OUR HOME LETTER, FOR THE JANUARY MAIL.

North Otago Times, Volume V, Issue 99, 11 January 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR HOME LETTER, FOR THE JANUARY MAIL.

Your October Mail brought sad news to the antipodes. Than Lord Palmerston, your obituary has not, since the death of the Prince Consort, contained the name of any personage who was more universally esteemed while alive, or is more deeply lamented now. No matter how long a time some of our colonists *may have sojoivrned, in New Zealand, few, if any, left the land of their birth before hearing the name of the late noble Lord, familiar in men's mouths as " household words." Ho was the " pet of the nation" for a longer period than any of his compeers, and the services he has rendered to Gieat Britain during a most eventful period in her history, will live for ages in the hearts and memories of his countrymen, whether at home or abroad. He has departed this life as la^en with laurels as with years, and all — from prince and peer to peasant — lament his loss. Siyce writing our last letter, a new year has dawned upon us, and 1865 has gone the way of all its predecessors. The youngest born of Father Time came in smiling, aad, so far, its scroll is innocent of the record of nny startling event in New Zealand. All is quiescent. The Maories iu the north arc giving us less trouble than usual, and the bickeiings of our colonial statesmen are for the nonce hushed in our Wellington PLilIs. It is alone nearer home whpre we discover any traces' of animation. The gaieties and festivities of the season produce almost as palpable a change us does the 12th of August with you, when the affairs of the state and all other matters give way to the blandishments of the gun and rifle. Of these latter we can mnke at present no practical use here ; but of the former w« have always a plethora in their season. However, it is fitting that we proceed to particularise what little there is to record. Knowing that the war news is that which met interests our home readers, we willfirst bestow our attention on that topic. As we have staged, our d.irk-^kinned brethren have been more disposed to peace of late than has hitherto been their wnnt. Whether this has arisen from exhaustion in the struggle, or whether, like Christians, they have been revelling like white folks amidst the season's gaieties and festivities, history suyeth. not. One thing is certain, and that is, if they (the natives) have been quiet, we have followed su't ; if breathing time is required for our one-mes, we give them plenty of opportunity for doing so, aye, and for refortifying themselves in new redoubts, the same as if they had never been routed out of their last. 13 nt say our legislators, " that is our policy. We don't want to fight the Maories unless they provoke us to it." In this way will our var — '>ne of the mos"; unsatisfactory ones in which Britons ever were concerned — drag its slow length along, eating out the very vitals of an otherwise prosperous Colony, till some arrangement is come to whereby we in the middle island shall be freed fro n the intolerable burden. We shall never be contented till this lie achieved ; in which event it is shrewdly supposed the north will quickly pursue a different plan. It has almost become a bye word now that Wellington scoffs at Auckland for being s:> silly as to give up her war. When she lost that, she lost fortunes to her merchants, and abdicated her position as the capital of the Colony. She feels her degredation now ; we hope she is honest enough not to desire a return of her former pomp and splendor, at the cost of the Colony's credit. In any case, the time has come wh?n we in the Middle Island mu«t appeal to the I nperial authorities for a radical change in our relationship -to the North Island Provinces. Thev are battening on thn splendid *' pickings" from ti war winch, we believe, should, with a genuine wUh to bring the struggle to a close, be eroded in six months. The present system of maintaining an army for punishing outrages on individuals is no less vicious than silly ; and not the least surprising thing is that it h-is been allowed to go on so long. It is an unfortunate thing, too, that we in this Colony cannot perform anything unless at a. great cost, or rather at a preat waste of treasure. For example, our Defence Force of about 1500 men costs the Colony nearly L200 a-yoar per man ; and this is not bestowed on pay to the men (rank and file we mean), for they, poor follows, only receive 3.s 6!. per diem, and Is. 6d. more in rations: but the maintenance of a splendid staff of officers and supernumeraries swells the pay list to the tune of nearly L2 70,000 per annum. During the month, one of the mainstays of the Halt -Htm rebellion has met his doom. A few days ago, the arch-fiend Kereop.i, when at Taupo. and while on his way to Wanjjanui. w.is compelled to attend a uiiianga, at which his crimes were enumerated He was adjudged worthy of debta by the natives (Hau- . Haus) who formed it, and when the question 'was pat to the meeting at to how the mis-

