The Aelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 171, 21 September 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1866.

During the recent trials the circulation of the Nelson Evening- Mail has averaged 1100 daily.

The Star of the Evening, from Wellington, aud the Taranaki, from Dunedin, arrived at Lyttelton to-day.

The first practice meeting of the Nelson Volunteer Fire Brigade-will take place this evening, at the Provincial Government enginehouse. It is to be hoped that the members will muster well. There is a great deal in a good beginning, and the method of practising together is too well known by the members to need an)' enforcing. After a few weeks' practice the brigade ought to be in a high state of efficiency and fit for any emergency that may arise. We clip the following from the W. E. Post: — In the Resident Magistrate's Court, a week or two since, a case of robbery of a cashhox from the Empire Hotel, was investigated. Professor Hamilton sought to recover damages, and was awarded a certain sum, Mr. Osgood, proprietor of said hotel, being defendant. During the hearing of that remarkable case, some slight badinage took place between the plaintiff and the learned counsel (Mr. Borlase) for the defence, when the former expressed a wish to have the hitter's head (for phrenological purposes, of course), which <: would be cheap for the money." Since then, however, Mr. Hamilton published a letter in a public print, oue of the objects being to show that a lady, supposed to be of unsound mind, who was convicted of larceny at the late Criminal Sittings, would not have been found guilty had she been defended by "enlightened" counsel — enlightened iu the science of phrenology, we presume. At all events, the learned, if not "enlightened," counsel for the defence — Messrs. Borlase and Buckley — are said to be indignant at the imputation cast upon them by the Professor, and have, we learn, entered an action for libel against the man of science, whose pocket may possibly have to atone for the rashly expressed wish of becoming the owner of a barrister's head on auy terms.

It seems most singular, says the Hokitika Evening Star, that while abundance of coal is easily procurable in New Zealand, the Pauama Company should send for coals by thousands of tons. Surely the cost of freight, &c, even allowing the cheaper first cost, would greatly exceed what coal could be got for here. The Grey coal is admittedly excellent for all purposes, and that discovered at Wanganui Inlet is said to be still better. Some time ago samples were sent home from Newcastle, N.S.W., and were pronounced capital for all steam purposes. The West Coast coal is superior to this if we can rely on the analyses that have beeu made of it, and captains and engineers of coasting steamers give it a very high class. The Wanganui mine is intended to be worked by a com-

pany with a capital of £35,000, and this sum is considered more than sufficient. We trust tbat the project will not fall through, for the coal, in addition to its excellent quality, is found in great abundance. Great as the influence the gold discovery has been on this portion of the colony, profitably worked coalmines will only be second to it in effect, and there is every reason to believe that other treasures will be brought to light by its as-

sistance

The directors of the Hi^h School, Christchurch, have announced their, intention of giving a course of elementary lectures on engineering construction, geology, aud chemistry, iu connection with this school, at the town Hali. Messrs Dobson, Haast and Powell have kindly undertaken the task of delivering 'the lectures.

Rain says the C. E. Mail is much wished for by our horticulturists. Already the cabbage blight (aphis brassica) has made its appearance in large numbers, and it is feared that, should the dry weather continue, this pest will so increase as to destroy most, if not all, of the crops of early aud late cabbages.

To be able to attend the meetings of the Municipal Council of Christchurch would seem, according to the 'Press,' to be a great favor, for we find the following in the columns of that journal : — "ln accordance with a resolution passed at the last meetiug of the Council, six of the public will be admitted to hear the debates at the next and future meetings of the Council. Admission will be granted only by tickets which are obtainable from the Town Clerk."

The Oamaru Times remarks : — As a proof of the genial character of our winter, strangers and unbelievers generally, if any, in the Oamaru climate, may be pointed to the fact tliat the peas and beans in our gardens have beeu in full blossom for weeks, and that other early vegetables are in an equally forward

stale.

A movement, antagonistic to sly grog selling, appears likely to be set on foot .in Oamaru. A meeting of Licensed Victuallers has been called there to consider the best means of checking the growing evil of sly grog selling by grocers and others.

