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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 3, 4 January 1867, Page 2

Lately a person named Jeffries, who recently arrived by the Wild Duck, left Picton on foot for Blenheim. On his arrival at the Wairau Ferry at midnight, he called with all his might, but in vain,, the wind preventing his voice being heard at the hotel on the opposite side, where he

had the satisfaction of watching the lights disappear one by one. In this fix he took counsel with himself as to the best means to be adopted for getting over the river and at length determined to try a road which probably no one has ever been hardy enough to fry before him ; swinging himself from the wire rope, away he went hand-over-hand, until he got about half" way across, when he began to feel uncertaiu as to whether he could manage it, as he did not see the extent of his journey on, account of the darkness, and felt half disposed to drop down and try to swim the remainder; luckily for himself he persevered and reached the other side in safety, but not without severely lacerating his hands. The distance across would be somewhere about 450 feet. — Express. The L. Times gives the following decision in a case, M'Farlan v. Buchanan and another. It was an aetiou brought by plaintiff to recover from the defendants contribution by way of general average for the loss of certain sheep and cattle jettisoned from the steamship Star of the South, in the month of July, 1865,, on a voyage from Napier to Taranaki. The defendants pleaded that by the terms of the bill of ladiug the defendants had* exempted themselves from such liability; the following are the words of the exception: — ''The act of God, Queen's enemies, pirates, restraints of princes, rulers and people, vermin, jettison, barratry, and collision, fire on board in hulk or craft, or on shore; and all accidents, loss, and damage whatsoever from machinery, boilers, steam, aud steam navigation ; or from the perils of the seas aud rivers, or from any act, neglect, or default whatsoever of the pilot, masters, or mariners in navigating the ship being excepted, and the owners bein°in no way liable for any consequences of the causes excepted." The plaintiff demurred to the defendants' plea, on the ground that the exception referred to only qualified the contract as one for carriage, and would not save them from liability to contribute a general average. The Court, after argument, overruled the demurrer, with costs. The Canterbury Pres3, exhibits the position of the present depression felt in most parts of the colony in a very clear aud sensible light. Nothing can be much weaker than the reasoning which finds in the connection with the North, the source of every conceivable inconvenience that can arise : — Again we are constantly assured that the depression tinder which the Southern provinces are suffering is caused by the abstraction of their revenues to defray expenses arising out of native affairs in the North ; but Mr. Vogel suggests another cause which must have had a share in producing it. When a province for years together wastes its funds, including a loan of half-a-million, upon unproductive objects, it is not surprising that there should be some reaction. A time comes when the revenue begins to fall off, and then the payment of interest on the borrowed capital, and the general high rate of public expenditure, which cannot be summarily diminished, begin to be felt as a grievous burden. Public works are suspended, trade declines, and numbers are thrown out of employment. It may suit those whose mismanagement has brought about such a state of things to cast the blame upon the General Government, but a large part of it at least must be attributed to their own incapacity or want of foresight. Admitting that the present depression is partly the result of the ruinously extravagant policy that has been pursued in the North, it cannot fairly be attributed to that cause only. A similar depression has prevailed in the other colonies, in Victoria aud New South Wales, which are certainly not affected by the native policy of New Zealand. It has been assisted by various causes, all tending towards the same end. One has been the state of the money market in England, and the depreciation of all kinds of colonial securities. New Zealand has been a special sufferer from the enormous extent to which the provinces have rushed into' the market as borrowers, which has done much to lower the credit of all. We in Canterbury have had painful experience of the pressure put upon the province by the tardy sale of its debentures, in the stoppage of" the great works for whiob the loan was designed,, and the drain upon the revenue to pay for those already begun. , The Mv says Mr Otto Wiesenhavern has opened the prettiest little shop in Marlborough, with an assortment of fancy tobaccos, cigars, and other goods connected therewith.

The heavy rains which visited us lately appear to have been experienced with equel severity at Napier. The local journals say that a good deal of hay has been, destroyed, and shearing in some places may have been stopped for a day or two; but generally the weather has been most acceptable to the country. The Auckland Weekly News says that the P.N.Z. and A.R.M. Company have added 25 per cent, to the rate of passage between Taurauga and Auckland, which •was enforced on the upward trip of the s.s. Lord Ashley. Passengers at Tauranga who had not secured their tickets before the steamer called were compelled to pay the increased rate to Auckland. The fares between Aucklaud and Nelson, Picton, Hokitika, and Gremouth, have likewise been augmented. We extract the following from the Waikouaiti Herald of the 19th ult.. — A case cf abduction occurred at Macrae's on the evening of the loth instaut, which created an unusual amount of excitement. It appears that the gay Lothario (a miner, byname Thomas Tait) decamped from Macrae's ou the evening mentioned, accompanied- by a young girl named Martha Cocker ill, 14 years of age, the daughter of an hotelkeeper on the flat. On missing the girl a search was instituted, but no trace of her could be found, and Mr Hammond, a storekeeper, was despatched on their supposed trail as far as Palmerston, but he failed 10 discover them. The runaways had made good use of their time, and managed to escape the observation of those who were likely to know them. They camped the same night at Shag-valley. Fortunately Mounted Trooper Wilsou, stationed here, was on patrol at Palmerston on Sunday last, and happening to hear of the affair he hastened iu the direction of Dunedin, aud overhauled the loving twain near Mertou, a place four or five miles from Waikouaiti, jogging comfortably along on horseback, goiug towards Duuedin, the girl sitting behind her lover. They were brought back to Waikouaiti the same evening, and forwarded in custody of Wilson to Macrae's the following morning. Tait will no doubt be brought lip before the Magistrate there and punished according to his deserts. Evidently the young lady was as willing to become the companion of Tait as he was to take her. We (N. Z. Advertiser) shall be compelled to give up ail belief in the rumors that appear in the Cross, if the latest one that appears in its columns is indicative of their general veracity. It is to the effect that the business of the Defence Minister in Auckland is to call out the militia in the various districts of the province for a fortnight's training. Thereupon our contemporary predicts ruiuatiou to the agricultural classes, and destruction to artisans, shopmen, and laborers in town, aud winds up by saying, "To be candid, we do not think there is any necessity for such an order for twelve months, except in the Waikato districts." Now, he has just hit upon the exact state of the case. Colonel Haultain, we understand, intends to call out the Waikato Militia, and no others, for the usual training, so that all our contemporary's declamatory sentences are so many words wasted. No communication has been received by Government with regard to the future intended mowements of his Excellency the Governor, but we believe that it is his intention to proceed overland from Taapo, either to Napier orWsnganui, and then to Wellington, where he may be expected in a day or two. The inhabitants of Southland are endeavoring to get rid of the Education Tax; and meetings are being held, and committees appointed, to take measures for that , purpose. At a meeting at Long Bush," the following resolution was passed : — *' That in the opinion of this meeting, the condition of the country does not authorise the re-introduction of the Education Ordinance; that considering the amount of taxes already paid through the Customs by each individual in this country, it is incumbent on the Government to supplement the fees and voluntary contributions of the people for educating their children, arid that a memorial, embodying this resolution be drawn .up by Messrs. Ross and Barchall, and the mover, 'to be presented to the Provincial Council at its next, session." The Napier is engaged as the second wool ship from Port Underwood this ' season, and will be ready to load about; the 15th January; ' From the report of the Cattle and Sheep

