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Otago Daily Times, Issue 384, 14 March 1863, Page 5

Oar correspondent at Invercargill has forwarded us a queer story in reference to the Southland Provincial Agent, or Gold Receiver, at Wakatipu. "It is," he says, " rumored that there has been some misunderstanding as to the position of our Gold Agent at Queenstown. The Otago Gold Receiver having publicly stated that Mr Jackson, our ogent, was buying gold for Southland people, and was not connected with the Southland Government, this statement was contradicted by Mr Bruce, who is, I believe, a gold buyer there. A row ensued, and Mr Duncan, the Otago officer, was bound over to keep the peace."

We regret to learn that the man Hillyser, to whose case we called attention on Tuesday, is dead and in his grave. He was admitted into the Hospital—under the circumstances we have before mentioned —about two o'clock on Monday afternoon. He continued in a low state until Wednesday, when he sank rapidly, soon became insensible, aud died at four o'clock on Thursday morning. He was buried yesterday afternoon.

A few days ago "we noticed in our leading columns a proposal from Mr Nettle, the In.^pactor of Fisheries in Canada, to furnish salmon ova to the colonies of the Australian group, by way of Panama. At the time of dispatching his communication to Sir Henry Barkly, Mr Nettle had an opportunity of- sending some of the ova by a sailing ship, the Montreal, bound for Melbourne. This vessel, we learn from the letter of our correspondent, has arrived, but unfortunately the salmon ova all died before she had been three days at sea. It is right to mention that from the haste with which the ova were procured and shipped, Mr Nettle had hardly the slightest hope of their reaching their destination, but he did not like to lose the smallest chance.

In our advertising columns will be found a letter from Mr Tom Fawcetr, expressing the thanks which he was last night unable to give utterance to.

A somewhat remarkable notice appears to-day in our advertising eclumns. Mr Henry Driver announces that unless the sum of L2O, found on the last day of 1862 in Walker-street, is claimed before the 20th instant, it will te handed to the Lancashire Relief Fund, after deducting L 5 as a reward for the boy who found it.

As we anticipated, Mr Tom Fawcett's benefit led to a cram (it the Princess Theatre last evening. "Joei-issu, the Juggler," which was frequently and successfully played under the old management, was.chosen n* the first piece. Mr Fawcett of course retained his place as the hero. It is one of his best parts. The bursts of passion on the part of the prestidigitator, when he finds that it is his own daughter of whom he has pretended to be the father, and whom he has thus almost got within the net of the spoiler—and the simple negation .of self which leads him afterwards to. declare that he is not her father, while his heart is bursting with grief at the sacrifice—are all finely rendered. Although not. in good health, Mr Fawcett last evening acted the part up to his old mark, aivl was loudly called after the fall of the curtain.' Mr TV. Ryan was Charles le Verney, the scheming villain who makes all the mischief out of which comes Jocrisse's misery and his happiness. Mr Ryan looked well and played well on the whole; but we do sincerely wish, for his own sake even more than for that of his hearers, that he could rid himself of the ve-y bad habit of jerking out wholly unimportant words with a most extravagant emphasis. Mr Dale was Tobie, the juggler's man ; and Miss Matthews and Miss Hart were respectively the Countess and Julie de Lespierre. Geordie Spiers gave the same two dances as on the previons evening; and Tobin's charming comedy, " The Honeymoon" followed. Mr Holt made a dashing Duke Aranza; and Mrs Holt was good as Juliana. Tiie scene between them in the rudely furnished cottage was capitally maintained. The broad fun of the mock Duke is thoroughly in Mr 11. Ja-kson's line ; and the audience scene called forth the heartiest of laughter. " Rob Roy "isto be played this evening, and on Monday, Young Leotard makes his first appearance.

It may not be generally known that the General Government intend introducing a large number of German emigrants into Taranaki. The JTelson Examiner of tbe 4th instant says that Mr F. Kelling left by the last mail steamer for Europe to arrange for an immigration from the North of Germany to the N jrthern Island of New Zealand. "We do not think," says the " Examiner," •' that his instructions have been officially published, but we are informed that the general scope of them is as follows. He is to procure 3,000 immigrants, that is to say, 1,000 ablebodied young men with their wives and families —not to exceed on an average two to each man. Their passages out are to be advanced, on their giving a note of hand for the amount, repayable within a limited time. An allotment of twenty acres of land will be made to each, for which a free grant will be givei if the immigrant serves a period of five years in the Militia ; otherwise it will be charged at the rato of £2 per acre ! "We cannot learn that there is any general guarantee Of employment, or of rations on arrival."

