WELLINGTON.

Otago Witness, Issue 490, 20 April 1861, Page 9

WELLINGTON.

We have papers from this Province to the 12th inst., but they contain little of general interest. The following is from the Advertiser of the 6th inst. :—

The large expenditure consequent upon the war has not been felt at Wellington. Here things are as dull as ever. With one exception, our merchants have shown no inclination to take advantage of the trade which the circumstances of Taranaki have placed within their reach. This has not been the case at Wanganui. The Waitotara natives, who reside about 20 miles south of that settlement, go on marauding expeditions to New Plymouth, stealing horses and cattle, and, it is said, many find th6ir way to Wanganui. If so they will serve to replace the latter which have been shipped from thence for Taranaki. While the Military are supplied with salt beef at a heavy cost, and for which, though tenders were invited here, only two were sent in, the natives can supply themselves with fresh beef, which they obtain with little trouble and at no cost from our unfortunate settlers. There has been exhibited here as little enterprise by our timber merchants as by aur stock-owners. Tenders were obliged to be twice invited for a supply of timber for the erection of a commissariat store at New Plymouth, but on both occasions without effect. There was not one sent in. We have a plentiful supply of the article required, but for some cause or other we have refused to avail ourselves of a market for it. The consequence is that Auckland and Wanganui reap the whole of the benefits in which Wellington, if she thought proper, might share, and if we gain anything it will be what we can glean after they have carried the principal portion of the harvest from the field.

There is a portion of land now being reclaimed from the harbour, from the proceeds of the sale of which the Superintendent expects treat things ; but for property just now of any md there is no demand, and dwelling-houses in several instances recently have been disposed of at a ruinous sacrifice. There are now a great number of prisoners in the gaol, and they are usefully employed in improving the streets aud drainage of the town, aided by the contributions of the inhabitants.

Complaints are still prevalent as to the dulness of trade, but certainly more activity must have been exhibited during the past month than what has been for some time witnessed. The arrival of a detachment of the 14th Regiment, which has now been for a considerable time garrisoned in Wellington, and the wool season combined, must have given some buoyancy to trade, though the weight with which it was previously borne down may have been too great to allow it to rise more than gradually, or to permit it to show its head much above the surface. As it is easier to fall down a hill than to climb one, so commerce when once prostrated, requires some time to rise again. We have shewn elsewhere that there has been a want of enterprise manifested, and to this may be ascribed, in some measure, the inactivity in tradi complained of. Mr. James Smith has succeeded in obtaining the contract for the erection of the 55 huts at Taranaki for the use of the military. The amount, we believe, is £5414. Mr. Carter, it is understood, sent in a tender, but on this occasion he has not been accompanied with his usual good luck — his tender being, as we are informed, about £1000 higher than the one accepted.

The American ship " Mary Merrill," sailed on Sunday last for Bostou (U S.), with a cargo of wool and other colonial produce. She is, we believe, the first vessel that has left this port for America with a cargo of colonial produce, but we hope to see ere long a regular line of vessels running between the United States aud this port. The " Mary Merrill " arrived at Lytteltoa in December last, from Boston direct, with a cargo of general merchandise, owned by Messrs. Taylor & Co. of Boston, two partners of which firm came out in the vessel, and have established a house in •Lyttelton in connection with the firm in Boston, and intend maintaining a direct trade with that city. One of the firm, Mr. T. J Curtis, has been in this town for a short time purchasing wool and other produce^ which has been despatched by the " Mary Merrill," and we hear that it is their intention to establish a house in this city, and that a vessel with a cargo of American merchandise will shortly arrive here. — Spectator.

Otaki, 22nd March 1861.

Everything has again assumed its usual quietness since the erection of the Maori King Flag, the several delegated Maories having returned to their respective tribes (of course not until the kai was consumed) to tell them the particulars of the ceremony of raising the King's Flag, and no doubt of the enormous quantity of provisions they consumed. We are to have a similar demonstration on the part of the Queenites, who are now in the bush preparing an enormous flagstaff, which in every respect is to put the other in the shade, they having lett in the midst of their wheat thrashing. I think it would be as well to inform your readers that the Kingites have a guard on their flagstaff, and all travellers after dusk are challenged and expected to reply after being questioned three times. An affair occurred the first evening to a white man wiio, being interrogated and doubtless unaware of the existence of this patrol, gave them a very ungentleraanly answer and used abubive language, on which the Maori fired his gun in the air and no doubt startled the gentleman. The Maories have had a committee on the sentinel, and were highly indignant that he should be guilty of such rashness, fearing that such an act might be construed to their desire to come into collision with the Pakeha; the Maori was instantly dismissed as unfit to hold the important office of policeman. — Independent's Correspondent.