SOUTHLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1361, 18 February 1865, Page 3

SOUTHLAND.

w. have received our flies by the Ptobe, to the , octant, we eitract the lollo.ta, item. THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. ondinffs of the Council on the 31st tU rhe bein P g° of considerable interest, we publish them iB extcnso.. ■ xaxd regulations. Dr Hodgkinson, pursuant to notice, moved .v That the Council resolve itself into a committee 0 f the whole House, for the consideration of the following resolutions: — i.t "That the Land Regulations in force in this • wp worked very unsatisfactorily, both as pro Ttlt rXd »«dthe leasing of runs for Storal purpose ß i that since the 'Southland Waste S?Act, 1863,' will alter some clauses only of toregtiions it will add to their complexity and insufficiency ; and that the whole system requires to t>e remodelled. . . „ 2nd " That the regulations in force m the Pro Tince of Canterbury for the sale of rural land by S selection over the whole area of the province, as* ell as those for the leasing of runs, have been productive of the greatest benefit to that province ; and that the introduction into the P™* lll ®® Southland of similar regulations would be highly beneficial. 3rd " That, with a view to the speedy settlement of the province, power should be given to the Superintendent and Provincial Council, to 6et aside any quantities of land not exceeding in the whole 5000 acres in any one year, which may be granted without charge, in quantities not exceeding 40 acres to each statute adult, and in like proportion to children, to such appoved settlers as may, at their own cost, immigrate and settle thereon, in accordance with regulations to be hereafter framed." The hon. member said that he brought forward the resolutions simply as a private member, and not as a member of the Government. Mr Cuthbertson, in seconding the motion, said that the land question was one of a very vexed character, •nd one that had attracted much public attention, | and upon which great diversity of opinion existed. The rise in property affected all interests more or less and in approachiug a subject of this character, each one more or less was influenced, it might be unconsciously, by what might affect him in a personal manner Could any one say with an approving conscience that he did not look upon this question as affecting himself. If there was such a man, he should be distinguished by a halo of glory thrown around his head, and whilst he deprecated the consideration of the land question on purely personal grounds, he would ask hon. members not to leave their own interests entirely out of the question The scheme proposed was not untried; it had been in force in Canterbury, and had stood the test of ten years' experience, and he would ask upon what better grounds he could request hon. members to support it. Under the present system, a settler was confined in his selection to a limited extent of country, and it was now proposed to throw the land open at a price which, whilst it would allow of bona fide purchasers, and settlement, would also increase the price of land, and prevent the operations of speculators. The class to which he (Mr. Cuthbertgon) belonged would have a greater fixity of tenure, as they would be enabled to obtain leasesof 14 years, which would encourage them to undertake improvements which, under the present system, they wre not warranted in doing. The Customs revenue would also be increased, and a source of permanent revenue would be opened up for the benefit of the province. The third resolution provided that free grants of land might be given to those who came here with a character for respectability, and with moderate wealth. He thought that this would not only tend to increase the prosperity of the province, but to bring Southland into favourable notoriety. Mr Stuart said that he wished to call the attention of the Council to what he considered was the grand point to be kept in view in any change in the Land Regulations. The province was exactly in the state of a man in such insuperable difficulties that it was his duty to realize his assets in order to j pay his debts. He had been induced to make these remarks in consequence of a well-considered speech from a gentleman who was a member of the Executive. in which he had stated the course he thought best to be adopted; now he (Mr. Stuart) did not approve of such a course being adopted; at the same time he had no desire to rush in and sell without considering what should be sold, but they must consider that such Land Regulations should be adopted as would enable them to realise in order to pay their debts.

