LATEST NEWS FROM OTAGO

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1689, 7 January 1862, Page 7

LATEST NEWS FROM OTAGO

By the barque Hermine, we have received our usual files of papers up to the 2,7 th December. The news .from the Gold FieldsMs still of a satisfasiory character. . The last weekly Escort arrived at Dunediri on (he 26th ultimt); with 14,014 ounces <^f gold, .. ./' .', About JXJOO-rMiners had proceeded to the.. ? W.aipofi. p new gold field recently discovered"}; but' 'were returning \\\ '■ hnn-' dreds'to.tbd scene of their former lab<s%. Hughes andfj^ffcy, the 'discoverers of. the new. field, stated that they had got so ounces of coarse gold, the result of four weeks work ; 36 ounces of which they found in the bed of the creek, the result of jfoiir days .work. , The barque Atrevida> with 15 cabin arid 150. steerage passengers; the Helen McGaw, with 250 ; the Geuii, with 292, and the , Aldinga with 140 petssenger^ had arrived at Otago. The Aima>.:wit^ 256 passengers cleared out at Melbduris on the 19th Dec, for Olago j and t^e Queen of Perth, and Frowning Beauty, the latter from Sydney had also sailed: The schooner Zillah, of Auokland, with a cargo of timber,. is reported to be on shore at the New River. , The rush from Victoria had igaiu

commeuced. --• Mr; -Ling informs- us, that about. . 1,000 persons arrived at Port Chalmers "on Christmas Day, and that 5,000 more were known to be afloat. The s. s. Aldinga, from Melbourne the 20th ultimo, arrived at Port Chalmers on Christmas day, with 140 passengers. The Daily Times of the 26th ultima, says :— Captain M'Lean reports that all the berths wore taken up before her. arrival in Melhourne, and several of ihe cabin passengers bad to come without berths, The roporl of the Aldinga having taken fire on her outwurd passago is entirely without foundation. Captain M'Lean has made one of the quickest passages on record, having only boon 13 d;iys to aud from' 'Melbourne.

A large nuiabor of the miners hail come into town to spend their Christmas 'holidays. The weather al Olago, us at Wellington, was most tin propitious for the pleasure seekers. The Daily Times, says : — " Ah appears to have been a usual fjjjuso of proceeding on the part of the Clerk of the weather for some years, Chrisuias-day (yesierday) was eeiebruted with several smart showers, which had ;the. effect r oT keeping a large number of Ipbdple within doors. A fair proportion, however, of ' holiday seekers wero bold enough to venture on aquatic and other ■excursions, the pleasure boats to Port (.'haime:s and iho Heads being well patronised. On the day previous there had been a great rush for vehicles of every dssmipiion. and had the day been fine the pleasures of Christmas day would have been considerably enhanced. Id the coarse of the afternoon advantage was taken of the Provincial Horse Bazaar and Mr. Jones, entering into the spirit of the hour, managed to. get up a variety of impromptu ttports,.which. had the effect of congregating and keeping together a large number of people. No great stir took place in any other part of the town, with the exception the mud, which was decidedly the predominant Jcatnro of Duuedin. throughout the day. The arrival of (he Aldiuga, and the lauding of passengers in the evening, ai traded a large number of people to the Jetty. Preparation is made for tho pleasurepeckers to-day, ihe sports at ihe Provincial Hotel during the day, and the theatre and the minstrels in the evening, being the chiuf attractions."

The Oscar— William M'Taggart the pilot in charge of ihe Oscar, when she ran a-ground, has been proceeded against by dipt. Steuart for neglect of duty. The Southern News publishes (\ full report of the case; the following is the judgment of iho Court: — "The Court, in giviug judgment, said the information charged the pilot of the New River with neglect ofrd.uty-r-a charge which the evidence at first did not seem to bear out. But it appeared to the Court that it was the duty of a' pilot to make himself thoroughly .acquainted with his harbour, so as not'to ■run the risk of running any vessel in his iCharge into danger. The question, there♦fu*e, ajigse whether defendent, not having done this, he did not lay himself open to a charge of neglect ? After deep consideration of the ca&e, the Court had come to the-, conclusion that the defendent was, liable to such a charge, and that it had been proved by the evidence of the captain mate, and belmsmau of the steamer, Messrs. Meadows and Ackers, and by defe.uj3eat!s own witness, Captaiu Morris. The : Court regretted to notice that defendant seemed to place his justification on the beacons not being properly placed, and the channel not being buoyed. If this were correct, defendant should have taken instant. steps to have these deficiencies supplied, for he was not only pilot, but harbour master as well, and not to wait till an accident such as that which had led to the present charge, and then urge these deficiencies in extenuation. Looking to the whole facts of the case, the Court could come to no other conclusion than that defendant was guilty of the neglect of duty charged against him. The question then arose as to the penalty — twenty pounds. After serious consideration, the Court was of opinion that the Otago Harbour Regulations, under which this information was laid, were not in force in' Southland since the separation from Olago. This conviction was stated to Captain Steuart when be applied to lay the information, but looking to the gravity of the charge, the CouH&elt bound to allow the case to be heard. But these regulations not having been re-proclaina-e'd by the Governor for Southland, the Court felt that it had no power to inflict the penalty imposed by them, and must therefore now dismiss lhee&se."~D.Times. The s.s. "Lady Bird," from Melbourne, arrive^ at Ot.ago on the, aSOihL ultimo. Sheets to sail again for Melbourne on the 3rd inst.-rW. ••...•• ' Th'S^'suaf forthightly. meeting ..of,, 'in e Young Men's Christian, Association^ ytjis field in Dr. Burn's Church, on Tuesday evening, when Mr. P. W. Hxtttoii read an able and interesting paper on Christian Union. A sh.ort debate on the Essay ensued, and the meeting terminated by singing the Doxology,— Id, H-OBARt Town.— The vessels on 'the berth for Otago, numbering . eight, are ■fast filling.up with passengers aud cargo. The Dart, and Scotia both sail to-diay;-— - Mercuiy, 12th inst. The li&dy Barkly built expressly for the Otago trade was to sail for this port oh Saturday 2 1st December, under the conlmand of Captain Wyse, (of 'Hotham* notoriety). This vessel may be expected daily. — Id, As an instance of the character of the rush from Melbourne, we are informed that the fine clipper ship Genii, which left

•MelbourneTtfb Ui© 15fhinst:;Was filled op before she had been laid on tfiefibe.rth twenty-four hours. A considerable number of stow-awavs managed to get 'a pas : sage " on the cheap " in this vessel. — Id The powerful paddle steamer Samsou, now hails from this port, having Been purchased by a company of merchants old residents of this town. We believe her price was about £300 C. — Id. His Honor the Superintendent is taking a tour down South, for the double purpose of enjoying the Christmas recess, and for inspecting the Southern roads. On his return Mr. Hardy the new Provincial Secretary, will proceed to tho gold fields on a semi-official visit i-.of enquiry into various matters, which.Uis r c.pn.sidered by tUe Executive require" personal investigation to the North. — -id.