SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 284, 17 November 1862, Page 6

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC.

Since our last summary the influx of population from Australia lias abated, and just lately the arrivals have been decidedly few, still, as the number of the arrivals continues to exceed that of the departures the town continues full, while the mining population is steadily on the increase. The state of affairs in Dunedin, and in the Province generally, is on the whole satisfactory, the miners as a whole being prosperous, and "other classes sharing in the fruits of their good fortune, Owing to the high price oT provisions on the new diggings, and the expense of reaching them, it has been almost iiHclei-a for men without money to start to seek their fortune there. Nevertheless great numbers of miners have came over from Victoria, landing with hardly any means, and those men staying about tiie town have caused a sort of glut in the lu;;or market for a while. This has been relieve;! to a great extent by the commencement of the Government work of the cutting away o? Bell Hill. At these works all ablebodied men can be employed, at the daily wage of 53., which, although below the current, rate for labor, is sufficient for nvuntainancc, and has doubtless been the means of enabling many an honest ftllow to rub along for a few days, until he could find more profitable employment. One of the principal topics of interest lately lias been the proposal for the establishment of a steam mail service, between New Zealand and Great Britain, via X'anaraa. The idea of such a service, had long been entertained, but it was only lately that it assumed a definite shape. A merchant in Dunedin received a letter from a house in Lima, stating that for a subsidy of L 50,000 a-year, a responsible firm would be willing to undertake the contract for maii service between Otago and Panama, calling at the Gambier Islands. The letter also stated that if the depot were to be at Wellington instead of Otago, an increased subsidy would be required for the- service. This letter w.is submitted to the Chamber of Commerce, and the subject discussed at considerable length, the general opinion of the membeis being favorable to the scheme. Since then the subject has been extensively canvassed throughout New Zeahm.l, and, as might be expected, other Provinces have been disposed to bid for the advantages to be derived from being made the depot of an important line of ocean mail service. In Auckland and Wellington the idea has been received with great favor, and each has advanced ail the arguments at its disposal to net off its peculiar claim}. The General AsBcmbly, at its lust session, voted a sum of Lw,ooo for the establishment of such a service, and it is looked upon that with this amount, together with what Otago alone may be able to supply, and with the contributions that may be confidently calculated upon from the Australian colonies, there will bo no difficulty in making up even a larger iubsidy than tint indicated. Various proposals have been made as to the arrangements that should be made-,for the subsidy, and many people in this province incline to the opinion that Otago should itself enter into the contract, pay the whole subsidy, and depend upon ulterior arrangements for hsing reimbursed a fair proportion of the expense by the other provinces of Now Zealand and by the Australian colonies, —all of which would, to a greater or less extent, avail themselves of the lino if it were once started. It hag been satisfactorily shown that Otago would be »U tliing3 considered the mo3t convenient port of arrival nnd depasture, and as under any circumstances Otago will for certain have to pay the heaviest share of the subsidy, it is naturally" contended that it should be allowed the lion's share of the advantage. A negotiation on the subject has been commenced between the Provincial Government and the Postmaster-General.

The following is an abstract of the proposals :— The Provincial Government at first agreed to submit a Bill to the Council, to provide nut more than L 55.000, mi conrt tiou that the L3!),000 voted by the General Government be paid over as part thereof; I'jrfc Chalmers to be the tf'rmir.us, and the Otairo Government to .appropriate any contributions fv6~;n the Australian Colonies for carrying their nviils. The arbitraments (oxcept as regards repaymen from the Australian Colonies), to bo left to the General Government ; but steps to be taken meanwhile to ascertain the probable contributions of the Australian Colouiu-i.

