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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 299, 18 December 1868, Page 2

We regret to learn that, shortly after the conclusion of the proceedings at the nomination to-day, Mr Shephard received the melancholy intelligence of the death of his mother, an aged lady, to whom he was much attached, which took place this morning at Fernhili. Mr Shephard left town immediately, but we understand that he hopes to be in Nelson on Monday. A General Government Gazette of the Ist, contains a proclamation by his Excellency the Governor, calling out for actual service the several volunteer corps at Taranaki, Patea, Wauganui, Eangitikei, Manawatu, Wellington, Wairarapa, Castlepoint, Napier, Poverty Bay, and Opotiki* at the headquarters of the respective corps. The time and place of meeting to be fixed by the officer commanding in each district*. An accident happened this morning to the schooner Sisters. When leaving the wharf to go out of the harbor, she got into the tide-stream, and ran foul of the bows of the s.s. Alhambra, smashing her masts and rigging; her bulwarks were likewise stove in on one side. No further damage was dones and she got clear and drifted with the tide down the harbor. Yesterday evening about 7 o'clock as a horse and cart, driven, by a young lad and contaning a woman and two or three young children, were coming down the College Hill, something wrong occurred to the harness, when the horse took fright and ran away. By the time they had reached the Rising Sun one of the children had jumped out, and the woman much alarmed, was preparing to do the same, when Mr Speed, who witnessed the occurrence, succeeded, at considerable personal risk, in snatching hold of the reins, and by dint of sheer strength arrested the further, progress of the'animal, and thus in all human probability save the woman and her children, not to mention the horse and cart, from very serious injury. The extension of the County of Westland is advocated by 'A Cobdenite' in the Grey River Argus. He writes: —Some time ago Mr Harrison visited Cobden for the purpose of inducing the inhabitants of that village and district to petition for separation from Nelson, and could hardly get a hearing. If that gentleman could be induced to give us another call he would meet with a very different reception. The conviction has been forced upon us, that it is better to act for ourselves than to starve under the chilling patronage, and the incessant and exhaustive bleeding manipulation of the Nelson Provincial Government. The Canterbury Press observes: —The questions which the public -will ask, is who are responsible for these things ? The Government cannot plead that they have been taken by surprise. They have been warned agaiu and again by Mr M'Lean, Mr Ormond, and others, of what was coming. They were distinctly told by the Bishop of Waiapu (and they could have no better authority) that the natives after they had finished planting, would pay hostile visits either to Wairoa or Poverty Bay. Have they taken any steps to avert the approaching crisis ? And how comes it that the east of the North Island, which three years ago was the scene of such triumph of the colonial forces and where peace was thought to be permanently secured, has relapsed into a state of anarchy and hostility? On these points no complete information has yet been laid before the public.