THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, JUNE 2.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 767, 2 June 1864, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, JUNE 2.

In the Provincial Council, the Speaker took the Chair at 2 o'clock p.m.

After some notices of motion,

The Speaker laid a paper on the table, from the Provincial Auditor, statins the financial debt of tbe Province; ami the Provincial Secretary laid correspondence oil fie table referring to unsurvejed land at the West Taieri, and the Geolojiical Survey Department Report.

The Northern Trunk Road Lands Bill was read a first time.

The answer to Mr Vogel's question relative to the Hospital and Lunatic Asylum was postponed to Monday.

The Provincial Secretary, in reply to Mr Glreson, could give no reason why the Township of Moeraki had not been sold.

The motion of Mr Mansfoud for placing a sura on the Estimates to establish a ferry between Inch Clutlia and the Main Land was carried.

A message from the Superintendent was read transmitting a memorial from the inhabitants of Maciagsan-street praying for the formation of roads towards Look-out Point and Half-way Bush.

Mr Maoandrew's motion asking for a sum to be placed on the Estimates for the introduction of" salmon, -was carried.

Mv SmßEX's motion asking for a sum to be

placed on tho Estimates for the continuation of the formation of Fine Hill road, was passed.

The motion of Mr Burns asking for LSOO to be placed on the Estimates ior the opening up the Akatore Coast road was negatived.

The motion of the Seoretart for Public Works asking f>r L3OJO to be pUced ou the estimates for improvements to the town of Oainaru was negatived.

The debate on Mr Gillies' motion for a Select Committee to inquire into the working of the Storekeeper's department was postponed to the next sitting of the Council.

Leave of absence wa3 granted to Mr Moss until Monday next.

Mr Borhs's motion asking the Superintendent to communicate with the General Government, for the purpose of introducing a bill for the protection of wild fowl was agreed to.

On re-assembling after the adjournment for dinner, the House went into Committee of Supply. The Estimates for the Police, Harbor, Gold Fields, and Geological Departments were passed, as well as some miscellaneous items—and with the omission of some few amounts the Estimates for the Treasurer's, Sheep and Cattle Inspector's, Immigration, Home Agency, Education, Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, Weights and Measures, Quarantine, Storekeeper, Courts of Justice, Steam Service, and Grants in Aid, were agreed to.

Shortly after eleven o'clock the House adjourned to two o'clock to-day.

The state of the public health of Dunedin has become a subject of so much importance, as to demand the closest attention and enquiry with the object of establishing such means as may be considered preventive of the growth and spread of disease. For many months it has been notorious that the health of the city has been bad, that fever and other diseases have prevailed to a serious extent, and that the rate of mortality was much higher than the ordinary average. More lately the state of the public health has grown worse and worse, until it is impossible now to regard it with other than feelings of alarm. During the last few weeks the number of deaths has been terribly on the increase, and disease walks triumphantly through the city. The proposal to appoint a Sanitary Commission must be regarded with general satisfaction. Hitherto, and at the present time,*one oan only generalise on the various causes which have combined to render Dunedin an unhealthy city. Insufficiency [of pure, and the consumption of impure water ; defective drainage; crowded dwellings, and a general want of attention to sanitary regulations are undoubtedly the main causes of disease, but nevertheless there may be special causes in existence in particular localities of which the public know nothing, and which nothing but close and careful investigation can bring to light. Such enquiry and examination will fall to the duty of the proposed Commission, and doubtless one great result will be the detection «f disease - producing circumstances which would otherwise remain undiscovered if not unsuspected. It does not require much research to ascertain the dominant causes of ill health in a neighborhood that is without drainage, without a supply of wholesome water, or in which open sewers, and collections of stagnant water, exist. The people of Dunedin do not need a Commission to convince them that many localities within the boundaries of this city literally swarm with disease-producing and disease encouraging causes. There are many such places in Dunedin which undoubtedly act as manufactories of fevers and disorders which are spread around and supplied to all parts of the city. And so long as; these death factories are allowed to remain, the inhabitants will be made the victims of

