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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4289, 18 December 1874, Page 2

A large numW G f ladies attended the recepiio*. sivpn by the Marchioness of Normanby yesterday at House .

We understand that, his Excellency the Governor lirts kindly accepted the post of official visitor to the Wellington College, and in that capacity will preside at tUe annual distribution of prizes to the successful students attending that institution, which, we see by an advertisement in another column, take place at the College on Tuesday first, at three o’clock. The Eight Eev. Dr, Eedwood, the Homan Catholic Bishop of Wellington, returned from Picton by the s.s. Wellington yesterday morning. His Lordship had been for a few days on a visit to his relatives in Marlborough.

It is announced that the s.s. Albion will sail hence for Nelson on or about the 22nd instant, and that passengers who may proceed by her can return by the s.s. Alhambra about the 26th instant. The fare for the double journey will be—saloon, 405.; steerage, 30a. This wiU be a very attractive excursion. The Tarama, from Melbourne, was off Hokitika yesterday morning, and the news she brings—which was received late in the afternoon—will be found in another column. The Tararua was off Greymouth at eleven o’clock in the forenoon, and would reach Nelson this forenoon. She may, therefore, be expected in Wellington harbor to-night or to-morrow morning.

The barometer has continued to rise steadily since Wednesday last, but the lowest pressure still continues in the North. By Thursday morning the wind had changed, and was blowing strongly at Auckland from the south-west, from which quarter it was generally felt in the North Island. In the Middle Island, the wind was mostly between the south-west and southeast, with overcast sky and drizzling rain ; but in other districts the weather has become clearer. At Grahamstowu a hard gale from the north-west was exp* ar *« jnc ®d all day on Thursday, but the -»>md decreased after dark. We regret to learn that Captain Carey, of the s.s. Wellington, received telegraphic news at Picton that his wife—Captain Carey’s family reside at Onehunga—was dangerously ill. He obtained leave of absence, and leaving the o w, which was brought over by Mr. Evans, first officer or the Taranaki, at Picton, proceeded by the Taranaki to rejoin his family.

It appears to be necessary to remind the street paper-hangers of Wellington that they should remember thei’e should he amongst them not le™ honor than prevails among thieves. They should not try to destroy each other’s work. For some days the few spare wall spaces in the city that admit of a large bill being placed upon them have been ornamented with large and expensive colored woodcuts illustrative of scenes in the circle—the bills, of course, being those of .the . Circus Company now performing here. They are an ornament—at least not a disfigurement— to the walls, and as the company are only likely to make a short stay in the city, and each of those streamers costs a considerable sum, it might have been supposed that they would have been allowed to wear out their little day with no greater enemies to the publicity they were meant to give than the wind and the rain. They had scarcely been put up, however, when “ they were all bedaubed with the nasty” paste and paper of some other wall advertisers, entrusted to some rival hangers. This is not as it should he. There is room enough on the blank walls of the city for every placarded announcement the citizen? are likely to read, and no necessity whatever for one street paper-hanger to interfere vith another ; and so injure the business ol the employers of one or both of them. A correspondent writing from Nelson says:— “ We are now having most beautiful summer weather, and enjoy the soft warm sunshine, balmy breezes, and clear skies so peculiar to our climate. This is the season of luscioxis fruits, and beautiful flowers, and we have both in great perfection this year. The late show of the horticultural society was an immense success, and the display of fruit, x-osqs in bloom, and lovely flowers was never surpassed here, and could scarcely be beaten anywhere iu New Zealand. The season will be a one for the farmer, the crops everywhere looking well. Since the arrival of the immigrants from England, Nelson has made a start in the road of progress. Business generally is somewhat brisker, money is more plentiful, house rent is rising, and the number of empty houses is becoming less. Tho progx-ess of the x-ailway works, however, is very slow.” A meeting of the Board of Education will take place on Monday, the 21st instant, at the usual hour—eleven o’clock iu the forenoon.

The Kev. Mr. Ward Beecher, we observe, has now reached the sublimest height of notoriety. A life-like portrait-model of the famous preacher and hero of scandals is in Madame Tussard’s exhibition of celebrities.

A conger eel was caught the other day at Otago Heads, which measured not less than eight feet in length, and weighed over twentysix pounds.

We hear that the member of the Star Cricket Club, who behaved in such an extra-

ordinary manner daring the match against the Armed Constabulary on Saturday last, has sent in his resignation to the club. In the Besident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, a charge of selling liquor on Sunday last, preferred against J. Brady, of the Thistle Inn, was adjourned till Monday next, for the production of further evidence. A charge of assault was entered against Sergeant-Major Bennington, A. 0., by a person named Armstrong, but there was no appearance of the parties when called on. Tho civil cases were unimportant.

Mr. Parsons, the manager of'"the Boverty Bay Offspring Company, arrived in Gisborne on the 2nd iust. Tho Poverty Bay Herald says:—“ Ho informs us that having sunk a shaft, to prepare for boring operations, to a depth of thirty feet, the escape of petroleum gas became so dense that the workmen wore prevented from proceeding further. He has now come to town to obtain a wind-sail to clear the shaft of gas, the presence of which may be taken as a further indication, if any wore needed, of the abundant supply of oil on the company’s ground.”