WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume II, Issue 76, 19 June 1852, Page 8

WELLINGTON.

We have Wellington papers to the 9th inst., from which we make the following- extracts :—

The usual loyal observances took place in celebration of Her Majesty's birthday. All the public offices were closed, and the day generally was kept as a holiday. The vessels in harbour were dressed with flag's of all descriptions and colours, and at 12 o'clock a royal salute was fired by H.M. Schooner Bramble. The 65th Begiment was paraded on Thorndon Flat, and a feu cle joie fired in honour of the occasion. The whole of the military officers stationed at Wellington were present, during which the band played several spiiit-stirring airs. Three cheers for Hor Majesty were given by Colonel Gold, his officers, and men, and they then marched to the front of the Council Chamber, to form a guard of honour to H. E. the Gover-nor-in-Chief. At one o'clock His Excellency made his appearance on horseback, wearing the insignia of X.C.8., and after receiving and returning the salutations of the people, proceeded to the Council Chamber, and held a Levee in honour of the day, which was numerously attended. The following Native chiefs attended: E Tako, Paratu, Ihaia, and Meteteri, Auckland Islands. In the afternoon a feast was provided by the Governor for the Natives of the different Pahs in Wellington and its neighbourhood, who mustered in considerable numbers; the arrangements were somewhat different from previous occasions, and apparently very greatly to their satisfaction. A liberal allowance of flour and beef was given to each family, which was taken "by them to their homes, and there cooked accordinjr to their own tastes.

The Ball »iven by his Excellency at Government House in the evening was celebrated with brilliant eclat. The guests were more numerous than on any similar occasion; at least 200 were present. The company began to arrive about ten o'clock; at a few minutes after ten, Sir George and Lady Grey entered the ball-room, and aitev they had welcomed those already assembled, dancing commenced. The ball was opened by Lady Grey and Lieutenant-Colonel M'Cleverty. ' About one o'clock the ball-rooms were deserted for the supper tables, which occupied the whole of the spacious verandahs en-

closed for the occasion, brilliantly lighted and decorated with flags and evergreens, presenting, when filled with the assembled gaiety, beauty, and fashion, a scene to make every heart glad. After supper, dancing was renewed with, if possible, fresh spirit, and kept up sans intermission until about half-past four, when the company broke up highly delighted with the evening's enjoyment. A larger number of native chiefs and their wives were present than on any previous occasion, and the marked improvement in their dress, manner, and general demeanour struck every observer. Several of the females joined in the dancing, and appeared to enjoy it amazingly, and were evidently desirous of increasing their acquaintance with the refined usages of society.

On the afternoon of the Queen's birthday the settlers had the opportnnity of witnessing an exciting chase of a whale, which entered the harbour, and while disporting itself was perceived from the Black Dog. Two boats were immediately lowered in pursuit, and after an active chase the whale was killed by the mate of the Black Dog, and towed in by the boats, and made fast to the vessel. The whale is about 50 feet long, and is likely to turn out about 4 tuns of oil. Now that the settlement of the South Sea Whaling Company at the Auckland Islands is broken up, and its agents are considering where they can best establish a depot with the view of carrying on the operations of the Company to the greatest advantage, the incident on Monday maybe regarded as significant in inviting them to establish themselves in a port so favourably situated in every respect, so close to the whaling grounds, and where even the whales enter the harbour. Several persons went off to the Black Dog to gratify their curiosity by inspecting the whale.— Spectator. It is reported that the differences between Mr. Enderby the Lieut.-Governor of the Auckland Islands, and the Commissioners of the South Sea Whale Fishery, are likely shortly to afford employment to the gentlemen of the legal profession. , .

A sittings of the Supreme Court was held before Mr. Justice Stephen, June 2, for the despatch of criminal business. The number of cases was unusually large, there being five pri-. soners for trial, and all of them for serious offences.

On the names of the Grand Jury being called over, five of them, Messrs. Clifford, Eitzherbert, Hervey, Raymond, and Stokes, were severally fined Ten .Pounds for non-attendance, but the three latter gentlemen appearing in Court shortly after the Judge had .commenced his address to the Grand Jury, their fines were remitted. Several of the Petty Jury also were fined for not being in Court when called. The Grand Jury being sworn, Mr. Justice Stephen, who took his seat on the Bench for the first time in this settlement, made a long and very able address to the Grand Jnry. The Court was densely crowded. The charge was of a purely technical and legal character. His manner in comparison to that of the late Judge was vivacious, spirited, and excited. Whether from an impression that the Attorney-General was not adapted for the office of a Crown Prosecutor, or from a constitutional penchant himself for such a situation, it is certain that both in the examination of the witnesses, and in the summoning up to the Jury, he left the Attor-ney-General little or nothing to do. During the proceedings the Judge observing several of the military and the police, with their caps on, which has been customary with them, ordered them to take them off, or leave the court; this not having been generally assented to, he called for the Sheriff, which resulted in his order being obeyed. His Honour wished it to be known throughout the length and breadth of the settlement that so long as he presided in that court he should inflict the greatest punishment permitted by the law, on all persons found guilty of robbery, accompanied by violence. The cases tried do not possess more than local interest, and we therefore do not inflict them upon our readers.

