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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4150, 9 July 1874, Page 2

The following is a copy of the Address to Her Majesty which was yesterday adopted by both Houses of Assembly;—“Most Gracious Sovereign,—We, Your Majesty’s faithful and loyal subjects, the members of the House of Representatives of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, take the first opportunity of submitting to your Most Gracious Majesty .our heartfelt and loyal sympathy in the congratulations which have been already offered to Your Majesty by the less remote portions of Your Majesty’s Empire on the auspicious occasion of the Marriage of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh with Her Imperial and Royal Highness the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia. We hail with pleasure an event fraught with so much importance to the British Empire, and so calculated, by the Divine Blessing, to add to the domestic happiness of Your Most Gracious Majesty. We would venture to add that the event on which we respectfully desire to present our congratulations to Your Majesty is possessed of additional interest to the people of New Zealand, on account of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh having twice visited this Colony. We desire to express our earnest prayer for the future happiness and welfare of their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and to renew our assurance of devoted affection and loyalty to Your Majesty’s throne and person.”

The contents of “The New Zealand Handbook,” of which the Premier is the editor, and which is to be published shortly in England, are thus described in the proof copies printed here, and placed on the tables of the Houses of Assembly :—“ Introduction,” by the editor; “Discovery and Early Settlement of the Colony,” by the Hon, W. Pox, M.H.R. ; “ The Native Race,” by the Hon. D. McLean, C. M.H.R., Native Minister ; .“ Present Form of Government,” by the Hon. W. Gisborne, Commissioner of Annuities ; “ Climate, and Mineral and Agricultural Resources,” by Dr. Hector, Colonial Geologist; “Animal and Vegetable Productions,” by Mr. Travers ; “ Some of the Institutions of the Colony, also, Notes, Statistical, Commercial, and Industrial,” by Mr. Woodward, Public Trustee ; “.Latest Statistics,” by Mr. Brown, Registrar-General, Mr. Batkin, Secretary to the Treasury, Mr. Seed, Secretary to the Customs; “Public Works Department,” by Mr. Knowles, Under-Secre-tary for Public Works ; “ Immigration Department,” by Mr. Haughton, Under-Secretary for Immigration ; “ Official Directory,” by Mr. Cooper, the Under-Secretary. The articles descriptive of the Provinces are stated to have been furnished by the Superintendents, and to have been prepared —in Otago, by Mr. Mclndoe; in Canterbury, by Sir. W. M. Maskell; in Westland, by Mr. J. Driscoll; in Marlborough, by Mr. A. Maskell; in Nelson, by Mr. 0. Elliott; in Wellington, by Mr. Henry Anderson —the Manchester Settlement, by Mr. A. E. Halcombe ; in Hawke’s Bay, by Mr. N. W. Garble ; in Taranaki, by Mr. C. D. Whitoombe ; in Auckland, by the Rev. R. Kidd, L.L.D., assisted by Mr. T. \V. Leys. Hetaraka To Tawhero, of Whakatane, Bay of Plenty, informs the Waha Maori that, on the 21st of May last, the Natives of that place completed a beautifully carved house, 61 feet long by 32 feet wide. The walls are 8 feet high, and the posts supporting the ridge pole 17i feet. The following are the names of the skilled artisans who executed the work : Paniora, Te Hata, Mihaera, Hira, Wi Taojraku, Heremia, Te Matenga, and To Tataua of Te Whanau-a-Apanui tribe. It was noticed by the strangers who were present in the gallery of the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, that when the first division of the session was imminent both of the Maori members, —Messrs. Parata and Taiaroa, —left the House, returning to their places as soon as the doors were again unlocked.

Very satisfactory accounts to be received from some of the reefing claims in the Inangahua district, province of Nelson. The latest is contained in a private and reliable telegram, which states that 27 tons from the shaft of the Ajax claim yielded 64 ozs. when the gold was melted. At a depth of 122 feet the reef shows three feet of stone. The Golden Fleece, reef is found to be ten feet in thickness as it approaches the Ajax. The Hon. tho Speaker has presented to Parliament a letter from Te Warihi Te Hapunui, of Ohinemutu, relative to the sale of spirits.in that district ; and from the Natives in the Southern Island, expressing dissatisfaction with the amount they have received in payment for their lands. It was mentioned to Parliament yesterday, in answer to a question in the House o fEopresentatives, that a census of the Maori population had been taken, and would be UH upon the table in a few days.

It is intimated that an agency of the Bank of New Zealand is to be opened at Foxton. The New Zealand Postal Guide (No. 3), for the quarter commencing with July, has been published.

Mr. Bunny obtained leave yesterday from the House to introduce a Bill, which was read a first time, relating to the Wellington Hospital Reserves. H.M.S. Blanche sailed from Auckland yesterday on a cruise which , will probably end for a time in Port Nicholson, where the Blanche is expected to be stationed dining the session.

