The Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 188, 11 August 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1868.

We find from Hansard, No 4 (Supplement) that on the 3 1st ult., Mr. Curtis moved in the House of Representatives for leave to bring in a bill to repeal ' The Nelson, Cobden, and Westport Railway Land Act, 1866,' and 'The Nelson, Cobden and Westport Railway Land Act Amendment Act, 1867,' and to make other provisions in lieu thereof. He said that the object of the Bill was to give effect to a certain resolution of the Provincial Council of Nelson, and as it would be referred to a select committee it was scarcely necessary that he should enter into any details respecting it. Ooe object of the Bill was to enable tie Superintendent to appoint an agent to make contracts for the construction of the railway without refering it back to the Provincial Council. L^ave w;is granted, and the Bill was brought in, rend a first time, ordered to be printed, and the second reading made an Order of the Day for the following Tuesday.

A very material omission is discoverable in the report of Mr Curtis's speech on the no-confidence motion now before the House of Representatives, which appears in this morning's issue of the Colonist, and which, in the interest of truth and fair play, we take this opportunity of correcting. Whilst adverting to the presumed desire of the Government to divide the country into counties or districts, preparatory to the abolition of provincial institutions, and expressing his approval of the establishment of local boards throughout the country on a uniform system, Mr Curtis, by the omission of the word 'not,' is made by our contemporary to say that he would ' like to see the country cut up into counties, each with « different constitution.' We believe we are correct in stating that Mr Curtis has freqnentiy expressed himself as being favorable to the extension of the present system of local boards with increased powers, but as being decidedly opposed to the establishment of counties with various constitutions, like that of Westland. A reference to Hansard has confirmed our suspicion of the incorrectness of the report in this morning's Colonist.

The Nelson Government Gazette of Saturday last contains a notification of the appointment by his Honor the Superintendent, of Eobert Pollock, Esq., as a Visiting Justice of the Gaol. The Gazette also contains notifications of the insolvency of Robert Speer, brewer, of Charleston, formerly trading in co-part-nership with Joseph Lambert Clark, as ' Speer and Clark ;' of Charles Bonner, master mariner, of Charleston ; of Edward Frederick Williams, storekeeper, of Westport ; and of Richard Bird Pringle, storekeeper, of Nelson.

Letters from England state that Lord Burghley, the eldest son of the Marquis of Exeter, will probably accompany Bishop Selwyn on his approaching visit to this colony. The Church Review states that during his lordship's absence, the diocese of Lichfield -and Coventry will probably be administered by a combination of prelates, including Bishop Hobhouse.

We are glad to learn that a large number of tickets have been disposed of for the Foresters' Ball, in aid of the Widow and Orphaus' Fund, which takes place this evening at the Provincial Hall, the members of the Committee having spared no exertions to render it a success. Independently of the more selfish considerations which present themselves on such occasions to the lovers of the dance, the

charitable object to which the proceeds of the Ball are devoted should alone insure the attendance of a very uumerous company. We are requested to stsite that dducing will commence at 8 o'clock precisely. At the sitting of the Magistrates' Court at Motueka, on Friday last, the 7th inst., before Major Horneman and B. Macmahon, Esq., J.J.P., James Hanaghau, of Riwaka, was brought up in custody of W. Jenkins, constable, charged with assaulting him whilst in the performance of his duty, and with wounding and assaulting a special constable, also for using disgusting and obscene language at a theatrical performance given by Mr Evereste, at Riwaka, ou Thursday evening last, the prisoner being drunk at the time. The charges having beun proved, the Bench fined him £3 16s. including costs, or one mouth's imprisonment. Daniel Boulger and JobnPlunkitt were also charged with assaulting the constable, they being drunk at the time. The Court inflicted a fiue upon each of £2 16s. including costs, or one month's imprison meut. - ■■'

We would remind the subscribers to Mr W. Davis'a Art Union, that the drawing takes place this eveniug at the Harmonic Society's Room at S o'clock.

The dramatic performances at the Oddfellows' Hall, last night, for the benefit of Mrs W. Ryan, were very fairly attended, and passed off creditably, Mr and Mrs Ryan being much applauded iu the leading parts. An amusing episode in the evening's programme was a clever impromptu burlesque by Mr Thornton on the phrenological and mesmeric entertainments which have lately been so popular in this city, which elicited roars of laughter from the audience.

The steamer Nelson crossed the Buller Bar at 20 minutes past 4 yesterday afternoon, the John Penn leaving exactly ten minutes after ; the Nelson arrived alongside the Albion Wharf at 10 o'clock this morning, and the John Penn at 11, thus beating the latter steamer on the run from Westport, by 50 minutes.

