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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 73, 28 March 1867, Page 2

Yesterday, a rumor obtained credence that the Governor was coming. As usual, it had not the slightest foundation. Neither is auy dependence to be placed on the various causes assigned for his nonarrival. Political reasons are easily assigned. "If he will, he will, you may depend on't ; and if he won't, he won't, so there's an end on't." We learn, from late advices, that Mr. Preudergast is gazetted as AttorneyGeneral. The Board of Inquiry have decided that Captain Turner, whose vessel, the Evening Star, was lately lost on the East Coast, ought io have gone outside the Ariel rock.*. Mr. W. Reeves, of the firm of Ward and Reeves, of Lyttelton, has been elected to the House of Representatives, for the Avon district. The following appointments have been made under the " Steam Navigation Act, 1866": — James Stewart and Ebenezer Hamilton, Eugineers and Surveyors ; Frederick Den ham Gibson, James Stewart, and Thomas Turnbull, Inspectors of Steam Vessels. The 17th of April is the day appointed for the nomination of candidates to represent the Grey district in the Provincial Council. Tbe following is the result of the Dunedin races, first day : Maiden Plate, Little Lady ; Jockey Club Handicap, Allandev ; Trotting Rice, Major ; Dunedin Cup, Kuottingly. An attempt is being made to get up a steeplechase next month at Wakapuaka. The projectors of the sport are encouraged by the success which attended their exertions a few weeks ago, when a largo company attended, and some very good sport was enjoyed. The mud flat is a very good place for the horses to run on, the ground belonging to Mr. Mackay, who is desirous of encouraging the project as far as he possibly cau. The road to Wakapuaka should be looked alter by those who are responsible for it. Since the late land slips ic is, iu several places, in a very dangerous state, especially at night. The road should be repaired before the races come off, or it may prevent many persons from going ont to witness the sport. We learn from a Wellington contemporary tbat tbe next session of the Genera' Assembly will not be held until the month of June. We (Marlborough Press) are informed that a person named Laug h:is applied to the Government to grant bim a bonus for the discovery of a vein of copper ore, wbich he had found in the vicinity of JBlenheim. Of course, the exact locality is as yet a secret ; but Lang stated that he could in a very short space of time gather an incredible quantity of tbe ore, which he knew by past experience in the Burra Burra mines to contain about 75 per cent, of metal. Of course it is idle to speculate on the great value and importance of such a discovery at_ present., until the alleged fiud is verified. As no bonus has. been offered for the discovery of copper, we presume Lang will apply for a mineral lease, and hope to hear more about the matter before long.

A collection of books (says the Press), consisting of eighty, volumes, has been added to the library of the Pictou Literary Institute. These books were forwarded by the Christian Knowledge Society and the Religious Tract Society, partly as a donation, and the remaiuder ou most favorable terms. For this welcome addition to the stock of really useful literature, the subscribers to the Institute are indebted to the influence of John Allen, Esq., at the request of whom they have so successfully moved in the matter. May some more of Picton's well-wishers go and do likewise.

The Marlborough Press says : — Mr. Osborne, of ihe Empire Hotel, Hokitika, has purchased an enormous live turtle, brought in a vessel from Queensland. The Mayor and Corporation of Hokitika have made an official visit to the illustrious stranger, and a jolly aldermanic feast is likely to be held on the occasion of his beiug converted into soup.

We (Marlborough Press) notice that a new steam threshing machine arrived last week by the s.s. Tararua, for Messrs. Hathaway and Witney, of tho Wairau Ferry. We are informed that it is of an improved make by Marshall and Sous, of Gainsbro', and of the same kiud which took the prize at Dunedin this seasou. It contains several improvements, including a sin utter for dressing the wheat before going to the mill. A sample of barley has been shown in town this week, which had been dressed in a superior manner without injuring the grain in the least degree. Its engine is nine-horse power, and the machine is capable of turning out from 600 to 800 bushels per day.

