The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4457, 7 December 1871, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO. NON "UttO. It I have been extinguished,' jot there rlit A thousand beacons from the, ip/itk I bore.

1 /VHURBDAY, bMCsAfßsn 7, : 1&71. ,

That our mineral resources are but in the infancy of their development is .gent-rally admitted ; and anything that tends to the discovery of r the sources of future wealth still buried is deserving t of every encouragement., Next -to* our 'gold, .there are perhaps ,n<> pregnant of future gain to ;th& pr/avmce jas out coaj. , measures ; ajid^th^ spirit [of jMr. Ball's motioa to be submitted todny in, tbe' BiDvlnciiiVuCJo^cilUa'jdii* that should be m,bve t '/frtfquen^y; ( rt^ipi- ( i fested in the prpjecfcssof, our iProvJßciat ; Legislature. Mr, $ajl. h^s, given. £ot|6ej •that he will mOve^/'Tliat^areßpeotfuj "address W presented' to liivKonoi* : " Superinteudeut^ Mtfi " place' on th« A(iditional'Eatiniatea the " sum- of^fiv«yihuudredcpounds,for:tke " fm^»ib*e T of testing the value of the

or may not exiit. In the jfijfctrict indicated very extensive beds 01 coal arc known to exist, for they are seen to crop up along tlie sea shore aijCt&such intervening} His^ano& ka'tb'-leska Wtlie.cojicluijion.that tha whole- .district may beoneenQr^UB9t*do!off,<K*l. It haseven been -supposed that they are the I oontidUatiofa'oftTi^yiratft/orth^ooWaßWl at J^Wa^^a'J v y HttpWiiQii : wiiich Ai\ found correct" affords 1 the prospect of< great progress and prosperity yet inj store for the province and the.colany.j The coal found whore those strata are exposed ha* been, in uqe 1 for. fuel, for gome time, but the true character and' value of the coal cannot he tested .until! systematic 1 operations arc instituted such i as would be stimulated by the en- : .couragement asked for .by Miv.Ball., X deposit of!qqal,' l if > fou^4 to be, of |a| valuable 1 character, would naturally be! !of great local advantage. , Whaling! I vessels, availing 'themselves of the' comparative nearness of Mangonui to > their spheres of industry, would, bej enabled to take with them the supplies | of coal so necessary for. reducing 1 the^ oil ! of , the whales 'baptured'V • and "tlie i Mangonui district would' receive an impulse which, it is not otherwise likely i to receive for many years to come., But this is a subject that should not be < viewed locally. T^he , discovery of mineral deposits, anil especially of valuable coal, would be of common advantage not merely to the province but the s colony. If Mangonui derives special advantage from the arrangements of Nature, that circumstance iv no way affects' the extent of the gen eial good likely to arise from the development of coal deposits. Qtber districts may contain coalfields latent beneath their surface, quite as valuable ns those of Mangonui ; but iv tho case submitted to the Council tkere are unusual evidences that the application of a small amount of money would not fail to be attended with most successful results., This, therefore, i.s not to be regarded as a matter of local concern, and should be viewed by the Council in the light of a public interest. Tho resolution has been wisely expressed by the Executive to present a stern front to all applications for aid to interests that are evidently urged from the natural desire of honourable members to obtain for their districts special advantages in the distribution of the largesses 6f the province. But to Mr. Ball's application we trust that there will not be presented that opposition whioh must be generally shown to mere local claims. Mr. Bull does not in this plead for the bridging of a gully or the draining of a swamp, but for the development of an industry in the benefits of which every portion of the province will share ; and we trust in the interest of the . whole community that the project will meet with the sympathy and generous encouragement of the whole Council. | * - ■ i

