Evening Post. MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1868.

Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 98, 8 June 1868, Page 2

Evening Post. MONDAY, JUNE 8, 1868.

There ia nothing new in the political situation. No reply having been received from Mr. Ludlam to the letter addressed to him on Friday, requesting him to form an Executive. A meetiug of those iuierested in the ratification of the Patent Slip Contract with Mr. Owen, was held at the Oddfellows' Hall this afternoon. The attendance was good, Mr. Henry Anderson proposed the following resolution in an able speech, and was much applauded, the feeling of the meeting evidently being with him :—": — " That in the opinion of this meeting the action of the Government in relation to the Patent Slip, both as regards the settlement with the Messrs. Kennard and the contract entered into with Mr. Owen, is entitled to the support of the public." Mr. W. Bishop seconded the resolution, which was carried amidst enthusiastic cheers. Mr. Carter proposed that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to his Honor the Superintendent, ' which Wft3 gecQU(le.d. hy Mr.

Travcrs, and carried. After a short time the meeting separated. At half-past threp o'clock this afternoon, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington left the wharf to board the e,s. Kaikoura, en route for Europe. A concourse of ladies and gentlemen were present and as the boat pushed off, the multitude cheered, the ladies waving their handkerchiefs. Advices have been received in town from Sydney to the effect that the commander of a French man-of-war waß on his way to Wellington for the ptvrpose of endeavoring, on behalf of his Government, to initiate some arrangements with the Panama Company, in order to secure to the Island of Tahiti the benefits of the Pacific line of steamers now running to Panama. The Imperial Government, it is stated, has authorised the gentleman in question to make terms and enter into engagements with Captain Benson, with a view of ascertaining the most suitable means to further the establishment of a branch line fioin Tahiti to Opara, and vice versa. The case — Toomathv. Bowler and Bowler — set down for hearing to-day at the Supreme Court, before his Honor Judge Johnston, did ! not go to trial, counsel engaged agreeing to refer it to arbitration. The Courts stands adjourned to Wednesday next. [ We understand that Dr. Hector has found oxide of iron and copper in the specimens of quartz submitted to him by Mr. Grove. No positive opinion has been given as to its auriferous quality. Mr. Grove's intention is to continue to prospect for alluvial diggings, aa his faith in the gold bearing nature of the Province continues unshaken. Mr. Forster, clerk of the Legislative Council, goes home to England on a year's leave of absence on account of ill health. We are requested by the City Missionary to acknowledge the following subscriptions in aid of the funds of City Mission : — A gentleman who requested that his name should not be published, £1 Is ; Mrs, Levin, £1 ; Mr. S. Waters promised £1 for the ensuing year ; Mrs. Shultz £1 Is for the past year, and Mrs. Wilkinson, in consideration of the work being loudly called for, kindly entered her name as a regular subscriber of £2 2s per annum. The Island of Motu-ihi, known as Graham's Island, with its large stock of game, herds of deer, partridges, pheasants and quails, is in the market, and is expected to fall into the hands of tSir George Grey, The s.s. Tararua arrived in harbour at eight o'clock yesterday morning from Melbourne, via the South. The news from Otago are mainly confined to the abate of the weather and to the discussed estimates now undergoing the process of passing through the iisual yearly ordeal. The Superinten dent's salary was curtailed to the tune of £200 a year, and that of the Provincial Secretary to a similar yearly amount ; leaving the first item £1000 and the other £000 a year. The expenditure for the ensuing financial year was not reduced by the Council as extensively as expected, but previous to the estimates being tabled, the Government had abolished or consolidated various offices, thus meeting half-way whatever pruning might have been contemplated by any of the hostile members. Very severe weather had been experienced over the Province during the last few days. A snow storm was rajing in the high lands when the Tararua left Port Chalmers, and reijorted loss of life up-country was also spoken of. A meeting was held at Picton, called for the purpose of ascertaining the feeling of the public pulse with regard to that already diminutive province being further subdivided by the initiation of the ' ' County Council " system. The successful candidate for the Pioton district in the General Assembly is likely to be Captain Kenny, late Commissioner of Crown Lands for Marlborough, and formerly a Crimean officer, serving in the Connaught Rangers. Samuel Symms has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment by Mr. Justice Chapman, at the late assizes, held at Dunedin, for obtaining money by fraudulent misrepresentations. The following were the cases heard at the -Resident Magistrate's Court this morning :—: — William Hamilton, William Armstrong, and James Richardson, for drunkenness, were lined in the usual amount. Ephraim Hewitt, ! for allowing iive cows to wander at large, I was lined os. and costs. Alfred Sentry, charged with vagrancy, was dismissed with a caution. Benjamin A. Selig was fined us. and costs for allowing the chimney of his house to catch fire. The s.s. Phrcbo arrived in part at 1 a. in. tins morning from Picton, Nulsou, and tho North. Wellington juat noiv is a favored city as far as public amusements go. This evening the Carandiim will give one of their popular concerts. Wo have also, juat arrived, an admirable company of in'ofessionals, under Mrs. Heir's management, who intend giving a few nights' performance here. This latter company will next travel through the northern provinces, and, after a return visit to Wellington, they will take their departure for San Francisco. The revenue received at the Customs today amounted to £300 10s 7d. We are glvl to notice the name of Mr. Chailes Mafesey, the unrivalled scenic artist, engaged expressly by Mrs, Robert ifciv

