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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 30, 6 February 1867, Page 2

Passengers , going to London, per Countess of Kintore, are requested to take notice that the steamer Nelsou will leave the Albion Wharf at 11 o'clock this eveniug, punctually. Passengers should be ou board by half-past 10. It was reported in Nelson, to-day, that a great rush has set in at Haast's river, Jackson's Bay. The miners are said to he flocking there from all quarters, and all the boats available at Hokitika and elsewhere on the coast, have been taken up, for the purpose of the rush. This afternoon, the Coroner, W. W. Squires, Esq., held an inquest, at the Police Court, on the body of the child which Mrs. Spendlove gave birth to in the gaol some time ago, and which had been illegally interred, without the formality of an inquest. The body of the child had been exhumed by order of the Coroner. We postpone, till to-morrow, a report of the evidence taken, as well as this day's police. Henry Adams, Esq., is appointed Revising Officer under the Building aud Land Societies Act, 1866, for the provinces of Marlborough, Nelson, and Taranaki. A correspondent, writing from Motupipi, says : — We have had our horticultural show. There were a great many people here from Collingwood, and some from Riwaka, 1 suppose it is the case, always, but in this instance the decision of the judges did not give satisfaction ; even the winners, in some cases, were not satisfied. The potato crops this year in Massacre Bay will not, be a tenth of that of last year ; in fact, I much doubt if there will be as many as will keep the place going. The wet weather has played *'old gooseberry" with them. A neighbor of mine, whose crop looked the bestjn the district, dug over a hundred tops before he could

get enough for dinner on New Year's dayj they were nearly all rotten. I have been informed, on good authority, that Mr. Blackett will poll between 140 aud 150 votes iu Massacre Bay, and Riwaka will poll strongly for him too. The Resident Magistrates' Jurisdiction Act, exteuds the jurisdiction to the amount of £100, in the Nelson South Weat Goldfields, Greymouth and several districts in Otago, The Havelock correspondent' of the Marlborough Express says: — With regard to the seizure of gold onboard the Venture, it seems the Commissioner of Customs has decided that the gold must be returued to the owners, as it is doubtful whether it was liable to forfeiture under the regulations, as they are not clear whether gold which is being conveyed coastwise from one port to another is liable to pay duty ; so, of course, the owuers get the benefit. However, to prevent any further doubt on the subject, a proclamation by his Excellency the Governor is posted on the Custom House and Police Station in Havelock, strictly prohibiting after Ist February, 1867, any gold other than gold coin, being conveyed from one port to another in tlie colony, whether the same is intended for exportation or not, until it has paid duty. So far, it seems this proclamation, if strictly carried out, will have the effect of returning to this province the duty upon the gold leaving Havelock, either for Nelson or elsewhere. It is but just to mention the fact that the Commissioner of Customs admits that the gold searcher (Sergeant Goodall) was acting in accordance with instructions issued about two years since. — The Editor adds : We understand that this gold has been returned to Mr. Levien, on account of the illegality of the seizure. It appears that Mr. Porter, when Colonial Treasurer, issued certain instructions, under which the searcher acted in this case; hut they had not the force of law, not having been gazetted. This difficulty has been removed by a proclamation coming into effect on February Ist. A singular sample of potatoes are exhib ited in the wiudow of the Marlborough Express, office, which have been growu by Mr. Sinclair, in a paddock opposite the Bank. Some of them weigh over 21b. each, and would be sufficient for a dinner for some families. Their conformation is very singular, having the appearance of a large central potato with several lesser ones growing out of it in the most grotesque shapes. The Marlborough Express, says tha days of Commisariat rum is at an end, so far as this colony is concerned. Most of our readers are aware that it is a custom observed in all parts of the world, that military and naval messes should be supplied with wirpe, beer, and spirits, free of duty. By a Gazette, just published, the custom is abolished, except as regards wine, aud that under considerable restriction. The quautity of timber shipped from the Mahakipawa and Kaiuma saw mills, near Picton, during the last three months, is reported by the Customs department at Havelock to be 914,000 feet. At about a quarter- past two on the morning of the 25th ultimo, says the Marlbro' Express, there were two distinct shocks felt iu this neighborhood ; the second was rather smart, lasting for several seconds. The oscillations were from North to South. It was considerably heavier than the last, which occurred on the 29th March last year. From the Wellington Independent, we learn that a L'.nd slip, containing several hundred tons of earth, has taken place at the hill behind Willis-street. Of the Civil Service, the Evening Post says, that an examination into the qualifications of the clerks in the General Government offices has commenced, the examiners being Messrs Gisbome and Spence. It is added that they will visit the General Government offices iu other provinces, and on the expiration of their labors, furnish the Colonial Secretary with a detailed report. The Christchurch Evening Mail says — The morning papers announce, by telegram from Wellington, that the Independent describes as premature the report formerly circulated, that Mr. Whitaker has accepted the Attorney-Generalship on condition of retiring from active political life. We have some reason, notwithstanding, for believing that such an arrangement will be concluded ; aud we are the more disposed to believe it fron. knowing ; that many Auckland people declare, this ' political bargain to be one by which Auck^ land ia sold ; because they understand it

