THE GOLDFIELDS REPORT.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 24, 28 July 1881, Page 2

THE GOLDFIELDS REPORT.

The annual report on the goldfields of New Zealand, by the Secretary for Goldfields, Mr. J. M'Kerrow, wa3 presented to Parliament last night. The report states that there has been unusual activity on the goldfields during the year. Reference is made to the quartz-prospecting at '1 erawhiti and elsewhere as having failed to realise the the expectations at first formed. The total yield of gold in New Zealand during the year was of the value of £1,227,252, an increase of .£79,144 on the previous year. For the March quarter, however, there was a falling off of .£115,976, a3 compared with the corresponding quarter of 1880. The total export of gold from New Zealand since 1857 has been 9,659,2600z, valued at .£37,810,653. The mmm" population on 31st March last was 15,003, as against 14,409 in March, 1880. The average earnings per man was .£75 8s for the past year, and .£B2 7s 6d for a period of fonr yrars. In Victoria the average is .£BO 15s per man. Owing to cheapness of living on New Zealand goldfields, the New Zealand miners are considered to be enjoying a decided advantage. Fully two-thirds of the year's return of gold was derived from alluvial mining, the balance from quartz and cement crushing. This is about the same proportion as in former years. over 5000 miles of water races have been constructed by the miners at a cost of nearly £800,000, exclusive of Government waterraces, &c, which cost .£450,000. The gold return from quartz and cement crushing was 114,4780z, an increase on last year. The average yield per ton of qua/tz is loz 2dwt 2grs in New Zealand as compared with lOdwt in Victoria.

In the House yesterday afternoon, Mr. Pitt asked the Government whether they will, during the present session, introduce a bill to abolish the right of a landlord to distrain for rent in arrear ? The Premier said the Government thought it was desirable to amend the law, but it would all depend upon the progress of business whether any alteration would be made this session. Mr. Seymour yesterday asked the Premier if he will amend " The Protection of Animals Act, 1880," so as to provide a penalty for shooting native game, or else repeal clause 17 of the said Act ? Mr. Dick said Government would bring in a bill to provide for a penalty tor shooting native game. Mr. Weston asked the Minister of Justice, in the House yesterday, whether the Judicature Commissioners' final report has been received, and, if bo, when it will be presented to this House? Also, whether, and if so when, the necessary steps will be taken to simplify and cheapen the procedure of the Supreme Court ? Also, whether it is the intention of the Government to extend the criminal and civil jurisdiction of the District Courts of the colony ? Mr. Dick, in reply, said as far as the Government were aware the final report of the Judicature Commission would be sent in this month. The rest of the question could not be answered till the report was brought forward. Sir George Grey's Affirmation in Lieu of Oaths Bill having been thrown out by the Upper House, he yesterday obtained leave to introduce "A bill to enable persons elected to be members of the House of Representatives to make, bef • re taking their seats, an affirmation in lieu of an oath." bir George evidently thinks " half-a-loaf better than no bread." This afternoon Mr. Buckley is to ask the hon. the Attorney-General when the report of Meesr3. Seed and Batkin on the Civil Service of the colony will be presented to the Legislative Council? A similar question will be asked by Mr. Reeves in the Lower House. Mr. Beeves is to ask the Minister for Justice this afternoon, if he was aware that a Mr. Charles Rjland Tylden, in the provincial district of Auckland, had been bound over for twelve montha to keep the peace towards her Majesty's subjects when he appointed him to the Commission of the Peace; and that at the time of such appointment only two months of the term had expired ? Yesterday afternoon Mr. Bunny presented to the House a petition from Robert Hare for compensation for injuries received by a railway acoident. The genial Captain of the Stella was very thorough in his examination of the submarine volcano he has been exploring recently. After testing, in various other ways, the water which came bubbling up at the scene of the disturbance, he proceeded to swallow a small quantity. Those on board at the time say that they never saw the worthy skipper's face assume so utterly dissatisfied an expression as he rushed off with a splutter to seek "the seclusion that a cabin grants." The chief steward quickly had an antidote ready, or it is impossible to say what the onsequences might have been, The Captain even now shudders when he thinks of the noisome draft, and says thai; if that is the sort of soda-water they keep " down below " he intends to be more regular in his religious observances in future. The Wellington Racing Club held their annual meeting last evening at the Empire Hotel. Mr. A. Braithwaite presided. The report and balance sheet were read by Mr. W. V. Jackson. The stewards congratulated the Club on the success whioh had attended the race meetings of the past year. The spring meeting, attempted for the first time last year, had been so successful aa to warrant the continuance of similar meetings in future. As a result of the summer meeting the stewards had been able to extinguish the bank overdraft of nearly .