to give flue effect to the pieces about to be ' represented by her star company at the Odd Fallows' Hall. The Mfirlborouffk Press records the death of the Itev. Archibald Russell, the only minister of the Presbyterian Church in that province. Mr. Russell was ailing -with a slight cold at the time he opened his new church on Sunday, the 24th ultimo ; but in his anxiety for his eldest son. then laid on a sick bed, in his parental solicitude he lost sight of the fact that he himself was suffering from a more direful disease, which on the following Thursday showed itself in the most malignant form of diptheria, so prevalent of late in BlenheiTii. He breathed his last at a quarter past two on Tuesday afternoon last, at the Manse, on the banks of the Opawa. From private information received from the i West Coast, we learn that Mr. Donne's constituents, disgusted, we presume, at the strange antics which their representative has played during the present session of the Provincial Council, propose convening a public meeting at an early date, for the purpose of calling on the hon. member to give an explanation, if possible, of his conduct, and in case of such resignation not proving satisfactory, insisting on the resignation of his seat. — Nelson Mail. Captain Clouston informs us that the temperature on Thursday morning was two degrees lower than any which has been ex23eriencQd in Nelson for the last five yeax"s, the barometer falling to 2G degrees Fahrenheit, that is six degrees below freezing point. —Ibid. "We (Auckland Free Press) have pleasure in stating that Mr. Neil Lloyd has taken advantage of the departure of H.M.S. Brisk, on a cruise, to test the quality of New Zealand rope, manufactured by himself from phoriniuin tenax. The coil consists of 120 fathoms of 2^ -inch rope. We think Mr. Lloyd deserves every credit for thus endeavoring to forward our domestic industries. Captain Hope, who takes a lively interest in everything pertaining to the colony, and especially to .Auckland, will no doubt give the rope a proper trial and report upon it. Ah the Police Court, Auckland, on the Ist instant, F. H. Hull, J.P., was charged -with having, on the morning of the 29th May, unlawfully assaulted James Benstead, steward at Government House. The alleged assault took place on the night of the recent ball, or rather the following morning, when complainant was engaged in the cloak room. Defendant, who was a guest at the ball, left his cloak in complainant's charge • it was ¦subsequently mislaid, and the alleged assault took place in consequence. The Bench, having heard the evidence, which was somewhat lengthy, wore of opinion that the case was made out, and ordered defendant to pay a fine of £5 and costs, or go to gaol for ten days.