epidemics

But as we have said, there are, no doubt, special causes, of the existence of which the public are ignorant, and which can only be ascertained by close enquiry. There are particular places in Dunedin which, although apparently, no worse off than the rest of the city, in the matter of water, drainage, &c, appear to be the favored haunts of disease. The inhabitants of these localities, although painfully alive to the fact of the unhealthy character of the neighborhood, or even of a particular block of houses, content themselves with mourning the fact, without taking decisive measures to discover and remove the causes. We have reason to think that the proposed Commission will reveal circumstances that will startle and astonish the public, '• and most of all, perhaps, the persons directly concerned. That the prevalence of fever in certain localities is to be ascribed to concealed and hidden causes, may be gathered from the fact that at the present time the elevated and apparently healthiest localities in Dunedin are no more free from the prevailing disorders than the low, damp, and drainless portions of the city. We have heard of fever in one particular locality near the top of Stuart street going through every house in a certain block and literally sweeping off whole families. Once established, the epidemic haunts the neighborhood, and is not to be driven away by medical skill. To all appearance there is nothing in the neighborhood of which we speak to account for this. Its elevated position affords facilities for drainage, there are no collections of stagnant water, and the houses are well built and their inmates people in comfortable circumstances. And yet there may be, nay most probably are some virulent causes of disease concealed, of which everyone is at present in complete ignorance. It may be a bad well, an improperly situated cesspool or out-house. Or possibly there has been a want of those precautions which, if attended to, do so much to arrest the spread of infection. As of one locality, so of all in which diseases appear to habitually lurk, and it will be for the Commission to investigate into every such case.

One valuable result of a Commission will be the discovery of many disease-produc-ing causes which, would otherwise remain unnoticed, and discovery is a long way towards getting rid of them. We read recently in the Lancet that an investigation had lately been made concerning the great prevalence of typhoid fever in certain villages in Wales. The result was, that a mass of information was obtained that must

end in the removal of the various disease-engendering causes which were ascertained to exist. Some of these were quite analagous to the circumstances of some districts in Dunedin. For instance, it was found that the inmates of one particular lot of cottages drank water from a stream into which the drainage from cesspools percolated through the soil. "Wells existed the waters of which were slow poison, and other circumstances were revealed which made it no longer a matter of surprise that fevers prevailed. There are parts in Dunedin, the inhabitants of which imbibe poison with every cup of water they drink from the supplies in the neighborhood. We could point out one water course which pure enough at first, receives throughout a great portion of its length the surface drainage of populous neighborhoods, and yet is the only supply of water the people have. No wonder that low fevers and epidemics should flourish. It is to be hoped the Commission will speedily enforce the observance of those obvious sanitary precautions and regulations, the neglect of which is the main cause of the existing unhealthiness of the city. At any cost the city must be supplied with pure water and efficient drainage, and the many glaring sources of disease which exist in various parts of the city must be removed. But public measures must be seconded by the inhabitants individually ; much may be done by collective means, but after all, personal attention to the obvious and simple sanitary precautions will be most effective towards staying the spread of the disorders which are literally decimating whole neighborhoods.

We learn that a discovery of gold lias been made near Blueskin. An application for a prospecting claim has, we understand, been made on the strength of the discovery. The locality is situate nine miles from the Blueskin Hotel in a westerly direction, and four miles to the left of the track from Dunedin and Waikouaiti. The prospect obtained was only small, and was procured by sluicing.

The salmon experiment appears to have proved a perfect success. In its summary for Europe the "Argus" suys :—" It is gratifying to be able to st?y that there is every likelihood that the efforts made to introduce the salmon to Australian waters will at length be crowned with complete success. The intelligence received from Tasmania from time to time is of the most encouraging character, and there is ample reason for belief that at no very distant date the salmon will no longer be a stranger to the Derwent. The removal of the ova to the ponds prepared for its reception was accomplished without mishap ; and since then numbers of the living fish— salmon and trout, in separate ponds—have made their appearance. It may be remembered that a few of the boxes containing ova were retained here for experiment, and we are glad to say that in our own case also there has been a comparatively large measure of success. Up to the present moment there have been somewhere about 120 births; and the fish which have escaped from their birthbags are apparently in good health and likely to live. It will be seen, therefore, that the ultimate success of the undertaking may almost be looked upon as assured, and the fact will no doubt be scarcely less gratifying to home readers interested in the acclimatisation of the salmon than it is to the people of the Australian colonies." In a subsequent issue the same journal reports: —" The young salmon, or parr, now hatched at the ice-works have become too numerous to number. They are estimated roughly at from 160 to 180, and no deaths have occurred amongst them. The little fellows are so active that when the pans are uncovered in the morning the watchers have to be careful that none escape. A few of the ova die from day to day, but the number so removed from the pans still continues to be small. At ten o'clock last night, when the temperature of the water was 54deg., all was going on well with the youDg fishes."

