News of the Week.

Otago Witness, Issue 665, 27 August 1864, Page 13

News of the Week.

[from the daily times.'

Onr Wellington correspondent informs us that Mr Morel, late of the Koad Engineer's Department, under the Otago Government, has accepted an appointment as head of the Engineer's office under the Wellington Government, pending the arrival of an Engineer applied for from England.

Mr Warden Beetham in his official report from the Wakatip of 13th August, suys :— « The weather has been during the past week fine and frosty, the river as a natural consequence low, giving parties an opportunity to repair damages which one and all appear to be doing with a good heart. Very little gold has been getting during the past week, as operations are not sufficiently far advanced yet after the flood to enable gold to be again struck in any of the principal claims. The next escort will most likely feel the effects of the last flood, and show a decrease.

Mr E, H. Carew, officer in charge at Nokomai, under date 13th August, saya :— -"I have thia week the pleasure to report increased activity at the Lower Nevis. The first hydraulic hose has been introduced into this gold field by M' Arthur and party, to wa3h an extended claim at Stonewall Jackson Gully and has attracted considerable' attention ; and several parties are preparing to adopt this highly advantageous system of mining. A great number of applications have been lodged for extended claims, and for water rights, the late arrivals showing a strong tendency to • settle here for some length of time, A fewparties have commenced tunnelling below the - junction of Sproule's Creek with the Nevis,, it having been discovered that jthe ancient nver bed at this point is under an enormous landslip ; and the prospects obtained are very encouraging. At the Upper Nevis complaint* are prevalent that the .ground i's'sOU much foizen." J v '

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Applications for rural land from No. 9364 to 9368, both inclusive, from 9370 to 9397, both inclusive, and from 9399 to 9419, both inclusive, will be decided at the Waste Land Board Office, on Monday, the sth September next.

The Nm Zealand Examiner, of June \4\ 4t j lt says t-^" An interesting meeting wa s held under the auspices of the Church of England Emigration Society, ia the National School room attached to St Mary's Church, BackRoad, Shadwell, near the London Docks, on the evening of Thursday last. The occasion was a farewell soiree given by Houlder Brop. and Co., of 146 Leadenhall street, to a ban \ of associated emigrants who were about to leave their native homo for Auckland, New Zealand, through the agency of this society, on the following afternoon, in their ship the Eagle Speed. A bountiful repast was provided, the large room being well filled by a respectable company, consisting of the voyagers and their fiiends, with whom were assembled some of the philanthropic promoters Of religious and benevolent enterprise."

The following paragraph appears in the New Zealand Herald of 9-h August : — " We egret that by the collusion of our shipping Teporter with those of the two other Auckland journals, the clearance of the Queen of the Deep, which was made after office hours on Saturday, was kept back from publication in on rown, as well as the other papers of yesterday. The suppression of this piece of intelligence was, it appears, made at the request of the clerk of the agent of the vessel, and has enabled that vessel to) leave port, owing considerable sums of money to various Auckland firms. Wa need hardly inform our readers that this omission was made without the knowledge. of the Proprietor or Editor of this journal, or that we shall take such steps as will prevent the recurrence of so discreditable a breach of faith towards the mercantile community in the future." The Editor of the New Zealand Herald has been threatened with an action for libel by the Shipping Reporter of one of the other papers in consequence of the above paragraph.

The Canterbury Press, of the 18th instanr, says : — " We understand that the survey of the West Coast, which was left unfurnished by Mr Bain, has now been completed by Mr Eochfbrt, from the Otago boundary northwards, to the point where Mr Dobson's survey commences. Mr Rochfort reports the country as heavily wooded all the way down, and intersected by a great number of lakes and lagoons. The ranges extend three miles back all the way, the land between beiug terraced and low wooded hills, many of them of g)ate formation. With regard to the discovery of gold, Mr Rochfort was not in possession of any reliable information. A considerable rush appears to have set in, as no less than 103 intending diggers landed one morning from the steamer and a sailing vessel she had in tow ; but on the other hand, Mr Rochforc had heard of great disappointment prevailing among the diggers, and of threats to barn down the house of the man whom they imagined to have caused the rush. It was certain, however, that coarse gold had been found nine miles up the Hohonu. The township on the south side of the Grey is being laid out ; the quarter-acre sections being pegged off, and the belt cut, so as to allow of its entire completion when necessary. There has been slight difficulty with the Maoris about the road passing through their reserve, but they have ultimately agreed to its being carried out as laid down on the map." • We clip the following from the New Zealand Advertiser of the 18th instant : — " A rumor gained currency last night and this morning touching some startling confession which had been made by the Maori lad (Hoani) in connection with the murder of Rayner. We have taken some trouble to ascertain the facts of the case, which we may thus place before our readers, Mr Riley came itto town last night from the West Coast, and ha states that when at Mr M'Donald's place, Horewhenua, he was told by Mi- M'Dcnald tdat Hoani, the Maori boy, had said certain wirds before his son in connection with the murder of Rayner, which left no doubt oq tho mind that Hoani knows all about the matter. The words used indeed, seem to implicate Hoani. We extract the following from a letter which Mr Stock has received from Mr M'Donald. The statement is :— « My son met Hoani. There were two other natives with him. When my son told him what Wirihana had said at Wellington he called the two natives to come back. He said to them in Maori, ' He korero tenei rao te pakeha i kohurutia c mana ko te awhakeike' — We were talking about the pakeha who was murdered by myself and the half-caste."

The New Zealand Herald has the following anecdote in connection with the engagement at Rangiriri :—" Amongst the many stories that go the round of the soldiers' tent when the inmates are enjoying a smoke and a gossip, is one of a circumstance which occurred at the attack upon Rangiriri. The General, with his usual indifference to danger, was standing at a short distance from the pah, while the attack was going on, with the bullets whistling round him thick as hail. One native in particular had been seen to take several deliberate shots at the General, and as soon as the shot v as delivered to drop behind the parapet. Seeing this, a soldier of the 65th crept up close under the parapet, and as soon as the Maori showed "himself he jumped up, and bayoneting him, shot his companion with his rifle, and then rushed back with a cheer and an Irish yell. The General, it is said, praised the man, and said a few of those words which are dearer to a brave soldier than gold. These little stories will form instances of British valor as long as New Zealand is a country inhabited by Britons."

