THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 288, 21 November 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21.

We have purposely abstained, from taking any part in the discussion that has, been going on concerning, the. late case .of alleged Asiatic cholera, for the very reason that the controversy was one which led to no issue, and pointed to no good. It was a question not of fact, but of the schools, and one, moreover, which-time or science, or anything else was inadequate to decide. Drs A. and B. (we prefer not using names), attend a case which has all the symptoms of Asiatic ! cholera, and they conclude it belongs to that type of disease. But the ' case, as far as they . knew, was an isolated one, and therefore they defined it as Sporadic in contra-dis-tinction to Epidemic. For the benefit of the uninu'ated, we may explain that the first is applied to diseases which occur in single or scattered cases, whilst the second ■ denotes diseases that attack a gr^at many .'pers-ms at the same time. But Drs t C. and D. deny that Asiatic cholera is a Sporadic disease, therefore they deny the diagnosis of Dr.s. A.x and B. Dr. E. now steps in,; and says ii is impossible to distinguish between severe cases of English and the true type of the Asiatic cholera—and here the controvers}' rests, each medical man by the way affirming that -.the authority of the schools bears out his liclum.. But whilst the disciples of Esculapius have arrived at this inconclusive result, time has v done one thing, it has proved that the disease, whatever its nature, in this instance occurred in a sporadic form, so that whether it be. of the rue Asiatic type or only a malignant class of English cholera, there is reason to hope that it has not made its appearance in the shape oi' •in epidemic. It is better that persons should believe it a sporadic case of English than of Vsiatic cholera, because, whilst, as we. have •aid their symptoms are similar, the latter carries with it the dread character that it Lnquestionably generally appears in the form of an epidemic. Without resorting then to causistry, we think we are safe in 'assuming that, seeing that Asiatic Cholera rarely occurs in a sporadic form, the case under discussion was in all probabiiit}' one of English Cholera .

Whilst we, therefore, feel justified in allaying the fears that the very name of the fell iisease suggested, we should yet be sorry if we were the means of re-establishing the feeling of thoughtless security in . which? Respite every warning *to the contraty, the people of Dunedin persist in reposing. When the grave closed over the head of the young and much lamented Mr. Kettle, we solemnly warned our readers that he nad fallen a victim to a disease born of the, pestiferous influences permitted, nay encouraged to accumulate in the midst of the .crowded city. We then pointed out, that if the termination of a useful and honored lifv; served to bring to a sense of its danger a reckless community, the dead was less to be pitied than envied. Who would not sacrifice his own to save the lives of thousands f Although patriotism and chiva ry have given way before the hard and coid materialism of modern times, we cannot yet believe that the spirit of a Quintus Curtius is entirely crushed out. But it would be sad indeed that the hero should take his fatal plunge, and that the sacrifice of the noble life should fail to efftct the redemption it sought. Yet the warning that Mr Kettle's fate might have read, was forgotten before the grass had grown round his grave; The same miasnvitic and pestilential evils were permitted to continue, and now another useful life is sacrificed. •' •

Biblical history tells us of a proud city—Nineve h —thatreceivedmany warnings before a final judgment was visited on it. Do the citizens of Dunedin ask for more warnings ? Do they wish, death to still further thin their ranks before they wake to the consciousness that the preservation of human life is the first of hulnan duties ? We have told them again and again that they breathe poison, and that they drink it, and the warning has been corroborated time after time by skilled opinion. But they listen not, or rather in the absorbing pursuit of money-making, they seem utterly indifferent to the danger they rim. However the disciples of the schools differ in their diagnosis of the late ca^e, in this they all agree, that influences are at work in Danedin, sufficient to engender disease of the m»st deadly and malignant nature; and not only in the city, but disease may any day be brought from abroad, since the Council, in its wretched parsimony, refuses to sanction the expense of a health officer at the Heads. The so-called health officer lives iv

Dunedin, and when h$ visits an infected ship he returns to the city, so that he might more properly be termed an officer for spreading infection: Haiti "]\lr. Erlam's care been bneof Asiatic cholera, v.;e might have looked to late arrivals from. Mauritius direct, or from that place via Melbourne, for an explanation. Or if: we. are to assume,"what every probability points to, that it was a case of English cholera, we have the reflection left that the same ; causes that produced it are still left to fester in the midst ot the people; who fail to remember that health is the greatest blessing a beneficent God can vouchsafe.

