LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1855, 25 March 1869, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[FEOM OTJB, OWN CO_t_iESPO_TDE_TT.] Wellington, March 24, 6.45 p.m. Beyond a public meeting held last night to form a people's committee to co-operate with the Duke's Reception Committee previously appointed, there are no items of news of the slightest importance.

Good Ebiday.—To-morrow is Good Friday, and there will be an entire suspension of business during tho day. The public offices will be closed. Religious services will be held in Episcopalean and other places of worship; while those who regard the day in a less eacred light can, if they please, make a trip to Akaroa or Macintosh Bay in the steamer Wellington or Gazelle. It will be observed that a special time-table has been arranged for tbe railway. Public tea meetings are to be held in the evening in the Baptist Church, Lichfield street, and at the Shirley Wesleyan Church. L.V. Cadets.—A meeting of the L.V. Cadet co-ps will be hold in the drill-shed this evening at eight p.m. Acc__3_atisatio_t SocrETT. — The usual monthly meeting of the council of this society will be held at the Literary Institute at three p.m. to-day. The Wa-Makame! Boabd.—We understand that the chairman and members of this Board proceeded yesterday to inspeot certain portions of tho river Waimakariri and the protective works.

Mahch of Impeovemekt.—A turnpike is about to bo erected at-tho Kawhaka, on the Cliristchurch road—the first barrier of the sort put up in Westland. Mandeyille and Eangioea Eoab Boaiid. —This Board, at a meeting held on Monday last, resolved to levy a first rate of sixpence in the pound on tho rateable properly in tho district for the present use of the Board. Bats.—One of our District lioad Board clerks has been addressed by a ratepayer ns " collector of rats." We hope he finds his new undertaking lucrative, but it ia probable the rats may be as much averso to hia presence as some of the ratepayers seem to be. Accident at the Ashburton.—As Mr Bovey was returning from the Supreme Court, Christchurch, after crossing the Ashburton his horse shied and threw him violently to tho ground, breaking his collar-bone. Mr Hurst I being sent for, the bone was set, and Mr Bovey is now progressing favorably.— •* Timaru Herald." Biflr Shooting.—Two or three capit-1 scores have been made by the Greymouth Volunteers in firing for the district prizes. Private Moss made 53, Private Smith 60, Sergeant Thomas 47, and Dr Morice 4_. Tho highest score made at Hokitika up to Tuesday last was by Ensign Fisher, who obtained 49 points. Pbovinciax Gazette. — A Provincial *■ Gazette" was issued yesterday. It contains a notification that, tho public o*_ces will be closed from Good Friday until Tuesday next, inclusive; a proclamation by the Superintendent, altering the boundaries of tho, Courtenay Educational District ; the proclamation of the Halkett Educational District ; and a schedule of tolls charged upon the railways. The Pbince's Visit.—As yet the various societies in Chriatchurch do not appear to have made the necessary, arrangements for joining in the procession to welcome H.E.H. the Duke of Edinburgh on his arrival, but aB there is ample time, no doubt the arrangements will be completed in a few days. We hear that it is probable the Lyttelton societies will come to Christchurch to join the procession. A Vacancy.—On February 8 Mr Ellen was elected a councillor for the Kaiapoi Borough ; but as, before he took the necessary oath, it was found.that ho would be amenable to the penalties of tho Act, an effort was made to Eet aside a contract which he held from tho Council. This end, however, was not attained, and the seat being vacant at four consecutivo meetings, an extraordinary vacancy occurs under the term 3of the Act; another election will thus be neceseary. Meetings of Ceeditoes.—The following meetings of creditors were held yesterday bofore the Registrar of the Supreme Court:— John Etherden Coker and James Heath. Meeting.adjourned for a week. Thomas Buxton; meeting lapsed ; estate vested in provisional trustee. Henry Brooks; meeting lapsed; estate vested in provisional trustee. Gabriel William Lawrence; meeting adjourned for a week. Henry Batchelor ; meeting adjourned for a week. Samuel Edward Graham; meeting lapsed; estate vested in provisional trustee. Meeting op the City Co-ncil.—A meeting of the members of the City Council was held last evening, at seven o'clock, for tho purpose of considering what portion of the bye-laws, meetioned in the schedules of the Municipal Corporations Acts, should be adopted. Present — Councillors Jamieson, Ruddenklau, Calvert, Sawtell, Sheppard, and Angus. In the absence of his Worship the Mayor, Councillor Jamieson was voted to the chair. After a conversational discussion it was determined thafc. the matter should be brought before the Council on Tuesday evening next. The Council then adjourned. Leeston.—A meeting was held in the school-room, Leeston, on the evening of Monday, the 22nd, for the purpose of taking steps towards forming a Book Club in the district. The Key W. JBluett occupied the chair. For the purpose of carrying on the affairs of the Club, a committee, consisting of the following'gentlemen, were eleoted, viz :— The Eev W. Bluett, chairman; Messrs Gillett, Gardiner, Lawrence, Blackler, Lunn, Rowland, Frankish, Deavdon, Washbourne, Rennie, Johnstone, Cholmondeley, and Dr Christy; and Mr Fleming, treasurer and librarian. It was agreed that the annual subscription should be ten shillings; a subscription of one pound entitling the donor to a membership of three years. All subscriptions to be paid to any of the members of committee oh or before April 2nd, when the first meeting; of committee will be held in the school-room at noon. The Weather.—Yesterday morning the weather, which had been remarkably fine for some time past, underwent a change, and a heavy S.W- gale blew for some hours, raising clouds of dust in the streets, and tearing off branches from the trees. A smart shower fell about one o'clock. Later in tlie afternoon the wind lulled, and late at night there,was every appearance of rain. Our Kaiapoi correspondent writes —Yesterday, all tho forenoon, it blew heavily from the N.W., but at noon the wind suddenly veered round to the S.W., and during the afternoon it blew a regular " buster." A slight rain laid the dust, but it was cold enough to bring vividly to remembrance the fact that summer is departing. Some damage was done to stacks and slight buildings by the gale. Mr F. S. Funston's shop windows were blown in by the gale, Mrs Funston narrowly escaping injury fr.m the glass and framework. Orchards also suffered. Some of the telegraph poles between Kaiapoi and Chriatchurch were blown down, and communication interrupted from noon.