Another "difficulty" between ♦' G ment and the Town W Bee^tmZZ. The City Engineer *\' ossd 80rae time ago to form the road*-^ a^ a J conseqae ntly the footpath, m_ Ihe Q ctagon> as a circle, on the f,'!uimd that the octagonal shape would only form eight corners lor the accumulation of mud and filth. Recently the Board called upon the Government to form the footpath along the Hospital section ; and when the Government asked for information as to what was required to be done, the City Engineer was directed to supply a tracing and other particulars. At the Board's meeting on Tuesday, a letter was read from the Provincial Secretary, stating that the Government were determined to adhere to the octagonal form, both as to pavement and roadway ; and the Board ordered that the Government should oe informed that the resolution previously come to and communicated should be strictly adhered to. And ao the matter stands for the present.

It appears that the Fire Brigade in Melbourne is so efficient tbat it has destroyed the business of the insurance companies and compassed its own ruin. The following is from a leading article in the Argus on the subject :— " It seems," says that journal, " paradoxical to say that a thing can be too good ; but the fate of the brigade proves the truth of the proposition. By the fidelity and watchful- | ness with which it performed its duties, and the power over fires which the command of the Van Yean water gave the brigade, Melbourne has for two or three years past been saved from disastrous fires. But the brigade is the servant of the insurance offices, and not of the public. It has performed its "work too faithfully. Originally intended to lessen the losses sustained by these offices, it has done its work so effectually that the pnblic no longer dread visitations by fire, and do not take the same precautions to guard themselves from possible loss in this c'irection. The brigade, in fact, has not only extinguished fires but fire-pre-miums. The tables have been turned. The force created to lessen loss to the offices has succeeded so well that, assured by its services and success, the merchants and other householders of the city no longer protect themselves by insurance to the extent they formerly did, while competition for business has so lowered premiums for fire risks that the offices find it more conducive to profit to break up the brigade than maintain it in an efficient state. The first step to this end was taken some months ago, when the Superintendent was removed — with a handsome testimonial to the sceal and ability with which ha had performed his duties. The next was to reduce the salaries of the men employed. Still, however, the work was performed- with almost undiminished success ; and now we find that the contributing offices are so ill at ease on the subject that not more than two or three of them are disposed to pay their quota of the expenses. We cannot expect these offices, however, to maintain the burden ; nor, indeed, should they bo asked to do so. What is the loss of the insurance offices ia the public gain. The same reasons which hare moved the offices to break up the brigade, or effectually impair its efficiency, should determine the public to maintain it in its most effective form."

The Auction Bazaar held at the Cromwell Hotel, Cromwell, last Saturday night, in aid of the Duustan Hospital, proved a great success. A great number of miners attended, and a sort of rivalry appears to have taken place to excel in liberality the supporters of the Bazaar held for the same object at Clyde. As at that place several of the lots were sold many times over, the favorite speculation being in a couple of Maori heng. These were sold 92 times, and realised the handsome sum of £33 ss, being £1 8s more than the birds fetched at Clyde. The last buyer paid £2 5s for them, and presented them to the Secretary for sale at the bazaar to be held at Alexandra. The total receipts were £122 12s. Several artistic models, executed by miuers, formed portions of the contributions. The total sura raised by these "new ways to pay old debts" is, up to this time, £303 15s.

By the Post-Office arrangements, which have recently been made, the English maiU may be delivered with extraordinary expedition. The mail agent who accompanies the steamers from Melbourne is actively employed during the passage in sorting the letters and newspapers, both for the town and the country distiicts ; the selection being so complete that, within a few minutes after the receipt of the boxes, tho mails may be despatched to each country post-office, put into the hands of the several town deliverers, or be placed in the private boxes ; and a special selection is made for expeditious delivery to the newspaper offices. On the last trip of the Aldinga, two mail agents. Messrs Schrader and Jago, happened to accompany the vessel, and the sorting was complete as usual. On the return trip, a mail agent also proceeds with the steamer, and it has been suggested that, as such an official accompanies the mail, considerable expense to the public might be avoided by no extra charge being made for late letters. As the work of sorting is done on board, letters might be posted without extra charge up to the hour of the steamer's departure.

By a notice inserted in the Provincial Government Gazette of the 24th instant, it is intimated that the following blocks of land are open for selection: — Blocks 3, 5, 7, and 2, at Papakaio ; block 4 at Clarendon ; block 3at Kuriwao, and blocks 4 and 6 at Eaitangata. Papakaio is situated near Waitaki to the north of Oamaru ; block 4, Clarendon on the Waihola hundred, about four miles south from the Main Road, the Kuviwao District liea between Mataura and the Clntha, to the south of the main road ; Kaitangata District lies between Tokomairiro and the Clutha.

The Southland Daily News of the 19th inst. says :—": — " We believe that Mr Barrington, whose name has become famous in connection with recent explorations on the West Coast, is still in town, and we understand that he i^ endeavoring to form a party to unito wit!) him in the purchase p of a schooner, for the purpose of prosecuting investigations into the resources of the West Coast, and especially the neighborhood of the country he and his mates recently visited. Mr Barrington him self expresses great faith in the probability of further exploration being rewarded by impor tant discoveries."