A c :py of this minute of the Executive was handed to Mr Crosbie Ward (Postmaster-General), who replied on the 9th October. There appeared danger (hu said) of conflict, because the General Government had already determine 1 on a monthly mail-sevvice via Panama ; and the only reison for the Genera! Government standing aside, was tho probability of a remarkably reasonable offer being niade to Ofcago, for its special* benefit. If good reason was shown for believing that such offer would be bond fide made, Mr Ward would bo willing to undertake that the Oencal Government should wait a reasonable time • but if not made within such time, or if the oiler couid not be prudently ac.-cpted, the General Government muxt be allowed to procw< jd with its'own negotiations. If the Otago Government oniy desired an available opportunity of making a good arrangement for the Province, Mr \Vavd desired that a limit of time might he fixed for closing he matter, as otherwise the whole colony would suffer from uncertainty, and would run the risk of failure for an indefinite time. Upon con-nder.itum of Mr Ward's minute, the Executive resolved that Ota ?o desired the co-opera-tion of the General Government, and not to keep it out of any arrangements made. The following base* were therefore suggested : —l. Otago to pay not more than L 25.000; Port Chalmers to he the terminus ; and Otrw;.) to have the benefit of any payments from Australian colonies.— 2 On thpso conditions, the General Government to take up and cone'u'lfi the arrangements • ow under consideration by the Otago Government.—3. If the General Government decline present compi.'ince with these proposals, two m.mtb.3 as a3ked to be allowed foi* submitting the matter to the Provincial Council, and, if the Council approves, a further period'of 12 months to enable the Provincial Government to carry out the arrangements.—4. That the L30,U00 be paid over for this service, it the Otago Government can canclucle the necessary arran^ementt. °

.Nu formal answer to these proposals has yet been received from the Postmaster-General.

Another matter of considerable public importance has been a proposal for the introduction of alpaca from Pern. A mercantile firm lias obtained from the Peruvian Government a " concession " for the exportation of a certain number of those valuable auimals, the export of which from Peru has heretofore been most jealously guarded against by the Government of that couctry. Victoria is ready and willing to take the entire number but an offer has been made to allow one vessel to come to Otago, provided that a guarantee be given that one hundred of the Alpacas will"*be taken afc the same rate as Victoria is to pay. The importance of tivking advatage of the opportunity thus offered, for securing to New Zealand this Tamable animal, has been earnestly insisted on by the press; and endeavors have been made to induce stock-owners to take a few each, but only one or two have responded to the appeal. The Government is not disposed to enter upon the speculation, and it has theretore been proposed to organize! a company, for the purpose of purchasing and breeding from the flock that can now be secured ; and thus forming the nucleus of what there is every reason to believe, may one day, be an important staple production. A matter of considerable importance to the •Hipping interest, and indeed to tho whole cornIt wity, has been the discovery of a new channel •'.* entrance, to Otago Harbor. A short time back it was obsorvod that a sandy knoll was lorming in the channel, and fenra were entertained that the obstruction would be a serious detriment to the Port. Happily, however, a new channel has been found, which'is better than the old one, its ininimiun dupth oi water being at low tide 18 feet. A full description of the channel was published in-our is3iic of Oct. 29.

Tho Claud Hamilton, the Inter-colonial. Company's n°w stetimcr, arrived in Dunedhi on the Slat October. ■ he is a line vessel, and is likely to be a favorite with the travelling public. A fatal boat accident occurred on the24f,h ult, at Wuikouiiti, a seaman naniud Shepherd, belonging to the ketch Challenge, losing his life by the capsizing of a boat in the surf. The first meeting of the General Marine Board of Now Zealand was to be held at Wellington, on or about the 11th inst. A new code of Harbor K'iguliitions for the Port of'Otago has just been isauwl. It appeared \a full in our issue of November 7. •

The sales of rural lan 4ln Ofcago during Sep-

An event which caused considerable excitement lately, was the total wreck of the schooner famar, at Otago Heads, which occurred on the Ut!i. All the passengers and crew were' saved, but with the loss of all their property. A subscription wu3 got up for them, and considerably over a hundred pounds collected in a few hours. * The Lancashire liulicf Fund subscription has reached over L 650, of which the greater portion has already been remitted to "England. Ti;e bariee is to be sent by this m:iil. A fancy bancy bazaar is shortly to be held for the building fund of thc> O>ur.:»i of England

Some spurious notes, well executed, and cal- ! and Herman and. Co., stand, is the same-that was culated to deceive the unwary, have been detected \ formerly, occupied by Messrs. Young and in circulation. They bear the issue of the "Com- M'Glnshan, and which, in January last, was sold mercial Betting Company, Sydney," but the name for We have also to notice the erection is smeared out very skilfully. , i of an imposing pile of buildings by Mr Brown, The greater part of the pipes for the Dunedin with a double frontage to Princes street and Gas Company having arrived, the work of living Stafford-street; a substantial stone building in them has been commenced, and it is anticipated i>l'inces-street for Mr Shand ; and a large and the city will in a few mouths be illuminated with handsome hotel, in wood, for Mr O'Driscoll, ;it gas. ' the corner of Princes-street and Walker-street.