THE PROVINCES.

Colonist, Volume XVI, Issue 1632, 13 May 1873, Page 4

THE PROVINCES.

MARLBOROUGH.

The Express of May 7th, states .—An accident of a somewhat serious nature occurred on Saturday evening last, fortunately, however, unattended with any fatal result. On the evening in question Messrs. N. Campbell, H. Wharton, and Hull started on horsaback from Valleyfield, about 7 p.m., for Leefield, the residence of Mr. Dillon. About half-way a new wire fence has just been erected aeroas the road, which is a trespass road, the gate being on the proper line of road about five chains to the right on the top of the ridge. Mr. Campbell, the only one who knew the way, was leading, Mr. Hull next, and Mr. Wharton some distance in the rear, when Mr. Campbell came crashing into the fence in question, smashing five out of the seven wires of which the fence is composed, his horse coming heavily to the ground, but too dark for Mr. Hull to see whether it fell on him or not; the horse of the latter jumped through the gap made by Mr. Campbell's horse, and Mr. Hull wont in pursuit of Mr. Campbell's horse, which he was unable to catch, and he returned to ascertain what damage was done, on his way meeting Mr. Wharton's horse also riderless. On his arrival at the scene of the accident he found first Mr. Wharton unable to move, and Mr. Campbell quite insensible ; he therefore did what he could to put them both in as comfortable a position as possible, when fortunately a workman named Haines arrived most opportunely, and he was at once sent to Yalleyfleld for Mr. Monro and his trap. After a short delay, Mr. Monro appeared with Haines. The latter was at once despatched for a doctor, and Messrs. Monro and Hull with considerable difficulty succeeded in placing Messrs. Campbell and Wnarton in the carriage, and conveyed them to Leefield. Mr. Campbell recovered consciousness about 11 p.m., and Dr. Johnston arrived about 1 a.m next morning. It was thought at first that Mr. Campbell's breast-hone was broken in, but it has since tt-anspired that he is only badly bruised. Both he and Mr. Wharton are badly shaken, and it willprobably be some time before they can be moved. Up to late last evoning both were progressing as favorably as could be expected. The Wairau Agricultural Society, after paying all liabilities, has an available balance of £43. WELLINGTON. Some idea may be formed of the social importance of Mutual Investment Societies, the Wellington Independent observes, when it is learned that Class No. 1, the business of which will be finally closed in a few weeks, will have to pay something like £100,000 to the shareholders. The additional income which the Corporation of Wellington will receive from the sections on the reclaimed land, several of which were recently taken up by some Dunedin capitalists, has been brought forward as a reason why the city rate should be reduced from a shilling to sixpence. At a meeting of the City Counoil a proposal made by the Mayor to that effect was agreed to A return laid upon the table of the Wellington Provincial Council shows that the receipts at the Treasury during the year ended the 31st March last, amounted to £77,680 3s. Bd., made up of the following items (says the Post): —Ordinary—Licenses, publicans', auctioneers', and watermen's, £4,272 7s. 9d.; pilotage, £1845 7s. 2d,; sheep assessment, £1098 16s. Id.; incidental receipts, £4275 9s. 2d. ; toll-bars, £5325 13s. 4d.; total, £16,817 13. 6d. Territorial—Land sales, £25,071 10s. 2d. Special—Reclaimed land, £3000; mortgages, £450; grant for public works, £2341 j amount received under the Wellington Debts Act, £10,000; total, £15,791. Sale of Wanganui Bridge and Wharf, £20,000. Grand total, £77,680 3s. Bd. The estimated income for the year was £75,151175. lOd. The Agenfc-G-eneral has been instructed to send 1250 immigrants to Wellington during the current year. Mr. Eoberts, one of the Wanganui lawyers, has been having rather a bad time of it, during Judge Gresson'g judical visit to that locality (says the Post). The lawyer's character hag been rather roughly handled, but that perhaps would not have mattered much, and so the unkindesfc cut of all was reserved for the last. In the case of Drurv v. Roberts for slander, the jury, yesterday evening, after four hours' absence, returned a verdict for plaintiff on all the issues, damages £500 and costs.—The Independent gives a very different version. It states : —" The case of Mr. Drury against Mr. Roberts concluded with a verdict for the plaintiff for £5 and costs. Mr. Drury assaulted Mr. Cash, the solicitor for the defendant, and was fined £7, or six weeks imprisonment." The people of Wanganui are strongly agitating for separation from Wellington. The Wellington Provincial Counoil has agreed to the preamble of the proposed loan bill, but has increased the amount from £210,000 to £250,00 in order to expend the difference in immigration. . The Standard states that two small herds of deer are now depasturing on the Huangaroa station, Wairarapa. There are about fifteen of them, including three stags. They have their retreats among the hills, from whioh they regularly descend to graze on the level park-like run. The wire fencing offers no impediment to them ; they bound lightly over it with the utmost graoe and ease. In a swamp there, they have pawed out numerous water-holes to which they frequently resort. Farther up the country towards Napier, other herds have been seen, all supposed to be descended from three deer let loose on Mr. Carter's run some years ago. In a few more years deer-stalking will prove A n Additional attraction in the Wairarapa.——The salary of the two Maori Ministers is stated by the Wellington wrmpoadwk tf {ht Aw, to t* £3QQ aiob<

