POST OFFICE NOTICE.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 103, 19 October 1863, Page 2

POST OFFICE NOTICE.

Weunderstand that the English mail, despatched per Cobb and Co.'s coach at 5 o'clock yesterday nvrning, consisted of twelve boxes and three bags, — one or the largest mails yet sent from Invercargill. At the Music Halls, there were crowded houses on Saturday night. At the Criterion, Mr Holland in his version of Shakspeare's " Seven Ages ot Man," called forth unlimited plaudits ; and at the Union, Miss Beaumont and Mr Parker, wero in , their respective departments, greatly appreciated. ,

On Friday afternoqa^tpali^rVengine/rccently,' imported, was tried^ | under auspices of Messrs J. Horner'and^Co., itf the 7^& of the Albion Hotel. The*E§;meeEto the lWn Board, and Mftssrs Hatclr apa*Kingslan<i, as representa^ tives of the Fire Brigade, attended. Sixty feet of hose having been attached, it was found that wa*e* could be easily thrown to (V .height of thirty feet, and; those- presenfc<appea«edcr.to, be -well-satisfied, with the experiment-. f ?ne.engine is of the manufactute'of Messrs BKnkiiam and Shattlewprth— : ; weighs 8 cwii., is easy and '-was imported to toow water toxa&iiglifc of Seventy feet. We have no doubt-that -i£ will be -found very wsefuj herei~ beincr, fDOin the anVallnes's ' of body, well suited to the narrow rights -of- way, which, are tbe only means of approach<*Vmany .' blocks of houses. A grand banquet wasrgiven to Dr Hector on t he evening of the 13th by the leading citizens of Dunedin, on the occasion of his return- from the exploration of the West Coast. We would direct attention to the account of,his wanderings which is published in this days issue. The Auckland newspapers are advocating with much earnestness the institution of a New Zealand Patriotic Fund up4n the same principle as that which was productive of so much good in England during the Crimean War, We would recommend such of our leaders, as may have been prompte^y-tlie lately announced intelligence to start „off for the Taieri Rush —to look very vi.^Uaftlly before they leapA special report of that rush, published in another.'column gives v'oqy. unfavorable accounts . indeed states, that the'original prospectors were in danger of their lives.from the deceived mob. After careful observation no evidence could be seen sufficient to warrant the flaring intelligence, that sent Dunedin mad; and serious anticipations are entertain?d .of the " row " there will be,when the two thousand men at present on the Silver-stream track reach their gaol, and find themselves in the possession of"' a duffer." The Canterbury Ft ess has the following:— " However generous a man Governor Gore Browne maybe— and no man is more so— it is impossible but that'he must have received Sir G. Grey's letter with something approaching to a chuckle. A spiteful man would have it bound up with those memorable despatches from the same Governor to the Colonial Office in 1861, so neatly illuminated with sneers at a predecessor who was incapable of governing the Natives without war. For our own' parts we can only recall a joke— singularly prophetic as it turns out— made by a classical wit, when Governor Browne was first appointed to New Zealand. « Minium ne erode colon " " Trust neither grey nor brown." The following gold statistics are from the New Zealander :— " The return of gold exported from New Zealand for the three months ended the 30th June last, is published in Thursday's New Zealand Gazette. From Auckland the amount is 2,173 oz., and value £6,756 ; Nelson and Lytt'leton, 2027 oz., value £73-53 ; Wellington, Dunedin, and Invcrcargill, 101,-573 oz., value 620,087. Totalquantity,l6G,793oz. ; total value £640,706. The gold exported by LytteUon was 13 oz!. the produce of the Nelson goldfields ; the gold exported by Wellington was 250z., olso the also the produce of the Otago goldfields. The total amount of gold exported from Auckland up to the 30th Juno is 4691 ; the total of all the gold exported from New Zealand is 994,313 oz, valued at £3,849,7-57. . , „ T , In regard to communication with the Lake via Invcrcargill, the Wakatiji Mail of tbe 14#i inst. sa y S : _« Simultaneous W-ith the withdrawal of the Dunedin and Lake lino of coaches, our readers will perceive thatthe long-promised service betwcei Dunedin and Invorcargill is announced. We have when they will run three times weekly each way accomplishing the whole distnnco in one dav — about fourteen hours. The fare is stated at the moderate sum of £5. The convenience of this arrangement it would bo useless to expatiate upon, ns it must be apparent to the most obtuse. With steamers to Dunedin, Melbourne, and the Northern ports continually calling at invercargill and the Bluff, this rou'tti offers the highest advantages, both on the score of cheapness and rapidity of transit, and will, we have no doubt, bo extensively and deservedly patronised. To Dunedin from Invercargil! thn fare is £3 and £5, which will bring the whole sum up to £8 and £10, the'snmo rate as by the Dunedin coach, but avoiding the lengthened confinement in a nrrrow space, and the bogs and crab-holes characteristic of the latter; The time occupied in going from tho Lake to Durjedin will be about the same as by the other route." How to safely swim rivers on horseback is a very serious matter in this province of swollen streams. The following advice upon the subject, culled from the columns of the Sydney Horning Herald, is valuable so far as it goes. — " The safe mode of swimming rivers on horseback should be held in remembrance by every one. Take off heavy boots and heavy coat, and strap them to saddle ; take your feet out of the stirrups ; throw the reins on the horses neck, and by~»o means chock him. If danger is apprehended, slip off the saddle, and hold firmly by the tail of the horse, who will, ninty-nine times out of a hundred, carry you safely to terra firmi. When a horse is checked whilst swimming, his hind legs go under his lore and lie flills backward, winch usually terminates fatally to the rider and to the horse also." The show of entire horses, held on the Ist of October last in Christ church, was pronounced n failure by a Canterbury paper. Probably the east wind which prevailed there on that day may have soured the tempers of the " hossy " reporters of the Canterbury journals. The J?ew Zealander says : — We have been furnished with the following by a well-informed correspondent : — "There are several interesting incidents connected with the Pukekohc attack worth mentioning. The natives were undoubtedly 350 in number ; the extent of ground they occupied in a kind of skirmishing order, and the riddling with bullets which the Stockade exhibits, all prove their numbers to have been great. Bofore the soldiers arrived one party of natives carried on tlYe attack whilst another party commenced cooking operations within view of tho settlers L nines tead. The attacking party were led on by a very lrrge, stout man, fully tatooed, who called out in good Englsh to the settlers, ' come oat you cowards, come out nnd fight !' Other language, evident!} 1 picked up in grog-shops and- such places, of neither a complimentary nor elegant character, was also used. The gate of tho Stockade was not hung, and the men had to stand by the side of it, ready to defend the opening in case of a rush. Here was an opportunity, which, if the natives had had proper pluck, could have been taken advantage of. It is sup. posed that the natives are encumbered with a great number of wouaded. Poor wretches, notwithstanding their merciless cruelties to ooru r people, one cannot help pitying them, without surgical assistance or proper appliances. It is reported that the natives have made an attempt to cut down the fourth bridge on the Great South Road. More men will be required for service here if this be true, for a post at each bridge will be essential, for a short, time at least. The bridges on tho Waiuku are in a miserable state. The other day a fatiguo parly cf Colonel Nixou's men had to repair one which was quite impassable for clays. It is absolutely necessary that these bridges should be kept in good condition."