There were two or three horse accidents yesterday, one of them rendering it necessary that the animal should be destroyed. Abaut noon a dray belonging to Mr J. Davidson, of East Taieri was being driven ouc of a right of way adjoining Mr JTargie's, near the cutting in Princes-street. The leading horse stumbled and afterwards got one of his legs over the traces, with which it became entangled, and the animal fell violently, breaking its leg in two or three places. Recorery was impossible ; so the horse was taken to one side of the Cutting and a vein in the neck was cut. After some minutes, the poor creature made a violent start, getting on its three leg 3 and dossing the road ; and it then fell dead.—Another accident might easily have caused a loss of human life ; but fortunately it was only ludicrous. A horse that had been sold by Messrs Driver and Maclean, and was mounted for the purpose of being driven out of the yard, broke away and got into the promenade of the Princess Theatre, down which he went at a hard canter, most happily contriving not to touch Mrs Holt, who was walking towards the stage door. At the turn of the Vestibule steps, there is a trap-door opening into a cellar, which on one side is bounded by a store, and on the other by sta'iles, This trap-door was open ; and starting1 at the gulf that was at his feet, the horse shot his rider almost head foremost into the passage, and himself disappeared into the cellar which is 9ft. or 10ft. deep. How he ever got down is a mystery, so small is the trap-door. It is assumed that he must have " slithered" down the steps on his haunches, and then not liking to remain ■with his head sticking up in the passage, nor relishing the feeling of strangulation, must have contrived to twist and wriggle until he got his head below. He was found not at all injured, but very much cooped up ; and the only possible mode of releasing him was by breaking through the partition into the stables. Had the-horse become excited and made his way into the store, the freaks ofabutl in a china shop would have been mild to those he. must have played ; seeing that the whole place was covered with valuable glass, china, plate, &c, which had just been unpacked, on being brought from the Grand Stand on tha race-course. The rider was shaken and ■lightly bruised, but nothing worse happened to him.

A sad accident is reported as having occurred at Waimate, Bay of Islands. The Southern Cross' correspondent gives the following account of the occurrence: —"About 1.30 a.m. the mission schoolhouse was discovered to be on fire. Mr Burrows,who lives close to,was on the spot immediately, and his first enquiry was to the school children—Are you all out ? and he was answered in the affirmative. In about ten minutes' time, however, one of the school children was missed, and it was too late to save him. His bedfellow wakened him and thought he had followed, but I suppose he was never thoroughly wakened, and in his sleepy state was easily suffocated, as his re. mains were fouud under the place where he slept Prom all I. can learn the fire appears to have been entirely accidental."

The kelson Examiner, of the 4th instant, reports that Mr Rochfort has discovered an easy pass, from Nelson to the Buller River, on the West Coast, and bringing the gold fields in that locality within fifty miles of the City. Very important results are expected to follow this discovery, as the difficulty of approach to the Buller Gold Fields has been the only obstacle to their development.

We understand that Mr Presscott, a pyrotechnist of some celebrity iv Melbourne, has lately arrived in Dunedin, and that he is about making arrangements with the proprietor of Vauxhall. The idea of fireworks is so intimately associated with the name of Vauxhall that it seems the most natural thing in the world for our own Vauxhall to become brilliant witli rockets, blue lights, and Roman candles, and the other mysterious inventions whose names now are unknown to the vulgar.

We are informed that the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company have purchased the well known and favorite steamer Lady Bird, which will be placed on the Otago and Northern Ports route.

We learn that the fleet of the Inter-colonial Royal Mail Steam Company is to be augmented shortly by three additional steamers. One of these the Phoibe, is expected to arrive in Sydney from Bermuda direct ia about a month ; a second the Paulet, is expected to arrive in June, and the third is being built. The Lord Ashley has been laid on the Sydney and Otago route.

The amount found in the red money box of the Lancashire and Scotish Relief Fund Committee last evening, was £5 19s 6 jd. '

It will be seen by the telegraphic summary from our Melbourne correspondent, that the steamer Settler, intended for the navigation of the Molynenx, has left Melbourne for Dunedin.

The nomination for Superintendent takes place to-day, at the Court-hourse, Dunedin, at 12 o'clock. For what object we do not kuow, but beyond our advertisement ten days ago, the matter has been kept studiously secret. Whether this secrecy is designed to serve a party purpose or to save a few shillings in tho expense of advertising, it is alike to be despised and condemned.

