MARLBOROUGH.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 291, 3 August 1860, Page 3

MARLBOROUGH.

[prom a correspondent.] The heavy rains of the last month has prettymuch disappeared. The weather for the last three weeks has been fine, frosty, with little or no wind. The prevailing sickness has come oHir way; a very great number on the sick list-—grown-up people as well as children. Two«or three cases of hoopingcough havejjoccurred. lam sorry to have to record two deaths occasioned in and through that Demon —Intemperance; both were old iettlers and menwell up in years. There has also been two death*; amongst the Maories arising from consumption. The Council resumed its sittings the beginning of this week. The question of the erection of the Public Buildings has resulted, * indoors' in favor of Picton. A very large portion of the Lower Wairau and Awatere have been rather taken aback in regard to this movement. The Picton folks are in high glee on the event, and indulge in all sorts of Yankee notions about it—railways, suspension bridges, and, better still, high prices for their land in the capital! A middle party who were in favor of Picton a a port, and to have the Government Offices at central point on the plains have been doomed to disappointment. The Government party the first have—as the saying is—believed in Picton (it is hoped conscientiously) and beingjjthe stronger party have carried things as they thought best. We have had some little done in the way of road and bridge making! The former, with cuttings here and there, will bear to be looked at, but as regards the latter, ' its a caution.1 Its worth your while coming from the Waimea-road to take a sketch, and write a history of it out of gratitude for the Chinese. The men on Government work have ss. a day ; this is thought by many too low a scale of wages —hoarding ami lodging here being 20s. to 255., and has caused some little quibbling!- The Government, however, do not wish to hold out tempting pay to workmen, but merely a subsistence, though some of the community thought that, as things were dull at this season, and men, as it were, compelled to go idle, the rate of wages ought to be higher than ss. per day, . I see Nelson haa experienced a ministerial crisis! It is singular that with our folks in the. Wairau something of the same kind has been going on! The" Black Coat (Priest-grey I dare say it is) of our worthy Presbyterian Minister has been well dusted for an active part he tiad taken at one of the political meetings held here. They object to him messing at all in politics, and as the meeting referred to had taken place in a publichouse his party opponents rated him sadly |on that score. The minister, however, takes it very complacent, and pays them back in Double-Dutch! No doubt a clergyman may be allowed to express an opinion, at any properly called and conducted meeting, so long as character is beyond censure, though some think that in the case of such nidi* yiduajs the kind of meeting, as well as the place of its being held ought to be regarded! The Superintendent has established a foot post between Blenheim and Picton, by way of the Big Bush; and commenced laying out the line of road betwixt the Wairau river, and Massacre Hill, and is also about to commence operations on a second ferry, near Gotland's ford, on the .Wairau, so that, with one thing and another we expect bye-and-bye to get along in a tolerable kind of way, if'revenue and expenditure' are duly considered with those ia ijjower*