THE SOUTHERN MONTILLY MAGAZINE.

New Zealand Herald, Issue 71, 4 February 1864, Page 4

THE SOUTHERN MONTILLY MAGAZINE.

Tnr February number (if this Serial is lu-f".>re ms. '1 he talc of ,-Kirle st ill, ivc perceive. occupies ;i considerable space in its pages. There is an interesting article 011 gold" discoveries in .New Zealaml. " Few persons" say-j tin* "writer. " in speaking ol' New Zealand, possess ii lull knowledge ol' their ex - tent ;in(l importance. 111 > 1 Mill less el the histoiv el .fold discoveries 111 this colony. it is net tun much to say thiit. New Zealand is limn- esti iisivi-lv aurhe:--parison to its nva. I roni om.in.hi down in the month ol' Ihe Molyni'iix river, or lor a ilislance of a thousand mile-, gold is lound in greater or less ([uantily, at various poinls. Th" pioi/i ess ol'discovery lias Ijeen (In- greater in Ihe Middle Island, l,ul theie is every reason to helieve tliat when thealluvial plains and llats ol' the Thanii s and Waikato Uivevs ale thrown open to the researches of the L|o!d-lii.!ds, rivalling those of Citato, will lie discovered." To tlie general render as we'll as to those personally interested in gold mining, this paper will be read with interest. In this magazine there have appeared from time to time some very excellent metrical translations from the Odes of -Horace. The present number contains one of these—a verv i/real improvement 011 the system of inserting local " poetry" of an extremely donldfiii nature. The Lesson of the .Barricades is continued in the present number, and is followed by a somewhat dreamy paper 011 Lazy .Literature,' but (he most amusing portion of the volume, is the (ale of the "Knight and the Costermonger's Xiece," a satirical burlesque on tales of theyEglechiss. which is well sustained and will no doubt be a general favorite, The article on •' Colonial Amusements" is a sensible well written paper, and one which we cordially recommend to the attention ol' our readers. If the whole of the present number were-taken up with a continuation even of the tale ofvEgle this one article would redeem it. Mkcitanios' Ixstiti'tk.—The annual meeting of the members of the Mechanics' Institute will take place to-morrow evening, in the JJeadingroom. at. half-past seven o'clock. The A\aikato Uoal inm. —-The workingof this mine is proceeding satisfactorily. The men taken down by Mr. .Howe for the government are Engaged in road making, two onlv beuiLT required to get out the coal, so abundant is il, and so easily arrived at. A tramway, from where the seams are being worked, to the river is being laid down; the distance is about 100 vanish Yk'e understand that the qualily of the coal is very much superior to that obtained at Drury, a ton of the Waikato eoal being equal to a ton mid a-half of the olher.

VoLUM'KKus. csterday morning, about thirty-five men of the Auckland Jiiiio Volunteers mustered in the Albert Barracks, and were marched out under the command oi' Captain Howell. This morning, the remainder ol' the force now in town will be despatched after them. ColoHt:i. Bahstow, with a detachment of Artillery under his command, leaves Auckland for the head quarters of General Cameron this day, taking three six-pounder Armstrong guns along with him. These guns are extremely light (weighing about two ewt.),are short, easily managed, accurate in aim, and long in range. They are expected to prove highly serviceable.

P-itovjxciAL CorsciL.—The first few hours of yesterday's sitting »rns consumed in tbe con-"idcrN-K'ii of t.h«i nm'jrt thy Ov f j<;v^

j Committer. The report embraced alterations in some of the rules, and suggested several new j ones. One new clause provided Unit on Tucsi dnvs and Fridays government business should take precedence on the notice paper; another rule was to the ell'cc! that when the Council | should be in committee on tlm estimates the i functions of the committee with regard to particular items should be restricted to grant, cx- ; ptinge, or decrease such items, the same only to | ! lie increased by address to the ttuperintonilenl J for the purpose. This latter provision gave rise i to considerable discusstoi:. but, the report was j j eventually adopted without amendment. Air. j 1 t'adma'.V iiien moved that. it. was desirable that : | the principle of ministerial responsibility io the ; ; Council for the conduct of public a Hairs should ; ! be established in the executive government of j | the province. This motion was discussed at ; I considerable length, and on a division of eleven j i A ves io nine N'oes, was carried, an amendment i by Air. AVynn—that il, was not desirable at that ; ; late hour of the night, in a thin house, aud :i< a : : late period of the session, to discuss ihe question j—having previously been negatived. AVe are: ; compelled txi hold Over the report of the Council ! till to-morrow. [ , : Oi'u LfiTi'iais I'lio.u rim Kito-vr,—On the I 'Jnd we published a letter from our corresponi dent at the front, dated the :10th : yesterday we only received those which appear in this mornj ing's issue, dated the '28th and :Ji!th. Our j readers v. ill perceive that these letters contain | | :iu interesting account of the movements of the j J (ieneral and his little army on iheir advance | I march. It will be seen that the (ieneral lias | taken the enemy in the rear much to the chagrin j of the gentlemen of AVaikato. who, having laid | their (raps of pallisades. rille-pits aud breast- j works, are naturally disappointed that (hey have < expended so much labour in vain. ! liAit.w.iv j'.'-vci.viti::;.—Application Ibr the j ollice of engineer to the Auckland and Drury 1 Railway Commission have been im ited by the ; Chairman of the .Hoard, Thomas Cheescuian. j