replaced "—-the fact being that it dies at once after flowering. A "series of wells should be made for the purpose of irrigation, . . . the wells to be worked by steam-eflgines, &c." — the 'fact being that the aloe does not need irrigation or cultivation, but .only to be let well alone. This question of " the utilisation, of the aloe fibre "haa often been put' before/ and a sufficient answer to it in the general fact that only

(exogenous fibres, like flax and hemp, can be used by the manufacturera of textile fabrics, and that all endogenous fibres —aloe, plantain, and the like —are fit only for cordage. The land and labour question is another answer, of the Scotch sort, to the question. Millions sterling worth of Manila hemp ia yearly destroyed along the more southward ghats of the Bombay Presidency, simply because, in the case of so bulky a product, which must bo collected from such a v»Bfc area to obtain it in merchantable quantities;, land and labour present, in British territory at least, insuperable obstacles to its " utilisation." The case is altogether different with the exogenous fibre "rheca," to which, the same Bombay paper informs us, Lord Mayo has already very wisely turned his attention, and which has lately been introduced from /. ssam into Goa. Considerable attention is being drawn to the subject of immigration in Canterbury. Mr. Jollie has moved a series of resolutions in the Provincial Council, and in support of them referred to the Society of Labour for Harvesting, and to the probable growth of the flax industry. He expressed a hope that the Government would refrain from all interference with immigration. His reason for this was a perfectly natural one. He said: "They must recollect this—that in the North Island there was actually no land fund. He thought there could bo no doubt that, if the General Government adapted a general scheme of immigration, they would take the money from our land fond to do it with. ("No, no.") At least he feared so. Therefore it was that he taped the General Government would not go in for a general scheme of immigration." In conclusion, Mr. Jollie moved the Council int* oommittee to consider the following resolutions: —"(l.) That having regard to the future requirements of the province, in consequence of the increase in the number of flax manufactories and the probable growth of other industries, this Council is of opinion that efforts should be made to secure a> steady and continuous flow of population into this province over a period of years. (2,) That/ in default of any general scheme being initiated by the Gene, ral Government of this colony, it is desirable to obtain through the General Government » loan «f an amount not exceeding £30,000 for the purposes of immigration. (3.) That this tnm, together with such further sums as may be voted by the Provincial Council for the purpoie, should be expended over a period of three years from the Ist September next. (4.) That the numbers and the classes of immigrants to be brought out should be modified from time to time as may be found desirable to meet the requirements of the province, and arrangements should be made tor diffusing further information through the country districts in England or Scotland by means of an agent, or agents, whose duty it shall be to promote the selection of suitable immigrants." Mr. Montgomery remarked that, "If Canterbury obtained a loan from the General Government, depand upon it that Wellington would want a loan, and Auckland would also want a loan for something or other. If the system of loans was initiated by Canter, bury, all the provinces would go to the Colonial Ministry and apply for the same thing, and this would simply result in » system of log-rolling," for he thought there should be a loan say of 1200,000 for purposes of immigration to the colony, and that an agent-general should be appointed—a gentleman of proved ability, such a3 Colonial Ministers were —and sent home to England to tell the people of England that the colony of New Zealand was not a number of struggling white men against a number of feroc ous blacks. If he went home with the status of agent-general, as in the case of tho 1 colonies of Victoria, Queensland, and New South "Wales, and stood up on various platforms throughout the country and told the people what Canterbury and Otago actually were, and that it was a very small portion of New Zea and which was in a very disturbed 1 state, he believed that the result would be most gratifying. Mr. John Hall, M.H K. for Selwyn, at a recent public banquet in Christchurch, ia reported to have said: —" Free-trade had of late years become such an axiom —they had brought the idea away with them from England—that one would require to be rather a bold man not to agree with the pievailiug opinion, but lie could not help thinking that people who claimed to themselves a monopoly of intelligence, because they were freetraders, forgot that these principles which, may have been so well established in the old country had been established in such a state of things as existed there, and as might not exist anywhere else ; they forgot that things might he suited to one country which were not applicable to another country differently circumstanced. He thought this was the key to the question here It was all very well to go in for free trade in England, where they had got their manufactories spread over the length and breadth of the kingdom ; but if her manufactories were all in their infancy, if they had to be created, he did not think that even such a man as John Bright would admit that to establish industries in the country a moderate protective duty would not be desirable. (Hear, and cheers.) He thought it would be wise for the farmers not to place their dependence any more than they could help on the mere growing of corn. This year the colony of Victoria had grown enough corn for its own consumption. Therefore it waa clear that they could only look to the home market for an outlet, and there we have most formidable competition. Although the agricultural intereA waa the best intereat—he might say the backbone —of the oolony, still they must consider whether there were not other articles in respect to which they would bo less open to competition than in the question of grain. He thought it would suggest itself to them at once that the native flax of this country is exactly that article. They had heard from hi 3 Honor the great extent to which the preparation of flax for market had increased. That was perfectly true, but, while this was a source of satisfaction, on the other hand he could not help looking upon it with a considerable degree of alavm, for, by the way in which they were now cutting the flax, they were killing the goose for the golden egg." A temperance Hall ia about to be erected by a small but enthusiastic body of teetotallers in Invercargill. [

The proper time for budding fruit trees ia when the bud is perfectly formed, and that, of course, varies in the different kinds of trees. The bud is taken, by means of a sharp knife, from the branch on which it has grown —generally a branch of the former year—-a small portion of the bark and young wood being taken with it, extending to about half an inch above and three-quarters of an inch below the bud. The woody part is then separated from the bark and bud; but care must be taken that the bud itself is not injured ; and this will always be the case where the operation is attempted before tho bud ia sufficiently matured, and will be shown by a hollow left at the bud when the wood has been removed. When the shoot to be bedded is ready, make a longitudinal and a transverse cut in the bark in the form of the letter T; then with a budding knife gently raise the bark on both sides, and insert the bud, the bark attached to the bnd being cut so as to join exactly to the transverse cut in the stock, so that the bud may be nourished by the descending sap. The newly inserted bud is then kept in its place, and preserved from too much access of air, by soft bandages or strands of matting. With orange and other trees in which there is a very great flow of sap, the incisions are usually made in the form of the letter T reversed. A common method of budding, called spallop-bucldiiig, consists in removing a thin slip of bark from the stock, and placing a similar slip, but bearing a bud upon it, the upper edge and one of the lateral edges being made to fit exactly. Green maize will fatten pigs during the summer as fast as any other food, and as it may be grown in a few weeks it should be regarded as an invaluable emergency crop. Even in a dry season, it is possible to irrigate enough land to grew a, heavy crop of maize.