crcant should be despatched, the unanimous response was to the effect that he should suffer a like death to that of the Kev Mr Volknor. No sooner w.is the mind of the meeting made known on that point than a Maoiienmc forward with a rope, and ere many minutes had elapsed, this worker of iniquity was launched beyond the power of man. It ig to be regretted that the murderer did not pay the forfeit of his crime fi\>m the decision of a European tribunal, but still it is sati factory to know that the Ilau-IIaus are at any rate at last alive to the enormity of this man's deeds, or misdpe<ls. A prophet of the fanatics is reported to have been the prime mover in his capture, accusation, and condign punishment. From Wniroa the latest intelligence is portentous of renewed hostilities. Mnjor Frnser. at the head of a force composed of 100 of the Colonial troops and 100 friendly natives, marched up the river about the end of last month, aivl doubtless w.ir would break out again immediately, so that the next intelligence which comes to hand will be important. The enemy occupies a portion at Wairoa Falls, called Te Reinga, about 20 miles from the mouth of the river. The surrounding country is rough and broken, affording good shelter to the cnemv : but it fortunately happens that it is as well known to the friendly nat'ves as to the Hau-ILius. The rebel force i», estimated at from 4l>0 to 500 men. They have been reinforced fnm Uriwera, Turanga, and elsewhere, and the leader is To Warn, a man of determined character, but said to be. at the same time, an open and generous foe. The news from Poverty Bay is unimportant. A melancholy boat accident lately happened near Aivklanl, in which four men of the 70th Regiment lost their lives. At P.itca. on the 18th ultimo. Lieutenant Lawson and Ensign Jackson, both of the 18th Royal Irish, wore drowned while bathing in the river there. Some horrible murders have been perpetrated at the peaceful settlement of Otahuhu. Quite recently the Indies of three persons have been discovered, and the names of the unfortunate victims are Mary Finuigsxn, widow, aged'55 ; and J.invs ai 1 Bin] imin, her sons, aged 17 and 14 years respectively. The circumstances attending the deplorable affair are very heartrending. Some time since a man named James Stark, n discharged soldi°r of the 65th Regiment, and who had married a daughter of the deceased Mary Finnigan, made representations to the effect that the three unfortunate deceased were missing, but that they were supposed to hare gon? to Hokitika. A notice to this effect appeared in the "Auckland Police Ga/ette." On the death of Stick's wife, the npi.rhbors shortly afterwards missed his mnther-in-law and her two sons, and on his being questioned on the subject he published a plimible story to the effect that they had taken their departure for Hokitika under assumed names, and that he had paid their passage money. The suspicions of so nc were arou«cl.' however, they considering" it most unlikely that such a sudden determination to remove from Otahuhu should have token plnco without some intimation being given bv the parties themselves Anxious enquiries wore therefore made about the matter, until finally, finding his quarters becoming too hot for him. Stack fled the place, anl has not since been hoard of. Thi* circumstance of course only whetted the suspicion o p foul plav, and the police aiul others undertook a diligent investigation. Ultimately, the borlies of the three unfortunate persons were discovered buried near the house, but greatlv decomposed. It is surmised that the body of a fourth victim, a boy aged 12 years, is interred about the same spot. The skull of each of the murdered ones was smashed in with a hammer, and it :s ascertained that a fewda\s prior to the murder, or the disappearance of the Finni- i gans, Stack borrowed a hammer from one 'of his neighbors, but that on being requested to return it he said he had lo«.t it, readily ag»cping, however, to give Is. 6d. in payment There are other eireu nstances which tend, moreover, strongly to point to S'ack's guilt, and ho appenrs to have been a person who formerly suffere 1 for his misdeed 151 , as well as being of a rather unsociable and surly disposition Doubtless wo shall hear further of him, but we in these Colonies are not in a position to track