SOUTHERN PROVINCES. WELLINGTON.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1031, 15 May 1857, Page 3

SOUTHERN PROVINCES. WELLINGTON.

By the Zingari we hare only one later paper than by the schooner Helen. We make the following extracts from the 'Spectator' of the 25th ult. : — Ball to Colonel and Mks. M'Cleverit.— On Thursday evening a ball was given by the settlers of Wellington to Colonel and Mrs. M'Cleverty, on the occasion of their approaching departure to England. All who were present at the entertainment must have been deeply impressed with the conviction, that this was no ordinary compliment, but a genuine and heartfelt tribute to those whom the settlers had met to honour— a sincere offering on their part to tried and acknowledged worth, mingled with deep regret on the occasion of parting from old and valued friends. And if anything could have enhanced the value of the compliment, it was a consciousness that all who had united in giving this enteriainment to Colonel and' Mrs. M'Cleverty, and were present that evening, were actuated by sincere feelings of respect and regard towards them, and that not one was there for mere form's sake, or to save appearances, or from motives of policy or cold civility — one mind influenced the whole assembly, a desire to pay honour to whom honour was so justly due. Daring the long period, now upwards often years, that Colonel M'Cleverty has been stationed in Wellington, the settlers have, on srveral trying and critical occasions, had to appeal to him in his official capacity as commanding the troops in the Southern district of the Colony, for assistance. This assistance has always been given most cordially and to the utmost of his power, and these occasions had invariably called forth the warmest and most active sympathy on the part of Colonel M'Cleverty, and of Colonel Gold and the officers and men of the 65 th towards the settlers, and established the kindliest •■ feelings of mutual good will and regard between them. The only partial interruption to this good feeling was the attempt made by a leading-member of the Provincial Executive about two years ago, after the last earthquake, to annoy Colonel M'Cleverty, and the subsequent proceedings of that member and his colleagues ,in the Provincial Council, bore so much the stamp of spite and personal vihdictiveness, that they served to raise Colonel M'Cleverty higher than ever in the estimation of the settlers, and reflected great discredit on those, who originated them, and have ever since thrown an air of ridicule and absurdity on the pretensions of our Provincial " Lord John Russells." Colonel M'Cleverty'* private and daily intercourse with the settlers has always been marked by such kindness and good will as to conciliate all classes, and win for him "golden opinions from all sorts of people." We fear we shall fail to express in adequate terms the very sincere respect and regard entertained by all classes of the community for Mrs. M'Cleverty, for the unaffected goodness and kindness for which she has been so eminently distinguished during her long residence among&t us, for the daily exercise of that genuine .^hriftura^benevolenoe, and ail those excellencies of

which the ha* afforded to bright an example. Many will gratefully remember her kindness and sympathy in •cenes of affliction and trial, in times of sickness, ,of misfortune, and distress. It is impossible to overestimate in its social effects the advantage to a small community of the example of such persons, who from their position hare been able to exercise a most bene ficial influence. This influence has been very generally felt, and was cheerfully and gratefully acknowledged in the tribute oi respect which was offered on Thursday, and we only discharge our duty as journalists in- this imperfect expression of the high estimation in which Colonel and Mrs. M'Cleverty are held, and of the regrets entertained at their departure. Having been long and intimately connected in terms of personal friendship with those to whom this tribute is offered, the writer of these remarks feels deeply what he fears he has but imperfectly impressed. It is not often permitted to us in the journey of life to make such valuable friendships, and when from unavoidable circumstances, as on the present occasion, we cease to enjoy an intimate communion with such oocial worth, — when in the wellspring and fountain of our purest pleasures something of bitterness arises to qualify our enjoyment of them, to remind us of their fleeting and transitory nature, and the uncertain tenure on which we hold them — when a separation occurs to such friendships, we are painfully made to feel the value of our loss, in our vain efforts to replace them..

Meteoric Lioht.— Yesterday (Friday) morning, at 5 o'clock, a.m., as some of the Inter risitors were returning'from the Ball, a very beautiful meteor of extraordinary luminosity arose ot'er the hills on the N.N W. tide of Wellington, and, after spanning the whole width of hemisphere from horizon to horizon, immediately above the harbour, disappeared behind Mount Victoria on the S.S.E., leaving a long phosphorescent trail, which continued visible and unbroken by the atmospheric current* for more than twenty minutes. It was a pale blue globe of brdinary color, but of a large size. It was witnessed by several spectators on the-beach. Meteoric appearances have been more frequent than usual here during the last month. Resident Magistrate's Court.— The Resident Ma-

gistrate, H. St. Hill, Esq., has been for some time occupied in the investigation of a complaint made by Captain Sharp, Government Emigration Officer, on the memorial of seventy-two emigrant passengers of the 'Ann Wilson,' against J. H. Rutherford, master of the said barque, under the 14th, 35th, 36th, 43rd, and 44th clauses of the Passengers Act, 1856, viz., for having carried a greater number of pastengers than in the proportion prescribed by the Act, for not having issued the proper allowance of water and provisions fixed by the Act, for irregularity in issuing the provisions and deficient accommodation in cooking, and for not being provided with a sufficient supply of medicines and medical comforts. The evidence was of a similar character to that w hich has been already published in the report of the proceedings of the Coroner's inquest. The Magis- j trate's decision in this case, which has been several times postponed at the request of the parties engaged in the suit, was given yesterday, when penalties to the amount of £1,860 were inflicted on Capt. Rutherford for several breaches of the Passengers Act, viz., penalties to the amount of £1140 for having on board 57 statute passengers above the number allowed by the Passengers Act in proportion to the size of the ship,— a penalty of £600, being at the rate of £5 per day for 120 days breach of that part of the 35 ih clause, which regulates the issue of water to the immigrants, and £120 penalty for the breach of that part of the 36th clause, which relates to the serving out of the provitions. In addition to the above, there are other cases now before the Resident Magistrate, which have been brought by the cabin passengers for breaches of contract under the above mentioned Act. Thb 'Zingabi' arrived this morning from Lyttelton with a large number of passengers, several of whom are proceeding to the Nelson diggings. Tbadb.— Considerable dulness appears to prevail in all mercantile matters. Some of our dealers and merchants have gone to visit the "diggings," and others seem waiting for more definite intelligence, in the absence of which — while trade is rendered somewhat stagnant in its accustomed channels — it doss not extensively break out into the new. It may be confidently predicated that any considerable amount of success at Aorere will open a market to our merchants, which it will be almost entirely their own fault if they do not largely profit by ; but at present all is uncertain, if not visionary.