COLLINGWOOD.

Colonist, Issue 29, 29 January 1858, Page 3

COLLINGWOOD.

[tROM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.] 25th January, 1858. Golden GutLY is still all the talk here, everybody gone, or going that can get away; diggers are arriving there every day from Anatoki, Slate River, and elsewhere, and no wonder, as there, no turning a river or building half a dozen dams one after the other is required;—strip off a few feet of surface and you are in the washing stuff. Some are getting3 to 6 ozs. per diem; 7 ozs. I heard of in one instance, to the party of three. I believe more is obtained, but one cannot get reliable information j still, from the avidity shown by old diggers in getting claims, the disputes about boundaries, and the large gold-bags required by some who have been but a; short time at work, something considerable is tieing done. In some instances patties.are workihgT.the second lottom^ and with satisfactory results. You hear others say, we shall have to go down 30, or 40, or 50 feet, but we must do it, heavy gold is found at the top of the gully ; the country is very similar to the Quartz Ranges. Masses of quarts as large as a two-gallon keg have been found in the neighbourhood, with gold in them ; they have been burned, and the gold extracted by those who found them; a small sample is going to Nelson to-morrow, it will probably be seen at Coates'; a considerable quantity of gold is going by the steamer. I do not see in your parliamentary reports any notice of a memorial to the Provincial Council, from a committee appointed by the inhabitants of this place, on the subject of the internal communication of the district. It was given to the member for Massacre Bay for presentation, has it been submitted to the Council ? Talking about the Council, I am glad to see the juvenile member for Waimea East maintaining there thereputation he has 'acquired in various social ; . His queries respecting auctioneers' arid publicans licenses were timely, and elicited a positive answer from the Government. It seems a few months since, two persons applied for auctioneers' licenses; they were prepared, I believe, to pay the full fee of £40 each, but they could not obtain them, because an old ordinance of Sir G. Grey's obstructive nominees (cancelled in the other provinces) says, that .on the 25th April only will the Government receive £40 per head from as many men as choose to pay it. I believe it went sadly against the grain to refuse the money, as provincial funds were so low that it was a matter of toss-up who should be first paid. An alteration is wanted in publicans' licenses for the diggings; they should be moveable without the necessity of a transfer signed by the Superintendent, or the Resident Magistrate here Bhould be authorised to transfer all licenses on application. Now we are in the Council reminds me that Mr. Saunders has been kicking up a bit of bobbery with you, because you don't measure your corn with his bushel; he objects to " violent personal attacks," gross 'v misrepresentations,' that you edit a " mischievous publication." 1 think I heard Mr. Saunders say something about a pot and a kettle whilst replying to Dr. Monro in Council the other evening. It is probable that you are not always right in your remarks, still it seems ill-advised that a gentleman who was supposed by most people to be your predecessor should express himself so strohgly against a paper which, perhaps, owes its existence* here to himself as much, if not mofe, than any other person. The first session of Council being over, or adjourned, what. has been done for the diggers ? Regulations have been passed, including, of course, a tax. The Debenture Bill also is passed. I suppose we shall now get & thousand or two for roads—the tax won't hurt, accompanied by a tolerable, road. Toll-gates about every 7 or 8 miles, at places that cannot be passed except by the* road, should be erected, and the proceeds applied to keeping it in repair. Whether we have them or not, the tax will be very unpalatable without the road; don't put the tax on till the road is made.

The great Central Board of Education have decided that on or about next June we are to have a school, if one is wanted. We cannot understand this Board. The inhabitants asked to be taxed for the purpose of educating their children; an individual offers a site for the school; they werfe told they must raise subscriptions, and do sundry other things. However, they were expected to do a deal niorfe than they ought to do, and so we must wait till the youngsters perfect their education out of school. Just like, say you, the good old procrastinating Nelsonian style. We certai nly are at the uttermost ends of the earth. We cannot get a missionary to marry a Maori; we have notices sent to us that So-and-So is to hold Divine Service in Gibb's store—of course, we imagined it would be so, especially as the steamer only charges half-price for missionaries, but it was all gammon. I don't mean to say the people care much about these things, but it only helps to show that Maoris or Europeans, adults and children, may get on how they can socially, morally, politically, if they come to this country.

DEATH AND SLEEP.—A Fable, (From the German of KrUmmacher.)

Dkath and Sleep—the Angel of Slumber and the Angel of Death —wandered thorugh the earth, locked in a brotherly embrace. It was evening. They laid themselves down upon a hillock at Borne little distance from the abodes of men. A mournful silence reigned around, and the evening bell in a distant hamlet ceased.

Still and silent, as their nature is^ the two beneficent genii of mankind sat in melancholy embrace, and night descended upon the'earth. Then up rose from his mossy couch the Angel of Sleep, and shed, with gentle hand, the invisible seeds of slumber. The evening wind carried them to the silent homes of weary labourers, and sleep weighed heavily on the feet of the cottagers, from the old man supported by a staff to the infant in the cradle. The sick man forgot his pain, the mourner his grief, the poor their care. —All eyes were dosed. When all this had been accomplished, the ■benevolent angel placed himself again by the side of his more solemn brother, "When the Aurora breaks forth," lie exclaimed joyously, "then will the world thank me as its friend and benefactor. How great a happiness there is in doing good unseen and secretly ! How Tiappy are we,- the invisible messengers of a Good Spirit! How beautiful our silent vocation!" .....

.So spake the kind Angel of Sleep. The Death Spirit looked at him with a calm sadness, and a tear such as theimmortals weep, stood in his large dark eye. " Alas!" he said, " that I" may never rejoice, as you do, inthe gratitude of mankind! The world calls me its joy-disturber and enemy." "0! my brother," replied the Angel of Sleep* " the day will come when, from thy long sleep awaking, the world will discover the goodness of its friend and cover thee with blessings. Are we not brothers, and the messengers of otir Father ?" While he so spake, the eye of the Death Angel beamed brightly With immortal hope, and the brother spirits embraced each other tenderly.

A storm, similar to the memorable one which proved so .disastrous to the British transport service during the Crimean war,'broke over the Black Sea on the 10th of October. Several vessels were wrecked on the Turkish coast, eight alone at the Sulina, mouth of the Danubcr— Home fteW) NttoomHer IC<