The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 3, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 206, 3 September 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER, 3, 1867.

We learn by a telegram received from Wellington that the Claud Hamilton will ■ leave that port with the Nelsou mail, via Panama, this evening, and will probably arrive about midday to-morrow. The return Pauama mail to Europe is announced to leave Nelsou on Friday next, by the Wellington. We shall therefore only have one clear day in which to reply to ourEnglish letters, an inconvenience of a very serious nature, especially to the mercantile community, and one which the Government might have obviated, had they displayed the same courtesy and consideration towards the people ofNelson as they exhibited towards those of Canterbury, for whose convenience the St. Kilda •was despatched with the mail to Lyttelton immediately on the arrival of the Kaikoura. A scene-occurred late on Saturday night at the Catholic Station, St. Mary's, which caused no slight alarm to the inmates of the establishment. It appears that about halfpast 1 1 p.m. the Rev. Father Garin heard a loud knocking at his door, and, thinking that his ministrations were required by some Bick member of his congregation, immediately arose, and on opening the * door found a woman, in a high state' of exeitemejt, who had received a very violent wound on the back of the head, from which the blood was flowing, in . streamß, and who asked for his prayers, evidently believing that she had been mor- " tally wounded. Father Garin immediately called for assistance, and the woman was taken down-, to -Dr Cotterell's, where the • .wound was dressed, and she was then conveyed in charge of the police to the hospital, where she remained until the following morning, when she insisted on going ~>home. ■ -It seems that the woman, who is well known to the police, aud is named , A;nn Hilton, had been engaged in some ii 'altercation with a man named Wilson, at her,, house in Washingtou-valley, during *4»^V"' ■ *■' ■ " ' '•- • '-■. -Zr- *-■ *-i..w>, • ,• .

which he struck her with a fryingpan, with such, violence that the side was deeply indented. The man was arrested ou Suu- . day morning, and was on Monday brought before,. the Resident Magistrate, when, having pleaded guilty to this ruffianly assault, he was sentenced to two months' . imprisonment with hard labor. The affair appears to have takeu place about 9 o'clock in/the evening, and yet the wound, which wa9 fortunately only of a superficial character, was still bleeding copiously when the woman presented herself at St. Mary's. It is probable that, had not tlie admission of the assault rendered any farther examination iuto the circumstances of the case unnecesary, Wilson would have suffered stiil more severely for this murderous aud cowardly attack. The members of the Nelson Artillery Volunteer Corps held a meeting test night at the Bank Hotel, for the purpose of electing two of their number as First aud Second Lieutenants of the Corps, aud also for the transaction of other business. Captain Pitt took the chair at the meeting, which was very fully attended, and after some prefatory remarks, introduced the chief business of the eveuing. As we havo already stated, at the meeting held on Monday week, Messrs C. Hunter Browrj, W. C. Hodgson, and W. L. Wrey had been nominated for the First Lieutenancy, aud Messrs Hunter Brown, W. L. Wrey, and W. Lane, for the Second Lieuteuancy. The three first mentioned gentlemen were therefore proposed for election .by ballot, with the following results : — Mr C. Hunter Brown, 37 ; Mr W. C. Hodgson, 5; Mr W. L. Wrey, 1. Mr Hunter Brown was therefore declared to be elected First Lieutenant, amidst much applause, and he afterwards returned thanks for the honor conferred upon him. Previous to the ballot fbr the election of Second Lieutenant, Captain Pitt read a letter addressed by LieutenantColonel Balneavis, Deputy- AdjutantGeneral of Militia and Volunteers, to . Captain Lockett, in 1864, conveying the decision that no officers holding civil appointments under the General Government were eligible for commissions in the Militia or Volunteer Forces. This decisiou obviously had tbe effect of disqualifying Mr Lane ; and as Mr Hunter Brown had already been elected First Lieutenant, it had been suggested by several members that fresh nominations, in addition to that of Mr Wrey, should be taken for the Second Lieutenancy. This was put to the meetiug and carried on a show of hands. Mr Moir then proposed and Mr Snowseconded the nomination of Mr James Wilkie; Mr Pickering proposed and Mr Camp secouded Mr C. Bird's nomiuatioc; whilst MrG. Hodgson and Mr G.Pickeriug were, proposed and seconded by Messrs H. D. Jackson and Sadd, and by Messrs Everett aud Lane respectively. The votes were then taken, when there appeared for Mr J. Wilkie 20, Mr W. L. Wrey 17, Mr G. Hodgson 5, Mr Pickering 4, Mr C. Bird 0. The threo lowest on the list having been struck off, the first two candidates were balloted for, with the following result—Mr J. Wilkie 81, -Mr W. L. Wrey 17; Mr Wilkie was therefore declared duly elected Second Lieutenant. Mr Moir then proposed and Mr Hayues seconded the election of Mr Moss as Secretary, which was carried unanimously, Captain Pitt expressing his entire concurrence in tho appointment. The specimen uniform, proposed to be adopted by the Corps — consisting of a blue cloth tuuic, with scarlet facings, and Austrian knot on the sleeve, white leather belt, and blue cap with scarlet band — was then exhibited, and after some little discussion, approved by the meeting. Tenders for the supply of the uniform are called for, and it is intended that the Corps shall be fully equipped, so as to

take part in the grand .Review on the Prince of Wales' birthday, November 9th. It was then moved by Mr Jackson and carried, that in order to secure the services of the baDd attached to No. 1 City Rifles, the members of tho Corps shall contribute £12 annually towards the Baud Fund. It was then announced that no firing would take place on Saturday next at the Butts, in order that they may be repaired, and also that a drill of both squads of the Company would take place on Wednesday night. Captain Pill notified that iv future auy ten members of the Company would be empowered, on application to him, to ctill a meetiug of the whole Corps for auy specific purpose, and First Lieutenant Hunter Brown having given uotice that ut next parade he should propose that any members of the Ist or 2nd Companies of Cadet Rifles, or of the Artillery Cadets, who had attained the age of 17 years, and the height of 5 feet 6 inches, and who had also beeu returned efficient and of fair character by the Commanding Officer, should be admissible into the Artillery Corps, without ballot, the meeting separated, the newly elected officers having received the cordial congratulations of their friends. The Marlborough Express of the 30th tilt, gives the particulars of the death of a shepherd, named Boycot, on Mr Tetley's station, Kekeranga, who was supposed to have been lost iv the late heavy snowstorms, It seems that a search party was organised, aud three days afterwards the news arrived that the body had been found at the foot of a precipice some 400 feet deep. The deceased, we regret to adO, leaves a wife quite unprovided for, having been only recently married. A telegram from Wellington, received yesterday evening, states that the discussion on Mr Fitzherbert's Budget commenced on Friday, and was to be resumed last night. The scheme is opposed by the Constitutional party; but Ministers are safe, and are considered certain to have a majority. Mr Curtis spoke against tha measure, and will support a reduction of the tariff, making up the necessary revenue by income or property tax. — Captain Machiu, of the Kaikoura, has been dismissed from the service of the Panama Company, for unseamaulike conduct, and his certificate has been suspended by the Marine Board. — It is rumored in Wellington that Lord Alfred Churchill, brother of the Duke of Marlborough, who visited these colonies some years ago, will be the new Governor. This is probably a canard, as Lord Alfred has never filled any appointment of a similar character under the Crown, and cannot therefore be supposed to possess administrative qualifications, such as would be looked for in a successor to Sir George Grey. The rumor has probably arisen from the interest which his Loidship has always shown in colonial matters at home since his visit to this hemisphere.