WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8483, 6 February 1891, Page 5

WELLINGTON NEWS NOTES.

[by telegraph.—OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] ' Wellington, Thursday. THE GOVERNOR'S JOURNEY DUE NORTH. It is the intention of the Governor to start for Auckland next week. He will go overland, traversing the king country en route. The Native Minister (Hon. Mr. Cadman) will accompany him. During his stay in the Auckland province His Excellency will visit the Coromandel and Thames Goldfields. THE BRITISH RESIDENT AT RAROTONGA. The reports forwarded by Mr. F. Mops to His Excellency are now being printed. They will be in due time circulated for geneml information. 1 understand that His Excellency takes a great interest in the matters reported upon. Mr. Mops returns to the islands when the hurricane season is over. THE FEDERATION CONFERENCE. Replies have not been received from Sir George Grey or Sir Harry Atkinson as to their ability to attend the Conference. THE POSTAL CONFERENCE. The Hon. J. (J. Ward, Postmaster, will represent the Government at the Postal Conference shortly to be held in South Australia. THE TK AROnA SEAT. The position of the several parties interested in this matter is referred to in the leading columns of the Times this morning. The writer says the Speaker has no official cognisance that a petition suit is pending. Ho may issue his writ, which may be intercepted by a superseding writ of the Court held to try the petition. If the Court gives the seat to Colonel Fraser, then the Speaker will have to decide the point as to whether the Colonel's absence without leave makes the seat vacant. The best way out of the difficulty would be, of course, for the Speaker to wait and see what the Court will do ; tho next best thing would be to issue the writ and let the Court stop it. These things bristle with technicalities which make it doubtful whether the Speaker can wait for the Court to decide, or allow the Court to overrule his writ. He is taking legal opinion on the subject." WEST COAST LEASES. The Premier is engaged in considering the position of these leases. These leases have been the subject of repeated legislation. Tho Hon. Mr. Ballance is desirous of giving relief as far as possible, but the whole subject is encompassed with difficulty. The matters involved will have to be considered in Cabinet, so that it will be some time before any decision can be arrived at. SUNNYSIDE LUNATIC ASYLUM. It is stated that the Minister of Public Works has promised Mr. Taylor, M.H.R., to put £4000 on the estimates next session for the completion of this building. LAND RETURNS. Last month a hundred persons took up 37,892 acres of land in various parts of the colony, viz. : 19,000 acres in Canterbury, 4597 acres in Wellington, 4687 acres in Auckland, 24*21 acre 1 : in Otago, 3307 acres in Taranaki, 2218 acres in Nelson, 807 acres in Hawkc's Bay. Thirteen persons took up 13,150 acres for cash, the result of the sales being £13,865. There were 1888 acres taken up on deferred payments, arid 22,852 acres under perpetual lease. PHORMIUM TENAX, The Agent-General, under date December 27, writes to the Government that 300 bales had been sold at £23 a ton. At the previous sale 500 bales were sold at the same price, the general prices being somewhat easier. Messrs, Spurling, flax brokers, of Leadenhall-street, have furnished their monthly quotations, as follows:—lndifferent, £19 ; good, £22 to £23 : well-dressed, £23 to £25; finest quality, £25 to £27. The Agent-General mentions that the Governor of the Bahamas has written to him that the cultivation of sisal is going on steadily there, and that he has given it the name of " Bahama hemp," as in his opinion the term "sisal" would describe an inferior article to that which has been grown in the islands.