The air of Dunedin is poisoned by the exhalation of the foul irapu rities permitted to accumulate in and around it. True, there is an Inspector of Nuisances, but his. office is merely nominal. lie cannot proceed against a person' without giving him seven days' notice, and then, if the culprit fail to avail himself of the warning, the magistrate invariably adjeurns the case for several days to enable .him to.-avoid inflicting a miserable fine. And this process continues; as. soon as the nuisance is stopped it can again be recommenced with a similar impunity. But even if more severity were exercised in cases of wilful neglect, all the care in the world would not do away with the im purities, in the absence of underground drainage. By an Ordinance lately passed, the Government were authorised, nay instructed, to prepare plans for the drainage of the city, but with a parsimony as detestable as it is ill-jude;ed, they have neglected to act on the Ordinance, and are bringing in an amended one, to transfer the duty to the Town Board. Meanwhile, several months' delay must ensue, the city is likely to be crowded with the presence of I many thousand additional arrivals, aud the I worst results are to be apprehended.

The water in use in the city is of a deadly poisonous nature. The rain water washes off'the roofs all the impurities that the wind blows on to them ; and their extent is scarcely to be estimated in a city in which are being carried on immense earth cutting and excavation wo^ks. The water obtained from underground filters through a mass of impurities that inevitably contaminate it, and it» nature is as dearly poisonous as that of the Thames water of London. If the Council would give a guarantee, the money could be raised without difficulty to supply the city ' with water,. Years ago, before Dunedin was a quarter its present size, or contained a tithe of its present inhabitant, Mr Thompson, the Chief Survej-or poiuted oufc the necessity of supplying it with pure water. Even if economical considerations should be allowed an influence in matters; of life and death; there can be no dcubt that pecuniarily a water supply company would be profitableSuch undertakings are invariably successful. In Melbourne a special. trust was created, and at an enormous cost the city was supplied with water. But events have shown that the prodigal expense was well repaid by the results. The savings from the extinguishments of fires have bpen immense. The streets are kept freed from dust; and every house enjoys : that greatest health promoter, an abundant supply of waterMachinery is even turned by its means, and, in fact, there is water sufficient for any use to which it can be put. They pay for it by an assessed rate, and few taxes are paid more willingly. If the authorities would preserve' Dunediu from its present pestilence inviting condition, we earnestly implore them to take some measures to provide for the sanitary requirements we have alluded to. Last night the " Colleen Bawu" was again produced at the Theatre Royal to a pretty fair i audience, who did not fail audibly to express their appreciation of Bourcicauit's best production. It wfisa pity that some of the finest passages were all but spoiled by the very noisy approval of a person who had been indulging rather deeply, but i fortunately a guardian of the peace took charge of him before the cave scene was presented, so that it got the full admiration it deserves. There being no change in the programme, comment on the performance is not required. The burlesque of " Massaniello'' concludctl^the evening's entertainments. A meeting of the owners and occupiers of land ! and householders' within the Duncdin district, is to be held this evening in Dr. Burns'*- Church for the purpose, of electing a school committee for the Dunedin Educational District. A statement of the causes which have led to the combination Ox iSTorth and South Dun edin, will be given to the meeting. A public meeting of the inhabitants of Tokomairiro is announced to be held at the White Horee Hotel, on Monday, at 5 p.m., for the purpose of considering the propriety, of presenting a memorial to his Honor thtt Superintendent in favor of having the town at the Post Office declared a township. "We have received the first number of a small publication, entitled the "Evening News." It is exceedingly creditably got up in respect to printing. It is intended to be published ovcry evening, and distributed gratuitously. Besides advertisements it is to contain the latest local intelligence, including commercial and shipping news, and extract matter. The printers are Messrs Pinkerton and Mills, and the publishers Messrs Howard and KendiJ. " A . ft^»n'«l i* A -. A «.-u« ~« n J. . „ •■will 1_«. 1 —1 1

.A• special licensing meeting will be held at Tokonian-iro, on Tuesday, 2nd December, lor the purpose of receiving applications for the transfer oi' publicans' licenses.