the footsteps of cvimimls so speedily and surely as the authorities in Britain are. He appears to bear some singul.tr marks about his person, and they may lead to his apprehension sooner than might otherwise have been the case. The General Assembly has been further prorogued to the 25th of this month. At first it was \sunposed that the proclamation intimated that the Assembly was actually anpointed to meet on that day. but that is not what is intended The original prorogition was to the 26th of December, hv which time it was anticipated matters would be ripe for a dissolution, the issue of writs, and a ceneral election. It appears, however, they are not quite ripe yet. so the proclamation giving another month's delay has been i<sned. At a # iy rare the dissolution proclamation may he expected before the close of this month and the general elections will follow, consistent with the legal intervals of delay. In some parts, electioneering matters are being taken up with much spirit, but especially in Canterbury Province, which is

always alive to the importance of securing the ri^ht men for the right places. In Otngo scarcely any movement hns been made. There is tin unaccountable apathy existing, anil apparently nothing can shake it oft". Some fine day when it is seen h)\v little time there is to spare the Province will swarm its hive of representatives, c.iring little who amongst them aie " fit and proper" men ami who are not. She will m ike a fuss when the time anives when delay is no longer possible, but meantime her lethargy is much to be deplored. Well might she be apostrophized in the following lines : — " Thou, like the himitnost chariot wheels, art curst Still to be near, but ne'er to be the first." Litely, however, the all engrossing topic has been the squabblings in our Provincial Council. Never, we believe, has there been so much talking and so little doing. A quotation from Horace comes in very aptly : — " Strenua nos exercet ineria," but, verilv, "laborious idleness our powers employs." As last mul left, the Moss Ministry went out on an adverse vote induced by the discussion on the Select Committee on Education's Report. The Government intimated their willingness to accede ti the repeal of the assessment clause (the most important point touched upon by that document), but they wished the consideration of several oth» i r mailers left to the Executive during the recevs. One of these provided for the permanent endowment of the Dunedin High Si-hool, so as to enhance its stability and render it independent of annual appropria'ions; and this was the ostensible stumbling block over which the Ministerial coach suffered a capsize. Mr Biodie, one of the members for the a; >lilfields. and the mover jf the adoption of the Select Committee's Report, was "sent for " to form a Ministry but he failed, and Mr John C.irgill, who was n^xt called upon by his Honor, shortly afterwards intimated his success, and his being prepared to at onoe catry on the business of the country. His colleagues were Mr Brorlie, as Secret try ; Messrs. Burns and Mon it, as non-official me nbers ; and himself as chef and Treasurer Mmnt subsequently retired in favor of Mr Lloyd. Everyone felt convinced from i\c first that this Ministry wouM not see the Session out; indeed they had no sooner tak^n office than a no-confidence motion was made by Mr Gleeson, the member for Oamaru country district. Although Mr Gleeson moved the resolution, however, Messrs Moss and Walker, the ousted Treasurer and Secretary, were the real comba»nnl-<. They went into the work of demolishing the Cargill Ministry with a spirit which betokened, not to put too fine a point upon i'v. a great want of discretion on their pirt. It was, of coarse, fully believed by all that the country would not rest satisfied so long as Mr Cargill ictained the gentlemen mentioned as his colleagues, but the hard things levelled at the ch cf\t head were decidedly out of pla^e. and deserving of little sympathy. The great drift of the motion, however, was to have Mr Brodie ousted, on the principle, we suppose, of " better one thorn plucked out than all remain." but the re«ult was another resignation on the 27th ultimo. Next day there was a sc°ne in Council, eminently calculated to display how differently we get through our parliamentary business as compared with the manner in whic'i such things are managed with you. Our Correspondent writes to the effect that— It cfot wind on Friday morning (21th D^c) that thpre would be something worth the see: ig and heaiing at the Provincial Conncil that afWnoon. nnd thf>re was a full House <i'u1 a fuller stranger's gallery. When the usual preliminaries were over, Mr Adam (the mover