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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 2, 3 January 1867, Page 2

The meeting in connection with the Baptist Sunday school, on -.jSeiv Yi'-ar'rf Day, was aitc.n (lcml will) great, success. Children met. at the chapel at. 12 o'clock, after which they proceeded to the ground kindly lent for the occasion. Various ganit-s were introduced and carried out. with great, spirit. Tea was provided for the children, after which die adults, nunilieriug ahum 40P, sar tloivn in gioups and enjoyed the good things provided for them. The young people thoiMiighly enjuyed the t'lifenan-iiK-iif, and did not separate until about, 9 o'clock in the evening. The unfortunate telegraph wire is again down between Kelson and Pictou, so ihafc all communication is at present suspended. We would remind the mem hers of ihe various Building {Societies that their payments aie exempted Irom the operation of the reccnily | assed Stamp Duties Act, £o that llieie will be no alteration iu the mode of payment. The Wnngiimii Times snys that the upriver and up-rouiitry native claimants having received their portion of the Mauawatu purchase money, left Parawanui for their respective homes, visiting Wangnnui en route, and faking from thence considerable supplies of goods. At the D tins tan, upwards of JEIOOO was suhsmoed for divisiou in prizes at the Christmas sports. The G. R. Argus remarks, that, according 10 Sullivan's statement the prisoner Carr was tlie associate of Burgees and Kelly's gang, and in his capacity as a police constable gave them information, and helped them to concoct their various schemes of robbery. The object of stealing the police clothing, says Sullivan, was to rob the Bank at Okariia. Sullivan was to wear the constables uniform ; Carr was to supply a printed form of information, and Sullivan was then to go into the Bank and see ihe Manager, representing himself as a police officer sent down from Uokitiki 10 arrest some supposed robber. It appears also that this choice sample of a policeman knew of the intention to rob and possibly murder Mr. Fox of Maori Gully. The W. C. Times says : We learn from Okariia that during the fortnight just ended the decrease in the population of that district has been so constant and excessive that not more, than 650 persons of all classes now remain theie. In con « sequence, many of the business people have been compelled to close their establishment and join the exodus. We learn from the W. C. Times that a company is already in course of formation to work the quartz reef which has been discovered by Mr. Wildridge and party up the Hokitika river. The Wanganui Times of the. 2lst ult. says, a deputation from the Hebrew per-sua-ion resident in Wangauui, waited on lii.s Honor the Superintendent for 'the purpose of soliciting a grant of two pieces of laud, one under York Hill — next to the reserve upon Which it is proposed to erect a Masonic Hall — for a Jewish Synagogue, ami two acres adjoining the Wunga'uui Cemetery for. a Jewish burial ground. The Superintendent assured the deputation that he would do everything "in his power to forward the objects that the members of the Hebrew persuation had iu view. . . The lawyers of Wanganui have closed their offices for a week. In announcing the fact the Times says: — 'From this we ptoguosticate 'a merry Christmas/ and should they remain closeil for ever, we would, guarantee .'a happy new Year.' The discontinuance of litigation: will bo I the usheiing in of the milleuiuin. From the Otago ppers we learn that landed property in Clyde is advancing considerably in value. Three weeks since, a 40ft frontage was sold privately for.£so. The same being offered for. leS3 thaa half that sum three months back. Ou the subject of, the new rushes in tie Bullier district, the Westport Times of the 22nd Vult,. says. : The Pakihis are, we " are glad to say, flourishing, and gold is