The motion introduced last night in the Provincial Council by Mr. Hamlin, with reference to diseased cattle, can scarcely be included in the category! of subjects of liberal legislation. We by no means deny the right of tho province to protect itself against the introduction of disease amid our flocks and herds. The resolution, as eventually submitted to the Council, is sufficiently unobjectionable in appearance ; but taken in conjunction with the original explanatory addition and remarks which passed at a recent meeting of tho " Colonists' " Protection League," its real object is apparent. The motion in its original form read as follows : — "That an ad- " dress bo presented to his Honor the " Superintendent, requesting him to " proclaim the Diseased Cattle Acts in "operation as regards the laudiug "of cattle in this province that l( have been shipped from ports " in any ether of the provinces of the " colony." Probably on second thoughts ■ the mover deemed it wise to withdraw the latter clause making special reference to provincial cattle, but the remarks of the mover clearly showed^ that the special object; of the resolution 4 is to oppose difficulties in the way of the importation of cattle from the Southern provinces. It was not insisted that there is actual disease among the cattle of other portions of New Zealand, but the main argument of the iaov|r was that the Superintendents of other pr6vinces had acted in this . manner toward the province of Auckland, " thus doing a vast injury to this pro- " vinee." The intention is confessedly retaliatory ; and it is proposed that, irrespective of facts with reference to the existence of disease in the herds of the other provinces, the Superintendent , should be called on to vlrt lally prohibit the mter-proviucial trade in cattle. But it does not; require the excided portion of the resolution t© explain $heactual motives in the introduction -hi this, subject to the Council. As we jhave said, at the last meeting of the ! Colonists' Protection League Mr.'Sa^ajlin himself indicated this method as the jinost ready means of " protecting' 5 - our (provincial cattle interest' against the < competition of cattle from the, neighbouring provinces. In speaking at' that meeting respecting the means of prg- 1 venting residents'hi the/other provinces < from sending their cattle to Auckland, to the injury of .the interests of our lopaj: ! cattle-owners, Mr. Hamlin is reported Jto have eaJd:- 1 — ■ ' ' , „,' l \,!' , It wonld«rem»iri for the country members to take such steps during this session as they ' may seeifiWAt present, he thoughtthaoGly 1 thing that 'could b* done would be-ifor the. j Superintendent' to' proclaim iA' : th» J QMkllc 1 > that the provinces south, of Auckland 'wow ; infected with disease.' 1 Thafc-WodM m.eet the < difficulty, and it- would only jbe fight tp do so, i for Mr. Rolleston, of Canterbury, had taken 1 a similar «bep;mth. regard to Auckland, ali though itr Was well known there wat no such i thing as disease amongst thfeirherd«"here. The League Bhould asktUe Superintendent to do this. He showed that during 1 {he timd^tS the war their flocks anoTfierdf were reduced^ cattlehad i6 be Mpptte'd^from A,usfcrana ; disease then broke oat and '^t 6ff;many 'of those left; and ever since,the^h«)fd|iliad been iv fc backward oottdition. ' ' '"

) able member appeals to nave tjKfn i

powers which the Legislature haa placed in his hands for wholly different purpose*,, in order to " Jjrotect" against jihe neighbouring propßpes. X^ / ? c^ m^ *ttf W that 1 4Ms-IbWt*- mtlbtion-^bf'Hhe' motion, once Apprehended, J3hould_ke sufficient tasecu^aaitifyimffiediate con--damnation. Tht debate has been adjS\irhe^, in' : -a geherouß wffi, wallow £ha v n&tter ,to b« fairly tocussed when there should be a fuller; attendance- bfthqs'e more immediately* interested 'in 1 ' the- success 1 o£ Mr.' Hamjin's motion ; but $he spirit dis-; ,'played', in' the proposal is : so ma'niifestty , unfair that we trust the mover 1 w^ll, in regard for the* simples^ prißciples of decency, withdraw it^ andt sp"are the Couticil from' being coitfpellefl \ to repudiate, connection or sympathy) with such a/niaulfest ruse. That) the members for the goldfields, where there | is so large a consumption of cattle, and ( sheep 1 , should be foremost in denouncing* thd principle is altogether natural ; but we feel confident that the work of its ; rejection will not devolve on thei&a ( *lone. The fact, an alleged, of the deficiency < of; cheep and .cattle in the, province may influence the mover m 1m 1 making this attempt, "but this factjs; the very circumstance tfyat will raise the strongest objection to any difficulty being thrown in' the 'way of., imported cattle from the neighbouring provinces. Troni whatever 1 cause, this province haa not been found equal to the satisfactory supply of flesh meat, and a steady trade has sprung up for the supply especially of the Thames goldfields with cattle from the South, Against this trade the bolt is intended to be hurled ; but, with the utmost sympathy with every j effort to save our provincial flocks from ' danger, we tru^fr that the Council will \ mark its opposition to an attempt of such a questionable character.