The Bendigo Independent of 9th August gives the following account of the narrow escape of a miner : — '• Yesterday morning, about twelve o'clock, an aceHent occurred in a claim on the Burra Burra line, L->ng Gully, north of the Endeavor Company's claim, which we are happy to state did not turn out fatal. The particulars of the sad affair are as follows : — The claim has been for some lime unworked, and the proprietors, wishing to let it on tribute, appointed to meet two men upon the ground for the purpose of allowing the latter to inspect it previous to a settlement. A rope which had been- very lately purchased by the shareholders was placed upon the roller of the windlass, and the usual noose having been made at one end of it— a bucket, full of dirt, being attached to the other — one of the two men, named Francis Low, placed his leg through it for the purpose of descending. All seems to have gone on well until the man was some thirty-six feet or so from the bottom, when, without the slightest indication or warning, the rope broke immediately over the barrel of the windlass ; the bucket which was about the same distance from the mouth of the shaft, as a matter of course, followed the poor fellow in his descent, but most fortunately he escaped being hit by it. The depth of the shaft is somewhere about one hundred and sixty feet. It was providential that tho rope did nofc break when he was nearer the surface, else, in all probability, we should have had to place a different heading to the above. One of the proprietors, who was assisting to lower the man at the time, sent off to the All Nations Claim, on the Wilson's Eeef, when Mr Bruce at once started for the spot, bringing a rope with him. A gentleman by the name Mr Morgan, also arrived on the ground about this time, witn the necessary means of bringing the man to the surface. The ropea having been adjusted, Mr Morgan descended the shaft, and to his great joy found that tho poor fellow, although severely bruised, was alive. Dr Atkinson was also sent for, but being absent, his assistant at once hurried off, and in a very short space of time was upon the ground, and attended to tho sufferer, who complained of a pain in his left side. The only outside wound of any consequence was one upon the head, which was at once skilfully dressed by Dr Atkinson's assistant. The patient is now at the residence of his mate, who lives upon the claim, and we are happy to state that there is no immediate danger. We had almost forgotten to say that, upon examination afterwaids, it was discovered that the rope was " blue-moulded," and had the appearance of having lain in a damp place. We hope this will act as a warning to miners in the class ot rope they use, and to which they trust their livea."

The following memorandum from Dr. Hector to the Provincial Secretary, giving an analysis of the Portobello building stone, is published in the Provincial Gazette of 24th August for general information :— The stone submitted for analysis from Portobello is a Porphyritic Trachyte, similar in composition to No. 1 in the Table of Analysis, given at pa?e 120.in my report on building stones. (See "Council Paper," Session 1864, Departmental Reports.) It is a kind of volcanic rock that is generally met with in the form of dykes or veins traversing other volcanic rocks. It consists almost purely of felspar, partly in a crystalline form, which gives to the undressed surface a fine pearly lustre. It can hardly be termed porous, but as it is full of minute cavities, it absorbs water to a considerable extent on immersion. This renders the density of the rock variable, so that a cubic foot of it in mass would only weigh 2259 ozs., while, according to the real specific gravity of the mineral substance, it should weigh 2469 ozs. If this rock can be got in large quantity uni fcrm with the sample, it will form the most useful kind of building~stone I have met with in the Province, as its chemical composition places it at the head of the list of volcanic rocks, while its texture is such that it can be worked almost as easily as a freestone, with the finest qualities of which it will also bear comparison for purity of color and ornamental appearance. Whereever I have seen it in place this rock has always shown a tendency to vary in composition and to pass latterly into a breccia conglomerate like that behind Port Chalmers ; and further, it is traversed by iron-stained fissures or " shakes " that divide it into masses of irregular shape and size. If the quarry from which the sample submitted was taken presents these characters, the contractors would find great difficulty in supplying stone of uniform quality from it, so that a special examination of the locality would require to be made before forming a decided opinion on the subject ; bnt judging only from the specimen, I have no hesitation in highly recommending it as a valuable building material. The results of the analysis which has been made by Mr Skey in the Laboratory were as follows :— Specific gravity, 2.469 per cent. ; soluble in acid, 3.04 do ; silica, 70.18 do ; alumina, 20.49 do ; iron, 1.13 do ; alkalies and water, 8.20 do ; lime, tracos ;—IOO.OO. Color, faint buff. Contains 1.40 percent, of water. The soluble matter consists of the iron, aad 1.91 per cent, of alkalies.

A meeting of members of the medical profession was held at Bennett's Victorian Hotel;.', on Saturday afternoon, for the purpose of ' considering the Medical Practitioners' Bill passed during the last session of the Provincial Council. The object of the meeting waa to protest against the 15th claim of the Bilf, . which requires a fee of £5 to be paid for ■ registration as a " duly qualified medical- | practitioner," under the Act. Dr. Hunter ■ | was called to the chair ; and there was ageneral conversation, all the speakers condemning the clansc, but approving otherwise of the Act. Mr Hardy suggested that great good would result to tho profession, and to the public, if there was a series of meetings held, at appointed dates, for social and professional communion, but at which members should show their diplomas to one another. The Chairman said that he wished it to be - distinctly understood, that for the " protection of the profession," as it was called, he would not step one straw'a breadth ; but for the protection of the public— for guarding - trom ill those who did not know better j who ■ could not be expected to be able to judge between the mere empiric and the man of trained skill and proved ability— he would do • all in his power. As far as the profession was concerned, the qualified and skilled man • had protection in his qualifications and skill. Taking the Act as a whole, he approved of it thoroughly ; but the profession ought to re- • present very plainly to the Provincial Legislature, that they felt strongly that an Act calculated to benefit the public was more tharj disfigured by this 15 th clause. Many young men might come here, full of ability, and possessing all the best diplomas, who yet could not afford to pay 5, for registration ; and to other practitioners— I he himself passed in 1834 —it" was an insnlt^ I when they brought British diplomas, the highest in the world, and honored this end-of-the-world Province by proposing to practise in it, that they should be told that, in order I to be recognised as qualified to practise, they must first pay £5. He would rather be, by law, regarded as a quack, than pay £5- to bai admitted to be— what he was, without the payment— duly qualified to practise the arts of medicine and surgery. They ought plainly to tell the Provincial parliament, that they were convinced that while the 15 th clause existed, the Act could not be the protection to» tho public which the parliament intended, and the profession desired it should be. When a. man was duly qualified, the Government and thß public ought to be glad to get him to prove his qualifications — not to demand that [he should pay £5 for something which was j for the public benefit, and not for his own. i He moved a re>solution to the effect that a memorial to the Provincial Council be prepared, setting forth that tb.B profession, whil? thoroughly approviug of the general principles of ths Medical Practitioners' Act ," are nevertheless constrained to dissent from clause 15 ; we being unanimously of opinion that such clause will be prohibitory of that good and real protection which it is sought to secure to the public." Mr Wilson seconded the motion, which was unanimously agreed to. Mr Wilson also moved, that Messrs. Hardy, Martyr, Clutterbuck, and the Chairman,' be a Committee to draw up a memorial to the Provincial Council; the same to be previously submitted to the members of the profession, at a meeting to We convened by the Committee. Mr Wilson said that he highly approved of Sir Hardy's suggestion of fraternal meetings, and the submission of diplomas one to another. The Chairman said that he went heartily with the proposal. Ifor twenty years he had been declaring that in these Colonies the members of the profession were too much estranged; and that, because of that estrangement, they not only weakened their influence pnblicly.but ignored those friendly and kindly feelings which could only be evoked by frequent personal contact. The motion was unanimously agreed to; and the proceedings were terminated by thanks to Dr. Hunter, for presiding.

