THE Otago Daily Times.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 303, 9 December 1862, Page 5

THE Otago Daily Times.

" Inoeriiam, viam aut fdciam."

DUNEDTN, TUESDAY, DKCfiMBER 9.

In the Prbvincial Council yesterday. . , Mr Reynolds, pufsudut to nodce made a motion "requesting the -Superintendent to represent to the General Government, the inconvenience and hardship to which j urois were subjected by their long atteudance on the Supreme Court, and recomuaendinfi that they should not be required to attend more" than three days. Mr KiL'iODTR seconded the motion, and Mr M'Masxeu moved ah .'amendment"to*'the effect that no juror should be,) required to attend dtiring a whole session. ■

Mr KErNOLDS adopted |the amendment, and the mo'ion was agreed to. ■ '. Message No. 9 on the Panama Mail Service, was brought up, iri which the Superintendent objected to the scheme, on the grounds that it was inexpedient to^ divert the large bum r quired, and that the) c was no evidence that t ie other colonies would contribute Also, because arrangements were being made for a-bi-monthly mail via Suez, and the Jiome Government Was ODposed'to the Panama .route, ~'i'he liability of the colony in rcipect to native affairs, and the early dissolution of-the House, were also adduced as reasons for the Council not dealing with so important and ex pensive a measure. The Provincial Solicitor laid the Panama Mail Service Subsidy; Ordinance, on the table, which was read a first time, and the ,second reading was fixed for Wednesday. The Superintendent's Message No. 9 was ordered to be j rioted, and to be considered in the secon-i reading oi the Panama Sepice Ordinance. The\Rei.oi*t of the ■ • pecial Committee on the Q-o----vernuiftut Printing was brought up; and Mr RexKOLns gave notice that he would move at tlie next Sitting, that the Report-be considered in Committee of the whole Ht.use. :

Mr Giilies brought up the Dog Nuisance Ordi nar.ce from the Special Committee. ; The PRoviNcti.L Seorbtaey moved the consideration of Message: No. 8, recommending; the grant of a site for tho Benevolent Asylum. : - - . - Mv Kilgocr,seconded the.motion. :

Mr Cargill wasof opinion that the site .proposed (part of the Cemetery Reserve) siiould not be hastily dealt with. : ' ". '-.

Mr Hepburn did riot think the site a suitable 0ne...,- ~'....' ■;-.■■ ' . . ■•■■ ■

The tuition was adopted. r .;, i t The Dunediu Improvement' Ordinance Amendment "Act, the Ota^o Harbor Imprbvem^nc Bill, the iixecut ye Council Bill, the liiceused/Camiges Bill, aad Sunday Observance Bill were read a third time and passed. :'''^'\~ ■■.'■' •■;'■ .'. ' ; ;;!y:

The House went into committee on the Town and Couutry i >olice Bill, and the Provincial Solioxtob, after turcher •consideration of &oiue of the clauses, would btiiko out the whole of clause 16; an,'l iv respect to clause 21, which impoaed a fiuc on persons being hpeused victualieri who should sell any intbxicating liquor to any boy or gul apparently Under f .m teen yeais, or to auy.xntox cated pmsou, h;e proposeu to fnt>ert the words '" or . ♦ , • *- The alterations were nude withoui discussion, the House lesumerl, progress whs reported, axid the tnir.. reading ot the Bill fixed for next sitting. '" ' ' THe- Provincial Solici ro» moved the second rea ling of the Destitute persons J3ilL - I MrfRfiYNOLDS secojided the motion., : ' .Mr CAEQitiL doubted ' the. competency of the - Council to pas- the Ordinance. - ; ~ ( f - The Provinoiau Solicitor affirmed the com petency of the (JsJuncil to deal with the piatter The niotiou was carried, and tiie several clauses agreed t^ in committee, aud thp Bill was ordered toba read a third time at the next sitting. t \ t ; ~; ' * ' On the motion of the Provikoiaii SBORBXARr, the name of the Speaker was substituted for that of -Vr Patersoniu the «o*is Coimnitteej consequent on the' ' indisposition of Mr Patewon. * :* - 1 *\ " . %: The Impounding1' Bill and- Cattle - Branding Bill .were read a second time. • \ iJ" > <. Itt Committee on' the Cattle Branding Bill, Mr; Cuttest regretted 'that more explanation had-not bJen given respecting Claused, aild could*not see howj. a Brandirig Bill was td k be woTkod,-'if the t-attle of evety owner were to' have a • distinctive- brand, H\>. wisf'fid to know'if the (jlvv^rnmeHV tttteuded to e$U6 liin all over the country^v^isttani of brauds, to'whom uotice of 'Uu^litj would-liiive to-ne-g»ven. "TW Provincial Solicitoksai I tae b.ll was simil«fir to the one m Oaater^ury, which worked wdl, aivt considered it unaorteat tkit iL-ttt of brauds bhouid^ be publifched. : ' ""' ': ' The Provincial SEOEBTARY^id-thatjbbe Pound keepers would probably be constituted the registrar* The clause was athrmed, and on.,Clatu>e 5 being discussed. <* , * i i i i , Mr Cakqim, thought that the Billjrould. defeat itself. <■ *♦ --;* • *x ' Mr Cut ten pointed the difficulty of t recog- 7 uisingthe d sUnctive-iraads'on jpattjief thatsbad passed through several differeufc owners, aad t cooMderea, the clausa be uaworkable* ,\< & ,— T -— <-"Z' {

