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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 209, 3 September 1868, Page 2

The funeral of the late Mr James Ogilvie, First Clerk in H.M. Customs at this port, who died on Monday last, after a lingering and painful illness, endured with much patience and resignation, took place yesterday afternoon. Mr Ogilvie, who had been connected with the Customs Department in Dunedin and in Nelson for the last six years, was a member of the Masonic body, and his interment is especially noticeable as being the first instance in which one of the craft has been interred with purely Masonic honors in this city, a ceremony, which, we understand, is only carried out at the especial request of the deceased member. In the present instance the Brethren met at his late residence in Nile-street East, and preceded the hearse, and the rest of the mourners, walking in the following order of procession : — Tylers, carrying drawn swords, Master Masons, Deacons, Wardens, Treasurer and Secretary, Paslmaster bearing the Bible, followed by the Worshipful Master, Dr Squires, all wearing then 4 insignia, — until they reached the Collingwood-street Bridge, where carriages were provided for their conveyance to the Suburban North Cemetery. On reaching the grave, an exhortation was read by the W.M., to

the concluding sentence of which the Brethren replied in tbe old Saxon formula, 'So mote it be.' The lie.. P. Calder then read a Psalm and a portion of the 15th Chapter of Ist Corinthians, with a short address and prayer, after which the white apron, which had up to this time rested on the coffiin, was removed and handed to the W.M., who, after a few words explanatory of these ceremonies, threw a sprig of evergreen into the grave, as an emblem of the immortality of the soul, and his example having been followed by all the Masons present, the ceremony terminated with an address from the W.M., concluding with a petition to the Almighty for mercy to the deceased and to those present, and the procession then returned to town. In a paragraph which appeared in our issue of yesterday, reference was made to a pamphlet published at the Cape, which stated that the Angara wool exported from that colony had realised Is. 9d. per pound. Mr Huddleston informs us, on the authority of Dr Black, the President of the Victoriau Acclimatisation Society, that the pure Angora wool sent home from Melbourne bad realised from 3s. to 4s. per lb. Such is the value set upon these animals in Victoria, that Mr Huddleston was only able to obtain oue pure bred buck, the ewes brought by him being three-quarter and half-bred, pure ewes not being obtainable ' for love or money.' We may, therefore, reasonably anticipate that the present importation of these beautiful little animals will exercise very considerable influence upon our pastoral interests, which are, we need hardly remark, by no means so flourishing at present as might be desired. We are gratified to find that Major Hunter has been declared by the Court of Enquiry held on his conduct in connection with the unfortunate affair at Waihi, to be entirely exonerated from all blame, he having acted strictly in accordance with orders. Major Hunter was in command of the left wing . uuder Colonel M'Donnell, at the late capture of Te-ngutu-o-te-mauu, a strongly fortified pa, situated about 11 miles from Waihi, and is stated by the Wanganui papers to have acted with consummate skill and courage. We regret that the quarterly cattle fair, held yesterday on the Agricultural Society's ground at Richmond, was not so successful as might have been anticipated, the proceedings being characterised by very little animation. In fact there were few buyers present, and but little stock was exhibited for sale, there being certainly not more than 25 head of cattle in the yard altogether. A few horses were offered, and two or three store two-year old cattle were sold at from £6 to £7 each. Two milk cows sold for £15 103. each, while two fat cows, for which £15 each were asked, did not meet with purchasers. Certainly not more than £100 changed hands throughout the day, and the inference may, we think, legitimately be drawn that the less frequent recurrence of these fairs would be likely to be attended with more successful results. Probably if they were held twice a year, or even less frequently, the object which they are intended to subserve might be more effectually answered. At all events recent experiments tend to show very plainly that neither the demand nor the desire to dispose of farming stock ia very considerable at the present time. It is stated that the amount at the credit of depositors in the Government Postoffice Savings Banks throughout New Zealand, now exceeds £300,000. In May last it was £284,166. It will be in the memory of our readers that / a woman, named Esther Hoskins, some months since confessed before the magistrates in Christchurch that she had murdered a man named Thomas, in England. It has been ascertained that this