Some valuable statistics of the Province of Canterbury have been furnished to the Provincial Government by the Collector of Customs at Lyttelton, which are thus commented on by the Lyttelton Times ;— " The Customs revenue for the Province for the last half of 1863 was £41,008 23 9d, and for the first half of 1864, £42,621 14s Bd, the total being£B3,629 17s 5d for tho twelve months. Of this a small snm is assumed to arise from certain special sources, which are indicated, and £82,000 is set down as having been contributed by the residents in the Province itself. It appears that during a series of years the proportion of revenue to population has ranged from £2 8s to £3 par head ; the lower receipt being that in years of dullness, the higher the result of peculiar prosperity An average shows a rate of from £2 153to £2 17a 6d per head in moderate years. On this basis, the population of the Province may be set down as at least 27,330, and at most 29,820. Turning then to other sources • of information, the collector shows that thenatural increase by births over deaths, and the net addition by immigration into? the Province in excess over emigration, applied <. to the last recorded census, brings the population tip to 27,800 souls ; but as this amount is based on a rather low estimate of increase by births, Mr Hamilton finally decided .upon 28,500 as the most probable estimate at the present time. This will be corrected by the census to be taken early in December next. For the coming year, looking at the somewhat dull state of business, the collector assumes an increase iv revenue from customs of one-fourth Upon last year, while the average of four yeara shows an increase of one-third-per annum. If the low rate be correct,, then £102,500 will be the revenue, or it* may i rise to £110,000, or even beyond. The population, by June 1865, may bo set dorta afc^ ' 34,000 to 36,000 souls.

r A. more pleasurable entertainment has ? rarely if ever been enjoyed in Dunedin than - the amafeur concert given on Saturday afternoon in the Oddfellows' Hall. The concert ■was in aid of the fund for defraying the cost of the fine new organ built by Telford and Sons, of Dublin, for St Paul's Church. Tlio sum of £500 is wanted to makeup the amount required, and the members of the choir resolved to supplement the subscription list by the proceeds of a concert given by themselves. The idea was a most felicitous one 5 *nd has been carried out with perfect - satisfaction to every one concerned, and one Bhould imagine hns resulted in a considerable addition to the fund. Before the time for commencing the peiformance the hall was Well filled by a highly respectable audience, and before the end of the first • part every available seat was taken up, and many 1 persons had to stand. The programme was well chosen, and included a pleasing variety « of L solos, duets, pait songs, and choruses. The performance commenced with the overture to

Semiramide, played as a pianoforte duet byMiss Haekett and Mrs Cooke. We must confess

that we never heard a, pianoforte duet by amateur performers more five from fault. It requires a good deal more than a moderate degree of proficiency on the part of both players to render a duet satisfactorily. In most cases, an overtur% played on the pianofort by amateurs, is a meaningless jumble of -treble and bass, the latter generally predominating. But the ladies who presided at the instrument on Saturday, betrayed not only very great mechanical pjsoflciency, but

also that rare talent of knowing how to inter-

pret the music before them. They played in admirable time, kept well together, and knew

pretty well what the composer intended his composition to be. We must especi-

ally commend the correct accentuation ■of the primo player ; a virtue too often neglected by amateur pianists. The secondo very ably supported her leader, and exercised correct discrimination in bring-

ing out any ba»s passages that were required

to be conspicuous. At the conclusion of the overture the performers were greeted with loud and genuine applause. The chorus, * Oh, who will o'er the downs so free," was very pleasingly gang by the choir. The vocal 3uet " Sweet is the dream," sung by Mr and Mrs Alderson, was one of the gems of the

performance, and received a rapturous encore,

which was graciously responded to. The audience were inclined to repeat the demand, but after some demonstration desisted.

The appearance of Mrs W. H. Mumford

was the signal for a hearty round of applause. She sang a very pretty trifle entitled, " Agnes, beauteous Flower," and the admirers of Miss Julia Mathews will be glad to learn that Mrs W. H. Mumford retains in full perfection those talents as avocalistfor which shehas been long celebrated. One could not but indulge the regret that the place Miss Mathews . filled in the ranks of the profession is still vacant. We need hardly say that she was encored — when was Mis* Mathews not ? — and that another song delightfully sung was given. Of the following part song, " The Hunter's Farewell," we hardly know what to say without going beyond the usual limit in criticising amateur performances. We cau only say that the im • pression created in our mind was that the hunter must have been in a very lugubrious mood indeed if the

singers rightly interpreted his feelings. We have s-ldom heard a more mournful <■ " fa-a-are thee well !" Miss Hackett now took her .seat alone at the pianoforte, and played an operatic Fantasia on airs from " Les Huguenots." Miss Haekett has reason to be proud of her talents as a pianist ; her solo playing brought into greater prominence the good qualities she showed in the duet. We can ocly regret that Miss Hackett did not select a piece more worthy her abilities, and one which would have given her greater opportunities of exercising the higher qualities of a pianist. The solo, the " Queen's letter," was very well sung by Mr O'Meagher, who was in c.ipital voice. Bishop's ever pleasing "Chough and Crow" concluded the first part of the Concert. The solos were taken by Mrs Alderson, Mrs Mumford and Mr Carrick; both solos and chorus went capitally, the only fault being a want of sufficient diminuendo in the closing bars. After an irterval of a quarter of an hour Miss Hackett and Mrs Cooke again sat down to the piano-forte, the overtuie toHßarbiere being the openimr piece of the second part. We can only rep at our previous commendations with respect to these ladies. With the single exception that the overture was taken a little too slow, we would not wish to hear a pianoforte duet better played. The next chorus "Aye Maria" was the best thing the choir did ; there was a little unevenness, but it was on tho whole very well sung. The part song, " Banish, Oh ! maiden," enabled the gentlemen who sang it to redeem their characters which the " Hunter's farewell " had slightly damaged. Mr Alderson next sang "Di Proveuza il Mar" in a style seldom attained by amateurs. He was vociferously encored and gave " A Father's Love," from Lurline, which received renewed plaudits. "Blow, gentle gales " was very pleasingly sung by the choir. The vocal duet, " The Moon has raised her lamp," was excellently rendered by Messrs Alderson and Carrick ; and the trio, " Sweet is the breath of morn went equally well. The sprightly chorus, "All among the Barley" was given with capital spirit. The performance concluded with the National Anthem, the solos being taken by Mrs Alderson, Mrs W. H. Mumford, and Mr Carrick. On the whole the concert was a thoroughly successful one, and we think might be repeated with advantage as an evening concert so as to allow those who could not attend on Saturday the opportunity of attending. Wo must not forget to add

