Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 1177, 16 June 1869, Page 2

A meeting of the Young Mens' Mutual Improvement Society took place on Monday evening last ; the Rev A. H. Stobo occupied the chair. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read, the chairman introduced Mr Erskine to open the debate, the question being, "is the Poet or the Statesman the Greater Benefactor of Mankind." The opener dealt very ably with the matter from his point of view, briugiug numbers of authorities and arguments forward that at first appeared overwhelming. W. A. Dunlop followed, arguing in favor of the Statesman having the greatest claim for the appellation. Messrs Burns, Lockhart, A. Hay, Porter, BonthroH, and others spoke on the question, the balance of argument being with Mr Dunlop. Altogether, the meeting was a most successful one. The Tea Meeting in connection with St John's Church, announced for last evening, Tuesday 15th, was postponed in consequence of the boisterous atate of the weather. It is now intended to be holden on Tuesday, the 29th inst., when, it is to be hoped, the elements may prove more favourable. According to a Parliamentary return, of the 49 convicts just released by the Government, 34 were transported to Australia. No doubt, on receiving the good news of the clemency of the Crown towards them, some of them will pre*er to remain in the Colony to returning home. There are now published in the United Kingdom 1,378 newspapers, distributed as follows : — England, London, 266 ; Provinces, 779 ; Wales, 61 ; Scotland, 136 ; Ireland, 131 ; British Isles, 15 ; total, 1,378. Of these there are 63 daily papers published in England, 1 in Wales, 11 in Scotland, 13 in Ireland, and lin British Isles. In 1859 there were published in the United Kingdom, 966 journals. Of these 43 papers were issaed daily, viz : — 3O in England, 6 in Scotland, and 7 in Ireland ; but in 1869 there are now established and circulated 1,378 papers, of which no less than 80 are issued daily, showing that the press of the country has very greatly extended during the last ten years, and more especially so in daily papers, the daily issues standing 89 against 43 in 1859. In addition, there are many periodicals which, though containing news, are not properly newspapers. Upwaids of 80 have been registered in New Zealand. The case of Mitchell v. Wolfskehl, which has occupied the attention of Mr Justice Hargreave and a New South Wales jury for thirteen days, and will rank as one of the Australian causes celbbres. The action involves a question of right to property amounting to £120,000, but in consequence of the judge issuing an ordsr that the evidence should not be published till after the trial, at present the facts are extremely meagre. Dr James Mitchell, one of the oldest settlers in New South Wales (having been identified with that colony for upwards of forty years) died some short time since, leaving a will in which he appointed the defendant sole executor, with the power to apply the whole of his property to carrying on mining schemes in connection with the Currawong Cop per Mine, in which he was interested, thas totally setting aside a previous will, by which the doctor's property was left to his widow and children. The widow and executors now assert that, for some time previous to Dr Mitchell's death, he had shown signs of his intellect becoming clouded, and that Wolfskehl, by obtaining undue influence over him, had compelled him to make the second will in his favor. The plaintiff Wolfskehl having applied for probate of the will, it was opposed by the executors of the first will. A verdict has been given for the defendant, thereby asserting that the last will made by Dr Mitchell waz invalid. We (Timaru Herald) have been presented by Mr Sealey with a magnificent specimen of quartz brought from the Opuha gorge, near to the locality of the quartz reefs lately discovered by Messrs Thew and Thurgood. We are in expectation of receiving other specimens from off the reef itself, and we will then forward the quartz to Wellington to get it properly tested and reported on. The following return of Gold Export appears in the New Zealand Gazette " of the 13th ult. The quantities exported during the quarter ended the 31st Maroh last were — Auckland, 41,6740z5., value, £131,273; Malborough, 1660z5. , value, £654; Nelson, 45,2580z5. , value, £181,032; Wastland, 43,2580z5. , value, £173,032 ; Ofcago, 35,8890z5., value, £143,596; Southland, 9ozs., yalue, £36. Total, 166,26^3 ., value, £629,633, aganist a total for the corresponding quarter of 1868, of 160,295 ozs., value, £634,036. All the provinces show a falling off in the yield except Auckland, from which province the export of gold ha 3 advanced from value £26,476 in the March quarter of 1868, to £131,273, as abovo stated, for the corresponding quarter of the present year. The figures above given bring up the total of the value of the gold exported from New Zealand to £17,674,532.

The Freemasons of Auckland gave, on If ay 27, a grand complimentary ball to the officers of the American squadron. The ' Wellington Independent * states :— " We have been informed that Messrs Crowther and Coffee, the contractors for building the pontoons in Queen Charlotte's Sound, have nearly completed two of the /our pontoons advertised for ; the other two will be ready in about ten days, when the s.s. Lady Bird will proceed to the Sound with a number of men and all the necessary appliances for the raising of the s.s. Taranaki, when we truat that the experiment will be successful, and that ie may prove remunerative to the company."