Everyone in this neighborhood (says the Havelock correspondent of the Marlborough Express) has been quite surprised at a paragraph which appeared in the Nelson Examiner, and afterwards in some of the local papers, to the effect that a nugget, weighing some three ounces, had been found by the Hit or Miss party on the Wakamarina. I must inform you that the report is quite false, as the Hit or Miss party, although using every possible means to work tbeir claim, are up to the present time quite unsuccessful, there being so much loose shingle tbat hitherto it has been impossible to make tbe dam water-tight ; they are, notwithstanding, expecting to be more fortunate ere long.

Mr. Nieman, master of the trading: schooner Petrel, fell overboard on the 12th instant when tbe vessel was off Brown's Island, and sank beibie assistance could be procured.

We (Evening Post) understand that Mr. Redwood, of Nelson, telegraphed over to the stewards of the late races on tbe Hutt course, expressing his wish to enter a couple of horses,. but that the entries were closed before tho receipt of the message; consequently Nelson could not be represented at this year's race meeting.

It is to be regretted (says the Evening Post) that the City of Wellington will not be represented at the forthcoming inter-provincial prizo firing for the championship of the colony, wheu nearly every petty district throughout the colony has sent some crack shot to strive for the honors of the belt. This year it is too late to make amends, but we hope that in 1868 a fitting champion for the city will be found to enter the lists aud hold his own against all comers.

The Evening . Post says :■ — Michael Rooney, the discharged prfsoner who procured the bottle of aqua fortis for Kiley, is wanted by t|>e'police, and a warrant for his apprehension bas been forwarded to the Wairarapn, \j_here he was last seen.

A correspondent signing himself " Scotland" thus writes to the Lyttelton Times, under date the 18th instant:— Sir, — By last Suez mail from England I was astonished to learn from, a friend that a letter, posted in a country town for Canterbury, via Panama, had been sent back from the General Post-office, London, a few clays afterwards, with the statement " that letters were not forwarded to Canterbury, by that route." Such a statement, made by the General Post-office, will, if circulated at home, prevent people from taking advantage of the quickest and most direct line of communication to this colony.

The Wellington Evening Post says:-^— A steam Hour mill has been erected at Christchurch for Messrs. Summenon and Son. The building is of wood and is of modest size, containing the usual three floors. It has but one pair of stones at present at work, which are 3 feet 10; bur. another pair will shortly be added. On the same floor with the stores is u, dressing:

machine; aud on the floor above, sack machinery is in course of erection for raising by steam power the grist, wliich is discharged through hoppers, to the floor below. The engine is a portable horizontal one, of eight-horse power, capable of working up to twelve. Mr. R. Ricktnan, of Kaiapoi, oue of the oldest and most respected Canterbury settlers, died on Monday week last. He had not loug returned from a visit to England, and though in bad health, so sudden an issue was unexpected by the large circle of friends who mourn his loss. The total export of gold from Otago from the time of the discovery of ihe gold fields until the end of last month amounted to 2,218,532 ozs., of which 29,806 ozs. 13 dwts. have been received duriug the current year. The want of a railway connecting the rich agricultural district between Dunedin and the Clutha is becoming severely felt, and the Otago Provincial authorities have appointed Mr. W. C. Youug to proceed to England to make arrangements with parties willing to undertake its construction. A fossil discovery has been made near the summit of Bluff Hill, Southland. It consisted of very gigantic proportions, presumed to be that of the moa. The principal bones have beeu carefully collected for transmission to Dr. Hector. Dunedin Star says : — It has been before hinted that the mission of Dr. Knight was to examine into the documents connected with the removal from the office of Superintendent of Mr. Macandrew in 1861. Wo are credibly informed that if such was his mission, it has been brought to abrupt coucl usiou through tbe startling discovery that nearly all the original documents arc misbinjj- If the General Government ever seriously intended to prosecute the matter further, tbe loss of these documents of course utterly precludes them from doiug so. If public documents of so important a character can be "spirited away" iu such a mysterious manner, it is high time that some person was made responsible for the safe custody of the records of the province. A grand Horticultural show was beld iu the Provincial Hall, Dunedin, ou the 27th instant. Mr. Yogel's adaptation of "Lady Audley's Secret," wbich was originally produced at tbe Princess Theatre, Dunedin, under the management of Mr. C. Holt, has again been put upon the stage of that establishment. The Supreme Court of Auckland have granted a sequestration order in the matter of the estate of the absconding solicitor, J. E. Cox. Dr. Evans has issued an address to the electors, of Wanganui, announcing his intention of coming forward to solicit their suffrages at the forthcoming election as a successor to Mr. Bryce in the General Assembly. The Southern Cross has been informed by a gentleman from the East Coast that the Kennedy's Bay natives are breaking up tbeir houses, and going to join the rebels at Tauranga. On the 12th instant 583,000 acres of rural laud in the Waikato was put up for sale. There was a large number of applicants, and some 4,600 acres of first and second class land sold at from 10s to 15s per acre. Some 2000 acres were also disposed of after the sale. On dit, that the Advertiser being about to chauge proprietors, a gentleman lately and comfortably berthed for life by the present Government suggested the purchase of tbe Independent as well, in order that a certain clique might not, by auy possibility, ■'- meet with opposition. — Wellington Evening Post.