From the return of the expenditure aud liabilities on account of the vote for roads and works North of Auckland, up to December 1, 1871, we learu that there has beeu a total of 21 separate works undertaken and paid for ; and there are 12 which are still under progress, upon five of which a sum of £804 7a. has already been paid. The w orks completed cost £1,244 11s. 6d M and, with the above sum Already paid for those in progress, we see that a total of £2,04S 18s. Gd. has already been paid. But, upon works still in progress, there is still a liability of £1r767l r 767 19a. ; thus making a total expenditure of £3,810 17s. 6d., or a sum of £316 17s. Gd. in excess of the vote of the Council last session. On perusing the list of j works under contract we find that the j heaviest items' in the list are works in the Bay of Islands district, £600 ; and roads and bridges in Maiigonui district, £GOO. Wo find also amongst the worka completed is a sum of i"5O put down for a bridge over the Parapara River, at Mangonui, thus making a total of £650 for that large and hitherto neglected district. This is under the amount recommended by the Council -last session in an address to the Superintendent, but it ia satisfactory to see that attention is at last beginning to bo paid to our Northern districts. The value of these districts is hardly appreciated yet, but the time is fast coming when they will give employmontto a vast number of people, and pour forth thoir treasures in no stinted measure, if not in the shape of gold at least in gold's worth, for Great Britain has been indebted to her coal measures no less than Australia, California, and New Zealand have hitherto been to their gold deposits. We hope the same liberality will be shown in the future in developing the resouices of these districts as has been during the past year, and before long these districts will como to the front in a way they have not hitherto done. We uudorstand that immigration movements have begun in this province with considerable energy. The form it is taking is the application of persons now in the province to get their friends at home taken out under the immigration scheme. By last mail, there wore the names of fifty pei sous so lecommended sent to the At;ent-Geueral of the colony in London. There is uo doubt that in a few months a considerable number of persons will have been so approved of, and will be shortly on their way to this province. The members of the Early-closißg Aasqci. ation held their annual meeting last night in the Young Men's Christian Association rooms. The attendance was small, and Mr. Davies waa voted to the chair. The report, as read by the Secretary, was adopted, aud the accounts passed. It appeared from, these that during the year the sum of £22 was received and expended. < A discussion ensued about the advisability of other trades (besides drapers) joining the association ; and it was ultimately resolved to ask the assistants in the various retail trades to join the association. The Secretary ,spoke in strong terras about ether trades reaping the benefit of their agitation, they having received the Saturday half-holiday, and then deserting the'promoters^ , A. vote of thanks was, passed to the retiring * officers, and ' tfte following were selected for the ensuing yea*:— Chairman, Mr. Dayiea ; Treasurer; Mr. Linabury ; Secretary, Mr. Oloonan; committee, MessrsLeonard, Clarke, Bridger, Shaw, and Bridger. The sejf-demal of the members of the Provinoial Council is to be tested in a peculiar , way. Mr. Buckland has given notice to move that tea aud coffee be provided for tfce members t of Council during the continuance of the session at the public expense. Hero is a method of sweetening the hours of labour, and of sustaining the waning energies of members I during the tedium of, pyosy^ debate ! The liquor trade at Bellamy's has been stopped 'by the legislation of the Council itself, which i was surely an oversight, when a remedial clause of equal public importance with tjhe 15 years clause might have been inserted in .the Licensing Act. But the mild stimulant* may still flow, checjcedjjooly