Mr. Holmes pointed out that the Council had no power to make any alterations in the price of land.' • He would mention that an attempt was made at the - last sitting of the Assembly to reduce the price of ( land to thirty shillings an acre, and when this came < before the house, it. was opposed en masse. The effect of reducing the price of land would be to : lessen the value of the security on which they had obtained loans, hy one half, and if any such reduction was proposed in the Assembly, that would be the •, answer given to such a proposition. There were i always two parties to the sale of land, the purchaser i and the seller, and if the party wishing to purchase , had no money, of course, he could not buy, and this, combined with the land regulations, he apprehended was tfce cause of the small revenue lately derived from the sale of Crown lands in Southland. Now, the income derived from the sale of land in the province of Canterbury, amounted to about £10,000 per month, whilst on the other side of the Waitaki, in the province of Otago, where a different system prevailed, the sales had been merely nominal, although the Superintendent took off the taxes, which had been imposed by the Provincial Government and the Assembly, and therefore it was evident that the mere price was not the only condition which led to the sale of land. He would also state that he would prefer giving £2 an acre for the whole of Southland, than take his choice where the Government might think fit that he should make it. He had had considerable experience in land regulations, not only in the various provinces of New Zealand, but also in Australia, and he had no hesitation in saying, that the Canterbury regulations were infinitely superior to those of any other province or colony. The principles upon which those regulations were first enunciated by Mr. Gibbon Wakefield, and the manner in which they had worked was a sufficient evidence of their great utility. Those regulations provided that whilst a sufficient price should be obtained for the land, yet the price should not be so high as to prevent the farmer and agriculturist from purchasing, yet that the price should be sufficient to prevent the operar tions of speculators. To lower the price of land below £2 an acre, would only act as a snare to the farmer, who minht thus be induced to purchase more land than he had capital to work. It was not so in Canterbury, and it was well known that agricultural operations had been greatly extended, and had prospered in that province.. Now, with regard to the assistance to be afforded by the settlers to the Government by increasing the revenue. In Canterbury they came forward and voluntarily offered to double the assessment, provided that the Government would give them an extension of ten years to their leases. The Government acceded to this request, and a bill was passed by the Provincial Council, and assented to by the General Assembly, for carrj ing it into effect. The squatters of this province would be immediately affected by such a plan, and they would be the parties to object, if an objection was to be made; but on the contrary, they coincided with the measure, and were willing to contribute towards the revenue, considering it better that the question should be finally settled, as nothing was more prejudicial to the interests of all concerned, than continual changes in the land regulations. The only benefit which the squatters would receive was the extension of their leases and a fixity of tenure, and for this they were prepared to pay an increased assessment. In addition to this, the squatters were known to be large consumers of. dutiable goods, and by encouraging them to proceed with improvements, more labour would be employed, the population would become larger, and thus the consumption of goods would be increased, and the revenue and the trade would alike be benefited. The residents of Canterbury attribute their great success to their land regulations; they said "we have not parted with our lands without receiving a sufficient price for them, we never denied our lands to any person coming to settle upon them," and (said Mr. Holmes) there is not an individual in that province who does not approve of the land regulations. Frequent changes in the price of land were most impolitic. How could they know at home what the price of land was here—a province which had only been in existence three or four years, when at one time the price per acre was announced at £3, afterwards it was 10s, with conditions; then it was raised to £1 without conditions, and then the price of land was £2 an acre ! If they were to sell the land at 10s it would be giving it away, the value of the security for loans would be depreciated, and the credit of the province would be lost, inasmuch as it would be saying " we have made a mistake in making the price of our land« £2—the value is only £1,"

and the security we have now to offer for a loan is now only worth half ao much as it was two years ago. Supposing the Council were, to reduce the price, and that it should receive the sanction of the Assembly, at least twelve months must elapse before it could come into operation, and then the necessities of the province would have passed away, they would have either, got assistance from their neighbours, or they would have become absolutely insolvent. He felt satisfied from what he had heard from members of the Assembly, that any reduction in price would not pass that body, they would permit the price to be raised because it increased the value of the securities for loans, but it was quite a different thine to permit the price to be lowered, inasmuch as the value of thesecurities would be thereby decreased. Looking at the question in a financial point of view, he felt satisfied that the necessities of the State would not be met by the sale of land, but by another method, which might perhaps become apparent when they dealt with the question of finance. He was certain that at the next meeting of the Assembly a measure would be brought in which would give the province aid, but they could expect no aid from the sale of land, for it would not sell, simply because there was no money in the country to purchase it. He should support the resolutions.