With reference to the failuve of the wheatharvest in Victoria, the " Argus" of the 26th May says:—With commendable promptness the Kegistrar-General has laid before the public a preliminary abstract of the agricultural statistics of the colony, for the year ended 31st March, 1864. These returns, which were published in Friday's " Gazette," fully realise the gloomiest anticipations of Victorian agriculturists as to the result of the past season's crop. They show that the wheat harvest of 1864 was, beyond comparison, the worst which has been experienced in the nine years during which agricultural statistics have been collected. In the period from 1856 to 1863, the average yield per acre of the land hid down in wheat was 21-3 bushels. The highest yield in any year was in 1856, when the average rose as high as 2-69 bushels per acre; and the lowest was in 1862, when it fell to 183 bushels. But in the season of 1864 the average has actually fallen to the unprecedentedly low figure of B'4 bushels per acre. Even this, however, does not fully represent the situation of affairs in some districts of the colony.

The Southland <• Daily News" of the 30th. ult. says :—" Messrs Cobband Co.'s last coach from Danedin to Invercargill did not reach town until Saturday at noon, a day behind the usual time. This was owing to the fearful state of the roads in tills province, which are as bad as to almost entirely preclude traffic. The Mataura River has risen to a great height, and is dangerous to cross. Messrs Cabb and Co., deserve credit for having in the face of so much difficulty continued to run their coaches on this line uutil now, and considering the bad roads, it is no wonder that they have discontinued running their couches from Invercargill to Dunedin. The Lake coach arrived in town on Saturday evming. The river Oreti is described as being much swollen and the roads are in a very bad condition.

' The "Launceston Examiner" of the 21st f instant makes the following report on the i progress of the salmon experiment: —'• On Wednesday morning there were about one hundred young salmon in the ponds at the Eiver Plenty, and these are likely to be rapidly followed by many more. The present estimate is, that the ova will yield about twelve thousand salmon. The hatching of the trout was completed last week, but their number is not stated. It is added however, that the little fishes are remarkably healthy, only one out of the whole number hatched having died."

The following i 9 the latest intelligence from Wmga.-.ui, received via Wellington by the CitY ofDunedin. The " WauganuiChronicle" of the 20th May, says :—" Several letters came down the river last night to the Native Magistrate, Mr White—one from Mete Kingi, anSther from Pehi, a third from the Rev. M. Lampila, and others of minor importance. Their substance w<j believe to be as follows : — Mete Kingi states that the adherents of Matene were 200, and that 100 were engaged in the fight; that the number of Government natives was 400, of whom 200 were actually engaged ; and that eighty of the rebels were killed, while on the other side there were fourteen killed and nine wounded. The names of these are given, and also those of some of the dead rebels, and as some of those not yet published may be known to our readers, we subjoin the whole list. M. Lampila says there were 50 rebels killed. He was not actually engaged, as was at first said, but remained in the background with the reserve, in order to attend to his own particular duties. The fight lasted fifteen minutes. The nearest relatives were engaged on opposite sides. As one of the letters says, ' The fight was between fathers and sons, younger brothers and older brothers, uncles, nephews, and cousins.' After it was over the victors took some food and proceeded to Tawhitenui, which they took possession of by ten o'clock, and on the same day took other two pahs, but the names are not given. There seems to have been resistance ; and 40 men, women, and children were taken prisoners, who were afterwards demanded by Pehi, on the ground that they were his people, but Mete Kingi declined to deliver them up, saying to Pehi, that he was afraid of his (Pehi's) killing them—rather severe sarcasm. The prisoners are on their ■way down to be handed over to the authorities. Among them are three conspicuous rebels. Pehi's king flag "Paerangi" was taken. Mete Kingi and his comrades seem in high feather ; he subscribes himself 'Colonel,' and in one of the letters he is styled ' General.' Haimona styles himself 'Captain.' The same journal of the 25th May reports as follows:— " His Honor the Superintendent arrived last night, from Piperiki, bringing with him 26 prisoners, 21 of whom were men, and among them nine wounded. The latter were taken to the hospital, and the other twelve to the barracks, while the women and children were allowed to go. Pehi demanded the prisoners, but his Honor refused to deliver them. He has declared himself again a Kingite. There are some interesting particulars regarding the late engagement brought down, which we must defer giving till next publication. His Honor went out to-day to Pakaraka, Waitotara, where some Ngatiruanuis and Taranakis were to meet with Rio. He was accompanied by 30 of the Cavalry Volunteers and intended to warn the rebels oft the Waitotara Block. At Pah Karaka no rebels appeared, so that the party had a fruitless ride of forty miles. They returned at six p.m. An alarm was given in the afternoon that they had beeu attacked by Maories, and the first company of Militia were called out and remained under arms above two hours, ready to march, if necessary, to their assistance."

