THE Otago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2055, 5 September 1868, Page 5

THE Otago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT.

A itATE issue of the New-ZealandGazette furnishes the commercial returns of the i colony for the • last quarter. The falling I off •in imports, as represented by a comparison with the corresponding quarter of the previous year,, is remarkfable. The in totals amounts to no less * than £308,523 on the quarter—or at the rate of upwards of £1,200,000 in a year. To make rip for. this deficiency in the imports, we have a slight increase in the exports,, amounting to -618,531, on the -tetter. In the principal ports of New -Zealand' the decrease in imports is very , marked, with the exception of Dunedin. j The figures stand thus, for the quarter :— 1 . 1868. 1867. ■'",. ] Dnnedin £300.401 £309,285 Auckland ...... 68,861 210,081 ! Lyttelton 116,206........ 160,456 "Wellington .... 117,504 129,154 Nelson ........ 84,753........ 105,718 ] The exterit of Auckland's sufferings in ; the way of business is yisible at a glance.; A difference of £141,220 in the quarter : indicates of course a state of extreme -depression in that Province. The de- i •crease-in imports is almost entirely in our; trade with the United Kingdom; •with. Victoria and New South Wales there is' an increase in the ; quarter,-as compared with the previous year. We imported from the. United Kingdom to the value of £404,733 during V the last'quarter; whereas we imported to the value of £664,845 in the corresponding quarter of 1867. From Victoria we imported to the value of £320,935 during the last; quarter ; while in the corresl ponding quarter of 1867 we imported to ' the value of £305,419. From New South! Wales, the total imports for the last quarter amounted to £116,932; for the corresponding quarter of the previous year, they amounted to £100,152. From Tasmania, ibe total imports for the last quarter amounted to £12,147; for the corresponding quarter of 1867, to £34,894. From South Australia, the total imports for the quarter amounted to £4, 050 .;-■' for the corresponding qiiarter of 1867, to £27,825. From * Queensland and Norfolk Island, we imported nothing during the last quarter; whereas in the corresponding quarter of the previous year, we imported from Queensland to the value of £11,074 ; and from Norfolk Island, to the value of £150. But while we imported nothing during the last mentioned period from Chili, China,.France, and the Fiji Islands, - it appeai-s that we have imported from each of these countries during the last -quarter : From Chili, to the value of £7,242; from China, to the value of £714; from France to the value of £60 ; and from the Fijis, to the value of £170. From New Caledonia and the Friendly Islands, we imported nothing last quarter; and from the South Sea Islands, we imported.to the value of £447 only, as against £19,849 during the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Turning to the return of the value of Exports, we find the business of the principal ports thus stated: ! 1868. 1867. Dnnedin £376,208 .. £349,061 .-fscManQ 75,332 .. 83,957 L -JP/trelton 184,056 .. 148,170 & Wellington 37,613.. 52.573 r Nelson 10,650..,. 21,970 The exports to the United Kingdom, the Australasian Colonies, and foreign countries, are thus stated for the quarters ending on the 30th of June in the last years:— -.<-..'' 1868. 1867. United Kingdom £027,267 .. £606,431 Victoria 419,476 ... 234,372 New. Sonth Wales 227,482 .. 407,413 goirtbAustralia ....... 281 Tasmania 1,402 .. 934 Q-icenelarid ... 2 .. 126 United States 510 .. 905 Panama 1,215 .. 1.118 Fiji Islands 1,302... 1,310 South Sea Islands 3,149 .. 10,336 Trade with the Fiji Islands seems to be pretty well monopolised by Dunedin. Out of the exports to those Islands valued «t L 1302, Danedin contributed to the