by pecuniary considerations of hon. members, who are [ now offered a means of themselves of this little 'drawback by placing the exp6nse oa the public. Why, we would ask, stop at tea and coffoo ? Why not add bam and eggs, cold boiled fowl, roast turkey, and other cuisine trifles,; swnich ceuld ' nob fail to '•fit members more completely for discharging theft onerous' dutiei? '/' ' ' • Considerable inconvtnitnee hasbein caused , since the new f itamp''<lntie'd came into force by- a general 1 -'wau'tf of knowledge of the .form preicribed by lavihfot' erasing stamps on cheques and, receipts! ' We'beli'eye a number !of cheques liave Deeri declined af the bank las being informal, and procuring the requisite ! alteration has necessitated th^e cost of a new .stamp,' besides the trouble of communicating ' ' with, the draw , of the cheque. ' The mode of canceling m stamp is altered *> afc>to corresporid'*with that»iutrodu6©di* 1870 for cancelling adhesive •stamps on bills, i.e., the ; maker must>«l sign, bis name .across the , stamp that " part of tip signature may be on ;the left side of the stamp,' part on the stamp ■itself, aud part ori tho right siSe" of the ' stamp*" —- No- date-aeed-be written. :«n : «n the. , stamp. Persons haying -forms bearing the .impressed stamp or ''one I'penny1 'penny can make :Btanip ( ,and si^nU^ac^owinßd^^bttrJc JTh^ : twopenny.'; Uamo jon iwpip.#L.» w .iU« B c *^'. celled with initeali'-snd dated- in the mauaer i - ThJrp© inebriat«» compoWd^lae'cntrgt.

over pc olosmg,.jcott*4 n tli*'.lii»tory "of tw&; Auol^i(^lite«fiy> v|ntHJr^ v Th»~>riß|inig: pkntJ ; la^c>)p|ll^W J-*fJ -*f "%& Morning and fivenin]tipkßs were^iut up to public'c6m{>etiti|Spsitftii'the whole disposed of in one ot for £ 480.""" Messrs. Reed and Brett, proprietora of the Eoming Star, were the pur--chftaera, —The Swung News was commenced by Mr, James Alltn, junior, T&tf-conducW it until ih« time of hia death in a spirited and ojreditable manner. It was the first good evenjng,.paper !n"ATfoTcTan3, and was at one time tega'Tded as a payings ,inyesljmen,t. .The Morning Neios was not so; ..well knqwn, and, had not completed, its', ■second quarter. It appeared to be the victim [ of that fatality which has attended, all of the| numerous attempts made to" establish* moru- • ing papers during the past three years. Within that period there have been no leas; than four such ventures introduced to the; public, pregnant with promises. Yesterday* witnessed the last of them pass peacefully' away, dragging, however, jvith it a paper, worthy of a better fate. It is interesting 1 to notice the terms of existence enjoy'edby theae new lights, which were to have carried all before them, and conferred upon , Auckland the full benefits that are supposed to flow from a "free press." ' The first one, to notice is the Free Press, the title of which § alone should have secured for it, from a; discerning public, a longer existence than! thirty-four issues. The Morning Advwtiscr was the next candidate for public favour, , and it went through the hands of no less than three distinct proprietors, each redoubling the promises < of his pre- , decessor, and all terminating within j three months. ' The Daily iVcjos, which \ followed, ran its little course in about 36 \ days ; and the last, the Morning News, yesterday closed its brief oareer of five months, i If we may add the News of the Day and the s Evening News, two evening papers, there, will have been no less than six papers which have been started and failed within the last three yeara, or an average of one every six months. This extraordinary fatality 'in: respect to the morning papers is simple of explanation. With one exception these organs have been started for party purposes, and not as pure commercial speculations. The people of Auckland, Jike those of other places, will ultimately learn to estimate aright the foolishness which gives vent to its little grievances by the expression— " I'll start a paper. " The rehearing of the claims to the Orere and Kiripaka blocks of land, near to the mouth of the Wairoa river, before Judge llogan and a Native Assessor, waa