It is stated by the " Launceston Examiner" that the intercolonial sheep show, which was to be held in Tasmania in the course of the present year, will be postponed till 1865, to meet the wishes of flockmasters in Victoria.

The American Government, like that of Victoria, has been importing camels, with a View to future requirements. Speaking of the experiment, the " New York World" of the Ist of March, (a journal which seems to have Southern leanings) says :—" The camels imported for the Government six years ago, and since kept near the Tejon reservation, on the plains, have increased from fifteen to thirtyseven. This is the only increase, except of debt and taxation, that has been reported under Government management. We hope the camels will continue to increase, so that the Administration can have something to boast of. It would not be surprising if it should some day wake up to the fact that it has also an elephant on its hands."

" At sunset on Saturday," says the " Ballarat Star," No. 2 locomotive, Davies' patent, made at the Soho works, Ballarat, was safely conveyed to the railway terminus for conveyance to the seaboard, and shipment for the Great Northern Railway, Southland, New Zealand. The transit from the Soho Works to the terminus was managed under the superintendence of Mr Woods, M.L.A.,and Mr William Errington, for the firm. Twentyfive bullocks were engaged in the operation, and a large crowd of persons were assembled to view the. interesting and unusual spectacle.

At a farewell dinner given to Mr Coppin, the well known theatrical manager in Melbourne, the sum of three hundred pounds was presented to him.

Some extensive forgeries on the London Chartered Bank have been discovered in Melbourne, and three men, named Benson, Wain, and Forrest, are in custody for the offence.

Captain Mayne, E.N., and Commander E. D. Tauter Downes, R.N., both of whom were wounded while leading the attack against Eangariri, proceeded to England, per Madras, on promotion.

It is with great pleasure we find that the experiment of acclimatising the salmon has so far been attended with even more remarkable success in Tasmania than in Victoria. The "Hobart Town Mercury" of the 23 rd instant, reports that the hatching of the trout was finished, and that of the salmon nearly so. It was estimated that of the latter there would be some ten or twelve thousand. The further progress of the experiment—how the young parr 3 adapt themselves to southern streams —will be watched with great interest. All will be clone that can be done—so far as * the protection of the Derwent and its tributaries are concerned —to give the strangers fair play.

Captains of Volunteers will do well at once to send in to the Sheriff certified lists of the enrolled members of their respective corps. His Honor, Mr Justice Richmond, stated in the Supreme Court yesterday, that he should not be inclined, in future, to accord exemption from jury-service to Volunteers, unless there were such certified lists, in proof that claimants were really entitled to the exemption.

The following are the results of the Melbourne Autumnal Races :— Australian Sires' Produce Stakes—Freestone, 1 ; Marie, 2 ; St, L?ger Stakes—Orifkmme, 1 ; Glenyuile, 2. Autumnal Handicap— Falcon, 1 ; Harrier, 2. Helter Skelter Stakes—Falcon, 1 ; Stag, 2. Australian Mares' Produce Stakes — Oriflamme, 1 ; Glenyuile, 2. Trotting Match—Sir William Don, 1, beating Maggie. Autumn Handicap Steeplechase —Donovan Brown, 1-, Countess, 2. Australian Cup— Nathalie, 1; Musidora, 2.

