MONTHLY SUMMARY OP EVENTS.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XX, 12 September 1861, Page 1

MONTHLY SUMMARY OP EVENTS.

Our political summary for the last month may be comprised in very few words. Sir George Grey has not arrived ; the General Assembly has closed its session ; the Fox Ministry is still in office ; and no military movements have taken place. Frdm the moment it was announced that Sir George Grey was re-appointed, it was plain that the provisional suspension of hostilities, which policy suggested no less than good feeling when the Ngatjawas of Waitara had submitted, and the Waikatos had retired from the field, would be prolonged, if possible, until his arrival. The rainy season, which has turned out to be an unusually severe one, made it desirable not to expose the troops, directly on their arrival from India, to the hardships of a campaign in the bush, when the effects of the weather were more to be dreaded than the assaults of the enemy ; and the breaking up of the war party rendered it possible to try the effect of negotiation before again resorting to force ; of separating the various causes of quarrel between the parties and narrowing the issue to be tried. Sir George Grey will thus find much of his work already done to his hand ; and, instead of a confused heap of grievances, he will find the Waikatos now standing on their right to have a separate Government of their own, their own flag, king and council, with executive, customs, magistrates, and responsible ministers; the adherents of William King maintaining his claim, as Lord Paramount, to forbid, under pain of death, any alienation of land from Waitara to Mokau, or wherever else it may please him to assert a claim ; and the tribes to the South rejoicing in their murders and accumulated plunder, boasting of their reconquest of the land, and forbidding any Europeans to pass through it under the penalty of loss of life. He will find, also, that the consequences of rebellion are beginning to be felt in the way which tells best upon uncivilized tribes; that is, by the material losses and privations which it entails upon them, as well as by the state of long continued suspense which is trying to all men, but especially disheartening to those who are more under the influence of feeling than reason. It is, indeed, rather mortifying to our late Governor that another should reap the harvest which he had prei pared ; but he has perhaps as full a compensation as the case admitted of, in the thorough approval of his policy by the Home Government, in the satisfactory addresses which reach him from those who have suffered most severely from its effects, and wno are best qualified to form an opinion of it, and from the reflection that the powerful and, in some cases, the unscrupulous opposition he has encountered, would perhaps, even at the j last moment, have prevented him from reaping it at all. The path of Sir George Grey has been smoothed before him; the men who formerly opposed him most bitterly are now in power, and deprecating the ripping up of old grievances, or, in other words, being reminded of their former opinions and actions; their Philo-Maori allies have received sufficiently significant hints from home that their zeal, even in the opinion of their warmest friends, has been suffered to obscure their judgment, and will have the wind taken out of their sails by one whose reputation and influence among the natives are equal to theirs, and whose discretion is allowed to be superior, by all the rest of the world ; and he may count upon the assistance of all those who have hitherto had the direction of affairs and of their supporters, so

long as they feel that he is earnest in endeavouring, not to patch up a hollow truce and create the appearance of peace without the reality, but the permanent arrangement of our relations with the natives upon a clear and stable foundation. Pending his arrival, the Assembly has busied itself during the last month in winding up the necessary business of the session; and, except on one or two occasions, when Mr. Fox diverged into attempts to bring in some of his own peculiar crotchets, and introduce important changes under the guise of suspending further action until the questions in discussion could receive a more careful and thorough consideration, the new Ministry has been treated with a forbearance which contrasts strongly with their own previous opposition. At the hands of a Committee, which sat for twenty days, Mr. C. W. Richmond received a most complete and unanimous acquittal of the charges brought against him by Dr. Featherston. Not so his accuser ; who denied that he had made any accusation at all ; and who only succeeded in obtaining a very qualified condonation at the hands of the Committee, by a majority of six to four, composed principally of his own private friends and associates in the Ministry. Their report was in these words, "That there is no ground whatever for any imputation that undue pressure has been brought to bear in the Executive, by Mr. C. W. Richmond on the Waitara question, and that this Committee, without imputing blame to Dr. Featherston, considers his vindication to be complete." On the words in Italics, the division was — For—- Against— Honourable Crosbie Ward, Mr. Creyke, Chairman of Committees, Honourable the Speaker, Mr. Henderson, Mr. J. C. Wilson, C.8., Mr. Fitzherbert, Mr. Weld. Mr. Renall, Mr. Russell. The military movements have been confined to a grand review of the troops, which all accounts agree in stating to be in a high state of efficiency, and ready for any service ; whilst the arrangements for their adaptation to the particular service they are likely to be engaged in, are spoken of as both efficient and complete. The natives are said to feel the deprivation of their accustomed intercourse with Auckland, and the market it afforded for their produce. There still seems to hang great doubt over their real disposition, and whether they will submit even to Sir George Grey ; but it is acknowledged on all sides (so successful had been the efforts to blacken Colonel Gore Browne to them, to malign his motives, and misrepresent his actions), that they will accept from his successor what they would have refused from him.