Mr. Armstrong said that he considered the resolutions equally as objectionable as the Educational Ordinance. He had one question to ask—who would give the Government £2 an acre for land when they could get good land for £1, and could purchase land from speculators, only a short distance from town, for 308? If they had no inducement to give to settlers but land at £2 an acre, then all he could say was " alas for Southland I" The question was then put and passed, and the House went into Committee. Dr. Hodgkinson moved the first two resolutions, and said that the object they should have in view in making any alteration in the Land Regulations was to attempt to retrieve the credit of the province, and to, place it in a condition to meet its liabilities. In order to effect this, some proposed to lower the price' of land to £1 an acre, in the hope that it would induce the sale of the land, and, considering the embarrassments of the province, he should have felt willing to have supported that were it not for the fact that it would tend to lower the value of their securities, and as such would not be likely to be assented to by the Assembly or the Home Government. The hon. member then proceeded to review the Canterbury regulations, and said that the object of the present regulations was to give free selection, a greater security, of tenure, and a tenant right. He believed that if these resolutions were carried into effect, they would lead to great improvements being made upon the land, as runholders would be qriabled to do so without running any risk—a much larger quantity of labour would be required, and thus the prosperity of the province would be permanently increased.

Mr. Cuthbertaon explained that up to last evening the Government bad not been able to come to any agreement on the subject of these resolutions, but this morning he understood that they were to be brought forward as a Government measure, and hon. members might imagine his regret when he heard the hon. member (Mr. Stuart) get up and oppose them. Dr. suggested an adjournment, in order that the Executive might endeavour to come to some understanding on the matter. Dr. Hodgkinson could see no reason for a postponement. It was not a Government measure, but an open question. Mr. Calder thought that the misconception was entirely on the part of the member for Waiau, as this was evidently an open question. The chief points for consideration were—should they lower the price of land merely to tide over a temporary difficulty, or should they fix the price permanently at j£2 an acre. He confessed that the question was one of great difficulty. It was a question whether, if they could not get the price of land reduced, they should not adopt resolutions by carrying which into effect they would get an annual revenue from the occupants of Crown Lands to the amount of £7500 a-year. He should like to know what length of lease it was intended to give under the new regulations. (Mr. Holmes—Ten years from the falling in of the present leases)— That w;ould make the present leases for 16 years. He confessed that he was ignorant of many of the details respecting these regulations, and he would, inquire—whether it was proposed to taike the rate of assessment progressive or stationary ? ,Also, whether the tenant right ob■'tained:&"fllff'C^<irbufy'Begtlla^lOll».• Mr. Cuthbertson replied that the rate of assessment would remain at the uniform rate of l£d an acre to the end of the lease. He rather thought that the tenant right did not obtain in the Cauterbury regulations. Mr. Stuart said that the squatters would wish to appear as martyrs, willing to sacrifice themselves for the benefit of the country. They asked for free selection and an increased security of tenure, but in asking that the price should be £2, he thought it was done to prevent the sale of lands, which must be sold, even at a sacrifice, to meet their liabilities. Mr. Wilson thought that the policy proposed to be adopted by the supporters of the?e resolutions was evidently dictated by selfish motives. The great object of all land laws ought to be to get the land settled with a numerous and industrious population, who, fulfilling the great law of nature, would occupy and subdue it, and in order to effeet this it would be far better to give the land away than to have it occupied only by a few sheep. A great deal had been said about the prosperity of Canterbury, but it was a mistake to suppose that Canterbury was more prosperous thap any of the other provinces, or that her prosperity arose from her land regulations. The hon. member then proceeded to offer a variety of suggestions for the settlement of the land question, and concluded by stating that he should vote against the resolutions.

After some remarks from Dr. Hodgkinson, and Mr. Cuthbertson, Dr. Menzies believed that the present land regulations were pretty generally approved of, and he must confess that he had expected to have heard more cogent reasons brought forward in favour of the Canterbury regulations. He believed that the sale of Crown Lands did not depend so much upon the price, as jipon the prosperous condition of the Province, and that the reason why the land had not sold lately, was that stated by the hon. member for Oteramika, viz.That the people had not got the money to buy. After reminding the House that at least twelve months must elapse before any alteration could be effected in the land laws, the hon. member concluded by expressing hi 9 belief, that at the next Bittingof the Assembly, some measures would be brought forward on the subject of Provincial Loans, which would have the effect of giving relief to this ProvincG. On the motion of Mr. Macdonald, the debate was adjourned until to-morrow evening. The House then adjourned.