A meeting of persons favorable to the formation of a volunteer contingent in Caversham, was held at the Edinburgh Castle Hotel, on Tuesday evening, 31st May. The room was well filled. ' R. S. Cantrell, Esq., was voted to the chair, and having read the advertisement calling the meeting, requested one of the promoters to afford some information regarding its object. Mr Leary said that one or two of the residents at Caversham, together with himself, had thought it advisable that a volunteer contingant should be formed in the district, and agreeably to the wishes of his coadjutors, he had communicated with Captain Graham, the adjutant commanding the volunteer force in Otago, with a view of ascertaining what would be the position and privileges of the proposed Cavershara volunteers. He read to the meeting a letter he had received from the adjutant in reply, from ■which it appeared that amongst the limited population, the Caverham people would have to be content with becoming a contingent of one of the existing companies. Arms, ammunition, and unij form would be provided by the Government free of charge ; and, providing the number of volunteers was not less than twenty-five, he shouldbe most happy to recommend for a commission any competent gentleman they might choose to elect for their local Commandant. Subsequently to the receipt of the Adjutant's letter, Mr Leary had an interview with Captain Graham, who appeared most desirous of increasing the volunteer force ; and declared himself willing to forward the views of the Caversham ;people as far as lay in his power, and gave the promoters every encouragement. The chairman called upon Mr Dickenson, the secretary of the Naval Brigade, who appeared in the uniform of his company, to address the meeting. Mr Dickenson said, that at the request of his Captain, he was present at the meeting to watch the proceedings, and with tha view of inducing the people of Caversham to become a contingent of the Naval Brigade. He promised the Caversham contingent that in the event of their joining the company which he represented, they would enjoy every privilege they could desire, and that their wishes would meet with every attention at the hands of his company. A long and animate i discussion ensued upon the merits of the different existing companies ; and a show of hands having be:n taken, the majority appeared in favor of joining the Naval Brigade. On the motion of Mr H. Baxter, a committee of four was appointed to canvas the district to ascertain the wishes ot the inhabitants as to which company would be the most desirable to join. The meeting then adjourned to Tuesday^next, 7th inst., at 7 o'clock p.m.

The case of Nash v. Bank of New South Wales, has been decided at Sydney in favor of plaintiff; who sought to recover monies paid by the Bank on cheques not signed by him. The verdict gave two thousand four hundred pounds, the amount claimed.

During the calling over of the list of the Grand Jurors in the Supreme Court, yesterday morning, the name of Mr G. Lloyd, M.P.C., was called. Mr Lloyd having obtained permission to speak, said that he attended, not in ebedience to the summons of the Sheriff, but as a matter of courtesy to his Honor, so that, if sufficient jurors had not been summoned, his'absence might not cause an interruption of business. He had told the Sheriff that it was highly inconvenient that he should summon members of the Provincial Council while it was in session ; but he was informed in rpply, that the Supreme Court took precedence of the Provincial Council. If his (Mr Lloyd's) absence would not cause an interruption of business he begged to avail himself of the privilege accorded to him by " An Act to amend the Law relating to Juries," passed by the General Assembly on the 14th December last, and the 3ad clause of which he would read for the information of the Sheriff. —Mr Justice Kichmond : No, net for the information of the Sheriff, but that of the Court.—Mr Lloyd read as follows :—" No member of a Provincial Council shall be liable to serve as a juror during the session of the Council of which he may be a member." —His Honor said Mr Lloyd would of course be excused.

The Criminal Session of the Supreme Court was commenced yesterday, before His Honor, Mr Justice Richmond, whose charge to the Grand Jury will be found elsewhere. The recognisances of Abraham Moses, to answer an indictment for perjury, were discharged owing to the absence from the Colony of the material witness. Hill and Dufty, who have been in custody two months, failing bail to answer a charge of a breach of the peace by agreeing to take part in a prize fight, were ordered to be brought up to-day, to be discharged, upon terras to be settled by His Honor. George Green and John Hayes were found Not Guilty of stealing a watch at Oamaru, and the indictment in another charge having been ignored by the Grand Jury, the men were discharged. Walter Alfred Crouch was found guilty of stealing property under singular circumstances ; and the report of the case will doubtless be generally read with interest ; especially whe:i it is stated that the Mrs Launder so_ frequently mentioned, is this morning to be indicted for bigamy. The Grand Jury do not meet again until eleven o'clock to-morrow.

The next meeting of the A.1.0.0.F., Pioneer Lodge, will be held this evening, at the European Hotel, in consequence of it being necesaary to remove from the Oriental Hotel.

A pressure of matter prevents our publishing the letter of our Melbourne correspondent until to-morrow.