LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS- continued.

Colonist, Volume XII, Issue 1204, 9 April 1869, Page 6

LOCAL AND DISTRICT NEWS- continued.

Mr. Rob rut Cat.t>wet,i, Rmd, of the Westport Tj.tm.i, has been elected as member of the Nelaon ■ProriMciitl Council foe We.tfport. Mr. Bentley, tho former member, hiving Ves'gn-d the aunt. : A Forgotten Duty.—Tho Nelson Colonist 'writes:' —r" Onfie more we refer, to t1 is topic, the memory of Jolin Perry Robinson, the Superintendent of this Pr ivine*l, who .was drowned nfc the Boiler river while m iking a i>ersjial examinftlion of tlu> district that has Bind* grown ti rii'li goldfield. The space in front of fit* G-jvernmont Buildings is now cleared of the shrubbery that somewhat defaced ir. Let the vacancy h i tilled up by a noat but inexpensive fountain to the' mem ay of Mr.'Kobinson, who died in the service of t ie Province." LETTING OF THE GOVERNMENT WIIARF.—The Government Whnrl'und the Custom store, which was given up by th<» late lessee, Mr. Gibbono, has been c. to Mr. Thomas Scott for the year from Ist April next, to 31st March, 1870, for the small mm of £510. When the wharf and store were let by aw tion in August lnst, they brought the large sum of £1350 ; which in ihe face of bad times and declining imports, "as fcund to be an exorbitant price, and the ]psß3e was at the end of seven months permitted to gut. The present sale will wo hope prove profitable. it. his to be noted that a new set of rates has been fixed, which considerably reduces fn fure wharfage; but that reduction bears no proportion to the full in the year's price. Richmond Cattle Faib Association.—The shaivholdn's in this association, met pursuant to ulvcrtisemcnt nt the Star Hotel, Richmond, on Saturday, March 27. Tho following shareholder* ■vv, r i then c noted as Directors for the 'ensuingyenr : — Messrs. O'Dwyer^ F. Kelliug, Saxton, Wither;" O'Luughlin, Rout, Harknes?, Thompson, W. Bell, V ''ing, Sh"at, and Barnieoat. Mr. Wells and Mr. 3) b ler weie appointed Audirors. Mr. Barnicoat was chosen as Treasurer; Mr. Thompson as Seere'ary.; itnd Mr. Keiling as Chairman of the Board of D rsf-lo'.'s. Tl'e appointment of Mr. Gapper as Ouvao- for the litre I einsf wa* confirmed. This Asjocii tion, now ng.in fmui.*l:od with a directory, liai long iio n without miv regular governing body. If is tho intention of the shareholders to avuil themselves of powers given in' the Deed of Settlement to B nplify its Constitution, and by ridding it of cumbrous ntvl su| erflunus provisions to render that Cons itut on ra re workable. When this is on ;e effected, tliis tueful isfjci:ition will be in a muc'i better position" foe (uiTying out. the objactd of its founders. Stoke.—The Stoke Sunday School Anniversary was I eld on March 23. The children had their tea in ihe open air, after which tea was provided in the School-room for the adults. At the public meeting in the evening «T. W. Barnicoat, Esq., presided. Recitations and singing by the children occupied part of the meeting, and the remaining tine was filled up by addresses from Messrs. Hill, Campbell, and Avery. A vote of thanks to the chtirman closed the proceedings. Ms. Andeuson, the Mayor of Christchurch, will entertain tho Duke of Edinburgh and suite at a dejeuner ab his own expense. No preparations have been made in Auckland for the reception of the Dnko of Edinbui"gh. Two men named G-oodisou have been committed for (rial in Wellington for stealing Maori cattle at Otalci. A s inquest was held at Napier on the 11th March, tending the destruction by fire of the Hawke's .Bay Boiling Down Establishment, when the jury returned an open verdict. The Queen Bee left Anckland on March 20th, for London, with 20 passengers, 6000 ounces of gold, and a large cargo of wool, gum, &c. The ship Cambodia, after a pussnge of 128 dnys from London, arrived at Wellington,"on March 22. She brought 17 pusscnjiers, and a large cargo. A nkw topsail-schooncr-rigged vessel, named the StraMmaver, has just been turned out of the shipbuilding yard of Mr. Richard Macktiy, of Auckland, and is declared to bo a mo-.1?l of strength and Ik-nuty. 