LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Native Lands Court. — Last night ive received the report of the Wednesday and Thursday sittings of the Native Lands Court, but owing to the lateness of the hour and to tho pressure on our space caused by the insertion of six columns of new advertisements and our London lettor, we are compelled to hold it over till our next issue.

The Ministry.— The Hon. J. 0. Eichmond having left for the North, the only representatives of the Ministry present in town are the Hon Major Richardson and the Hon. Col. Haultain.

The Legislative Council.— We hear it is certain that the Hon. Major Richardson will be appointed Speaker of the Upper House, in the place of the Hon. Mr Bartley, who, it will be remembered, has retired on a pension.

New Zealand Society.— A special meeting of *he above Society is to be held at the Colonial Museum, at 7 o'clock on Tuesday evening, after which the proceedings of the ordinary quarterly meeting will take place as usual.

Armed Constabulary.- -A detachment of armed constabulary to the number of sixty, left Wanganui for Hokitika on the Ist instant, in the St. Hilda.

Wangantii.— A highly successful loyal demonstration was made in Wanganui on Saturday last, when an address was adopted to his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, expressing detestation of the attempt which had been made upon liis life.

Firing for the Government Prizes.— The date upon which the firing for the Championship and General Government prizes is to take place has not yet, we believe, been fixed, the uncertainty as to the movements of H.R.H. tho Duke of Edinburgh having caused the annual competition to be delayed. Possibly the Eakaia, due from Sydney direct on Monday, will bring his Excellency the Governor definite intelligence of the Prince's intentions, and this information is looked for before any arrangements for the firing can be made.

Provincial Government Prizes.— The firing of the city companies of Volunteers for the aboTo prizes will take place next week at the Adelaide Butts. The Artillery are to firo on Monday, the Rifles on Thhr'sday, and the Veterans on Saturday.

oadet3' Competitive Firing. -The Cadets have completed their firing to decide which of them shall represent tho corps in competing for the forthcoming Colonial Prizes. Tho highest scores were Corporal Bowater, 29; Private Bidmead, 29 ; and Private G-. Grey, 27 j—out of ten shots, fire at 100, and five at 150 yards. In firing of the tie at the longer range, Corporal Bowator scored a centre, against an outer from Private Bidraead, and will thus have the honor of representing the Wellington Cadot Corps.

Eogehs v Bkowne.— lt would seem there is to be no end to tho cases arising out of the action Morton v Browne, tried in September last, for Eogers, the witness on whom so much depended) intends entering an action for false imprisonment against his old partner, Browne. It is not very clear who is to pay the piper, but some one must we presume, as lawyers of the Dodson and Fogg class, ready to take up cases on spec, are not to be met with fortunately in Wellington.

Important Land Sale.— Messrs Gudgeon & Co of Wnnganui will offer to public competition afc Osgood's Hotel, at 1 o'clock to-day, soveral choice sections of land situated in the Rnngitikei, Wanganui, Waitotara, Okutnku, and Patoa districts. Such an opportunity for purchasing blocks of the splendid land in tho Wauganui district rarely offers, and, doubtless, the chance will not be let slip by persons desirous of settling in the "garden of New Zealand."

Inquest. — An inquest was held at the Hospital on Thursday morning, before Dr Boor, coroner of tho district, on view of the body of Henry Woodward, whoso death we announced in our last issue. Dr Johnston deposed to the cause of death being an over-dose of opium or laudanum, and stated that, on searching tho pockets of the deceased, he had found two £1 notes, some silver, a gold ring, a meerschaum pipe, and a small key. Frederick Foster, assistant to Mr Owen, chemist, Manners street, stated that on Wednesday afternoon deceased had purchased half an ounce of laudanum, and that in the course of an hour afterwards he was brought back to tho shop by some persons who stated that he had taken poison. Eugene de Berg, barman at tho Ship Hotel, and Miss Barry, deposed to tho deceased having gone i,nto the hotel and asked for a glass of spirits which was 6erved to him, and into which he rapidly poured tho contents of a small vial. The jury returned a verdict " That the deceased came by his death from tho effects of poison administered by his own hands ; as to the state of de- i ceased's mind at the time that ho committed the , act, the jury had no evidence to show." A rider was attached, to the effect, that tho Grovernment s hould be requested to restrict tho sale of all poisons. Kahobi Road. — The Road Board of Karori do not appear unmindful of the duties devolving on them as regards that somewhat hilly line of road between Wellington and the Karori district. The expense of effecting repaid in the road from time to time is borne by a local tax of 3d in the £1 on landed and house property, which falls but lightly on each individual property-holder. The slips of earth, &c, caused by the recent heavy rains, were quickly removed after they occurred, and hollows have been from time to time filled up, and irregularities levelled. In Karori the road was, until lately, encumbered by the encroachment oi furze i bushes on either side ; the nxe and shears have lately, however, been actively employed in removing the obstruction. Considering the hilly nature of tho road from Wellington to Karori and Makara, and its extreme narrowness in some places, it is remarkable how few accidents of a serious nature have taken place.

