The Evening Post. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1867.

Evening Post, Volume III, Issue 197, 1 October 1867, Page 2

The Evening Post. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 1867.

Parliament had what may be called a " field-day" yesterday, The sitting commenced at 2in the afternoon, and, as far as the Representatives were concerned, continued with very slight interruption up to nearly three this morning. The Upper House road 7 bills a third time and 11 a second time. The JJivorco Bill went through its tiiml stayc. "in the other place" Mr. Hacandrciv and Mr. Carleton found themselves in portentious conjunction on the former's startling proposition for getting rid at one swoop of an expenditure of .£90,000 on postal subsidies, which, he said, if spent in immigration, would bring 10,000 people here every year, who would spend in taxation .£40,000 per annum. A number of speakers expressed their sentiments both ou the original motion and on the amendment proposed by Mr. 11. A. Atkinson, which left it open to the House to deal with the whole question next year. The latter was finally adopted. A telegram from Greymouth was read by the Speaker, which seemed to indicate that the people of Westland were not so unanimous in their ideas of what sort of separation they wanted as had been represented by the advocates of the Westland County Bill. The telegram stated that a petition was on its way, in favor of annexation to Nelson. Later on in the evening the same question cropped out in the shape of a motion for the second reading of the County Westland Bill, which produced a long debate, opened by Mr. Moorhouse, •who proposed a negative amendment, and continued by some dozen speakers on both sides. The opponents had decidedly the best of the speaking, but the Government seemed confident throughout, and the result showed that they were right, as on the division they had 27 ayes to 20 noes, and the bill will go into committee tonight. The Financial Committee brought up their report, and a vast number of bills ¦we.ro advanced a stage, including the Public Debt Bill, on which Dr. Featherston made a powerful speech (the second of the session) advocating the rights of the

public debtor as against the public creditor. It was nearly llnee fins morning before the House rose. The Auckland papers, received ou Sunday, are jubilant over the prospects ol their gold fields, as proved by the results of a crushing of 6 cwt of stone, which are said to be equal to an average product ot 193 ounces of gold to the ton ; from this they augur a degree of success quite unprecedented in the history of New Zealand diggings, and enter into the most elaborate plans for securing all the benefits to be derived from it to Auckland miners and Auckland merchants. The errors and short- comings of the Southern provinces, by which they have forfeited so much of the advantage of their gold fields to Australians and Californians are to be carefully eschewed by these sagacious people, who of course never make a mistake and know more about diggings than any one else, although hitherto the only diggings they have had-— Coromandel — if it lias not proved quite a "duffer," has at all events dragged on a very precarious existence, and°has never created anything that could be called a " rush" or done much good to the province. Besides, there are certain facts that have, come to our knowledge which seem to show pretty clearly that the Auckland people, or its press on their ! behalf, are building up, as is their wont, a very magnificent superstructure on a very sandy foundation. For instance, six hundred weight of stone, probably picked with great care from the richest of the reef, is but a questionable sample of even ¦ one ton— not to speak of a whole reef. Then again it is evident that the gold is of a very inferior character — mixed with even a larger portion of alloy than that of Wakamarino, the poorest yet found in New Zealand— as it is being bought in Auckland at only £2 12s the ounce— not much more than two-thirds the price of ordinary West Coast gold. Judging from some samples of the quartz we have seen, there will be great waste in the washing ; although the stone is very thickly permeated by the precious metal, the particles are so fine that a large proportion must inevitably be lost in washing, and the cost of quicksilver for amalgamating what is saved will be considerable. Altogether, we don't think that it is yet demonstrated that the fortunes of Auckland are to be revivified by her gold fields, although they may possibly turn out to have all the richness that is claimed for them. The statements, made with so much confidence, that an extent of auriferous ground is already opened, greater than that of all Victoria, is too transparently absurd to need refutation. Again, if the deposits be as rich as their encomiasts would make them out to be, it is quite certain that Auckland will no more be able to secure a monopoly of their advantages than she could of the sun and air. There are too many experienced miners in Woptland, in Otago, in Victoria, even in California, only waiting for certain news of v really good digging being opened out, to allow ol the inexperienced Ancklanders, who are but " new chums" in the digging business, , to have even what in colonial parlance is i called a " show." And, as for the trailer j class, there are whole tribes of such people who, for years past, have been living by supplying the wants of the mining population, and who will be quite ready to start on the instant that anything like a prospect of a " good pile" presents itself, and by | their experience, enterprise, and tact, will utterly swamp the puny mis- conducted efforts of local speculation. But these people are too 'cute to be gammoned by 1 mere Auckland bounce, which has become ' notorious throughout the colon}', and will j wait quietly until the time comes for snatching the golden fruit out of the mouths of , those who have first plucked it, but are j too busy talking to mvjillow it properly before any body else coiuuk along. We shall revert at an early opportunity to some other phases of that peculiar propensity for viewing every tiling through a ro'-c-coiored medium, which seems to be inherent in our j Northern cousins. | The Bishop of Nelson, together with the j Rev. Mr. Ewald, bis Lordship's chaplain, | the llevs. Mr. Harvey, Mr. Thorp, Mr. ] Moules, and a largo number of immigrants, i arrived at Nelson, ou '1 hursday last, by j the ship Cissy. The voyage had been a ' much longer one than was anticipated, , occupying altogether 110 days from the Downs, but it had been attended through- ' out with favorable weather. On their landing,all the pausengers attended a special service at Christ Church, to render thanks for the mercies that had been shown them i on the voyage, and in bringing them all in safety to their destined port. The sacred edifice was crowded long before the arrival of the immigrants ; the Bishop preached an extemporaneous sermon from the text "My foot standeth in an even place ; in the congregation will 1 bless the Lord," Psalm xxvi , 12, which was delivered with great impressiveness au # l oratorical power. Luncheon was provided for the new colonists, at the Provincial Buildings, after the service. There were amongst them about fifty unmarried women, all of whom speedily found engagements under the auspices of the Ladies' Committee, previously organised for the purpose. We (Sydney Mail, 2lst ult.) understand that no steps have yet been taken by the Executive Council of this colony with reference to the case of the prisoner Louis Bcrtrand since the arrival of the documents from England relative to bis case ; but we are informed that, in view of the recommendation contained in the judgment of the Lords of the .Judicial Committee of