of the want of c mfi lence resolution) rose with a wide expanded cVst, and his coat thrown hack, and began to •" make a statement," The Miiisterial benches were ocupiel bv Mr (tpoik-5 Lloyd *' solm " Tho " member of the Go\ernment" im mediately ro3e to claim priority of speech, and was received with murmurs of evid"nt satisfaction. All expected fun, but I ventuie to say that no one had counted on s ach a genuine ai tiolo as we got. The hon. memWfor Orepn Tsland explained to us how he ha I waited after the adjournment of the House the proceeding evening to see whether his colleagues wanted his adVice, and had not found it required He had seen them putting'their heads together, and had s«en his chief write a letter, soniet'n'najof the contents of which he had iearnt " outside the House." As his colleagues did not seem to want him, he had waited upon His Honor, of whom he asked whether Mr Cargill had resigned Being; answeiel in the affirmative, he requiied to know whether Messrs Brolic and Burns had done so likewise. His Honor had assured him that such was the case. He th< n felt it necessary to enquire whether His Honor considered tint he ul>o had resigned. " Certainly," had been tho rep'y, niu^h to the hon member's astonishment. He had then i\«s ired His Honor that he had done no such thins, either personally or by deputy. He could only sav, much as he regietteU the ciicnmstance, that he con sidere 1 himself His Honor's only adviser, and p-oc?eded to tender his advice th \t his Honor should appoint him Provincial S-oretary, and further that he should appoint him Piovmcial Treasurer. He was surprised that his coUeigues should have advised his Honor to send for Mr Adam. Mr Adam hid said in tin Council that he had no confidence in him (Mr Moyil), and he felt bound in retaliation to sav that he had no confi lence in Mr Adam. He strongly advised His Honor to cha-ge his " only adviser " with the t isk of forming a ministry To this advice he had as yet receive I no leply, but was " momentarily " in expect ition of one -if the House woull indulge him with a little tima, no doubt in hilf-an-hour the reply wonl 1 crnio H-? could only a f trio Ue the ciu se taken by his eolIeis:u D s in not consulting him as to the rpsijmtion to the fact that they considered the vo p of want of confidence *is intended for themselves and not for him. He was therefoie in the position of bpiiig the only member of the Govern iient in whom the Ho !«•> had confi lc ice, and whilst such was tho case he could not think of res gning." We think you will at least concede one thing, and that is, than Otago possesses one prince of jokers Spice will not permit our dwelling at length on the various " speeches" delivered on the occasion, but much may be inferred from the rrsumb we have given. " We shall bs pleased if you will apply nothing

severer on bur M.P.C.'s than M. Boileau's satirical lines — " Thus one fool lolls his tongue out at another. And shakes his empty noddle at his brother.'* Finally, Mr J.vnes Ari.un intimated the formation of a new Kxocutivo, composed of the following memhers : — Mr Moss. Provincial Treasurer ; Mr II. J. Miller (Oamaru), Provincial Secretary ; and Messrs Street, Hughes, and himself as non-ofhViaK Noconfidence motions, however, are now the order of the d.iy, an I these gentlemen had no sooner picked up the reins of the State Coach than Mr ILiughton, .1 goldfields member, tahled a motion to the effect that whd>t the Ministry ;nchuled Mr Moss it would not be accepted by the House. With the exception of deposing and reconstructing Ministries, our Councillors have done very little business during the month. The following Bills have been read a third time and passed, viz : — Edueati m Ordinance Amendment Bill ; Otngo Dock Trust Bill ; Education Reserves Management Hill ; Road Districts L <an Bill ; Southern Trunk Railway Guaranteed Interest Bill. The event, pnr einphnniJt, of the month with us has been the laying of the foundation stone of the Jetty, which took place with considerable ceremonial pomp on the 2 3rd ultimo. All the preliminary arrangements having been duly completed, a procession was formed, starting from the voo ns of the Waitatd Lodie of Freemasons, and marching in the following order, under the superintendence of Mr M. 11. Miller, director of ceremonies : — Oamaru Rifle Rangers, Boitmen, Citizens, O.ldfellows, Masonic Lodg«> of Waitakl, Resident Magistrate, Town Board, Cleigy. The order in which the Fiesnoasons marched was »s follows : - Tyler : "Bro. Carruth. Builder, with pl.ins, .tc. Bio. Bee, carrrvimr the corn ; Bro. Dmsey, ca'rviog the win© ; Bro. Bruc3, earn ing the oil : Sunerin l endent of Woiks Bro. "W. Black, carrying plate