Penny Headings. — The inhabitants of Karori assembled at tho schoolroom on Wednesday evening last, to hear the usual penny readings. Mr Ecad kindly camo from Wellington to amuse the audience, unditneed not be added that his efforts were quite successful. Mr Bead's well-known humor always makes him a welcome auxiliary at penny readings ; and on this, as on other occasions, he kept alive the attention of his hearers. He read a little piece called " Mrs Brown on the Army," and another, " Having a Hobby," which were very amusing. In the latter there were passages of a more serious cast, in which kind of reading Mr Bead is equally happy. Mr Lancas ter, a gentleman who lives at Karori, read an extract from "Pickwick," involving Mr Winkle's adventures at Bristol ; and afterwards a selection from " Handy Andy." The latter readings were likewise much relished by the audience, especially the concluding piece. It is satisfactory to note a determination in this neighborhood to continue these readings, not only during the winter months, but throughout the your. Although not so well supported as could bo wished, a sufficient number attend the readings, not only to pay expenses, but to leave a small sura accruing to be applied to some local purpose.

Sunday School Anniversary. — Three sermons will to-morrow be preached by the Key. R. Ward, in the Primitive Methodist Chapel, Sydney street, Thorndon, and on Monday evening the annual tea meeting to commemorate the anniversary of the Primitive Methodist Sunday School, will be held in the school-room, when, it is expected, several clergymen of other denominations will take part in the proceedings.

Farewell, Sermons.— Tho Rev. Mr Morley, Wesleyan Minister of the Hutt, will ofHciate at the Manners street School, on Sunday next, morning and evening, being his farewell sermons prior to leaving for Wanganui.

The Cinchona. Plant, Etc.— Those gentlemen who have applied for plants are requested to call between the hours of one and two o'clock daily, or after six o'clock in the evening, at Gawith's house, Pipitea street, four doors from the Hotel, when tho plants -will be equitably distributed as far as circumstances will permit. The Cathedral, Thorndon. — It has been found necessary to enlarge the Cathedral, and the Churchwardens invite tenders for the erectioa of a transept. Loyal Demonstration at Canterbury.— The Christchurch papers received on Thursday contain full particulars of the loyal demonstration held there on the 31st ult, in which about 5000 persons took part. The resolution passed at a monster meeting in Latimer Square, was published in our last issue, therefore it is unnecessary* to glean from our contemporaries any further description of tho large gathering. "We may» however, republish the following verse, which was added to tho National Anthem and sung with enthusiasm by all present : — " God save thy naval son, On whom foul wrong was done ; God shield his head. O Lord, defend his life From traitor's ball or knife, Or in our country's strife, God save Alfred." Representation op Westland. — Tho nomi nation of a member to servo in tho House of Represontatives for Westland South, took place at Hokitika, on the 30th, when the candidates were Mr Button and Mr Barff. Tho show of hands was in favor of the former gentleman, the numbers being — Button, 41 ; Barff, 5. A poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Barff, who was severely cross-examined about Fenian proclivities. Orange Lodges.— One effect of the recent outrage upon his Royal HighneßS Prince Alfred is developing itself in the formation of several new Orange Lodges in Victoria, and largo accessions of members to tho old lodges have also taken place. No less than eight now lodges will be opened in the Ballarat district. Fenianism:. — Under the heading " Fenianism on the magisterial bench," the JBendigo Advertiser says : — " Wo learn that judicial proceedings are about to bo taken by tho authorities against a justice of tho peace and president of one of the shire councils. It is stated that on Saturday night, after the termination of tho meeting in front of the town-hall, the individual referred to was at the bar of one of the hotels in Sandhurst and in referring to the attempt ou the life of the Duke of Edinburgh he made use of language which — if it is as we are informed — will at least endanger his position as a magistrate, if it do#(s | not render him liable to other punishmont.''

