THE WESTERN STAR. (PUBLISHED WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

Western Star, Issue 31, 13 June 1874, Page 4

THE WESTERN STAR. (PUBLISHED WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 1874.

In another column it is notified that the Burgess roll will be open for inspection on and after the 15th inst.

Owners of properties are reminded of the necessity for their making immediate payment of -he town rates that may be due. This should bo attended to before "the 16th inst.. or they will be, in addition to other penalties, deluded from the electoral roll.

By reference to advertisement, it will be seen that the Horticultural and Grain Show, ■ postponed from the 20th of April, has been fixed for Friday next, the 19th inst. The exhibition will bo held in the Oddfellow’s Hall, Those who intend to exhibit must send in their contributions before 11 a.m. on the day of show.

The entertainment last evening by Miss Ida B onnifon and Mr. Chapman was extremely well attended. The performance itself was a great success, although somewhat marred through the absence of music. This evening, we understand, this defect will bo remedied, and an entirely new programme gone through.

The following is the business to bo transacted at the meeting of the Aparima Boad Board, to be held to-day at 11 a.m. “ Ist. To receive report of committee, and decide as to the works necessary to be done with the Hcddon Bush Subdivision. 2nd. James,Mackintosh to move that a committee be appointed to make arrangements with the Bank of New Zealand, to enable the Board to obtain, for any subdivision of the district, ft temporary loan not to exceed the amount of rates and Government subsidy due to the subdivision for the current year. 3rd. James Mackintosh to move— That in order to give due publicity to the proceedings of the Board, it is highly desirable that all advertisements emanating from the Board bo inserted in the Western Star, and that the clerk bo instructed no longer to coniine such advertisements to newspapers published in Invercargill.” In the Resident Magistrate's Court, Invcrcareargiil, on Tuesday last, the following was heard before H. M. Culloch, Esq., R.M. i—Mitchell v. Crisp. —This was an action to recover possession cf section 25, block 3, Riverton. The defence wes to the effect that in January, 1868, the plaintiff, John Mitchell, had made a lease, for six years, of the property in question to Wm. Crisp, with a right reserved to him to purchase the same at the end of that term for £9O. Crisp had sinee left the colony, but before doing so had constituted his wife his agent, and in that capacity Mrs. Crisp, the defendant, had, in January last, authorised her solicitor, Mr. Matthews, to pay plaintiff £l4, two years rent, and the £9O for the fee simple of the property, which Mitchell had refused, on the ground that defendant was not the lawful wife of Crisp, and could not legally act for him. Ho now asserted, for the same reason, that she had no right to occupy. His Worship held that the question whether defendant was

Crisp’s lawful wife or not, did. not affect the case. It was competent for him to appoint her agent whether she were so or not, and it was contended that ho had not. fie would therefore dismiss the present case, but ho intimated that a fresh action could be taken under section 82 of the Resident Magistrates Act, 1867. Costs, £2 10s. Mr. Wade appeared for plaintiff and Messrs Harvey and Matthews for defendant.

In the Provincial Council on Wednesday last, Mr. Wilson gave notice to move the following resolutions:—“ Ist. That, in the opinion of this Council, the system of Tree Emigration at present in operation from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to this colony, is liable to great abuse, and in some respects very objectionable, and calculated to produce most injurious results, and that immediate action should ho taken to remedy this evil. 2nd. That the selection of emigrants suitable to the requirements of this country should be a first consideration with the British Emigration Agents, and is of the most vital importance to the present and future interests of the Colony. 3rd. That His Honor the Superintendent be respectfully requested to take such steps as may be deemed necessary to give effect to these resolutions.”

In the Provincial Council on tho 10th, it was decided, on the motion of Mr. Lumsden. to giva effect to the suggestion contained in the Superin tendent’s message, No. 17, respecting an arrangement with the Volunteers, whereby a money payment will be given instead of land. On the same - date the Invercargill Reserves Management Ordinance Amendment Bill was read a first time. «

An instalment of the long-promised immigrants has at length arrived, but in accordance with tho nsual treatment received by the Western District at the hands of the Government, the class most wanted, namely, female servants, amounted, contrary to general expectation, to the large number of three ; and the total number 33. On Sunday last great commotion was caused by the appearance of the s.s. Wailabi off tho bar, and as it was previously blown that the now arrivals were on board, (he whole of Riverton flocked to tbe beach, which up to 5 o’clock, tho time tho boat steamed up the Aparima river, presented an extremely gay appearance. Upon the first announcement of tho Wahabi’s appearance, our energetic Town Clerk, Mr. Peter Grant, in company with'several gentlemen, proceeded on board ; other boats' shortly followed, and a constant communication with tho shore was then kept up. On Monday all were landed, the men proceeding to tbe barracks, and the women to Mr. Sargeant’s Templars’ Homo. A fair proportion have been already engaged at the current rate of wages, and there is a largo enquiry for domestic servants, ploughmen, and tradesmen. It is to be hoped the Government will bear this in mind when forwarding a second consignment.