Mr, CAitqtipth^hV^xe eufoiveul cruelty of brancTjini?Hjct withJr-oiis *'is i%v^l^ng-'oj*u*-1 fey. *<^Ui^lij^v*aejt& cS-goKHTARY thought- the^ohjec" i tlons 1 asset I weic ui3biuTdcl—a.id tlie"eiau3e'vi*a<"u.ICrT mately agreed to. -' ' . ~A:~stforig di-w-ussion took place on Glnnse 8, ana r Mr CraxEK mdved a$ an aui< n ment that the Ch-nr j innn lvjpoit pv< gres.s, and a>k leave to *io again, which > was candid. , * .. t Commenting the other day on Mr. Walker's duiiaudfor the production of the correspondence and accounts of the Home Agency we expressed the opinion that their publicity was desirable to satisfy a very general feeling that has got abroad, that there was something about the management, which was not as it should be. The correspondence published by Messrs. Dalgety, Rattray and Co., was alone sufficient to excite a very ugly feeling. It appeared by it, that the Agents were exercising a considerable amount of favoritism in regard to their selection of'ships. That they were wiLingly paying two pounds a head more for the carriage of emigrants than other shipowners were^witling to convey them for. That no contracts were publicly called for, and that the shipowners who are in the habit of sending emigrants out to Canterbury and Southland, on making an attempt to inquire into the apparent monopoly, were rudely snubbed by a series of evasive replies. We thought that at the least no refusal would be made to produce documents which are usually, in other places, laid on the table without a demand being made for them. But Air Dick, with his usual happy facility for sliding out of an inquiry, managed in the most audacious manner to throw the inquirer off the scent. He boldly assured that gentleman that the correspondence and accounts were to be found amongst the "archives" of the Council, and then to stifle, further queries, another member- of the Government smuggled the querist on to the Immigration Committee, .and asked the House to extend the power of enquiry accorded to j that body. Now committees are very wellunderstood to be the aj)proved method for' burking enquiries, and it was not without some misgivings that we proceeded to search for the documents which; Mr. Dick declared were to be found in the "archives" of the House. Thinking the Clerk ol the Council would know ; spmetMng about the v archives," we addressed our enquiries to him, and were furnished with written copies of -some.-four-months' correspondence at the end of last year and begining of this. On turning over tiiis correspondence, we were struck -with the omission of the two quarterly statements of accounts advised by the Home Argents in their letters, but omitted from the papers deposited in the "archives," although all the other enclosures of agreements, memorandums, and small invoices, were faithfully, included irv the collection. It was these very accoxints we were desirous to see, and yre caused enquiries to be made of the Sub-:Treamrer, as to whether, as stated by the Provincial Secretary, they were preserved in the ,' v archives" of the House. The reply was as we anticipated, the •net results only were set down in the< revenue "returns; the accounts themselves5 were1 ho published, although he believed at some future time it was intended to do so. ;