Census Rexitrns. — The new returns give the particulars of population in the Hokitika and Gbtoytnouth boroughs : — Hokitika — males, 3035 ; females, 1831 ; half-casts, males, 6 ; female, 1 ; total, 4832. G-reymouth — males, 1113 ; females, 494 j total, 1607 ; half-castea, nil, Oat of the whole population of both places there are 1133 married males and 1008 females. The remainder are single, of whom 69 are widowers and 71 widows. Only one of each sex is recorded as being deaf and dumb. The population of Westland South is as follows : — Maleß, 7729 ; females, 1330; total, 9059. Of these there are— males, 1750 ; femaleß, 693 married ; malss, 6531 and 615 unmarried.

Special Constables.— A Hokitika contemporary of March 27 says : — Tarioiis rumors have been afloat in town during the day as to an intended Fenian outbreak. As a precautionary measure against any attempted violation of tho law, the Chaix'mau of tho County Council was waited on yesterday by the Mayor and several moinbei'3 of the Municipal Council, who urged upon him the importance of at once swearing in a large body of special constables ; and in an incredibly short apace of time six hundred and forty citizens were sworn in, exclusive of the two companies of volunteers. We have now a body of more than eighl hundred citizens sworn at all risk to defend the Queen's laws and the public peace. Tho sight presented at the Supreme Court House was almost unexpampled. The doors were literally besieged by persons earnest ia offering their services for the defence of law and order. The special constables and the volunteers wero mustered in the Police Camp, at half-past six o'clock, and the former separated into divisions, who are under orders to be constantly ready at the bugle call.

An Unlucky Fbnian.— " It see ns that at the termination of the sports in fcbe Eastern Oval," says the Ballarat Evening Post, " the band played ' Grod Save the Queen,' and ' hats off" was the cry all over the ground. One immense raw Irishman, slightly under the influence of driuk, persisted in keeping his head covered ; and when commanded to follow the example of all aroxind, lie declared with an oath that he would not, and added he was a Fenian. Before he had time to say more the follow received two smart blows in the face, and made a hasty retreat, crying lustily. The police had some difficulty in saving the man from a general attack."

Beef. — "We understand," says the JJendigo Advertisev, " that a patent has been taken out by Mr W. T. Deverell, brother of Mr Deverell, of the telegraph office, and Mr Postle, for the preservation of meat by means of cold produced by compressed air. Tho motive power is steam, and the cold is obtained by the dillatation of the air, which is compressed to eight or ten atmospheres. As showing how two minds may bo running simultaneously in the same groove, Mr Deverell when he went to the patent ofSce to protect his plan, found Mr Postle there on the same errand, and they therefore united their efforts. Under the proposed plan, meat would bo sent home in the form sold in tho butchers' shops — a matter very material to success."

New Zealand Colonists in South America. We extract the following paragraph from a correspondent of the Lyttelton Times writing from San b'rancisco : — There are numerous Australians and New Zealanderti here. Among them I have met Mr Cahill, who formed one of the famous FitzGvruld Waimukariri prospecting expedition, and who reiukioci such vuluable assistance to Captain Armstrong when he was badly hurt on that occasion. Mr Cahill has been here for some time doing nothing j but has lately gone into partnership with a contractor, with every prospect of doing well. I saw him the other day on the Sandhills trying to persuade a refactory mule to start with a load of sand. He was trying-New Zealand persuasion, to no purpose. Mr J. Kodgers (commonly known as " Big Bodgers"), who was so long with Mr J. D. Macpherson in Lyttelton, is also here, in his father's office, He is well, and has grown bigger than ever. Mr Baker, of Oobb and Co's stables, Christchurch, is also here. Captain McLachlan, of the Oraeo and Albion, arrived here the other day, and very soon obtained an appointment as mate on board the P.M.S. Co's steamer Golden Age.

Drink and Foreign Missions. — Bishop Selwyn, at the annual meeting of the Manchester Auxiliary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, referring to the discouragements of missionaries in the southern hemisphere, remarked : — " He had spoken of the seeming failure of the work in New Zealand. He had to tell them plainly one of its causes. The people of the New Zealand race stood out for many years against the temptations to intoxication. In the statistical statement published in tho town of Wellington many years after the settlement was formed, after describing a number of convictions for various offences, including the offence of drunkenness, there was a foot note added, to the effect that intoxication was almost unknown among the native people. He could not say it was so now. But if the native people of New Zealand had given way to the sin of intoxication, from whom would God require an account of their sin ? It was not a sin of native growth; it wa3 an imported, an exotic sin. They stood against it for a time, but as their faith failed> they gave way to the temptations forced upon them by their English brethren. They had heard it Bfiid (and they were fearful -words) that it units the law of nature that the coloured races j should melt away before the advance of civilisaation. He would tell them were that law was registered, and who were its agents. It was registered in hell, and its agents were those whom Satan made twofold more the children of hell than himself. He from the bottom of his heart urged them to do all they could to discountenance the use of spirituous liquors."