that the concert was ably conducted by Mr West, who also supplied the really first-class piano-forte used on the occasion. It was one of Erard's best trichord upright pianos of beautiful quality of tone and great power. Miss Haekett also proved that its action was perfect.

His Honor the Superintendant has directed it to he notified that lie has received and'accepted the resignation of Mr Charles Williamsou, as Warden, &c, on the gold fields.

Notice is issued in the Government Advertising Sheet of the' intention to stop the following roads and portions of roads in the East Taieri districts :—": — " 35 chains in length, CO links wide, from north-east angle of section 32, irregular block, Taieri, to district road on the south side of blocks II and HI, Taieri ; bounded on the west by section 24 ; ea^t by section 25, irregular block, Taieri." "28 chains in length, 60 links wide, from Saddle Hill and West Taieri road to section 26, irregular block, Taieri ; bounded on the north by section 25 and parts of 24 and 26, irregular block, Taieri ; south by part of section 32, irregular block, Taieri, and block VII, Dunedin and East Tiiieri." " 6 chains, 25 links in length, CO links wide, from Boundary Line between suctions 25 and 2G, irregular block, Taieri to New District road, block 11, Taieri ; bounded ov the north by parts of section 5, block 11, south by section 26, irregular block, Taieri." "13 chains, 50 links in length, 60 links wide from New District road on section 4, block VI, Taieri, to New District road section 3, block VI, Taieri ; bounded on the north by parts of sections 3 and 4, block VI ; south by parts of sections 9 and 10, block 11, Taieri." "50 chains in length, 60 links wide, from Southern Trunk road to river side reserve ; bounded on the north by sections 17 and 19 ; south by sections 15, 16, and 17, Taieri river." In the North Taieri District,— "3so chains 80 links in length, 60 links wide, from District Road Line between block XV and section 52, irregular block, Taieri, to Dunedin and West Taieri road, on section 13, block XVIII, Taieri ; bounded on the north by part of section 60, irregular block, Taieri, application 1094, sections 29 and 30, block I, Dunedin and East Taieri, section 59, 58, 57, 56, 55. 54, 53, irregular block, Taieri, and section 34,blockII,Danedin and East Taieri; south by part of sections 13. 12. 11, 10, and 9, block XVHI, blocks XVII. XVI, and XV, Taieri." " 34 chains in length, 60 links wide, from District road at north-east angle of section 16, block XVHI, Taieri to Dunedin and West Taieri road ; bounded on the north-west by section 62, irregular block ; south-east by sections 46 and 47, river side, Taieri. 22 chains in length, 60 links wide, from Dunedin and West Taieri road to River Bank Reserve, West Taieri Bridge ; bounded on the northeast by section 62, irregular block, Taieri ; south-west by section 49, and part of 48, river section, Tuieri." "16 chains, 50 links in length, 60 links wide, from Dunedin and West Taieri road to section 58, irregular block, Taieri ; bounded on the north-east by se n tion 12, block XVI ; south-west by section 7, block XVII, Taieri." And in the North Taieri District, " 8 chains in length, from 80 links wide downwards, from District road between blocks I and 11, Moeraki, to intersection with Southern Trunk road ; bounded on the west by the Northern Trunk Road ; ea3t by section 8, block 11, Moeraki." "17 chains 80 links in length, 1 chain wide, from Northern Trunk road, section 29, block I, Moeraki, to District road between blocks I and 11, Moeraki ; bounded on the west by section 32 ; east by section 29, block I, Moeraki."

The meeting of the Local Committee of the New Zealand Exhibition, appointed to be held on Wednesday at three o'clock, lapsed in consequence of there not being a quorum. Ihe only members present were Mr Bathgate and Mr Livingstone. The absence of the Secretary, and the illness of the Honorary Secretary, haviug prevented circulars convening the m?eting being sent out, may possibly account for the non-attendance. We have been favored by the Honorary Secretary with a resume ot the letters, &c. which would have been laid before the meeting, which are as follows :— l. Mr Waymouth's diary of his visit to the Tuapeka District, and report of a public meeting held at Wetherstone's (Major Croker presiding), on the 28th ultimo. Mr Wayraouth mentions the following as probable exhibits of this Dis-trict-.—Samples of auriferous stuff ; model of three square miles, embracing Gabriel's, Munroe's, and Wetherstone's gulleys; model of the Blue Spur on a large scale. Working model of quartz crushing machine at Waipori ; model of patent sluicing and pumping apparatus; model of flunrs at Munroe's Gully; precious stones exhibited by Mr Hurst; piles, bricks, a table, churn, &c.— 2. Mr Waymouth's letter from Oamaru and Waikouaiti. — 3, Communications from the District Committees of Tokomairiro, Tuapeka and Oamaru. — i. A letter from Mr George E. Young of Oamaru, written on behalf of a public meeting, held at that plac?, by resolution of which an interesting specimen of a moa bone was presented to the Local Committee.— s. Letters from intending exhibitors. Enclosed in the letter of the Tokomariro District Coramic''ee, was copy of a letter addressed to the Hon. Sec. of that body by Messrs Smith and Co., urging the necessity of an immediate award of space in the Exhibition to those who have already made application for it, and a notification of such award to the applicants. A list of names of several gentlemen who have been recommended from various quarters as eligible additions to the Local Committee had also been prepared to be considered by the meeting. A meeting will be called for Friday afternoon nest, at 4 o'clock.

