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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 176, 27 September 1866, Page 2

It is stated that an attempt will be made by the Vaccination Officer, to enforce the Vaccination Act, the provisions of which are much neglected by the Nelson people. The

Act was passed on tho Ist March, 1864. It requires that all children shall be vaccinated before the}' are six months old, and enforces a penalty for non-compliance. To such an extent have the Nelson public failed to obey the provisions of the Act, that out of the 600 or 700 children born since its passing not more than 50 , have been vaccinated. Thin information having been communicated by tho Registrar of Births, to the vaccination officer, the latter feels himself bound to enforce the penalty prescribed in the event of non-compliance- Apart from sanitory considerations, the neglect of vaccination should no longer be persisted in, as such neglect will in future be followed by the penalty attached to the violation of the law. The Armstrong gun brought from Wellingtou by the Egmont, for the use of the Voluuteer Artillery Company, has been au object of interest to many persons. The gun is a twelve-pounder ; it is fixed on a carnivore, and a carriage for the conveyance of ammunition accompanies it. The principal features of the gun are that it is rifled and breechloading;, and it cau be relied on, we believe, to do execution at a distance of from 200Q to 3000 yards. Such a gun used from a ship in the bay would make sad havoc with the buildings in Nelson, whilst if used on shore it would tell with equally destructive energy on shipping in the bay. In these warlike days the gun in question becomes very interesting, as although we are at present far removed from the seat of actual warfare, there is no knowing how soon the complications into which the mother country may be compelled to enter, may expose her colonies to d unger. The W. C. Times hears that the country in the vicinity of M'(j!inkx:k\s station, about ten miles up the Arahurn, is likely to be tho scene- of an extensive rush, for during the winter several parties were working there qukuly, and are supposed to have done well. That payable ground was discovered is a certainty, and the finders are now employed bringing in a water race, to more effectually work it. We (G. R. Argus) have to chronicle a fact thai- is worth recording, as marking the establishment of agricultural industry in the interior of the Grey district. We lately noticed two ploughs in one of the up-river boats, and on making inquiry we ascertained that they were i'uv conveyance to the Totsira Fhtt where the Nelson t-.rovernment has recently sold some good land for agricultural purposes. Some of the purchasers have commenced vigorously the work of breaking up their land, so that we may congratulate the Kelson Government on this as in other matters affecting gold-fields' interests, on having first induced the commencement of real settlement. We learn from the W. C. Times that the last escort from the Wa-irnea- arrived in town with 1.700 ounces of gold dust, the proceeds of that district during the fortnight. The G-. R. Argus says: — The Kelson authorities have now upwards of 100 men afc work on the various new tracks and roads in the Grey and Buller Goid-fields. Would that the Government of Canterbury would follow tiie laudable example of its neighbor! We (G. 11. Argus) are glad to learn that the Grey district is not to be entirely unrepresented at the forthcoming Exhibition at Melbourne. Two blocks of coal weighing 10 cwd. each have been forwarded by the Nelson Coal Co. We have not received any response to our suggestion that the gold-fields of the district should be represented, with the exception that the Manager of the Branch of the Bank of New Zealand has offered to assist in forming a collection. Surely there is sufficient spirit amongst the G-reymouth people to induce them to help so desirable an object. A boat accident happened a few days ago at the foot of the Twelve-mile Creek. A boat belonging to Mr. Abbott broke her towliue an d capsized. Tart of the cargo was damaged, and the boat iself, with some of the stores, was lost. The steersman barely escaped with his life. The G. li. Argus of the 15th says: — . ■ The anticipated rush from -Melbourne has fairly set in. Tho Alhiunbra arrived at Ho-