£3OO, and to pay off some outstanding accounts, together with all expenses in connection with the Wellington Racing Club Bill, the whole amounting to about .£lB5. 'ihe Club might now be said to bo practically out of debt, with the exception of interest due to debenture holders (^62t>oJ. Opportunity was taken of referring to the amicable relations existing between the Club and the Hutt Park Trustees, who had given the Club a donation of £50 towards the Hutt Park Stakes, with an intimation that a similar sum would be given each year. There were only 51 subscribing members of the club, a number which seemed very small in comparison with other clubs in the colony. The balancesheet showed the total receipts to be .£2054 IS3 3d, the subscriptions amounting to £216 13s; nominations, entries, &c, to .£482; privileges, .£923 12s 6d; and spring meeting receipts, £357 8a 9d. The expenditure included the following principal items : — Balance from last year (overdraft at bank), £275 5s 5d j stakes, .£961 10s ; spring meeting expenses, £318 93 8d ; and rent of racecourse, £IQS, leaving a cash balance in hand of £4. The report and balance-sheet having been adopted, air William Fitzherbert was re-elected president of the club, and the following office-bearers were also elected : — Vice- President, Mr. Hickson ; judge, Mr. E. Pearce ; stewards. Messrs. Braitwaite, Fitzherbert, Thompson, George, H. D. Bell, Al'Dowell, and Dr. Diver ; starter, Mr. Andrew Young ; hon. treasurer, Mr. W. V. Jaokson ; clerk of the scales, Mr. W. Bromley; clerk of the couwe, Mr. W. lorns. On the motion of Mr. Jackson, the stewards were asked to procure copies of the rules of various racing clubs, with a view to the framing of a new code for the Wellington Oiub, and also to bring into operation the scale of weights now generally recognised throughout the colony. Vot?s of thanks were accorded to Mr. H. M. Lyon for auditing the accounts, and to Mr. Jackson, ' the hon. treasurer.

Another slip has occurred on the railway about 500 yards beyond Hayward's Station. Mr. Aahcro f t telegraphs that it will take 30 men about 12 hours to clear the road. No further information has reached town. Yesterday afternoon Mr. P. A. Buckley presented to the Legislative Council a petition of John M'Lean, of Wellington, contractor, for inquiry into certain tenders in connection with the construction of the mountain road. The s.s. Wanaka, which arrived here yesterday afternoon, brought up the Rotomahana's Australian mail. Th* usual fortnightly meeting of the Waste Lands Board was held this morning, there being present—^Messrs. J. G. Holdsworth (chairman), T. Mason, E. Pearce, and H. Bunny. The chairman reported that there had been no applications for the purchase of Crown lands since the previous meeting, but that a sum of is 1129 63 9d had been received for balances on former purchases and payments on account of deferredpayment sections. A letter was read from the Manawatu Highway Board requesting the sanction of the Board to the expenditure of .£92 11s Bd, out of deferred-payment money, on the formation of roads in the Orona Burvey district ; and it was resolved that the request be complied with. The Chief Surveyor reported on the field work executed Bince the previous report, and the completion of certain topographical maps. The following resolution was also carried :—: — " That the Wangaehu block, No. 2, be surveyed into, say, ten or eleven sections, three to include an area of about 100 acres each, and in different parts of the block, and the remaining sections to include an area of, say, 200 acres each or thereabonts ; and, if practicable, all the sections to have a proportion of level and hilly land." The Board then adjourned. The report of the examiners (Messrs. R. Leo and C. C. Howard) on the annual examination of pupil teachers states that 43 pupil teachers presented themselves for classification with the following results : — End of first year, presented 9, passed 6 ; second year, presented 8, passed 6 ; third year, presented 17, passed 11 ; fourth year, presented 6, passed 6; end of fifth year, presented 3, passed 3. Total — presented, 43 ; passed 32. The answers of the fourth and fifth years' pupil teachers were full, fairly accurate, and showed careful preparation and diligent work. All candidates passed creditably, the progress of Miss Grace Lindsay, Miss Young, and Miss T. Watson beingthe best. The work of the third, second, and first years' teachers was not spoken of so satisfactorily by the examiners, who added that of those who failed, one or two appeared to be promising teachers, who might be treated with some indulgence, but there were others who