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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 954, 23 June 1868, Page 3

The Melbourne Meat-Preserving Company is fairly launched. Operations have been commenced at Ealeigh's Punt Co.'s buildings, which have been leased, together with 160 acres adjoining. The ailanthus glandulosa is now growing in Bowen Park, Brisbane, and the Coxvrier says it seems to require no more care than the castor oil plant, to which it bears some resemblance. At a meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, Mr. Bernays said the ailanthus trees were very handsome, and that there were some hundreds' in the society's grounds, all of which are in good condition. The Auckland Phovinctal Council met on the 15th inst. The speech, stripped of its verbosity, says the Free Press, is simply this. The province is only beginning to recover from a period of prolonged depression ; although the income is improving, as yet the improvement is rather in tone than in amount of revenue ; that, therefore, nothing in the shape of contribution to local works need be hoped for ; that the whole of the consolidated revenue set apart by law for appropriation by the Provincial Council is swallowed in providing the interest and sinking fund on the half-million loan ; that, therefore, the public charities and institutions for the alleviation of human suffering, must be supported by direct taxation, aided by voluntary contributions. Allusion was also made to the extension and progress of the goldfiekl, and to the fact that the Provincial Government were unable to make adequate provision for prosecuting public works in the Thames district ; and after touching upon the Governor's visit to the province and the native question, the speech went on to talk of the agitation for breaking up the province, and concluded with tho expression of a hope that the sense of the colony would be taken before any organic change in the constitution would be approved of. Maueitius. — News has been received in Sydney from Mauritius to the 25th April. The Herald's correspondent says : — " Since tho date of my last letter an" occurrence has happened here which will not be forgotten for many a year. On the 11th and 12th ultimo a cyclone passed over the windward _ parts of the island, including Port Louis. An immense amount of damage has been done to buildings of 'every description. Tho small wooden houses of the poorer classes, as might bo expected, suffered most. I think I might say, without exaggeration, that 75 per cent of these flimsy residences were levelled with the ground. The Government did not escape unscathed in the general loss. It is estimated that £30,000 at least will have to be spent to make good the losses sustained by the latter, as regards buildings. Exclusive of these, the Grand Eiver Eailway Viaduct, which was built at an expense of over £20,000, has been partially demolished ; and, with every economy, it is probable that a moiety of this sum will be required for repairs. The j storm continued for forty-eight hours, and during the greater portion of that time numbers of Indians arid Creoles wero houseless from the effects of the wind. This is not unfortunately all. More than 100 deaths occurred from houses having fallen, and crushed their inmates. The 18th and 50th Eeg-iments. — His Excellency the Acting-Governor, Lieu-tenant-Colonel Hamley, has (says the Adelaide Register) received by the Alexandra a communication from Colonel Waddy, at present stationed in Sydney, to hold himself in readiness to proceed to England with the rest of the 50th Bogiment now in Australia. It is intimated further that the various detachments of the Queen's Own quartered in the colonies are to be superseded by the 2nd Battalion of the 18th (Boyal Irish), now in New Zealand. At the present time, BrigadierGeneral Chute is in New Zealand, aud therefore a dispatch has not been received from him ; but there is no doubt that an order has been duly forwarded from headquarters recalling the 50th. Three of its officers (Colonel Edwin Weare, C.8., Captain Clement E. Johnson, and Captain Edmund Leach), now in England, have had their leave extended, so as to enable them to rejoin their regiment on its return home ; and H.M.s. Virago, now on her way to Western. Australia, is, on her return toNcw Zealand, to convey the 18th to Syd- , ney, and collect the various companies of ■ the 50th, preliminary to their being taken i to Great Britain. It may bo mentioned, j however, as part of tho gossip contained i in letters from officers of the 18th, re- j ceived in Adelaide, that there is some pro- 1 bability of Governor Bbwen's objecting to i have the defensive force at his disposal i reduced by the withdrawal of the battalion < referred to. Should this be. the case, -< probably there will be a delay in carrying -\ out the changes. So far as it affects < Lieutenant-Colonel Hamley, it is highly improbable that he will be'obliged to quit < the colony before a Governor is sent out i in the usual order of things to succeed his t late Excellency. Even leaving out of ac- i count the contingencies which may delay c the carrying out of the proposed transfers, 1 it is reasonable to suppose that General i Chute will. exercise the authority vested t in him, and constitute our Acting-Gover- c nor Commandant of the Forces in South a Australia until the existing interregnum f has been filled up. t