OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

Marlborough Express, Volume X, Issue 715, 2 June 1875, Page 5

OUR WELLINGTON LETTER.

[from otjr ovm correspondent.]

Wellington, May 28, 1875. Having had a little leisure I have read through some of the speeches at your election meetings, and was sorry to see the narrowness of spirit of many speakers. Such paltry personalities as they indulged m are prejudicial to public welfare, as they deter high-minded, sensitive men from serving the public. What can it have to do with the question as to who will serve the constituency best, whether l/Sr Moorhouse is a poor or a rich man ? He has a public career to show of which the Colony may be proud, and he might have been rich at any time, had he cared less for the public good and more for himself. This town is feeling the effects of its ill-treatment of its public men, by finding only one candidate offering for Provincial honors, and no one to fill a civic chair. So much for abuse and misrepresentation !

The Queen's Birthday was a somewhat dismal holiday, as it was not five weather at any time, and the latter half of the day was decidedly not; but I think a thousand people rode m the trains along the extension of the Hutt railway, and at uight the Fire Brigades paraded with lighted torches. The new line was a little springy, but seems to be well graded, and without any violent curves. The pace of the train was slow, but a better speed can be attained on the extension than on the original piece, when it is m full work. The railway servants managed very well, considering the rush they had to attend to without extra help, but of course there was some grumbling. The Tribune says that Sir D. M'Lean is to lead the Government during the Session, and I am led to believe that Parliament will meet m July. I have no fear as to Sir Donald's ability to lead and manage the House ; he is a very shrewd able man. I think Mr Stafford may be depended on as a Government supporter, and if so there can be no opposition worthy of the name.

The New Zealand Times has had several letters about Joshua and the fixity of the sun, but the correspondence has at length closed by a letter from "Hebrew," who claims that his co-religionists m Joshua's time were a highly gifted people, because of their having built the Holy Temple m the time of Moses! Oh, Moses say I, to think that the editor of the Times thinks with the writer that he is vindicating the character of the Hebrews by such unlustoric statements.

You are probably well aware that this city is deficient of hotel accommodation, and will be surprised to hear that two well-known and respected caterers who propose to erect a spacious house are to be opposed by their neighbours. Four other licenses will be opposed at the same time, chiefly on the gronnd of insufficient accommodation.

The City Council are not attempting to enforce the earth closeb system, as they are advised by their solicitors that the Central Board must do certain things before the local Boards can act.

I think the judges have gob through their appeal and other business, and most extraor.Hnary their judgments appear to have been. The payment of tolls by mail coaches has been decided m favour of the gates ; that unless a coach or conveyance is exclusively occupied m Her Majesty's service it is not exempt from tolls. Judge Johnston has been banquetted at the Club, and made his final farewell, I think.

The ship Hinrlostan, with 190 immigrants, arrived on the 22nd all well. This exceptional fact led. people to hope that the new arrivals would be speedily landed and allowed to enjoy themselves ashore, but it appears that the Immigration officers had a "tiff" with the captain, and from pique kept the new chums prisoners aboard for more than two days. This is exposed by the captain, and by the Times and Tribune, and I hope will lead to an official enquiry. The news of the advance m wool will be acceptable to your readers, and to the Colony generally. A fall m price would have disastrous effects, but there is not much reason to fear such as long as the nations remain at peace.

There is a great disposition here to adopt some less perishable material than wood for building purposes. I know more than one person who intends to try concrete, and I hear that a brick-making machine is being imported by the Provincial Government, with which to make bricks for the Gaol extension, and a new Hospital. Hand-made bricks are selling at .£4 a thousand, and bricklayers get 14s a day.

31st May. I missed sending my letter by the Lady Bird, because 1 thought she would not start at midnight m such bad weather as prevailed, but I miscalculated, and am glad to find that the good old boat got safely across the Straits. She was seen on her passage by pome skipper, who reported that she was going bows under with full steam on, and not a soul to be seen on deck but the helmsman.

The Luna has returned with our genial Governor, who was received on the wharf by the Minister of Public Works, and was very soon m his own home; much to his satisfaction, I should think, after the boisterous trip. The Times has

some cock-and-bull story about the Customhouse boatman having made some reflections, m the absence of attention, to the Governor on his arrival ; which was intended to be funny ; but the Post says ' ' we learn, m consequence, that the boatman has been suspended, and ordered to appear before a Board of Enquiry." I merely mention it as a new phase of officialism, that a servant may be suspended on account of a newspaper paragraph, and I take leave to doubt the assertion,

The Post says that Canterbury and Otago intend trying to obtain a portion of the loan as purchase money of their Provincial railways, and very properly remarks "that the General Government is not justified m divesting itself of control oi any portion of the loan by placing it m the hands of Provincial Governments." This is very good from an ultr.vprovin.cial paper, and if the principlo is carried out will prevent the Government giving the proceeds of loans, such as land purchases, to the Provinces.

Mr Yogel has telegraphed that very few of the mail bags by the Schiller are lost, and I learn that di vers have brought up some of the bags, so there is hope that all will be recovered. A Waikato paper has solemnly announced the death of Mr Fox, by drewning m the Schiller, and regretted its inability to" supply a record of his career. Fortunately that gentleman was not a passenger by the lost steamer, and the paragraph has been the subject of a few jokes.

The difficulty of finding candidates for political honors continues. Attempts have been made to find a second one for the City representative m the Provincial Council, but so far have been unsuccessful. In the City Council a great difficulty exists, as the candidates suggested do not seem to be acceptable to the burgesses, and the last papers say all efforts to get a more suitable man have proved abortive.

The subscribers to our Athenaeum have iesolved to seek constitution as a Corporate body, with power to sell their property ; so I should not be surprised to see their splendid business site sold, and a less valuable, but equally suitable one procured. The Government appears to have decided that the Otago Provincial Council may make an appropriation for payment of 6d an ounce refund on the export of gold, although on a former occasion tbey vetoed an ordinance to give effect to such a proposal.