with inscription ; Director of Ceremonies Bro. M. R. MilW ; Treasurer Bro Prenderjast, carrying coin j to ha depoite 1 in the stonp ; Secretary Bro. Harper, carrying the Book of Constitutions ; Senior Warden "Bro. Luke, carrying S. W. Column ; Junior Warden Bro. Pink^rton. carrying J. W. do. ; Bro. J. S. Wait. W. M., carrying the volume of the Sacred Law, supported on the left supports \ on (he right by P. M. Rro by P. M Bro. G. « Godfrey, R. Bullen ; The procession was a very imposing one, and the effect was much enhanced by th* showy uniform of our Volunteers, arnl the gaudy sashes and other paraphernalia of offioc of the Masons and Oddfellows. In short, it far outstripned any public ceremony we have ever yet had an opportunity of witnessing in Oamaru. A- large number of ladies graced the scene with their presence, and manifested .a very lively interest in all the proceedings. Masonic ceremonies are so well understood 'vith you, that it would be quite superfluous in us to give a detailed description of this one. Suffice it briefly to say that Bro. J. S. Wait. W.M , beg-in thp rprcmonisil proceedings by reading the 107ih Psalm, after which the Rev A. Gifford (St. Luke's Church) offiercd up an ippropriate prayer on hehalf of the enterprise. Thereafter the W.M. enumerated the articles to be deposited under the stone, comprising the current coins of the realm, a copy of the Oamvuu Times, the order of the proccsrion, and the following inscription : — " Lodge of Waitaki. Oanmni, 5><H December, A. L-. .W5. A. D 18 v>. The foundation st-om of the sea wall of the Oamaru Jetty was lnd tlrs rliv by John Stuhhs Wuifc, Surgeon, Oamaru, acting W. M. of tho Lodge of WaiHki. Jolin S. Wnit, Acting W. !\r. "WillnmL-ike. " R. W. Frank Pinkerton, " J. W. James Bpp, " S. D. George Harper. Secretary. Hugh Calder, Builder." The other usual portions of the ceremony having been gone through, the W.M. applied the rule, plumb, and mallet, and poured out the emblematic corn, wine, and oil on the stone, concluding with a short and appropriate praver. The Rev A. Giftord closed the proceedings, and three lu^ty cheers were then given for the Oamarn Jetty, making the echoing cliffs resound again, and the piocession then slowly marched back to the starting point. This is our season of annual meetings. On the evening of the 2nd inst . the first annual meeting of our Building Society took place. This is one of our most flourishing institutions The balance sheet showed the capital at L2348 15s , which, together with "receipts for premiums, redemptions, transfer foes, fines, rules sold, and miscellaneous, L1039 18s., and surplus in hand, J. Brnce's estate, L9 5s., made up a total of L3397 19s. On the Cr. side of the account. tl >a invest' ients amounted to L27R0, the goners' ■"* preliminai'V expenses to L23.3 15s. 10d., and cash in Bank (the balance) to L101 3s. 2.1. The profit and loss account exhibited a total profit on the yvar's transactions of L806 3s. 2d. ; saia amount being arrived ,it by deducting the expenses. L233 15s. 10d., from the premiums, fees, fines, &c , LI 033 19s. The chief element of success is doubtless owing to the ••conomical manner in which the Socictv has been managed. Groat interest is displayed therein, ns well as the utmost caution in investing the funds. A new Directory has been elected for the now current year, consisting

of as follows: — Pesilent: II -my Fr.iica, Esq. : Treasurer: John L >eke, liuik of No.v Zealand ; Co umittee : M -ssi's, Pavne. J. Lemon, S. Gil>b-», Ingrain, Wait. M'ller. Re«, C. Lemon, and W. Luke ; Mr Oiio. Sumpter still acts as Secretary. The aniuiil staaitor}' meeting of the district S hoiil Cam nittee was held on M m lay evening la>t; for the proceedings of which we h.ive to refer you lo niuther portion of t:iis issue. The Annual meeting of the Church oftin*hufl Cjngregiti«.n will tike p!ae • to div, the 11th iuitaut. The IniMiiess on hand is tho election of Churwardens and Vestrymen for the ensuing year, and tho reeiMvin.* of tho statement of list v cur's proceedings. On Chii^tui.is Diy, the annual races got up* by the employees 0:1 Mesirs H >1 nes and Campbell's stition, Totara, took place in the piesence of a large number of spectators. The money to be ran for wms of ve % y moderate anvmut, but the various " eventV were weilcoutfsted. and a good deal of interest and spirit was minifotcd throughout. On B >xing'Day, the weather was less auspicious, and the- sports announce 1 by '• mino host" of the Northern Hotel did not^o ofF so well as wmld otherwise have bejn tho case. Theie was tho u<>ual complement of racing, leaping &c- The anuspments y;ot up bv Ml I'ayne, of the Star and Garter Hotel, on New Year's Day, were more