The labourers employed in reclaiming the land from the sea, on Lambton Quay, are continually throwing up a coarse mineral substance, which on examination is found to be a common species of plumbago; the mineral from which lead pencils are made. The existence of this metal in a coarse state, in such abundance, leads to the inference that a superior description might be discovered in similar localities.

Dr. Ralph delivered a Lecture in the hall of the Mechanic's Institute, on the " Natural History of the Whale," to a numerous .audience. Having had the opportunity of seeing the whale which was captured by the mate of the " Black Dog," and inspecting the operations of cutting in, &c.,he was enabled to give his hearers an account of it from personal observation. Several new and interesting particulars were presented, among others it was stated tl t the blubber, which was generally considered t.,,._e a coating of fat between the skin and the hod - } ' -^s not so in fact, but was in reality the skin'of the animal; he (Dr. Ralph) having examined it with a microscope, found it to resemble the skin of other mamals, having the small textile fibres running between it, and that the blubber■>* was not at all like the fat between the skin and the body of the pig. The lectnre was an iSreresting one, was listened to with the greatest attention throughout, and Dr. Ralph was loudly applauded at its close. AUCKLAND. We have advices to the 19th May. We alluded on the sth instant, to a meeting held to consider the proposed organization of a Church Constitution in New Zealand. . We are unable to give more than a condensed report of the proceedings owing to the crowded state of our columns. The Meeting was attended by most of the Clergy in the neighbourhood, and a number of the most respectable and influential of the Laity. Mr. A. B. Abraham was called ou to preside, and Mr. Burtt to act as secretary. After the Bishop's Pastoral Letter (which has already appeared in our columns) had been read, it was agreed to take up seriatim the propositions put forward by his Lordship. Several of them gave rise to discussions, in which the Rev. Messrs. Churton, Abraham, and Purchas, and Messrs. Gisborne, O'Neill, Lusk, Busby, Smithies, Whitaker, Blackmore^ Jackson, and others took part. An amendment was adopted on the second proposition, the effect of which would be that the three orders (Bishop, Clergy, and Laity) should deliberate together, although they should vote by orders. An addi ( -. tional clause was agreed to requiring that the~; Laymen delegated to the Convention shall be communicants. Amendments to certain.of- the propositions were discussed and negatived,—in one or two instances by small majorities. Ultimately, however, the propositions in the Pastoral Letter were adopted with few alterations.

The Corporation of the Town is virtually defunct, having, to all practical intents and purposes, died by its own hand on the Bth of May, after a rickety existence of six months. The immediate cause seems to have been the numerous and fatal defects of the Charter of Incorporation, which the corporate body had no power to remove. They had applied to the Government for a large money grant, and for a reduction of the borough ; demands which the Lieutenant-Governor affirmed the Legislative Council alone has the power to grant. Eight members voted for the suspension, two were absent, one declined to vote, while the Mayor and three members were in favour of its continuance. A meeting had been held for the purpose of prosecuting the Whale Fishery from the Port, through the medium of a Joint Stock Company. Resolutions were passed, affirming the advantages likely to be derived from a branch of traffic which attracted clouds of American Whale ships to the coast of New Zealand, and a committee was appointed to gather statistical information on the subject. From the contemplated very moderate price of the shares, and the earnest anxiety evinced by the meeting, eventual success was anticipated. NELSON. X* f We have the "Examiner" of the Bth'and 15th May. + { A rich vein of copper ore has been discovered near the banks of the Maitai, and within^kKhoit distance of Nelson. An application hks'--fcsen made to Government for a lease of the land, as the ore has been found on Crown land, and is apparently abundant. We understood the fact of the discovery having been made is confirmed by Major Richmond. On the 12th. a meeting of the members ot the Church of England was held in the Christ Church School room, NelsoD, the Rev. H. *• Butt in the chair, for the purpose of talcing into consideration what measures it was most desirable to adopt, in order to improve the present

organization, and promote the general efficiency and welfare of the Church of England in the settlement of Nelson, and with especial reference to the steps which had .already been taken . elsewhere for' the same purpose- The meeting was numerously attended, and,the resolutions, (which are very similar to those adopted" at meetings held elsewhere for the? same object) were- almost unanimously passed. Mr. Duppa, formerly a resident of Wellington, is advertising the whole of his stock, &c, vfof among which we notice from 8,000 to 9,(s&£heep; 500 to 600 head of cattle ; several thorough bred mares; teams of working bullocks; 8,000 acres of landlon the Birch Hill

Run in the Wairau, &c, &c, in consequence, as he states, of refusal on the part of his Exthe Governor-in-Chief to allow a f^CroWn -Grant for the above named land, and that he had determined to immediately abandon the colony and pursue his claim at head quarters.