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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 94, 24 April 1867, Page 2

The annual meeting of the Nelson School Society took place yesterday^evening, and was honored by the presence of his Excellency the Governor, the Hon. Major Richardson, and his Honor the Superintendent, who was in the chair. Want of space compels us to postpone until our next issue the report of the proceedings on this interesting occasion, together with our narrative of the presentation which took place this morning by the Governor, of the medal awarded to the best shot in r_.e province, and gained by Mr. George Elliott, and also of the events connected with his Excellency's departure, which was of a strictly private character, and took place at half- past 11, shortly after which time the Brisk weighed anchor and sailed quietly out of harbor for Wellington. The Wakapuaka Steeple Chase Meeting takes place to-morrow, and will, doubtless, ' afford excellent sport. Although the entries for the two Steeple Chases and for the Victuallers' Handicap are not nearlyso numerous as might have been anticipated from

the iuterest which has been created in the public mind by the announcement of this meeting, still the mere novelty of this species of racing in this community will have the effect of attracting a very considerable number of spectators to the ground, and the Hack Race, entries for which may be made on the ground, is likely to produce a large field of horses. The New Zealand Advertiser says : — "We learn by private letter from Melbourne that Thatcher, of 'local' song celebrity, has returned to that city, after having completed a non-professional tour of the neighboring colonies. Mr Thatcher will shortly return to New Zealand in connection with a grand panoramic exhibition, upon which he is now busy." The Otago Daily Times says: — We have seen a most interesting series of samples of New Zealand Flax, showing the fibre in different states of preparedness for paper making ; and also samples of paper made from the fibre. These proofs of what may be done with the Phormium tenax have been receieed by Mr. Ed. M'Glashan, who, about a year ago, sent to Britain a parcel of flax, as cut. It is impossible in words to convey accurate information as to the appearance of the fibre, after being for different periods in the papermaker's breaker, or after being once or twice bleached. Wo doubt not that Mr. M'Glashan will gladly enable those who feel an interest which may be stimulated iuto practicalness, to examine for themselves the different samples of the flax-paper. It can be said that, while rather highly colored, it has a singularity of texture and a strength, which suggest that of flax there might be made very excellent paper for banknotes and other special purposes ; while the paper as sent from Britain would assuredly become an article of commerce, supposing that the cost of production is not excessive. Mr. M'Glashan has himself dealt with a slab of compressed pulp, as received from the paper maker, and has shown that the coloring matter can be got off, the pulp being left as white as that of ordinary cotton rags ; but here again, the question of the cost of the necessary labor is an essential one. The sum per pound at which Mr. M'Glashan estimates the cost of his extended cleansing or bleaching, seems very low ; but more cannot be said upon the point. Mr. M'Glashan's samples include some fibre bleached but not subject to the action of the breaker ; and this is estimated by a Dundee manufacturer as being worth £20 a ton. Taken as a whole, we have not scon any samples of prepared New Zealand Flax more suggestive of the possibility of establishing an important " native industry ;" and the question of what can be done in the matter is worthy of the deepest consideration alike of the Government and of capitalists. We have already on several occasions given instances of legislative amenities in the Parliaments of New South Wales, but that of Victoria appeared to be comparatively free from personalities. That such is not the case, however, will be seen from the following paragraph taken from the Argus of the 29th ult. : — A serious disturbance appeared at one time likely to arise in the Legislative Assembly yesterday evening. On the proposal of the vote for the rental ol certain buildings for Government offices, a very warm discussion arose relative to the circumstances connected with the leasing of the building now used as the Insolvent Court, in , the course of which Mr. M'Mahon said "he did not care the snap of the finger for the Attorney-General's conscience." Upon which Mr. M'Lellan ejaculated, "The greatest rogue in Melbourne." Mr. M'Culloch immediately rose to order, and there was a fair prospect of a general row, when Mr. M'Lellan protested he did not refer to the Attorney-General, and the matter was allowed to drop. The following is dated Beech worth, March 20th, and appears in the Melbourne papers: — Yesterday afternoon Constable Pepper, while coming to Yachandandah from Snowy Creek with a broken collar bone for advice, and while on the bank of the Mitta Mitta dismounted to light his pipe. While so engaged he wa3 stuck up by four men, who addressed him as Cardwell (a gold buyer from the Thunder and Lightning Creek). They were well armed, and Constable Pepper recognised one of them as a man named Kennedy, whom he had recently arrested on suspicion, but who unfortunately was let out on £5 bail by Captain Bownrigg, of Albury, and of course disappeared. Kennedy also recognised Pepper, and pro- - posed to shoot him ; but the fourth man

who "rode up, and is positively said by Pepper from description to be Clarke, said "I won't have a crippled man, harmed ; tie him up and give him a chance." They accordingly tied him up, where he remained nine hours. Superintendent Langley aud all the police available have started in different directions, with some hope of success, as some of the troopers were already on the track. Cardwell had passed on by a bye-track a quarter of an hour previously, and it is supposed with gold. We are promised plenty of competition in the matter of electro-telegraphic communication between Europe and America. Although the French capitalists do not seem to move on with their Brest and New York Company, there are three other companies in course of formation. They are, Ist. The American Atlantic Cable Telegraph Company, the capital of which is one million sterling, the head quarters being at New York, and which will join Cape St. Charles and Lisbon by the Bermudas and Azores, a distance of 3,227 miles. 2nd. The Ocean Telegraph Company established in England to join Falmouth and Halifax, a distance of 2900 miles, capital £600,000. 3rd. The North American Telegraph Company, 1,950 miles long, to join the coast of Scotland with Cauada, by the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Labrador. These companies will all be enabled to profit from the experience gained by that which carried out the first great undertaking, and will thereby save both money and time. The inevitable consequence must be a great reduction from the present enormously highly tariff of electric messages. The shipments of cotton wool from Queensland increased from £12,197 in the year 1865, to £19,618 in 1866. They will probably be quadrupled in the present season.