PEOVINCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Colonist, Volume VIII, Issue 758, 27 January 1865, Page 3

PEOVINCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Death of the "Havelock Mail."—This paper after a brief career of nine months has met a premature end. Its last issue was that of Saturday last, which contaius the following notification :— " The proprietors of this journal beg to inform their friends and patrons that the UavelocJc Mail from this date ceases to exist. We have tried to do what seems to be impracticable, that is, to give the people of Havelock a medium of expressing their ideas both as regards advertisements and original communications, but alas ! we have found to our sorrow and pecuniary loss that we had "reckoned without our host," as want of support compels us to look for a more prosperous community. To those who have supported us in our efforts to benefit; the locality we return our sincere thanks, and trust that they may ultimately arrive at that success which dame fortune has withheld from us." The Mail wa3 a well conducted little paper; but it started prematurely, and its existence has all along been precarious. Death of an Old Settler. —The Wellington Independent notices the death of Mr. H. S. Knowles, father of Mr. Knowles, formerly resident in Nelson, and now Manager of the Picton Branch of the Union Bank, an old and highly respected settler, who departed this life on Sunday last, at his residence, "Wade's Town. Mr. Knowles was, wo believe one of the earliest officials connected with the New Zealand Company in this colony, and for many years past has filled the office of clerk to. the Provincial Secretary) but latterly infirm health has prevented him attending to his duties with any degree of regularity, and during the past few months he has altogether been confined to his house. Mr. Knowles has brought up in this colony a numerous family of sons, all of whom hold respectable positions in society, and are highly esteemed by their fellowsettlers. A great public demonstration has been made in Dunedin, in favor of the formation of a League for the separation of the Middle Island fvom the Northern Island. A densely crowded meeting was held at the Theatre, at which the Superintendent, Mr. Harris presided. The list of speakers included very influential names. The Canterbury Eailway.—The Evening Mail gives the following particulars of the progress of the tunnel on the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway: — " The total length of heading made up to the end o* the year was 1850 feet, leaving 988 feet yet to b° bored through. At tho rate of last year's work, the tunnel will take noaily two years to complete. At present the Lyttelton end is being made to the full size ; tho incline being towards the mouth, tho water has ready outlet, but at this cud, tho mouth being at higher level than the face of the work, the tunnel is not being made down to the bottom, so as to help tho outlet of tho water until the junction is completed, when it wiil ilow through to Lyttelton." A settler of Kaukapakapa, who lias recently paid a visit to Waitangi, states that there were about 180 of the escaped rebels located there, and that intoxication was very prevalent amongst them. They had left Waitangi, and aro now in a locality near Waitakeri. Death by Drowning- of Pour Boys.—The Southland Neivs records the melancholy death by drowning of four boys in the Waihopai river. The ill-fated youths, named William and James Gray (brothers), Robert Campbell, and Francis Jack, formed part of a large number of bathers. None of them were able to swim, and they all fell victims, our informant tells us, to tho treacherous nature of tho banks, the tangled weeds at the bottom, and the force of the current, against which they had no power to contend. The boys had waded across a shalloAv part of the river, and about ten minutes afterwards proceeded to return, when they unfortunately went into deep water. Great heroism was shown by a number of their companions in the efforts they put forth to rescue them. The Neivs, referring to this catastrophe, says : —" The unfortunate boy Campbell, who was amongst the number of the drowned at the Waihopai on Thursday, was tlie lad who was. in the habit of delivering the News to the subscribers to this journal on tho North road. Patrick Devalley, who displayed a good deal of heroism in rescuing Henry Debenham, is an employe in this office—and John Kerr, who lent material assistance in saving both Devalley and Debenham, is also engaged iv the News office." La>o at Napier.—Kindly Feeling of the Natives towards Europeans.—The Ilaiv/ce's Bay Herald says:—"During the last few days there has been a large assemblage of natives in town. Most of them are from the Taupo country ; and are in treaty with the Superintendent for the sale of land and the formation of a road connecting that district with Napier. Several chiefs have also come up from tho Wairoa to dispose of fresh tracts of land. We hear that Mr. Locke is surveying a rich fertile district at Mohaka of upwards of 100,300 acres—part of the recent purchases —and that there is a growing disposition on the part of many of the natives to encourage settlement of Europeans among them. Tho tribes to the eastward of the Province are, however, an exception—not being generally so well disposed. TheUp-B.iverNatives.