The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1874.

Departuee of thf. Governor. — His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by bis aide de camp and private secretary, sailed in the Blanche at noon to-day. It is his intention, we understand, if the wind permits, to call at Picton, but with tbe heavy southeaster that is blowing outside it will be impossible for him to enter the Straits, and he may possibly run across to Collingwood. During the whole of bis stay in Nelsoa, his Excellency has been the guest of Mr Dodsou, the Mayor, who, as the unsalaried head of the town, bas set an example which, when the opportunity again offers itself, will perhaps be followed by tho salaried head of the province. Mr Dodson deserves the thanks of the community for the generous hospitality he has os Mayor of Nelson, shown to her Majesty's Representative on .his first visit to the province. The Governor's Bali,.— The ball to His Excellency last night was a complete success. About 200 were present, and dancing was kept up with great spirit until an early hour this • morning. Messrs. Sharp & Pickering report the sale to Mr Francis Holder of Mrs Wroughton's property at Pangatotara for £1,400, the live stock to be taken at a valuation. Mr H. J. L. Augarde reports sale of Standard Insurance shares at 12s 6d per Bhare. Busineas done this day. The Australasian Sketcher fov the montb of June is an excellent and most interesting number. It contains a spirited erigraving of the wreck of the British Admiral, from materials supplied by one of tbe survivors, another of the torchlight procession of firemen in Melbourne, and various other illustrations. Joseph Foord Wilson, Esq., is appointed Registrar of births, deaths, and marriages, and also Vaccination Inspector for the district of Motueka, Local Committees of Education — Lower Moutere : The retiring members were Messrs H. A. Tarrant, W. Cresswell, and R. Tannant. Tho two former were re-elected, and Mr Guy elected in tho place of the latter. At a Committee meeting held afterwards, Mr Tarrant was re-elected chairman and secretary, and also representative at the Central Board. — Takaka : Tbe following gentlemen were elected for Lower Takaka:— J. Page, A. M'Farlane, J. Haldane, H. Abbott, and A. Bow, chairman. Wakefield. — The concert in aid of tb.B widow and family of the late Richard Savage will be given at tbe Lower Wakefield School -room tomorrow evening. There can be no doubt that for such an object the residents in the neighborhood will attend in large numbers. Efficient Volunteers. — In his report on the colonial prize firing at Napier, Major Gordon says : — I regret to say that, in my opinion, very many of the competitors of this year were not by any means efficient volunteers. -Many of them were quite guiltless of

understanding the meaning of the terms "half right" or ''half left turn," or even in some cases of " right about turn." I think officers commanding districts should be advised not to be too generous in their construction of the fourth paragraph of the Volunteer Mficiency Certificate when they affix their signature thereto; for awkward, careless, and undrilled men in the ranks, and with, loaded rifles, are a cause of very serious anxiety to tbe officer who may be moving them, if only from one part to another. Besides, however able a volunteer may be to punish an enemy in the field, it is very desirable that his friends should feel that there is no probability of (heir being made hors de combat by their own . comrades. An Abaura telegram, dated June 15, in the G. It. Argus, says : — Large meetings have been held at Ahaura, and Nelson and Moonlight Creeks in re the removal of the Warden of the Grey Valley. Strong resolutions have been passed against it. The Provincial Secretary arrived here this eveoing. A deputation of tbe leading men of Nelson Creek j also a deputation from Ahaura and Totara Fiat, waited on him. The interview lasted two hours. Mr O'Conor said the removal of the Warden was not finally decided upon, but he thought that one Warden could do the duties of the Inangahua and Grey Valley. Whatever arrangement was made, the convenience of the miners would be consulted, but retrenchment must be made. He held out no hopes of money for the Road Boards immediately, as the Provincial overdraft was £17,000. He charged the late Government with concealing the real state of the overdraft. There is great excitement in the mining dietricts about the removal of the Warden. Mr. and Mrs! George Case, who are well-known in the colonies, in which some years ago they gave their excellent drawing-room entertainment, were passengers from Western Australia to Adelaide by tbe mail-steamer Nubia. They intend to make another professional tour of the colonies. A man named John Gardiner, lately from New Zealand, was robbed of 40 sovereigns at the Criterion diuingrooms, 134 Bourke-streetEast, Mcl- j bourne. He engaged a bed there, and [ placed the money in his trousers- pocket under his pillow when he went to bed. Duriug the night he was awakened by some one moving his pillow. He jumped out of bed and tried to catcb tbe disturber, but failed, as the latter ran into the back-yard and jumped over the gate. On examining the pockets of bis trousers, he discovered that the money was gone. The matter is in tho hands of the police. Of "La Juive," at the Melbourne Opera House, the correspondent of the Hamilton Spectator says : — " In oue scene, Dondi, as the Cardinal, and Mr Kitts, as the Emperor, enter on real horses. Ths first night it was performed, Mr Kitts was bucked off, and the great Cardinal ignominiously saved himself by holding tight witb both arms round the horse's neck. I know of several who went to see ' La Juive' after this, not so much for the sake of the opera, but in the hope that the same feat of horsemanship would be repeated." The Guardian says that some of the results of bjringing out a low class of immigrants are already beginning to be felt. Yesterday a brute in human form, recently arrived, was committed for trial for biting off a policeman's nose; and two young ladies, one of whom recently arrived by the Asia, were charged before the Magistrate with stealing a pocket book containing a sum of money. The younger of the two was stated to have heen an inmate of a workhouse in the old country. We take the following from the Bee/ton Courier: — Mr Warden Broad's last trip to the Matakitaki appears to have been a rather eventful one. It seeniß that the police officer stationed at Lyell bad done something to excite the Matakitakites, and on bis arrival there with the Warden about twenty or thirty of the roadmen expressed their intention to "go for him right off." But whether the demonstration was a friendly or hostile one it is hard to say, as the original intention was not carried out, but instead the belligerents pitched into one another indiscriminately, ond a tolerably hot conflct ensued, during which a good deal of skin and hair was sent flying about ra all directions. In the recontre Mr Temperly and Constable Chichester, who were acting as mediators, got several " clips," after which tbe latter gentlemen threw themselves into a hollow square, and finally retired in good " order " — if not to say *" condition." The melee having lasted its due time, the combatants adjourned for refreshment, and an amicable spirit having supervened, coats, hats, &c, were donned, and " there was a sound of revelry by night." But the matter was not permitted to end in such a manner, ns a Mr Dan M'Lean, who appears to have bern the instigator and ringleader of the disturbance, was arrested and lodged iv gaol. During Mr Broad's stay al Matakitaki he was asked by a man to grant a matrimonial divorce. Mr Broad informed the applicant that he was quite ready to do anything in thn way of cancelling certificates for head-races, but powers to cancel marriage certificates he had not. Whereupon the applicant remarked, "Didn't you give me six months at Charleston, and isn't that power enough for you to have?" but the Warden didn't 86% the analogy, and dismissed the af^^teation. . ... •"-"--———