Eaetiiquak-.—A shock of earthquake was felt at Nelson at- half-past seven o'clock on Saturday last. Testimonial.—Some of the members of the Timaru Artillery Company presented Captain Byrne, prior to his departure from Timaru, with a handsome gold pencil-case. The GEE__*s_o_r_.—There has been another serious row at tho Greenstone, during which a man named Johnstone was seriously injured. Oaieabtx.—The Oamaru Volunteers have challenged the Timaru Company to a rifle contest. The four highest scores made by the Oamaru Volunteers in firing for tbe district prizes' were—Private Selby, 44; Lieut. Borton, 43; Private Lindsay, 42; Private Bennett, 41. Horticul-ttjee.—Wo noticed a number of flowers being landed from the schooner Jane Anne on Saturday. They consisted of fuschias and geraniums, and had taken first* class prizes at the late horticultural exhibition at Christohurch. The flowers, which were landed in excellent condition, were imported by Mr J. Churches.—" West Coast Times."

Acclimatisation i** ~~— * glad to be able to announo? tT.o 'IP^ 0 tho (rout in this district ;530f 0 RFmal <>- Wgbeen safely turned into t 7 r"f «'* at Dr Webster's. The cireumU «>o was lost ,« /r«, M /^3 I * no « «»t ßo^ CUfford'scarc.-«Oamaru"K- CU for Auckland papers that C-olond «»• resigned hi. appointment in t£ ?? I'orccs, and is about proceeding to A,.i once, tho severe domestic has recently mot with having » I ?"S h ho -—, induced h im fc * WAwoA-_i.~We loam from tl,« ttngaum papers that some little <Lrl WfV Jgnin being cstabli-hed among the Sn 0 * U formra tho Brunswick district f^ flW t* property 0 f Captain McGratl ' sold to Mr A. Daniof fo fil • \o\ H beef * This looks a good deal better sale abandonment which wa ß in Stom tf very long ago. *- l «iom not 6a Westlakd Kaoes. — Tlio Times" of Tuesday states the night of general entry for t ,o tL? 8 races, and wo regret to s_y tho Z2T S were not nearly a 8 plentiful as 4 "EX ft* to have seen them, nor us manvY 3 thTi b of the stakes and tho excellence of tlocl° would havo warranted. No daub ir'^ 0 caused through ownera keeping their bw horses at homo to compete for rW3 »v k Prince Alfred will b_ present hope, however, that the list will ba L J from the present meagre one, as nil 25 posted yesterday at Greymouth oroL£ bearing tho stamp of that date, wiS TftJ mitted The following entries wero i„at _- First Day—Trial Stakea-Mr BarnZ-1 X Flying J lb; Mr Mr.Dougherty's c g Cos.ack , llf Oarffi bk g Backbiter. Hnrdlo E„c 6 _lm Haworth's b m Blink Bonny* Mr B«. nard's g g Don Pedro. Trotting Eace~M P Jones a b m Rosebud • Mr Garth's b m Gende Annie. Town Plate-Mr Barnard bgFlymg Jib; Mr (Worth's b_ g bSJ biter. Soiling Eace-Dr »yW_ c « Con. tractor; Mr Shirley's g g Vandal tMr Ash. ton sb g Native ;Mr Dougherty's c g Cos. sack. Second Day—Butohore' PartKH~Hr Dougherty's c g Cossack. Westland Joeker Club Handicap—Mr Barnard's Flying Jib » Mr Garforth's Backbiter. Handicap Hurdlo Eaco—Mr Haworth's b m Blink Bonny • lf P Barnard's g g Don Pedro j Mr Mitchell', c m Janet j Mr Ashton's b g Native. I/adiog* Purse—Dr Ryloy's c g Contractor,- Mr Dougherty's c g Cossack ; Mr Garforth'a bk g Backbiter; Mr Ashton's b g Native. Sparrows.—We havo been requested to insert the following .—"A Friend of tho Spar. row" encloses an extraot from tho " New York Times" in defence of his favourite. The New York writer says :—"That knowing little bird—that ornithological Cockney, so clever, vulgar, cheerful, and plucky—haa nevertheless a mission. Ho is a pioneer of progress, an agent of civilisation, anil an enemy to worms. He has been imported into New York, where the citizens "were suffering from tho ravages of tho horriblo vermiu known as the inch-worm, the measure-worm, the canker-worm, the leaf-worm, or tho six. legged hunchback. Tho robin would not sat this creature ; the bliiobird loft him alono with his absonco of glory ; till at last tho sparrow was called for, and tho sparrow came. The littlo Cockney, of coiirae, secured favourable terms, including an ample dietary and a free passage; but it was expected that, in return, he would at once take up his abode in ■Con* , tral