WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVII, Issue 968, 19 February 1862, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

By the s.s. Airedale we have intelligence from Wellington to the 15th inst. We extract the following from the columns of the ' Independent.' The twenty-second anniversary of the foundation of this province, and of the colony, was celebrated here on the 22nd and 23rd January. The first immigrant ship to New Zealand, the Anrora, having arrived in this harbour on the 22nd January 1840. Each of the original provinces celebrates the anniversary of its own particular foundation, and each new province the day of its separation irom the original one. There is an anniversary approaching which, we doubt not, will be celebrated by the whole of New Zealand. On Christmas day, 1815, (being Sunday,) the first Divine Service was conducted by the Rev. Mr. Marsden, the founder of the New Zealand Church of England Mission. In 1865, it will, no doubt, be celebrated by the whole of the denominations with much solemnity. The anniversary last month was celebrated by a Regatta, and other aquatic sports, and the weather being remarkably fine large numbers of the town population visited the. suburbs. - The usual gathering of Sunday School children at the Botanical Reserve in the Karori Road was attended by from 400 to 500 children, real " rosy-cheeked Pattys," such as are seen in none of these colonies except New Zealand, —so different to the "cornstalks " of Australia, —and a large number of friends. The weather and other circumstances combined to make the anniversary the most pleasurableof several years past. The New Zealand Bank commenced operations in Wellington on the 15th January. Its premises are very conveniently situated, being more central than those of the other two. It lias been supported most liberally, the number of accounts and amount of deposits justifying the sanguine anticipations of its becoming a very popular and prosperous concern. Mr. Ferguson, who was to hiive been its manager, has not yet arrived, and we believe will not now take charge, having received an appointment elsewhere. Mr. Arthur Knowles, late the accountant to the Union Bank here, is acting as manager. The tri-annual General Synod of the Church of England meets in Nelson next month. It has adopted the wise course of making its meetings moveable; the first being held in Auckland, and the scond in Wellington. A more than usual number of accidents have lately occurred; we regret to state that an attempt to murder has been made by one native on another, in the Hutt district. Jealousy is supposed to have been the cause. There was a great disinclination to give any information that might cause the culprit to be arrested, but Inspector Atehison succeeded in arresting, him and lodging him in gaol yesterday. The following are the details from the ' Independent' of 31st January:— Attempt at Murder.—On Tuesday last, a native named Hemi, residing at Whiriuaki, Upper Hutt, after a severe rebuke from his elder brother, deliberately fired a fowling piece at lima. At the time lie fired, Riwai stooped to pu-k up a blue shirt that had. dropped from his arm, and the ball fortunately passed over his head. Tie again fired, and this time the ball passed through the lower joint of his thumb, then through one thigh, and lodged in the other from whence it was extracted, with the assistance of a razor* by the other natives. The Inspector of Police, and Mr., Baker, Interpreter to the Resident Magistrate's Court, proceeded yesterday to the Upper Hutt to ascertain the cause of the disaster. Riwai refused to give any information whatever, and the police were consequently unable to act in the matter. The cause of quarrel was, we understand, that Hemi was endeavouring to win the affections of a Maori woman, who is maried to a white man, and that upou Riwai expostulating with him on the enormity of the offence, the brother acted in the manner described.

The friends of Mr. Henry St..Hill, for many years the Resident Magistrate in Wellington, will "be glad to learn that he has returned to Wellington, after his visit to Europe. His health is much improved, and on resuming his seat on the bench last Saturday he was warmly welcomed by a number of persons, some of whom had assembled for that purpose. Mr. St. Hill briefly acknowledged the compliment. It is with pleasure that we learn there is now a speedy prospect of a college being established in Wellington. ,It has been for some time in contemplation to build a portion of the permanent structure on the reserve at Porirua, but this has been abandoned in'"favour .of ■purchasing the Hon. Mr. Fox's late residence on the Porirua road. Arrangements for the'purchase are being made, as well as for obtaining a thoroughly competent principal from England, and it is not improbable that long before the end of this year the institution may be opened. The want of a superior educational "establishment has long been felt, and parents are compelled to send their boys to finish either at Canterbury or Nelson. We hope the college will remove the necessity for this. The Panama route has occupied the attention ot the New Zealand public under a new phase. Some eighteeen months since it was suggested by Mr. Maeandrew.then Superintendent of Otago, as a scheme which that province would do well to consider, witu a view to carrying it out single-handed. It was then laughed to scorn, and its promoter looked upon as a madman. Now it is taken up seriously, the change produced by the gold fields inducing the colony—not merely that province— to think serionsly of it; an« many are disposed to urge (ourselves among the number) that New Zealand should treat with the Home Government and do it out of hand. The time for the meetings both of the General Assembly and the Provincial Council is drawing nigh. It is probable that the state of Northern affairs will not permit His Excellency to leave Auckland in connection with the Assembly, which is to be holden for the first time in Wellington, before June. The Provincial Council of Wellington will meet some time next month.