successful. On that occasion the weather was delightful, and a large number of inhabitants turned out t) witness the games. The centre attraction of the day was a tilting tourn°y, in which seventeen knights contended for the palm. The sport was a novelty for O.imaiu, and there was consequently uuu«nil interest tiken in it. The first prize wns can ied off by a Ilampdeu competitor, named McKay. Our Ciicket Club has suffered a severe defeat at the hands of their Dunedin brethren. The m itch was played on the givmtul of the lattnr on the 27th and 28th of last month. We sent some of our best ban Is ibr the frav, hut, with very careful play on th ur part, the Dunedin tevm were victorious in one innings and with ?-3 runs to spare. Tho score of the enemy, however, is regmled as qui e exceptional. The Oimaru Club scored 47 and 83 in the respective innings: and Dunedin 163. We learn that in consequence of this apparently easv defeat of our ci icketeiSj the Dunedin High School Eleven are about to forward them a challenge. The racing season in New Zealand is about commencing. On the l^th, 17th. an I 18th of this month the Canterbury Meeting takes pine?, at which the highest stake to be eonten led for is the- ''Champion" of 10D3 sovereigns. A large field of •' crack" hoises is expected. The NeFson races come off on the 21st and 22nd instant; after which tho Timaru Mjtting takes plao n on the 8th and 9th of next month. The Oa*n iru R ices follow, about the latter end of tho sa ne month, and the Dunedin Meeting in the early pait of March. The annual feast given to the Church of England Sunday School children took place on Tuesday, tlic*2ud in<t., at the farm of Jo'm Allan, Esq.. one of the Churchwardens. The Weather being very agreeable, with a refreshing breeze from the sea, a large numbor of children assembled — scholars and their friends numbe. ing neatly eighty* Mviy ladies and gentlemen were present, besides those engaged in conducting the school. At tho first assembling of the children, the Minister (Rev A. Gifford) addressed a few wonls to them, saying how raivh all their fuenJs wished them to enjoy themselves that afternoon — that they were brought together for enjoyment an I hr.ppy menv-tn iking — anl ho hoped the effects "of their Sund iy scho.il tuition would be exhibited in the kindly way they would mike themselves and each other hippy. An carre«t of good things to cvno was then distributed to all in the shape of buns and sweetmeats, after which they dispersed themselves over the firl 1, joining in a variety of suitable games. Later in tho afternoon, the children were all assembled on. the lawn, an.l substantially refreshed bv the kind provision of Mr Allan, after which a:i appropriate hymn was sung, and the Minister addressed them on th* 1 subject of the pii/es in books, which Mr Ashcro't, the Conductor of the Sunday School, was about to distribute them. This done, more games ensued ; an 1 in the calm of the evening a large and h m lsomc fire-balloon was sent up. The ascent was most successful. A parach ite was attached to the car of the b lloon. and descended from some considerable height — the balloon being carried upward and onward with a light wind, till it had passed nearly ovet the length of the t »wn, a distance iltogether of nearly three miles. The childien subsequent!/ jo ; ned their Minister and Teachers in a short p-aycr. nn:l then expressed their thank3 and hippiness by loud and hearty cheers to nil their friends. The adults — teachers and visitors — were also sumptuously entertained bv Mr Allan, under an awning on his lawn, and a long simmer afternoon wns most pleasantly spent by all. There have been sevc ral other reunions of a similar nature to that just mentioned, one of the pleasantest and mn*fc successful of which was enjoyed by a small excursionist party to the good ship Star of Tas nania on Saturday last. Save anl except a stiff nor- wester, a ill a somewhat rough sea, the weather and attendant circumstances were very favorable to tho occasion, Tho party was cardiallf wci'

