OTAGO.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 280, 10 May 1862, Page 3

OTAGO.

"Tt&esday l.irigiit was a great night at the Tjffeajxe. It had been announced that a gentleman would for a wager leap a horse over a five barred gate oh the stage, and tKere \tfais as might be expected a very large attendance of people anxious to see so novel ah exhibition^ novel at least in New Zealand, where, we believe, the feat lias never been attempted before. In due course Mr. Waldock made his appearance ori'.ttie "stage with a large piebald horse belonging to Mr. S. Jones, and without the slightest apparent difficulty made the animal leap the gate or hurdle which fiad been fixed on the stage for the purpose. The applause was deafening, and the cries of encore impatiently reiterated, but Mr. W.aldock declined to repeat the leap. The presentation of the Provincial Cup to the owner of Kauri Gum, Mr. R. Julius, also took place in the theatre last evening. The Cup was handed to Mr. Julius by the dqhor Mr. S. Jones, who made a neat speech on the occasion. Mr. Julius replied in appropriate terms and the cup was then filled with champagne for the purpose of toasting the fortunate winner and the liberal giver of this really elegant as well as valuable prize. The house was crowded. ~—.Otago Daily Times, April 5.

The Moa. — A few days ago, three miners, najmed Henry Richmond, Edward 'Griffiths, and James Busbridge, went to procure some firewood between Nuggetty Gully and the upper part of the Waitahuna river, and, in going through a deep ravine, they found a large thigh bone measuring 4 feet 7 inches round, with joints at each end. This bone is supposed to belong to one of those great birds, which are now •extinct, called the " Moa," which was once -an inhabitant of New Zealand. These men have kindly handed it over to Dr. Samuels, at Waitahuna, and we trust that the Doctor will preserve it until it will be ■sent to the Museum — if ever one will be got up iii Dunedin. These men say they will search for the remainder of the bones, which they believe to be covered in the grass. — Ibid, April 14.

The Executive Crisis. — By the report of the proceedings of the Provincial Council, which are published elsewhere, it will be seen that the Executive were, on Tuesday evening, defeated on what was virtually a motion of want of confidence. In consequence of this vote they tendered their resignation, and the next morning His Honor sent for Mr. Dick as being the leader of the opposition. ' That gentleman accordingly proceeded to form a Ministry, and was shortly able to announce that he had been successful. The following is the list of the new Executive : — Mr. Thomas Dick, Treasurer and Secretary ; Mr. McGlashan, Provincial Solicitor ; Messrs. Paterson, Reynolds, and Kilgour, members of the Executive, without office. — Witness, April 26.

Now that the pilotage rates of the port of Otago have been doubled, and that the projected harbour improvements may he thought to warrant the exaction of still higher dues in addition to the charges made for light dues, it may not be out of place for us to call the attention of our readers to the following paragraph -which we cull from a Launceston paper, the Cornwall Chronicle: — " With the exception of the steamer Royal Shepherd, and the brig Lady Penison, we have just now no vessels in port. The great barrier of heavy -port charges, light dues, &c, has driven most of the old traders to and from Launceston away to the free harbours of New .Zealand, or elsewhere. Special negociations have to be entered into, and arrangejments made by merchants here, prior to

any inter-colonial shipowner consenting to

vclear his vessel out for Launceston. . No t :?vessels seeking cargo enter here now ; no '"Speculative traders from the adjoining co- ; lonies; are induced to employ their capital ■Jflere in purchasing our produce ; and thus .?< matters must remain, if the barrier of charges is to Be maintained. We

:* "^iiaye-jio faith in any less effective remedy ■'"for this cvil v under which the agricultural and commercial classes alike suffer, than C£?by making Launceston a free port." — Ibid. 12 ;. When/ <m receipt of the first intimation

; of. the chance of war between the Northern '^States of ' America . and Great Britain, we • 'pointed out the danger that was to be apended" from American privateers in '^t)lie-!^ustralian,.; wafers, it was thought by way; to needf^^?i|iatna.; ; Our opinions were based upon ms^^^oM^oci^ :^ : H^' : '^ \';?\ •.- • ,-"■:■*

of Paris, the Americans '.baft' refused to enter into the Convention to abolish the issue of letters of marque in any future wars. As^a singular confirmation of the justness of our views, we may be permitted to quote the following paragraph from the Illustrated Times of the 14th Pecember, and whrch had previously escaped our notice :— " It is stated in Paris that intelligence had been received there of the intention of the American Federal Government to fit out a number of privateers for the purpose of attacking our Australian traders " before information of a war " could reach that distant region from England. This is a matter that requires looking to immediately." — Ibid. In the Provincial Government Gazette of Saturday appear copies of letters from the managers of the Union Bank, the Bank of New Zealand, and the Bank of New South Wales, in reply to circular communications from His Honor the Superintendent, inquiring on what terms they would be willing to accept the custody of the Provincial Government account. The tender of the Union Bank is the one that has been accepted. They offer to allow an overdraught, when required, to the extent of £30,000, bearing 6 per cent, interest ; to allow 5 per cent, interest on the daily balance, and to make a concession of 1 per cent, on remittances to Great Britain, and of | per cent, on all inter-provincial and inter-colonial exchange operations in favor of the Government. — Ibid.