value of L 1139 ; the balance of L 163 coming from Lyttelton. The exports from Dunedin to Victoria for the last quarter are estimated at L 69,240; to New South Wales, at L 1,492; to the United Kingdom, at L3O4 3 337. The value of gold and wool exported during the corresponding quarters ending in June is as follows :— 1868. 1867. Gold £628,800 £705,038 Wool 533,892.. 450,028 Grain (barley) ...; 5,102 750 „ (oats) .17,113 1,288 „ (wheat) .... 24,765 12,313 From the five principal ports of the colony, the exports of these articles were as follows :— Gold. Wool. Grain, Dnnedin ....£114,018 ..£219,463 ..£1.874 Auckland 23,661.. '3,749.. 4,495 Lyttelton.... 75.. 141,61-5.. 3,806 Wellington.. .;■. ... 33,674.. .. Nelson 10,380 .. 6,000 .. .. The return of the number, tonnage, and crews of vessels entered inwards and cleared outwards at the several ports of the colony concludes the statistical information in the Gazette. Both the entrances and the clearances show a decrease on the two quarters. As regards the entries, the totals stand thus : — ■ Vessels. Tons. ' '• Quarter 1868...... .172 . 56,212 „ 1867 220 70,265 For the clearances, we have the following figures:— , . Vessels. Tons. Quarter 1868...... 212 73,993 „ 1867 230 81,236 But it is worth rioting that while the other ports of the colony show a decrease in the matter of shipping for the corresponding quarter, that of Dunedin shows an increase. The entries are thus stated:—- ---■ -. Vessels.- Tons. Dnnedin, 1868.... 26 - .... 9,577 „. 1867.... 23 : .... 9,527 ■ . The clearances:— ..;■ Dnnedin, 1868.:..' 29 '■/■■:... 14,370 „ . 1867.; i. 24 .... 10,394 - The shipping trade of Auckland has fallen away to a marked extent, up to the 30th of .1 une last. The return- gives the foUowing information on the point, for the corresponding quarters. For the entries:— . Vessels. Tons., Auckland, 1868 .... 15 .... 3,164 ■-.-'•■- „ 1867 .... ."32 ' .... 9,048 For the clearances :— Auckland, 1868 .... 25 .... 5,586 ~ -1867.... 41 .... 14,612

, An emergency meeting ot Lodge St Clair, No 450, S.C., will be held this evening, in the Masonic HaU, at 7 o'clock.

Intimation is given, by advertisement, by the Rural Dean of Otago and Southland, that a meeting of the General Synod wiU be held at Auckland on the sth proximo, when three clerical and four lay representatives will be elected for the Diocese of Dunedin.

The Rev. A. R. Eitchett wiU deliver the second of a series of sermons on "The Person and Work of Christ," to-morrow evening, in the Wesleyan Church, Dowling street.

From the Wellington Independent of the lst instant, we learn that the prizes for Mr Barraud's Art Union, consisting of 32 water color paintings, were drawn for at the Odd Fellows' Hall on Saturday afternoon. Mr ;'Justice Johnston, Dr Hector, Mr Balfour, and.Mr J. HaU each took prizes, the last named gentleman succeeding in carrying off two. A considerable number of the paintings have become the property of Dunedin sub' scribers.

Some -time ago advertisements were published, calling for competitive designs for a proposed new church forthe St. Andrew's Presbyterian congregation, at present meeting in a wooden erection in Walker street, under the ministration of the Bev.^ R. Scrimgeour. In compliance with this invitation, various architects forwarded designs, which on Monday last were submitted to the Building Committee appointed by the congregation. The result of the examination, is the adoption; of the design, by Mr, R. ALawson, architect, Dunedin., A description of the proposed btulding wUI be given in a futureisßue.

v A large whale was captured, after an exciting chase, on the 22nd ult,, in Portland Bay, opposite the Narrawong Beach, and towed by boats to the new jetty, where it was anchored. The value of the prize is ' estimated to be between L3OO and L4OO.

, The; Hobart Town Evening Mail states that a sow belonging to Mr Woods, near Bridgewaterj lately gave birth to 23 young pig?, aU in a healthy condition, and they are at present thriving weU.

The. long-looked-for rain h-3 faUen in Australia. On the 27th ult. therewere some heavy showers, which are expected to do a great deal of good in the interior.

The Argus, of the 28th ult. states that the late news from Gympie has stopped the rush from South Australia. A number of miners who had. reached Port Adelaide from Port Lincoln, on their way to Queensland, on Tuesday of last week, and then heard the latest news, wisely resolved to save their money, and remained where they were.

From the Geelong Advertiser, we learn that the new reservoir for the water supply of Adelaide is to be made capable of containing nine hundred mUlion gaUons, and is to be constructed at an estimated cost of L 75,000.

The comedy of " Old Heads and Young Hearts" was produced at the Princess Theatre last evening. We have only space to say that it was an unqualified success, that it was weU put upon the stage, and that the acting of Mr Joyce as Jesse Rural was something more than exceUent, and weU deserved aU the praise bestowed upon it. It was without exception the best piece of character acting in the line in which Mr Joyce excels seen upon the Dunedin stage. We shaU refer to the comedy again, and we trust it will be repeated rr-To-night, the drama of "Ohver Twist," and the farce of " Aunt Charlotte's Maid," will be played ; and Mr Taylor, the Champion Skater, will also appear in a new entertainment.