To him belongs the credit of, at last, enunciating a clear and decided line of policy ; in his own words, " I was determined at all risks to put an end to the bloody feuds which had so long disgraced the Government." From these words and from the resolution they indicate, we trust there will be no departure or falling oft*. The conduct which befits a Christian Missionary or individual Christian man, is not possible to the Ruler, whose duty it is to resist evil, and put down all gainsayers ; and to show, if driven to that extremity, that he bears not the sword in vain ; and, believing, as we do, that much of the opposition encountered by the late Governor originated in the purest motives, we are confirmed by it in our opinion that, in their attempt to apply the precepts of Christianity to the policy of Government and the duty of the State, the Clergy are not our safest guides ; and that, in doing so, they are more likely to weaken than to add to their -otherwise allowed and legitimate influence.

Dun Mountain Railway. — This railway progresses rapidly towards completion, and we hope that no untoward event may prevent its being soon in active use, for, by its means, we expect that not only will the products of the Dun Mountain be conveyed to the port for shipment, but that slate, stone in slabs and blocks, timber for domestic use, and other equally valuable and useful articles will all be brought into Nelson city in quantities, and at prices, not even hitherto dreamt of. The earth work and bridging of the line is complete, therefore the period of its being opened for public traffic depends only on the time required for laying down the rails which will be very short, for, on visiting the line, we saw numbers of busy hands ballasting it, laying and fixing the sleepers and rails, and filling the space between the sleepers with gravel, in order to make it a road, not only for railway trucks, but easy of access for the horses which will have to draw up the empty trucks to the mine. "What speaks well for the solidity with which this railway is being laid is, that though we have recently had long continued heavy rains and floods, the steep mountain cuttings which in many portions are through solid rock, remain periectly uninjured. Looking at this railway

from the town, it seems as though the merest strip had been cut out of the hill sides, but, on a nearer approach, one sees that not only is there ample room for the line of railway, but that, wherever practicable, a width of some three feet between the outer rail and the outside of the cutting has been left. There is now no probability that the exciting news we receive from the gold-fields can, in any way, retard the completion of this invaluable work, for the earthwork is complete, and the plate-laying requires but few hands. We have been informed that it is the intention of the Company, on the completion of their line, to convey passengers and goods to and from the port at a very low rate of charge. The contract for constructing the remainder of the line from the foot of the incline in Brook-street to the port, has been taken by Messrs. Blythe and Carter, who have about forty men employed upon it.

Magnetic leon Sand. — We are now in a position to state that a most important and valuable addition to our already numerous mineral resources was made, last month, by the discovery of exceedingly large deposits of magnetic iron sand similar in every respect to that known to exist at Taranaki, and which was recently spoken so highly of by hardware manufacturers in England. It was discovered on the western side of Blind Bay, between the Riwaka river and Waitapu, where we are told it exists in extraordinarily large quantities, and in a position remarkably easy of access. We were, in fact, informed that hundreds of thousands of tons of this very valuable sand are now lying on the shores of Blind Bay, having been washed from the hills which immediately surround that portion of it in the district we have named. One of the discoverers proceeded immediately to Melbourne, for the purpose of conferring with capitalists there, so as to form a company for gathering the metallic sand on that portion of the coast comprised in the lease he had obtained from our Provincial Government.

