OTAGO.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 83, 21 August 1863, Page 2

O TA GO .

(FEO3I OUR OWiV COHEESPONDENT.) . DUNEDIN". 13th August. If ray -next letter brings you the news that n very serious cnitbreak "has occurred at the Ducstan do not ba surprised. I assure you I fully expect it, and little cause for wonder when you are placed en rapport -with, the facts. You and your readers are doubtless aware that for more than fifty miles both banks of the Molyneux are taken up /with diggers' claims — that these diggers have frequently to cross and reeioss the river for the purchase of stores, obtaining fuel and other purposes. Frequently a claim will be on one side of the river while the owners occupy a tent or hut on the other ; in fact the river is required to be crossed during the day to about the same extent as Princesstreet is in our city. Hitherto men have crossed the river in punts or boats started by private enterprise, and the charge made has been three pence each way. To this diggers did not object, although it was thought that at some of the ferriesconsidering the large population using the punts— that this scale might have been still further reduced. Now note what has occurred. Some -weeks back an official announcement was printed in that most obscure and mysterious publication, the Government Gazette, calling for tenders for the leasing all the ferries on the Molyneux, some thirteen or fourteen in number. Prospecting for a good speculation, one Mr HiU becomes possessed of a Gazette, and thereupon. puts in a tender, offering to pay the Government two thousand pounds for a twelve months monopoly of the rivei", and the Government accepted it. No sooner had the contract been signed than this Mr Hill (and small blame to him-) raises the price for crossing the river from threepence to one shilling, a sum -which the diggers cannot afford to pay, and if I do not greatly err, will not pay, despite the peaceful disposition and character of the goldfields' population. But the raising of the price three hundred per cent, is even not the worst feature of the case. Before the present disgraceful contract was made, if a rush took place to any pare of the river where a ferry did not exist, private enterprise stepped in and supplied the want. Now Mr Hill possesses the monopoly of the river, from its mouth to its source, and no one dare carry passengers for hire by punt or boat Avithin three miles of any of his ferry stations, without that lucky gentleman's consent, which I am right well sure lie would notgivc. The diggers now must walk perhaps some two or three miles to get to a Government ferry, and then pay a shilling for the privilege of crossing the river. I am t Id that if Mr Hill's contract is not rescinded, and the Government lends him its protection to enforce the prices, lie will clear some sixty thousand pounds by his "tender." Hut that the, diggers will submit to the imposition ia not in the least probable. A deputation waited on the Superintendent on the 7th on the subject, and how His Honor will get out of his present scrape I cannot opine. T'.ie entire blame is thrown vp u n him for not having taken the opinions of the goldfields' wardens and others before per- ! mittinp the ratification of the contract. The AVonga Wonga arrived here on the 7th with later news from the North. There have been more cold blooded murders, fresh atrocities, and several outrages commitied by the Maori.es, but the day of retribution is at hand. A general attack will not long be delayed, the result of which there can be no doubt. The New Zcnlamler of the 30th ult. cor.tains a report that ten persons hud been butchered by the Maories, namely — four men, two women.'and four children, at the Wahoa. This report requires confirmation. The same journal of the 31st ult., regrets that it is not in a position to contradict the statement. Sowie anxiety is felt for the safety of Auckland, and the New Tiea-land-nr suggest the propriety of a spring instead of a winter's campaign. The steamer Avon under the direction of Commander Mayne, of II. M. s.s. Eclipse, entered the Waikato River on the 25th ult. She ground d several times, but was got off again, and ultimately reached her destination. Another brutal murder had been committed by the natives at Mahuranga. The settler's name was "William Calder; the body when found was in a forward state of decomposition, and the head was completely severed from it. 'Hie New Zealander of July oOth, says, the Sandny arrived last night from the Wairoa, and brings with her the distressing intelligence that several murders have been commited in this district by the natives. Just as i lie Handily was about to leave the Wairoa, Dr. Shortland came alongside in a canoe pulled by friendly natives, and reported that yesteiday ten persons had been butchered, namely, four men, two women, and four children. The natives entered the houses while the occupants were at their evening meal, shooting the men and tomahawking the women and children. As it was not expected that the boat which had been sent up the river Aviih the ammunition, &c, would return to the S^ndfiy until tbe next day, Dr. Shortland decided upon pulling up to Auckland in the canoe by which he had reached that vessel. The wind and tide, however, served so fairly, and so little time was lost by the naval volunteers who had charge of her, that the boat returned by the ebb, and the Sandny was enabled to return at once. The ranges were reported to be swarming with natives, and every man was ordered to maintain a dead silence, and to keep his head below the gunwale of the cargo boat which conveyed the ammunition from the Sand fly to the troops, thus passing -with the natives as an ordinary boat. Dr. Shortland may therefore be expected to have arrived in Auckland during the early part of this morning. The names of the victims of this massacre Have not been received. The Redoubt was unfinished, and there was no magazine prepared to receive the ammunition. About 50 Regulars .and 150 Militia were engaged in completing the redoubt. Volunteers are to be obtained from Victoria. It is there that an earlier application should have been made. The New Zealand Government will experience no difficulty in raising a body of two thousand, or even five thousand men, if wanted. A short training would bring the Victorian diggers into excellent fighting condition, and well able to meet the Maori, even in his own lair. A death by small pox was recorJed in the papers of the 7th. Sad and alarming as the announcement was felt to be, it has done good, for the government previously so shamefully dilatory in the matter, at once issued a proclamation, recommending parents and guardians not to delay getting children vaccinated, which would be done at the Government expense, two day's in each week The newly elected Provincial Council met yesterday for tl\e first time. There are now thirty-five members instead of twenty-three as in the last session. No pains have been spared in making everything as comfortable , for the newly elected as circumstances will admit of. Yesteiday morning, our Resident Magistrate's Court was thronged with townspeople, who were present to hear the result of two separate criminal informations which had boon laid against James G, Stuart Grant for a false and malicious iibel on Mr Julius Yogel, editor and proprietor of the Otngo Daily Times. I happened to see one of these libels over a month back, and certainly, in all my experience, I never read anything more grossly libellous, scurrilous, or unjustifiable. I think it not unlikely that the printers too, will have to juiy Aery dear for their temerity,

