SOUTHERN NEWS. [FROM PAPERS BY THE 'PHCEBE' AND 'RANGATIRA.']

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4609, 1 June 1872, Page 2

SOUTHERN NEWS. [FROM PAPERS BY THE ' PHCEBE ' AND 'RANGATIRA.']

The Ofcago Provincial Council being in session, a few interesting facts connected with the province have been disclosed. A return has been laid on the table, showing the area of land opened for sale during the year ending on the 31st March. The total area of such land is stated at 128,361 acres 2 roods 13 pole 3, but the items come short of thab amount by 20,000 acres. The amount of revenue expended upon the various gold(ield3 of the province during the three years ended March, 1872, was £86,709.— According to a statement made by Mr. Reid the daily cost of tho patients in the Switzers Hospital, Otago, is £2 11s. IOJd. each. — Tho Dog Tax in Orago realised £2,775 last year.— The Dunediu Accliraatisation Society has just received a very valuable parcel of seeds obtained from tho garden at the Taj, Agra. The seeds are fresh, aud comprise 65 sorts of trees, shrubs, and flower 3, selected as being suitable to tho climate of this country. —Tho theatre at Ohristchurch is to bo entirely renovated. — ■ At the examinations for the University Scholarships, under the supervision of the Rev. E. G. Edwards, fourteen candidates presented thomselvca. The examinations in Christchurch commenced on the 21st, ten candidates presenting themselve3. — The Chinese are not altogether a useless item in the population of Otago. From the Dunedin Customs returns it appears that the total amount of duty paid on rice during the weok before laBt was £735 4s. Oa opium also, £96 was collected as revenue during the same period. These goods are chiefly for the use of the Chine3e. — Tho recent appointmout of Mr. C. D. K. Ward, as District Judge of Otago, was tho subject of a rather warm debate in the Provincial Council, and resulted in the adoption, though not unanimously, of a motion by Mr. Maaassey, stating that tho Council viowa with regret the unnecessary appointment. — A Grey Valley correspondent of the Grey River Argus says that " numbers of the old residents have returned sadder bat wiser men, after taking a trip to Reef ton." — The •Charlotte Gladstone' took 20,000 bushels | of wheat for London, from Lyttelton, the other day. — The inhabitants of the Amuri district are so heartily sick of the imbecility of the Nelson Provincial Government that they are agitating for separation from Nelson, and the formation of the Amuri into a cpunty, or its annexation to Canterbury. — Two boya, named Mason and Kanson, both of the Hutt, were out on JBelmont Hill shooting pigeons, when by some mishap Hanson's guv went off, and tho charge entered Mason's side, not fatally. — Tho Taranaki correspondent of the Otago Daily Times says, " The peace policy is evidently ! having a telling effect on this provinco. The ! natives aro daily becoming more sociable with the Europeans, and in a short time, if the same course is continued, they will be 'conquered' without their knowing it. " — — On May 22 a fatal accident took pkee at Appo's Gully, Collingwood. As Mr. Ernest, a resident miner, was at work in the end of the drive putting up the pipe for hydraulic mining, a great body of earth, mingled with a large quantity of surface water, fell upon him, and he was driven against one of the prop 3 and his body completely jammed up. — The Canterbury papers give details of several accidents which have occurred. Mrs. Yates, who resided at the Malvern recently, left home with a horse and dray to go to tho store, about five miles distant On the way she had to cross Hawkins river, on one bank of which the Road Board had made a cutting, with the intention of making a bridge. Whilst descending the cutting, on the return journey, one wheel appears to have gone off the roadway, causing the cart to roll off the terrace into the dry river-bed, and during the fall Mrs. Yates appears to hare been unable to get clear of the cart, for later in the day she was found lying under it quite dead. Another accident occurred at Aronville. Some boys had with knives undermined a portion of the high bank which overhangs the footpath fronting the river at the corner of the. river bank road and Hammer-street. Owing to the heavy rain the undermined portion gave way and fell upon three children of Mr. Urwin who were passing along the footpath *t the time, burying two of them and ■lightly injuring the third. They were speedily got out, but it is feared they are seriously injured. Mrs. Lea, the lady who waa ridden over on the east town belt who Thursday evening last, is still in a precarious state. There have been one or two other accidents, but they have not been [.attended with any very lamentable result.

We bare examined the itock of lockets, tome 400 in all, atF. H. Lewiiion'f, jeweller, Queon-itreet, and pronounce thorn tho beat uiortment in the colonlei. Hare you teen the secret locket to contain four like flOlKlt— (Aj>Y.)