Nelson Gold Fields. —By the Jane, which reached here on Thursday, August 22, we received very exciting news from the Waimangaroa diggirgs near the Buller river, on the West Coast. The parcel of gold shown to us contained eighty ounces, the produce of that locality. It was very coarse, and somewhat similar in colour t6 "that obtained at the Wangapeka, though much larger, and of a less scaly character. The spot where gold is now obtained in large quantities is near the coast, a little north of the Buller river, and, as we are informed, is in a perfectly flat and accessible country. Gold is now principally got by the Maoris, there being but a few white men in the district, and, to show the anxiety of the natives for prosecuting a further search for gold, a small band of them, from the Grey district, had visited the Waimangaroa for the purpose of gaining some instruction in the mode of digging for and washing gold when obtained, they would then return to the Grey and^ search for it in that district. It is of course' very necessary that, in publishing accounts from a gold field, care should be taken not to give currency to every idle rumour; we, therefore, particularly inquired into the truth of the following report, and, on what we believe to be good authority, have every reason to think that it is correct, namely, that two Maoris, with but a tin dish, did in two days obtain fifteen ounces of gold. Several of the natives are known to have large amounts of gold upon them. A memorial was presented to the post office authorities praying that a post office might be granted to this district. On the Jane again sailing for these gold fields so many applications were made for passages by her that Mr. Jacobsen, her master, had to refuse no less than twenty. By letters from the West Coast we subsequently learned that about eighty persons were digging in the neighbourhood of the Buller river, and the prospects they got were very promising. The diggings are speading towards Karamea, and it is supposed that they will, during the ensuing summer, reach Mount Arthur. Want of roads was beginning already to be felt, and there was great difficulty in transporting provisions to those at work any distance up the river. There were several people working in a river (Waimangaroa) six miles north of the port, which is remarkably rich in coarse, heavy gold. The quartz-reef discovered some time since by Mr. Rochfort, in the Buller river, is supposed to break through the hills at the River Waimangaroa. About 100 ounces of gold had been procured in three weeks by a party, almost entirely with the tin dish, within six miles of the Buller river, and close to the coast. Should many vessels make trips to these diggings, it is said that a pilot for the Buller river will be absolutely necessary, as its north channel is filled up ; and though the southern channel is now straight and deep, it would yet be nearly useless, on account of the shifting nature of the bar, to put up marks for the guidance of vessels. The ketch Jane and schooner Mary, together, took about fifty passengers to the diggings, with a large stock of provisions. Both had to refuse several passengers for want of room. The Supply and the Gipsy subsequently sailed with cargo and passengers. With reference to the Wangapeka district we would state that, from Dr. Tatton, who has just returned thence, we learn that he has every reason to believe, from the appearance of the country, that there can be no doubt of the Wangapeka being a good gold-bearing district. He prospected both rivers and creeks, and found, almost without exception, that they yielded gold in greater or less quantities. Even in the hills, a great distance above the river, he found Hp©toka-4>f gold. With regard to the