We are indebted to the Argus for the following particulars respecting the profitable character of the cotton cultivation in Queensland : —" The calculations published of the profits of a cotton estate of 1,280 acres, are certainly sufficiently tempting. Without entering minutely into them, it may be stated that the entire expenditure^ of the first year, including the deposit-money, is calculated at L 2,028, of the second 1,1,550, and of the third 1.1,500. The produce of the first year from IGO acres under crop—is set down at 14,593 ; valuing the net pro luce of the cotton at 9J per Ib. The returns of the second year are given at L 4.219, and of the third at 14,400. The total proceeds of the operations of the three years (including returns from oil and oil-cake made from the crushed seeds} are estimated, at

L 13,217. Deducting ten per cent. for"unforseen expenses," a sum of LI 1,896 is left. Subtracting from that amount the bonuses —amounting in all to L 4,320 —the operation still shows a clear profit (in addition to the bonuses) of L 2.000, while the freehold of the land has, in the meantime, become the property of the company. If these calculations are capable of being realised— and they challenge examination —we are not unlikely to see the cultivation of cotton assume in Queensland an importance not second to the growth of wool, with or without tho bonuses ■which are ottered for the immediate encouragement of cotton plantations.

■ A short time since we gave publicity to a report that a large bird, supposed to be of the Moa spscics, had been seen by some men out prospecting to the north of the Arrow River, and that they had on the following morning found the prints of a bird's feet, wiih toes a; foot 10ng. 7~ It "would" seem tlia t alii ro" of tlie same kin d exists in the Nelson Province. The Nelson Examiner, of February 12, says:—"A party of men who have lately been out on an exploring trip over the Mount Arthur range, from Wangapeka, report having seen the footprints of a large bird corresponding to the description of that seen by Mr Brunner, about: two years ago, on the Takaka range, and which, from their great size, are supposed to be the footprints of a Moa." It will be remembered that, a short time ago, some very extensive and serious bush fires occurred at Coromandcl, destroying large quantities of very valuable standing timber. These fires were supposed to have arisen from the carelessness of the diggers, and we notice that the Natives (who own the land) have demanded Ll,ooo as compensation from the Governraeut. Until this is paid they refuse to allow a road to be made through their land. The New Zcalander notices the production, in the neighborhood of Auckland, of some excellent tobacco, grown by Mr Charles Brown, "of the North Shore. The leaves measured over two feet in length, and were twelve inches across. The seed had been planted in October, and no particular care had been bestowed upon its cultivation. The cultivation of cotton has been rightly enough regarded by the Queensland Government as a subject of paramount importance,"and; every possible encouragement has been given .-by the Government to cotton growers. We extract the following interesting particulars relating to this subject from the Argus February 28th :—-'From statements published in the Brisbane journals, we find that companies formed for the cultivation of cotton can obtain from the Government-free grants of land, of not less than 320 and not mor« than 1,280 acres. The only conditions insisted on arcs such as will give evidence of the bona fide character of the intentions of the recipients of ythe grant. A deposit of two shillings per acre is required on possession of the land being taken, and it is stipulated that ten per cent of the area of the laud granted shall be planted within the first two years. For every sixty-four acres put'under cultivation, LSOQ mnst have been expended on improvements ; and on these terms being implemented, the deposit money is returned, and a deed of grant of the freehold issued. The liberality ot the Government, however, is not confined to grants of land. Bonuses have been announced, of not less than LlO for every bale of cotton weighing 3001b, the growth of the seasons 18G2-3 and 1863-4 ; and of L 5 per bale for, the product of the two following seasons." --;

We understand that Mr Archbold's resignation of the office of Warden at Mount Benger has been accepted, and that Mr 11. W. Robinson has been appointed to the vacancy. Mr Lowther Broad has been appointed Gold Rsceiver at the same field.

We notice that the oftur of Dr .T.ittou, an eminent chemist in Nelson, to erect a tubular furnace at Taranaki for the smelting at once of twenty tons of iron ?aml, is to be accepted. We may, therefore, expect soon to see valuable iron become an important article of export from tho colony. ■

In another column appnars an advertisement, inviting tenders for the erection of a Drill Shod and Armoury for the Duncdiu Volunteer Rifle Company.

It will be seen from our advertising columns that Mr Charles Craik will deliver a public Lecture in connection with the Dunedin Improvement Society, on Monday evening next, in the Excelsior Hall, on the " Genius and Writings of Robert Burns." Mr Craik will no doubt be able to do justice to his subject, as we understand ho his previously delivered the' sumo Lacture before the members of thp Caledonian Society of Scotland, and that it was very favorably received. The Hon. J. H. Harris will preside. Tickets of admission may be obtained at Mr Mackay's, Stationer, Princes-street, The Excelsior Hall has teen very recently built at considerable outlay, and we believe is capable of holding over 200 persons.

We have been requested to state that the Dunedin Regatta, which had been fixed for Tuesday next, the 17th inst., has been postponed until the 23rd, it being thought advisable to allow the excitement of the races to subside before the Regatta.comes oft. We have also been asked to mention that those who have promised subscriptions to the Ragatta Fund will be waited upon to-day by the gentlemen of the committee.