as a writ of action hasbeen served^upon|thefnK ,and,the case comesSo^lat^ -th^Siiext|^ivil.f sittings^ Mr G'ranf/.yeste^d^^^yo^ailat very lanfe attempt '£oi justify^ ljis^Jco^duc^asf " a true free-born Brit6^'?mai3e)^fdefence£ f and he was fully committied tio|t^e|his'triali . at the. criminal scssi6n§,,t6^e)hei'd)p,n^he'firs|! of . next m onth. Bail^was ?sjip|ec^uentiyj allowed by the Re^idenF Magistratlj^in^two sureties of £40 each; the defendant &tq"enter into his own. recognizances for double that amountr- "' -■-■ _--- "■■■>•■ _ r^"'^ A. deputation from the Dunstan waited on his Honor the '.Superintendent*- yesterday ■] nifirning, to present arid support a memorial against the leasingof the Fefriesibh a theiG6ld; Field. The deputation consisted of Mr.G. L. . Brodie, . M.L. A. and M.P.C. ; *Mr *JDW : G »rdo'n of the Upper Township, and Messrs.^ lie Woolf, Chappie and Watson ior the Lower, Township. ...... ; . ■'.'".' ;"' : Hie members forming 'the deputation ivere Vi ry graciou-ly receh r ed| by his Honor, "who, in substance, admitted that the Government had blundered greatly in the matter, but laid no small portion of the blame upon the several Gold Fields Wardens, who had not mentioned to Mm that a rise in the tolls would be considered objectionable. However his' Honor promised that the present excessive charges should at once be re lueed, although he proved that he had not the power to cancel Mr Hill's contract. The Chrysty troop are among us and have given two performances. At the Dunstan there has been a rush to a lo -aaty known as Speargrass Flat, Butcher's Gul!.y. Some gold has been taken, but it is nut i\t presi nt a field of promis~. The Titania has wonderfully improved her speed since her alterations. She left here last Thursday morning, with passengers and full cargo, delivered both at Invercargill' and arrived here again at two hours after midnight on Sunday. The Tuapeka arrived safely at the mouth of the Molyneux on Sunday, and steamed up the river at the rate of about six knots per hour. From the Hogburn diggings most favorable accounts continue to arrive. Many are doing exceedingly well, and very few but are making good wages. One party of two men took 24ozs in five days, and another of two 27ozs in ten clays. Heavy frost, accompanied with continuous showers of snow have set in with us in Dunedin. It is confidently expected that the sources which have for so many months past supplemented the waters of the Molyneux will be frozen up, and that digging operations may now be carried on with great activity. Our market is now all but destitute of mutton, beef being all the meat market has to offer for consumption.