How the News is to go Home. — " It ia reported," says the Melbourne Argus of the 20th March, "to be the intention of our own Government, acting in conjunction with the Governments of the neighbouring colonies, to despatch a special steamer to Galie with the news of the late assault upon the life of His Royai Highness tho Dnke of Edinburgh that it may be trasmitted thence to England by telegraph. The effect of this will be to prevent the unnecessary alarm which, would certainly arise throughout Great Britain, on receipt of the mnil to be despatched from hence next Tuesday week, if the first intelligence of the disgraceful outrage were to arrive in the shape of miscellaneous and perhaps varying reports, and if the Royal sufferer's recovery from his wound were not made public as promptly and as explicitly .as its infliction. By sending a special message this advantage will also be gamed — by its means the prompt, emphatic, and unanimous expression of sympathy with the victim of the outrage,' and horrified detestaiton of its perpetrator, which it •licitcd from Australians of all classes and degroos, will obtain duo prominence in tho first message received in England on the subject, and we shall suflvr ho more loss of credit and prestige from I O'Fiirrell's crime than is inevitable under the circumstances."

A Fenian Letter. — " The following," says the Star, " is a copy of a letter received by Mr Davey, Mayor of Ballarat, on Monday. Tho letter had on it tho Ballarat post-mark, and was evidently freshly written — writing good, but on a scale, and indicated a desire of concealment on the part of tho writer. Mr Davey placed the letter in the hands of Superintendent Hill, who has sinoe given it into tho charge of tho defective police. Mr Davey snbmitted the facts to us on Monday evening, but it was mutually deemed advisable not to give press -publicity to them until a more fitting occasion. It appears that the notoriety that the matter has already gamod is due to some communications made at the Town-hall ; previous to the decision of the mayor to withhold tho information before consulting the local press : — Mayor of Ballarat, — What the hero in Sydney failed to do, others will yet accomplish. We must be avenged for the death of the three Irish patriots. Beware yourself and others who took part in the meeting. Success to Fenians and all who sympathise wilh them.— A Fenian Bbothbb."