AUCKLAND. There is a "Society for the Suppression o f Intemperance" in Auoltland.——Forty-nine applications were recently received by the City Council of Auckland for the office of market inspector. The list of applicants aocording to the Southern Cross, comprised the names of those who had followed every pursuit in life, from an ex-policeman to a general in the army, and from a decayed merchant to a preparer of tripe by a new process. There is now in the Thames Goldßeld Hospital a man who fought in the 42nd Highlanders (the Black Watch) at the Battle of Waterloo. The Thames Advertiser, iays :—" It is now fifty-eight years since the great day of Waterloo, and at that time Robert Royoroft was but a stripling of seventeen or eighteen. We need not cay that the 42nd Highlanders made themselves famous by their deeds in decisive contest. Roycroft is a remarkably hale man for his years, and when the pensions were last paid walked from Punga Flat to Shortland to draw his." An amateur competition concert is about to be inaugurated at the Thames. At a meeting held at Grahamstown, it was decided to procure five gold medals, eaoh of the value of £5, to be distributed as follows:—For the best sentimental einger;« best comic singer; best hornpipe dancer ; best horizontal bar performer; and best negro delineator. The Superintendency of Auckland it beginning to attract attention. A correspondent writes to a Southern contemporary :—" Mr. Gillies does not intend standing for election as Superintendent when his present term expires. Mr. John Williamson, Mr. Gillies's predecessor, is canvassing the country, and Messrs. Creighton and J. S. Macfarlane are spoken of as likely to be in the field. So also is the Provincial Secretary, Mr. Hugh Lusk, who is well known and generally liked, but who has not yet made any public announcement of his intentions. It is said that great exertions have been made to put Maoris on the roll and that tbeir vote will tell heavily on the election." The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes :—Mr. Thomas Russell, who was going home with his family has been oharged by the Government with some mission not clearly known, in reference to the mail service. The idea circulated, I observe, by telegraph, that he is to enforce on Webb the penalties for breach of agreement is quite incorrect. His services are gratuitous, and as far as I can learn, on the best authority, will be oonfined either to reopening the line in connection with the Pacific Company, or arranging for a service in England. Whether it will be possible to accomplish the last without co-operation with the Australian Colonies is doubtful. Their traffic and passengers are of too much importance to any company to be ■ overlooked, unless New Zealand is prepared to pay dearly for exclusive possession. The Herald—a good authority—carefully repudiated, in a leading article, the report that Mr. Russell bad anything to do with enforcing the penalties. It is also thought that the clause in the contract which, gave Mr. Webb power to transfer to a compaay would be in the way, it not being known whether the company could pay, while they have sinoe sold the boats to the Pacific Company whioh has nothing to do with us." ' HAWKE'S BAY. Mr. Graham, of the firm of Messrs. Kinross and Co., Napier, has been presented (on his leaving there for Poverty Bay) by his friends with a gold watch and chain. A man named Thomas Leak was | drowned on Sunday, about noon, in the river at Tongoio, clo»e to its mouth, while attempting to cross it on horseback. The body was washed up on the beach by the surf. When last seen alive deceased was not sober. OTAGO. An association has been formed to establish at Dunedin a Female Refuge. The officers elected are Mrs. Matthew Holmes as President; Mrs. John Williams, as Vice-President: Mrs. Chapman, hon. Treasurer j and Mrs. Richard Allen as hon. Secretary, and a Committee of about twenty members.