statement is false, the man, who had kept compauy with her, being still alive. She had been convicted for setting fire to a dwelli_g-house at Breage, and the Judge made au order for her retention during her Majesty's pleasure, on the ground of insanity, but she was liberated and handed over to her friends in February last year. Had the facts** been kuown to the Emigration Commissioner her passage out here would have been refused, and great blame rests somewhere. Last month we reported that a treaty had been entered into between the Fiji and Melbourne Trading and Banking Company aiul King Thakambau, of Fiji, by which the compauy was to acquire possession of a large tract of land aiid other important territorial rights. It is not altogether unsatisfactory — for the transaction had very much the air of a 'swindle' — that a despatch has recently been received by the Governor of New South Wales from the British consul at Fiji, stating that King Thakambau repudiates the treaty entered into with Mr Brewer on behalf of the compauy, on the ground that he did not understand the meaning cf the document which he signed in presence of the agents on board the Albion. It also appears that he engaged to give away some portions of territory which do not belong to him. Sir Henry Barkly, some time since Governor of Victoria, has resigned the Governorship of the Mauritius, and it is stated that he will be succeeded by MajorGeneral Bisset, C.8., formerly administrator of the Government of Natal. A scandal affecting a Victorian Cabinet Minister has been brought to light during the past month. Mr C. E. Jones, the Minister for Railways, was charged with having received from the opponents of the foimer M'Culloch Administration the sum of £60, for the purpose of assisting him to oust the Government from office. When before his constituents he denied the charge in the most solemn manner. Statutory declarations have since been made, re-affirming the truth of the accusation. Mr Jones endeavored to reply to them in the columns of a newspaper, but his statement is considered very unsatisfactory. Thus the matter stands at present. The Argus in noticing the execution of Timothy Hogan, at Castlemaine, for the murder of his mate at Bullock Creek, mentions that the attendance of the public was small, but that there is still a good deal of morbid curiosity to see executions, judging from the number of applications, made to the sheriff for orders of admission. Amongst the applications was one from the respectable head of a respectable family, asking for a ticket for himself, his wife, and three children. It is stated by the Argus that the expenses connected with the reception of H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh in the interior of Victoria are likely to form the subject of rather keen discussion. A deputation representing the municipal bodies of Ballarat, Sandhurst, Castlemaine, and Geelong, has had an interview with the Chief Secretary for the purpose of asking an increase in the subsidy allocated by the Reception Commission to these towns. It appears that the sum voted by the commission to these localities was somewhere about £5000,and that the amount actually spent was about £22,000. The expenditure in most of the towns was unaccountably large. In Ballarat it amounted to £10,000. In Castlemaine and Geelong, where the Prince only stayed about 24 hours, the expenditure was £3000 at each place. It is manifest that the Duke of Edinburgh and his suite did not require an expenditure of £3000 in one day, and as a great part of the sum must have been expended in the gratification of local vanity — in the exaltation of mayors, councillors, and other dignitaries, it is but

right that the localities should bear the expense, as they enjoyed the pleasures and honors arising from it. A valuable addition to the mineral wealth of the colony of New South Wales is likely to be soon made. Large quantities of red oxide of mercury have been discovered near Cudgegong, and application has been made to the Government for a grant of the land, or to let it on a mining lease. Steps are being taken by the Royal Society of Tasmania to induce the Government to carry a bill through Parliament, and to take other means, if necessary, for the protection of the mutton-birds on the islands in the Straits during the breeding season. A young New Yorker was escorting his cousin home one evening ; as the way was long, he stopped and said, ' hold on, Mary, and let's take a 'bus.' No, George, not here in the street,' the coy damsel replied. Why is a waterlily like a whale ? — They both come to the surface to blow.