We see enough in the few months', correspondence to which we have had access to assure us that the House should insist on having all the accounts of the Home. Ag-ency imme.raeuiately, plac&i on the table. It is 1 evident enough that the financial affairs between the Agency and the Province'h*ve:been conducted with the most profligate disregard of economy, and that the credit of Otago has been materially compromised. The Home Agency it appears had so little confidence in the resources of the Province, that but for the generous conduct of the Union Bank, Otago would have been placed amon^si the list of interest—defaulting —debenture issuers. At the end of 1881 an amount of some £950 19?. Id. was due at the Union Bank, for payment of interest on debentures. The Bank applied to the agents, and these,gentlemen returned for ani swer that they had no funds at command. ! The Bank did what the agent 3, had they more confidence, in; the Province should have themselves undertaken. They found the money and drew on the Provincial Government for the advance, charging .a rate . of five per cent, exchange, which was two and a-half per cent, under the market rate. Afc about the same time, the Agents found themselves in the debt of the Province, and they resorted to the satns ex pedierit of drawing on the Provincial Government, the Union Bank negotiating their drafts at the same rate of exchange, , But although as we have said the charge for exchange was under the market rate, yet the transaction was none the less a monstrous loss to the Province. By remitting from Otago, the cos' would certainly not have exceeded, includinjr interest, two per cent., so that "the Province was a loser ta the extent of three per cent., and which the agents might have saved by allowing or negotiating an overd.-aft at their Bank lor the paltry amount of two or three thousand pounds. But we do not blame the agents* They evidently thought the Province a mauvuia suj<t, and resorted to an expedient to " raise the wind" which nothing but their ..want of faith in it could justify.They held a £500 debenture of the Provincial, Government; and about the beginning of October, 1861, they determined to try and" sell it. Writing on the 25th Octo--1 ber, they describe the course they pursued. " We instructed a sliarebroker here to effect a "sale of the £500 debenture still -on our •' hands, but he has been unable as yet to do -'•so. We advertised it lor sale, enquirers ' '" appeared but,none of them became a pur"chaser, We'do not,-expert to dispose "of it at' anything * beyond par." Two. t months afterwards their expectations were a little more than realised; they/ sold the security at five shillings per cent, preniiuml i " The -debenture bore ,interest at 10 per t cent.; and wa^ worth •at • the rate paid for 1 Australian securities* bearing , six-.per cent. interest, 7 at_ least, £Vjls 'or every hundred. - In other words, tbire- 5 ,was a loss of £24 15s. on every hundred or ' of £123 los.on the £500 debenture. ! Btjt the loss of money was> nothing, compared td the *!oss of ; creait.' Wnilst tht poor peopleuf Ofago.Wtfre expec^i'jg-'to hear of t.hip-loafls of people rushing to- the Province, whilst, they r vrere"fon4ly coanting on tMef high repute in wKlch it sfooi the credit of "that province was being dragged'through the mud'of the*advertising columns of *the> papers,' and the petty dealings of a-Bt»ckrbr^kerß'^office.^^^ry'' moraW/wit^tbeii 1 edified |be""quid folksM «. of;Mtt^u,rgb, ,an4^|»B S Qf