Irishmen in Otago will shortly have the pleasure of meeting an accredited representative of the heads of the Church in Ireland and of his Holiness Pius the Ninth. The Rev. Father Hickie has been sent out to collect subscriptions in these colonies for the Catholic University. He preached in Christchurch on the 30th of August, and at Lyttelton on the foUowing Funday. The substance of his-;remarks on the subject of his mission appears in the Lyttelton Times of the 31st ult: "It was with the view of restoring to Ireland her high reputation as a seat of learning—with the view of affording to her sons of every class and position an opportunity for cultivating then' fertile intellects—that the creation of the Catholic University had been contemplated; and it was to collect funds in aid of its establish-

ment that he had been sent to California, Australia, and New Zealand The undertaking was one of vast magnitude; it was one beyond the power of Ireland—beyond the power of a nation with diminished means—to carry to a successful consummation without the assistance of her sons and daughters in the various quarters of the globe. And what object could be nobler—what more deserving of sympathy and co-operation—than a movement aiming at the education, the intellectual culture, of a whole nation? For what was it but education which made a people happy, prosperous, and contented? The teaching would comprise the five faculties— theology, law, medicine, arts, and sciences ; and while the primary object of the promoters of the institution was to secure a university for the education of Catholics, it would be open to aU creeds and denominations, and to aU the world, without restriction and without; interference with the convictions of any one. The grand aim was to provide what was implied by the word " university" —a universal education. Some twelve or thirteen years1 ago, the" subject was first mooted ; its importance was being continually presented to the Irish nation by the highest authority in the Catholic Church— ,by the good aid of Pius IX, whose office it was, as Vicar of Christ, to look after aU his flock—and at the present time, there were four houses for the education of the Catholic youth in the city of Dublin. About 600 students' Were in attendance, and the professional staff included men of the highest talents and learning to be found in any part oi Europe." Those. who iiave not yet heard of Father Roland, will be charmed to make his acquaintance. Here is a sketch of him in the field, given by a soldier of the Protestant faith:—" On that grey and rainy morning, when the "snoring waters" of the Waingongora, were muttering of floods and fury to come, when our " three hundred" mustered silently in column on the parade ground, one man made his appearance, who at once drew all eyes upon him with sdenfc wonder. His ga.rh.was. most peculiar, scanty but long skirts, shrouded his nether garments, an old waterproof sheet hung loosely over his shoulders. Weapons he had none, but there was a warlike cock in the position of Mb broad-brimmed old felt, and a self-confidence in the attitude in which he leaned oh his walking-stick, that said ": here stands a man without fear. Who is it? Look underneath the flap of that clerical hat, and the frank, good humored, brave countenance of 'Father Roland' wiU meet you. There he was, Ughtly arrayed for a march of which no one could say what the ending would be. With a good humored snfile he answered my question as to what on earth brought him there, with,.that on holding evening service he had-toldhis flock that he would accompany them on the morrow, and there he Was! Truly there stood 'a good shepherd' Through the rapid river waist-deep, along the weary forest track, across ominous-look-ing clearings, where at any moment a voUey from an ambush would have swept our ranks. Father Roland- marched cheerfully and manfully, ever ready with a kind word, a playful sentence to any man who passed him. And when at last in the clearings of Te-Ngutu-o-te-Manu the storm of bullets burst upon ua, he did not wait in the rear for men being brought to him, but ran with the rest of us forward with the enemy's position. So soon as any man dropped, he was by his side; he did not ask are you Catholic or Protestant, but, kneeling, prayed for his ' last words.' Thrice noble conduct, in a century of utilitarian "tendencies. What Catholic on that expedition could have felt fear when he saw Father Roland by his side, smiling at death, a,living personification, a fulfilment of, many a text preached ; what Catholic could have but felt proud to be a Catholic on that day, on Father Roland's account 1" , ■ "

We learn from the Hon. Secretary of the Acclimatisation Society, that Mr G. P. Clifford, the Society's Manager, when last heard of, was in Hobart Town. It appears that he has received every attention from the Tasmanians, who evince a disposition to make the object of his visit, which consists principally in the procuring of a supply of trout ova, a successful one. It was Mr Clifford's intention to leave Hobart Town about the 28th August, in the barque. Southern Cross, which was loading for Lyttelton, and whose captain takes charge of a supply of ova for the Canterbury Society. If it can be arranged, the vessel wiU caU at Otago Heads, and drop Mr Clifford with his precious The Southland Acclimatisation Society has already received a quantity of trout ova from Tasmania, under the charge of Mr Howard The ova have been deposited in the hatching-boxes, and a letter from Invercargill was received yesterday, stating that the proportion of dead eggs was very truT'ng.