the Privy Council on the appeal, it is not at all likely that the extreme penalty of the law will be carried into effect. A match at cricket was played in Nelson on Tuesday last, between a Waikato eleven and a Nelson eleven, terminating in a decided victory for the Nelsonians, who left the field with seven wickets to go down for their second innings. Mr. Brandon, the Hon. Secretary of the No. 1 Company Wellington Artillery Volunteers, gives notice to the corps that it will be called together at four o'clock to-morrow afternoon to have arms and accoutrements delivered over to it. A much needed commencement was made yesterday in the summer service of street watering, by Mr. Wilson's carts. Although the water was rather distributed in sprinklings than in the copious showers we are accustomed to see splashing about our towns at home, still the relief from the dusty Simoom to which we were exposed the day before was sensibly felt ; but to- j day, owing to the strong wind that prevailed, it proved quite insufficient — the dust being at times positively blinding. Of old, llobin Hood and his merry men, when they held a meeting to discuss the details of their forest rights or sylvan sports metunder the greenwood tree. Now-a-days our modern Foresters seeni to be afraid of the " drip from the leaves," and prefer to meet under cover ; so the Ancient Order select Barrett's Hotel as a more appropriate place, and 8 o'clock this evening as the proper time for their rendezvous. All 1 good Foresters should be there. The s.s. Claud Ilamilton left Sydney on the 20th ult. ; arrived at Hokitika on the evening of the 25th ; was detained there till the morning of the 27th ; called off the Grey same day ; arrived at Nelson at 8 p.m. on the 28th ; left Nelson at 9.30 on the 30th, and arrived here at 11.30 p.m. this day. She is announced to sail for Sydney, via Nelson and the West Coast, to-morrow, at noon. We were sorry to find on boarding the Claud Hamilton this morning that Mr. Evans, the chief officer, was confined to his cabin with a severe sprain, received in the performance of his duties on the voyage. It is said that Mr. Dreyer, M.P.C., Nelson, has discovered a seam of coal G feet 8 inches deep, of excellent quality, at the foot of Mount Rochfort, and about five miles from Westport, which is likely to be worked in 6 months' time from the present date. The enthusiasm of the volunteers in the cause they have embraced so heartily is something cheering to witness in these days of assumed cool indifference to everything. Yesterday evening the artillery had a long drill in the Market Hall ; held a meetiug afterwards tn consider the tenders for their full-dress uniforms ami this morninnf by six o'clock they wore all out on tho lleclaimed Lund, whence they marched to Pipitea Point, where they went through a number of marchings and counter marchings until about half past seven. While the corps was standing half turn to the right, Mr. Uichards succeeded in securing a capital photograph of the entire group, in which the portrait oi each member is quite recognizable, while the effect of the whole is martial and picturesque. The members of the Masonic body at Wostporf, met on Tuesday evening? for the purpose of taking steps for the formation of a Jlisonie lodge in that town. At a previous meeting it had been resolved that the ne'.v lodge should be under the En c <ii'-h Constitution, but a- large muster of Masons favorable to the Scottish Constitution were present on Tuesday, ;md a strong effort having been made to bring the new lodge under it, it was resolved to adjourn the meeting for a week to obtain tin 1 sentiments of a full pithi'rinjj upon the (|ucslion.

it/ nil. jjuroi; oi i vi. ia i.mm. ri'-i. Bii:, — Would you permit the insertion of the following rc-i-iurks in your issue of this evening :—: — In this morning's Times a paragraph appears commenting on the dramatic performance of last '.'veiling, the writer of which intorms the public that the pfcee called "Jonathan Bradford"' was produced so pxeeiJently some years airo. As an oul in'ia-uitant, I cannot remember any amateur performance (and lam one who considers that we ought to eneour-'.^o our own people in preference to strangers, more particularly as dramatic clubs have a tendency to occupy young men's leisure hours far more profitably than spending their evenings i:i a. public house) which has been better got; up, and, upon the whole, more creditably acted, some parts equal to any professional efforts I have seen in WeU lingtou. I am assured that no person belonging to the Times office could have known anything about its former production , except from peculiar information ; and, indeed, from the general tenor of the paragraph, it would appear that something more than legitimate criticism actuated tho writer. He says the audience ivere satisfied ; then, surely, the audience were as good judges as the writer, | and yet, without fairJy criticising the different ! characters, he throws a. wet blanket on the ! whole affair. As an open enemy is preferable i to a secret foe, why not at once declare in its ¦ columns a deteimined hostility to the Thes- ! pian Club, or any particular members of the same. Apologising for this trespass on your valuable .space, I am, &c, G. Howard. i Ist October.

An old innid .speaking of marriage, ¦ .say'h ic's like any utlior dmun : while I there is ]ifo then* i111i 1 - hope