former comparatively fruitless rush to the Wangapeka, Dr. Tatton thinks that, taking place as it did at the commencement of what has proved a remarkably wet winter, it led to the disappointment of many who had hardly prepared their dams and sluices before they were destroyed by the' floods ; and thus the gold-seeker, with his patience tired, and his means exhausted, left the diggings directly any account of the extraordinary yield of the Otago gold-field reached him . Dr. Tatton says he feels assured that, if properly and patiently explored, very heavy finds of gold will be yielded by the Wangapeka district, which covers a large tract of country leading directly to the West Coast, where gold is now being obtained in considerable quantity. There are about sixty persons now at work at the Wangapeka. We would also state that Dr. Tatton has obtained other minerals, which, when fully tested, he believes will prove highly advantageous to this province. — To show that our diggings at the Aorere are also in a flourishing state, in spite of recent discoveries of what have been presumed to be richer deposits, we have much pleasure in stating that Captain Walker, of the Supply, brought with him from Collingwood, on a recent trip, no less than 206 ounces of gold, that the Ann from Waitapu, brought thirty ounces, and that accounts from the Aorere state that all industrious men on those diggings are doing well. Gas Company. — The prospectus of a Gas Company for this city has recently been issued. The capital is proposed to be fixed at £3,000, in 120 shares of £25 each. Nelson Institute. — At a meeting of the members of this Institute, held on the 14th August, the following report was unanimously adopted : — In presenting their half-yearly report, your com* mittee have this time the satisfaction of furnishing facts, instead of hopes and promises, as heretofore. The hopes inspired, and the expectations that you have formed, are no doubt fully realized now you enjoy the convenience and advantages of this spacious building. Upon the building itself your committee need not expatiate ; its utility, internal arrangements, and good taste, are self-evident, and reflect great credit on both architect and builder. The excess of the cost of erection, considerably over the amount of the original contracts, and the deficiency still existing in the building fund, continue, however, to be the cause of much anxiety to your committee. For the zealous co-operation afforded by the ladies and gentle* men of Nelson at its inauguration, when the Exhibition was held therein, your committee are very grateful. The works of art, objects of vertu, and curiosities innumerable, which were then so readily contributed, afforded the public in general a great treat, and resulted in a pecuniary benefit to the Institution. It is hoped that this is but the harbinger of many, for it is the high endeavour of this Institution to foster an emulating spirit of the kind by every available means. The Nelson Institute is much indebted to the Provincial Government and Council for a grant of £200, and also to the liberal provisions made by the' Nelson Trust Funds in aid of its building, library, and museum. By means of the latter, the library has been considerably augmented, so that with other books previously ordered, and which have arrived simultaneously, they have now the pleasure of stating that upwards of 700 volumes of new works alone will ba ready for circulation in a few days. In addition to these there are thirty-one volumes on Theology, History, Biography, Science, and Travels, presented by the Bishop of Nelson. Of these collective works many are of a high order, and all are, without exception, by eminent authors in every department of knowledge. The 1,500 geological specimens liberally presented by the Nelson Trust Funds, which are suitably arranged, and will amply repay a minute inspection, form the nucleus of a Museum. Since it has been established it has received the following valuable benefactions :—: — A cabinet of the timber trees of Ceylon ; presented by Mr. Fitzgibbon. Antique seals of the reign of Edward 1., and Egyptian mummy cloth ; presented by the Bishop of Nelson. Collection of Maori spears ; bequeathed by] Mr. Fagan. New Zealand curiosities ; presented by Mr. Josiah Flight, Taranaki. Specimens illustrative of the mineral and natural history of this colony ; by Messrs. Adams, Hacket, H. E. Curtis, Monro, S. Robinson (of Motupipi), W. Wells, A. R. M'Donald, J. Walker, and others. From the increased facility this building affords for the formation of classes, much may be expected, though little has been hitherto achieved. A drawing* class is now being formed by Maxwell Bury, Esq., forwhich all subscribers are eligible for membership, at a very trifling expense. Owing to the time occupied in removing from the late building into the present one, and the disarrangement consequent upon that and holding the Exhibition, we have fewer lectures to allude to than usual. One that particularly deserves the notice and thanks of your committee was voluntarily given by Mr. Drew, on the subject of Electricity ; and he has announced his intention of giving a second one shortly, with ex-* periments as before. In conclusion, your committee can assure you that they will continue to avail themselves of the means of instruction and amusement whenever the opportunity presents itself. Nelson Haemonic Society. — A concert was given by this Society on Wednesday evening, August 20, in the Provincial Hall, with the object of raising funds for the purchase of a piano-forte, which their resources have not hitherto admitted of. The concert" altogether was a treat to the lovers of music, which could have been enjoyed in no other way than by such a voluntary association of? those who have not only the ability but the will thus kindly to exert themselves for the gratification of their neighbours. Boabd of Woeks. — The election of members to serve on the Board of Works, mentioned in our last monthly summary, was set aside by the Executive Council on the ground that the name of one of the candidates had been withdrawn, subsequent to the nomination, without his consent. A second election was therefore held on the 20th August, which resulted in the return of Messrs. Graham, Everett, and Aitken. Ploughing Matcii. — Following in the footsteps of those who, at home, strive by all legitimate means to promote the success of agricultural pursuits, our formers have long since established an Agricultural Association,, and, as oneof the results, had a very success*

