WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1143, 13 July 1867, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

(FBOM OTTB OWN COBSESPdiyDENI I }. ! ■■■'■ ■ . •; : :j r • July. 8. ■ The s.s., Airedale arrived on Saturday : night with a number of. the Auckland members, having also on board' the Bishop cf New - Zealand, Captain Beeve and lady, and other intending passengers by the Panama steamer for England. The Wellington yesterday morning brought in another batch of Auckland members from Nelson, viz., Messrs. Carleton, O'Neill, G. Graham, Colonel Peacocke, G. M. O'Borke. I should inform you that the members were transhipped from the Phcebe at Nelson into the Airedale. Messrs. O'Neill, Graham, and Carleton, it is said, were not a little indignant at the delays, the transhipping, and other inconveniences which arose out of so unexpected an arrangement. The greatest inconvenience was, perhaps, the arriving here late on Saturday night and early on Sunday morning, when the difficulty of obtaining accommodation was greatly increased. The town is very full, most of the members having brought one or more members of their respective families with them.

Apropos of the matter, the complaints of the sudden changes in the times of arrival, departure, and destination, of the Panama Company's boats is giving great dissatisfaction to commercial people. They state, with great energy, that they are heavy losers by being detained a week at this place, a fortnight at that place, and so on all through the colonies. They are not so demonstrative in their complaints, say that it is probable that the management is trying a series of experiments, that these inconveniences are only temporary, and to-be followed ultimately by greater conveniences than have hitherto been experienced. At the present writing, 10 o'clock a.m., the Tararua has just come in, bringing the members from the South, also Mr. Pierce, of the New Zealand Insurance Company (manager), and Mr. Murdoch (inspector), of the Bank of New Zealand.

Sir David Munro was a passenger from Nelson by the Airedale. The parliamentaiy speculations are, as, usual with such ante-dated wishes, plentiful, but unprofitable. Nobody needs to be told that the Government are determined to keep their own counsel. I have heard of some attempt to gather the mind of the AucMand members upon the course of probabilities, but these gentlemen are as disposed to keen their own counsel as are those who question them. I am informed that a meeting of the Auckland members will be held to-day. It is probable that the Auckland members will be greatly influenced in their political action by the turn that affairs may take as affecting the relations of existing parties in the General Assembly. They will be prepared for events, and can estimate contingent chances, by being free to act upon an emergency, although, firmly banded together in defence of the interests of their constituents. I shall inform you in due course of the progress of parliamentary tactics, so far as I may be able to gather up the strings that raise up the political curtain. The weather is fine here. There is much apprehension felt as to the possible fate of the Mew Zealand Company's fine screw-steamer Taranaki, which left Auckland on Friday, the 29th, for this port. She is now nine days overdue. A steamer came in from Napier, this morning, stating that some Maoris bad brought intelligence to that port that the Taranaki had struck a rock 80 miles north of Napier and went down stern foremost. This is of course, only rumour.—[We learn that she arrived safely after the mail closed a few minutes before the | Airedale lelt Wellington.—Ed. N.Z.H.]

It is said that the political campaign will open with some clever manoeuvres in the direction of centralism. But the indiiators are by no means certain as to tlie means that will be employed. It is said that Mr. Stafford purposes to create certain municipal bodies, which will effectually neutralize the influence of Provincial Councils, so much for the modus operandi. _ Everything, they say, will be revealed when his Excellency shall have read to-morrow the prologue to the great parliamentary play of the season. We are .not quite sure that this will be so ; however, we shall see. „ , „ Tuesday, July 9. There has been a severe shock of earthquake this morning. It is much talked of. There has been a bit of a row here this morning touching the new wharf. The Provincial authorities endeavoured to seize, but was opposed by Kcnnard and Co. A scuffle ensued. One man is in charge of the police. MaiJ | leaving.