will require his personal residence at Wellington, and of course incapacitate him from advocating their particular interests, in the position of Superintendent of the Province and member of the House of Representatives for one of its districts, in which they had placed him on account of their confidence fn his ability and devotion to their local claims, as against those of the rest of the colony. The writer of Town .Gossip for the Wairarapa Mercury has the following remarks : — Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald has resigned his seat iu the General Assembly, and in an address to the people of Christchurch announces his determination to retire from political life. He has accepted the office of Comptroller of Public Revenue, a situation created by the Weld Ministry in 1865. The billet is worth £800 per annum, arid the holder of it cau only be removed from office by the joint petitiou to his Excellency of both Houses of Assembly. Mr. Fitzgerald and family take up their permanent residence in Wellington. While most people are inclined to bury the political hatchet, there are others unkind enough to insinuate something about the phcid termination of a brilliant career — a sort of subsidised subsiding of the violeut opposition of last session. Mr. Fitzgerald says he retires from public life in consequence of illhealth. I saw him the other day, and I fancied he looked i-emai-kably well. It is presumed that Mr. Fitzgerald will now dispose of the Press newspaper. Of course *t is mere sentiment, but people say that "the orator of New Zealand" is just practical enough to prefer £800 a-year to the drudgery of managing a daily paper. About 1 o'clock on the morning of Wednesday the 30th ult., the store of Mr. Louis Berliner, on the Ashburton, Canterbury, was discovered to be on fire ; and notwithstanding all the efforts made to extinguish the flames, the store, with all its contents, together with the dwelling house of Mr. Berliner was entirely destroyed. The fire is supposed to have originated with a lamp which was hanging to a pillar in. the store near some light goods suspended from the roof. The property is said to be insured. The Provincial Council of Otago has been dissolved i>y proclamation by his Excellency the Governer published in the "New Zealand Gazette" of the llth ult. A few days ago, at Port Chalmers, Mr. Bartine performed another of his tightrope walking feats, before a large number of spectators. The rope was stretched from the top of Dodson's stables to a point near the Jetty, the distance being about 300ft. Bartine walked the distance four times, twice wheeling a barrow along the rope, . The Age, 4th January, says : — "The heat of the weather during the last two days has been almost unbearable. On Wednesday the thermometer registered from 89 deg. to 90 deg. in the shade in Collins-street; and in Adelaide, we learn that in the sun it went up as high as 149 'deg. On last Sunday, at Yapeen, a most unusual illustration of the intensity of heat occured, Mr. Holmes, a gardener has several hives of bees, and one of them was so placed as to receive the full rays of the sun, which melted the comb, and it fell to the bottom of the hive, smothering the busy inmates in their own food. On Tuesday at Ballarat, the heat was also excessive, and bush fires, were burning at various quarters of the horizon. Mount Cole was on fire and there is some ground for apprehending serious disasters to the farmers at this critical juncture in their industrial affairs. As showing the intense heat during the day, the Ballarat Star quotes the following readings of tho thermometer: — "At two o'clock to day the thermometer stood at 1 58 deg. near the west inside wall of the Orphan Asylurr>, exposed to the sun direct.. In the middle of. the yard 135 deg. On the ground, exposed to the sun in the field, outside the building, 127 deg. Under the verandah facing eastwards, 103 deg. In the diningroom, with all the wire blinds down, 102 deg. The water standing in the pipe, exposed to the sun, 101 deg. The minimum temperature of water in the pipes, 72 dog." A rascally scheme says the Sydney Mail, and one that hut for timely vigilance might have been successful — for breaking out of Darlinghurst has been discovered and prevented. Some recently discharged prisoners, had arranged to. introduce, some strong blasting powder, concealed in a hollow mason's mallet, such as is used by the workmen inside. The object, it appears, was to blow down oho of the corner towers, and, of course, blow up the guard,

aud escape in the confusion. The men were apprehended, and will resume their own confinement, instead of diminishing that of their comrades. The plot had evidently been contrived in prison before the discharge of the meu who had undertaken to carry it into practice. Procrastinating people are informed that the new Goldfields Act permits thirty days "grace" after the expiration of the legal date of Miners' Rights and Business Licenses. A presbyterian church, under the pastoral care of the Rev. Mr. Gore, is shortly to be opeaed at Hokitika. The Border customs difficulty is settled and settled fairly. Victoria is to pay d_60,000 a year, and there is to be free trade across the Border. New South Wales is to collect duties on goods coming up the river. This decision will probably give general satisfaction. Adelaide telegrams, published in the Melbourne Argus, state that the Government propose sending another party to inspect the northern territory, with the view of fixing a new site for the settlement; and that this site will probably be on the Victoria River. The Pastoral Times states that some time since, at Bundure Station, ou the Billabong, a gentleman discovered tens of thousands of bugs creeping up the verandah towards some nests made therein by the swallow tribe. On breaking one of the nests, he found some young living birds, perfect skeletons, upon which the bugs fed. For the first time for a period of 33 year a , not a single indictment, informations or any business of a criminal character, came before the chairman of the Sligo quarter sessions on the last occasion of his holding a court. In accordance with the usual custom observed on such occasions, his worship was presented with a pair of white kid gloves.