We learn from the Southland Times the squatters are going in for deferred payments. At a meeting of the Pastoral Association it was resolved that a deputation should be appointed to wait upon the Waste Lands Board, to request the Government to postpone the day for the payment of the rents of the runs to the loth October. The depuia-

tion, having carried out the resolution, the concession asked was granted. The Southland Times says: — We are informed that the Government wili immediately declare the Orepuki a gold-field.

The H. B. Times says: — In the House of Representatives, on the 29th uit., Mr. J-als. Macandrew, representing the district of Cin tha in the Province of Otago, made a bid for the office of Premier, by declaring that he could reduce the estimates by £300,000, but the House did not feel inclined to seize the tempting bait. The House and the country have too recently been taken in by a similar assertion, and will, we trust, in future, beware of rash promises.

It has been decided that for the more rapid disposal of public business, during the remainder of the session, the House of Representatives wili sit. ou Mondays, at o o'clock.

An accident, terminating fatally, occurred to Mr. James Lausdaile, Waiwetu, on Wednesday evening, the 29th August. As he was returning homeward from Waimiomata, the horse shied, and threw Mr. Lansdaile to the ground. The injuries he sustained were so severe that he expired on Friday morning.

Mr. Carletou in a recent letter addressed to the New Zealand Herald, speaking of provincial reveuue says : — lt must not be supposed that the whole of the three-eighths are to be suddenly confiscated ; but we expect to see them disappear by degrees. And it is clear that provincialism, must follow the three-e ; ghths. It is no less clear that it it is our duty to devise the means of supplying its place. Viewing the question apart from the difficulties through which the provinces must pass before .their financial abrogation, I admit that I should be well pleased

to see the extinction of provincialism, together with the selfishness, the narrow Handedness, and the paltry jealousies which it has engendered. Notice is given in a Gazette of the 24th uit. that an application has been made by John Cox, of Auckland, millwright, in accordance with the Patents Act, 1860, for the issue of letters patent granting to him the exclusive right to use a machine embracing certain improvements for hackling or combing and cleaning, and otherwise preparing for use, New Zealand flax and other fibrous substances.

The mate of a vessel trading between Tahiti and Sydney was a few day ago put forcibly on shore (say the Russell correspondent of the D. S. Cross) on a part of the coast near the Lion Rock, and between the Ninepin and Tako Bay. After travelling until the evening of the second day after being landed, he succeeded in reaching a settler's house in a greatly exhausted condition, and was most hospitably entertained. It is the mate's intention to leave Auckland for Sydney, where he hopes to meet with his vessel.

The Lyttelton Times, in an article upon the future of New Zealand says :—Everything points to America as the source whence in the future our supplies are to be drawn, and to which our exports, in a steadily increasing ratio, will be sent. The Timaru Herald gives an aceount of the Masonic Hall, now in course of erection at Timaru: — This Hall, the foundation stone of which was laid on the 30th ultimo, is to be built on LeCren's terrace, on high ground overlooking the sea. Mr. Williamson is the architect, and Messrs. Overmyer and Upton the contractors, the former for the stone, the the latter for the woodwork.

The Star of the Evening has been chartered to take down 1000 head of cattle from Wellington to Lyttelton. Iu the present state of the market this will be a great boon to consumers. -

Messrs. Southey and Son, in their wool circular of the 23rd June, report : — The wool from New Zealand exhibited a maiked coutrastwith much of the Australian — being very healthy and well grown — a circumstance which operated well in its favor.

The Taranaki Petroleum Company, after a considerable destruction of drill, have got through the hard stratum, aud are uow down about 235 feet.

The I). S. Cross asks for Insular Separation, with the seat of Government at Ngaruawahia. This would be about the centre of the island. It would not be a new nor unknown place, but the seat of Maori royalty, and rally ing-ground of the native race. Such an arrangement would relieve the Middle Island from the cost of defending the northern settlements, and it would go very far indeed towards permanently pacifying the lri bes.

The first anniversary of the Loyal Tuapeka Pioneer Lodge of Odd-fellows, was celebrated on Tuesday the 4th inst.

We take the following from the Dunstau Times of'the 31st uit.: — The brethren of the Ancient Order of Foresters have established si Lodge at Clyde. Brother William Woodlauds, the District Chief Ranger, arrived from Dunedin on Tuesday night last, for the purpose of initiating the proceedings, and with the assistance of the local resident brethren, formally opened the Lodge on the following evening.