•liitika on Thursday with 350 passengers from Melbourne ; and the Tararua is expected also to bring a large number. The G. R. Arjrus is informed that the examination of Wilson, the prisoner in custody fit Hokitika charged with the murder of Mr. Dobson, will take place as soon ns the approver Sullivan has concluded bis evidence at Nelson. We learn that Wilson is iv a very depressed state of mind, and cannot bear *o be left alone in his cell, and professes to be haunted by horrible dreams and illusions. The Grey River Argus correspondent, writing from the Btiller, September 10, says: — The Customs Ileturns show a considerable falling off in the value of goods imported, July showing over £7,000 to August's £2,00:'. The amount of gold exported is, however, nearly the same, about 800 ounces being sent away in July, and 740 ounces in August. A considerable amount is expected from up-country, as for the last week or 10 days no boats have been able to go up, and from the crew of a canoe which came down 10-day, 1 hear that horses are actually starving for want of food, and diggers have been obliged to hump their own tucker, in consequence of the pack-horses being disabled. From the Westland Observer we glean a few particulars relating to the Okarita gold-tie-ld. At the Five-mile the claims recently opened have not realised the expectations of the owners. In seme of them, however, good gold has been struck at 30 feet sinking, the men making from £30 to £40 per week. The centre claims of the beach continue to yield large pnrcels of gold. A number of parties continue at. work on the Omeoro Creek, to the southward of the river Waiho, and two stores are established there for the supply of the population, which has been little less than i he number upon Gilliespie's Beach. The G. R. Argus lias the following: — Our correspond :ieo from the gold-ficids will be found in be 1 more than usually interesting. Our convjpondont at the Twelve mile ha 3 recently visited the whole of the diggings in ?he Upper Grey district, and has furnished us with a very complete report of the con- I ditivHi of mining on the various gold-fields. Our saltwater correspondent gives more pleasing accounts from that quarter. From the luang.-iiniu we learn that the recent rush in that district has proved pretty good, and that some payable ground has been discovered at the Jiltu awhea. Walsh and party, who have been prospecting in that, locality for sonic v/ec-ks, struck good ground, but had to return for provision;?. A better feeling prevails at the Inaugabua. and mining affairs are said to be improving there. The sum of fourteen pounds has been subscribed by Mr. Jules Guerin and his friends at Greymouth. towards the fund for the widow of Felix Mathieu, of Wakamarina, one j of the vieti.ns of the Ivlaungatapu murders. j Yv'e (G. K. Argus) mentioned in our last that one of the cuttle recently landed by the ; Thane from Wanganui, and purchased by j Woolfe, Mace, and Co., weighed I ISO lbs. j A still heavier beast was purchased by Mr. j O'Donnell out of the same lot. weighing no k'sa thau 1254 lbs. The Thane's shipment j was one of the finest lot of fat stock ever imported into Greymouth. j Those who have already suffered from undetected crime in this district, says the Hokitika Evening Star, will be glad to learn that, i without exception, one of the best detectives j that Victoria ever possessed is now on duty j in Hokitikuj having recently joined the j Canterbury force. The celebrated Castertou i murder case, where a man murdered an old ; couple, buried one in the gardeu, bid the j other corpse away, and then coolly took pos- i session of their cottage and ground, andlived 1 iv it for some time, giving out. that they had | gone to Sydney, must be vividly in. the re- j membrance of most of our readers. Detec- i tive Brown, to whom we have above referred, was the officer that after three months' j patient and unceasing watchfulness, detected j the perpetrator of the crime, and on the trial ■ received the highest compliment probably that was ever paid in the colonies .by a j udge to an officer of justice. Brown served several years iv the Victorian force, and was a terror to the thieving fraternity wherever he wfts stationed, and no doubt here will meet

with several old friends who will most gladly decline the reunion. Wheu the Vagrant Act comes into operation a very wholesale clearance of his old acquaintances may be expected; in the meanwhile we are exceedingly glad to find the police force stationed here recruited by so able and experienced an officer. Mr. William Murray, a Melbourne contractor, is the successful tenderer for the erection of a bridge over the river Clutha at Bitlclutha Ferry. The cost is to be £13,530. Arrangements are also being made to bridge the Wailaki, the boundary line between Otago and Canterbury. In Dunediu considerable political excitement has been evoked, in opposition to the General Government policy, public meetings have been held and strong speeches delivered. The Mayor of the city at a council meeting held on the 12th inst. — "reported that, a public meeting had been held at the Princess Theatre, when a committee was appointed. On the following day, the committee met, ami it was resolved to form an Association, to be called. "The Otago Association, for watching over and promoting the prosperity of the various interests of the Province." He was requested to communicate with the Mayors of the other municipalities, informing them of what had been done, and asking their co-operation." The cash box belonging to Mr. Bunny, lately abstracted from G-awith's Hotel, Wellington, has been returned to its owner. It was found concealed in some scrub near the residence of Bishop Viard, by a young lad, who took it to the hotel. Some of the documents are unfortunately missing. According to the Okarita Times, Captain Sullivan, of the schooner Maid of Erin, of which he is part proprietor, refused to deliver to the Customs the vessel's certificate wlum the remaining shares were sold in her a few days, ago, alleging that the sale was illegal. By his solicitor's advice he retained the register, preferring to be lined, and be was accordingly fined £100 by the Resident Magistrate at Hokilika, under clause 51 of the Merchant Shipping Act. The Marlborough Press states: — Our wharf for the hist two days has looked like business. A few days ago the s.s. Queen brought up from one of the whaling stations in the Sound about, one hundred barrels of oil, as the iirst instalment of the season's fishing, for shipment to Sydney by M. L. Marks & Co. The barrels nearly cover the whole area of the wharf; and, although it does not add the most agreeable odour to the neighborhood.- it is the best of all evidence that our whaling season has been a prosperous one. We learn by the Independent that the final report of the Civil Service Commissioners has just been laid before the Assembly. It is devoted to a consideration of the manner in which an Income Tax might be raised, and suggests that incomes below £200 a year shouli'iiot be taxed ; that incomes of between £200 and £300 a year should pay a rate of 7d. per pound, and incomes above £300, a rate of lOd. per pound. The Commissioners estimate the amount of " practically taxable income" in New Zealand at £5.400,000, on which they think a tax amounting to £191.250 could ba levied. They further state that an Income Tax Department, with commissioners, surveyors, inspectors, assessors, et hoe genus onine. would be required to collect the impost. The cost of collection is estimated at eight per cent, on the amount got. Of course there is little likelihood that mi Income Tax will be proposed this Session, but the people of the colouy should watch jealously for any further attempts being made to* increase the taxation, as this report is suggestive of what may be proposed at a future time. In the Legislative Council, oa the sth instant. Mr. Domett '-'obtained leave to bring in a Bill to prevent persons extorting money as a consideration for abstaining to bid for the purchase of Crown Lands at public sales by auction thereof," which is a very necessary, law. In Australia, such extortion outhc one part, and the yielding to it on the other, are made felonies by . Act of Parliament, being considered an illegal conspiracy to defraud the revenue.