ful ploughing match at Ranzau on the 9th August. The match was contested in a field belonging to Mr. Lines, and was very well attended, the ploughing being satisfactory and, we are pleased in stating, most of the prizes were carried off by young men. The prizes were awarded as follow 3: — Ist Class.— Horse Teams. (Eight ploughs started). lit Prize, £4— Rubs, jun., ploughman ; Bubs, sen., owner of team. 2nd Prise, £2— Bird, ploughman ; Bird, owner of team. 3rd Prire— Sutherly, ploughman j Redwood, jun., oimer of team. 2ND Class.— Bullock Teams. (Five teams started). lit Prize— North, ploughman; Butler, owner of team. 2nd Prize—^Hammond, ploughman; Barnicoat, owner of team. Bbd Class.— Boys. (Five teams started). Ist Prize, £3— Coleman, ploughman ; Hammond, owner of team. 2nd Prize, £I— Job Lines, ploughman ;T. Lines, owner of team. Gazette Notices. — We see that the Governor has assented to the following Acts passed in the late session of our Provincial Council : — 1. An Act to authorize the Superintendent to convey to her Majesty certain land granted for public purposes in the City of Nelson. 2. An Act to amend the Provincial Council Ordinance. 3. An Act to authorize the Superintendent to guarantee oertain interest on the capital to be expended in the construction of a dry dock or patent •lip. Power has also been conferred on the Superintendent to appoint and remove Returning Officers, and also to appoint polling places for the election of the Superintendent or of Members of the Provincial Council. We also give from the Gazette the following returns of Receipts and Expenditure by the Provincial Treasurer, the Receiver of Land Revenue, and the Collector of Customs, of this province, for the quarter ended June 30, 1861 :— Pbovotciali Tbbabubeb's, Depabtment.— The Abatnct of Receipts and Disbursements of the ProTinoial Treasurer shews that there has been received from Ordinary Revenue, £2,965 3s. Id. ; in aid of Supplementary Charges, £1,500 ; Incidentals, £200 19s. lOd. ; Territorial Revenue, £5,786 7s. 2d. ; nuking • total of £10,452 10s. Id. ; while the Disbursements have ; been— for Departmental, £1,631 Bi. 6d. t Miscellaneous, £167 35. ; Publio Works and Purposes, £2,895 Is. 3d. ; Supplementary Contingenries, £2,161 125. 6d. ; Debentures, £124 185. 7d.; making a total of Disbursements amounting to £6,960 4s. Laud Revenue Department.— The Receipts have been— Sales of Land, £8,120 135. ; Depasturage Assessments, £79 6s. 4d. ; Depasturage Rents, £10 16s. Bd. ; Deposits, £45 ; and Fees for Crown Grants, £33; makings total of £8,288 16s. 3d.; while the expenditure shows a total of £8,288 Bs. 6d. Customs Dbpabtment. — Under this head, the items show that a sum of £5,060 6s. in Nelson, and £125 14a. in Collingwood had been collected. It is announced also that the Governor " delegates absolutely and without restriction unto John Terry Bofcinson, Esq., Superintendent of the Province of Nelson, all the powers vested in the Governor under or by< virtue of the ' Gold Fields Act, 1858,' except the powers contained in sections 7, 8, 15, 27, and 40 of the said Act; to have, hold, and exercise, within the Province of Nelson, the said powers hereby given to the said John Perry Robinson, so long as he shall continue and remain Superintendent of the said province, and ho longer." Nelson and Marlborough Debt. — Colonel Richmond, the referee appointed to determine what proportion of provincial debt shall be charged to the Province of Marlborough, has decided that the sum of £7,500 shall be defrayed by the last-named province, thus leaving the Nelson debenture debt £21,500. A sum of £950 has to be refunded to Nelson by Marlborough, for interest paid by us up to 30th June last. Meeting op Working Men. — A very numerously attended public meeting was held on Tuesday evening, August 20, at the Odd-Fellows' Hall. It was called by a few men who, having disagreed with the contractor for laying the permanent way on the line -of the Dun Mountain Railway as to the rate of wages he would pay, had convened this meeting in order to elicit a public expression of opinion in favour of the course they had pursued in refusing to work for less than 10s. a-day. The great majority of the meeting had, we believe, attended rather in consequence of the novelty of a public discussion upon such a subject in Nelson, than with any intention of coinciding with those who had convened it. The dispute between the employer and employed had arisen in consequence of the former conceiving that many of the men were not only unskilled labourers, but were also unwilling to work, he therefore declined to pay them all, irrespective of their capacity for doing a day's hard work, at a rate which, in fact, was higher than that ruling for really hard working industrious men. Young Men's Christian Association. — The room recently erected in Bridgestreet, for the purposes of this Association, was opened on Tuesday evening, August 13, by a public meeting, of which Captain Rough acted as president. Several gentlemen addressed those present, setting forth the desirability for young men avoiding the many temptations which were sure to beset them. At the close of the meeting a collection was made, which amounted to £4 14s. Fire at the Parsonage. — On Tuesday , morning, August 20, at about seven o'clock, the fire-bell rang out its alarm, and people were speedily informed that a fire had broken out in one of the lower rooms of the parsonage. Prompt assistance was rendered, and the lire-engine was on the spot a few minutes after the alarm had been given. The fire providentially was extinguished before it baa reached any other room than that in which it had commenced. Neav Buildings. — Buildings are rapidly rising around us. There is the new Baptist chapel in Hardy-street, which is to be opened for public worship on Sunday next. The Hall in Bridge-street for the Young Men's Christian Association, opened on the 13th August ; the Teetotal Hall now building ; and the Nelson club-house recently erected by Mr. Everett, which, as beyig something uncommon in the style of our town buildings, we will attempt to give some description of. Its dimensions are 60 feet by 50, and 21 feet high containing on the ground floor nine rooms, and, on the