Rumors.— Vague and mysterious rumors some* how get currency in Cbristchurch from day to day, about Fenian demonstration and Fenian rows on the West Coast, and particularly in Hokitika. From what source these rumors spring, or who. is answerable for them, it is difficult, if not impossible, to say. . (But -they cause a certain amount of uneasiness in the public mind there, and great vexat on to all,]oyal subjects co^fe the West Coast. Considering the enthusiasticallywp loyal demonstrations which hare taken place w • • Hokitika and elsewhere in Westlano" and bearing in mind ths promptness with which .men of aU classes came forward to offer their services as special constables — a service which involves very considerable sacrifices — wo ask the public on this sjde of the range to discredit every mere rumor of Fenian disturbance on the West Ccast. Should anything of importance occur there, the public may rely on receiving the very earliest and most authentic intelligence through tbis office. A Pbinob on his Tjuveis.— The London Heview concludes #n. article headed "A Princes on His Travels," with the following piece of humor : — " The Prince must hare been wearied enough, of all this fighting and squabbling for the honor of seeing him. It was well for him he brought a yacht into which he could retire when he was trotted out beyond endurance. But we have the consolation of knowing that he brought with him the means of revenging himself on his enthusiastic friends. Nothing could be more diplomatic, and, at the same time, more effectual than the mode of retaliation which ho seems to hay« adopted. When the colonists had bored hin to extremities, the Duke of Edinburgh sent for bis piper, and bade him play." - The Victorian Cjbisis.— The Argiis 6? the 20th says :— Yesterday afternoon Mr Fellows received a communication from his Excellency the j Governor, declining — at least for the present— to accede to the terms propounded by the hon. gentleman, viz. — a dissolution in case any Government he might form was met by an adverse roteof the Assembly. His Excellency said that before assenting to such a proposition he thought he wasbound to try every other means of procuring sup--plies, and with this view, wo understand that he- 1 last evening placed himself in communication* with Captain MacMahon. The same journal of • tbo 24th ult says:-— ln consequence of the communication received by His Excellency the Governor from Captain MacMahon on Saturday, in> which under the circumstances, the last named gentleman declined the task of forming an administration, His Excellency yesterday sent for MrHiddell, the hon. member for West Bourke. Mv Kiddell subsequently-saw several members of both Houses, and anticipates being able to form a. Ministry, provided ho can obtain an insurancefrom the leading members of the Legislative Legislative Council that they will pass the DarlingGrant in a seperate bill. Unless he is satisfied-, on this point ho will not, wo believe, more further in the matter. Parliament meets to-day afctwo o'clock, but will : immediately adjourn for a week, in order to give Mr Eiddell time to conclude his negotiations. A New Judge in Victobia.— The judgeship> vacant by the death of his Honor Judge Brower, has been conferred on Mr Wilson Gray, of Nem Zealand. The manner of filling up the vacancy is not looked on with favor by the legal praotitioners in Melbourne. The Qeelong Advertiser says :— " The appointment of Mr Wilson Gray to the judgeship rendered vacant by the decease of his Honor Judge Brewer, was freely commented on in town, and we need hardly state, has given very little satisfaction to any party. Mr Wilson Gray is, no doubt, an excellent man, and probably well fitted for the important duties which he will hereafter be called upon to perform. We know him as a politician and as a land reformer, . in both of which capacities he has shown himself to be a straightforward and honorable man. Many, however, consider that there are ac suitable men as he, and that the Government need not have appointed a gentleman who until recently; wass a resident of New Zealand." Salmon Ova fob Otago.— The Celestial; Queen, belonging to Messrs. Shaw, Savill, and Co's New Zealand line, has cleared from the St. Katherine Dock London, with an important consignment of salmon and trout ova for the Pro. vineial Government of Otago. Altogether 334 . boxes, containing about 200,000 salmon ova, 5,000 sea trout ova, 1,500 brown trout ova, and 600 of the German lake trout, from Bavaria, have been personally packed and safely shipped by Mr. Yule. Mr R. Dawbin, under a special engagement to tno Government of Otago, comes out in order tosuperintend the landing and distribution of the ova. The total cost o£ the experiment, which in all its branches is a very elaborato one, includingthe capture of the pregnant fish, the impregnant of the ova, and its conveyance to the ship and packing for its long journey through the tropics, will entail an expense to Provincial Government of upwards of £1,000. \ The Protestant Ham} Case — The hearing of the Protesfcant-hall case, says the Age of the 30th, was continued yesterday. Nearly the whole of the day was occupied with the addresses of » counsel for the defence, and as the legal gentlemen pretty nearly confined their remarks to the • simple facts given in evidence, the proceedings were of a very uninteresting nature. In the course of a brief legal argument, Ihb Honor mentioned that he should direct the jury to acquit the boy Clark when the proper time oame. The only witnesses for the defence were three persons called on behalf of Samuel Clark, who were in his company on the night of the 27th November, and denied that he had a gun in his hand in front of the Protestant-hall on the evening in. question. The Crown prosecutor will make Mb reply this morning, and the jury will probably retire to consider their verdict early in the afternoon.

, Necessity foe Ecotfoarr.— -In alluding to tho commercial depression -which exists throughout ■tho cploily, tho MawJce's Bay Herald points out that with straightened means people must become more economical. "It is really monstrous," says pur contemporary, "to think that more than two-thirds of the customs revenue should be for duties on wines, spirits, and tobacco — articles, the two first named especially, which, are nothing more than luxuries, and tho disuse of which, apart from financial considerations, would be an inestimable boon to tho colony in a moral point of view. Tho quantity of these articles imported is something incredible — giving evidence of a species of infatuation on the part of the colonists. Let tho leadors of society set the example of abstinence from those expensive, aud, to 6ay the least, unmeaning luxuries ; and the good that will result economically and morally, will be beyondi all calculation. The disuse of "wines and spirits^, and the substitution of " home-brewed" would be an innovation, no doubt, but it would be a very healthful ono. And it would have this good effect, too, that it would lead to more money being available for other and more legitimate purposes ; and better still, would lead to tho abolition of customs duties altogether. Direot taxation, such as would reach the army of absentee proprietors with which New Zealand is cursed, is what this afflioted country wants ; and we are not suro whether, after all, it is -not the panacea for all the evils under which the colony groans." Navigator Islands.— The British Consul at Navigator Islands, in a report only now issued from the Foreign Office, gives an account of the ! outbreak of a volcano, in the ocean in the autumn of last year. On the 12th of September dense, masses of smoke were seen rising out of the sea about two miles from Olsega, in the Manua group, in a spot which he had steamed over in July in her Majesty's ship Brisk, and then found deep water there. The volcano continued, saya the Mechanics' Magazine, in active operation until the middle of November, throwing out thick dark smoke higher than Olsega, which is from 2,500 feet to 3,000 feet high } occasionally the upper edge of the smoke was tinged with a, bright yel low light. Repeated shocks of earthq uake had commenced on September 6, and continued till . the volcano broke out. Large quantities of fish, were killed and floated to the- shore.