—The Wanganui Chronicle says : —" It is pleasing to learn that amidst the great defection of the natives to the "pai marire" superstition, there arc a great many that have been confirmed rather than weakened in their previous religious belief, by the absurdities and false pretences of the new system. Among these may be reckoned tho loyal natives up the river. Last Sunday the Rev. R. Taylor was at Ranana, and he gives a very favorable report of the loyal natives there. He states that the King Maoris have now declared it to be their intention to live quietly and make no attack on the Government natives at present, and that they are trying to make the loyal natives believe that they have committed a great crime iv cutting off so many of their countrymen and relatives at Moutoa." The Census of Auckland City.—The Cross gives the following figures as an approximation of the census returns for the City of Auckland but it doubts the accuracy of these : —The total population of the City East is about 3,500 ;of the City West, about 7,900; of Newton, about 2,200 ; and of Parneli, in which Newmarket is included, 3,300, or under, making a total of 16,600. In December, 1861, the total population of the City East was 2,512, and of the City West 5,163, which makes the increase on the two divisions to be only 3,725. The population of Newton in 1861 was 762 ; and of Parneli 1,769, and the present returns therefore show an increase of 1,438 in the former case, and 1,231 in the latter. As we have stated, one of the enumerators has not sent in his list, but the expected return has been estimated at the same rate of increase upon last census. This total of 16,600 does not, of course, include the military or their families, the military settlers, or the Colonial Defence Eorce. It is well known that the census papers have not been left at many hou?es. We believe that the population of the town of Auckland is much greater than these returns show, and that it might be put down as being not less than 20,000. Wellington Provincial Council.—A special session of the Provincial Council of Wellington was opened on tho 19th instant. A brief speech w ras delivered on the occasion by his Honor the Superintendent, Dr. Featherston. The session was called mainly for the purpose of obtaining the sanction of the Council to the sale of the Provincial Government Buildings to the General Government. His Honor ! stated that he had agreed to accept the sum of £8200, being a third less than the original cost. The Provincial Government desire to purchase the Wesleyan Reserve of 73 acres of the Town Belt from the Trustees, who are willing to sell it at a moderate price, and the purchase is advocated by the Government in view of the paucity of reserves in the city, especially for tho purposes of recreation, and it is also proposed to transfer, either by bill or a deed of gift, a portion of the Town Belt to the General Government. The Wanganui Bridge Committee will shortly be in a condition to proceed with their great wort, and a

continuation of their large powers is asked for by the Superintandent. The following are-the other portions of his Honor's speech: —"Certain allotments of the reclaimed land having been inadvertently sold in contravention of the law, a Bill will be submitted to you to make good the purchasers' titles. From an estimate received from England by the last mail, and which will be laid on your table, you will learn that the cost of the proposed extension in iron of the .Queen's Wharf will exceed your appropriation by at least £10,000. Should Mr. Morrison, as I have every reason to believe, have accepted a tender for the delivery in Wellington of the materials and plant, the necessary funds will have to be remitted by the next mail, and I shall therefore ask you to make a further appropriation to the amount I have just specified. In making proposals which will involve a considerable outlay, it is right that I should mention that the actual receipts for the current financial year will so far exceed my estimate of revenue that there will be no difficulty in providing the funds required to give effect to them, The financial position of the Province never was so prosperous —so entirely satisfactory. There remains one point on which you undoubtedly are entitled to precise information. I refer to the mission which I have been requested to undertake by the General Government. I regret, however, that I am not, and shall not for some days, be in a position to state whether or not I shall proceed, next month, to England. Should I do so, I need hardly assure you that my services will be at the disposal of the Province. But, under any circumstances, as there would be a manifest inconvenience in the Provincial Council meeting during a session of the General Assembly, I propose, with your concurrence, to ask his Excellency's Ministers for an early dissolution, with the view of permitting a session of the Council to bo held in April." A snAEE was recently caught on the Hawke's Bay Coast, from the inside of which twenty-one young ones were taken. Appointment.—We understand that Mr. Jonas AVoodward has been offered and accepted the situation of accountant to the General Government at a salary of £600. It is said that he will resign his provincial appointments at the conclusion of the forthcoming extraordinary session of the Provincial Council. — Wellington Independent, January 17.