MARLBOROUGH

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 173, 12 January 1860, Page 4

MARLBOROUGH

7he Governor arrived at Picton overland from Nelson, on Tuesday the loth inst., when lie proceeded to lay the foundation stone of the Picton Literary Institution. A public dinner was given to Ins Excellency in the evening, and at noon the following day he proceeded in the Niger to the south. The following description of Picton and Beaverton is from a correspondent of the Nelson Examiner : — Picton, the “capital” of Marlborough, wears at present very little of the aspect of a town, although its natural advantages are undoubtedly very groat. The site of the town is at the head of a small bay, at the top of the south east arm of Queen Charlotte Sound, which forms a most excellent harbour, ■with deep water within a stone’s throw of the shore. On the sides of this bay the hills .are steep and worthless, blit ample room has been found at the head to lay off a town of 141 quarteracres, besides reserves, and there is also room for extension on the eastern side into an adjoining bay. A stream of water runs through the town. The number of houses to be seen are very few; scattered over the whole town they may number thirty, but they include two inns of a better class than we expected to have feund there. 1 Nothing, or next to nothing, has been done by the few residents in Waitohi in the way of cultivation, for two or three small gardens is the only sign afforded, and it L> evident therefore that the whole population havo been dependent for a living upon the expenditure of the Government in making the road leading to Wairau. We have already spoken of the Kaituna valley, which runs into the Wairau above the Tuamarin. This valley grows some remarkably fine timber, and when opened by the road which is now being made! through it, will become an important district, j

7Fe publish from the Home Neivs a report of the first'yearly meeting of the Intercolonial ‘Royal Mail Steam Packet Company, which shows the affairs of the company in a very favourable light, and will give as much satisfaction in New Zealand as it lias done to the recipients of the 7-|- per cent, dividend, free of income-tax, which the directors were enabled to recommend. It appears that, but for the extraordinary expenses attending the starting of an undertaking of such magnitude, the profits of the company would have justified an additional 2£ per cent to the dividend, making it 10 per cent. . This result will be a source of great gratification in this colony, and we have no doubt in Australia likewise, as insuring the permanency of an undertaking which promises so much for the convenience of the communities concerned, and .which furnishes •such facilities for the extension of the commercial relations of this and the neighbouring colonies, while so well serving the interests of the company. We trust that, beyond communicating .to the directors.the future continually increasing business of the company in these localities which we do not doubt will

' arise, that the managers will represent the more than probable increase of receipts which might be looked forward to by lowering the price of the passenger fares of the inter-pro-vincial vessels, and dealing somewhat more liberally with the traffic between the provinces of New Zealand. If the fares of passengers were reduced one-half of the present amount, it would open up a greatly increased communication between the provinces, and out of it a lucrative freight business, which would shortly lead to a large increase in the receipts of the company.— Taranaki News.

T he New Zealand Government Gazette of Saturday, Dec. 17lh, notifies that the Native Titfe lias been extinguished over the following blocks, of land in the province of Wellington, amounting in all to about 123,580 acres, viz. ..—7OOO acres in the Waingongoro block, Castle Point district; 10,200 acres in Maungaraki block, Wairarapa district; 25,000 acres in the Ihurada block, Forty-mile Bush district; .35,000 acres in the Tupurupuru block, Wairarapa district; 12,000 acres in the Makuri block, Forty-mile Bush district; 518 acres iu the Pihantca block, Wairarapa district; 30,000 acres in the Wainui block, Waikanae district; and 5,500 acres in theMauaia block, Wairarapa district.

AUCKLAND.

St. John's College. —This. educational establishment, in connexion with the Church of England, and whose stately pile of buildings forms so prominent an object in the landscape looking over the Tamaki district, is now, we learn, re-opened for the reception of scholars, under the .superintendence of the Rev. Mr, Blackburn, head-master, a gentleman recently arrived from England. — New Zealander. Auckland Mechanics’ Institute. —On Tuesday evening last, Mr. Outhwaite delivered his lecture on ‘‘l!cliques, of Ancient Poetry,” which lie illustrated with some seven or eight ballads and shorter . poems, sung and accompanied by himself. In his introductory remarks, Mr. Outhwaite referred to the fact of his having delivered the first lecture on Music in Auckland —now sixteen years ago. In that space of time, as he could not hut be forcibly reminded, .by the place in which lie stood, and the new faces around him, how many important changes had occurred. 'Then, he,lectured in a smalt and crowded store-room ; music was btit little cultivated —and the respectable execution of “ Here's a health to all good lasses,” “ Mynheer Van Dunek,” “ The Witches’ Glee,” and ’such old favourites, was esteemed a great feat. Now, we had two good halls for musical purposes—the Odd Fellows’, and that in which they were now assembled; there was an excellent Choral Society, at which the compo si'ions of Ilajvln, Handel, and Mendelssohn

were performed with great effect; there was a young hut .promising Philharmonic Society ; and in many a family music, of the highest order formed one of the most delightful sources of social recreation. Mr. Outhwaite then turned ta the more immediate object of .his lecture ; sketched the history of the. Bard arid Poet; pointed out the truly poetical although homely style of many, of our old English ballads; acknowledged'with grateful enthusiasm the recreation'and relaxation he had often experienced from the perusal of one or other of our old English ballads and romances, after the toils of the day;.and earnestly recommended his hearers to follow ’ his example—promising them not merely entertainment, but frequently solid information both as to matters of history and the manners and customs of the people in different generations. Among the .illustrations Mr. .Outhwaite sang and recited, “ The Aing and the Abbot of Canterburye,” the duett between Blonde! and Richard to an old French chanson we have never before heard, “ The King and the Tanner of Tamworth,” Sir Walter Raleigh’s magnificent poem, “ The Lie,” with sundry others. In all, whether reading or singing, his taste and emphasis were alike excellent, and showed that even sixteen years of legal duties have not dimmed the freshness of his imagination or the energy of his elocution. Mr. Outhwaite, after suggesting the desirability of establishing Saturday evening meetings for the reading of poetry and practice of concerted vocal music, with occasional reunions among the members of the class and their friends, concluded by singing “ Good Night” to an original adaptatiod of a favourite Scottish and English air. [Auckland is fortunate in numbering among her citizens the able and accomplished gentleman.] ’ :