nher towns, would see staring them tn^the[ ace—"A five linndred pound debenture^.ofj^/e", Pf^xdnfci^i-GroceiriiineafejofDtagoJbrgates *4Kl?tys •. o the .agents." ..Perhaps the intimation was uldecTthat it" was a ~ decided bargain. —But it xas too. great a^bargain ;: enquirers flocked to ,he agents, but the""canny chiels";would not :omtujt t.heai-elves to irniutainiag the ere.'it of Lhe pTOvince. No; there was the debenture! they would sacrifice' it at"£s.per cent less thah its value; what more could buyers want? But bu}',ers .thought it cheap aDd nasty, and for two months it hung on hand like a valuable book at a second-hand, bookseller's stall? until some one, who recognised its value, gladly picked up the purchased thing, and knew that he had a bargain. Since then, the agents have .been supplied liberally Avith funds; in fact, an excess has been run into on the other side, for, -whilst they have a balance of some £10,000 in hand, the Pro vince has overdrawn £20,000 at the Bank for which it has to pay six per cent: interest. But the fact still remains that, when the Province was at its need the agents showed little confidence in it, and subjected it.to heavy losses of money, and heavier still, of credit. We do not blame the agents, their experience was probably what they acted upon, but at least we should hear no more about the debt of gratitude which their friends are so ■'■ continually;, talking about. The Council should investigate the accounts narrowly; without the slightest feelings of compunction, make such suggestions "as cirstar.ces seen to require. It is very evident that Messrs. Crawford and AukL are. not in a' position to conduct large financial operations on behalf of the Province, and the attention of the Council should be turned to some wealthy London firm Who would think nothing of protecting the credit of the Province, to the extent of a few thousands, and would dispose of its debentures without hawking them through the newspapers, and a stockbroker's office, at twenty-five per cent, less than their value. ■;■•"■ • Ik looking over our files of New Zealand and; other colonial journals, we see that in almost -every other place but Otago, the; inhabitants are either increasing their efforts on behalf of the Lancashire Relief Fund, or are sending home subscriptions, which throw the sum collected in Otago, far into the shade. We think our readers will. agree with, us that this is not very creditable to this Province, boasting as it does so much wealth arid -"vmate^ial prosperity. It was not to. be expected that Otago, should rival, in, her ~,liberality, the jmunificient contributions of Sydney 'or Melbourne ; but it was at least a fair presumption, that it would in this, as in other things, take :the most prominent: position in New Zealand. But/such is not the <ease. Otago the richest, tile most prosperous,- and the most thickly populated Province of the colony, instead of heading the list is, in proportion to its abilities and population, "almost-at thebottdm. Auckland, with, not a jtithe of theavailable wealth of Otago, has far surpassed; the latter in liberality towards bur distressed countrymen in England/ Wellington and Can cerbury are taking active measures for increasing the sums they have already contributed; and surely it should not be said that Otago holds aloof. We hadlioped before now to have seen the committee reorganised, and a handsome sum raised, to be sent home by the next mail; but we have looked .in vain for any sign of movement in the matter. '■■'.:■ This is not as it ought to be. Every person in Otago should do something towards alleviating the miseries of the thousands of pining operatives who crowd the streets of the manufacturing towns. It is a general and individual effort that is required, How very* easily might, say a thousand pounds be gathered in shilling subscriptions. Who could refuse a shilling to'such a purpose;?— surely, none; and such a system would enable every one to have an opportunity of contributing. We would recommend that subscription lists be sent up to the diggings. We have no doubt the officials and the respectable storekeepers and others would take charge of them, and we think that very few "mates "would "refuse to contribute. The same in the towns, subscription lists might be delivered to any respectable persons willing to collect, and we are sanguine enpngh to believe that a very considerable sum could be raised in this i manner. But the shilling subscription need | not be the only one—there is still ample room for the larger gifts of the more wealthy, classes, who, we scarcely think, have done all they can afford in justice to do. Then it would be a gracious act on the part of the Provincial Council to vote a sum of money for the purpose. .Other colonial governments have done so, and it could hardly meet with any opposition in the House. But whatever the means adopted; one thing is certain, Otago has not contributed to the. Lancashire Belief Fund what it ought and can afford to do,; and this reproach, which will meet this 'Province in the face when the colonial subscriptions are ipublisheay should -be removed;: m&S Qtago placed at any rate at the head of the New Zealand list. • h

It is almost unnecessary for us-to; say anythingmore thanbas already been said respecting the condition of the suffering operatives. Every one who can read must have the1 tale of their misery off by heart. There are many amongst us who have witnessed poverty and its entailed sufferings in the. crowded towns of England, and can form s ime some idea of what so many thousands of industrious workpeople are enduring now. The letters on the distress in the cotton district by .the special reporter of the Tmps reveal ~pictures of misery and suffering which should melt *a th< art "of stone. -' Here ate a, few out of scores^ nay, hundreds of similar, cases/. — # ~.'.. The condition of the population, ganera'ly speaking, is" ju s t otiQ remove ffom actual-sta^vatlo^i. I came across many families sufferius* the rao^e^trem* urination. , r I found a family of fi^ey husband and wife and three child-en—living" om fivs shilim:^ aevrer received, a &r s tldng of .assistance from any source ; another family of 'nine—hii3*>an<V wife, 'atkhsevenl ahildrenj-were 1 living ou. 10s. tin united earnings^ five of sthem. Tnis was a vri-y respectable boose, but it Tiad been stripped of a m <&t everj article yf not one of tlie wh »le nitie, h il v c*bauge of ctokhiru.' ' The/iTuI drajjf^lon for weeks'without aid front* *ny qiurter. la auotaer £wni y 'of there *..was 9s 31 I qpiuiusr in, but^hey, »»ad a barAian^prd, r aiid |»tba^, had to be paid out of it for rent, liarlug toeinjjusfc Is a-head Tto pamhVe the ? "iiecesbiwies *j>f lifeV ; Araong?^ rhe^ojerlookers> there^ is alroosfcipvxp- ■• cible repjig tarice toSn«dcmg'" their ijppeatance; before ' ,tlie Board of Guardians, infi some of t cases"Age . ,the*harli«t I saw/ ODe^^^i/f^Vraaeprqia" * a^wetk h>d sunfc dowiC^ir^u^b^^oltW^ * aidatoppagec(nooßas«hißdepatlm|n^,fl»^i^^^^

