The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 159, 7 September 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1866.

A laudable attempt is being made on the West Coast to prospect the yet untried portions ofthe country supposed to be auriferous. A subscription was some time ago raised at Hokitika, which was supplemented by the Provincial Government, for the purpose of equipping and despatching a prospecting party to test that extensive area of country in which all the rivers in that section of the province take their rise. The leader of the party, says the W. C. Times, is Mr. M'Crea, a gentleman of much mining experience in Victoria and elsewhere, the field first chosen for their operations being towards the head waters of the Hokitika and Kanieri rivers. The expedition has been absent several weeks, great difficulties have been encountered in traversing the country, and the leader has returned for some purpose not mentioned, and has furnished a report ofthe progress of his party. The course of the Hokitika river was followed to the gorge, a distance of 26 miles from the junction of the Hokitika and Kanieri rivers. Auriferous indications were met with at a point seven miles from the gorge. In an extensive basin of gravel an unsuccessful attempt was made to sink shafts, in consequence of the superabundance of water. The gravel, however, yielded gold, but payable prospects were not obtained. The country above the gorge was tested and gold in small quantities obtained. The land towards the head of the Arahura aud Waimea rivers was examined. The slate and sandstone formation predominated, the slate rock being intersected with small I quartz veins, a very good indication of gold. A large quartz reef was discovered on a high terrace at the head of the Totara. It was considered a fair indication that others of a richer nature exist in the neighborhood, which only requires close searching to bring them to light. We ave glad to find that the inhabitants of Hokitika have taken the initiative in prospecting the untried portions of the country and we shall not be surprised to hear that the influx of mining population on the West Coast has led to the country being tried in a thorough manner. It is the duty ofthe Government to aid such enterprises to the extent of its ability, but the responsibilities that rest upon the Government do not supersede those which belong to the general community. If the country is to be prospected in an efficient manner the means of equipping properly organised prospecting parties must be furnished by the numerous classes who follow in the wake of the miners and profit by their successful enterprise. What applies to the people of Hokitika aud the Grey, applies with equal force to those of Nelson. As the mining population increases on the West Coast, and the diggings reach the Buller and other districts near to us, it will be to the advantage of the Nelson public to take a greater interest in the opening of the country than they do at present. A great deal is expected from the Government, but the public cannot be allowed to shirk its duties. The future prosperity of Nelson will hinge materially ou the successful development of the auriferous treasures which lie not far from •"•our very doors. The merchants, bankers, and others who profit by the industry and toil of our miniug community, would do well to stimulate an enterprise fraught with such important results. This has been done with great advantage in other colonies, and the difficult and hazardous character of the mining in New Zealand renders it necessary that the miners should receive all the sympathy and support the. .classes who thrive by their operations can possibly afford them.

A proclamation in the New Zealand Gazette, August 24, disallows an Act passed by the Provincial Council of Nelson to provide for the construction and maintenance of roads and other public works, session 14, No. 4. The assent of the Governor is given to the Electoral Districts Act, Motueka Reserve Act, Cattle Trespass Act, Buller Reserves Act, Appropriation Act, No. 7, and Fencing Act. In our leading article yesterday, in the fifth line from the bottom, a typographical error occurs. For "founclers" read "burdens." His Honor Mr. Justice Johnston is expected to leave Wellington, for Nelson, ou the 9th instant. The Wellington papers express surprise that Judge Johnston, in his recent address to the grand jury, made no allusion to the Debtor and Creditors' Act, which he had previously characterised as unjust and unworkable. Mr. Stafford stated in the House on Tuesday last, that the Government are preparing a draft bill to effect some ameudmeuts in the bankruptcy law, of an unimportant character. Mr. Stafford has brought in a bill to organise and regulate the civil service of New Zealand. The Bonded Warehouse Duty Bill was read a second time ou Tuesday last. A bill to establish country municipalities has been read a second time in the House of Representatives. It is founded on an act which . has been found to work well ia Victoria. The hon. Mr. Preudergast has brought in a bill to amend the law respecting liability of innkeepers, aud to prevent certain frauds upon them. He referred to the case Hamilton v. Osgood which recently occurred at Wellington, and said the bill was founded ou an Imperial Act passed about two years ago Mr. Newman, of Auckland, has placed this notice of motion on the order paper of the House, and allowed it to lapse to see if the Colonial Treasurer will take action in tho matter: — That under the present financial difficulties of the colony, it is desirable, as early as possible, to sell the Lowry Bay estate, and apply the proceeds to the revenue of the colony. In the House of Representatives, Tuesday, Mr. Reynolds gave notice of motion for Wednesday, that the shipping news at the various ports should be telegraphed for public information at least twice a-day. The hon. the Postmaster-General explained that it was his intention to make inquiry as to what revenue would suffer in case Mr. Reynolds' motion were carried, aud for this reason requested that the notice of motion should be placed on the order paper for Thursday, which was done accordingly. Mr. G. Armstrong, M.H.R., has been tried in Wellington, on a charge of perjury, and acquitted. Had the case gone against him, a point would have been reserved in his favor, as the indictment was wrongly worded. The verdict of not guilty was received with applause in court. A number of telegrams appear in the New Zealand Advertiser of the sth, sent from the offices at Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson, and the Bluffy to the Postmaster- General at Wellington. The time occupied in sending a. mt^ssage and receiving a reply was this ; to Duneijlin and back, 2 minutes ; to Bluff and back, I minute ; to Christchurch and back, 1 minute ; to Nelson and back, | a minute. A company called the City Meat Company has been started in Wellington, with the object of reducing meat to the lowest possible payable standard. Mr. E. A. Hargreaves, M.H.R., fell between the s.s. Wellington and the s.s. St. Kilda, a few days ago, and had the misfortune to break two of his ribs. The Government printer at Wellington says he has so many bills on hand that his type is exhausted. To enable the printer to get on with his work, the House has been obliged to accelerate its movements. The Hawke's Bay Herald says— We learn from a private letter that the sheep station on the Ruataniwha, lately purchased by E. Pearce, Esq., of Wellington, has been re purchased by Colonel Russell.