The Christchurch Evening Mail of the 30th uit. says: — Yesterday evening Mr. Barlow paid a visit to the Sunnyside Asylum, aud having provided himself beforehaud with a banjo, gave some of his negro melodies to the infinite delight of the patients.

The Otago News Letter has been shown by Messrs Joyce and Gallop, of Dunedin, a sample of West Wanganui coal, being a portion of a first consignment, ex Thames, of this coal for that market. Two more vessels are loading for there with the same coal.

The Otago News Letter of the Bth has the following modest announcement : — The News Letter of to-day completes the first year and a half of its existence. In a city abounding in* ephemeral literature, we cannot but congratulate ourselves on our. good fortune, and our subscribers on their good luck.

The existence of a deep lead has been proved at the Twelve Mile Creek, Lake Wakatipu, and several mining leases have been applied for iu consequence.

The report of a rush to the neighborhood of the river Mikonui, midway between Okarita and Hokitika, proves to he false. Several who proceeded thither have returned, having heard nothing of the reported rush. The Government is now disposing of land in the neighborhood of Greymouth. About 1500 acres of land at the Totara Flat are open for selection, at the upset price of £2 per acre. The sections comprise abut 50 acres each, and consist generally of open fern and flax land. There are also some bush sections, consisting principally of totara. The block is about seven miles from the Ahaura, and twenty-seven from the Port.

The following strange advertisement appears in the Southern Cross : — Child Desertion. — Elizabeth Lindsay of Dublin, your infant boy at Wanganui lives, but weeps and wails for his lost mother. Description: form tall and slender, short dark curly hair, large grey eyes, thin nose, with deep pock mark above it, thin dry lips, good teeth, narrow chin, ruddy complexion. Dress: puce mantle, black hat, fall, and rose skirt, and body light, mourning brooch and gold border. **'

It is deplorable, says a correspondent of the Southern Cross, to see the moral degradation of the native race at the present time. Anyone visiting their setttlement on the Lord's Day will find most of them either working or gambling (hipi), and when remonstrated with, " Are you uot ashamed of this bad work on God's Day ?" they carelessly answer, " Eha kei to Pari rou, te retapu ? E rite tonu nga ra" (What is it to the Pariarou, the Sabbath ? All days are the same).

The Okarita Times believes the principal cause of the failure of experiments with Wilkinson's amalgamator, which were re-

cently attempted by the Messrs. Williams, at the Five-Mile Beach, was the impossibility of getting the mercury to act. There seemed to be present in the wash-dirt some chemical which acted unfavorably upon the quicksilver, the plates becoming quite black, and the mercury disappearing without satisfactorily amalgamating.

The Westland Observer says : — At Greymouth a well-known individual named Lumley has been sentenced to three months' imprisoment for stealing a cash-box from the Charlie Napier Hotel. The prisoner was somewhat noted a " wizard," and professor of legerdemain, one of the secrets of which last-named profession was revealed by the police. On his apprehension there was found on him a teetotum, cleverly weighted, so as to invariably turn up at a certain number, when twisted in a peculiar mauuer.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is about to bring local pressure to coerce the Provincial Government inlo conceding to the contractors for the patent slip the terms demanded by them.

The Raglan correspondent of the D. S. Cross, writing on the 29th uit. states : — Matutaera, the so-called King of the Maoris, was reprimanding his subjects last week for having planted along the coast, between Kawhia and Mokau. His instructions were to plant inland ouly, and out of the reach of the pakeha. They intend to remain quiet till the departure of the soldiers, and then have another fight for the Waikato.

The lirst of a series of penny readings was held at the Taita school-room, Wellington proviuce. on Thursday evening last. Upwards of 80 persons were in attendance, who displayed throughout the greatest interest and attention.

The TI. B. Times states :— Now that the laying of the submarine cable has been successfully completed, it is proposed to connect Napier with Wellington ; and the Geueral Government are in hopes that the desired object will be completed during the present financial year.

We are glad to learn from the letter of the Patea correspondent of the Wanganui Times that Major MacDonnell has quite recovered from the injuries he sustained by his recent accident, and has now. rejoined his men.