WELLINGTON EXTRACTS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 328, 17 June 1848, Page 64

WELLINGTON EXTRACTS.

Launch. — A new vessel, called the Queen, was launched on Thursday afternoon at Mr. Mathieson's building yard, on the Waiwetu river. She measures fifty-five tons new register, and is very strongly put together, having been built of the hardest and most durable woods of this district ; she is coppered and copper fastened, and no pain 3or expense have been spared in her construction, and we have no doubt she will add greatly to Mr. Mathieson's established reputation as a ship builder. She was built for P. M. Hervey, Esq., and as soon as she is ready for sea will be employed in the coasting trade, to which she will prove a valuable addition. — Spectator, May 20. On the publication of the quarterly statement of the revenue and expenditure we have generally taken the opportunity of comparing it with the previous quarters, as furnishing in some degree satisfactory evidence of the actual state of the colony : on former occasions we have had the pleasure of noting a progressive increase on each quarter, but the last as compared with the previous (December) quarter, exhibits a considerable decrease, the difference in the Customs being £1,384 1 6s. 7d. ; the amount of Customs for the quarter ending 31st Dec, 1817, being £4,812 15s. lOd. ; while that for the quarter ending 31st March amounts to £3,427 19s. 3d. The amount of expenditure, on the other hand, is necessarily increased by the change which has been made under the New Constitution, in the division of the colony into two separate Provinces, and the additional offices which ' have in consequence been created for the efficient conduct of the Government; so that, after deducting the sums expended on roads, and the remittance of a £1,000 to Nelson, the quarterly expenditure exceeds the revenue by nearly £400. Two things must be borne in mind, however ; first, that the revenue for the quarters ending in March and June are generally the lowest in amount, and, secondly, that this increased expense of the Government establishment, though charged to the account of this settlement, should really be borne by the whole Pro* vince. We hope that returns of the principal exports from each settlement, as oil, wool, pork, flax, &c, will be published, either half-yearly or yearly, in the Gazette. This sort of information becomes the more desirable, from the formation of the new settlement of Otakou, as the means will then be afforded of judging the relative progress and prosperity of each settlement, as well as the general advancement of the whole Province. — Ibid., May 27.

The barques Raymond and Robert Syers arrived last night* the former with a ca:go of stock from Twofold Bay, after a quick run of eight day?, the latter from Sydney with stock and a general cargo. The Robert Syers had a favourable run of twelve days. —Ibid.

A deeply sunkin Prejudice. — During the great struggle to obtain a reformation of the Church of Scotland, a Puritan, from some cause, fell intc a ditch and could not get out. A passer-by observed him, and offered his assistance, but the hero of the mud would not accept it until he knew what was the religion of his kind neighbour. '«■ I am a Catholic," was the reply. "You may go," said the other, " for I shan't be helped out of this ditch by a Catholic."