The question of a municipality is not allowed to drop at Hokitika. The Times says : — The prevalent impression that a new petition, signed by upwards of one hundred householders praying for the erection of Hokitika into a municipality, is necessary to be presented, in consequence of the late meeting of electors having lapsed, is incorrect. The district haviug been once proclaimed a municipality remains such, although the measures adopted for the election of the first Council have fallen through. All that is requisite to set the electoral machinery once more in motion is the issue of a notice covening auother public meeting, and any ten of the original petitioners are competent to sign this notice. It will then be incumbent on the Superintendent to appoint a chairman. From a private source the W. C. Times derived the information that the owner of the ill-fated schoouer Oamaru, which is now weeks overdue at this port, has abandoned her to the underwriters and claimed the amount she is insured for. He has given up all hopes of ever seeiug her again, and fears she must have foundered in Cook's Straits, with all hands. The sale of the Adelphi Hotel, Hokitika, was lately effected, through the agency of Mr. G. W. Binney. It realised the very handsome sum of £550, a proof of the high estimation street property in this town is held in. A Mr. James Caldwell, writing to the Otago Daily Times on the subject of rendering nitro-glycerine non-explosive, says : — The Mining Journal, Loudon, states that practically there is no greater difficulty in rendering nitro-glycerine non-explosive and explosive at pleasure, than there is in accomplishing the same feat with gunpowder, although the means employed are, of course, dissimilar. The recent accidents with the new explosive agent have induced Mr. Nobel to turn his attention seriously to the subject, and he is now enabled to state that by mixing the- nitro-glycerine with methylic alcohol — a cheap spirit — popularly known as spirit of wood — the nitro-glycerine is rendered inexplosive either by percussion or heat. When required for use, water is added, which absorbs the spirit, and the oil sinks to the bottom of the vessel, whence it is drawn by a syphon, and its explosive nature thereupou found to be restored. Experiments for testing the value of this discovery are said to have already been made in America with satisfactory results. The subject is one of the greatest importance to miners. There are still some parties digging in the vicinity of the Pakihi, with moderate results. The Committee on Public Petitions have recommended the House of Representatives to grant to the family (a Maori wife and five children) of the late Mr. E. Broughton, who was murdered near Takaramea in October last, an allowance of £200 per annum, provided that the children be educated as European children ; £40 of such allowance to cease on the death of the mother, and £30 on the arrival at the age of 19 years of each child. Also, that an inalienable grant should be made to the family of 300 acres of land, to include, if possible, the spot where Mr. Broughton was assassinated, as a momento pf the sad event. At a public meeting held at Otahuhu on the 21st iust., the following resolutions were passed : — (1) " That, in the opinion of this meeting, the course taken by Colonel Haultain during the current session of the General Assembly is inconsistent with his pledge to his constituents, and detrimental to the interests of the province." (2) -- That Colonel Haultain having forfeited the confidence of 'his constituents be requested to resign his seat for the district of Franklyn." (3) "That the chairman of this meeting be requested to forward the foregoing resolutions to Colonel Haultain." The general cemetery at Auckland has been improved lately by the formation of footpaths, and the planting of trees and shrubs. Hitherto the cemetery has been neglected to a discreditable extent. The existence of a deep lead has been proved at the Twelve Mile Creek, Lake Wakatipu, and several mining leases have been applied for iii" consequence.

