WELLINGTON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 204, 16 August 1860, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

A public meeting was held at JTellington on. the sth ult., at which a‘committee was appointed to request the members of the General Assembly for Wellington and the adjacent districts to introduce a bill into the Ge-j neral Assembly for the. purpose of putting' militiamen and volunteers, who' have been three months on actual service, in the same position as respects land grants as discharged soldiers, and also to prepare a Memorial asking the Governor to put Wellington in a proper state of defence. The committee 7 have prepared a bill, of which the following is one of the clauses That militiamen/JtricF volunteers, who shall at any timß%^ o bdeii‘ drftwn out for actual service in the colony of New ; Zealand, and who shalLhave been" in actual service for a period of-three calendar months, shall,bo entitled .to land free;, cost, to, he selected in the province in whiclpsuch militiamen or volunteers > may, have been drawn out, upon the.same sc.alc as. navaLand military

settlers are entitloil to land free of cost under the Auckland /Taste Lands Aetj 1358.”' • The stockade at the llutt bridge is now being erected. It is to be a square of 95 feet, ’with' walls 9 feet, and bullet proof to 6 feet 'lt-will .contain a blockhouse and magazine.. The-accepted tender was £725. It has been decided to erect another stockade at the Upper Hutt, as soon as the approval of the Auckland authorities is obtained.

Everything connected with the Militia is conducted according to the strictest military routine. No one seems willing to take the slightest responsibility, and the men are treated to all ;intents and purposes as if they were soldiers. It should always be kept in remembrance that they are settlers and not soldiers —settlers forced to become soldiers for the nonce ; but settlers still, and worthy to be treated as such. If this could-only be indoctrinated into the minds of the military authorities, we should not have to record that about, 150-volunteers are obliged to come from the Upper and Lower Hutt to be sworn in at Mount. Cool:, at an expense or loss of time of ‘from 7s. to 10s. each, simply because the officer whose duty it is to administer the oath will not canter to the Lower Hutt once during one week, and to the Upper Hutt once during the next.— Wellington Independent. 1 be Chamber of Commerce held its annual meeting on the 25tii July, at which the yearly Report-was read. We give the following extracts on matters of general interest. It recommends that the Post Office should issue money o v ders as in England ; and that there should be an alteration in the Customs Tariff, as the principle of the present Tariff, so- far a's it imposes duty by gross weight or measurement, is essentially unjust.” . With regard ,to the Panama route it observes In the previous reports of the Chamber aiproifiinence mgiven to the subject of steam communication with Europe via Panama, which at the close of last j-ear gave every promise - of a speedy t realization ; the ■conflicting interests, however, which appear to ■exist, arising out of the adoption by the Imperial Government of the Suez route, have had the effect of postponing the accomplishment of a scheme, which, if carried out under the proposition of the New South Wales Government; would have the effect of placing New Zealand in the first and most important position as regards postal' intercourse witli England, besides materially advancing her commercial relations. The obstacles which have retarded the establishment of this line of steam service, it is gratifying to learn, are, from the energetic efforts of the colonists of New South Wales, in a fair way of being surmounted, and afford a reasonable hope of this desirable project being eventually matured and brought into operation.” . 'With reference to Banking in New Zealand, “''your Committee believe it to be essential to the progress of commerce and to the general interest of the community, that the business of banking should, as far as possible, be relieved from those restrictions which, under existing laws, prevent the issue of notes, and thus virtually preclude the establishment of local or 'other Banks, excepting such as possess a Royal Charter; a memorial has therefore been prepared and transmitted to his Excellency the Governor, urging the repeal of the “ Paper Currency Ordinance, 1847,” which creates, aiid the “ Bank Paper Currency Act, 1856,” which encourages a monopoly, together obstructing the free use of colonial capital, which it was argued might otherwise be employed in supporting hanks within the colony. His Excellency’s responsible advisers have, however, given it as their opinion, that it is highly improbable, regard being had to the present state of the affairs b r f : the colony, that any satisfactory legislation upon this very important and 'difficult subject could possibly take place during 'the approaching session. At the same time, it is added, that in deference to the recommendation of the Chamber, his Excel-, lency’s advisers will direct their attention to the proposition. Your committee are glad to find that similar views are entertained by the Lytteltoh Chamber of Commerce.” \Vith regard to an Insolvent law the Report mentions, reason to believe that this subject will meet with.that attention from the Legislature which it deserves. A copy of the measure which the Government propose initiating having been sent to the'Chamber, a sub-committee has been appointed, who, with the aid of advising counsel, intend offering suggestions to his Excellency’s. Government at the earliest possible opportunity.” • And, finally, the Report gives the following Trade statistics, —“ From the statistical statement which your Committee have appended to tills Report, it will he seen that the value of imports for the year 1858 reached £267,628, while that for 1859 amounted to £321,838, showing an. increase of £54,210. The value of exports in 1858 to Great Britain, the Australian colonies, and ports, beyond-seas, was £118,002-:; in 1859, £139,145; giving an increase of £21,143 in,the productive resources 'of the province. ! The gross Customs’ receipts at the port of LFellingten were, in 1858, £35,988; in 18:9 they had" fallen to £33,394;. which may chiefly be attributed to the monetary depres sion which prevailed during the latter year ; a remark which will equally apply to the March quarter of 1860, which shows a revenue from Customs>- ; of : <£7367, against £10,273 collected in Ibe . corresponding quarter of the previous .year. ,The imports in the same period in 1859 were valued at £95,6.13 ; in that for 1860 it is.set down at £86,697 ; - while the exports,for the March quarter of the . present, year are given as £74,594, against- , £64,745 in 1859 ; a satisfactory indication of r progress.,,.,-',,, . ■ ' ,