upper story nine, while it has ample cellarage. Those on the ground floor will be used as dining, coffee, and bed rooms, and, on the upper storey, there will be billiard rooms, bed rooms and reading room. There are in Nelson buildings few which, for solidity of construction, elegance of design, and perfect finish, can be at all compared to it and, altogether, it reflects great credit on Mr. Everett and on Mr. Henry the builder. A large store has been erected by Mr. Symons in Trafalgar-street, and, in fact, in almost all the principal streets, houses are now in course of erection. The long talked of drain through Trafalgar-street is finished, aud the old unsightly ditch is in course of being rapidly filled up. A ro.iv of trees planted on either Bide of Trafalgar-street would make it in keeping with the plantation in the square at its nead, and in a few years they would become an ornament to the town. The Volunteers. — By the last mail from Auckland we learned that the wish, expressed by several of our Volunteers, to be allowed to purchase their rifles, was likely to be acceded to at head-quarters. , The Defence Committee appointed by the House of Representatives, had recommended that the sum of £30,000 should be voted for the purchase of arms for the settlers in all parts of New Zealand. To show that our Nelson Volunteers are not idle, we would mention that, in accordance with the challenge given by twelve members of Nos. 7 and 8 Companies to twelve members of No. 1 Company Rifle Volunteers, the shooting took place on the 28th August, in a paddock on the banks of the Maitai. Throughout, the match was most exciting, and, in its results, has shown how evenly balanced the competitors were. The following is the score : —

