OTAGO.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1470, 9 November 1860, Page 5

OTAGO.

Br the Prince Alfred, we have received our usual files of Otago papers, up to the 3rd in.' t. The Witness of the 3rd inst, says-. — The progress made by tbe Province during the last three months has been very considerable; we have been moving onwards noiselessly but rapidly. Immigrants Lave beeq arriving at a rate greater than than at any other period of our history. We had the Pladda in August, with 371 passengers: the Robert Henderson, the Bruce, aud the Henrietta iv September, with 627 passengers; the William Miles in October, with 40 passengers; and the Silistria is now in port with 312 more. The whole of pur late ai rivals have been absorbed ill the earnrhunity without materially affecting the rate of f: wages or lessening the demand for labour; we seem, in fact, to have arrived at a point at which it is almost impossible to overstock the labour market. The balance of immigration over emigration by this table is 2362 ; adding thereto arrival* in October, 444 souls, aud 210 births during 9 months, we have now a population of 12,02(5 sou's. The Customs Revenue for the nine months of the present year also shows a rapid increase ; —

In 1859 the grots revenue from this source was £20,645 ; for the three quarters of 1860 it amounts to £24,495,— a rate of increase beyond 30 per cent. IMPORTS.

The imports of 1859. amounting to £243,671, shows the progress here to be satisfactory,

! >, ■ £46,115 17 8 Compared with £83,720, the exports of last year, tbis amount appears like a falling off, but these returns are not correct as guides to the exports of tbe different Provinces. To this amount should be added £25,000 worth of wool shipped in the Royal Bride, and wbich vessel, baying filled up at Canterbury, cleared for the home ' country there, and consequently the whole of i her cargo will figure amongst the Canterbury i exports of 1860. The export of wool has very i materially increased, whilst that of agricultural some time past, using a seam of coal in their i produce bas very materially increased, whilst i produce bas much diminished. In 1859, Otago i exported £21,991 worth of wheat and oats, j The high price ruling for wheat, in consequence : ofthe anticipated arrivalof Immigrants, checked the exports, our farmers finding a better market at home than in the Australian colonies, Wheat ; at this moment being worth 9s. per bushel in t Otago. Total Receipts of tbe Crown Land Department, for three quarters ending September 30,

I m. .^g-wo ... » 'touihi (Miisuus iv mis xrovince presents but little to comment upon. Inveroargill is now a considerable place, as may be judged of when we state that town sections in the best places for business let at an annual rent of per foot frontage, In Dunedin, the phanges are so rapid, that on returning after an absence of three or four mouths, you scarcely recognise the outlying portion of the town to be the same place as tbat which you left. Shops, too, in the main streets which were thought handsome erections last year, bave been eclipsed by smarter and larger buildings adjoining. The point, however, which tells the tale of rapid progress, is the jetty, — the accomodation which it affords being totally inadequate to tbe increased business. - During the past week we have had three sea going steamers— owned in the Province and trading on the coast— lying alongside the jetty ; a small steamer, plying on the Harbour ; and, at Port Chalmers, there is the Pirate, our Melbourne packet, also owned in Otago. Our Province appears to be the only one in which steam has really taken root. Port Cbalmers has also wonderfully increased and gone a-head lately. At tbis time there are in Port giving it a gay and business like appearance, the Evening Star, Bruce, William Miles, Silistria, Acasta, and the Thomas and Henry. Oamaru, to the North, is becoming a place of importance ; the amount of trade carried on tbere being even now greater than tbe whole trade of Dunedin was a few years since. Some good and substantial buildings have been erected there, and a town is growing up with mushroom rapidity. Our gold-fields at the Mataura do not get on very rapidly. One pound of gold was obtained, sufficient to show that gold exists ; but, in fact, our population is too busy with the surface of tbe land, and makes too large a profit out of it to have very strong inducements to go below in search of wealth. Tbe only mining which is I likely to be carried on for some time is cpal mining, und although it does not figure largely at present, still it is on the increase. The Tokomairio settlers have been, for some time past, using a seam of coal in tbeir district for fuel. At Waitaki, aud in the interior the runholders have also been work : ng coal for the use of their stations. As tbe demand is constantly on the increase, these seams will have to be properly wrought. The Tokomairiro fetters have determined to form a company, or make arrangements for this being done in their neighbourhood ; and applications have been made for leases jn other parts of the Province. With steam constantly on the increase, it would be of the greatest importance to the Province if a good steam ooal could be discovered. In social matters we bave had a novelty in the shape of a meeting of the Maories, in which the Natives expressed their loyalty to the Queen and tbeir friendly feelings to the Europeans. The meeting passed off very well ; and, although it was unnecessary in so far as the friendly feelings of the Natives was not doubted, yet it was gratifying to tbe Natives, and may lead to a closer intercourse with the Europeans; and induce the Natives to make an effort to elevate their condition. Amongst otber public meetings, we have had one to form a committee to obtain subscriptions ii aid of the settlers at Taranaki, and collections have been made in the churches ;— at Knox Church £75, and at the Episcopal Cliuich £25, Altogether, the subscriptions amount to nearly 4EJ600, not one?half of what we presume will be subscribed wben the lists from the country districts come in. A Total Abstinence Society has been formed, and has met witb success. Rifle Corps have been formed as far as it is possible to get on with that buisness without the of the Government. Dunedin, the Taieri, the Tokomairiro, Warepa, &c, bave their Volunteer Corps ; but, as no intimation of the acceptance of their services has yet been received, and not a rifle is to be got, it will bd some time before volunteering is a reality* Twenty of the Dunedin Volunteers are most industriously undergoing drill for the purpose of teaching others as soou as the corps can be properly f x ned.

1 lie number of sheep now in Qtago is as follows : — Ju the Northern District, ...278,843 sheep In the Southern District, ...140,000 " I „ ' 418,843

Rural Lands £42,892 7 6 ! Town Ditto 6,112 7 6 i Depasturing Licenses...... 1,422 0 4 i Assessment on Stock 1,388 18 8 ; Fxaraiuing: Recorda 0 2 0 Fees on Transfer of Rural Certificates 114 i) 0 Fees on Timber Licenses. . % 276 0 0 Fees on Crown Qrants 106 0 0 £52,311 16 0

KXPOBTB. Quartw ending 31«t March, £7,001 9 4 " 30th June, ...31,771 1 8 M 30th Sept, ...7,343 6 8

Quarter ending 31st March, £60,666 " 30th June, 56,535 " 30th Sept., 90,458 £207. a-M)

»EVENO«. Quarter ending 31st March, £6,115 5 1 " 30th June, ... (i,27l 0 3 " 30th Sept., ... 8,108 16 JO I f'siA At\i^ <S n