f V^r^lti|!^!i^!#lfmonth S , wish by his dlesfc chddr ~T here ;.roi ssero^Syu^fis? Srke-i^hd ■ he:-has iust spentthe last iaf tliia^ of. his savings some 2 J in-keeping the the do ir. au old maa^hc i,bm been 47 years At \yoi-k : inithe ; towri, has liaxl nothing coming in for the last twelve unnt'ie and is fast coaiiiigto the end of t<ie savings of his life, which indeed would have bf-en exhausted h m ago but that one.of;his : children brings iv a few shilliugs each week Among the Union cases, where th^re was nothing else" coming in, I found very few dep^turea-from. c. shillinpr a-head scale. I don't think it .would..be at all an unfair estimate to say that tbe average income of those who receive relief, including the dole from the Lord Mayor's fund, is about Is 3d per heari-.certainly nob more, and in the great majorityof ;the eases I isaw it was less. It de 3 pended very' much on the numbers of the fa-mljC For instance, I,saw a family of seven w:o had 8s 9d among them- 7s from the parish and Is 9J p.ercentajre from the Lord Mayor's fund—soiuething short cf Is 3d per bead. The next family, five in number, had 7s 6d, or Is 6d per head. In the same street wtre a man and his wife and three children receiving rli© same sum. They had been out ot work for month.* had pawned all their clothes, and,most of their furniture ha;l been sold for rent. For a long time the whole family had been sleeping on shavings, UEtil a kind-hearted millowner in' the town had sent them a couple of- beds. Their rtfnt had tuu on agiin for nearly three months, and they were almost daily in. expectation of another distress warrant. • We must, leave such instances as tliese to speakfor themselves, tr^^sting the inhabitants of Otago will respond speedily and liberally to the appeal we make on behalf of the Lancashire fund. ' ■ i ■■••'." According to the escort return published in the Argus of the 24th ultimo, the total amount received by the last escorts, from the various fields was 27,033 ozs, the largest escort being ** from Ballarat, viz., 5,870 ozs. Glanciug over the return, which is for three months,, we notice that no single gold field in-Victoria has, during that time, realised anything like the present yield of the Dniistan. In two months the Dunstan has produced probably 50,000 ozs., but, taking the escorts only, which stand at 43,823 ozs., we will endeavor to institute a fair comparison between the Durisfan and the Victorian gold fields. The Argus return being only carried down to November^2l, and the Dunstaa escorts are brought -town to the 29th, we shall include in the calculation for Victoria the last escorts in September. To be/m with the total quantity of gold brought down from the Castlemaine District, from September 26 to .November 21 inclusive, : was 35,208 oz., being 8,605 oz. less than the * quantity received from, the Dunstati. 'From Sandhurst, the quantity brought down w.ts 37,493 oz., being 6,330 oz. less than tha Datistan. From Ballarat, the mjst productive district iv Victoria, "tiie quantity was 43,13 i "oz., being 689 oz. less'than the DmvtAii. Maryborough produced 7,655 oz., bsing_3j,lG3 oz. less tha-i the Dunstan. The districts ofCreswick, Cluhas, Inglewobd, Baechworth, and Yackaudaadah o-iiyp'roluaed-in the aggregate 179 oz. more than the single field'of the Dunstan. The other gold-fields of Victoria do not, by a very loag .distance, approach the I production of the Dunstan; and, therefore, I having given the returns from the most important districts, we need not specify them.

