WELLINGTON.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 294, 14 August 1860, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(From the Wellington Spectator.)

Rifles.—We are glad to find that our remonstrances on the unprotected Btate of this Province have not been altogether without effect. TheiVew Zealmder alluding to our observations on this subject, says—-" We believe our neighbors have by this time received, or, if not yet, will soon receive, a very acceptable addition to their number of rifles." We understand that a.seasonable supply of arms and ammunition have been received by the While Swan, for the Militia and Volunteers o Wellington and Wanganui. ' White Swan.—ln the Supreme Court, before his Honor Mr. Justice Johnston, the case of M'Combe and others v. Cellem was tried. The application for an injunction ordering the defendant in this case (Captain Cellem) to hand over the register of the White Swap to the plaintiff, and to restrain the vessel from sailing, came on for hearing on the above date. Mr. King for the complainant, and Mr. Ward for the defendant. It appeared from the evidence brought forward on the i side of the plaintiff, that Mr. McCombe represented the majority of the owners whose names appeared on the register, and the vessel was uninsured. On the defendant's side it was alleged that a certain contract for sale existed, whereby the plaintiffs had bound themselves to transfer their shares to Mr. Kirk wood, who has hitherto been the managing, owner,—and that the vessel \vas in_a perfectly flfc state to proceed on her voyage. This contract, M'Combe alleged, had been rendered null and void by Mr. Kirkvvood having broken certain of its provisions; but upon this point it ,was impossible to come to any decision in Kirkwodd's absence. Under these circumstances, his Honor observed that he should certainly not grant an injunction to give up the register, but that it was difficult to say that the plaintiffs had not made out a prime facie case for an injunction against the sailing of the vessel. His Honor then suggested that the parties, in order to avoid the great expense and in» convenience which would result from the stoppage of the vessel, should come to the following arrangement namely:—That the Ecgister should be delivered up to the plaintiff, and that the appointment ot a new master should be endorsed upon it for the single voyage to Auckland;, that the vessel should forthwith proceed to Auckland, and there should abide the event of litigation; and lastly, that all arrangements of the vessel should remain as they were. These terms were assented to by both parties, and the application for an injunction was therefore dismissed. (From the Advertiser.) The Weather.-—This has been a very severe winter. It has been eleven years since we had co much snow. At the same time the influenza has been very prevalent, which the severity of the weather has tended to increase. A correspondent observes, that the last severe winter was succeeded by an early spring, followed by prolific crops. We hope this may be again the case. A correspondent of the LytteUon Times, on his passage to Auckland to take his seat in the General Assembly furnishes the Lytteltonians with a rather funny account of Wellington. The description of the hull of the Oliver Lang is poetical, and it proves how easy it is for one who has a command of words and who is gifted with a lively imagination, to make a little out of nothing. The dismal spectacle of ships carcases rotting on the beach," does not afford a very hopeful view of our condition, and the fact of the newspapers being not violent in their language is indicative that Wellington is remarkably quiet, and that something'dreadful must be about to happen. Another letter of the same writer, dated from Nelson, is in better taste. Land Titles Registration Act.—Concurrently with the Auckland Chamber of Commerce, your committee have taken steps for bringing before the General Government the advantages which would arise from the substitution of a more complete method of registering titles to land in lieu of that now in operation. The grounds upon which your committee approached the subject in communicating with the Government were, that the present system of conveyancing and registration embavrasses all transactions in relation to real property, and occasions most vexatious expense and delay, while still leaving the title to land complicated and insecure; and therefore suggest the introduction of a bill to the General Assembly in its next Session, to simplif}' and improve the mode of dealing with real property, based on the principles of the South Australian Real Property Act. In reply to the memorial which was transmitted to the Government, the Colonial Secretary has informed your Committee that it is proposed to bring in a Bill during the present Session to amend the present system of registering land titles.—(Wellington Chamber of Commerce.)