The New Zealand Advertiser states that on the arrival of the s.s. Airedale at Nelson, His Lordship the Bishop of Lichfield and New Zealand presented a very complimentary address to Captain Kennedy for the promptitude with which he rendered assistance to the shipwrecked passengers by the Taranaki A suitable reply was made by the '' Prince of New Zealand coasters." We fancy it was an omission not to have thanked Captain Benson, the Manager of the Company, for his praiseworthy efforts in connection with this much required relief, which has been so properly appreciated by the passengers. Only for Captain Benson's energy, supported as it was by the officers under his command, the unfortunate passengers by the Taranaki might have wanted assistance for days instead of hours.

. The Post Office authorities of South Australia have recently commenced the issue of a new kind of twopenny stamp, struck off from electrotype instead of steel plate, of Vhich the foUowing additional particulars are furnished by the Express :—"The new stamp is more distinct and ornate than the old, and' ismore secure from imitation. The ink is fugitive, so that the postal marks cannot be removed without removing the color of the stamp itself ; and another safeguard against fraud is provided in the water mark, consisting of a crown, with S. A. underneath, at the back pf the stamp."

His Honor, Mr Justice Chapman," stated yesterday, in reply to Mr Barton, that he would not commence the trial of Special Jury Causes before Wednesday next. The Common Jury Causes will be commenced on Monday. Murdoch v. Abbott was yesterday made a Special Jury Cause; so that the list now comprises four Common Jury and six Special Jury Causes.

According to a statement in the Melbourne Herald of the 26th ultimo, Messrs Brewer and Evans, the representatives of the Melbourne and Fiji Company, have suceessfuUy accomplished their mission. That fournsdL

states :—« We are credibly iuformed that the reports which had previously reached Melbourne, of King Thakambou having repudiated the treaty he entered into on 23rd May, on the grounds of misunderstanding the meaning of the document which he signet' on board the Albion, are untrue. The certificate which was appended to the original document being to the effect 'that it was faithfully and truly explained to King Thakambou by the Rev. WiUiam Moore, the chairman of the Wesleyan Mission, in the presence of Messrs Howery and Brooks, Wesleyan "missionaries,' is a sufficient answer to the insinuations of misunderstanding; and the fact of the) ; King having sent a message to Messrs Brewer i and Evang, on the 4th July, from his residence at Bau, telling them to be 'of good J mind, that his chiefs were assembled and ! ready to act the instant the Commodore arrived,' is good evidence of indisposition to repudiate. . This waiting for the arrival of the Commodore, both on the part of Messrs Brewer and Evans and the King, was out of respect to. the protest of the Acting British Consul^ Mr Thurston, although such protest was looked uponj as well as Mr Thurston's subsequent letter to the Earl of Belmore, of as much piracticfd value as if written by Or to the King of Abyssinia. Messrs Brewer and Evans being desirous of obtaining the support and countenance of the authorities and of aU classes, and looking upon the clauses objected to as of little value to the company, of themselves decided to expunge them, and upon the arrival of the Commodore in the ChaUenger on the Bth July, they handed in for his: approval a copy of the instrument they proposed to substitute for the original charter, and which- after a delay of about a fortnight for consideration of the matter, was approved; and the result was the execution by the King and his chiefs on the 23rd July of the new agreement, which has been reported to'be ' satisfactoiy to all parties.' The establishment of this company wUI no doubt be of immense advantage to Melbourne in a commercial point of view, • and also the present and future settlers in Fiji."

A report on the condition of the Chinese in Victoria was submitted to the Legislative Assembly of that colony on the 26th ult., and is thus summarised by the Age of the foUowing day:—" The report is divided into four parts. The first part contains statistics of the population and employment of the Chinese; and the second part the condition and wants of the Chinese lepers. The third part contains a translation of a code of rules of a Chinese association having its headquarters at. BaUarat, throwing light on the social habits of the Chinese, and their mode of dealing with offenders, which suggests to ! the Government a more effectual method of i dealing with the Chinese petty larcenies aiid robberies which are so freqiient. The fourth part contains the report of the Rev W» Young, the Chinese missionary, on the con- j dition of the Chinese, with suggestions for j improving it, and for tl[e suppression of those vicious practices and crimes which are so notoriously prevalent among the Chinese. The report is a very valuable one, and contains much interesting information. • (