Wednesday, Ist February, 1865. The House met at noon. THE ESTIMATES. Mr. Stuart: Mr. Speaker,—A printed statement of the revenue and expenditure of the province for five and a half months ending 30th June next has been for some time in the hands of members. It will be observed that this statement shows the revenue fully equal to the expenditure, a fact that of itself indicates that the estimate is only a partial one presented in this form for a special purpose, and ignoring to £40,000 a-year, or thereby, for which the province is liable as interest and sinking fund on its debt. This arrangement lias been adopted by the Government for the special purpose to show how far it may be held to have succeeded in reducing the ordinary expenditure within the limits of ordinary revenue; regarding land receipts on the one hand and interest on debt on the other as extraordinary, or at least separate heads of revenue and expenditure, to which I shall presently direct the attention of the Council. How far the printed estimate may be ultimately found to be correct or within the amount of actual revenue must, in present circumstances, be open to some doubt. The Government have taken what they consider to be a moderate estimate, about one-third less than that of the General Government at last sitting of the Assembly, and i about twelve per cent less than the rate of revenue for the past six months might have warranted, but not in the opinion of tho Government, less than the continued depression of the province requires it should be taken at. In regard to the expenditure, greater redactions may hare been expected, and if practicable, are certainly most desirable, a fact to which the Government are fully alive—they have reduced departmental expenditure at about one thousand seven hundred f tr annum-they, with the createst desire to reduce expenditure within the narrowest possible limits, have not as yet seen their way to a less expenditure than the printed statement shows Though the Government do not deem further reductions practicable, they do not pronounce them impossible, for it is certain that the ordinary revenue will inexorably limit the amount of ordinary exoenditure, and the course of circumstances may ere long render imperative at whatever sacrifice,

