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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 220, 16 September 1868, Page 2

The annual meeting of the Nelson Volunteer Fire Brigade takes place on Friday evening next, at the Brigade Room, Harley Street, at 7 o'clock. In reply to a fair correspondent who is desirous of ascertaining the probable date of the long promised Hospital Ball, we are enabled to state that the intentions of the Government in this regard have undergone no change, but some unavoidable delay has intervened, through the non-completion of the building, and the bail cannot take place until it is given up to the. Government by the contractor. We believe that in about two months' time, when the Governor and Lady Bo wen will probably be here, our fair correspondent's wishes will be realised. At the Resident Magistrate's Court before C. Hunter Brown aud R. Pollock, Esqrs., JJ.P., John Wilson, mate of the barque Ballarat, was charged with being intoxicated aud incapable of taking care of himself, and was fined in the usual penalty of 10s. The following civil case was also heard— Lightband v. Fuller. This was an action to recover £3 9s. 6d., for goods supplied. The defendant admitted the claim and was adjudged to pay the amount in two monthly instalments. The case Baly v. B. Simpson, for damages alleged to have been sustained by the plaintiff's carriage through a collision with the defendant's car, was postponed until Wednesday next for the production of further evidence. Yesterday being the quarterly licensing day, the Beuch of Magistrates, including J. Sharp, Esq., R.M., J. Sheppard, IST. Edwards, A. J. Richmond, J, G. Miles, R. Pollock, and J. Beitt, Esqrs., JJ.P. sat at the Court House to hear and decide upon applications for licenses. The only applicant on this occasion was Mr. C. Wiesenhavern, who obtained a wine and spirit license for his premises in Trafalgarstreet, known as the old Union Bank. The tender of Messrs, Moore and Conway, for certain alterations at the Government Buildings, has been accepted. These will include the construction of a large room at the back of the Provincial Hall, on the site of the former lock-up, to be used as a Grand Jury room or as a Committee Room during the sitting of the Provincial Council, or, we presume, as a supper room, on the occasion of public balls in that building, and which : will prove a very useful, and necessary addition to the Hall,

The Wellington Independent 6f the 10*h inst. gives the following melancholy par* ticulars of the death of one of t&& divers employed on the ill-fated Taranaki. The diver went down for the purpose of making a rope' ladder fust to the Taranaki, and having done so, returned after a short time. His dress having been adjusted by adding extra weights, he again descended with the intention of inspecting the vessel's position and bottom. Fora quarter of an hour after he had been down, signals had been exchanged satisfactorily, after which they ceased, and nothing more was observed until his red cap was seen floating on the surface. It was then known that the helmet must have been removed by same cause. Efforts were the made to bring him to the surface ; but failed, although persevered in for upwards of an hour, the diver having evidently got entangled in some portion of the wreck. After trying ■with the boats and lines by pulling in various directions, the man was liberated and brought to the surface, but life was quite extinct. It was then discovered that the helmet had unscrewed itself from the breastplate of the dress, which was the cause of the unfortunate accident. The man's name was Burton, and well known. as a practical diver.