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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 40, 18 February 1867, Page 3

We are indebted to the officers of the steamer PhcEbe, which arrived on Saturday, for files of the Auckland Herald, Wellington Advertiser, and Wellington Evening Post. A General Government Gazette, dated 12th February, contains a proclamation convoking the assembly of Parliament at Wellington on the 29th of April next, to take into consideration the state and welfare of the colony. His Excellency Sir George Grey was right royally received at Port Chalmers, on Thursday the 14th inst, and the disembarkation of the vice-regal party was witnessed by crowds of spectators, enticed out of doors by the "ivvelty of the scene and the beauty o die weather. The Governor was enthusiastically cheered on stepping ashore, and was received by the authorities and conducted to a brilliant dejeuner, which was graced by the presence of a large number of ladies. ' At 3 o'clock in the afternoon his Excellency entered Dunedin, and again met with a perfect ovation, the streets being thronged with citizens and the city gaily decorated with flags. All business was suspended. The city was illuminated, and Sir George and suite attended the Volunteers' concert at 8 o'clock, which was an entire success. A grand parade and review of the different Volunteer Corps came off on the afternoon of the 15th, and at its conclusion his Excellency presented the Rifle Association and Government prizes. A Volunteer ball took place at night, and was attended by the Governor- and Staff, and the officers of her Majesty's ship Brisk. The Westland Observer of the sth ult. says : — Mr. Kennedy, of the Club Hotel, lodged an application with Mr. Warden Price for a lease of ten acres of auriferous land. It is situated at the lower end of the Five-mile, and is principally abandoned ground. The lease is applied for under the terms of the new Gold-fields Act, and can only be granted by the Superintendent. It is proposed to form a company, and to erect suitable machinery on the ground, which will give employment to a considerable number of men. Mr. Kennedy disclaims all idea of monopolising the ground, and sho.uld several miners come forward who are willing to work it by hand labour, he is prepared to give it up to them. The Wellington Evening Post says, Mr E. W. Mills has received the contract for furnishing the new shaft for the s.s. Queen at a. price less than half that paid by the company for the same work last year to an Auckland firm.

The Lyttelton Times pays the following compliment to the West Coast members: — One peculiar feature of the late session of the Council was the presence of the West Coast members. It augurs well for the unity and the progress of Canterbury that #ie presence of these members has had a uniformly good result upon the discussion and decision of our public affairs. They hate commended themselves to the inhabitants of East Canterbury by their demeanour as private individuals, and by the intelligence, impartiality, and discretion they have exhibited in their public appearances. They have especially won favour by their freedom from those qualities which were especially dreaded as likely to characterise them. They have advocated with boldness and perseverance the claims of their own district, and have often gone beyond what others might consider reasonable. But they have never professed to ignore the interests of the rest of the Canterbury community, nor shown any want of confidence in the substantial fairness and justice with which all the affairs of the West have been considered. Many apprentices says the Wellington Evening Post, do not understand that strict obedience to their masters is most essential to the utmost letter of the law, and at last a lad in Auckland has been punished as an example to others. Mr. Holdship, a carpenter and builder, took one of his apprentices into the Eesident Magistrate's Court for being insolent, and the Bench not only sent the lad to gaol for 48 hours, but told him that if ever his master complained of his disobedience again he would get at least 1 month's imprisonment. The Wellington Evening Post says, if the hill behind the establishments on the West side of Willis street is reduced in size by much more blasting, the result will probably be the immolation of the greater number of the buildings, the premature interment of everybody inside them, and the infliction of severe bodily injuries to persons passing up and down the street. The following incident in one of the recent skirmishes at Tauranga is reported by the Argus : — At Waiwhatawhata when bullets were flying about ad libitum, a regular duel was fought between Mr. Goldsmith, junior, (a surveyor) and an old rebel, and it was who should come to the shoulder first. They both came to. the present together, when bang, bang, went the two rifles, the ball of the rebel passing close to Mr. Goldsmith's head, and cutting a piece out of Sergeant Sande's trousers. Several shots were sent at the hoary headed old fanatic, but without effect. The inspection of the Public is invited to the large and numerous assortment of boots and shoes now opening at the warehouse of M. Lightband, Trafalgar-street, comprising several thousand pairs of Men's, Women's Girls', Boys', boots and shoes, including a large assortment of the Cookham and Copper-toed boots. — [advt.J