The numbers being equal it was resolved to shoot off at a distance of 200 yards, three shots each, which resulted in the Nos. 7 and 9 Companies scoring forty-three, and the No. 1 Company scoring forty-four. Thus this well contested match was won by but a single point. "When all the shots, with the exception of the last four, had been fired, the No. 1 Company was four points in arrear. S. Hoult then fired and missed, followed by Gt. Clarke, who scored three, A. Baigent then made but one point, thus leaving the No. 1 wanting two to tie and three to win, C. Maling, the last man, then fired, and made a bull's eye, and thus won the match by one point. Government Rifle Prizes. — The prizes offered by the General Government for the best six rifle shots in the colony, have been awarded as follows : — Ist prize, £140, Lieutenant W. Brighton, Auckland Rifle Volunteers, 22 points ; 2nd, £50, Private J. Kells, Wanganui Militia, 21; 3rd, £4:0, Captain W. Mason, Auckland Militia, 20 ; 4th, £30, Private J. Summerville, Wanganui Volunteers, 19 ; sth, £20, Ensign A. M'Gregor, Wanganui Volunteers, 19 ; 6th, £5, Sergeant J. R. Rees, Wanganui Militia, 19. The highest in Nelson was made by SergeantMajor Alboi'ough, who scored 18 points. The New Zealand G-azette. — By the Gazette issued on August 16, it is announced that, "pursuant to information received from the Right Honourable the Postmaster-Gene-ral of the United Kingdom, it is notified that arrangements have been effected whereby letters from New Zealand and the Australian colonies, directed to the United States of America, can now be registered through to destination, at a charge of 2s. 10|d. per halfounce letter." — The Governor, having accepted the resignation of Lieutenant Robert Creasy, has appointed Ensign John Squire to be Lieutenant, and Thomas Tunnicliffe to be Ensign, of the No. 7 Company of Nelson Rifle Volunteers. By that issued on the 29th August it is announced, that the applications of Richard Okey and Francis Skelton; William Coppins; William Butcher and James Jacks; the Lightband's Gully Company ; James Bell, Thomas Powell, John Simpson, and David Scott ; Joseph Padgitt and Charles Jones ; and Walter M'Artney, for leases of land on the Nelson gold-field, for gold-mining purposes, have all been granted. The Governor naa appointed Dr. Monro, Thomas Ridge Hacket, Henry Adams, Maxwell Bury, and Henry Redwood, to act, in addition to his Honour the Superintendent, Jacob Batey, James Lugsdin Bailey, Edward Baigent, Edward Everett, Charles Elliott, and Isaac Mason Hill, formerly appointed, as commissioners for the purpose of receiving articles, the produce or manufacture of this province, in order to transmit them to London for exposition in the Great International Exhibition. By that issued on the 7th September, it is announced that the Governor has issued a proclamation which will revive our long dormant District Courts. By it it is ordered that a District Court be held at the Resident Magistrate's Court, Nelson, on the third Wednesday in every alternate month, commencing on the 20th November next. In the same Gazette the Governor delegates under the " Diseased Cattle Act, 1861 r " to

the Superintendents of all the Provinces of New Zealand, the several powers vested in him by the said Act. The resignation of William Thomas Locke Travers, as Captain of No. 1 Company of Nelson Rifle Volunteers has been accepted. The Governor has accepted the resignation of Henry Godfrey Gouland, Esq., a Resident Magistrate of Lyttelton, and allowed him to retire under the " Civil Service Superannuation Act, 1858." The Governor has appointed D. Johnstone, Esq., Sub-Collector of Customs at Collingwood, to be Licensing Officer under the " Arms Act, 1860."