continued yesterday, and about mid-day was brought to a conclusion. The decision of the Court at Shoitland, as to the ownership, was confirmed, but a slight difference was raado in the certificate. Formerly the whole of the blocks was made inalienable : now ceitain portions are made alienable, and certaiu other parts are made inalienable. This terminates this disputed case. To the Editor : Sir, — In your issue of yesterday, I see you are desirous of knowing^the whereabouts of Cash, the prospector. I beg to inform you that he is in this company'B employ, and any letters or telegram sent to •my caro will find him. By giving publicity to this, you will oblige, yours truly, S. 10. Richards. — Albion Quartzmining Company, Grahamstown, December 5, 1871. We are in a position to state that Dr. Macartney, who arrived here from Fiji on last Saturday, where he acted as President of a Royal Commission on the "Polynesian Labour Question and the Murders arising therefrom," will deliver a lecture on that subject on next Monday night, in the Hall of the Young Men's Christian Association. The next place which he will visit will be the Thames. To the Editor: Sir,— lt would seem, from Mrs. Colclough's letter in yesterday's Cross, respecting the defective arrangements for the female prisoners, that she had not read the report of the Visiting Justice, which urgently called the attention of the .Government to all these matters. There may bo tome advantAgn in this, because bor testimony is at any rate independent. The powerful remonstrances from a lady's pen, free from the trammels of official etiquette, will, it is hoped, not be made in vain. — Yours, &c, .Reformatory. The following letter has appeared in the Australasian: — "Rice: Sir, — Would you or one ef your correspondents give me the 1 following information ? What soil aud 1 climate best suit the growth of rice, how to I plant the same, and what seed to use ? J. W. J. Poverty Bay, N.Z., September 12. [The swamp rice, of which the Carolina is the best vatiety, cannot be profitably grown outside the tropics. It is sown ou lowlands which can be irrigated as required. Theie is a variety of rice known as upUud rice which is grown in more tumperate latitudes, and which is the only hind tbat is ah all likely to succeed in ourconespondent's locality. We shall be glad to hear from those who have grown it.— Ed.] To the Editor : Sir, — As niauy of the inhabitauts North have been, and are still being, misled as to who my prosocutor w»9 in the case of taking those old crooked limbs for posts off the Church Mission (Society) property, which I, as well as others, could i prove that I had a right to— allow me to state that Ernest Matthews'a name was not mentioned in my summons, but his father's only, the Rev. J. Matthews. Further, the auswer to the first question put by the Resident Magistrate after the usual oath was taken was distinctly A3 follows: — "My father wants the stuff back, and to be fined as well."— l am, &c, J. B. Matthews, Kaitaia. i Local Industries : The correspondent of a ! contemporary says of the Assembly :—": — " The various committees are working hard. The j most interesting' of these is the one upon local .industries. Mr. Krull, the Prussian Consul, 'attended and gave important evidence on the subject of beet-root sugar manufacture in Germany. The manufacture has made great progress — the produce yielding a duty of £20,000,000, while imported sugar only paid £73,000. The number of factories in the ZoJlverein was 297. He stated that if it was found the land and climate of New Zealand were favourable to the growth of the augar beet, and the Government were willing to j givo reasonable encouragement, a company would be formed in Berlin, with a capital of £35,000, who would bring out proper machinery and 200 families to carry out the manufacture. He estimated the quantity to be produced on a farm of 3,000 Acres as 500 tons of sugar annually, being one-fourth of the yearly consumption in the colony. He spoke very warmly of the industry of his countiymen, and said each family would raise their own lint for domestic manufacture, and