greater reductions than as I have said Governfflen have yet thought it prudent to make. I P asß ® now to notice that other and moßt important uep®"' ment of the provincial finances, to which as yet. * have only alluded— The Zand Revenue and tke Pvo( Debts. In regard to the former I have on m» present occasion little to state but the 81 S n jf u fact that such a thing is practically non-axisting , it is conspicuous in our estimate of revenue oy « absence. That this item of public income shouia be greatly reduced would call for no further explanation than that by whioh the falling oil on other heads iB accounted for, but I think the entire annihilation of an item of revenue which in pa» years has yielded as much as £77,000 in one y e ®" and that this very by-paßt year —requires further explanation which is not found in the exinai stion of the source of that revenue—nor, as I n®*® said, is it entirely to be explained by the undoiibted fact that little land is selling anywhere else m tne South at present, but as seems to be pretty well understood in the ordinary and unavoidable causes 01 depression have been intensified by recent faulty legislation on the land question. The meriti of tnH question is a subject quite apart from the one in hand. It must be very evident, however, to tne Council that the only source from which the public debt is to be met is the land revenue, and that it must either take such measures as are competent to it to get the Land Regulations so amended as to produce again an adequate revenue, or it must repudiate its debts, and the neglect or refusal of the Council to take the former steps will, as distinctly imply the latter as if the doctrine of repudiation were openly avowed. The Council, indeed, has not the power to amend its land laws, and while this fact might relieve it from the odium of repudiation, should the hindrance to an amendment arise in the higher legislation only, the Council may on the other hand rest assured that such a virtual repudiation will not be permitted, and that, with or without its' recommendation the General Assembly will interpose to make the landed property of the province available for the discharge of the public debt. What land regulations should be adopted is a question, as I have said, beside my present subject, which calls on me only to indicate what the land revenue must be made sufficient to meet—and here I am accordingly brought to the consideration of the public debt of the province. The of the debt, and whether it has been wisely or unwisely incurred—however interesting a subject, would not on this present occasion be profitable to discuss, but will be more appropriate on the second reading of the new Loan Ordinance when the amount we require to borrow will/ have to be decided on. The total existing debt of the province may be stated in round numbers £430,000, to this must be added for interest and sinking fund for the ensuing 1865, and during which period little or no i land revenue can be looked for, say £60,000, ] making in all £490,000. Of this amount there I is already provided for by debentures or other- j wise £310,000, leaving £180,000 still to be i provided for. The ultimate accuracy of this last amount is, however, likely to be affected in various ways—it may he increased from the sale of the debentures issued, but unsold below par—a contingency which, on further consideration, I do not think we may consider at present—or it may be reduced by the General Government agreeing to take one or both the railways at cost price, which would: reduce the amount to be provided for interest and sinking fund to £35,000, and the total amount uncovered to £145,000, an amount more manageable and within the power of the province to deal with. At present, however, the amount to be dealt with is, as I said, £490,000, or very nearly half a million sterling, implying an annual charge on the province of not less than £40,000, for interest and sinking fund, a total amount, and an annual charge which will be generally acknowledged beyond the present capacity of the province to meet, and even beyond its probable capacity at an early period. In stating how. the Government propose to deal with this question, I need lrirdly remark at the outset that the task the Government attempt to execute is an extremely difficult one, and no solution of this question that they could see possible is free from obstacles and difficulties. An indispensable prerequisite to any solution of it is the assistance of the General Government. There are at least three ways in which this assistance may be given—(l.) The General Government may get the Assembly to throw open the pastoral lands of the province for sale at a price that will insure almost instant realization of the provincial estate when the Act should come into operation, and so pay off the debts at once ; or, — (2.) They may guarantee existing loans, fresh loan may be necessary—holding the land revenue as security for interest and sinking fund, and getting such a Land Apt passed as will insure tl e sufficiency of the security;,or,-*-(3.) They may take over at cost price one or, both the railways, leaving the province itself to deal with the remaining debt, under such modifications or alterations of the provincial borrowing powers as the necessities of other provinces as well as of this one urgently call for, and possibly under some constitutional changes the nature of which the present unsettled state of colonial affairs generally renders too problematical to conjecture. The Provincial Government, therefore, propose to communicate with the General Government, with the view of inducing it, if possible, to take over the railways, and finish them, relieving the Government of all liability in regard to them, and in view of the three modes I have indicated, to express our preference to that which the Council may think best. The wisdom of this course is, it appears to me, sufficiently attested by the simple fact that the province is unable to finish these railways, or even pay interest on the debt already incurred on account of them. That the province will be relieved of both railways the Government can scarcely hope; they feel sanguine, however, in regard to the Bluff line; and even with that measure of relief, in connection with the Colonial guarantee to the remaining debt, and an amended land law, they are far from despairing of -a successful issue from the present financial crisis. With these remarks, I move, Mr. Speaker, that the House go into committee.

Mr. Calder seconded the motion. Dr. Menzies and and Mr. Holmes complained that the Provincial Treasurer had not given a full exposition of the financial state of the province. Mr. Calder contended that the statement made by the Provincial Treasurer was of a plain straightforward character. It would only confuse hon. members if he had entered into any lengthened detail. The question ■ was then put and passed, and the House then went into committee on the Estimates, several items of which were passed. The Chairman then reported progress, and the House adjourned. The House resumed in the evening, when the land regulations were discussed in committee, when Mr. Cuthbertson explained that he found the Provincial Treasurer was not at the meeting of the Executive held yesterday morning. Mr. Macdonald said he confessed that he could not agree with the views, that the regulations on the subject of Crown Lands should be prepared with the view of their immediate disposal, for the purpose of meeting the liabilities of the province, but more with regard to their permanent occupation. The hon. member then referred to the increase that had taken place during the last year, in the number of acres fenced in, the number under crop, and the increase of stock, the population in the rural districts, and contended that it would be better to a system which would lead to improvements being effected, and give an annual revenue of nearly £10,000 a year, than to sacrifice the public lands, to relieve what he trusted would prove to be only » temporary difficulty. After commenting on the third resolution, the hon. member concluded by stating that he should vote for the resolutions. Mr. Tarlton moved as an amendment —" It is highly inexpedient in the present condition of the province, for this Council by any course of action to confirm the present high price of land." A lengthy and desultory discussion ensued, when Mr. Calder moved as another amendment-— "'1 hat until it is known what course will be taken in reference to the affairs of Southland generally, it is inexpedient to propose any further alterations in the ' Land Regulations." After another long desultory discussion, the committee divided on Mr. Calder's amendment, when that gentleman was unsupported. , The committee then divided on Mr. Tarlton s amendment, and, the number being equal, the man gave his casting vote with the ayes, and declared the amendment carried. _ Another discussion then ensued on the third r - solution, which ended in its being withdrawn.

