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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 289, 7 December 1868, Page 2

At tbe usual fortnightly meeting of the Board of Works, held on Friday evening last, at the Board Room, the following members were present: — Messrs Webb (in the chair), D. Burns, J. Percy. T. R. Hooper, and Field. " Tbe minutes of the previous, meeting having been read and confirmed, a letter from Mr BrowuiDg was read, complaining of the state of the bridges in Toitoi and Hampden-streets, and it was resolved that the necessary timber for these repairs should be supplied by the Board. On the motion of Mr Hooper, seconded by Mr Percy, it was resolved that the Assessment be advertised to be opeu for inspection on and after Thursday next. Mr D. Burns made a complaint relative to the opening to the cellarage of the Masonic Hotel, in Trafal-gar-street, and it was resolved that the footbath, from the Trafalgar Hotel to the Masonic Hotel be made good aud uniform so as to insure that it shall iu no part exceed the height of the crown, of the street. JDuring the discussiou whioh ensued on this matter, expressions of a highly personal and acrimouious character were applied by one of the members of the Board to the Surveyor, which elicited censure from the Chairman and the other members of the Board. Sundry accounts were passed, and the Board then adjourned until Friday the 18th inst. • The Supreme Court sat in banco. ou Fiiday last, when judgment was given iu the matler of au application made by Mr Pitt ou the previous Monday for au order directing the sale of section No. 20 at Picton, under the Sale for Nonpayment of Rates Act 1862. The Court granted an order in the terms of the above-mentioned Act. In the other matters in which judgment had l»een reserved it was intimated by the Court that judgment wouid probably be given on Friday next. The Government Wharf was yesterday morning throuijed by a very large concourse of persons anxious to witness the departure of the Airedale for the South, an occurrence invested with more thau ordinary interest by the fact that she conveyed the representatives of our principal racing studs at the great meeting at Christchurch, which conies off during the second week in next mouth. Mr Henry Redwood sends from the Hednesford stables the three following horses — Blackboy, and two most promising three-year-olds, Peeress, by the Peer out of Miss Rowe, and Manuka, by the same sire out of Waimea; thus representing t the best blood hitherto introduced into this colony, and fully justifying by their power and symmetry the prestige of their pedigree. The Annesbrooke stables will be represented on this occasion by Magenta and Conquest, with two three-year-olds, Lacednfeed, and Lady Florence, by Towton out of Miss Nightingale, which are also likely to do credit to the province. All seven horses were safely placed on board, and left the wharf followed by the best wishes of the numerous spectators that one or other of the Nelson string might bring back the * -cordon bleu* of the New Zealand Turf. At the Resident Magistrate _ Conrt oh Saturday last, Eliza O'Gounor was. charged,, on the information of Hannah Armstrong, with usingindecent language in Brook-street Valley, to the annoyance \of 'the^neighborhood. It was fully proved Y thai the defendant had used the language complained of, which^*Wßßs?ci^,t_«7 most grossly indecent nature,.; and;;; Bte^wae^ fined £2 and costs,, amoaotio^o £1 4ft$g_? - i

with a very severe reprimand from his Worship. Samuel Morrison, on remand, was charged with stealing a silver watch aocLchain, two gold riugs, and various articles of clothing from the dwelling of James Deblois, at Motueka, on the 21st of October last. It appeared that the prisoner had been, living with the complainant, who is a farmer, and left his place on tho night of the 21st of October. On the same night the articles were missed and notice wu3 given to the police. Tbe prisoner was arrested in Nelson last Monday; the watcb, which was' identified as being the property of the complainant, wa9 found iu his hand, together with a ring. The prisoner was fully committed to take ' his trial at the next assizes. Thomas Brown was charged with feloniously breaking into the dwelling-house of Wm. Cate, a farmer, in Waimea South, on tho 4th instant. The prisoner, who (was seen leaving the house, when arrested, admitted the charge, but said it was ' one of his foolish tricks.' The prisoner was also fully committed for trial at the next assizes. George Jones, charged with assaulting Phoebe Tibbitt, iu Toi-toi Valley, was fiued ss. and 9s. costs. Telegrams have reached town from Havelock, announcing the loss of the cutter Venture on Thursday lust iu one of the numerous iulets uear Havelock. Capt. Windover and all hands were saved, and the cargo, which was much damaged, was brought up to Havelock by the Midge, whi h was also bound to the same. port. The latest telegram states that there was some hope that the Veuture wouid be got off. The Lady Barkly returned this morning from Collingwood, but brought uo further intelligence from the new gold field, withwhich no communication hud taken place since her lust trip. We learn that Mr Lightband ]ate warden on the West Coast goldfields, and who, having been oue of the first discoverers ot the Collingwood goldfields, is quite in his element in that region, has been on the ground lately opened at the foot of Mount Snowden, at the head of the Aorere, and we shall probably receive from him ere long some authentic intelligence on the subject. It will be seen from an advertisement in another column, that the competition for the Provincial Government Rifle Prizes commences to-morrow, when the City Rifles will begin the firing at 10 a.m., the Artillery following ou Wednesday, and the Cadets on Thursday, at the same hour. Wednesday last was to be observed by the people of Taranaki as a day of special mourning for the late catastrophe at Poverty Bay, und services were to be held iu the various places of public worship. . Our readers are aware that a number of women and children, who were compelled to leave Poverty Bay in consequence of the late outrages, reached Auckland by the schooner Success. Among this number _ meu and 10 children proved to be friendless and without any means of support. An appeal was made on their behalf, and no time was lost in making arrangements for their care and comfort. The blockhouse at Freeman V Bay was fitted up for their accommodation, aud bedding, cooking utensils, &c, provided by the Government, whilst active measures were taken by the ladies of Auckland to collect subscriptions for their relief, to which a liberal response has been made by the people of that city* The New Zealand Herald of the 28th ultimo has some pertinent remarks on tha. volunteer system in Auckland, which apply equally well to its present condition in Nelson. The Herald says:— The volunteer system is not in .a healthy slate in Auckland at presen t. There seems some shadow hanging over it; Beenis no .officer of mark who makes it Anything of ■ |£iS^^^|fe*a v pridaJo^it.7''Tbe drill.