appeared very unpromising, and whose services it appeared hardly desirable to retain. In future the examiners would not feel justified in passing candidates who failed altogether in any one of the essential subjects. They found that two candidates who failed, and whose papers were generally very weak, copied to some extent from others. They had therefore nob included their names in the class-list. There were also indications of collusion on the part of two othor oandidates. The subjects of examination this year were English, advanced arithmetic, ready arithmetic, geography, history, drawing, writing, reading, and teaching, papers being set in the first six subjects. To these will be added next year a paper on the Elements of Physical Soience. A meeting of the provisional directors of the East Coast Native Land Settlement Company was held yesterday afternoon, tho Hon. W. H. Reynolds presiding. Tho appointment of Messrs. J. M. Dargaville, J. Friar Clarke, Allan Macdonald. J. B. Poynter, C. A. De Lautour, J. S. M. Thompson, Wireme Pere, and Major Ropata as managing directors, to hold office for twelve months, was approved. Paora Paroa, Native Chief from East Coast, attended, and btatedthat he and his people cordially agreed to the formation of the company. He added that thero were large blocks of land on the East Coast available for the purposes of the oompany, and particularised many, thejowner3 of which he said were ready to transfer to the company at once. It was resolved, on tho motion of Mr. Bastings, seconded by Mr. J. S. 3VI. Thompson, "That the lists of applications for shares should close at the various branches of the Colonial Bank, and at all the brokers' offices, on Saturday, 20th August, and that advertisements be inserted accordingly." Justices of the Peace are notoriously more ornamental than useful in that capacity. Although there are four or five such dignitaries residing in the Lowwr Hutt, tho local constable found it expedient to escort into town a man arrested Jor drunkenness in that neighbourhood at an early hour this morning, in order that the offender might be dealt with by the Resident Magistrate. At this course Mr Shaw, R M., naturally expressed considerable surprise. He pointed out to the constable that it was the duty of the local Justices to deal with cases of this kind, and the officer remarked that "it was so difficult to find them when they were wantod." Mr. Shaw then instructed the officer of the peace to bring offenders of this clas3 before Justices in future when possible, and in case their services could not be obtained, to liberate the offenders and summon them, instead of putting the country to the expense of conducting them to town. All fear of & coal famine is now at an end. The Australind with 800 tons from Newcastle, tho schooner Ellerton with 120 tons from Greymouth, arrived to-day. The s.s. Grafton will also probably be in to-night with a cargo of Greymouth coal, and ihe Mary Bannatyne is expected to arrive from the same port shortly. In addition to these two barques and a brig with coal from Newcastle are now due The whole of the vessels named are consigned to Captain W. R. Williams. We are requested to remind the members and all those intending to join the Parochial Association of St. Paul's, of the invitation to a musical and literary entertainment to be given in St. Paul's Church room, Tina-kori-road, to-night, at 8 o'clook. 1 he Union Company's new steamer Manapori, Thomas Logan, commander, ia advertised to leave Clyde, for Melbourne and New Zealand, early in November. She is expected to make the paesige to Melbourne in 45 days, and to New Zealand in 51 days ; she should reach New Zealand about the middle of January. At the Athenaeum Hall yesterday afternoon and eveping, th« exhibition and sale o£ choico flowering plants, fancy work, &c, in aid of St. James' Church, • Lower Hutt, attracted numerous visitors. The exhibition, which was formally opened at 2 p.m. by Lady Gordon, met with such success as to justify its continuation to-day, the room being open to all, free of charge. The plants have been selected from the cocservatory of Mrs. Riddiford, of Woburn ; while the principal portion of the fancy articles were contributed by Miss Riddiford. With the proceeds, Mrs. Riddiford proposes to purchase a present for th« church, but what particular form this present is to assume dtpends entirely on the amount realized. Tho following ladies presided over the stalls : — Mesdames Humphrey and Hewitt, Mi9-es Beetham (3), Misses Pc roe (2), Miss Kennedy, Miss Bidwill and Miss Cooper. Each stall-holder exerted herself most strenuously towards accomplishing tho object of the sale, and their efforts were highly successful The exhibition is worth vi.