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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4244, 27 October 1874, Page 2

The mail for San Francisco will be despatched to-day by the s.s. Wellington, for transference to the s.s. Macgregor, at Auckland. The Post-office closes this forenoon, at 12 o’clock. It is important to call the attention of land buyers to the fact that all sections remaining unsold from the sale of Crown lauds yesterday, will be open for selection, on and after tb-day, at the upset price. Although the s.s. Tararua had the ill-fortune to find a hard southerly gale blowing in the Strait and along the coast of the Middle Island on Sunday, and when passed by the Wellington off Cape Campbell late on Sunday night had only been able to force her way against the head wind and sea at the rate of something little more than three or four knots an hour, we are glad to learn that she reached Lyttelton yesterday in due course, and after receiving the mails sailed again for Port Chalmers at a quarter to six o’clock. As the weather has now moderated, the Tararua will he able to keep time at Port Chalmers and the Bluff. The sixth number of the second volume of the “ Wellington Monthly Price Current” has been published by Mr. Mosley. It contains a careful review of the import markets, a statement of the stocks in bond in Wellington, Auckland, and Dunedin, wholesale quotations for parcels of goods, and other information of interest to merchants and the public generally.

Three sailors were brought up at the Eesident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, charged with drunkenness and disorderly conduct on the previous evening, and with having assaulted the police in the execution of their duty. By the evidence of the prosecutingoonstable it appeared that the men were particularly rowdy in their conduct, having actually taken possession of the footpath at the time people were coming out of church. When the officer attempted to interfere he was assaulted and beaten about the face. The Magistrate fined two of them 40s. each, and the other 605., and the fines were immediately paid. The civil business was chiefly confined to cases in which the Titanic Steel Company sued for amounts due. Judgment was given for the amounts and costs in tlurieen cases.

It was mentioned a few days ago, on the authority of a telegraphic message, that a considerable shipment of birds for the Acclimatisation Society of Napier, forwarded by the ship Queen Bee, had failed, the whole of the birds, with the exception of a pair of owls, having died at sea. This, we now learn, was not the case. The mortality was large, but about sixty of the birds survived the voyage. The birds consisted of rooks, partridges, thrushes, blackbirds, and skylarks, and were shipped by the Agent-General to the order of the Provincial Government. The two owls in question were a pair of the large wood-owls, obtained in the New Forest, Hampshire, and presented to the society by Dr. Buller. The birds were collected by Mr. Maning Thatcher, and shipped under his superintendence. An experienced man was sent out in charge of them, and every precaution taken to ensure success. The owls were liberated in the bush shortly after they were landed. Another shipment was to be made for Napier from England in the course of the present month. Some interesting items of local news appear in the I Vairarapa' Standard. We learn from our contemporary that Mr. Williams, of Masterton, has purchased five acres of land in Kurupuni, from Mr. Herschberg, of Greytown, at the rate of £3O per acre ; that a branch of the Bank of Australasia is about to he opened at Masterton ; that two acres on the Kuratawhiti-road were sold for £l6O ; a half acre in the main street fetched £l5O, and an acre with a cottage on it at the southern extremity of the township realised £150; that the twenty-seven cottages for immigrants now in course of erection at Featherston, Greytown, and Masterton are now all in a forward state, and that no difficulty will be experienced in finding tenants for them; that the lambing has been good ; and that Mr. Duncan was elected at Featherston, as successor to the Hon. G. M. Waterhouse, of the Board of Education, but that he was declared ineligible by the returning officer, whose decision has been questioned. The late meeting at Greytown to consider the subject of the encroachment of the river Waiohine on the township, was not attended witli any marked success. It was held in the upper room of the Wairarapa’ Institute, and at first was but thinly attended. Mr. Payton was called to the chair. ■ The general opinion seemed to bo that by a little effort the river, excepting in very high floods, could bo kept out *f Greytown, and that that could be best attained by clearing Kemp ton’a Creek. It was suggested that tho opinion of an engineer should be obtained, but the idea was expressed that the old settlers knew more about the matter than any engineer could do. A resolution was proposed by Mr. Caaelberg, seconded by Hr. Spratt, and agreed to -“That the Provincial Government bo requested to send, as soon as possible, on account of the present dangerous condition of the Waiohine, an engineer to report upon tho best course to be adopted for protecting Greytown from its encroachments, and that a local committee bo appointed to meet and consult with tho engineer." Messrs. H. Udy, junior ;P. Cotter, senior ; W. Udy, W. Hammerich, J. Ilollard, Wm. Humphries, T. Jackson, and J. Hawke wore then appointed as a local committee. Speaking of Sir George Grey’s petition to Sir James Forgusson as to the abolition of provincialism, the Wairarapa News remarks : “It looks very like a personal attack on the Premier during his absence from tho colony. Sir George Grey cannot expect that Sir James Forgusson would be lectured into calling Parliament together for no other reason than because the Premier had gone to England to negotiate a loan, and to confer with tho AgentGeneral. Sir George Grey’s alarm lest Mr. Vogel should influence tho Homo Government into taking a course that they ought not to take is certainly paying a very high compliment to; the Premier. Sir George Grey managed, when ho was.'Govbmor of this colony, by his meddling and muddling of Natives affairs to do moro harm than all the good ho had ever done, or was likely to do, and now that ho has lowered himself to the level of a political partizan ho must be content to receive the hard knocks he is sure to get.”

The Luna, it will he observed, reached Napier yesterday.

The whole of the immigrants who were lately sent to Picton have found engagements, and the barracks are again empty. One hundred and forty-five sheep were sold in Tasmania recently, which realised an average of £17175. per head. They were from the flock of Mr. Gibson, who has received for stock, the progeny of “ Sir Thomas,” a sum exceeding £3OOO. A fire occurred a few nights ago on the Upper Plain Bead, Masterton, in the house of a man known as “ Bob, the Tinker.” The place was burned to the ground, and very few of the owner’s goods and chattels were saved. He himself had a narrow escape, having been dragged from under the burning building by a lodger. A number of trout—as we observe from the Wairarapa News —were liberated on Wednesday in the river Waipoua, by Mr. Henry Bannister, jun. They were obtained in Canterbury, by Mr. Butherford, of Taueru. They were very young, hut it is hoped the experiment of stocking the river with English trout will be a success. Two gentlemen from Eochdale have arrived in Canterbury by the ship Endymion, for the purpose of erecting a complete plant for the Canterbury Spinning and Fibre Company. The machinery forms part of the cargo of the Endymion. The lambing season in Queensland is reported as having been good. A flock-master, near .Forbes, reports an increase of. 1020 lambs from a flock of one" thousand ewes.' Tho weather had been favorable, and the dams were strong. A meeting of the Wellington Eifle Association was held last evening at Donecker’s Hotel, Lieut.-Colonel Header in the chair. It was proposed and seconded, that a meeting for the competition of prizes and the cup should take place early in January, at the Hutt butts. Members of the committee will call on the public for subscriptions, towards other prizes, and it is anticipated that there will he a successful meeting this season. Last night, after their practice, the members of the Volunteer Artillery hand payed the officers and men of the Erenoh man-of-war, the Vire, now in Port Nicholson, the compliment of a serenade. The night was beautifully fine, and the harbor as smooth as a mill-pond. The baud went off in small boats, rowed round the Vire, and played a number of appropriate tunes. The effect was very fine. The Frenchmen appeared to appreciate the compliment, and heartily applauded their serenaders.