TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2058, 26 July 1867, Page 2

TOWN AND COUNTRY.

Acclimatizatiok SociETr.—The council of this society will hold their monthly meeting this day, at the Mechanics' Institute, at 2 p.m.

Citt Council.-—A special: meeting of the Council will be held this evening, at half-past sir, for the purpose of considering. the steps to be taken with reference to.. the Fire Brigade.

The Panama Mail.—The Southern por- ! tion of the, Panama mail will be brought on by the Egmont, which sailed from Wellington at 3 p.m. yesterday. The Egmont may be | expected to arrive.at-noon to-day. ? M. Chevalibr's PiOTDaBS.-The productions of the pencil of this artist will, we are informed, be shortly transmitted to the South Kensington Museum, where a compartment will be arranged for their reception./ 1 C; ■ General Government TELEORApn.4-Tlie transmission of .the news by the Panama mail;,; from; Wellington began yesterday at 9.20 a.m., and was finished at 4.35 p.m. Comment Is unnecessary, Sbnntbide.—A male patient, was yesterday. discharged from. this. .Asylum by order of the Resident. Magistrate. This is the fourth inmate who his left the institution during the current month, : Canterbcrt Tonic Sol-Fa Association. —The members of the above association will meet at the.Wesleyan achool-room this erening, at seven . o'clock, tot,, the election" of officers, and renewal of tickets for the ensuing year, and other business. ./LO.F. The -balanoe. sheet of the sum realised at the entertainment recently given at the Theatre Koyal, in aid of the : Widows' and Orphans' Fund of this institution, shews a profit of £SO Us. 2d, the total receipts being £76 7s 6d, and the expenditure £25 16b 4d.

. Bjmsvolknt Aid SooiitTr!—The secretary of the Benevolent Aid Society begs to acknowledge ; the of tho following contributions during this month From Mr W. Sheppard, £2; the Kcv J. O'li, Hoarc, £2 2s ( Mr G. M'Cullogh, 10b ; MrQ. Gould, £2O; Mr W. H. Lane, £12,105. l'novmcui, Gaj!bttb.-A Oazette issued on Wednesday contains, n list of publicans' licences grantedat theiTimaru annual licensing meeting; the list of arrivals and departures at the Port of Lyltolton for the month of June; and various rttiirns by the Inspector of sheep for tho aume: jioriod.,' ; Uniibo I'hateh Mbktino,—The montlily meeting of Christians : of all denominations will be held this evening, in the upper room of the Mechanics' Institute,: at 7 ; o'clock. The Rev (J. l'raser will prcsiiio 'ln future, months the raeotlngs;.will lio held- ut different clmrches in rotation, Bt, Lukk's j l'AitsoNAOi:.—The work of erecting this building ia heinj,' rapidly proceeded with. The architects-;.nro'.Mos'sr's' Speeclily. and ■ Crisp, It will lie a wondoii itruoture, and overy. attention -hcciih to itave been paid towards, making it a commodious and ornamental dwelling. ; ItusinuuT Maqistkatb's; (j'ouut.—-Great annoyanco and waste of public time are occasioned by persons not attending to the; summons sorvwl.. o|ion. tlitm, ospuciully in cases ofvcttttlo. trespiiss. Thii neglect is eventually visitd upon r the ■: olfuiiding parties, who thendiy incur a heavier, penalty than.-would otlierwise .have bceii Inflicted,.' : The UNi:Mi'j,oyKi).—Thu wmimiuiion appointed by liis Honor the Superintendent, to itiquirb in'.o thu alleged diatrcss, will commence its slitinus «n Momlay next, at the Provincial Council Ivi rary, at noon, Persons desiroiis : of giving evidence ure invited to leave their name and address at

tho Immigration Ofllao to-morrow, before noon.

