WELLINGTON. January 17.

North Otago Times, Volume 2094, Issue 2094, 18 January 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON. January 17.

Mr G. AT. O'Rorko was elected . chairman to the commission to enquire into a system of higher education. The City Council, last night, after a warm debate, negatived a motion to appoint Mr Climie as drainage engineer. The majority then, to secure an adjournment, began to talk agafnst time, and kept it up till near daylight without any result. The general entries received for the regatta last night were satisfactory. The Gazette to-night declaras the following blocks of native land to be waste lands of the Crown : — Te Onckoura (Kaipara), 323 acres ; Kapiti (Kaipara), 3454 acres I The first meeting of the Governors of the Timaru High School is fixed for the 27th inst., at 11 o'clock. The Kowai Domain Board ii to meet on the sth of February, at the Chairman's office. The Tinwald recreation reserve is to be brought under the Public Domains Act, and powers delegated to W. C. W«lker, E. G. Wright, Joseph Beswick, J. Cartel-, and J. Grigg, as a Board of Management. Notice is given of money being paid on, and of negotiations going on for the purchase of the following blocks of native land :— Waihi, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, aud 5, Hauraki district ; Poniaka, No. 1, To I Kolmi, Otaki .district 5 Opatu, Mangatawhero, Te Reiki, Puketotara, Wanganui district. Messrs R. Oliver and W. H. Reynolds have been appointed members of • the Otago High School Board ; Messrs C. P. Cox and J. R. Trevor, Governors of the Ashburton High School ; and the Hon. H. J. Miller and Mr S. E. hrimski Governors of the Waitaki High School. H. M. S. Nymphe is likely to leave for England to-morrow. It is understood that the New Zealand Shipping Company will declare a ten per cent dividend. The National Bank has declared an interim dividend at the rate of mix per cent annum for the half-year ending 30th September. To-day a deputation fron*. ,'thd City Council waited upon tho Minister of Public Works, to urge the immedidto construction of the railway Wharf. Air Macanclrew said that Mr Blackett had aiready prepared plans, and tenders would be called for as. soon as the specifications had been prepared — that would be within ten days or a fortnight. There were materiils on tho ground to the value of L7OOO or LBOOO, and there was nothing to hinder the work being proceeded with so soon as the specifications were out. Still, that would not suffice for the rapidly growing wants of tho city, and the Corporation should not relax their efforts to find still further accommodation. Tho Government had been fully nlivo to the position of the town, and the necessity for the railway wharf, nnd it was only tho extreme pressure of work which had prevented the plans being prepared before. Mr Macandrew laid on the table tho plan of the new wharf. This showed, directly opposite the Government Buildings, a small triangular reclamation for turntables, &c.\ 'from which the wharf will be carried out to ft distance of, 650 ft, 5 tlje. width beinjj rather less than that of the present wharf. ft runs almost at right angles to the existing wharf, in' nearly the same direction as the cross T s. and has provision for arms running out out like the fork of a tree, with inner branches, but this extension is not to be carried out at once. The Royal Commission to enquire into the Jackson's Bay special settlement leave here in the Stella on the 28th. Tho Auckland yacht Contrabandiere has just been overhauled by Messrs Coffey and Dixon, and supplied with a false keel in preparation for the regatta.

Messrs Ballanoe and Macandrew leave 'in the Hinemoa for Dunedin direct to* morrow evening. Mr Ballance will accompany Mr Stout on his tour through Otago. Tne Government have received a petition in favor of commuting the sentence on Walsh, and alsp tv certificate from a dector that \V<vlsh is, and has been suffering from mania. A commission of thretf-other medical men is appointed to examine and report on the case.