“ Your committee are glad Jo be enable*/ to siate-that,-the const.ing-t-rade of this province advances steadily, and -that within the last ivvelve mouths' at new'., feature lias been developed in the extensive'shipinents of liwo stock to. the . neighbouring, provinces. v It is ~ believed that the value of this'"export', during ' the time mentioned must have amounted to upwards of £20,000. The demand, for sawn timber is increasing, and gives profitable em- . ployment to. a considerable namber of 1 vessels 'belonging to the pbrt. “ Although, the financial condition of the province lias been subjected to a temporary disturbance, caused by various circhinstances which have operated through the colony: at large, there is still to be observed that steady: growth in the resources of this province and' healthy tone of commercial -intercourse which, require but the removal of those difficulties, which have sprung up under the influence of' questions connected with .the. unsettled state of ■the native population, to expand the means by which the Province may,-be aided iu its: progress. Sphere is an absence in commercial: affairs of anything ap'proachijig to speculation, or hazardous-enterprise, and whatever transactions now take place are guided by sound discretion and.a legiriinate prospect, of'profitable realization ; a change which will, doubtless, have the effect of reviving confidence iii thecourse of business.”

A notice in our- present issue intimates to. the public that there are four scholarships ufcSt. John’s College, Auckland,, of the annual value of £55 each, now open to competition to tlie-yoiit.il of New Zealand, 'll he conditions, under which these schalarships are held are stated til the notice to which we refer. An examination of the candidates living in this neighbourhood will be held by the Bishop of /Wellington on the 28th .August next. Thesubjects of .examination will begthe , rt lholy Scriptures, Geography and’History, Arithmetic, Elementary'Geometry "ami Latin, on which subjects the candidates will, be .required to give answers in writing to the questions pro- - posed to them. Those who desire it may. also be examined in the Greek Classics, Gene ml Knowledge, and. the Maori .Language. The. Scholarships will be nearly.sufficient (webelieve within five or ten pounds) to cover the expellees - .of., board and Jubioii, and tlnqonly additional- expence to the student will be,the cost of liis . books and travelling once a;"y&u* to and fro for the vacation. St. John’s-Uul-lege, winch was formerly under the able management of our respected Diocesan as Principal, is now iinder the care of the Revj S. Blackburn, a gentleman of high attainments arid great practical experience in Education, who formerly prepared students lor the Universities.- — Spectator. ~ .... ~ .A .-Public 'Meeting was' held on the 9th. inst,, the Deputy-Superintendent in'the Chair, at which it was resolved.to collect Subscriptions for the /Settlers of Taranaki, and a committee was appointed to act, to whom the meeting'‘recommended the consideration of the practicability of affording accommodation' to Women and Children from Taranaki. .