When ■we take into consideration" the large population and the iintn^nse magnitude of mining app ia ices, brought to bear; upon the resources of,:tue Victorian fields/it is appit'eat that the Daa^tan, is, as a gold field unequalled at present by aiy other in the world. The valuable., discov'.yrie3 which are being to day in tlie Dunstan and Like Districts, all point to a future hitherto unsurpassed in the history of gold milling, aud prove that the: extent of country available for mining operations, already discovered-will support ten tithes the population at present ert^a^ei oa it >• We have before, v* a nu norandmn of the separate deposits placed in the treasury on the Duhstan gold field by the miners, during the last few days. These figures, clearly, show hoyv* well the miners are doin^.. Tie items are omitting, the pennyweights, as follows: — 17 ozii-lQpz., 22 oz., 43 ox., 50 oz., 26 0z.,'36 oz., 17 oz., 13 o?., 20 oz., G3 oz., 29 oz., 30 oz., 12 oz,, 27 oz., 51 oz., 40 oz., 15 oz., 30 oz.. 56 oz., 25 oz., 34 oz., 67 oz,, 37 oz., 19 oz., 14 oz., 21 oz., 26.0z.' 25 oz;, 25 oz., 51 oz., 65 oz.; 127 oz., lfr-oz., §3 oz., 86 oz., 20 oz 103 oz., 103 oz., 66 oz., SO oz., 93 ox., 12 oz., -19 oz, 19 oz.. 92 oz., 40 oz., 40 oz;, 49 oz., 92 oz., 48 oz., 63 oz., 12 oz., 15 oz, 27 oz,, 49 oz. ' *..,•• The exact total of the fifty-five deposits is 2,331 oz. 15 dwt.—being an average 0f42 oz. 8 dwt. within the fraction ,of a pennyweight. The figures speaitfor themselves, and render any further comments from us needless^. With 6he3e fauts and results before them, the Government ought to spare nothing that will tend to consolidate and extend the existing prosperity of the gold fields in-theHDun-stan district. There is not mush timd in which to construct the roads before winter, and not a day should oe wasted in placing the comtuun|catiou between the gold fields aud the capital on a satisfactory footing.

L^sfc:night Mis.si Emraa Ney4|e ; taok her benefit at the Priucess Theatrej and it is gratifying to state that a larger audience has seldom been seen within its walls. Every gart of the house was literally crammed with t a : gay assemblage, and long before the hour.of commencement, ev«a standing room was at a premium, HhQ ,vices coinpenced with the tragedy of, uLueretia Burizii\,",in which. Madame Marie Durct sustained the Reading part. 'Every one is familiar with the prominent part Lucreiia played in Italian history and possibly this may accpnnt iir some measure for the intense interest taken in 'the drama, bub without douht the major reason was the excellence* with which e*cU part was pourtrayed. Where all did'so, well It would, be invidious to } select names, suffice it therefore to say tha^'neveiN did a piece go,:off more successfully. This-was fully proved \\ at the conclusion,',, vwhen several "bouquets' rewarded "" the ,- exertions of the heroine, of -the \ evening."*-*Au original .entertainment entitled' "ThY &1& Hjuso 'at Home" -followed. The characters number noles^tlian twelvs # aod tejiof these were sustained by Miss Neville, the remaining two "being personated by Mr George LoAer. -In the progress of this piece there r ratght. rbe found an excellent illustration of $c adge that " one story'g good till tola," as it would be difficult to decide iv which character the fair actress roost. '■ckMJned. Certiiii' it 'is^that the" with, wuicii' ciisiurae* was chan^M^anH .totally difvfenmt p^fsonage-f«»jn/3ta% p^ecjjd^lfi^ Present* • ed/excited'th^eritha&iasVnx<9f>very?&ae in the* .hoase., Blr Loader, .tftoagEtbccftpying a miaot - position, deservedlyiec^ive^ «Oirge ahare of.Jhe- - >»pi>Uiuse forth© *t?l6<Vith^hjc|^^Ve thetwd, charaeterdrhb tepresehfed: inufio " '« , L *it;i| kgetntv*a"sl>etter <{ feui^of 4 'll*"