their own starch. The settlement would be special, and upon the co-operative principle. The subject of raising mulberry tree* for, silk culture has also been discussed, and the 1 utilisation of Taranaki iron-aand." It will be seen by our advertising columns that the Auckland College is to set an example to other schools in the method of raising funds for the Cadet 3. A fancy bazaar, &c, are to be commenced to-day, at 3 o'clock, at the College 1 in aid of ' the funds of that corps, and will be continued tomorrow at the samo hour. From the published programme considerable amusenienTwill Be Afforded to those who patronise the affair, f. „ , - _, A dismounted parade of the Auckland Troop /Royal .Cavalry ,yolunte»ra is an* nounced to be held on Friday evening .at 'half -past 7 o'clock. After the parade a meeting of the Troop will be held for the election of an officer,' and for making arrangements, for competing for the captain's •cop,- i ; - .... ' ' . i The transfer books of the Thames Gold* • 'mining Company are' to be closed from tfoen 'on Saturday next until noon on Wednesday, , the 13th instant, when a dividend will be payable a* the Company's officei , ■ ' In our advertising "columns will be seen tae'tfefealfttion^uuclei' which the riffe'praotice ol tiw Aacklw4 fiifip Brigade will bo carried oa- "until further* orders/' 1 , - , t .

|i> The Liverpool v^krxivtllih* i taf||>f m igentleman formerly* c^mjirclal frsnH*jft r m Australia, whg aafipLe yMtrKakwfai^jm the woods, foun^ihtlter^ > W«£Wf hut, where th» herdsxnaif, *jn th© ocraMiof \ conversation, declared t%^he was the son of a baronet. The gentleman subsequently returned to England, and when the Tich* J^m^se^Wl being JiearA- he recognised the olaimanfc as,, the herdsman of Australia, He{at^rw4tkshiiafjan.:wt«rTieyr with TicK borne, and it is said he will be a witness for him' When the case ia resumed. To-morrow Miss Stothard's lecture to thef ladies of Auckland Trill -be (delivered atthet 'Auckland Institute. The subject of; I tße, lecture is — "A little real knowledge of science; will make a lady a 'better housekeeper." ■ ■ A gentleman resident on the Lirerpool t plains, writing to a friend in Queensland,) says :—": — " In consequence of the unpreceden- ' ted overabundance of vegetation of all kinds ; following the Jong-continued wet, the mice! were protected from their natural enemies, the crows and hawks, so that during the months of February to May the bush was ! literally overrun with' them. In the houses and stores they are so numerous that the t cats and dogs could make no impression upon them, and it was next to impossible ' for shepherds to keep their rations in their huts. By means of balance traps over' buckets of water we managed to drown on an average 100 per night, and during the day we managed to kill at the rate of 300 weekly, with our hands in flour bags, bins, &c. I I have seen as many as sixty killed in this - way in one bag of flour. These modes of destruction, however, made so littl« impression upon them that we were at last compolled to resort to strychnine, which had a wonderful effect in decreasing their numbers. I believe lam within the mark when I say that we destroyed at least 20,000 at this station alone. They did not confine themselves t > any particular kind.pf food. Anything and everything that came in their way — even to the works of an old clock — made a 'jolly good meal for them.' To save my blankets, shirts, and even the hairs of my head, I was obliged to keep a couple of cats in my room over night. They have even been known to attempt making a feed off human flesh. I have seen them housed in dead logs in the bush in mobs of fifty, and I was not a little amused at seeing, on one occasion, a string of tiv« marching, in Indian file, along a horse bush track as unconcernedly as if they were thoroughly masters of the situation. I tried the experiment on a number of mice, by shutting them up in a ziuc case in order to teat their tenacity ' of existence, j I was astonished, however, to find they were cannibals, for after the first day's incarceration they commenced to chew each other up."