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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 183, 7 August 1867, Page 2

We learn that, but for a providential occurrence, the fire winch we noticed vesterdiiy as having taken place ou Monday evening at the Port, would have found its counterpart in a far more aggravated form, in another quarter of the city, at a later hour of the same night. It appears that, shortly before nmlnigh.% Captain Wheeler was preparing to retire to rest at his house in Shelbourne-street, when he perceived a strong smell of smoke in the sitting-room, which he at first attributed to the change of wind that had taken place, thereby causing the chimney to become smoky. By a most fortuuate accident, however, he happened to touch the carpet iv front of the fireplace, and finding it more than usually hot, was induced to examine the flooring immediately beneath it, and, to his dismay, discovered smoke issuing from between the boards. Captain Wheeler lost no time iv throwing water over them, and having procured assistance, with some difficulty tore up the hearthstone and flooring, which latter immediately burst into a fierce blaze. More water was luckily at hand, and after half-an-hour's exertions, Captain Wheeler succeeded in extinguishing the flames. It was afterwards discovered that three of the large beams supporting the flooring of the house had been completely burnt through, and the fire had evidently been smouldering for hours. Iv fact it seems marvellous that the house was not burnt down long ago, for a beam had been placed immediately under the hearthstone, and in such a position its iguition would seem inevitable. We would hope that those who are building houses in this city will take warning by this discovery, and preclude the possibility of the repetition of so dangerous an arrangement in future. A notice has been posted up at the Custom-house within the last few days, which our readers will probably thank us for reproducing in our columns. It is to the following effect : — " Serious inconvenience having resulted from claims for refunds of duty having been made long after the entries to which they refer have been passed, no protests as to disputed rates of duty will be entertained unless mad*! in writing, addressed to the Commissioner of Customs, and deposited with (he Collector at the time of passing the entries on which such disputes arise." Ripene Paramatia, charged with committing a violent assault ou a Maori woman and her child, was again remanded yesterday until Saturday next, the state of the child being still considered very precarious. The Independent of the 3rd instant has the following: — A circular letter issued ••from, the office of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the Australian and New Zealand Governments states that his Royal the Dukeof Edinburgh will visit the following places : — Rio Janeiro, Cape of Good Hope, Western Australia, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Van Diemen r s Land, Auckland, and Wellington; and may probably proceed from here to Tahiti, calling at Rio or St. Helena ou his return to England via Cape Horn in 1868. We believe that his Royal Highness will arrive in New Zealand about November. An amusing law case (says the New

Zealand Herald) illustrating the dictum laid down by bar and bench that to call a man a "swindler" is not libellous has just occurred. Mr Hunter, of the late firm of Hunter & Co., spoke publicly of his late partner, Mr Dunnett, as having bribed parties, to swindle him. Mr Win taker, who appeared ior the defendant, cited a number of cases in which it had been decided that the terra "swindler" was not actio nable, and that in common acceptation, the word meant to cheat or outwit, but that that did not necessarily mean the commission of an offence in law. Iv this opiniou the Judge and the opposing counsel, Mr Wynu, fully concurred. The word " swindler" may now be playfully and innocently applied when it is desirable to ease exasperated feelings, and yet equally desirable to keep out of the clutches of the law. The Oaraaru Times, in a recent issue, writing on the subject of New Zealand wheat for the home market, gives the following important information. It says: — We have pleasure in iutimatiug that the experiment of exporting wheat to England is a success. The advices by last mail are certainly very cheering, and should iv a great measure dispel the gloomy fears of our New Zealand agriculturalists, that they would soon be without a profitable market for produce of this kind. We are favored by Messrs Traill, Roxby & Co., with particulars of the re ault of a small shipment made by that firm. From a communication received by them we are permitted to make the following extracts, for the purpose not only of showing the estimation iv which NewZealand, or rather Oamaru wheat, is held in the London market, but also of poiuting out the care which should be observed in loading vessels with this article in order to secure immunity from damage. We may mention that the sample forwarded by Messrs Traill, Eoxby & Co. was considered a very good one here : — I have had samples of six bags of the forty ; it is a very fair wheat, rather mixed, but free of other seeds. One objection to it, however, is that much of the grain has been, cracked in the thrashing. The brokers value it about 70s. per quarter. Of the small lot, I have but a sample from one sack, and that is damaged ; it had been stowed against the mast and the jacket doubtless has been faulty. In any future shipments you should stipulate that no grain should be stowed in such a situation. * * * No great alteration in value is expected between this time and next harvest ; I therefore wish you had shipped much more extensively. Several cargoes of wheat have been shipped for this market from South Australia. Destitution has again made its appearance in the Taranaki province : 23 men, 3 4 of whom are married and have in the aggregate 41 children, have sent in a memorial to the Provincial Council stating that they are out of employment and have no meaus of keeping themselves and their families from starvation. Nor can we suppose (says a local paper) that this destitution is confined to persons who signed the memorial; there are, without doubt, many others equally distressed,, but who, either from dislike of publicity or from chance, did not attach their names to this document. The Government propose to meet the present emergency by employing the laborers in the country road districts, pay ing wages somewhat below the ordinary rates, so as not to compete with private employers, and giving additional sums in the way of relief to the wives and families of the destitute. — Independent. Mr George Young, the sole surviving member of the firm of Younghusband and Co. of Melbourne, has been committed for trial on a charge of fraud iv a bill transaction of £2700. Bail was refused.