WELLINGTON. May 2.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 7128, 4 May 1891, Page 2

WELLINGTON. May 2.

The census returns for the Hutt county are as follows : Males, 6216 ; females, 5557 ; total, 11,773. In this are included the boroughs of Petone (2175), Onslow (779 1 , Melrose (1204), and the Lower Hutt town district (1317). ' The Solicitor-Genoral has been formally instructed to initiate proceedings in re Judge Edwards. Mr Buckley (AttorneyGeneral) will appear in C^urt with Sir Robert Stout and Mr Vogel The Government consider that the roport of the Imperial officers exonerates Captain Faulkner from blame for the Shelly Bay explosion, but discloses laxity in the Defence Department in not seeing that the officers had instructions from the War Office properly forwarded to them. The question of appointing a responsible head, as suggested, is already one of the reforms of the Department which it is proposed to submit to Parliament. Messrs Tringham and M'Kenzie's flax mill at Kahoutara, near Featherston, was destroyed by fire. There is no insurance and the loss is estimated at L1000. The Ionic sailed for Suva (?) this after* noon.

May 8. His medical advisers report that the condition of Mr W. N. Blair, Engineer* in-Chief, is less favorable to-day, Mr T. Rotheram, Locomotive Superin* tendent for the colony, left for Sydney yesterday to report on behalf of the railway commissioners upon the trial of the Westimjhouse and automatic v.icuuni brake system, which will shortly take placo theie.