NEWS NOTES FROM WELLINGTON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7259, 23 February 1885, Page 5

NEWS NOTES FROM WELLINGTON.

[by telegraph— own correspondent.] Wellington, Saturday. THE GOVERNOR. His Excellency arrived this morning by the s.s. Tarawera. He was attended by Major Eccles, A.D.C., and Major (Jautley, of the Royal Engineers, who has been in the colony for some time past inspecting the harbours and estuaries of the colony with a view to ,»n ultimate plan of defences. The vice-regal party were met on the wharf at landing by the Hon. J. A. Tole, Minister of Justice, aid the Hon. P. A. Buckley, Colonial Secretary, and driven to Government House. Colonel Scratchley is to arrive here by the nezt steamer from Sydney. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.

The Hon. Mr. Stuart, Premier of New South Wales, was a passenger by the same steamer, and was driven to the Club. He is booked through from Napier, so that his stay in Wellington will be very short. The Ministers now in Wellington waited upon during the day, and drove out with him in the afternoon. The interest attaching to Mr. Stuart's visit at the present moment arises from two sources —namely, the relation of this colony and its inhabitants to the British warlike operations in Egypt, and the anxiety on the part of some colonial statesmen to hold an informal conference upon matters that concern the Australasian colonies especially. As to the first, I am told that the Hon. Mr. Stuart regards the patriotic movement in New South Wales as an important step towards the federation and consolidation of the English-speaking colonies in the South Seas with the mother country. Bishop Redwood and Lord Macdonald (of the Isles) also arrived here by the s.s. Tarawera. COLONIAL PREMIERS. I should not be surprised to learn that what the Hon. Mr. Service hoped to effect by a meeting of Premiers at Hobart has been brought about by a leas manifest process. The Hon. Mr. Stout has been in the South for some time, where at least two colonial Premiers have been staying. Mr. Griffiths, Premier of Queensland, is certainly, expected here next week. If the Hon. Mr. Service would come to Wellington, his' desire of a common understanding" with colonial Premiers would be fulfilled.: A cablegram would apprise him of the situation, and he could bo here in a week. The wisdom of Mahomet, who resolved to. go to the mountain when the mountain would not go to him, would receive a new illustration. '•',' FOREST CLEARING. A dense smoke pervaded the whole of Wellington to-day. It was palpable, and hurt the eyes. The sun was a deep red colour. Some nervous people were really alarmed. The cause was the clearing of 15,000 acres bush in the Hntt district. I mention this, apropos of "forest conservation," so much talked of just now. , WAR CRY.

A Mr. Howard Carter, this morning, made a proposal, in writing, to the Colonial Secretary, to equip fifty riflemen for service in 1 the Soudan, to be ready within a fortnight. Similar offers come from Timaru and Christchurch, .. TRUNK RAILWAY. I have heard the 12th of March spoken of as the probable date for the calling for tenders for the terminal section of the line. WESTPORT HARBOUR. • The New Zealand Times has some strictures to-day upon an article in the New Zealand Herald, relative to the Westport Harbour works. Its tone is deprecatory in quite a patronising style. It did not "expect such writing.in the Herald," nor think that journal would have " gone so far out of its way to depreciate that part of the colony. oig ' i -