Park, and commence his cure for worms. And so, after a time, he did. Having becorno numerous, he took to eating the mcaauro worm ; and his services have been gratefully recognised by the erection of' bird houses' id . Union-square. Tho winter cold ia somewhat too severe for the strangers * but with a com* fortable little houso above their sagacious littlo heads, and a daily supply of food, they faro tolerably well after all. Inside the boxes nosts . are constructed of hair, cotton, feathers, and grass, with twigs of straw for the foundation; during the colder months the parkkeeper'feeds the birds with cracked rice, and in the summer they may be seen daily taking their dips from little bits of plank placed in the basin of the fountain. The horrible worm is rapidly disappearing before them: and tho astounding fact that they alone, of all publio servants of this city, have fulfilled their contract, mate their history not only interesting but unique* NuKU-ÜBtt.—The •* Wellington Independent," in an article upon Sir John letter to the "Times," speaks thus of lb Nukumaru pa :—The pa at Ngatapa was but a poor specimen of Maori workmanship vihin compared with that at Nukumaru.- We gather from the lithographed plans and wo* tions of Ngatapa, that it was formidable chiefly on account of its position and not so much by reason of its palisades, trenohes, undorgroanfl chambers, and other means of defence to which the Maori now resorts. The pa at Mukwatfu on the other hand was poor in position; being commanded from a fern hill behind, some distance from tho creek depended oa for -water, and very scantily provisioned, Bu* as a stronghold all accounts agree that it not only presented those features which surprised our generals in the Waikato *ar, i>- uthat it was altogether unique in resources which tho native can command, it? adfflir* able disposition of the limited space st the-disposal of its designers. No vesl f description can at all adequately convey tag outward strength and the inward secong which i coffered; picture alone can doit. « will he rememborcd that a. few weeks age Mr Buchanan, of tho Museum, waa mm up to delineate its structure. Altliougll w have not yet seen the results, wo arc im by thoso who have seen them that »J persons in the colony ore likely to be for the formidable nature of the fortiflcaiwa which was so readily abandoned to our row** There can be no doubt that its one weak poimof construction was just the point thaii -- assailed. Its underground chambers, att-Wg«J covered in to a considerable thickness.««» not proof to vertical fire ; and verticaljj» beiug adopted by Colonel Whitmore, a. Pjw convinced the rebels that their sec-«eywj false. Its weakness of position was, as* have already stated, twofold-its dutaaoj... from water and its being commanded m « rear. The plans, if lithographed^ff e vines able soldiers like Sir J. F. that the powder-breach is on. Beyond the outer lino defence W«• breached were trenebe., . eftrt^^__*staß*» very network of palisades in which aM«» could be shot -own like so mainrfcg g sheep. From its strength, we may th,t the pa was not attempted a rush; but from its wea_ the more regret that the forces weic doso» insufficient to invest it.

„?S offered 7,000,000 francs for the worts of her husband. now MrxrN- at the Thaicbs.-A dm_'Trf £800 per share for the month of fSra-rr HasbeJn paid to the fortunate shareGolden Crown. . A new enemy to im*rff»* *»- «-» in *. P° ,• Iw-nn Society's Gardens at AuekAcf**Zf*?/ e XZlzud Herald » of a lato STi_VB--Tbi 9 is tbo New Zealand kingther&h, although well-known by country «?« to be very destructive m tho poultry i hv killing chickens, had not put m an ie near the aviaries before this week. SST3 thS. however assembled in the Si on Tuesday last; and on the following SvK ■ Brighton saw a young quad killed by 15 them on a garden path. Of course this 2 n 2S of war to the death, and four S_fißhers already hang lifeless trophies near S gates. These birds seem to be simply S-hlooded murderers, and to kill for the ate of killing. They do not eat their victims {JJ Heave the bodies on the spot where they fell' .