Sporting news, including the cabled report of tho raco for the Caulfield Cup and Christchuroh and Dunedin nominations, together with Volunteer intelligence, will be found on tho fourth page to-day. Wo learn with pleasure that the Government havo accepted the recommendation of the Speaker of tho Honse of Repreßentatives in favour of the appointment of Mr. George Friend, Clerk Assistant, to the high position of Clerk of tbe House, rendered vacant through tho rogretted resignation of Major Campbell. It haa also been deoided that Mr. H. Ottereon, Second Clerk Assistant, shall Bucoeed Mr. Friend as Clork Assistant. These promotions will, we feol sure, give the most complete satisfaction to members of the Houao, ahd to all who have business to transact in connection with Parliamentary proceedings. The promotions are thoroughly well deserved. Wo regret to learn that another serious oaao of typhoid fevor has occurred, if not in Government House, in the Lodge in the grounds where certain of His Excollenoy's employes are housed. A little child, about five or six years old, the daughter of one of tho employe^, is stated to be seriously ill. She had, ohild-liko, been looking on at the recent investigations regarding tho drainage of the grounds. The BteamorTe Anau.from Melbourne and Hobart, with an English mail, arrived at the Bluff at 6 this morning. The Wellington portion of her mails will arrive by the Penguin on Wednesday next. The New Zealand Shipping Co. are in receipt of cable advice that the R M.S. Tongariro left Plymouth on the 19th instant for this port, via Teneriffe, Cape Town, and Hobart. Among3t the passengers for Sydney by the Tekapo on Saturday was Mr. T. Kennedy Macdonald, who is not expected to return until the end of next month. The Charitable Aid Department, which has hitherto been administered by the Colonial Seorntary, will continue to be in charge of Mr. Hislop. Captain Russell, as our roadora are aware, is now Colonial Secretary, but owing to Mr. Hislop's intimate acquaintance with the charitable aid work, it has been considered desirable that ho should continne to administer that particular department in addition to holding tho portfolio of Education. Ponding the appointment of a permanent organist for St. Peter's Church, Mr. E. T. Morshead, one of the best qualified amateur organists in tho city, has taken charge of the musical arrangements of the church. A fire was discovered at tho Ngahauranga works of tho Wellington Meat Preserving and Refrigerating Company shortly after midnight on Thursday last. It was first noticed by Mr. T. Clapbam, who, when passing the premises, noticed the glare. He was fortunately able to put it out with the aid of a few buckets of water. The fire, it is thought, originated in a coat and apron of one of tho employe's, which bad been loft lianging_ on a nail driven into a post in tho preserving room. Most probably a spark ignited tho material, which smouldered for some hours before breakin? into a flame. Tbe only damage was the scorching of tho post, but the building certainly had a very narrow oseapc from destruction. Clarevillo School was examinod by Inspector Leo on Friday, with a very gratitying result. Out of 124 scholars on the roll, 30 wero in the preparatory classes ami two were absent. Of the 92 examinod there were 84 passed, and only 8 acholara failed. The results in each class were:— Standard 1., 19 presented, all passed; Standard 11., 24. presented, 19 passed ; Standard 111 , 20 presented, 17 passed; Standard IV., 13 presented, all passed; Standard V., 11 presented, 10 passed; Standard VI., 2 presented, both passed; Standard VII., 5 presented, 4 passed. Mr. Flux, formerly of Pabautanui, is headmaster of the sohool. Gray'a Private Band gave an open-air performance on the Basin Reserve yesterday afternoon, in support of its generous undertaking to provide funds for the maintenanco of the unfortunate youth Cornelius O'Driscoll. Notwithstanding the unpleasantly high wind that prevailed there waa a large attendance of the general public, and j6ll 5a 4|d was collected at the gates, from 515 contributors, tho coins ranging from the modeßt but cheerfully given half-penny to tho substantial florin. Sixpences and threepenny pieces wore tho predominating contributions. Some little feeling has arisen between tho bandsmen and the custodian of tbe grounds in consequence of the latter refusing to supply the canvas screens of the band rotunda, though the City Surveyor had given Mr. Gray an order for its use. The music-sheets suffered materially from the roughness of the wind owing to the absence of proper sheltor. Although a high wind was blowing on Saturday, the men employed by the syndioato who have purchased the wrock of the Willie M'Laren wero able to strip the portion of the mainmast which was visible above the water. Diver Smith, however, was unable to go down and examine the vessel's bottom, as the water was too rough. The Mana brought the men baok to town in the afternoon, but took them to Worser Bay again this morning. Tho ketch Agnes has been moored alongside the sunken vesßel, and the workmen will live on board during the progress of operations. Captain Bendall, who has undertaken to superintend tho work, Mr. F. W. Cottreli, one of the syndicato, and several other gentlemen went down to Woraer Bay this morning by tho Mana. Tho Public Works Committee of tho Melrose Borough Council will submit the following report at the mooting of that body to-morrow evening :— The Committee beg to recommend — 1. 'I hat the names of the councillors latoly re-elected to the Council be placed on the committees on which they formerly served. 2. That tho plan of the proposod road through the Rosoneath estate, as submitted by Mr. Ward on the 15th inst., not being satisfactory, be not approved by the Council, and that the rejection of auoh plan be notified to the surveyor. 3. That a aum not exceeding JEI be expended in gravelliug the footpath opposite the Kilbirnio School. 4 That the upper part of the recently formed portion of the Hamiltonroad, Kilbirnie, be metalled, coat not to exceed £3 10a. 5. That tho owners of the sand and gravel on the seaward side of the Esplanade at Island Bay be called upon to erect a fence npon their boundary line in order to protect the road from encroachment. 6. That a sum not oxceedmg .£25 be expended in forming a footpath from Deestreet to Avon-street. Island Bay. 7. That the sum of £3 be passed as a grant in aid of the ropair of the road to Upper Kaiwarra. 8. That the road on ench side of tbe bridge at Island Bay be repaired, cost not to exceed £5. 9. That the services of the present Ranger be disponsed with, and a new Ranger appointed. 10. That accounts amounting to J867 7a Id be passed for payment. A young Wellingtonian, who has boen absent in Australia for the last eleven months, retnrned by the Waihora yesterday—Master F. A. King, violinist, son of Mr. E. J. King, the well-known musician. Master King has been engaged in a tour with the orchestra of the Hicks-Sawyer Minstrel Company. An informal meeting of the creditors of John Bent nick Blame. of Makara, was held this morning. The Official Assignee presided, and only two oreditors were present. The debtor, who owes .£49 7a 4d ana has no available asseta, is a miner employed at Terawbiti. earning 54s per week, and formerly gained a precarious living as a horsedealer in the Wairarapa. Ho has a wife and two young children to Bupport, and stated to the Assignee that he filed on account of the threats of one creditor to take legil proceedings against him, boing under the impression that the creditor could in that oase .=eize his fnrniture. Ont of his earnings he h'th to pay £2 Is 4d per moath for culls upon 1000 j shares in the Wairarapa Perseverance Extended Goldmining Mine, whore he works. The shares originally cost him £o, and he had sinoe paid .£lO in calls, but ho could not say what was the valuo of his interest. It had ooßt him JC7 to file. The Assignee— That's equal to one-seventh part of all yonr debts, and would have paid 33 in the £ to yonr creditors. The meeting adjonrned tine die.