being got in large quantities. On the .2.oth" nit, the Bank rrf New Zealand shipped no less than 1071 ounces 1 1 dwts. 12 grains by the p.s. Bruce, for the Grey, and there is more than 1000 ounces in the same establishment now ready for shipment. ' The agent here, Mr. Kirton, has in his possession nearly 2000 ounces the produce of the rivers and the Pakihi. In 'this issue we are unable to publish other very sati.sfact.oiy miuiug items, but will', make up for omissions in our next publication. We are informed that huge numbers are coming north from Fox's liiver, and that, many who left the I'ukilu for that place have returned. An Act was passed hist session of ihe General Assembly, named the '* Aliens' Act," which amends in some important particulars the pre-existing law with reference to aliens. Children of a natural born EuglWi woman may take real or personal estate in the colony by devise, purchase, or inheritance. Aliens who are subjects of a friendly state may take in like manner all persona! property (except an estate in lamf), or may take hind lor the purposes of occupation, trade, or manufacture, for any term not exceeding 21 years. If letters of naturalisation are desired the mode of obtaining them is as follows: — The applicant himself forwards to the Governor a memorial, signed by himself and verified upon oath, stating name, age, biithplace, residence, occupation, time of residence in the colony, and wish to settle therein, accompanied by a certificate from a Resident Magistrate or Justice to whom the applicant is known, thait he is a person of good repute. If the memorial be acceded to, the applicant must take the oath of allegiance before a Judge or Magistrate, and on teceipt of a certificate that the oath bus been taken the letters will be issued. If letters of naturalisation have previously beeti obtained in the United Kingdom or the Australian, African, American, orTasmanian colonies, the production of such letters, and the ideiitificauon. of the party will suffice for the issue of fresh letters. Ail letters of naturalisation must be enrolled, and a. fee •of £1 paid to the Colonial Secretary. The privileges of naturalisation will extend to a present or future wife. The G. R. Argus cautions the public that a number of forged Bauk of New South Wales £o aud other notes' are being passed in this district. Each of the three banks in town discovered a forged £o note amongst its receipts. The forgeries purport to be issued at Auckland, but they are signed "H. Goulstoue," who is the manager of the Nelson hraucli. They are not printed on bank paper, and instead of the words "Five Pounds" being impressed iu fine small characters iu the centre of the note, there are simply a number of fine strait lines, the imitations, although easy of detection by skilled persons, are liable to deceive the inexperienced, and it is, therefore, necessary that the public shouM be particular in j ascertaining the genuineness of notes tendered to them. The forgeries are supposed to emanate from Melbourne. The Southern Cross complains bitterly of the General Government f< r not having , provided the requisite machinery or any machinery at all for carrying out the Stamp Act in Auckland. The consequence it appears, is that every document that Jias to be stamped must be sent to Wellington, involving, in addition to the stamp duty, the expense of postage, and in the case of valuable documents that of registration also. Mr. Stafford, says the Southern Cross, has managed to put the climax on the indignities heaped upon the heads of the unfortunate Auckland claimants for compensation for losses sustained during the war. By his letter to his Honor the Superintendent, in effect, he declines to authorise the payment of any money to the claimants until a surplus shall have accrued from the sale of .the confiscated lands, after liquidating all charges upon those lands which may be brought to ac- ;- count by the Geueral Government.' ::?y A Bazaar, in aid of the building fund of the new Wesleyan Church in Pitt-street, j! Auckland, was opened at the Odd. Fellows' Hull, in that city,, on tlie 18th ult. under the auspices of "the ladies of the congregation. .We. are glad to. say that the Bazaar w.is a- decided success, and that the sals realised a large sum. The man Campbell,, the perpetrator of a daring robbery at Wanganui, has been cap-

tured. The prisoner bad been at large for a week, during which time the Wanganui | Police have been in hot pursuit; at one time «t close quarters, then following his trail over the country without intermission — being out day aud night. The Wanganui up-river nnd up-countrj natives have returned to tliv.ii* respective homes, carrying with them considerable qii;it:ti>ie.