is said to be too much of a routine cha-

racter. We never hear of their marching out, as is constantly done by volunteers in the old country, uor, of any lessons in the field. Now a volunteer system requires snme little excitement to keep it iu life an.d in good order, and if it is to be of any' value pipeclay must give place to a variety of exercises attractive and useful. What is (lone to teach our voluuteers to fire in -the open? What to dodge behind trees for covering? What to do a hundred Ihings that would be of service to them? The Domain grounds even affurd space for ■some capital field exercises, aud we are sure these would be both popular and useful. Situated as we are, it is desirable that we should give heed to these things, and cultivate somewhat the martial spirit among us, by our young men going through a regular course of intelligent drill aud exercises, both in the drill-room and iu the field.

The Southern Cross states that the directors of the Bank of New Zealand have taken the important step of reducing the rate of discount. A notice posted up at their establishment in Auckland states that, whereas the rates hitherto charged have been 7, 8, and 9 per cent, on two, three, and four months' bills currency; the rates hereafter to be charged are 6, 7, aud 8 per cent, upon bills at the above dates.

On the 21st ult. the office-bearers and brethren of tbe mystic tie of the several lodges in Auckland assembled in the lodgeroom, Masonic Hotel, for the purpose of presenting an engrossed and illuminated farewell address, accompanied by a purse of sovereigns, to Brother Varty, late K. Royal Arch Chapter, and W. M. Lodge Ara,~on the occasion of his departure for Sydney by the s.s. Hero.

The Southern Cross of the 17th ultimo says: — In order to show to what a state of excitement persons' minds have been strained since the news reached Auckland of the Poverty Bay massacre, we may mention that a number of calls were made

at our publishing office last evening, and anxious inquiries made as to'the truth of a rumor being circulated in town that the governor had been 6hot at Wanganui and Mr Stafford takeu prisouer. " The Home News says that it is reported that the bishopric of Auckland, rendered vacant by the translation of Bishop Selwyn to Lichfield, will be conferred upon the Rev. James Leslie Randall, rector of Newbury, Berks. Mr Randnll is the son of the Archdeacon of Berkshire, and brother of the newly-appointed incumbent of All Saints' Church, Clifton. Mr Randall was educated at New College, Oxford, and became a fellow of that college. He graduated 8.A., 1851 ; M.A., 1855 ; and would therefore be about 38 years of age. He was ordained by the Bishop of Oxford deacon, and priest, 1853, and was presented by the bishop in 1857 to the rectory of Newbury, worth £380 and a house. The Auckland papers say that the firing made by Captain Brigge's company •of the 13th Regiment at the rifle range during the past-month has been most successful. This has been the ""first time which the Snider rifle has been tried with ■ball ammunition in New Zealand, and the result is most encouraging. No doubt, this weapon has been wisely chosen by the military authorities at home. There is no such thing as what is termed recoil or kick after the explosion of the powder in the chamber. The consequence of tne recoil in the former weapon was that by its means tbe muzzle, of the. piece was liable to be diverted from the object aimed at, whereas the mechanism of the Snider breech and breech-block entirely does away with that great fault. The rapid firing which can also be resorted to in action. isV-aoother grand object attainable by the : Snider rifle. As there is every possibility that the troops will be imme.

diately permitted to take the field, armed with this weapon of destruction, it may safely be expected that %hort work will be made of the murderous savages now in arms on both sides of this island. The Wairoa correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald gives the following sketch of Te Kooti, the chief ot (he escaped Hauhaus on the East Coast. He is said to be a youog man of somewhat prepossessing appearance-— so far at least as the appearance of a Hauhau may be prepossessing, a thing about which there may be some little difference of opinion. He formerly lived at Matawhero, dn the very ground where the massacre took place. Whatever may be his claims to repossess himself of that land, he certainly adopted the most violent and barbarous way of reasssrting his title. After Te Kooti's banishment to the Chatham Isles Captain Reid fenced in about 30 acres of Te Kooti's land as a grazing paddoek, and it is probable that this circumstance itself had no small share in exciting revengeful feeliugs in the mind of Te Kooti. This chief has not derived his influence from illustrious birth, but, like all the modern school of Hauhau leaders, had gradually obtaiued an ascendancy over the old chiefs, autl outstripped them in influence by the mere force of superior energy and intelligence. Te Kooti derives much of his influence from his powers as a debater and a man '-wise in council.' He has however other qualifications which find peculiar favor with Maoris — a restless euergy, force of will, decision, and great ingenuity to plan and determination to execute.