In anticipation of a motion by Mr. Mervyn, it was stated yesterday in the House of Representatives that a return would shortly be laid on the table of all the liabilities incurred by the Government in connection with the supply of water to the goldfields.

Notice was given yesterday in Parliament by Mr. Wakefield, of a question or motion for the purpose of obtaining from the Government information as to the cost of the Hand-book of New Zealand, the persons employed upon it, and other particulars. Leave was given to Mr. Vogel yesterday to introduce an Electric Telegraph Act Amendment Bill. The hon. member stated that amongst the objects contemplated was to determine how messages sent by telegraph, should be treated in Courts of Law. It was intimated in the House of Repreutatives yesterday, by the Hon. the Treasurer, that the financial statement will be made in about ten days, and that as to the public works of the Colony in two or three days afterwards.

Mr. Kelly, M.H.E., writes to us explaining the nature of his question, and the reply of the Premier, regarding telegraphic communication to New Plymouth. We have also a letter from Archdeacon Stock on the subject of marriage with a deceased wife’s sister. Both letters are in type, but are unavoidably held over for a day.

The first step towards supply was taken in the Lower House yesterday, when on the motion of the Treasurer, that portion of His Excellency’s speech which related to financial matters was read, and it was resolved that the House should go into committee of the whole this evening, for the purpose of considering supply. Mr.. Vogel, addressing the House generally through the Speaker—not knowing, as he remarked, what lion, member to address as the leader of the Opposition—expressed a hope that the committee would not place any unnecessary obstacle in the way of supply being granted. A petition was in the hands of Mr. Williams, the member for Mongonui and the Bay of Islands, yesterday, from three Maori chiefs of that district. It related to some grievances of which they had to complain, but being of an informal character it could not be presented. The Speaker suggested that the prayer of the petition might be communicated to the House in some other manner, which the hon. member will take the opportunity, of doing. “The Three Kings” are not likely to have a lighthouse erected upon one or other of them. In answer to a question in the House yesterday, by Mr. O’Neill, —who said the islands named formed the first land made by ships approaching from the northward, and spoke of his own experience within the last ten or twelve days of the necessity of a light there—the Commissioner of Customs stated the coasts of New Zealand had lately been examined as to sites for lighthouses ; and that the impression in the department ■was that The Three Kings would not be a good site for a lighthouse, but that Cape Maria Van Dieman would. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Captain Holt and Major Raul, J.P., William Sullivan pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a double barrelled gun from James Dodds. The robbery was a most impudent one, as prisoner had been a lodger for some weeks with Dodds, and had taken the gun from the room in which he slept. Sullivan has commenced his criminal career early, as he is only nineteen years of age; he w T as described by the police as a good tradesman, and able to earn excellent wages if he choose to work. He was arrested in Nelson. The Magistrate sentenced him to four months’ imprisonment. One charge of drunkenness concluded the day’s business.

Among the notices of motion to come before the House of Representatives this evening is one by Mr. C. Parker, for a return showing the amount of the general exports and imports between New Zealand and-Tas-mania in the years 1870, 1871, 1872, and 1873. Mr. Sheehan is also to move for a return of the business in the District Court of Napier since the appointment of the present Judge. Last night Mr. Smith’s Combination Troupe had the satisfaction of performing to perhaps the best house they have yet had the pleasure of appearing before. The dress circle, especially, was well attended. Now that the weather has moderated, and that a few nights of fair weather may be hoped for, we may indulge the anticipation that Mr. Smith’s spirited effort to amuse the public by bringing a company of unrivalled performers, selected in England, to Wellington, may not go unrewarded. The performances last night were gone through without the slightest hitch, and —without overlooking what the other members of the company do—we may say that the trapeze performances of “Young England” and the De Castro Family, and of “ Aireo” on the flying trapeze and “ the ladder in the air ” were really wonderful. To-night, the performances will undoubtedly be well worth seeing. Friday night will be a fashionable night, when a complete change of programme will. take place. Yal Vose, the ventriloquist, has a very special wonder in reserve, which will eclipse all he has hitherto done, clever as his performances have been. On Saturday there will be an afternoon performance, especially for children ; and on that evening the company will perform for positively the last time in Wellington.

Many residents of Wellington and Wanganui, and particularly of the latter district,. would read with regret the announcement of the death of Mr. H. C. D. Hardinge, which lately appeared among our obituary notices. On Friday last he reached Wellington, where he came in the hope that a change would operate beneficially on his health. From that evening until Sunday night, ho seemed in very good spirits, and improved in bodily strength. On Monday morning, however, as he did not como down to breakfast, in the hotel at which he lived, a messenger was sent to wake him, and on entering the bedroom he was found dead. The cause of death was disease of the heart, from which ho had been for some time suffering. His widow, to whom he had only been married twelve months, and a child by his former marriage, are thus suddenly and sadly afflicted. The body of the deceased was forwarded by the Manawatu to be buried at Wanganui.