THE C&EMErELttEs: dRDISANdT^" i | *$.- ' YcoMMUrUCATED.] U - 1 ?. v'f? g .*i;t3s nofcoftcn tha&relfgifrfc ,4«M^M have^brred themselv es uport the „ atsJent^on| ofroar Brovincial CcmnciJ, bjat; whilgmeK have opinions and feelings of iheir own, no determinations or efforts will altogether avoid them. This has been seen in the case^oij^h^ havToccupie3 the' ' attention of tbe Council.'-" The Protestant ci-eeds and denominations, wilth ; the- exception of the Church of Ellgland,nnd little difficultyinlayingj;heir. dead decefftly In a generar"place-6f mterment; that ;chufcu,-h6vveverv lias 1 old and time-honored cua'oms, which are very sacred in the hearts of most of her people, and among them that of the relisiioua cqn^ novation at the hands of her Bishops and chief pastors alone, of the ground .where the ashes of her departed are to await the resurrection of the dead. This act,of consecration signifies,' in the 'first "place', me setting apart for ever from all secular purposes for those of religionvand in its more •restricted senserfbr religious purposes in accordance vvith the rites and sacred observances of the Church so consecrating. It is clear, then, that without the making . over of the ground as provided by the measures in question, this would be very difficult. It is equally clear that denying to the members of the one churcli the power of hallowing the last resi ing place of those dear to them, would be an uncharitable and unnecessary outraging of the feelings of the living, though of no possible consequences to the dead. Now, whether it is wise in these daw* <o weaken any elevating or hallowing influences, is a question which hardly admits of two opinions. It will scarcely be coni sideredthat the religious principle is much too strong among ourselves, or the colonies generally, and therefore, the policy of government is, obviously to respect and foster it by every means in iheir power. Such is the plain tendency of the two Ordinances introduced by the Government, and, in their introduction, they have shown themselves in some measure equal to the difficult task of legislating for a mixed population. Nothing* is more erroneous than the idea that the church of England is actuated by purely exclusive feelings, for even at home the fact of being baptized alonp, is sufficient to entitle any person to all the services and privileges of the Church even though widely dissenting from her communion.