In a letter to the Editor of the Age, dated Sheerness, 24th June, Lieut. Saxby thus explains his Weather System: — "My predictions are founded solely upon the Newtonian theory of gravitation, which for public convenience we may call attraction. As an example, if the moon attract the flnids of the earth (we see that it influences the tides), and if the sun does the same, it must be evident, to even the unlearned, that the nearer these bodies aie at times to the earth the stronger must be their power of attraction, which, moreover, will be still further increased when the attractions of the sun and moon both operate in the same line of direction. Now, this is simply my 'Lunar' theory ; or, if any one prefers calling it ' Luni-Solar,' let him do so ; but the discovery of the appreciabilitif of such influences no one can, without absolute fraud, take from me."

We learn from the Auckland papers that Thomas Eman. a captain attached to the Ist Regiment of Wnikato Militia, was brought before the Police Court charged by Mr Osmond Lewis, chief clerk in the Comptroller of Militia and Volunteer Pay Office, in Auckland, with having embezzled, whilst employed in that office, money to the amount 0fL323 or thereabouts, on or about the Ist April last. This case, at the request of the Commissioner of Police, was remanded, in order that further evidence might be obtained. The prisoner was subsequently admitted to bail, in two sureties of LSOO each. A case of a somewhat similar nature is also, we believe, pending against a Lieutenant of the 3rd Waikatos, at present confined in the Auckland gaol for debt. This is also a charge of embezzlement whilst employed in the same office in May last, to the amount of L9B. The hearing of this case will take place as soon as the accused is released from his present confinement.

Roberts, the great billiard player, has been beaten by Lamb in Melbourne. The Arg\<s, of the 15th, says : — " Roberts' 'billiard tournament' — to quote the phrase of tho advertisement—came to a conclusion on Saturday evening last ; and, to the surprise of all concerned, the end was the defeat of the champion by Lamb, who, when half the game was given him, managed by fine play, and a series of extraordinarily fortunate breaks, set off by even more than corresponding bad luck on the part of Roberts, to reach the ultimatum of 1,000 points when a long way ahead of his opponent. There were two matches played on that day, aud the first, which took" place in the afternoon, was with Noicliffe,-who received 600 points in the 1,000. Very little distinguished it from the more ordinary games in which Roberts has taken part. His breaks were few, and seventeen successive spot strokes his greatest effort in that way. But the play was wonderfully rapid, and by the time Norcliffe had scored 240, Roberts passed him, and won by 60 points in not very much more than two hours and a half. It was the evening game that excited most interest. It began vary quietly, Roberts, while scoring fairly, being evidently more anxious to amuse the spectators by surprising strokes, such as those played with his head turnedaway, than to pass his adversary. A.fter an hour, the scores stood :— Lamb, 610 ; Roberts, 210. At this point Lamb began to play very badly, and at 333 v. 687, it seemed ag though Roberts was waiting for his opponent to recover himself, Before long Lamb's style rapidly improved, and the balls broke for him as they never broke before for any one during the champion matches. His strokes, especially the losing hazards into the middle pockets, were executed with admirable skill, but Fortune played some of the oddest tricks to place his balls in a favourable position for future scoring, no matter what he did. Among other breaks he made one of 51, and another of 46 ; while Roberts found his most strenuous efforts to keep up a long running score baulked by those trifling accidents which often influence a game nearly as much as the very best play. That the red ball should catch the shoulder of the pocket the sixteenth of an inch wrong — that the white should swerve a hair's breadth — that the pace should carry a ball that whirled from angle to angle three or four times two or three inches further than was intended, were all important incidents which, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, reach a certain average, but on Saturday night Lamb had good luck enough for two men, and Roberts bad luck enough for half-a-dozen. It is certain, however, that the latter did not Beviously exert himself at the early part of the game, and when the strain came he could scarcely make ten strokes in a break, while Lamb, with less poweiful play, went on to victory. The game proceeded till the scores were— Roberts, 622 ; Lamb, 996 ; when the latter, after a few provoking failures, of which the champion could take no advantage, scored out, amid loud applause. Before we conclude our notice of the champion, it is but simple justice to colonial industry to mention that the table manufactured for these matches by Mr Alcock, of Russell street, has proved so excellent that Roberts has frequently reiterated the remark that it is equal to the very best ever made in England. The champion matches on Ballarat will commence about the middle of this week."

The Melbourne Age states that the answer received from Mr Cardwell, Secretary of State for the colonies, in reply to the remonstrance of the Legislature against a continu" ance of transportation to Western Australia, forwarded by the March mail, is to the effect that the decision of the Imperial Government was arrived at after a full consideration of the whole question, and of the feelings of the co loniaa on the subject. Mr Cardwell also expresses his regret that it had not been found possible to adopt, to tho full extent, the views embodied in the resolutions sent him.

_ By a communication received from an in- ! side passenger, it appears that a singular accident happened to'Cobb's coach, which left Dunedin for Tokomairiro on Saturday last. After changing horses at the Ferry they had proceeded safely until they reached Mollisoo'h, fit Waihola, when the tire of one of the bind, wheels came off, which rendered the break: useless. The coach in consequence, in going" down the hill, pressed unduly upon the horses, which becoming somewhat unmanageable, run the coach against the embankment opposite Coghill's Hotel. The inside passengers on getting out of the coach found that the driver and outside passengers had either been thrown off" the coach or had jumpedj umped off. Fortunately no one wag seriously hurt, and another coach being procured, the remainder of the journey was prosecuted ia safety.

