WELLINGTON EXTRACTS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XII, Issue 592, 9 July 1853, Page 7

WELLINGTON EXTRACTS.

Important Public Meeting at the Hutt. — The meeting, which had been advertised to take place at the Hutt Bridge yesterday, and which has been convened by the Committee appointed to make the necessary arrangements for it, was most numerously and influentially attended. In addition to the Chairman (Mr. G. Scott), we observed on the platform Captain Daniell, J.P., Dr. Evans, W. Fitzherbert, Esq., J.P., A. Ludlam, Esq., J.P., E. G. Wakefield, Esq., E. J. Wakefield, Esq., Messrs. Mills, Waitt, Lyon, K. Bethume, Bowler, Renall, R. Jenkins, Mcßeth, Barton, Revans, A. Brown, Mr. Allen, H. Wallace, J. Gibson, &c, &c. Long before the hour appointed for the Chair to be taken, various groups of persons might have been seen in the immediate vicinity of the Hutt Bridge, earnestly and warmly canvassing and discussing among themselves the various important subjects which were to be brought under their considerations that day. The subjects which had been selected for discussion by the Committee, in connexion with the general question of the management and disposal of the Waste Lands of the Colony, were nine in number, and embraced all that could possibly be considered important and interesting. We have not time now to make more than a brief notice of this important meeting, and will therefore merely add that the principle speakers on the occasion were Messrs. E. G. Wakefield, Fitzherbert, Ludlam, Revans, Renall, &c. — Wellington Independent, May 28. * The barque Tory, Captain Row, arrived in habour on Sunday afternoon last, the 22nd inst., from Melbourne via Twofold Bay. It appears that she left Port Phillip on the 4th of April last, and proceeded to Twofold Bay, where she took on board 75 horses, and about 150 head of cattle, and has been nearly a month on her passage to Wellington from the latter port. In coming through the Straits the Tory experienced very severe weather, and lost about 35 horses, and a number of her cattle also.— Ibid, May 25.

The barque Lord Duncan, belonging to the South Sea Whale Fishery Company, arrived in harbour from the whaling grounds on Monday last, the 6th inst. She has been out 12 months, and has only 60 barrels of sperm oil as the result of her 12 months' cruise. The Lord Duncan has already been laid on for London, and, having most of her cargo engaged, will meet with quick despatch. She has brought on here as passengers eight seamen and three women, who were wrecked in the barque Caldew, Captain Snow, in January last, on. the passage from Sydney to San Francisco. The following are the particulars of this truly distressing^wreck. ■: The barque Caldew, Capt. Snow, left Sydney, bound for San.Francisco, on the 23rd November, 1852. At noon on the 25 th January, in lat. 4. 49 N., long. 160*35 W. by chronometer, steering N. W. by N., with fresh breeze from the N. E., kept on that course until 8 p. m., when she steered N. W., (the chart shewing no dangers in that direction) until 4. 30. a. m. the following day, when she struck on a reef several times — the existence of which was scarcely indicated by a ripple, the man on the fore-yard seeing no signs of danger. All was immediately thrown flat aback, hoping to force her off, but there appeared to be a strong current driving her on the reef, and in a few moments the stern struck heavily, lifting the rudder and carrying away the wheel chains. All hopes of getting the vessel off being now dispelled, preparations were made for abandoning her/ and the crew commenced to fit out and provision the boats. At 5 39, p. m. (Jan. 21) the two small boats were cast off ahead to tow the long boat clear of the reef, and at 6 all three of them set sail, and their perilous voyage commenced. It soon, became dark and cloudy, with heavy swells ; the two smaller boats, from the darkness of the night, were soon lost sight of ; at 10 p. m. the squalls became so terrific, the boat nearly filling with water, that part of the provisions and spare clothing had to be thrown overboard, not being able to carry sail on account of thetempestuous weather ; those in the long boat, consisting of the Captain, mates, and a few of the men, exerted themselves to the utmost to reach the nearest land, thongh uninhabited, whicr was Palmyra's Island, about. «0 mile* distant. They were in hopes of falling ir with the other two smaller boats, but ai daylight in the following morning (Jan. 22] not a vestige of them could be seen. Aftei knocking about in the long boat for 22 days, during which greit sufferings were endured from hunger/and from exposure (hall clothed) ttyvery bad weather, abont 1 p. m.| Feb. 14j8aptain Snow and the rest with him we^ picked up by the brig Eclipsa 1

from San Francisco, bound to Sydney, and ■were provided for and kindly received by all on board ; Captain Snow, with only four of the surviving sufferers, arrived safely at Sydney, touching at Anatam on their way. One of the smaller boets, containing the unfortunate Javanese, was, as we have said before, picked up by the Lord Duncan, and the poor sufferers rescued from death, and brought on here. The following are the particulars of the privations and hardships endured for a period of six weeks. After the first night, they saw nothing of the other two boats. The boat they were in was very small, ond almost rotten, with one sail, which they had hoisted, in the hope of being seen by some vessel at a distance. They were steering east for the whole of the time, and for five weeks they subsisted entirely upon a few cocoa nuts which they happened to have with them, and a little water. These were however at last consumed, and when picked up by the Lord Duncan, the poor sufferers had tasted nothing for eight days. One was nearly dead, and the rest so far exhausted that they could not 'have existed another day without food of some kind. When the Lord Duncan picked them up the poor creatures were just about to draw lots as to who should be killed first in order to supply food for the rest. By the kindness of Captain Barton, the man who was at the point of death Boon recovered, and in a very 6hort time, by the kind treatment of all on board, the whole of them also regained their health.— /fcicZ, June 8.

