WELLINGTON.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 637, 27 February 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

This Day. The Attorney-General has given his opinion thut the construction of new streets |comes within the definition of public works which may be constructed out of loan raised with the ratepayers' consent under provisions of Municipal Corporations Act. The City Solicitor advised differently.

The Kaitangata coal mine relief fund is being liberally subscribed to. The Chief Justice and Mrs. Prendergast sent £15.

• The Post says Grieve has completed the valuation for the Pourua district for the Land Tax and finds the total unexpired value of the district to be about £100,000, but as the larger number of the holdings are small and come within the £'500 exemption clause, the actual value of the district for taxable purposes will be reduced to £20,000 at the liberal estimate. This, atone half -penny m the pound, produces about £41. The expenses of valuation, collection, ect., will come to about £70 ; thus showing an actual loss of about £30 to that district. The Hutt and Waimumato districts will probably show even a worse result, especially the latter, owing to the fact that the unexpired value of property has been fixed at a lower price than m the Porerua district.

The barque Aberdeen, -which arrived from New York to-day, reports that on Bth October, she fell m with the English brig Ada Fulton, bound for Cuba, from Prince Edward Island, coal laden. She was m a sinking condition after encountering a cyclone. The Aberdeen took off the Captain and 8 men from the, Ada Fulton, and on the 19th transhipped four men to the Saladora, bound for Pernambuco. On the Ist November he transhipped others to the British ship, Balcombe, bound from London to the West Indies.

There is a serious split m the Cabinet over ■ Luckie's appointment. It was

decided m the Cabinet to offer him the appointment. Sir George Grey did not approve, but was m a minority of one : That is he stood alone m opposition to it. He did not, however, express himself at the time very strongly. In due conrse the appointment was offered to and accepted by Mr. Luckie. Then' Sir George Grey, as Premier, claimed his right to veto the appointment altogether: Two or three stormy scenes have taken place on the subject m the Cabinet within the last day or two.

Sir George Grey is snpported now by Sheehan ;. bui all the other Ministers are against him, and it is understood that Stout, JBallance, Whitmore and Me Andrew were within an ace of resigning ; but have since determined not to do so yet, but fight the matter out.