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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 241, 13 December 1866, Page 3

The outward mail, via Suez, closes on Saturday, at 9 a.m ,• Newspapers, 8 a.m. The mail for Blenheim and Picton, per Lyttelton, closes to-morrow, at 9 a.m. The mail for Wellington and South, per Ladybird, closes to-morrow, at 9 a.m. All letters from England, via Suez, mustbe bo directed on the envelope, or they will be detained until the 4th of the following month and forwarded via Panama. We understand that a great number of letters are now detained at the post-office from noncompliance on the part of those who have posted them with the new regulations. From West Coast papers to hand per Wellington, we see that several examinations have taken place of Wilson alias Murray. On the 6th December, several witnesses were examined. George Windhover deposed to meeting Mr. Dobson the day he disappeared, and several suspicious looking men. On the 28th he met De Lacey on horseback. William Beilley noticed some men erecting a tent about, six miles from Greymouth, on the 28th May. He thought the prisoner was not one of the men he saw. Marten Muller, a packer, met Sullivan near the lagoon, on the 28th May. Inspector James was examined at great length as to the communication made to him by the prisoner on the 30th May. He wished for a guarantee from the magistrate, and permission to leave the province, if he made a statement criminating Burgess and Kelly, whom he charged with wishing to murder Fox. The prisoner made no statement with reference to Dobson, till tho sth June, when he was arrested. He then said he did not recollect where he slept on the night of the 27th May, as lie was drunk. He said he knew nothing of the murder. The prisoner's written statement was read. In this he said he siept at the Criterion Hotel, on Monday night, May 28th. Caroline Fellows, proprietress of the Criterion Hotel, Greymouth, saw the prisoner ou the 25th or 26th May. Edward Fellows saw his boots on the 29th, they were wet, as were also his socks. A remand was granted on the 10th. It is said that a number oi witnesses will prove an alibi. f The Hokitika papers ofthe llth state that v the rush to the Buller district continues. Steamers are sailing daily, and the beach is lined with travellers who prefer walking the journey overland. All the payable grouud at Fox's liiver is said to be taken up, and hundreds of men are compelled to go prospecting. It was anticipated that fresh ground would be opened in the vicinity and towards the Grey. The papers suggest that disaster is likely to result from the sudden collapse of a diggings situated in such an out-of-the-way country, where provisions rule at famine prices, and from which retreat is difficult. Of course the rush is not regarded with favor by the Hokitika people. We have been requested oy Mr A. Pitt to state that we were slightly misinformed as to the terms and result of the rifle match between Mr Sharp aud himself. A correspondent writes to the Independent — " On Sunday last, a fowl 22 years old, died at the Taita, of extreme old age. It was a common barn door fowl." We are not aware of the age that this class of poultry attain to ; but have been requested to chronicle this, as very remarkable case of longevity. How many broods this "dame partlett," has brought into the world dnring her lengthened sojourn, we should be afraid to calculate. Says the Cauterbury Press to the Lytelton Times, "we dont pick up our paragraphs "in bar parlors aud pay for them with a glass of gin," to which replies the Times, "it is quite unnecessary for our contemporary to inform his readers that he does not purchase articles for his paper 'in bar parlors with glasses of gin.' Those who study the style

of the article in yesterday's paper will find internal evidence to show that on this occasion he must have bought the gin but not the article." We Independent understand that the Odd Fellows have applied to the Governor for the use of the Government Domain at Lowry Bay, for the purpose of holding their anuual fete on Boxing Day; and that his Excellency and the Premier have been pleased to grant the application. We hear that it is the intention of the Odd Fellows to celebrate the event with more than usual eclat this year. The recently gazetted Executive in Canterbury considers it desirable to appoint a Civil Service Commission, to enquire and report upon the various departments of the Provincial Government, with a view to retrenchment. The Cznterbury Press says that gold has been discovered at Akaroa by Mr. Henry "Watkins, whilst having a well sunk on his premises in Jollie street. Some peculiarity in the dirt thrown up, induced Mr. Watkins to wash some of it, when, to his great astonishment, he found some flakes of fine gold ; a further examination by himself and others led to the finding of other flakes and a diminutive nugget. Great dissatisfaction is felt in Canterbury at the delay in the arrival of the last mail steamer from WelHugton, and the local journals assert that the Government should not, unless under very pressiug circumstances, enforce the pratice of detaining steamers. A despatch, dated 3rd September, from the Earl of Carnarvon to his Excellency is published in the Gazette of the 7th. It acknowledges the receipt of a petition, addressed to the Queen by Mr. Whitaker, the Superintendent of the Province of Auckland, j praying for separation, and states that the circumstances of the case are not such as to justify the Secretary of State in advising a compliance with its prayer. The Wellington Independent thus refers to the Town Board. The City Board of Commissioners is now a corporate body, aud entitled to have a seal. We understand that one has already been designed, but has not yet been submitted to the Commissioners. A serious fire has been raging for some days iu the Oxford Bush, Canlerbury. It is supposed to have originated from a spark from Mr. Iveurick's saw mills, which were in great danger of beiug totally destroyed, the heavy bush scrub and saw-dust in their immediate vicinity being iu flumes. The following from the Express is an approximate return of the value of the imports aud exports coastwise at the port of Wairau during 1566 : — lmports, British and Foreign goods in March, £11,194; June, £9387; September, £9948 ; total, £30,000. Exports : — British and Foreign goods in March, £1016 ; June, £468 ; September, £526 ; New Zealand produce, March, £16 ; Juue, £6938; September, £2882 ; total, £11,840. This return does not include goods sent or received from over the seas.