On dits follow rapidly ; to-day we have many to dispose of, but have only room for one more — i.e., that a gentleman of benevolent tendencies, many kindly sympathies, but whose proclivities are antagonistic to two Richmonds being in the field, lately borrowed the sum of £250 from a fund held sacred to Widows aud Orphans. .Living in glass houses aud throwing stoues are not reconcileable facts. — Wellin <i ton Evening Post.

From the Newcastle Chronicle of the Ist instant, we learn that Mesdames Lucy Escott and Simoni-en, and Messrs. Henry Squires and Simoiisen, were announced to give a "graud operatic entertainment" on that.evening, at the Assembly Rooms Newcastle: ■-- ; - v

Mr. Wh'all, M.PO.. met with a serious accidentroh the B:h, inst., at Greymouth, by falling ''from '4,. J ladder, , sustaining a fracture of several of the ribs.

T. W. Wills, the captain of the aboriginal cricketers, _. says the Newcastle Chronicle, was arrested during the progress of the cricket match on the 19th February, at the suit of F. C. Jarrett aud W. Penman. He fouud security, and was soon released.

Tbe Legislature of Victoria having voted the sura of £5000 for tho construction of a large reflecting telescope, to be erected at Melbourne, for the purpose of effecting a thorough survey of the nebulae and multiple stars of the southern hemisphere, the President and Council of the Royal Society (whose advice and co-opera-tion had been requested) appointed Mr. Grubb, of Dublin, to be its constructor. The form of telescope selected by the Earl of Rosse, Dr. Robinson, and Mr. Wan-en de la Rue, is that kuowu as the Cassegrainian. In the Gregorian the reflected image is received upon a small concave speculum ; in the Cassegrainian the surface of the small mirror is convex. By this apparently slight difference is secured greater shortness by more than twice tbe length of the focal of the small speculum, more light, and a better defined image. The tube of the new telescope is of the enormous diameter of 4| feet, and of proportional length. The diameter of the speculum is but 6 inches less than that of the tube, or 4 feet, being 4,| inches in thickness, and weighing about 27 cwt.

Bruce Bay, says the Okarita Times, now so seldom spoken of, i& likely to become worthy of the notice of the wanderiug and deluded miners on their retnrn trip from the Plaast, as we are informed that another bottom has been struck which is deeper and much richer than the old workings. .

The body of a lady, interred 35 years ago, at Elk Run, on being exhumed, was

discovered to be covered from head to foot with long coarse hair, which had grown so as to protrude through the joints of the coffin. — New York Tribune.

According to an agricultural document just issued tbere were in the year 1866 iu tbe United Kingdom a stock of cattle in number 5,716,276,and of 5heep26,375,993. ti- An important trade has sprung up in North Staffordshire, which promises to assume large proportions. It is the extraction of oil from shale, a material found iu profusion near the ironstone seams, and which, a short time ago, was thought to be valueless.