THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, DEC. 19, 1867

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23686, 19 December 1938, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam." [Established November 15, 1861.] DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, DEC. 19, 1867

SEVENTY-ONE YEARS AGO

There is a strange discrepancy in the accounts which come to hand concerning the progress of the new Dominion of Canada. The accounts from Canada. Which filter through English papers, represent everything as most satisfactory. ... A profound national feeling is said to be growing up, whilst, at the same time, the attachment to the Mother Country and the Throne is declared to be increasing. The accounts which reach us through America represent an entirely opposite state of affairs. The new form of Government, the American journals declare, is not popular; it is accepted only because of the rich bribe which accompanies it—the guaranteed loan of some millions for railway purposes. ... If Canada were to separate from the Mother Country there would be an intense difference of opinion amongst her people as to the relative advantages of Monarchical and Republican forms of Government; and her differences within would prove her weaknesses without. Yet it might be that outside aggression would end internal dissension; and then Canada would be hard to annex, even by the power which subdued the Confederates. It is computed that the New Dominion contains a population of 3,800,000 souls, of whom nearly 800,000 are represented to be capable of bearing arms. With such a people, and with a country well worthy of defence, Canada may prove a hard nut to the United States; but it must be confessed, she has an uncertain future before her.

We are informed that the Economic Gas Company (Limited) have completed the necessary arrangements for proceeding at once with the works: and that the successful design in tho late competition will be submitted to public tender in the course of the week. Perhaps ao.ning more cowardly and horrible has been perpetrated in the Australasian Colonies than the murder by poison of the Cjermont Gold Escort, who were conveying gold from the Rockhampton district. On some portion of the route it was necessary to camp out; and the whole troop were found dead in their first night's camp. The "Brisbane Mercury says:—"The men were wilfully murdered for the sake of obtaining pos session of the money they carried They had with them L4ooo—their camping-place was close beside a public-house, and their having been poisoned was proved from the fact that some pigs that had eaten stuff rejected by the stomachs of the men having immediately died The "Southland Times" of the 14th instant publishes a few " brief notes of a month's prospecting trip round the coast of Stewart's Island," communicated by Mr John Christies:— "Taking Mason's Bay as a starting point, and coming round the S r >uth Cape to Broad Bay, and then to Pegasus Bay, the color of gold was not met with. From thence, the party proceeded to the Bay immedi ately to the eastward of Smoky Cove, where a small quantity of very fine gold was seen on the shovel in a prospect, but which was considered by the party to be too poor to induce anyone to 'set in.' The only parties now at work on the Island are Messrs Baxter and Cullen. Quartz reefs, or ' leaders.' were seen in several places, but not the slightest indication of gold could be found in the stone. Some of the veins were fully two feet in thickness."