WELLINGTON.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3148, 30 July 1881, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(from our own correspondent.; July 30th, 1881. Perhaps no Government iv this eoJony, or in any other, was ever placed in a more extraordinary position than that of which the Hon. John Hall is the leadev. And injustice to both sides I am bound to admit that no Opposition ever found itself in a similar position to that of which no one knows who the real leader is. Striking in as a free lance, Mr Ormond has only succeeded in showing the weakness of both the Government and of the Opposition. It required all of even Major Atkinson's comsummate bounce to make it appear that a reluctant majority of four was a great and glorious victory, and the Opposition could only accept the situation and fold its hands awaiting the next development of events. The postion is eimply this, that while Ministers have an apparent majority of four they can only proceed with such business as the Opposition will allow. At any moment that majority may be turned into a hopeless minority. I am not writing with any feelings for or against either the Ministry or the Opposition. Your readers can judge from the division list whether I am or am not correct in saying that the Parliament of New Zealand is in a shamefully disorganised condition. A weakkneed Ministry, an Opposition only in name, and a general scramble for what few loaves and fishes may be thrown on the floor of the House. The sooner the shutters are put up the better. Even the'generous .axiom de Morluis nil nisi honum would not apply in the case of the expiring session. The debate has been wonderfully bamjj of anything like oratory, On ail

hands, however, it is admitted that the speech, not only of the debate, but of ft: session, was that of Mr Ballance. It has been the fashion amonget newspaper men recently to decry that gentleman—aimply I believe because he is not to be trdtted out on every unimportant occasion. But he showed by his speech of the other night that when the proper moment arrives he can thoroughly grasp the situation, and depict it in colours which leave on the minds eye a clear picture. After Mr Balance has limned the political position there is no mistaking the lights and shadows. The picture _ mtky .be attractive or otherwise, but it ie clear both in detail and general effect. A statement of telegrams forwarded and revenue received during the June quarter of 1880 and 1881 shows that the number forwarded during the quarter of 1880 was 337JJ5?, and during that of the current year 337,849, being a decrease of 110. The receipts were respectively £17,748 Us 2d, and £17 943 19s lid, being an increase of £195 8a 9d. The value of Government telegrams during the same periods was respectively £7,166 6s 5d and £6,332 lOi 9d. ~A new cause of danger, and one tbat will caufe great anxiety to owners of houses, has come to ligbt through the bursting of a Culvert in Webb-street, which might baVe resulted in the death of the occupants of a five-roomed cottage. It suddenly sank ten feet below its proper level. This again proves the necessity of providing culverts sufficiently large to carry off water from the hills when there has been an unusually heavy or continued rainfall; The culvert that burst was only 2ft &m square. In the District Court on Wednesday, before Judge Sbaw and a jury of four, a case of the greatest importance to travellers by coach has been decided by a verdict for plaintiff, with £200 and costs. I refer to the case of Thomas Maher against the Corporation of Wellington, damages being laid at £200. The plaintiff, who was the driver of the Foxton coach, had on the 22nd December last delivered the mails at the post office, and was passing along Willis-street, when the steam tram frightened the horses, causing them to swerve, and the coach to heel over into the gutter, thereby coming in contact with a verandah post, which had the effect of unseating plaintiff and throwing him under the wheels of the coach. I have often wondered that more accidents have not arisen from the very peculiar and dangerous manner in which the roadway has been constructed. Any of your readers who are acquainted with Wellington have doubtless been struck by the very deep delve between the roadways and the sidewalks especially along Willisstreet.

The schooner Maggie Paterson, which stranded outeide the heads last week during the recent heavy gales, was sold by auction on Tuesday evening. The purchasers of the hull and cargo, I am told, will see little value for their money* as the whole of the starboard side of the vessel is washed away. Those who have gone in for the coal will be surprised to find that not a hundredweight of that precious article—l use the word precious, because at the present time, owing to the non-arrival of colliers from Newcastle through bad weather—is left in the hull. Out of one hundred hides only two are visible. Those who believe they bad made a good "spec" will be greatly disappointed when they not only have lost their bargains but will have some difficulty in getting back the purchase money.

The annual general meeting of the members of the Wellington Racing Club took place on Wednesday evening at the Empire Hotel. From the report and balance-sheet the prospects of the club appear to be decidedly in the ascendent. It was decided to improve the lawn in front of the grand stand.

The weather during the last few days, although still unsettled, has been a little more propitious, but the effects of last week's heavy rains are now being experienced. Land slips are taking place in various parts of the country, especially on the Wellington and Masterton line, where several hundred tons of earth, together with a number of tree?, have been precipitated on to the line, completely covering it up for several chains, and causing much inconvenience to passengers. It is not so long since on this line a train was blown over, causing considerable loss of life. A few more accidents and the line will be worthless so far as passenger traffice is concerned, because people will be afraid of travelling with siich dangers besetting them. Quite sufficient baa occurred to prove ' hat the line is not only a political but a huge engineering blunder.

The Bandmann combination at the Theatre Royal brought their performances to a close on Saturday evening by the production of fecbiller's romantic play " Die Raubers," which, despite the unfavorable state of the weather, was largely attended, but more particularly in the stalls and pit. It would be idle to comment on the actors ; they are pronounced by the audiences who have witnessed their performances to be the best combination company who have as yet visited the Empire City,