WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6916, 17 January 1884, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[cv TELEGRAPH. — OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Wednesday. IMMIGRATION AND EMIGRATION. A beturn has been completed of the immigration and emigration for the year ISS3. I have telegraphed successively the results for the first eleven months, and may as well make the list complete by giving the December figures, which are as follows :— Arrivals : Auckland, 363 ; Wellington, 619 ; Nelson, 1 ; Wesport, 1 ; Grevmouth, 13 ; Lyttelton, 5; Oamaru and Dunedin, 792 ; Invercargill,429 : total, 2231. The departures were: Auckland, ISO ; Wellington, 97 ; Napier, 7 ; Nelson, 1; Greymouth. 2; Lyttelton, 46 ; Timaru, 1 ; Dunedin, 27 ; Invercargill, 384 : total, 7D3. The figures for the year ISS3 are as follows:—Arrivals: Auckland, 5355 ; Wellington, 4409 ; Napier, 17 ; Nelson, 30 ; Westport, 22 ; Greymouth, 53; Hokitika, 5; Lyttelton, 1325; Timaru, 10; Oamaru, 9; Dunedin, 3643; Invercargill. 4307. Total arrivals in New Zealand in ISS3 were 19,215. The departures were : Ri»«il, 10; Auckland, 2637; Wellington, lUv/T ; Wanganui, 9; Napier, 32; Nelson, 3 ; Gseymouth, 92 ; Lyttelton, 931 ; Timaru, 12 ; Oamaru, 2 ; Dunedin, 160 ; Invercargill, 3626. Total departures from New Zealand, 9156. This leaves a balance of 10,029 for the year in favour of the colony. I have previously explained that the disproportionate largeness of Invercargill's figures is due to that being the terminal port for the Melbourne trade. CIVIL SERVICE REFORM. I hear that steady progress is being made witli the Civil Service re-organisation. Some of tlie Ministers are said to be going into the matter with great vigour and thoroughness, and according to the present plans, this will be one of the cardinal points of Ministerial policy for the ensuing session. I believe strenuous efforts will be made to have it quite ready by the opening of the session, and to include within its scope sufficient retrenehmcut as at least to go against the deficit expected in the year's revenue, so that it may prove practicable to avoid increased taxation for next year unless it be perhaps another farthing in the Property Tax, thus bringing it to its old figure of ISBO of a penny in the pound. I have reason to suspect that an important change in the arrangements of one department, to which I am not at present at liberty to refer more particularly, is under earnest consideration, and will be announced in tho course of next week. If lam right in my conjecture, the steps I allude to will excite some diversity of opinion according to locality, . THE SELWYN ELECTION. I understand that the writ for the Selwyn election will probably be issued on Friday next by the Clerk of Writs, and will ba despatched by the Takapuna the same evening. The Speaker's warrant is expected on Friday morning. THE CASE OF KATE BOYLE. Toothing will be decided as to the fate of Kate Boyle (the girl who was acquitted of : child murder on the ground of insanity) until after tho conclusion of the currcnt criminal session of the Suprome Court.