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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4186, 20 August 1874, Page 2

Before the main business of the House was proceeded with yesterday, Mr. Vogel made a short statement on two matters of a personal character. In the debate on the Loan Bill the other evening', he had been charged by several hon. members with having given a pledge that he would limit the amount of short-dated bills to one million Stirling. Two hon. members were good enough to rise and say that he had not said anything to fetter his course in that matter. He did not sufficiently remember what he had said, to Be able to make a statement; but, when the slips reached him of Hansard's report, he looked over them and found nothing in the nature of a pledge. In reply to the question of Mr. O'Rorke, he had referred to two English cases to show what the practice was, when a member left a Cabinet in consequence of a disagreement with his colleagues. He had not with strict v accuracy, and he desired to correct his remarks. He then stated what had occurred in the instances to which he had referred. The Speaker stated that the slips of Hansard came first to his hands, and he found that his own recollection was confirmed, that the Premier had not given the pledge attributed to him. What have Mr. Fitzherbert and Mr. Beeves to say? The adjourned debate on the resolutions of the Government with relation to Provincialism in the North Island was resumed by Mr. McGlashan, who stated that he had not intended to speak, having only moved the adjournment on the previous evening as he had understood that the hon. member for the Hutt (Mr. Fitzherbert) did not desire-to speak until that evening. He supported the propositions of the Government. Mr. Cuthbertson followed on the same side. Mr. Hunter took the opposite view, and spoke up to the hour of adjournment, taking the opportunity to defend the Province of Wellington from some of the charges that had been levelled against it. It was anticipated that Mr. Ktzherbert would speak after the adjournment, and occupy the evening, but the hon. member was not in the House during the day. It was also supposed that Mr. Stafford would arrive from Canterbury in time to speak, but the severe weather prevented the arrival of the s.s. Wellington, by which he is understood to be a passenger, and so the hon. member for Timaru did not put in an appearance. After dinner Mr. Swanson made a long and rather able though discursive speech in support of Provincial institutions ; Mr, Bryce gave his adhesion to the proposals of the Government in a moderate but logical speech; and Mr. White, of Hokitika, amused the House with a succession of amusing utterances, in reviewing the utterances of hon. members who had preceded him, and in condemnation of the resolutions before the House. The debate was closed for the night by an able speech by Mr. Richardson ; but it is evident it will be a protracted one, from the necessity some members appear to feel to speak to their constituents through the pages of Hansard. ■„ A Bill to amend the "Volunteer Act of 1865 was introduced in the House yesterday by the Native Minister, and read a first time. The Select Committee on the Waitemata election petition was named and sworn in yesterday. It consists of seven members. The compilation of the Maori lexicon by Mr. Colensd seems to drag'its slow length along with uncommon slowness. It has been nine years in course of completion, and something like a thousand or twelve hundred pounds have been paid in connection with it. The payment of an annual stipend, however, had ceased in 1870, and since that period but little progress had been made, Mr. Colenso stating that ho only worked at the lexicon at odd times. No portion of the work was ready for the press as yet, nor was the Native Minister able to give any idea as to when the first page of the work would see the light, although a sum of money would be due to Mr. Colenso on its completion. . The weather on the coast during the last few days has been exceptionally strange as well as severe. On .Sunday, when the waters of Port Nicholson were as smooth as glass, and the wind was scarcely strong enough to raise a ripple on the surface, the s.s. Omeo experienced a very heavy head gale off Cape Campbell, in which sho was unable ,to make any progress, having been found at daylight on Monday morning almost in the same position as she was on Sunday at sundown. The weather then eased, and she Was'able to steam to port; while the Luna, which had gone as far as the Raikouras in search of the Omeo, ■ reported on her return fine weather throughout' her trip. The heavy northerly gale which prevailed all yesterday, accompanied iu the morning by a thick and blinding drift, appears to have been been felt severely at sea, i as the Wellington, which should have arrived from Lytteltou at an early hour of the morning, had not reached the harbor at a late hour last night. Yet the telegraphed weather reports did not indicate anything exceptional on either the east or west coast of,the island. The storm, therefore, would : appear to be almost as local in its character as that to which the Omeo was exposed. The attendance at tho Theatre Koyal last night, in Buch weather as prevailed, afforded satisfactory proof of the popularity of the entertainment given by Loyal's troupe of varieties. The programme was carried out in the effective manner which characterised the two previous evenings, and the audience were frequent and hearty in their applause. The business at the Police Court yesterday consisted of fining a couple of drunkards. At the Kesident Magistrate's Court, Hutt, one drunkard was dealt with'. Several civil cases ,\vere settled out of Court. Tho West Coast Times publishes the following as a reply sent by Mr. White, M.H.8,., to a telegram sent to him by tho Provincial Secretary of Westland :—" It is not intended to give effect to Vogel's resolutions this year, even if carried. Hence an expression of public opinion now would not serve any useful purpose, and might operate mischievously. There is more in the matter than appears on the surface."

The railway authorities at Lyttelton have given an example worthy of being copied. They now light the station with large lamps fitted with double burners and patent reflectors —a great improvement on the former mode of lighting. It is mentioned in the Canterbury papers, as an indication of the local railway traffic, that i 23 trucks went from Lyttelton to Christchurch on Wednesday last. Lectures on Chemistry are being given at Christchurch by Professor Bickerton, in connection with the Canterbury College. The first lecture was attended by 400 persons. Mr. Kaworth, an artist who has painted many of the most romantic scenes in New Zealand, purposes returning to the Colony, his health- having suffered in the climate of Australia. A new Temperance Hall, built of brick and stone, has been opened in Dunedin. The building includes a lodge-room for Good Templars, and, according to the description of a local paper, a room " for boiling tea." A Tokomairiro farmer, brought up near London, Canada West, states, to the Brace Herald that the ashes of the mapu, manuka, kauri, black pine, and other woods, are worth Is. 6d. a bag to farmers complaining of sorrel, sour soil, stiff clays, &c, besides giving farmers' wives the means of making plenty of soft soap. * — ————