The London Review of the 25th June says t — "One of the most interesting discoveries Hint have been made in nataial history for many years, was recorded at the meeting of the Linnasan Society, on Thursday week last. A perfect skeleton of the Dinomis, or Moa, has been found by a party of miners in NewZealand. ' This huge bird, of which no living specimen has yet been seen by Europeans,, has hitherto been regarded as extinct, its former existence having been demonstrated by the presence of gigantic bones, met within various parts of the islands. Up to the present ti ne no complete skeleton was seen", but now we have been supplied with the entire series of bones of one individual. Some of the bones were exhibited to the fellows of the Linnasan Society, and were most interesting. The femur is of enormous size, and, strange to say, the ligaments connected with its head are in such perfect preservation that the specimen appears to be quite recent. From this circumstance, it is evident that thebird to which it belonged cannot be long dead ; for had the bone been exposed to such a climate aa that of New Zealand for even fifty years, the easilydecomposed tissue of the ligaments must inevitably have undergone destruction. Professor Huxley, who examined the femur, declared that, from the appearance of the ligamentous structures and his own experience of the New Zealand atmosphere, he felt inclined to think the bird itself had been in existence ten years ago. The moa ia a bird of the ostrich order, and must have reached a height of from ten to fourteen feet. The Maoris insist that the creature is still living, and the bushmen assert that they have Been it pass their camp fires. We have, therefore, every reason to hope that a living specimen may yet be observed and captured, and that this relic of an almost bygone race may not be classed in the same category as the dodo, which is only known to us by two solitary remnants — a head and leg,"

In the Taranaki Provincial Gtizetle of the Bth instant, appears the following letter addressed by Colonel Warre, Commandant of the Taranaki garrison, to the Superintendent, recommending precautions to be taken against a sadden attack by the natives, who, as was stated in our last advices from Taranaki, were mustering in considerable force in the vicinity of the town :— " Sir— l have the honor to request you will take some steps to caution the inhabitants that large bodies of rebel natives are now assembling at Mataitawa and' Te Arei. As it is extremely probable that these natives will scatter in small parties through the bush, the utmost vigilance and caution is enjoined to prevent a needless sacriace of life. The usual alarm signal (3 guns) will be fired in the event of actual or known danger ; on hearing which all persons working beyond the limits of the Blockhouses should come into town, or seek the protection of the several outposts. Civilians going to Bell Block are recommended to avail themselves of the convoys, whhh will leave town every Tuesday and Saturday, at 9 o'clock a.m., returning the same afternoon. No personshould proceed on foot beyond Bell Blockhouse, unless with an armed escort; and should any women and children be living at Eeli Block, thay are recommended to come into town, as protection cannot be afforded them at the blockhouse. All the outlying picquets on the south road beyond Omata are withdrawn at sunset, between which hour and sunrise none of the roads can be considered safe.

The Southland Daily News of the 22n<J, says .—"A large number of persons left town on Saturday for Bluff Harbor, iv order to witness the operation of floating the g.s. Scotia. Cobb and Co.'s coach was full of passengers, and numerous vehicles and horsemen were also to be seen proceeding down the Bluff Road. The steamer William Miskin left at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, with a large number of passengers on board. The William Miskin had been engaged to towoff the Scotia, should the floating of her be successfully accomplished. By a letter which, we received last night from our Bluff correspondent, wo learn that although every thing is in readiness, yet, owing to a strong east wind, with a very heavy sea, which, prevailed both on Saturday . and yesterday, the floating off was not attempted. Our correspondent speaks most hopefully, and seems to entertain no doubt of the ultimate successful issue of the enterprise. Mr J. R. Davies returned to town. last night, and that gentleman is equally hopeful with our correspondent. Mr Davies states that a portion of the floating power, consisting of casks and tanks, has been placed on board the Scotia, and has imparted such a degree of buoyancy to the vessel, that when the sea beats heavily upou her, instead of lurching suddenly, she rolls with a comparatively easy motion. Aa soon as the weather moderates sufficiently, operations will be at onca commenced. The steamer William Miskin is at the Bluff ia waiting."

The first prosecutions under the new Kerosene and Paraffin Oils Act took place before the Eesident Magistrate on Thursday. These cases are of considerable importance to the mercantile community, as they set at rest two important points in connection with the Act. In the first case a mercantile firm, dealers in kerosene oil, were summoned for iiaving on their premises in Maclaggan street ■more than sixty gallons of oil, the quantity allowed by the Act for dealers in the article to keep in their store at one time. The evidence showed that the police found in the front shop of the defendant'? premises four cases, and in their back premises other seven 'Cases, each containing eight gallons. Three of the cases in the back premises were removed while the police were temporarily absent, which only left them 64 gallons to seize. This quantity they removed to the store erected by the Government for the reception of kerosene oil. The points raised by Mr Wilson, for the defence, were that the Act contemplated that not more than sixty gallons of oil should be kept under one roof, or ia one building ; whereas in the present case the oil seized was in two separate buildings, distant from each other by at least fifty yards, although in possession of the defendants. The second point raised was ■that the police had no authority to seize -the whole quantity found, but only the excess over the sixty gallons allowed by the Act. The Magistrate sustained both the ob-jections-raised. Sixty gallons (in the case of & dealer) were allowed to be stored under one roof ; and the police, in the case of finding an excess of this quantity, were not entitled to seize the whole, but only the excess, which in the case under consideration, could only have ■been four gallons. The case was dismissed. Another charge of a similar nature was heard, but this case was against a person who was not a dealer in kerosene, and who had -on his premises sixteen gallons, whereas he ■was only allowed by the Act to keep ten. He admitted the offence, but pleaded ignorance of the .quantity he was allowed to keep on his premises. It was here stated by the Inspector of Police that these proceedings had been instituted, not, for the purpose of having the present defendant fined, but merely for the purpose of informing the community of the penalties to which they expose themselves by keeping excessive quantities of kerosene oil on their premises, since the Government store for its reception has been opened. The defendant, uader these circumstances, was fine 3 is and costs.

We understand that Mr Frederick Walker has resigned his seat in the Provincial Council for the Lindis district.