It is very peculiar that the same convenience in postal matters cannot be enjoyed in Eivertoh as in other parts of the province. Complaints are constantly being made as to tho absence of information regarding the arrival and departure of Australian and English mails. This in truth is irritating"enough ; but when it is stated that the purchase of stamps is a matter of difficulty, and that important letters have been delayed in consequence, there can be no wonder that comments in anything but a flattering tone are heard on all sides. Wo do not know who is to blame, but as the thing is becoming a serious nuisance, tho sooner stops are taken to remedy the evil the better.

There was a meeting of the Waste Lands Board on Thursday, the 11th instant. The Chief Commissioner (in the chair) and Messrs. Dundas, M'Arthur, and Mitchell were present. —The Bye-laws for the Aparima Hundred were submitted to the Board for approval, and having been read and discussed, were sanctioned.—Mr. M'Phorson asked the Board if it could not givev its decision in re Mr. G-. M. Bell’s application for a steam sawmill license in the Hokanui Bush that day ? The Board decided not to entertain the application till the following day, when the full monthly racotihg of the Board would take place, till which meeting the application been previously ordered to lie over.—Applications from T. Lusk and Manassah Walsbncgar, for and at Half-moon Bay, Stewart’s Island, were ordered to lie over till next meeting.—Mr. D. Cameron, secretary to' the Loj'al Winton Lodge of Oddfellows, wrote, asking the Board to grant the Lodge a piece of land known as the “ market p'nce,” between Weymss-street, Winton, and the North Eoad, for the purpose of building a ball thereon. Besolved—“ That as the land in question is reserved as a market place, the Board 'deem it unwise to part with it for any private purpose.’’—Messrs. Conghe? and Co. asked leave*

to cut 102 trees for beams for the Aparima bride, at os. per tree. Granted, Messrs. Conclier and Co. not to interfere with the rights of previous applicants,S-he royalty to bo paid at once, and no more trees ft) be cut without giving previous notice. —The following report, by Mr. M’Arthur, Inspector of Forests, was tabled and read : Invercargill, June 10th, IS/4. —-To the Chief ■Commissioner of Crown Lands. Sir, I have qhe honor to report that tho timber sawn during the month of May amounts to the largo quantity of 6GG,9uS feet, the lordship on which being £IOO 175., to which has to be added £6 for 24 logs at ss. each, making a total of £IOB 1/s., lordship for tho month. Tho return for firewood and splitting purposes from tho Istof January to tho 31st of May, 1874, amounts to £9O Is. Sd., as against £2O 10s. for the corresponding por.-od of 1873, thus showing that the settlers and others are coming under the regulations. I may here state that it is next to impossible to carry out the firewood regulations satisfactorily, until the back lines of the settlers’ sections are cut, as they may ormaynot be cutting on theirpropcrtics. Partly on the 12th May, and partly on the 4th inst., there wc - o between three and four thousand posts and rails seized in the gap or bight at the cast end of Seaward Push. I sent the notice roqnired by the rogu'ations to the Police Station at Woodlands, to that effect, and advertised the ann once in each of tho local'papers. Mr. sMCallum, Manager at Morrison Mains, appeared, claiming the timber as the property of tho N.Z. A. Laud Company, in virtue of their having, on the sth of August, 1873, paid 10s. for a carter’s license, which expired on tho sth of September, being one month’s license only ; and on the further ground of having, on same date, paid £2 for a settler's license for one year. As there were several well-built huts in the locality, and as one man could only occupy one at a time, the presumption is that there must have been several men there at one and the same Mine. I may add that some of the huts had the appearance of having been in use for years, and from the numerous and long lanes or tracks in the bush, there must have been a quantity of timber taken from the bight in Seaward forest. The case points to the necessity for revising the regulations, as it is scarcely, consistent that one sett'er should have the privilege of cutting say 1,000 or more posts, for the same license that must be paid by the owner of 100 acres who may require two or three hundred on'y. I wou'd therefore recommend that posts and rails ho charged by the hundred. —I have, Ac., D. M'Authub, Inspector of Forests. Resolved—- ■“ That Mr. Macdonald, solicitor, be requested to prosecute Mr. M'Gallum, in terms of the Acts providing for punishment for unlawful trespass and felling of timber.”