The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 25, 30 January 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1867.

On Sunday last, sermons were preached in the NelsoD Wesleyan Chapel, that in morning by the Rev. R. S. Bunn, and that in the evening by the Rev. W. Kirk, in aid of the Sunday Schools. Last evening a tea meetiug was held, and after that, a public meeting. His Honor the Superintendent presided at the latter. There was a large number of children present, and a goodly number of parents and friends. The Chairman, in commencing the proceedings, made some pertinent remarks on the importance cf Sunday school instruction. In this province the duty of teachers fortunately differed from those in the old country in olden times. There teachers had to spend a great deal of time in teaching the art of readiDg ; but here, | where all the children could read, they were enabled to devote themselves to religious instruction. In reference to an expression of regret that had lately fallen from oue of their ministers, that the Bible was excluded from the day schools, the chairman said, however sorry he might be for it, he should be more sorry to see it explained by many of the teachers who occupied the schools of the province, a great number of whom were totally unfit to train children in morals and religion. He then remarked on the difficulties teachers sometimes met with in teaching the young — difficulties arising from the profound nature of the subjects taught, and the want of thought and language in which to make the necessary explanations. If teachers, however, took pains to study the art of teaching, and made use of all the helps that were now placed at their disposal, they would not fail to be successful in enlightening the youthful mind and laying a basis for sound morals and correct religious conduct in the minds of their hopeful charge. The Secretary, Mr. J. Cock, then read the annual report, from which it appeared that the school contained 65 male, and 72 female scholars ; 15 male, and lo female teachers. Since last anniversary 71 scholars and 9 teachers had been admitted, 54 scholars and 5 teachers had left, showing an increase of 17 scholars and 4 teachers. In connection with the school was a library of 200 books. The total expenditure covered by subscriptions and collection was £34 2s. 2d. The Rev. Mr. Kirk expressed the gratitude he felt at the progress they that day recorded. He showed that education was a great work, well worthy the attention of all classes of society. As therough stone when the artists care was bestowed on it, was transformed iuto the beautiful statue, or the glittering jewel, so the human mind, whether that of the European, Maori, or Negro, was susceptible of indefinite improvement. As the Greeks and Romans, however, with all their earning, had neither morals nor religion that made them good, so now education must be religious as well as secular, if men were to be made virtuous and happy. Hence the founders of Sunday Schools, deserved our gratitude, and those who taught in them were most useful persons. The good done in these schools was too great to be measured, and teachers might rest assured that if they sowed diligently and unsparingly they would reap abundantly. Mr. Rose delivered a warm address to the children and teachers, in the course of which he expressed regret that the cause of education was about to lose such zealous friends as the Superintendent, and the Rev. Messrs. Kirk and Bunn. The Rev. Mr. Bunn made a speech of an eminently practical character, in which he showed thrt if the teachers of the children present did not relax their efforts, they would lay the foundation of a large amount of happiness for all time to come. The Rev. Mr. Davis urged the teachers to be diligent in their high vocation and called on the children to prize the instruction they now received. The meeting was afterwards addressed by Messrs. Boundy and Crisp. The collections amounted to £16 lis. 6d. During the intervals between the speeches the children sang some pieces in very good style. His Honor the Superintendent will address the electors this evening, in the Provincial Hall, at half past seven o'clock

In the Resident Magistrate's Court, this morning, Constable Martens complained of John Brownridge, for being drunk and*disorderly, and tearing the complainant's coat, after being taken into custody. Defendant was fined 20s. for drunkenness, and ordered to pay 20s. damages to the constable for injuring his coat. H. S. Rendell, a seaman on board the Rritish Merchant, was sentenced to imprisonment for 28 days, for refusing to obey the commands of the captain and officers. Iu the following cases, judgment was given for plaintiff, for the amount claimed, with costs : Freeth v. Packer, £3 35.; Anstice v. Weedon, £2 Bs. 9d.; Hocton v. Edwards, £3 ss. / A correspondent amuses himself with the idea of a pig taking the chair. On Saturday a pig was driven out of a garden on the Haven-road. On the road side of the fence through which he was going, I there was a chair, through which the pig [ ran and was unable_to extricate himself for \ two hours, to the great amusement of the j bystanders, who never saw such an animal / in a chair before. / The West Coast papers to hand enable mis to give further details respecting the reception of the Governor at Hokitika. Ou Friday last his Excellency held a levee at the Supreme Court House, which was hastily decorated for the occasion. Deputations were received from the Clergy, Corporation, Freemasons, and Oddfellows. The police attended in full