Local and General News.

Wellington Independent, Volume XIX, Issue 2096, 27 August 1864, Page 3

Local and General News.

Crowded Our. — -The Insertion of our Wairarapa correspondent's letter containing an interesting report of the investigations of Messrs Cooper and Swainson relative to Native land purchases in that district, is unavoidably postponed till Tuesday. A leading article on " The disbanding of the Hutt Volunteers," together with some local and shipping noticcsare also in type, but held over from a pressure of advertisements.

Supplement. — Our readers will findin our usual weekly supplement details of the more important items of news gleaned from our English and Australian files.

The Hutt Road. — Tho increased traffic between Wellington and the Hutt loudly calls for something to be done to the roads. Wo avo awaro there is at present a road party engaged, but they are manifestly unequal to the task of keeping in repair the whole of the line. At various points on the road, the water never appears to be carried away, a fault we should think might be remedied by a drain being cut by the hillside, and if instead of piling stones on the mud, the roads were scraped as is done in other places after every heavy rain. We hope the authorities will see the necessity of mending this, the most practicable drive out of Wellington.

Price of Flour. — Telegrams from Melbourne to the 15th inst., published in the Sydney Empire, state: — Business stagnant. Best Adelaide flour, ,C 22 per ton asked ; Chilian Hour, £20 10s. From Adelaide, was received the following telegram of the same date : — Wheat, 7s per bushel, rather firmer. Flour, £18 to £19.

Mr Tiiatcuuii. — Wo aro glad to notice that Mr Thatcher announces a fresh entertainment on Tuesday, when he will sing several new " locals." Mr liussell is also engaged for the occasion.

Royal Artillery. — The Sydney Morning Herald of the 13th instant says: — "The Sydney detachment of Koyal Artillery returned from New Zealand in the Eak, on Monday evening last. Thirty-nine rank and file were on board, under the command of Lieutenant Larcombe. Tho men looked well, and none the worse for their campaigning.

Ms Ceosbie Wash's Mail Contract. — The following is a copy of a circular issued by the directors to the shareholders of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Koyal Mail Company : — " The directors feel it their duty to inform the shareholders that by the Australian mail just arrived, intelligence has been recoived that the present Government of New Zealand had declined to recognise in its present shape the contract entered into with Mr Crosbie Ward, as Postmaster-Gene-ral of that colony, for the mail service between Panama and New Zealand, and Sydney, on the ground that Mr Ward, in entering into that contract, exceeded his instructions. The directors expect to receive by the next mail further and more definite information as to what modifications the New Zealand Government desire to make in the contract, and they will then convene a special meeting of the shareholders for the purpose of laying the matter before them ; meanwhile they are happy to be able to state that the anticipations recently expressed as to the satisfactory woi'king of the existing lines of the company are fully borne out by the advices received by this mail."