corned on board by Captain Culbert, whose "kindness nnd liberality were much appreciated. The gallant Captain entertained the party nt dinner, nnd after ample justice had been dune to the good things set before them, his own health was proposed nnd drank with enthusiasm. Ere leaving the vessel, the sen had considerably calmed down, and those of the party more susceptible to sea-sickness than the others thus enjoyed a pleasanter trip shorewnrds than perhaps they anticipated. Three cheers were given for the Captain on getting away from the Star, and the reply was almost seen and heard the same instant thereafter, hy the hoisting of the ensign and the firing of the cannon. Three cheers were also given for chief n.ate, the " good ship" herself, and her hardy crew. On the hitter being given, the Crew from the poop replied ■with a burst such as only British tais can give. The Star of Tasmania will be one of the first vessels to sail for England direct this season with wool. She has now taken on board the major portion of her C;irgo, nnd shoul I be ruady to sail m about 10 days or a fortnight. Wo find we cannot conclude this letter without making one more reference to the business of the Provincial Council. One cf the measures passed lately has an important bearing on districts situated such as we me ; nnd is entitulled the "Oingo Municipal Corporations Ordinance Amendment Bill." Und''r the provisions of this Bill, the sum of L75OO is set apart for the u«e of Municipalities to be formed and proclaimed ; said municipalities to receive from L300 to L500 each the first year, and for the next two years the Government will pay L'2 for every Ll raised by rates in the municipality. Yor the subsequent three years the Government will give assistance on the pound for pound principle. A clause was introduced by the Provincial Secretary for the purpose of removing any doubt which might arise whether the town of O.imaru could come under the provisions of this Dill unless the Oamaiu Town Hoard Ordinance. 18G2, was repelled. It ran to the following rffoet : — •• That notwithstanding the * Oamaru Town Board Ordinance. 1862,' and anything therein contained to the contrary, it shall be lawful for the town of Oamaru to apply to be made a municipality under the provisions of this Ordinance, and to receive the benefits nnd advantages hereof. And the s.iid Ordinance shall, for the purpose of allowing fuch application to be umdc, and for all other purposes requisite to enable the inhabitants of the said town to obtain the benefit of this Ordinance, be, and the same is hereby, repealed." As we wri'e, news of the prorogation of Council hos just reached us. All the business had been got through, so that; the House 8honl 1 rise not later than th3 6th, as was n'jreed upin. On the 5th matters were ripe, and the Superintendent, in the midst of a lively but trifling discussion (for wnnt of something better to do), enteied the Council -Hall, and read the following speech : — Mr Speaker, and Gentlemen of the Provincial Council, — At tbo closo of a lengthened session, I Imvo to oongrnti^nto you on the results of your labors, and to (hank you for tho consideration you have given to the various matters brought under your notice. The resolutions "passed by you embrace subjects of considerable importance to tho Province, nnd will receive the most careful attention during the recess. I have to thank you for tho liberal supplies you hfive voted for the public service, whHi will be administered with a due regard to the wishes of tho Council. The following Bills which you have parsed I now assent to on behalf of the Governor, namely : — Superintendent's Indemnity Ordinance, No. 2, 1865. Medical Practitioner's Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1865. Roads Diversion Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1805. Bridge Ordinance, 1861, Amendment Ordinance, 1865. Town and Country Police Ordinance Extension Ordinance, 1805 An Ordinance to repeal an Ordinance to reserve from Sale certain Waste Lands of the Crown and to set the same aside as a place for Acclimatisation, &c. Otago Roads Ordinance, 1865, Extension and Amendment Ordinance, 1865. Licensing Ordinance, 1865. Fencing Ordinance, 1856, Amendment Ordinance, 1865. Birds Protection Ordinance, 1865. Turnpikes Ordinance Amendment Ordinance, 1865. .Education Reserves Ordinance, 1865. Sheep Ordinance, 1856, Amendment Ordinance, 1865. Education Ordinance, 1864, Amendment Ordinance, 1865. Ota«to Provincial Representation Ordinance, 1864, Amendment Ordinance, 1866. An Ordinance to amend the Othgo Municipal Corporations Ordinance, 1865. Appropriation Ordinance, WSS' 6. The following Bills which you have passed, I now reserve for the signification of tho Governor's pleasure thereon : — Oamaru Reserves Bill, 1865. Oamaru Town Reserves Management Bill, 1865. Oamaru Mechanics' Institute Reserve Management Bill, 1865. Frankton Mill Reserves Bill, 1865. Roads Diversion Bill, No. 2, 1865. Interprftration Bill, 1865. Education Reserves Management and Leasing Bill, 1865. Otago Dck Trust Bill, 1865. Southern Trunk Railway Guaranteed Interest Bill, 1865. Punedin Reserves Management Bill, 1865. Rood Districts Loan Bill, 1865. I havo now the pleasure to relieve you from your legislative duties, and declare this Council prorogued until Thursday, the 13th day of September, 1866.