Thursday, 2nd Feb. THE RAILWAYS, Mr. Calder moved—"That this Council V . lC "® with deep regret that after so large an expenai of money, this province is unable to complete lines of railway already partially open for P u , traffic. That it is most desirable to P reV ?" rfl ji_ total waßte of money already spent upon tne ways, and this Council is therefore of op"» on the Provincial Government should at once op negotiations for the purpose of providing foir , early completion by, and finally for their d P to the General Government upon the bes obtainable for the province." He said he

that every member would agree with him on the first part of the resolution.. It was proposed to negotiate with the higher authorities to take these lines and complete them. He believed it was hopeless to think that the province could, in its present difficulties, complete the lines, and it was hoped that the General Government would take them as a portion of a colonial system of railways, which would greatly relieve the province. After alluding to the sum estimated to be necessary to complete the railways—from £55,000 to 460,000, the hon. member concluded by moving the resolution. After some discussion the motion was carried. TUB LANS QUESTION. The following are a series of resolutions upon it:— " That the provisions of the " Southland Waste Lands Act, 1863," operate very injuriously, by stopping the sale of land—by retarding the progress of 'settlement—by preventing population from coming to the province—and by shutting up the only source whereby the Provincial Government may realize a revenue to meet existing liabilities, and the most urgent necessities of the Public Roads Department. " That the " Southland Waste Lands Act, 1863," should be repealed. " That the price of land should be at an uniform rate of twenty shillings per acre, with a Crown Grant on payment of the purchase money, free from any hampering conditions. "That in the event of two or more persons having made an application for. the same land on the same day, all such land should be put up for sale by auction, at the upset price of twenty shillings per acre, and open to all competitors. " That occupiers of Crown Lands as runholders may purchase-a homestead in one block, not exceeding two square miles in extent, by pre-emptive right of selection, at 20s per acre. That all tenants of the Crown being runholders, should pay a yearly rental not exceeding per acre, per annum. " That no further extension 1 of Hundreds should be opened for sale by. proclamation of the Superintendent without resolution of the Provincial Council. "That when such a further extension of Hundreds may be necessary io make room for an increasing population, the runholders shall be allowed compensation to the full value of all improvements effected by them on land beyond the area of homesteads which may be sold to other purchasers—all such land being open for sale to runholders on the same terms as the general public. " That all adult immigrants coming to Southland direct from the United Kingdom _at their own expense, shall receive from the. Provincial, Government immediately after arrival, land orders to the amount of their passage money. And all such; land orders shall be received by the treasurer of the Waste Land Board as current money, on application for the purchase of,waste lands of the Crown. And the holders of such orders shall have the right of selection over any part of the waste lands set apart a? special settlements: provided that all such immigrants shall occupy, improve, and cultivate such lands as permanent settlers for- a period of not less than four years, under penalty of forfeiture. " That all special settlements shall be from _ time to time defined., by resolution of the Provincial Council. . , " That a memorial be prepared by this Council praying the Honorable the General Assembly to frame an Act for the disposal of the waste lands of this province, in accordance with the foregoing resolutions*"