We extract from an article on the seat of Government question, in the Canterbury Press, the following remarks on Auckland: — " Auckland is not doing business on its own capital or resources, but on capital forced into it by adventitious circumstances. A large part of that capital comes from England to pay the troops, another largo part comes out of our pockets. This must cease some time or other. All we want to see 'is that Auckland shall be reduced to precisely the same condition as ourselves — that is to say, to be perfectly independent of assistance from its ■neighbors, conducting its own immigration at its own expence s and making its roads and railways with money out of its own pocket. When it ia reduced to that condition we hope to see Auckland grow and increase in a spirit of generous rivalry with Its sister provinces. We grudge it no amount of wealth and importance and prosperity; the more rapid the progress the better pleased we shall be. But we deny that Auckland ought to be maintained at the cost of other parts of the colony, as is now the case. Canterbury and Otago are now paying more than half the whole expenditure of the General Government. The Middle Island is paying two thirds of that expenditure. It is this against which ■we reasonably revolt. That Auckland will have to pass through a period of great depression, we confidently predict. She will recover from it after a time — after the reaction from the present unhealthy excitement has passed away. Her trade will then assume a healthy tone, and her industry, no longer bolstered up by foreign capital, will be exerted in the directions naturally called for by the requirements of trade. That Auckland will ever be a place of such importance as the Southern towns, is absurd to suppose. The map shows at a glance .that Auckland does not stand surrounded by sufficient country to justify such s. supposition. Napier, twenty years hence, will be a much more important town. New Plymouth, when an artificial harbour is constructed, will be one of the most important towns in New Zealand. Those, in our humble opinion, will be the two largest towns of the Northern Island. Wellington must become the centre of the commerce of the colony, because it stands in the nigh road from all parts. But Auckland cannot hope to be more than the capital of a small and not very rich district. The Waikato will soon set up for itself, and will probably, not in the niggardly spirit in which Auckland has treated Manukau, buoy and light the entrance to its river so as to carry on its own trade by its own harbor. All the natural commercial tendencies of the colony have been twisted out of their proper course by the maintenance of the Seat of Government at a place which has placed the great bulk of the •colony at a disadvantage. The South has never felt this so keenly as now, when her credit has been destroyed, not by the war, not by the efforts to establish the authority of the Crown, but by the conduct of the war in such a manner as to enlarge the boundaries of Auckland, and people the newiy-acquired territories. And that policy, we are persaaded, the next Session of the Assembly will put an end to for ever."

Mr John Barr, an old settler on the Molyneux, has sent to Mr G. Matthews, nurseryman, of Moray place, a couple of turnips, one weighing thirty pounds, and the other sixteen pounds, as a sample of an extraordinary crop grown on his farm this year. Those turnips are of the Aberdeen green-top yellow variety, a valuable sort for winter keep, as it is able to stand the vicissitudes of the winter climate with less injury than most others.

Mr Lutnley, celebrated as the lessee of her Majesty's Theatre during the palmy days of the Italian Opera, in his very entertaining book " Reminisc nces of the Opera," says that during the short sojourn of the Emperor Nicholas in England, the veteran diplomatist, Count Nesselrode, by whom he was accom panied, was on one occasion his guest. Mr Lutnley took the liberty of asking the Count the secret of his prolonged youth, when he replied, " Music and flowers." If there be any virtue in Nesselrode's - prescription, the public of Dunedin may test it in at least one particular — music. The performance of the masterpieces of the best operatic composers, and that too by a company of acknowledged ex cellence, is no unimportant event in the history of a young colony. The advent of the Lyster company, marks a new era in our social history, and no doubt the effect of their visit' will be marked through succeeding years in the increased love and cultivation of good music by all who have been enabled to hear it well sung and well played. The reputation achieved by the Lyster company in the neighboring colonies is so assured that the music loving portion of the Otago community may calculate on a rich treat. Those who can carry themselves back to the delightful associations connected with the opera in the old country, will have their memories refreshed and their sympathies quickened by listening to the old familiar strains. Whilst those who have got to experience the pleasure of the lyric drama will most certainly find an amount of gratification not attainable by ordinary amusements. It was a bold thing to bring over an Opera Company to Dunedin; and the Lyster Troupe deserve the hearty support of the public. It is not often that such an opportunity is afforded of indulging one's taste in the highest branch of Lyric Art, and those who neglect to hear the Lyster Company will forfeit a pleasure they may never again have the chance of experiencing. The season will commence this evening, 27fch inst., the opera chosen for performance being the grand opera of Lucrezia Borgia, and the Daughter of the Regiment. The cast is as follows : — For " Lucrezia Borgia," — Duke Alphonse, Mr Henry Wharton ; Gennarro, Mr Henry Squires ; Maffeo Orsini, Miss Georgia Hodson ; Gubetta. Mr J. E Kitts ; Vitelozzo, Mr Frank Trevor ; Princess Negroni Miss Ada King ; Lucrezia Borgia, Mme. Lucy Esoott. Eor the " Daughter of the Regiment " : — Sulpice, Mr Fred. Lyster ; Tonio, Mr E. A. Beaumont ; Horntensius, Mr W. Lloyd ; Marchioness de Bergenfeldt, Miss Ada King ; Marie, Mdlle. Rosalie Durand.

In the Lake District, the severe frost that has prevailed for some time back, has interterfered with sluicing operations, and in the more elevated diggings, as the water in the races is frozen, the yield of gold therefore is necessarily smaller than the average. The diggings at the head of the Lake are increasing in favor, and several parties have lately taken up ground there. On the lower grounds Our Correspondent describes the weather as delightful, and as the rivers are low, the damage caused by the late flood is in course of being repaired, with a view to the resumption of operations.

By a series of errors in the election of members for the Town Board for Port Chalmers, it appears that that election was virtually null and void, and that the Board as at present constituted, is illegal. All the proceedings of the Board subsequent to that election are therefore illegal, and it will be necessary to introduce an Ordinance at the next meeting of the Provincial Council to give validity to them. At the last meeting of the Board, a proposition was made that the members should resign ; but after some discussion, it was resolved that the Board should continue to discharge its duties untii an Ordinance could be obtained.

Mr Warden Wood, writing from Nokomai under date 13th August, says :—": — " The weather has been fine during the past week, and water again getting scarce. The population is increasing daily, and the signs of a settled gold field becoming more apparent by the fact of many of the miners getting their wives over from Victoria. The last flood did not do much damage, as the tail race of one of the parties engaged in bottoming the flat is covered in so that the flood went over it. The other party are going to drain by a water wheel — I suppose one of the largest overshot wheels on any of the gold fields, to be driven by water from the Nokomai itself. The large race of Hastings and party bringing the Nokomai on to the terraces at the Lower Nokomai is progressing ; the party have been at work at it for about five months, and hope to have it on the Welshmen's Spur by the first week in November. lam of opinion that the rules are not liberal enough in cases of this kind, as regards extended claims. This party, for instance, will have expended a large sum of money, besides their own labor for about eight months, to bring in water to work a piece of ground only 13.500 feet, which is classed in inferior ground. The Great Extended Race from the water shed of Mataura, is again being worked at. The Molyneux and Picton rushes interfered with the progress of the works for some time, but they have been started again by a party who hays the means to carry out the work.