We (D. S. Cross) are infdrmed'by Mr. G.. Holdship that the largest kauri log known to have been sawn in New Zealand was cut a fews days ago at the saw-mills recently erected at Hokianga by Messrs. J. Webster and Co. — J. Davison, manager. The log was 46 feet long, 8 feet through, containing 16,000 feet of timber; and was broken down in one hour fifteen minutes, and entirely cut up in one day. If Maoris are only capable of taking a thin veneer of civilisation over their really savage nature, it must need be confessed they take it very readily. Natives are proverbially '-clubbable," but squatting near a whare, wrapped inblankets, and discussing things in general, is a very different affair from what is to be the style adopted in Hawke's Bay, if we are to judge by the following paragraph from the Herald, whieh says: — "Messrs. Miller and Linsey are about to erect, on behalf of the chief Karaitiana aud other natives, on native land at the extremity of the White Road, just outside the town boundry, a large building intended for the accomodation of natives upon their visits to Napier. It will contain two large reception rooms — one 17 by2o, and the other 16 by 18 — in one of which (intended for the use'of.European visitors) will be a fine bay window fronting the road; seven bedrooms, a detached kitchen, &c. The building will be well finished, and will an ornament to that part of the towu. It is the intention of the chiefs interested to engage a European man and his wife to take chare of the place, cook meals, &c. The valuable lands held by Maoris in the neighbourhood are attracting the attention of capitalists. Some time ago, a gentleman well known in connection with the steam navigation of the Waikato, offered 4s. an acre for a slice of the splendid block of 60,000 acres extending from Port Waikato to Raglan, so very curiously restored to the Tainui,, the best part of whom were active rebels, and the rest waiting for a favorable chauce to become openly so. There are also in the Aotea district two gentlemen endeavoring to purchase land on a large scale — one is understood to be engaged by the Provincial Government, and the other by a firm in Auckland.—D. S. Cross. A very interesting experiment is to be tried by the Waiuku Agricultural Association, and is one well-worthy the attentive consideration of kindred institutions throughout the colony. At a meeting lately held, it was resolved that sixpence. _per head should be paid for every hawk destroyed in the neighbourhood; also, that first, secoud and third prizes should be awarded to those persons who succeed in killing the greatest number during the six months the plan was to be tested. His Honor Mr. Justice Moore will leave Auckland early in October next, as he is required to attend in his judicial capacity a Court of Appeal, which opens in Wellington on the 9th of that month. The Taranaki Herald, Sept. 1, states that the rapid progress which, as we reported last week, was beiug made by the Taranaki Petroeum Company, has been suddenly checked by an intensely hard stratum of rock of a crystalline texture, though its exact character cannot be determined, owing to the state of minute subdivision in which it is brought up in the sand-bucket. So hard is it thatthe chisel broke short off on Thursday; but, fortunately the part broken off was soon recovered. Very few inches have been made since Monday last, though the works are being carried on night and day. The Alpha Company have likewise met with some hard stuff duriug the week, but have got through it.- They are down 174 feet. Operations are likewise being carried on vigorously at this well. The Victoria Well is going on steadily, and has at tained a depth of 165 feet. A second shaft has been sunk to a depth of oo feet, about 150 yards to the south-west of the Victoria Well. A boring machine for this company was expected to arrive in the Egmont on Tuesday, but it did not come. The Victorian Parliament has been further prorogued to Tuesday, 2nd October- next. It is rumoured that it will be opened in November for a short session before the Christmas holidays,

The following are. the statistics of the Church Missionary Society's missions for the past year. Stations, 148 ; clergymen, European, 190 ; natives, country born, 88 ; European Jay agents and schoolmasters, 21 ; European female teachers, 9 ; native and country born catechists, 2122 ; number of communicants, 14,155. The society has withdrawn from 77 stations, chiefly added to parochial establishments in the West Indies, or transferred to the native church in Sierra Leone, containing 10 native clergy, 4356 communicants, and 12,886 scholars.