On Wednesday, a deputation, consisting ' of Messrs. E. G. Wakefield, Scott, Rennall, and Potts, waited on his Excelieney the Governor with a memorial from the Ilutt, on the subject of compensation to the working classes. The following is the current, and, we~understand, a correct outline of what took place on the occasion. The subject having been introduced by the deputation, and the memorial having been presented, Mr. Wakefield was reminded that however strong the claims of the inhabitants of the Valley of the Ilutt might \ir- to compensation, that compensation i;.r>n!d be made not out of the Land Revenue of the colony, but by the Company who had been liberally compensated by the Government, and wa9 therefore bound to tTialxe §ood the claims of the colonists on thorn tor compensation, as had in effect been done by the Company to their land purchasers, and some surprise was expressed that Mr. Vv r akefield, if he admitted the justice of these claims, had not, as an influential director of that body, brought them before the New Zealand Company. I\ir. Wakefield pleaded nn incapacitating illness from 1846 to 1850, whioh made him "dead" to die Company, with whom also he said he had quarrelled, and was therefore not in a position to interfere in its affairs. But his Excellency shewed, by a reference to published documents, that on Beveral occasions since the date when Mr. W. alleged he was " dead " to the Company's affairs, he had nevertheless taken an active part in its meetings, including on one occasion the division of a large sum of money as " compensation " to himself and other directors. Mr. "W., it is said, stated he had not heard of the hardships the working men had suffered until his arrival in the colony, but he was reminded that when the subject of their hardships had been brought forward by Captain Rous, in a speech which caused considerable sensation at the time, in the debate in the House of Commons in 1845, published by the New Zealand Company, the subject was treated very lightly by the directors. The general impression appears to be, that Mr. Wakefield cut a very inconsiderable figure on the occasion. — Spectator, June 25.

Steam to New Zealand.— A meeting j • of merchants and others interested in the introduction of steam to New Zealand, was held at the office of Messrs. Bethune and Hunter, Exchange, Wellington, yesterday afternoon, to hear the statements and explanations of Captain H. Williams, the agent of a company in England now forraiag to connect the differeut Provinces of New Zealand by means of steam, and to confer with him on the subject. The meeting was numerously attended. K. Bethune, Esq., was called to the chair. The Chairman introduced Capt. Williams to the meeting, who read the prospectus of Jthe Company, from which it appeared that ft was proposed to raise the sum of £24,000, the capital of the Company, in 1,200 shares of £20 each, half to be paid on the allotment of the shares, and the remanuler in calls of £5 per share. To obtain the co.- operation and support of the colonists, it wbs proposed to reserve a moiety of the shares fchTi sale in the oolony, the share'aolders in t»P colony having, ur^er cert» ; n conditions, a l^* 111 ' 1"-

power over the Company's affairs by means of their representatives. Two iron steamer of 320 tons each, and 70 horse-power, with screw propellers, were stated to be in progress, one of which might be shortly expected in the colony. Captain Williams said he had bad an interview with the Governor, who had expressed himself favourably on the subject, and was extremely desirous of giving effect to the wishes of the settlers in introducing steam communication to the colony. In answer to questions which were put to him by the meeting, Captain Williams stated that a certain number of shares were offered to the colonists in order more fully to obtain their co-operation, and ensure a successful result, and allow them to participate in any benefits resulting from the undertaking. The settlers at Auckland were favourably disposed to the introduction of steam, but wished one of the boats to be employed between Auckland and Melbourne. It was suggested that at least one of the boats should be employed to maintain the communication between the different Southern settlements. After some further discussion, the following resolutions were carried unanimously. Moved by Mr. Clifford, seconded by Mr. Allan, " That a committee be appointed to confer with Captain Williams upon the proposed Steam Company, and to draw up a report to be laid before a Public Meeting of the inhabitants of this settlement ; the committee to consist of Messrs. "Bethune, Rhodes, Clifford, Allen, Duncan, Johnston, Hervey, Hort, Kelham, Moore, Bowler, Raymond, and Levin." Proposed by Captain Rhodes, seconded by Mr. Kelhara, 11 That this meeting 'cordially welcomes Captain Williams, and favourably entertains the introduction of Steam to New Zealand, and will give him its support." The thanks of the meeting were then voted to the Chairman, and the meeting separated.