The mutch for £100 a-sirle, between Mr Dickson's Tommy and Mr Jackson's Billy, came off yesterday, on the Ocean Beach as announced* resulting in an easy victory for Tommy.

We take the following from the Paris correspondent of the London Times of 28th August:—" The Patrie comments on '•Garnaldi's arrival in the Kingdom of Naples by means of a vessel ' reported to be under the British flag," ,iud adds t\at it is a fact well known toeverybody that English mon<;y has- served lor the first expenses of his expedition, th?b a loan has been opened for him in Englaud, and t-l4t English p-ip-.rs and bankers arc assisting the'enterprise; To this one can only repiy tliat there a c "foolish persons in all countries, aud that such are proverbially apt to part with t^eir money: One day, ttie Palrie adds, it will be said that, if France generously gave her blood and her treasure to constitute Italy, it was in England :hat the most fital auxiliaries of Italiin unity found ships and money. It certainly is difficult to understand that there'are to be found in England persons of respectable position, of ample mean?, and, we may presume, of fair average education, so be;iisr hted as not to see the evil they are doing to the cause thoy would promote by aiding the impracticable projects of that well-meaning but misled enthusiast. Gariha'di at Rome means Garibaldi triumphant over the armies of Italy, France, and Austria,"

A morning concert, the laßt but one, is~"an* npuncecVto.toke place this day at the Princess ;Theatre,<at'hal£past too. The really high character of these entertcin meats warrants the hope that there will be a good attendance, notwithstanding the shortness of the notice. It is announced'that a large five-horse couch wiil positively leave Cobb's c ffiee, at .six o'clock to-morrow morning for the Dunstan, to accomplish the journey through in three days. • We observe that on Monday applications will be received for stands at a temporary fish market at the head of Rattray-street Jetty. The old stalls will have to be removed by Wednesday morning. An official notice on this subject will be found elsewhere. The late intelligence from the Dunstan gold field, had the effect of starting a large number of men up the country yesterday. At daylight, bands of diggers, with the inevitable " swjfg" and appliances, were seen wending their way towards the West Taieri road, and we are informed that probably about 500 men left Dunedin during yesterday for the new rush, about which such glowing accounts have been received. An alarm of fire was given soon after eleven o'clock last night, flames being seen at the back of Muir's Hotel. Captain Ifccs and Mr Mumford, of the Volunteer Fire Brigade, who were in Stafford-street, ■ ran to the spot, and found a . barrel and the side of a water closet burning • but they were able, with assistance, very speedily to stop anything like a chauce of danger. This alarm arose from a cause which ought never to have existed; for assuredly in a town like Dunedin, such a possible source of conflagration should have been carefully avoided. The closet we understand, belongs to Mr Curie, tin-plate' worker, &c, of Princes-street. It adjoins other .wooden buildings, and so was part (however insignificant) of a large pile containing most valuable property. Yet in a ban-el placed against the closet's side, Mr Curie's men have been in the habit of throwing hot ashes, waste cuttings ot tin, &c. It was said last night that this had not been dove for two. or. three weeks—a statement quite inconsistent with the fact of the fire commencing in the barrel, and extending to the closet. The interior of the barrel was deeply charred, showing that the fire must have been smouldering for two or three hours ; and if it had remained so until after midnight, and then burst into flaino, the consequences- would assuredly have been very disastrous, as the passers iv the streets would have ' been few. and the chance of immediate discovery, very slight. The Srpreme Court had a short sitting yesterday, rising at three o'clock, on account of there not being a complete jury in attendance. The only cause disposed of was Finch v. M..