'J'lin barque Rapid, from Liverpool, arrived at Auckland on March 9. She left Liverpool on Nov. 21*1. and, after losing sight of laud, encountered heavy gal-'S tor forty d-ivs. The' Countess "op 'Xixtore left Auckland for London, on March 10th. She took thirty-eight passengers, und a cargo, of wool, gum, flax,'&c, valued ah £20.002; also, 14,000 ounces of gold, the produce of the Thames GoWfield. lioi'ATA, the Ngatiporou chief, has, wo understand, been gazetted a Major of Militia. While it is really a'matter of sorrow to see the endless creation of officers that now (ill the piiges of tho Now Zealand Gazette, it will be admitted that Ropata, unlike some distinguished oflioers we could nnrno, has really don« something to merit the honor.— Hawke's Bny Herald. The .Wreck of the Ida ZEtGrin.—Tha official enquiry into tho circumstances of the wreck has terminated at Napier. The decision of the court was that, the ship Ida Zeigler was lost in the roadstead at, Napier o.i the 27th February, 1889, owing to an error i\ ju•lament ot" tho Harbor-Master in moorin? the shipiu i.o;i shallow water at the Government moorings; '.\hor-t nor, shackling both ship's cables to the moorings; ii.v.l iiis ni;_'lt;ctin not examining the buoy and moorings n»-i taking i-ovnds previous ti< the wool season* We also consider the ship's cables were too. short, and we ore not satisSed with the state of the starboard cable. Tiuxmere Shoal, Manukau Hakbok.—A notice in the Gazette stales that the " Traumere" Shoal Buoy, Manukau Hnrbor, has again shifted, and mariners are warned not to place any dependence upon it. Good Find of Gold at the THA3IE3.—The Thames correspondent of the New Zealand Herald states : —" One of the most extraordinary patches of gold yet found on tho Thames, was taken out on Monday.the 15t.h instant, from a leader in the Long Drive claim. In the course of the forenoon, 107 pounds weight of stono was obtained, which at the lowest calculation will run two ounces to the pound; and one remarkable stone, weighing thirty^three pouuds, i 3 valued at £160, although, it is by no means the richest of the lot. The stone was depocited for safe keeping in the Bank of New Zealand in the course of the evening. The New Zralakd Kingfishbh.—A new enemy to imported birds has recently shown itself in the Acclimatisation Society's Gardens at Auckland, The New Zealand Herald of a late date says :—" This is the New Zealand kingfisher, which, although well known by country settlers to be very destructive in the poultry yard, by killing chickens, had not put in an appear nice near the aviaries before this week. Several of them, however, assembled in the gardens on Tuesday last; and on the following day Mr. Brighton saw a young quail killed by one of them on a garden path. Of course this was a signal of war to the death, and four kingfishers already hang lifeless trophies near the gales. These birds seem to be simply cold-blooded murderers, and to kill for the pake of killing;. They do not eat their victims, but leave the bodies on the spot where they fall." Let there be a deadly raid against this feathered butcher. Ikon Sand Smelting at Taranaki.— The Herald of 20th instant, says that a firm are advertising for tenders for the erection of a blast furnace, for a supply of 2000 bushels of charcoal; for the transit of Urenui clay; and the carting of iron sand to the Mission Station. This looks like business, and will be encouraging to the settlers. We mentioned some few weeks since that a correspondent had informed us that Mr. E. M. Smith had succeeded in attracting the attention of several persons at Wellington to the experiments he had made in smelting the iron sand. So satisfied were some gentlemen with the results, that they determined to invest capital, and test it on a larger scale ; and if it proves successful, they will be prepared to enter upon worKs of greater magnitude. Mr. Henochsburg, who represents the firm, arrived here in the Phoebe, on Wednesday last, bringing with him the plant, (besides fire bricks and plumbago) necessary to build a proper blast furnace. Mr. E. M. Smith accompanied him here, and with Mr. D. Atkinson, will superintend the working and smelting of the sand into steel. The place Mr. Herioehsberg has fixed upon for the erection of the blast furnace is at the old Mission Station, which is near the beach, besides having the advantage of water power, which is so necessary to drive the fan. Should the experiment prove successful, and the steel be run, a firm in Wellington, we believe, have given ft guarantee to take any quantity at £37 per too.