lira Finn Alarm,— An alteration lias boon effected in tho arrangement of the gong in the Markot-placo. Instead of being plaood on tho summit of tlio upright, it is now impended from tlio side of it, and a new plan of sounding it has been adopted. Tlio gong was tried under tlio now method yesterday, and tho sound Is considerably improved. Owing t 0 tho clearness of tlio duy, tile echo was remarkably distinct, and win .heard at a considerable distance. hXI'OItTATION 01' VVIIKAT.—III TOply to II letter from Mr K, B. liisliop, lion, secretary oi the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral ■Association, inquiring whether the wheat so oxporteu from Oamaru to England was kiln-dried, or had undergone any other process for Its preservation heforo being "hipped, tlio editor of tlio Oamaru Timet saysWe hare made enquiries, and ascertained tliut the wheat reforred to was shipped hi the Bturnip condition as taken from the stack, and without any artificial preparation whatever. Wo may, however, add that the Oamaru district has tho advantage of an exceedingly dry climate, and where this ii not the cRBe, we liavo no doubt that tho kiln.drying would be a wise and necessary precaution. : : .GiiAm Export.— l Tho committee appointed at the meeting, held for the purpose of taking into consideration tho desirability of starting an agricultural produce export company, met at tho Wheatshoaf on Tuesday evening. It was resolved that a deputation should wait on ft deputation from Kaiapoi, and endeavour to arrange preliminaries for the starting of the company, also to decide on the position of the central establishment, and to communicate with the Chamber of Commerce for the purpose of ascertaining their views on the subject. The committeo unanimously resolved to support the company, if established, and it is very much to be. hoped that it will be. If farmers .will but pull together and be energetic in the matter, and form a company, tlieold, miserable state of affairs will exist no longer, for, if the surplus grain b» exported and only realises a very low price indeed, still that which regains in the country for home consumption will be worth much more than heretofore, from the fact that there will be no glut in tlio .market. Farmers always want money immediately after harvest to pay for the labour ■employed in the harvest, and under existing circumstances are obliged to sell their grain : for. whatever the millers like to give them ; but an export company would make an advance to the farmer on receipt of his produce, : and would not take advantage of his necessities. 'The advantages which would accrue to all classes of the community (except the. monopolists, who have had their day) ;from the formation of such a company, are almost incalculable. .; . Bankruptcy Laws.—ln the House of ; Representatives, on July 18, Mr Hall moved " That a Select Committee be appointed to ■inquire and report as to the operation of the bankruptcy law of the colony, and to make such recommendations as the subject may seem to require. That the committee have power to call for persons and papers, and that three do form a quorum. That such committee consist of Mr lteynoids, Mr Reeves, Mr G. Macfarlan, Mr Cargill, Mr Brandon, Mr,Curtis, Mr A. Atkinson, Mr T. Macfarlane, Mr W. Taylor, and the mover." He need only say that the general dissatisfaction Vhich prevailed throughout the colony with regard to the bankruptcy laws shewed that .the.Assembly should take the earliest opportunity of appointing this committee. He was : bound to say that he was not very sanguine of. making such alterations as would give general satisfaction, but if a well selected committee went into the subject carefully, ■ and; used the experience they had of the working of the existing laws during the last two or three years, taking also into consideration the recent legislation on the subject in the mother country, they might be able, at all events, to make some important amendments. The committee would have a considerable amount of work to get through, and he trusted members would attend punctually and give their earnest attention to the subject. I ; Scientific Wouxs.-Mr It. N. Henningham, agent for the firm of P. P. Bailliere ;and Co., of London, Paris, New York, and ■Melbourne, has brought a most valuable and Varied collection of scientific works to Christchurch, which he is now showing in Cathedral Square, a few doors from White's Commercial Hotel. The collection comprises the best standard works on law, .surgery, engineering, architecture, geology, botany, natural history, archaeology, &c., &c., and several rare books of travel, such as Pinkerton'a Voyages, a book 'which it is hardly possible to get anywhere at any price. . Among the miscellaneous books are some excellent specimens of lithography used in illustration, But the chief object of Mr Henningham's visit to the colony is the completion of arrangements for the publication of a " New Zealand Gazetteer." His principals have been in negotiation with Mr Stafford regarding this work, Mr Hall having. suggested the undertaking to them during ;his recent visit to Melbourne to attend the Postal Conference. We believe Mr Stafford has offered every encouragement to Messrs Bailliere and Co., in the way of facilitating the collection of the necessary information. They are not new to the work, having published with great success Gazetteers of . Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia,. We have had the pleasure of inspecting these works, and they certainly contain an enormous mass of information of a most useful description to all interested in the history, progress, and products of the Australian colonies. We trust that Messrs Bailliere and Co. will be equally successful with their New Zealand Gazetteer. The general character of such a Gazeteer us Bailliere and Co. propose to publish of New Zealand may be best gathered from ; the following synopsis of the contents of the yictorian Gazetteer, It contains the most recent and accurate information as to evrey township, village, and hamlet, every river, creek,'mountain, lake, goldfleld, road, and railway in Victoria, with its botanical, geological, <und physical features; the division of the colony into counties, shires, and electoral, police, squatting, mining, and municipol " districts, with their boundaries and statistics; the names, areas, occupiers, positions, and grazing capabilities of all the squatting stations, with best means of reaoli.them, .Also, particulars of tho coast survey; ■statistics of the ports, manufactures, and agricultural, partoral, and mining (quartz and.alluvial) pursuits; census of dwellings and population, areas in acreage and miles, and .comprehensive and correct electoral, municipal, road board, and police information. Also, a complete road itinerary, shewing the easiest, most expeditious, atid cheapest method of transit and conveyance of goods to and from every place in the colony, by rail, coach, boat, dray, or horse.

