The Evening Post. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1866.

Evening Post, Issue 309, 5 February 1866, Page 2

The Evening Post. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1866.

The P.N.Z. and A R.M. Co.'a , s.s. Phcebi-, I. 11. Ferguson, commander, sailei from the Manukau on tin- 28th January ;it 2 p.m.; arrive'! off Yaranaki the following morning at 7.30 ; had fine weather du-irnj stay there. 1/Grmitti:ig of all cargo for that port being discharged ; left for Nelson at J p in. on the 29th, arriving the following d.»y at 5.30 a.m. Detained there by Government till 11 sun. on the 3rd February, then sailed for* Picton, arriving same date at. 7 50 p.m., left again at 4 a.m. on the 4th in.Uant, arriving in this harbour at 1 p.m. From Nelson to this port experienced dull, gloomy weather, with fresh winds from S.S.E. when crossing the Straits. On approaching the I leads, was compelled to heave to for four and ii«'ialf hours, owing to the dense fog. The Hon. the Premier returned to Wellington yesterday by the s.s. Phrobe. There was a liirsre concourse of spectators on the wharf yesterday to witness the hauling in of the I'hcelie, the prevalent expectation being that Dr. Featherston would return in her. His Honor, however, did not come by her, having been obliged to continue with the Native Contingent while it wends its way down the coast. The General and the forces were to start from Taranaki on the 27th of last month, and we may expect Dr Foalherston's return in a t\w days at latest Mr. J. 11. Wallace, yielding to the request of hii fellow-colonists, has come forward as a candidate for t'lerepns' nation of Wellington, in tl.e lltj-" of !U'pie*entntive9. lie

i holds the opinion that the large land-holders and sheep farmers should bear a just proportion of the burdens of the country, and adds: — "I consider it to be of the utmost ¦ importance that every facility should be given to Dr. Featherston in enabling him to secure ! the Manawatu aud West Coast lands for immediate settlement by small capitalists 5 and I should feel it my duty strenuously to oppose that course which some of our late members took in striving to incorpora'e our valuable agricultural districts in the Native Lands Act, the success of which would have tended virtually to hand over to the large capitalist the very vitals of the Province." The brigantine Susannah Booth, Captain Willing, from Dunedin, came into port on Saturday evening, and is advertised to sail for cjydney to-morrow. The s.s. Wanganui, Captain Lowe, left for 1 Wanganui last evening, at eight o'clock, and is expected to return on Wednesday next. We (Grey River Argus) learn that, on Monday last, between Maori Gully and the Grey, two men were stuck up by bushrangers, and the sum of £14 and £3, respeciively, taken from their persons. This evil is now t becoming serious, and it is a pity that one of , this scoundrelly gang cannot be caught, so that his accomplices could be discovered. These desperadoes generally hound together, and the certain knowledge of one would lead t to the detection of the rest. ,' An order in council, under the provisions of the "Volunteer Act, 1865," enforcing a code of regulations for the New Zealand Volunteer Force, appears in the General Government Gazette of Saturday lnst. * I A correspondent of the New Zealand Herald says that a meeting has been held at Harapipi by the men of the Forest Hangers ' now off pay and on their land, to discuss the advisability of co-operating with the men of the 2nd regiment at Alexandra to obtain back pay or compensation from the Government, us according to the Governor's late proclamation they, were not legally struck off pay until the sth of last December. They were unanimous in their resolve to try and obtain it, and intend to subscribe each man a day's pay to engage the services of a lawyer to carry on their case. A boat race came off on Saturday evening in the harbour. It was a match between the Wild Duck and the European for .£lO a side, and caused much intercut in consequence of the Wild Duck having received the prize at the last Begatta. It was a closely contested race throughout, and 1 he European on coming in the winner, was received with hearty cheers. Captain Stafford acted as judge and 1 starter. A. meeting of gentlemen favourable to the formation of a Wellington Regatta Club will take place to-niorrew evening, at eight o'clock, at Martin and Downe's Vier Hotel. On Wednesday last the first trial of the new stcntn service for landing goods was made. The attendance was not large, on account o£ the very heavy rain, which sef in in the morning, and which continued throughout the whole of the day. The service was under the supurintciidenc'j of Me. Williamson, the i engineer, assisted by Mr. Mackenzie, the con tractor. About three o'clock in this af tor-noon one oE the cargo boats was launched into the sea, wluii the rope was attached to the (ore part of it, and the machinery set in motion. | The boat was quickly drawn into the* " way," { but when it had arrived safely in the shed, the rope, which was of a very small kind» somehow got oft' the pulley-wheel and broke, but the boat had first been drawn to .1 safe position The whole of the machinery worked with ease and freedom, and gave every satisfaction.—Timaru Herald. , The following admirable passage, quoted 1 by Mr. Travers, on Tuesday evening, is from ' the Times' article on Mr. Berkeley's speech' not from the speecli itself, as stated in the reports :—": — " A man, who closing his ears and 1 . mind to reason attaches himself to a secret ' or a clique, or rides a hobby from one year's 1 end to another, a review or a newspaper 1 which is established to promote certain political views, and to be the organ of a certain ! , party, is content to stick to a leader, to de- > fend him through thick and thin, and to defy J , any one to show that in the course of a whole generation it has ever said a word that could ' be construed' into disapprobation. But the 1 world sets little vahje on this servile consistency. The politican who nover was known t on any occasion, small or great, to vote 3 against his party ; the newspaper which may ¦ be rciied on to puff regularly every man on 3 its own side, aud to iind no'liinij but knavery

and folly in the utterances of the other, may have their merits, and they occasionally have their reward. But their opinions cannot influence any reasonable being, for the essence of political influence is the formation of independent judgments. A newspaper, above all, can never be a real guide or index of public opinion if it is possible to predict what it will say by knowing whom it is speaking of."— Lyttelton Times. The Evening Star of the 26th ult says:— We understand that a preliminary meeting of the Stock and Share Brokers of Dunedin was held yesterday in Mr. Ball's office, Stafford street. Mr. Gillies, of Gillies and Street, occupied the chair, and the following business was transacted :— lt was proposed by Mr. Kennelly. and carried, " That a Broker's Association should be formed to be called the Dunedin Stock and Share B raker's Association." Mr. R. (Jreeth proposed, "That a Committee be appointed to draw up rules for the guidance and management of the association, such committee to consist of Messrs. Sholl, Brodie (of the firm of Brodie and Walker), and Connell (of the firm of Connell and Moodie.y Carried. After a general conversation as to the possibility of assimi- j lating the proposed rules with those of the ! London Stock Exchange, it was thought desirable to leave the whole matter in the hands of the committee, and that whan their report was ready, a special meeting of the Brokers should be called, when it would be decided which of the proposed rules would be adopted or rejected. This was agreed to, and the meeting separated.