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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 178, 29 September 1866, Page 2

It will be seen from our report of the proceedings of the Board of Works, in another column, that the Board have granted the sum of £25 to the Nelson Volunteer Fire Brigade. The estimated annual receipts and expenditure of the Brigade, as presented to the Board, is as follows : — Receipts — hon. members, iSSO ; Insurance Companies, £60 ;. Banks, £15 ; Board of Works, £25 ; public. £15 ; total, £175. Expenditure—Enginekeeper, £20 ; uniform, 60 members, £150 ; 30 spanners, £4 10.?. ; 60 belts, £7 10s. j 30 i

axes, £9 ; six lamps, £3 125. ; six American •:ixes, £3 ; hook and ladder apparatus, £130; •one hoso reel complete, £60 ; incidental expenses, engines and machinery, £10 ; stationery and advertising, £15 j total, £412 1 2s. This statement shows a balance of expenditure over income of £237 12s. Of course this expenditure is to start the Brigade, and it will not occur again. Nevertheless there will be a constant expenditure for wear and tear, the purchase of new appliances and for many things that are sure to occur in the prosecution of the work of the Brigade. It strikes us that the estimate from income is a ridiculously low one,, and that the subscriptions from the bauks and the public ought to be six times the amount estimated. The Board of Works have given the sum they were asked to give, but we would recommend the Brigade to go for a larger •subscription from the wealthy portion of the community, the value of whose property will be considerably enhanced by the existence of nn efficient iFire Brigade. The sum of '£ls •■set down to -the public seeins immensely disproportionate to the advantages proposed to be conferred, and we would recommend the ■Fire Brigade to reconsider the question. To-day Dv. Cusack, the vaccination officer, summoned several persons in the Resident Magistrates Court for a breach of the Vaccination Act, 1863, The .persons summoned produced certificates from the medical practitioner who vaccinated their children, and the cases were dismissed. It appeared that •some of the medical men who vaccinated the ■children had failed to comply with the fifth clause of the Act, which provides that a duplicate certificate shall be sent to the registrar of births of the district, in addition to the one given to the parents whose child has been •vaccinated. The fifth clause of the Vac•eination Act provides : — "Upon and immediately after the successful vaccination of any •child, the medical officer or practitioner who shall have performed the operation, shall •-deliver to the parent presenting the said child •for vaccination a certificate under his hand, according to the form of Schedule A, that the said child has been successfully vaccinated ; and shall also trausmit a duplicate of the said certificate to the registrar of births of the district in which the operation was performed, and such certificate shall be conclusive evidence of the successful vaccination of such child in any information or complaint which shall be brought for noncompliance with the provisions of this Act." In the Resident Magistaate's Court this morning YV. M. Stanton was fined 10s. and costs for allowing one cow to be at large. Charles Sontheoat was fined 20s. and costs, for allowiug two horses to wander in the streets. We find the following in the Gr. R. Argus: — Mr. Bradshaw is to move for leave to bring in a bill, intituled "An Act to alter the existing boundaries of the Province of Canterbury, and to include within the Province of Nelson that portion of the territory of the present Province of Canterbmy which lies to the north of the River Teremakau, and of a line drawn from the source of that river due east to Lake Brunner." With the tripartite squabble of Auckland, Hawke's Bay, and Wellington, we have little concern, but Mr. Bradshaw's motion is of importance to this district. It is not at all probable that he will carry it, but he will at least break the ice and prepare the way for future action in the matter should annexation to Nelson be considered desirable hereafter. .For ourselves we are glad the question has been mooted in the House, for although we are in favor at present of giving the new administration at Christchnrch a fair trial, we shall be ready should our expectations not be realised to take up arms again in favor of annexation to Nelson. Our correspondent writes — We are told that the people at Greymouth desire annexation to Nelson, but nothing can be done this session, and if they desire it next session it can be brought about by means only of a numerously signed petition. Absence undoubtedly makes the heart grow fonder, and contrast paints places and things in entirely new lights. The following scrap ,of some fair correspondent's letter,

written to a friend residing in Wellington, and picked -up near 'the Wanganui. Post Office, depicts Wellingtonasa sort of city of delights, such as is read of in the Arabian Night's Entertainments, and draws a parallel between it and Wanganui by no means flattering to the latter pretty little town:-"My darling , I received, your kind note to-day, and the pic■tures were all safe. I can't say I admire the style of the new bank, but I suppose it will joo'k nicer when it is complete. Oh — ! you can't imagine what a "wretched little bit of a place this is ; it is not the size of Thorndon F-la-t. Oh ! I wish I was in Wellington again but if I live I intend to spend the Christmas holidays in Wellington. I inteud to go to Lowry Bay on boxing day, and have a game of kiss-in-the-ring once more iu Wellington. Fine old times down there, but here you could see no life at all. It is awfully quiet — too quiet. No omnibuses nor carriages to ride about in for 6d. Oh — , I envy you such line times, no handsome young men here to treat you to nosegays and oranges, and take you rouud to tho tea gardens, or to the islands, or Evans' Bay. No such thing to be seen here. You can't even see the sea ; only a river. No fine steamers or English vessels — nomen-of-war — no pleasure grounds — no nothing!" Among the articles to be sent from Tasmania to the Intercolonial Exhibition at Melbourne, is one which the Plobart Town Mercury thus describes : — One of the most interesting exhibits — an old painting found under the flooring of Government House — has received a very interesting interpretation. The picture is in four divisions. The first represents blacks and whites fraternising, and a black woman nursing a white baby, while a white lady performs the maternal offices towards a dark colored picauinny. The second division shows Governor Davey shaking hands with some natives. The third shows a native spearing a white man, and the consequence of this act is represented by a picture of the same native being hanged by a party of marines. The fourth shows a white man shooting a native, and afterwards meeting tho same ignominious fate. The origin of these tableaux is thus explained. Governor Davey issued a proclamation, when a celebrated native named Black Jack said, "Why, massa Gubernor, your proflamation all gammon — how black fellow read him, eh ? He no learn him read book." Governor Davey replied, " Eead that, then, showing the picture iu question. We imagine that the curious piece of board bearing this singular proclamation will not be the least interesting object iu the Exhibition. The Northern Overland Telegraph, says tho New York Sun, is a gigantic affair. Through British America, 1,200 miles; through Russian America, 900 miles ; across Bearing Strait, 184 miles ; across the Gulf of Auaciyr, 3UO miles; and thence overland to the Amoor River, 1,800 miles ; or a total of 4.294 miles. At the Amoor it is to be continued by a Russian liue connecting it ■with Irkoutsk, through Western Siberia, communicating with Nijni, Novgorod, and Moscow, and thence to St. Petersburgh; The capital amounts to 10,000,000 dols. '