-iklejohn, the plaintiff being a merchant, and th« defendant captain of the ship Ni-lson. The claim was for £24, the value of whisky spoiled by parafilne oil, .which it was alleged penetrated through the casks, as a consequence of bad stowage. After the evidence in chief of the first witness for the defence, the Judge virtually stopped the case, and directed-a verdict for the defendants. But the jury retimed for a quarter of an hour, before find ing a verdict to that effect. The first case for this morning, (Borthwick v. Hay) is one of false imprisonment ; and the two next in order are Baird and Another v. Fuller, and Hertslet v. Joseph, Swallow and Another ». Norton and Murray v. Miller have been withdrawn from, the list ; Smith v. Clark has been postponed, to the next sitting ; and there will be a postponement, if not a withdrawal of Gow v. Caspar, the plaintiff on the record haying died. We have already stated that for Mr. Cl.irance Holt's first benefit in Dunedin, to take place this evening, at the Theatre Royal, a new five-act drama, called "The Battle of the Heart, or ;he Pirate Merchant," is to be played for the first time in this country ; and that it was written for'Mr and Mrs Clarance Holt, by the late John Wilkins, author of " Civilisation," » The Egyptian," and other successful pieces. The plot, with an outline of which we have been favored, is complicated—that is to say, there is an abundance of incidents and entangled interests ; but it promises to " play out" very effectively, and with clearness. The period of the action is that of the Restoration ; the scene is mainly in Liverpool. John Graye, the head of a mercantile firm in that town, is the hero, A 6 the pirate Grayestone, he has plundered and destroyed the ship of Raymond Watt, who in the conflict tore off the mask worn by the pirate chief, and also possessed himself of an amulet which he wore. A ruined man, Raymond, seeks employment in the ofHce of Graye, Centage, and Co., but is refused, because of a question which he puts to Grave, whom he sees to be strangely like Gravestone, the pirate. Grayo has in his house a young girl, whom he calls his ward ; and he has also there a son, who, under the name of Colonel Chatterley, has been falsely accused and condemned to deatJi in London, in revenge for his political creed and acts. Florence, the supposed ward, is loved by Raymond ; and Abel, the Bon, loves a rich young widow, Grace, whose person and property have been left ui:der the care of Paul Parable, wbo not only loves the lady after a fashion, but has misused some of her cash. A series of well-managed aud striking incidents leads up |tp Parable getting Abel arrested and eomUnn,cd' to death for his doings as Colonel Chhtterlcy ; . and to llorcnce, goaded by the knowledge that Graye, as the pirate, was the miner of her iover, denouncing him to the crowd who are assembled to see Abel executed, Then Gra\e declares to Florence that she is his daughter ; and she, horrified at her act, contrives to turn aside the suspicion of the mob whom she had called into the house. Graye consents to the union of Florence and Raymond, a:id is about to destroy himself, when Purabie, who has discovered ihc Secret, presents himst-lf. Recriminations follow ; Graye hears the crowd shout, and believing that it is because Abtl has been executed, he stabs and kills Parable. But the ; sbxut; meanti only tlmfc Abels-pardon had been obtained, by a blase French Count, who was one of the suitors for Grace's hand. Abel rushes into Ins father's arms ; but at the same instant soldiers sent for by Parable enter to arrest the pirate, for whom the conflict of emotions is too great, and he falls lift-less before he can be made a prisoner. Such is a rery brief outline of some of the leading incidents in <;The Battle of the Heart; " and we can only express the hope that its first representation here will be witnessed and judged by as many patrons of the drama as can ■ find places within the walls of the Royal. The " Southland News" of sth November, says—" We have much satisfaction in stating i hat we have received from Mr Rces, of Lake Wbakatipu, a list; of ail the subscriptions to the testimonial to ' Maori Jack, 1 for his noble <on£ •Juct in saving one life, and endeavoring to save two lives, on that Lake on the 9th August, 1862 Uhc total amount is £70 15s, the greater portion of which was subscribed in this Province. We shall publish the list next issue for the iulormation of subscribers. The dray and bullocks have been purchased, and we hear that Maori Jack will shortly come down to luvercaigiil for tue dray, and tneu commence as carter ujion his ova account."

