WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3124, 21 February 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

This day.

The New Zealander suggests as a preventive to anything being made public of what occurs between the Governor and Ministers (excepting only such matters as Ministers may themselves think it desirable to make known) that Ministers should have control of the appointments on the Governor's staff, so as to secure the services of gentlemen upon whose discretion, if not good will, they can absolutely rely.

Thursday. Owing to the refusal of the City Council to supply funds to the Wellington Fire Brigade sufficient to supply them with equipments, uniform, and pay, and the wages of night watchmen, it is feared they will break up. All the private property of the Wellington Brigade is advertised for sale.

. Messrs D. Anderson, Burns, and Capper have been appointed liquidators to wind up the New Zealand Steam Company. . Mr Barton, M.H.R., intends leaving Wellington shortly for Honolulu. It is stated he intends returning in time fur the next session.

A novel fire dress has arrived for the Wellington Eire Brigade. It is something like a diver's dress, and is designed to enable a man to enter a building filled with smoke.

An alteration in the mode of serving summonses has been suggested by the K.M., Mr Mansford, viz., that they should not necessarily be served personally, but, as at Home, left at the house with any person of a certain age. The matter will be brought before the Minister of Justice.

There was a raid to-day amongst the demimonde. The Inspector brought one as a test case, upon which Mr Mansford, R.M., gave the following decision:—lam not aware of any law that renders it unlawful for any person to become a common prostitute. It may be immoral, but lam not aware of any law against it. There are two cases may be dealt with by law : In case of a common prostitute, who in any street or public highway or place of resort behaves in a riotous or indecent manner, she may be dealt with by law; another way would be when a house of ill fame was badly conducted, and is known as a brothel; there the law provides a remedy by indictment. Till the law makes it unlawful for a woman to act as a common prostitute I have no power to act in the matter. I have nothing to do with the repression of immorality except so far as it is governed by the law.

Mr Macandrew received a communication from the Agent-General to the effect that efforts, which are likely to be successful, are being made to float a company in London to work the Parapara iron works, and manufacture rails for the New Zealand railways. Sir Julius Vogel is taking personal interest in the matter. Messrs Curtis and Shepherd were informed, this morning by the Minister of Public Works that the ten mile section of the Foxhill railway will be pushed on as speedily as departmental circumstances will allow; that tenders for the work will be called for shortly, and the vote would not be allowed to lapse. v

Mr Baird, C.E., goes to Nelson about the middle of March to report on the best practicable route for the West Coast Bailway, and a permanent engineer is to be appointed to superintend the line. The port line will be completed immediately after Baird's report.