-iting. Information has been received by the last mail that Lieut. H. D. Crawford, Lanarkshire Militia, eldest son of Mr. J. C. Crawford, has successfully passed his examination for entrance into the army. Tho action in the District Court to recover damages from the City Corporation in consideration of a coach accident whioh befel Thomas Maher, the driver of Cobb's coach, in Willis-street, in December last, was concluded before his Honor Judge Shaw and a jury of four about six. o'clock yesterday evening. Nearly a dozen witnesses were called to support the plaintiff's claim, while qnly two were called on the other side. Counsel having addressed the jury on both sides, his Honor summed up, and the jury after a short retirement, returned a verdict for tho amount claimed— JB2oo— and coat 3, after which the Court rose. We regret to record the death of Mr. Leonard Z. Herrmann, of the Australian Mutual Provident Society. Mr. Herrmann has long been known in Wellington as an accomplished musician, and has often given most valuable assistance to the Wellington Choral Society. His untimely death is deeply regretted by a large circie of friends. In our report of St. Mark's parish meeting we omitted to state that the receipts on all the accounts amonnfc <1 d to £691 Is 7d, and the expenditure to .£619 19a lid, leaving a balance in hand of .£7l Is Bd. The receipts on the general account, amounted I as stated to -£5u7 17s 9d, and the expenditure to X44S 9d Bd, leaving a balance on this account of .£59 8s Id. An important sale of land and property took place yesterday at Mes3rs. J. H. JBethune & Co.'s mart, and wis numerously attended. A section of land situated at Otaki, with buildings erected thereon, known as Langley's accommodation house, was sold to Mr. Frederick Bright for .£360. Part of section 508, Boulcott-street, Wellington, with dwelling-house, realised JJ3OO, Mr. Denton bern? the purchaser ; while Mr. Brown was tho successful bidder for a section in Maßterton, with building 3 erected thereon, within two chains of Queen-street, the price paid being .£IOO. Other properties were withdrawn from sale. Included in these was a lot comprising Fections on the Reclaimed Land, bought in at £859. Mr. W. Bishop, formerly of the Provincial Hotel, Upper Hutt, now occupies the Newtown Hotel, located at the tramway tei minus, and in an advertisement appearing in another column solicits the patronage of the public.

Seven men, belonging to the ranks of the "unemployed," left Wellington yesterday t in the s.s. Patea, two of them being accompanied by their wives and families. Their destination was Patea, where they have been provided with work by the Government on the Carlyle section of railway. Tho s.s. Wakatu, which left this port for the Bame destination shortly afterwards, carried 10 " unemployed " from the Oamaru district, who arrived by the s.s. Wanaka. A meeting of persons interested in the formation of the Queen's Boating Club will be held at the Pier Hotel at 8 o'clock tonight. The Wellington Naval Brigade assembled at the Drill Shed last night for the usual weekly drill and monthly meeting. There were present, notwithstanding the unpleasant weather, about 80 men. The Brigade were exercised by the Ist Lieutenant (Mr. Bennett), Lieutenants Hislop and Wallace, and Sub- Lieutenant Waterhouse, at company drill, bayonet exercise, cutlass drill, and field-gun exercise. Both officers and men appeared to go heartily into the several branches of instruction, and the Drill Shed presents an animated appearance when the blue jackets are at work. After drill the company assembled for the monthly meeting, the chair being occupied by the senior lieutenant, in the absenoa of Captain Johnston The paymasters, Messrs. Cruickshank and Keyworth were also present. Several new candidates for election were proposed. The subscription lists for the brig fund were examined, and the amounts paid over to the paymaster, and other business transacted. The company i 3to oompete for the captain's belt and other prizes next Saturday, and the officers propo c having an exhibition drill night early in September, on which occasion tickets of admission will bo issued to those desiring to see naval drill in several stages. We understand that Lieutenants Wallace and Waterhouse are meeting with great success in canvassing for subscriptions towards the funds for purchasing a brig for training purposes. ' ) We are requested to state that the next meeting of Court Robin Hood, A O F., will be held to-morrow evening, instead :>£ next Monday. We are requested to state that the windows of Te Aro House will be lighted up this evening from 6 to 10 p m., for the display of additional attractions for the continuation of the surplus stook sale. It may, perhaps, be taken as another " sign of the times " that beer ia advertised to be sold at the Melbourne Hotel at fourpence a pint. We would call special attention to Messrs. 3. H. Bethune & Co.'s Bale of first-class household furniture, which will take place at the late residence of Mr. H. W. Young, deceased, Cliff House, Wellington Terrace, to-morrow, commencing at 11 o'olook sharp. The catalogue includes a great variety of useful artioles, and the furniture being superior and nearly new, ought to ensure a large attendance of buyerß. Messsrs. Sidey & Co. will sell to-morrow, crockery, tea, boots and shoes, &o. Messrs. T. K. Macdonald & Co. will sell to-morrow, town and country properties.