Wo were g;ad to find a qapital house at ths Princess Theatre last. ev«uiuir,- on the occasion of the benefit of Mr R. W. X hler. Uoureicanlt's comedy of "London Assurance" is somewhat " stigy" in its characterisation, but the dialogue is gcneraliy good and often sprightly j and one cau hardly ay- id sympathy with the sii^hfciy que-tionable stratagems by wide the worn-out ban, Sir Harcourt Couiily, is toiled ami exposed. Mr Tom Fawcett no doubt had a good conception of the buckram-backed a»;ed dandy, to "whom dressing is only secondary in iinportanes to the catching of a flattery ; but we think he would have been more effective, and certainly more natural, bad lie been less jerky and disjointed m hia utterance. Mr Downey did well as the fox-hunting squire, Max; and Mr Hall as the crkiina'

oututity. Spanker, worked himself truthfully enough into a;i entity under the influence of wine and jealousy. Dazzle, the roan of nothing, except unbounded self-confidence and co 1 audacity—the type of "London Assurance" in fact—was played to the life by Mr George Fawct-tt, and Mr George Duiin, a« the legal Paul Pry, Mr Meddle, kept every one on tr.e su-go bustling, and all in the house decidedly amused, by his mercurial movements and droll earuestn^s in. the pursuit of materials for "a case." Madame Duvet, who ployed Lady Gay Spanker, made her ih-.-t appearance at the Princess's, and was warmly apn'.atuj e-i on her entrance. She acted with dash, and pi-iufvi cy. Grace, the heroine of the comedy, hud fur representative Miss Emily Wiseman, who showed, more markedly thin ever, the power she pos><e*ses of becjiniu^ a leading nctiess in the best style of lecrftimate cotno-ly. There were hitches at times ; but on the whole tin piece went w«JI ami successfully for a first niidit. Tiiu eatr'-acte ruu-iie was specially selected to juve Mr Kohler thft opportunity for solo perfin-mauc3B on the cornet and flageolet. By his great skill and taste, the music became a decided treat ; and the duet by the Messrs Kohler, on cornets was rapturoriNiy applauded. So:iga, by Madame Caraudini and Mr Small (both encored), anrl the farce of '•Sketches in India," with Mi™ Neville as Sally Scra^gs, cjmyle'ed in-: programme of this very enjoy.-ible evening's performances.

The " Southland News" commenting txpon the Exploring Expedition to the West Coast _ observes— "The results of this ■ Expedition, whea published, will, it is hoped, clear up many of the wonderful stones related by sealers and whalers for the last twenty years. The -eoust is, to say the least of it, unique, and has long been an object of curiosity to both rnavitiine and land explorers. It is 4 alßo an object of something more than curiosity to our Province—of as great interest to Southland, as to Otago. Whether our boundaries will be ever extended, n,3 they ought to be, to the West Coast, we will not pretend to prophesy. But this, we will venture to predict: that if the results of tlie Expedition are what may be anticipated—if they show that there is easy acce'-s from the harbours to the interior, and that thr. available land in the interior will support a mix'd agricultural, pasiorail, and mining population— then, if we do not obtain our fair share of the new country opened :'«p, as beiog positively included within our borders, we may bo sure that at least the principal slrire of the trade thus daYolnpcti will full to our lot, if we are but properly alive to our inteverts. Another probability ; also, looms in the future (if this Expedition ; and that Is, the creation of another Province in the South of uti'j Middle;lsland— The Province of Westlund. 1'