« of goods from Wuugaiiui, pur- : chased with their share of the £25,0C0. ! The Superintendent of Auckland, ami the lvpvsfntative of a mercantile firm in tlisit city, ha\e been competing wiih raeh other in buying land from the natives of the Fa-t Coast, without respect to the previous acts of ostensible owners, and have thus, says ihe Herald very scr'wusly complicated what may be termed the East Coast question. The Herald pays: — The Hawke's Bay military settlers under Major Fraser have gone to the W.uroa preparatory to being located on the land, which is being surveyed for them iu that district. Tlip Hawke's Bay Iler.ihl says: — We are phid to learn that the inland road from Tiiranpa to the Wairon, by way of Tc Heinga, is open, and quite safe for travelling. Col. Whit more, Sir Lack, Mr Tucker, aud two Cantebury gentleman, anived in town .having accomplished the journey from Turanga to Napier, by that route, in in three days. The Christchurch Evening Mail says: — ft is feared that the loss occasioned by the late fire will be much greater than was anticipated, being considerably over £33,000. The Argus stares that the police at Hokitika succeeded in arresting the person who has done the part of "flashing" the forged Bank of New South Wales notes. It appears that the scoundrel has passed a good many notes at the Builer, the Pakihi, and Fox's*. When arrested no less than twenty-six forged £5 notes were found on his person. We hear that the Cardrona diggings, Oiago. are looking up. A party of thr.-e recently sold for a month's working l:*0 ozs. of gold. ColHough and party have obtained an iron wheel and other machinery front Dunedin to work their claim, fiom which they have obtaiued excellent prospects. Some evil- disposed persons on the East Coast of the North Island have made the natives believe that the Imperial troops are being withdrawn bee use their services are wanted iu Europe. The W.-ikaiip Mail says: — The crops are looking very well, smd are rapidly coming forward under the present hot weat er. On the Bth of October ihc Hon. John O'Shannassey, late Prime Minister of Victoria, was entertained at a- banquet at his native town in Ireland, Tipperary. The hon. gentleman delivered an eloque.it and effective speech, which whs warmly received. The Wafer ford Mail, however, states that while the banquet, was going on, a large crowd assembled, and it was ar. one time feared that they would smash the windows of the school hou^e, where the banquet was held. An increase of the police force, however, put a stop to the riotous proceedings. It must, however, be mentioned that the Dublin newspapers, ' whose reporters were present at the banquet, make no mention of these riotous proceedings. A Sydney Government telegram from the gold commissioner at the Weddiu diggings on the 28th ult., states that they will give employment ton large number of people for three or four year?. The sinking is about 60 feet. About 150 holes have already been bottomed. An average of about 5 grs. of gold per dish obtained. Two auriferous quartz-reefs have been discovered and traced for some distance. Hundreds are arriving daily, and. good order prevails. There is no water for two miles, a fact that discourages a further . influx of population uu til the gold-field is, ■ • further developed. ■>' We (Wallaroo Times) learn from our Adelaide telegram that the renowned Captian Thunderbolt has been arrested with three accomplices. Captain Thunderbolt turns put to h /the son of an old colonist and respectable tradesman of Adelaide. The entire assets of a recent bankrupt were nine children. The creditors acted ! magnanimously, and let him keep them*

The following with reference to Mr. Verdon and the late Governor of Victoria is from tho Melbourne correspondence in the Post: — Mr. Verdon is said to have well maintained the dignity of the cplony by his style in London, A correspondent writ-ing from the world's metropolis speaks in the highest terms of commendation of himself and of his turn-out, aud appears to consider him a most unexceptional ambassador. Rumour, which' appears for once to be well founded, or at any rate to spring from aa excellent source, says our ex Governor, Sir Charles Darling, will be pensioned off at £2,000 pi-r annum. Such provisions as that will remove from his mind the impression which at one time rested there, that he had fallt*u into disfavor, »nd it is perhaps in many ways a good job for his peace of mind that the change of ministry at home has substituted a more liberal man, a real aristocrat, for the parvenu coloninl minister mirier whom this colony met with insult and wrong. We are all well quil of Mr. Card well. Should the pension referred to be granted at once we shall probably hear no mote about a committee of thi House to inquire into Sir Cliaries Darling's couducr, in order to absolve him from bbime. In the minds of all liberal meu he is already absolved.