The steamers which arrived to-day from Westport brought iufoimation of the discovery of a new lead north of the Buller, on the terraces to the northward of the Caledonian, between Dead man's Creek and the head of the Orawaiti Eiver, which is described as being of very promising character. The news is stated to have created considerable excitement in Westport and had imparted some animation to trade there.

The resignation of J. E. FitzGerald and Wm. Gisborne, Esqrs., as Trustees of the SinkiDg Funds on Loans raised by the Province of Nelson, has been accepted by the Governor.

On Wednesday afternoon, May 20, an accident took place which resulted iu the loss of life to seven boys, the pupils of the Rev. Joseph Fletcher, of Christchurch. The boys — whose names were Horace and Leonard Moser, sons of F. Moser, Esq., of Carberry, Christchurch; Harry and Howard Pewtress, William Smith, of Southampton; John Atty Hunt, of Southampton, and George Johnson — were bathing, in company with Joseph Milnes and the German tutor, at Muddiford, near Christchurch, when they were struck by a wave of immense strength, and the first seven were drowned. Joseph Milnes was saved with great difficulty by the tutor. Six of the bodies were recovered the same day.

We learu from the Press, that a meeting of the members of the Canterbury Jockey Club was held at TattersalPs lately, for the purpose of arranging the programme for the next Metropolitan Meeting. It was decided that a hurdle race of 50 so vs. (3 sovs entrance) should be substituted for the Ham Stakes, and that the event should be placed at the bottom of the card for the second day. The distance is two miles, over eight flights of hurdles ; and the weights . are as follow: — 4 yrs, lOst 71b; 5 yrs. 1 1st 4lb; 6 yrs and aged, list 71b. No allowance for mares or geldings.

The Lyttelton Times has the following remarks "with reference to suspension of discharge under the new Bankruptcy Act: — Considerable misapprehension prevails as to the effect of the suspension of orders of discharge in bankruptcy cases, and the matter requires a little explanation. In cases where the Judge suspends relief, say for six or twelve months, or for any other period which the Act admits of, the protection which the bankrupt received from the time at which he filed his declaration is withdrawn, and judgment creditors can issue execution during the period specified in the order suspending discharge. The

distinction between judgment and proof creditors is this. If A, being unsecured, elects to prove under the Act of Bankruptcy at the meeting of creditors, he is a proof creditor, and is entitled to a rateable share of the dividend which the estate realises; but he is debarred from taking out judgment against tlie bankrupt if his protection should be withdrawn. If B does not choose to prove at the meeting of creditors, he disentitles himself from sharing iu the assents, but he reserves to himself the right of issuing execution agaiust the bankrupt in the event of hig protection being withdrawn. Consequently, in cases Avhere all the creditors have proved, ths suspension of relief has the effect oF marking the Court's disapproval of the conduct of bankrupts; and besides this, should they resume busiuess within the time over which the suspension extends, their proof creditors can obtain an order from the Court for their examinatiou a3 to what property they are possessed of, aud the creditors can take the whole of it up to 20s. in the pound. From the moment the order of discharge comes into effect, the proof creditors can call upon the bankrupts to surrender all after acquired property until 10s. iu the pound is paid.

A Sydney telegram, under date of the 23rd ult., states that the late Dr. Eland's funeral took place on that day, and that the Solicitor- General, Mr Isaacs, the Rev. Thomas Smith, and Mr Dalley, the well-known barrister, who were all laid dowu with very serious illness in the previous week, were all decidedly better.

Good reports continue to be received from the Opbir disgings, about 36 miles north from Bathurst. These diggings, although the oldest known in New South Wales, promise to be the richest.

Tha Melbourne Leader, of the 2.5th July, says : — The mail route question may be looked upon as settled. The direct ocean line of full-power steamers via the Cape of Good Hope will soon be a reality. The idea of a fortnightly line by the P. and O. Company's vessels has been all but abandoned, even by the Chamber of Commerce. The Leader adds that it required some courage in a new Ministry to pronounce unmistakably in favor of the Cape route, and to brave the threatened opposition of the whole mercantile community, through their chamber, which, in the language of its members, had 'committed itself to the Suez route. The opposition has, however, disappeared, and the only difference of opinion which remains is as to the mode in which the new service should be subsidised.

The Melbourne Herald says that it was rumoured in that city that Sir Charles Darling was likely to be appointed to the Governorship of South Australia.

It is stated in a Queensland journal that the grass grows to 1 2 and 14 feet high in some of the Gulf districts; and further, that it grows at a certain season of the year six inches a day. 'If it ia a fair question,' comments a Riverine journal, ' would one of our northern contemporaries inform us how fast the children grow there?'

Wben the Pope recently received the distinguished American philanthropist, Mr Peabody, in private audience, his Holiness, laying aside the stilted etiquette of the Papal Court, invited him to be seated during the interview — a mark of condescension which ia generally only shown to persons of the highest rank.