uniform, under Inspector Broham. The following gentlemen were present : — His Honor the Superintendent, his Honor Mr. Justice Gresson, Mr. Stewart, Provincial Secretary, his Worship the Mayor, Mr. Commissioner Sale, Mr. Duncan, Crown Prosecutor, Mr. Abbott, the Registrar, Mr. FitzGerald, the Resident Magistrate, the clergy — Messrs. Aylmer, Keogh, and Schaw, Gold-fields Wardens, Dr. Beswick, the District Coroner, aud Inspector Broham. At a few minutes after one o'clock his Excellency and suite, attended by Major Richardson, arrived at the Court House, and were received with the usual demonstrations of respect from those assembled outside. The corporation presented an address to which his Excellency replied, congratulating them as a municipal body, upon what they had already done, and feeling certain that when they entered upon the exercise of more extended powers, they would establish new claims upon the gratitude of their fellow-citizens. To the Freemasons, his Excellency replied it was gratifying to know that in this remote part of her Majesty's dominions they still entertained that reverence for their sovereign and respect for the laws for whicli the Order has always been so distinguished. To the Oddfellows his Excellency replied in similar terms. A large number of gentlemen were presented at the levee. On Friday night last, a grand banquet was given to his Excellency at the Prince of Wales Opera House. The Mayor was in the chair, his Excellency occupying a seat on the right hand, Irs Honor Mr. Justice Gresson, his Honor the Superintendent, the Hon. Major Richardson, and Major Grey, aide-de-camp, filling the remaining part of the head of the table. About 200 persons sat down to dinner, comprising the principal residents of that and surrounding districts. The upper part of the building, the dress circle, was filled with ladies, whose appearance added to the brilliancy of the scene. The affair, says the West Coast Times, was an unequalled success. His Excellency, who was greeted with vociferous cheering more than once took occasion to express his satisfaction at the cordial manner in which his visit to Westland had been honored by the Corporation and citizens of Hokitika, and intimated the probability of his again being their guest. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts were disposed of with due honor, and many other toasts, involving a considerable number of important speeches, occupied the attention of the guests until a late hour. The whole arrangements were entirely satisfactory, and the utmost credit is due to the Mayor (Mr Bonar) and members of the Corporation for the excellent manner in which they filled their parts, and to the merchants and citizens for the praiseworthy efforts made by them to establish on a firm basis the stability and civilization of the people of Westland. His Excellency has visited Greymouth and surrounding districts, inspecting all the public works and institutions, and winning flattering opinions from the inhabitants by officiating at the inauguration of their mining companies and otherjjpublic undertakings.

The bushrangers Jas. Auderson, Alex. Macpherson, and James Thomson, were charged before Mr. T. A. S. Kynnersley, at Westport, on Friday last, with robbery under arms ; and on a second charge, of stealing a gun. The case was remanded till the following day, when the prisoners were committed for trial at Nelson on the principal charge, and sentenced to thrive months' imprisonment on the second. One . of the prisoners, says the. Westport Times, had a pricking of conscience, or else thought to lighten his sentence ; for he volunteered to give information as to where the swags, gun and gold were concealed. Constables Williams and Doris were sent in search of them, and found all the articles, including the gold. The following regulations respecting the issue of travelling allowances to public officers travelling on the public service, and entitled to travelling allowance, will henceforward be in operation : — 1 . Ministers and Judges of the Supreme Court to receive travelling allowance at the rate of two guineas per diem. Transport by land or sea to be provided by the Government. At sea, an allowauce of ss. only per diem will be sanctioned. 2. All other officers to receive travelling allowance at the daily rate of 3s. 6d. for every one hundred (£100) of the salary received by them respectively. No allowance, however, to be less than 7s. 6d. per diem. Transport by land or sea to be provided by Government. Ar. sea, an allowance of 2s. 6d. only per diem will be given. 3. The Government or the officer to have the option, before the travelling commences, to arrange specially that, instead of receiving an allowance, the actual expenses reasonably incurred by such officer shall be paid by the Government on the production of proper vouchers. The Government to decide whether or not any expe uses in respect of which a claim is made have been reasonably incurred. 4. No travelling allowance to be paid unless the officer is absent afc night from his usual residence, but actual reasonable expenses will be paid. 5. No forage allowance will be given or Government horses be lent to officers in the Civil Service. This ia not to apply to those civil servants for whom forage allowance has been specially appropriated by the Legislature, or to persons in the Militia Service. 6. When an officer is required to travel on public business not pertaining to his department, a special rate of allowance will, if necessary, be fixed before the travelling commences. 