Fioiit iietwreh two Hmis or tub Nqarum Tnmic.—The Southern Cms corres-pondent,'-writing from Russell on Jul)' 15th say#:—Some w«eki ago two Impus of the Ngiipuiil tribe had a dispute about a piece of lain! in the neighbourhood of Waiinate, and hudu hostile meeting (I don't knovr whether I can call it a fight) on tlu Hubject, at which no.dnmiige was done beyond breaking an old musket. Mr Williams, K.N., endeavoured to 'make penco between (hem, and thought ho hud succeeded, but yesterday find the day before they met iigain, and wore either more in.carnest or took butter aim, for report Buys that seven men were killed and sovoral more wounded, I am uimblu at present to give the names, or any fui'thor particulars; but I believe .what I have told you may he relied up m a» a fact.

: ■ liiii'oiiTKi) Qoldi'iui.d at Napikr.—Some weeks ago wo reported that several miners had gone out from Napier, and were sanguine of obtaining a «ood goldfleld on the place which they hail selected for fieir operations. Wo lire Informed by Captain llomlall, of tho ss. Star of the South, which arrived on Saturday evonlng, (hut three men o hoc down to Napier on tho day beloro tho sailing of tho steamer, supplied themselves with the appliances fur working on a somewhat extenmv« scale, and started off again. Considerable stir ,'lms beon caused at Napier at the of a goldllold in the province. The locality of the pri.sp 'ftiirit' labour is not <lu•finitely known, although understood to be at

