The Evening Post. SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1866.

Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 109, 16 June 1866, Page 2

The Evening Post. SATURDAY, JUNE 16, 1866.

The s.s. llangatira, Captain Thompson, arrived from Lyttelton in ballast to-day, at two o'clock. She left Lyttelton yesterday at 5.50, and had strong head wiada all the w&y. Captain Thompson reports a barque and a brig abreast off the Light House, beating up. Last night, in the Provincial Council, the debate on the resolutions brought forward by the Government relative to the Manawatu Small Farm Association, was resumed In the course of it, Mr. Borlase asked the very pertinent question, " What does occupation mean ?" The reply of the Government was to the effect that occupation should include the enclosure of at least five acres of land with a substantial fence, and the •rection of a tenement of the value of £10 at least, Upon this explanation all the other resolutions brought forward by the Government were passed, with some slight modifications, and the result of the debate is that members of the Manawatu Small Farm Association must buy the land at £1 an acre, build a house, and either themselves, their children or their servants live in it for twelve months out of eighteen before obtaining a Crown Grant. This title deed procured, no further restrictions are put upon them by the Government, and they are at perfect liberty to dispose of their property in the manner most advantageous to themselves. The Town Board met yesterday afternoonThe Chairman (G. Hart, Esq.) announced that the sum of £71 9s lOd was the amount of the balance to the credit of the Board in the hands of the Treasurer. Mr. G. Moore attended the Board and informed them that the owners of sections 733, 734, 735, and 786 were desirous of forming a road 50 feet wide from Adelaide Road to Tasman-street, and wished to know if it would be necesaary to •übmit a written application? The Chairman said that the Board were unable at present to recognise any application for the formation of a road 50 feet wide, inasmuch as by an act of the Provincial Council passed during the last session it was decided that no road less than 60 feet wide could be formed. Mr. Moore said that the proposed thoroughfare

would not only bo a great public convenience but would also be to the advantage of tho sections he had named. He had no doubt but that they would give a suiheiency of laiid to enable the road to be made the proper width, and if they did, he would submit a writteni tten application on the next board day. Information was brought to town to-day that a man named Brown had accidentally lost his lifo, at the Porirua Steam Saw Mill, yesterday. No particulars of the occurrence have yet been received, bu' an inquest was to be held this afternoon. His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to accept the resignation of the commission held by Captain J. K. J. Bay a, Greytown Uifle Volunteers, The meeting for the receipt of the first monthly payment to the Small Farm Association, which it was intended should take place on the third Monday in June, is further postponed until the third Monday in July. At the Resident Magistrates' Court to-day, William Brodie, Joseph Hart, and William Brown were fined for drunkenness. Robert Adams was charged with assaulting his wife Jane Adams. The evidence was conflicting, and the prisoner was discharged with a repri- I mand. Captain F. cott sued Owen, Smart ' and Co. for £20, being a claim for three days demurrage on a cargo of coals. The plaintiff, i it appeared, on arriving here, had some difficulty in discovering who were tho consignees, and the claim in question arose from delay, alleged to have occurred on'the part of the j defendants clearing the same. The plaintiff was non-suited in this, as also in another case of a similar nature. Mr. Izard appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Borlase tor the defendant. The Hokitika correspondent of the Canterbury Press writes:— "The waxwork exhibition mentioned in my last, was opened on Saturday, but only for a very limited time. Armed with a suitable weapon, a man was seen to commence violently assaulting the image of Mrs. Kinder, and succeeded in reducing the figure to particles before the astonished proprietor could stay the hand of the destroyer. The polioe were called, the parson given in charge, and fined £2 this this morning, in the resident Magistrate's Court, for committing a breach of the peace. The damage done will be the subject of a civil action, I opine. The defendant is Mr. Wood, father of Mra. Kinder, publican Hokifclka." The following are now the postage rates from New Zealand to Ceylon: — For letters not exceeding 4 oz., sixpence ; for letters not exceeding 1 oz., one shilling for every additional ounce or fractional part of an ounce. The following notice appears in the Gazette: — "In order that the financial accounts of the year ending on the 30th of Tune next, may comprehend and include all transactions relating to that period, it is requested that persons having claims on the Government will send in their accounts to the Sub-Treasury of the Province, before the 30th instant. Collectors of revenue are required to pay in their collections promptly ; and officers holding advances under imprest, must forthwith render their accounts and refund any balances in their hands,— E, W. Stafford." The Auckland papers inform us of the death of Tamati Rawiti, the Kaipara chief, who expired at the Kawau, near the south head, Kaipara. He had been suffering for months from a swelling over the temple, and at last sank under the disease. He was, as a native, much respected, and was a staunch Queen's man. A c irrcspondent of the Southern Cross, writing from Tauranga, says that retrenchment appears to be the order of the day, the Bay of Plenty forming no exception to the rule. Salaries have been reduced and offices abolished; included in the latter, is that of an old un-1 tried servant in this district. Dr. R. R. Hooper has served the government faithfully for, I believe, nine years. His duties are now added to those of the Resident Magistrate at Maketu, and himself turned adrift. Poor encouragement this for public servants, who rely on the good faith of the government. By Aob of the General Assembly, an officer of the General Government is entitled to a pension after ten years' service. The discharging him within a few months of the expiiation of that period was ) surely never contemplated when the Act was passed. If to retrench be absolutely necessary (and there is no question of it), why not get rid of those worse than useless officials — the native magistrates?

The weekly meeting of the City of Wellington Band of Hope was held last evening. The number of children present was 140. The chair was occupied by Mr. J. Godber, and the meeting addressed by Mr. M. Read. The amount collected at the Penny Bank was £16. A general meeting of the members of the Chamber of Commerce will take place ou Tuesday next, when the working of the New '< Zealand Bankruptcy Laws will be taken into consideration. A very interesting discovery (says the Grey River Argus) has been made in the neighborhood of the Darkies' Terrace, North Beach. It appears that the miners working on this terrace store their water in a naturally formed reservoir, some 300 yards behind the terrace. A few days ago, the water in the dam commenced to subside, and it became evident there was a leak somewhere, which was at once searched for, and found to be a small opeuing in the rock. Curiosity prompting a further examination of the hole it was discovered to be a well-like fissure about 30 feet deep, down which the explorers were let by a rope. This led to a small passage, and two or three similar holes had to bo descended when all at once the party came to a very extensive cavern, the lofty roof of which was studded with stalactites and petrifactions. The appearance of the cave ia described by those who entered it as exceedingly beautiful, and well worth the trouble of reaching it. It is quite probable that many similar cavities exist in the limestone rock terraces both north and south of the river ; in fact it is known that a great portion of the hill at the upper end of the town is honeycomed with fissures and caverns.