By # aa".eferol thcc'ttignfttK^t^a|fct*V HP 8 ibjeeb oHVßttotes.WhQ N?u* I^gging^V 'which anp&TvA in our issue of yc«4trdny, was printed itsJamas Gibson, late of McLeod and Gibson. It should have been James Gibson, of Mu'^od and Gibson. A letter,on the subject appears elsewhere. An adjourned meeting 'of the Separation League is announced to bo held this day, it two o'clock, at the Athenaeum In our issue of yestr*r<lay ifc was stated that the Knral Deanery Bard would meet on Monday, thu 15th January, This was an error, the day of meeting being Tuesday, 15ih January. Tl* t>i' nni tl elfi'''r;on of three lay iepresentatives for Dunedin will be held in the old church on the 2nd January. Our readers will observe from an advertisement in another column that the public meeting of the Dunedin Total Abstinence Society will be hela this evening in Knox Church, aud be addressed by Messrs Cook and Jago. A meeting of Justices, for the transfer of Publicans' Licences, will be held at Cramond's Hotel, Taieri, this day, at 12 o'clock noon. By the last quarterly abstract, the population of Victoria is stated as amounting to 549,901 souls. At the Lachlan mining affairs, are said to be excessively dull, tho population having been reduced by some thousands, and still diminisUing. We direct the attention of those interested to the list of Crown Grants ready for issue, which appears in our advertising columns. We notice that the Government invite tenders for the construction of additional works at the Dunedin Gaol. Particulars are to be had'.oaapplication at the office of the Provincial Engineer. The newly-constituted Town Board, will hold its first "general meeting on Friday, the 12th inst,, for tho^purpose of hearing and determining objections to the assessment of the current year. In our correspondence column will be seen a letter, complaining very justly of the great inefficiency of the arrangements. at the Molyneux Ferry, We are certainly surprised that no notice sliouli have been taken by the Government of the complaints made, and can only think that our c >rresp:mdent has been betrayed into an inaccuracy. The communication with the gold fields is of such vital importance, that the state of uffdrs depicted in the letter referred to ought not to be allowed to exist a moment longer than necessary. The Provincial Geologist has received a 6mal specimen of su'.phurct of lnercury, also known as 'Cintiibar, or native vcrmillion, from; Mr Peter ■Gliuchy, who fonnd it;along with the gold in the Umbrella Ranges,* about'ten miles .west of the Ka*-arau Junction. The sample consists of a ft-w ■waterworn pieces, 'the largest weighing.six peu- , nyweights. They tire very fine, and it la'rjje" lodes can be discovered, this mineral Will form a. valuable, addition to the wealth of thei Province. It .generally occurs along with serpentine rocks, - and" is usually associated with other valuable-minerals.-■"■;•-,, : .

Another French adaptation was presented at the Theatre Iloyal last niglit, to a rather thin, house. The works of that fertile novelist Dumas, have furnish"d many tUeme's for the,stage, but few have been more successfully worked by playwrights than the 'marvellous " Count of Jlonte •Ohristo." This was the, piece brought forward at the Royal ; and it' is a matter for regret that the care and i>ttenlion bestowed upou it, should Tiave .m«t with an' acknowledgement so slender: •.The won Irous Count was personated by Mr Holt, •who did full jitstice to the numerous' phases of' •character. Mrs Holt as the heroine, ably seconded his efforts ; and the same may be said of nearly ■all eugnged in the piece. We wotild willingly notice eacli in detail, but space forbids. sT6-nitf'>fc Mr Shicls takes his benefit, when " Roh: Roy," with all the'original niitsicwHl: be■ performed. If for nothing else, we hope to sec acrowdel house "for Auld Lang Syne."

We beg to remind our m usical readers that a 'meeting of al t lth">3» intoresrel in the formidon of a Musical Association, will be hell this evening, at half-past sjven o'clock, in the large roo:n over the Colonist oili's3, which has been kinlly lent for the purpose by the proprietors. We trust that all lovers of music will attend.

"All that glitters is not gold " is a trite proverb, and the following paragraph from the Argus proves that all is not copper that logics like such: —" A discovery of coppar :was lataly announced by the M'lvor News as having been made in the neighborhood of Mount Ida, and the prospector applied to the Mining departmant for a lease of lands on'which ha proposed to mine for copper. 'Jt has since-been found; however, that the ore ■discovered is not copper, but iron, curiotisly tinged with green. Tub is the first time iron so tinted has ever c >mo under our observation, and the probability is, that the iron has been colored by streams of water from a copper lode in the neighborhood, which may yet be found."