The following Acts passed in the late session of the General Assembly have received the Governor's assent: — Naval and Military Settlers (Marlborough) Act, 1861 ; the Naturalization Act, 1861 ; the Imprisonment for Debt Ordinance Amendment Act, 1861 ; the Jury Ordinance Amendment Act, 1861 ; the New Zealand Company's Land Claimants Ordinance Amendment Act, 1861 ; and the Dun Mountain Eailway Act, 1861.

Accidents. — A fatal accident occurred on Wednesday, the 21st August, to a man named Godfrey, a digger on the Wangapeka gold-field, who, while felling a tree, received a fatal injury in consequence of a portion of it having fallen on his head. Godfrey was paralyzed, and, as he seemed in a very dangerous state, two of his mates hastened to Nelson for medical assistance. Dr. Cusack at once proceeded to Wangapeka, accompanied by J. R. Creasy, Esq, J.P., but the unfortunate man had died before they arrived. Depositions were then taken by Mr. Creasy, by which it appeared that deceased had met his death in consequence of the upper dorsal vertebra* having been fractured, and this had caused paralysis. — An accident occurred in the Maitai river, on Wednesday, August 21, by which a very valuable horse belonging to Mr. Field, the brewer, was drowned. It appears that as a man in Mr. Field's employ was crossing the Maitai with a loaded dray, he did not take the usual ford, and, being unacquainted with the river bed, he drove the horse into a deep hole, from which it could not get out without assistance. This, through the want of presence of mind of the driver, was not rendered in time, consequently the horse was drowned. — An accident occurred on Thursday, August 29, to Mrs. Murrell, by which she sustained a compound fracture of the., collar-bone. Mrs. Murrell, who was accompanied by Mrs. Leech, was returning irom Brook-street valley to town, at about seven o'clock in the evening, and, in order to cross the stream, had, after passing over the bridge near the Prince Albert, to walk along two narrow pieces of scantling, which had been placed between the bridge and the bank so as to allow of people crossing a spot where the river had, in a recent flood, washed away a portion of the bank. These pieces of scantling were so narrow, that, as Mrs. Murrell placed her foot on one, it bent with her, and she and Mrs. Leech both fell on to the riverbed, Mrs. Murrell thereby receiving the serious accident we have named.

Sporting.— Those of our readers who take an interest in the turf of Nelson will be gratified to learn that W. Eobinson, Esq., of the Cheviot-hills, in this province, purchased, recently, at the sale of her Majesty's yearlings, at Hampton Court, the very best filly of the lot by Gemma di Vergi, for 450 guineas, and that this filly, with two or three others, which the same gentleman intends purchasing, are to be sent out to Nelson, with a view to their being raced before sending them to the stud. Mr. Eobinson purposes also sending out a good stallion and some mares, and had gone so far as to offer 2,000 guineas for Ben Webster, the winner of the Chester Cup. Our Canterbury friends are determined, weareglad to find,not tobe behind us, as there is now a gentleman in England, from that province, who intends purchasing horses, and sending them out to run in this colony. By the Airedale, which left here yesterday, Canterbury will receive two colts, rising three years old, bred in Auckland, by Mr. Hargreaves, which have been purchased by Mr. Creyke. One is a colt by iEther, out of Vanity (Deception's dam), and the other a colt by the same sire, out of Countess, her dam Refraction, g. dam Princess. Both colts appear to have suffered from neglect during the past winter, but the one out of Vanity looks as if he would be, when in condition, a troublesome colt to meet. Both will, we understand, be trained for the Canterbury Meeting in March next. New Zealand Stud Book. — A prospectus has been issued for the publication of a Stud Book of New Zealand horses, which it is intended shall contain the names, so far as can be ascertained, of every thorough-bred horse imported into or bred in the colony, and, where practicable, trace their progress back to the English Stud Book. The importance of such a work to breeders of thorough-bred horses cannot be overestimated, and it is hoped that all who are interested in the publication of the work Will furnish* the compiler with whatever in-} formation they possess respecting their own horses. It is intended that the work shall include the foals of the present season, and, for this reason its publication cannot take place before next autumn.

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