The Nokomai.—The following is an extract from a private letter, from a resident at the Nokomai, to a friend in town " The news up here is getting good—every prospect of the diggings going ahead. Some men, who were here on Saturday, had just bottomed. They brought a dish of dirt from the claim, .and washed out 5 dwts. 11 grs. That is a prospect, if you like. Another party up the creek took four pounds weight out of n. paddock, and they expect the paddock they are now sinking.to be much richer ; in fact, I expect, in the course of a fortnight, I shall be able to send you news that will surprise you.— Southland Times, Feb. 10. The Financial Position.—The Southland Times has the following remarks upon the future prospects of the province:—The Provincial Treasurer showed plainly enough during the last session of the Council, that our position was widely different to the above The liabilities of the province are nearty half-a-million, whilst the revenue is very little more than sufficient *o--cover, the. departmental that expenditure being reduced to the lowest possible figure. Admitting that the reductions which the present Government succeeded in making, were not so large as they might safely have been, the position is not altered in any appreciable degree, for were the whole of the provincial funds devoted to the liquidation of the liabilities—the province being left meanwhile to take care of itself without Superintendent, Executive and Provincial Councils, Police, Pilot Service, etc.,—there would not be nearly sufficient to pay the interest and sinking fund.— Ibid. The Motutapu.—With reference to a tour which Mr. Warden Broad recently made up the Motutapu, the Wakalip Mail of the 4th inst., says "It has not been entirely free from danger, and. that indefatigable officer had to swim his horse for half a mile on the Wanaka Lake. The country, he states,, is a very promising oni, and the gold is obtained in low terraces. The population is small, but some of the miners have been over a twelvemonth in the district. The country abounds in game. -The diggers were not communicative regarding the returns they obtained. Mr. Broad believes that the Canterbury Goveqpment possess a rich gold field in this direction. There is room for a large population,—lbid. The Weather during the last few days has been very changeable. On Wednesday a decided hot wind was blowing, rendering the air close and sultry, as if it had emanated from the mouth of a furnace. At eventide, a heavy rainfall set in, which continued almost without intermission during the whole night, and effectually dispelled the sultriness of the air. Yesterday was squally, with heavy, showers at intervals. There can be no question that the high winds which at times sweep over the province have a most salutary effect, carrying away the miasma which arises in low and damp situations. To the beneficial influences arising from these winds, we feel that the peculiarly salubrious condition of the climate of Southland may be attributed. —Ibid.

Wallacetown Races.—These races took place yesterday, and were well attended. The morning was cloudy, but as the day wore on, the weather brightened and continued good throughout. The course was, however, very heavy in consequence of the late rains. The first event was a match between Mr. Greaves' Rob Roy and Mr. Howell's Goldfinch, for £40 sovs. Distance, two and a half miles—catch weights. There was a good deal of speculation on this race. Rob Roy went off with the lead, and maintained it for the first mile and a quarter, when he was collared by Goldfinch, who passed him, and came in an easy winner. The second race was a trotting match. A sweepstake of. five sovs. Distance, three miles and a half. Six horses came to the post. After a splendid contest Mr. Russel's Ranger first caught the judge's eye, Mr. Pinkerton's Plantagenet being second. Ranger was admirably ridden by Mr. Russel. A hack race followed, which caused plenty of amusement to the spectators, as the horses, of which there were eight, were all untried, and each had its admirers. Mr. Wilson's Black Tommy was the winner. The next race was was the Wallacetown Cup. Distance, two miles. There were fiye entries, viz., Mr. Greave's Rob Roy, Mr. Lambert's Stranger, Mr. Greave's Quickstep, Mr. Harris' Bitter Beer, Mr. Howell's Goldfinch. Bitter Beer took the lead, closely followed by Rob Roy, Stranger, and Goldfinch, who quickly passed him, Rob Roy going to the front, and maintaining his position till within half a mile of the winning-post, when, owing to his jockey fouling one of the posts, he had to succumb to Stranger, who came in a winner. This event concluded the day's racing. There were no accidents or disturbances, and everything passed off in the most satisfactory and agreeable manner.—lbid,

The Mataura.—We yesterday received some further information with regard to the new diggings on the Mfttaura. Our informant assures us that there are now over three hundred persons on the ground, and that " the cry is still they come." By far the greater number are earning something more than wages—a few doing very well. Altogether the new field is highly prosperous, and is rapidly extending in several directions. The Southland Provincial Government have appointed Sergeant Baker as gold receiver on the new diggings pro tem. He will supply a want which has been severely felt.—News, Feb. 10.