7. Coroner's mileage allowance, and any allowance fixed by law, will remain as at present. 8. In the case of officers removed from one station to auother, the actual reasonable travelling expenses incurred for themselves and their families will be paid upon the production of proper vouchers, except when that removal has been occasioned at their request, or in consequence of any fault on the part of officer removed, or in course of promotion, in which case the Minister haviDg control of the department to which the officer is attached will decide whafc allowance, if any, should under the particular circumstances be granted. By a proclamation in a recent General Government Gazette, it is ordered that from the Ist of next month no gold other than gold coin shall hereafter be shipped from any part of the colony, either for exportation or to be carried coastwise from one port to another in the colony, except gold upon which the export duty iu and by the Gold Duty Act, 1858, authorised to be levied, shall have been duly levied by and paid to the Collector of Customs for the port from which the same gold shall be first shipped : Provided always that gold upon which the said duty shall have been duly levied and paid on shipment at any port of the colony may be landed in the colony and again shipped for exportation without any further payment of duty, in the same or different parcels, upon production to the Collector of Customs afc the port of re-shipment of a certificate under the hand of the Collector of Customs of the port whence the said gold was originally shipped, of the due payment of the said duty upon the same or an equal amount of gold, and upon every such re-shipment the Collector of Customs at the port of re-shipment shall cancel the certificate of payment of duty so produced to him, as aforesaid, by writing thereupon his name, the - date of such cancellation, and the name of the port to which such gold is so re-shipped. Dr. Mueller, Director of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, writing to his Excellency Sir George Grey, under date Christmas Day, forwards a sample of excellen

writing paper prepared in his phyto-chemi-cal laboratory, from the fibre of New Zealand flax, aud says that he has on view in the Intercolonial Exhibition thirty different kinds of "paper from barks, foliage, grasses, sedges, &c. It has been resolved to hold a conference at Melbourne of delegates from all the Australian colonies, to consider the question of the European and Intercolonial postal service. The conference is fixed for the month of February ; and it is hoped that it may result in securing the : support of the other colonies to the Panama line, and in deciding thejterms upon which the benefit of the two isthmus routes may be enjoyed by all the settlements in the Southern Pacific. We (Melbourne Argus) observe that the Ballarat colony of English sparrows is increasing and multiplying. Gradually they are extending themselves from street to street, so that in a year or two the whole town will probably be stocked. A singular piece of vandalism has been perpetrated at the breakwater on the Barwon, Geelong. Some persons have endangered the structure by stealing stones from it, with which to build chimneys. -=_ The following extraordinary report appears in the Bendigo Advertiser of the 16th uit : — The yield of 'gold on this field is never accurately known. It has oozed out, however, that a third reef has been cut in the claim of Messrs Ballerstedt, in which the quartz is literally bound together with gold — not thin threads of it but thick ropes of gold — while scattered irregularly through the stone are lumps of the precious metal. The sight is said to he astonishing. It appears that the weekly yield varies frofa 800 to 1000, ozs. If we remember right, Mr. Ballerstedt, who is one of our .oldest reefers made a statement at one timeHhat he did not intend to cease mining until he had got a ton of gold. There is every probability from the appearance of the lode in the mine of the desire of his heart being realised. The following items are from the Westport Times. Along the whole coast from Westport to the Karamea northward, parties are setting in on the beaches, and in many instances, are getting gold, more or less. At the Mokihinui many are still busy, and good gold, in one or two instances has been got. Up the Buller several parties have recently gone, and some nice parcels of gold have been sent down. The unfortunate man Nicholls, who was recently stuck-up, was bringing gold from the Inangahua when robbed, and he reports favorably of the district. There is no doubt that the Lyall and other parts adjacent will be again worked, and probably with success. From the Waimangorea some very nice nuggety gold has been brought. Some men have been at work about three miles north, on a beach on the other side of the Orawaite, and have been getting fair wages. If a track were cut at the Mokihinui, the obstacles to gold digging would vanish. The West Coast Times says that Messrs. N. Edwards and Co. have by 50 per cent, reduced their charges for freight and passage by the Kennedy and Nelson, from Hokitika to the Buller and intermediate ports. Tenders are called for, for a Custom House at Westport. A Court House, barracks, and stables are to be built forthwith at Pakihi. The Westport Times lays stress on the fact that barracouta in large quantities is found on the coast and that a splendid capture of groper or habuka, has taken place off the Karamea. The Westport Hotel has passed into other hands, Messrs. Tibby (and Anderson having leased it from Mr. Thomas Askew.