Inspector at Tarauaki it appears that pleuro-pneumonia is spreadiug fast there. The meaus taken to prevent its spreadiug are timely notice to the Inspector, bleeding animals in the first stage of the. disease, destroying them in the last stage, and separating the unhealthy from the herd. The total number of sheep in the province is about 13,000. The Oddfellows at Holritika are about to erect a hall. The capital is £2000, in 400 shares of £5 each — £l on allotment, and the remainder by monthly payments of £l per share. The building will include an hotel, under the management of a committee, and the hall will be let for public purposes. Sir C. Clifford and the Hon. F. A. Weld are, we hear, visiting at Flaxbourne Station. As an instance of the excellent fruitbearing qualities of the Wairau, we (Express) may place on record that a ripe strawberry was gathered by Mr. Budge, weighing one ounce and half a drachm — a size rarely equalled under the most favorable circumstances of forced culture in England. The Tasmanian Morning Herald of the 29th ultimo contains the following choice specimen of senatorial eloquence uttered by the late Colonial Secretary, Mr Meredith, on a debate in the House of Assembly on a question of privilege: — "Mr Meredith rose and called attention to the presence in the House of the greatest scoundrel iu Tasmania, sitting in that corner (pointing to Mr Allen of the Mercury). He was a most unblushing villain, and he declined to sit down iu the House with him (order, order). He unhesitatingly asserted that there was not a greater vagabond at Port Arthur. He is the greatest villain in the colony (loud cries of order). He did not care, he would not sit in the House with such a scoundrel (order, order, sit down, sir)." The Goulburn Argus of the 24th Nov., refers to the Bunyip once more : — lt has frequently' been reported thsit a bunyip has been seen in the Muirumbidgee River, Bnd on Sunday morning last, as Messrs. R. Davis and M'Jannett, who went down to the Cavan crossing-place to fish, were examumig their lines, they saw what they supposed to be the oft-spoken of bunyip. Mr. Davis, who was the first to see it, describes it as being much larger than a young calf, with a great bushy head, thick lips, and ears longer than any blood-hound; its body was round aud smooth, and about ] 8 inches broad. It first made its appearance above water at a distance of not more than 40 yards from where they had made their camp for the night previous and swam to the opposite bank, getting out on a sand bank in the midst of weeds aud young oak trees, which only prevented his awe-stricken spectators from crossing the river aud making an attempt to effect his capture. A correspondent of the Bathurst Times states, for the benefit of farmers and gardeners, that he applies coarse snuff to his cabbage plants, cauliflowers, and fruittrees, which, he says, " takes all sorts of aphis and crawling thiugs away from them." He says he has a good crop of cabbage now. The following is the prescription : — Put a small quautity of snuff, every night after suudowu, arouud the root, and in the heart, of the plant, till your see the aphis disappear. About six or seven applications will suffice. Do the same to your fruit-trees but with a little water to the roots. Scented snuff is useless. A very few facts out of many -similar ones which might be given show the wonderful progress of the United States in the ninety years of their existence. The thirteen feeble colonies of 1766, have increased to thirty-six powerful States, with numerous and extensive territories. In 1783 the whole territory covered but 820,860. square miles; in 1853 it contained 2,963,666 square miles, and has since vastly increased. In 1790 the total population was 3,929,827; in 1860 it was 31,445,080, and is now probably 40,000,000. Cotton manufacture commenced in 1790, and in 1860, the value of the product was 115,237,926 dols. Woollen manufactures began in 1810, and. in 1860 the capital invested was 25,520,557 dols.. consuming 96.000,000 dols. of wool. In 1832 there were 131 mile of railroads : in 1862 51,114; there are about 70,000 miles of telegraphic communication. There are also about 20,000 schools, exclusive of the public institutions, accommodating more than 800,000 pupils, and, upwards of 4,000 newspapers..