ho rear of iv run in the occupation of Colonol , Wh tmore. The party only loft Napier a week previously, and returned with samples for tho purchase of stores and tools, and an- ' poared confident of further success. To GAnDKNMisrt.-Tho Portland Ourdina contains tho following;—A gardener having occasion to newly paint the woolwork in the interior of his green house, determined to make trial of the theory of the absorption of heat by black colour, with tlio view of pro■noting tho maturity of his plants and shrubs by means of a greater quantity of caloric In the preparation of the black paint lie used coal tar-that is to say, tar produced by tlio distillation of coal In tho manufacture of wis I hi" coal tar, besides the advantages of'it* colour, nflerH considerable economy in painting, being about one-eiglitli of tho price of tlio material generally used in mixing black paint, The painting here in question was executed before ilic setting in of winter. On tho return of spring the gardener observed, with no less surprise than satisfaction, that the spiders and other insects which had infested liis greenhouse Irul totally disappeared, lie, moreover, remarked that a vine, trained on an espalier, which for the Bpace of two years had been sensibly decaying, and which lie had purposed to uproot for the purpose of planting another in its place, lmd acquired such new health and vigour aB to be capable of producing excellent table grapes. Having applied his new patent to the props trailing!, and the espaliers of all his sickly trees and shrubs, as well as those which, though in fun bloom, are being devoured by insects, success again crowned his experiment. Caterpillar# and snails disappeared aB rapidly hem"' 0 "" CC ' B ' van > B ' le( l from the greenGold Discovwtr is the Thames.—The Southern Cross of July 15, Baysßy the arrival of the cutter Wanderer from Coromandel yesterday morning, we have been placed m possession of the following important information A native had arrived at Loromandel from Kauaeranga, Gulf of Hauraki, to inform the chief Tikaha that some natives of his tribe had discovered gold in one of the creeks running through his land. Ihe gold is reported to be coarse and waterworn ; and so valuable was tho find, in tho estimation of the natives, that no time was "> 3t in making the matter known to their chief. Mr Lawler, the Resident Magistrate at Coromandcl, proceeded at once to the locality-about forty miles distant-accom-panied by Tikaha,and had not returned when the Wanderer left." In a few days we hope to be able to furnish our readers with a report that may be relied on as coming from an official source; and in the meautime it must bo borne in mind that natives are apt to be more sanguine in their ideas with regard to gold than the experienced miner. We may however, state that the locality—the Karaka oreek—is spoken of by experienced miners, who have attempted to prospect the district as most likely ground, 1 Reported Gathering op Rbbel Natives at Rotoroa.—Tlie Southern Cross of July 15 saysßy the arrival on Saturday evening of the steamer Tauranga from Tauranga, the very startling news was brought that a large body of Waikato rebels had gathered in the Rotorua district, and had stopped communication on the road between Rotorua and Maketu. It was said that the rebels numbered some hundreds, and that they were determined on sparing no person who fell in their way. They had, it is said, received their commission to fight direct from the King. On the inquiry as to how the above news reached Tauranga, we learn that it was brought there on the day the steamer sailed, from Maketu, by Retreat Tapsell, who had got it from the Rotorua mailman. So far as we can learn, no official communication has been received from Mr Clarke, at Tauranga, or Mr Mackay, who is at present at Maketu. We may say at once that we quite disbelieve that part of the story about the shutting up of the Waikato and Rotorua road. The track through the forest from Patatere, over which the rebels would have travelled, enters the Rotorua district behind the old pah of Puraku. and from that place to the nearest point of the Maketu road is twelve or fifteen miles, passing close to the loyal settlement of ICaikaitahuna and the pah of the Ngatipikiao at the Rotoiti. As to the fact of the gathering, we have little doubt that at all events the numbers are greatly exaggerated. We have no news from Waikato tending to confirm the statement; indeed, what we have heard is rather of an opposite character. Perhaps the report originates from the Ngatitengakaus and Ngatirangiwewehis having come back to Rotorua from Patatere, with not the most distant idea of fighting. At all events, the friendly Arawas in that district are quite able to take care of themselves.

The Patea. The Wanganui Times of July 20 contains the followingln oar last issue we intimated that Lieut,-f!olonel M'Donnell, with eighty men, crossed the Patea rirer at eight o'clock on Tuesday night. We now leare our Patea correspondent to give his brief account of the result:— The expedition has returned. Colonel M'Donnell, Captain Gumming, and Mr Booth, Native Resident Magistrate, entered the enemy's camp at two 'o'clock on the night of July 16, or rather this morning, unarmed. The natives met tliem in a very friendly way, and then followed a long discussion, They objected to the surveys being proceeded with, but when M'Donnell quietly directed attention to the eighty armed men lying ftt a distance and suggested his usual alternative they gradually cooled down, altered their views, and agreed that the surveys should be at once proceeded with. Then followed a friendly korero, and McDonnell and his unarmed companions rejoined their men, and returned to camp, after a long night's march. Thus, by a firm and unflinching stroke of diplomacy, bloodshed litis been picvented, and the surveys will be quietly proceeded with. I trust this will be in time for your next issue. That was certainly a bold and yet prudent stroke of policy on the part of McDonnell. He must have known his men, and the confidence which they reposed in him, or he would never have ventured into their camp at two o'clock in the morning, unarmed, leaviug his men at a distance. We still say tlut if those men have had a promise made to them by Mr Parris (which they said when here they had), then the (Government should inquire into their case and fulfil the engagement, howerer unwisely entered into. It is only by keeping faith that McDonnell has gaified the confidence of those men. Time after time he has attacked them, fought them, and inflicted heavy punishment, but invariably gave them timely warning. As fighting men they respect a man who acts thus, but false promises and deceptive arguments drive them to rebellion. Let us hope that this lesson will not be lost upou the Government.