Wellington.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 8, Issue 391, 20 April 1864, Page 3

Wellington.

Fire at Wadestown. —On lust Monday morning a four-roomed house, the property of Mr. W. J. Tagg, was totally destroyed by fire. From what we are able to learn, it appears that about 1 o’clock Mr. 1 agg was .suddenly aroused from sleep by the smell of fire, and had barely time to escape with what few things he had on when the house burst into a blaze, and before long was a heap of ruins, everything having been destroyed by the devouring element. The cause of the fire, we believe, is unknown. Owing to the early hour at which the fire took place, there were only two or thi’ee persons present to render assistance. We understand that the building was insured in the Liverpool and London office, the' bouse for £25 0 and the furniture for £22o.—Advertiser April 16. Militia. — Militia has re-commenced for another term of three months. 'Numbers 2,3, and 6, companies paraded yesterday afternoon at Mount Cook, and and were drilled by Major Gorton for the usual time. Amongst the orders read over on the parade was one refering to the resignations of Captains Carkeek and Brown, who were obliged to give their appointments in consequence of an intimation from the Government that officers holding situations in the civil service could* not continue .as militia officers. The gallant Major took this opportunity of thanking both the retiring gentlemen for the vei'y efficient manner in which they had performed their duty while under his command, and also for the assistance they had rendered him in carrying out the discipline of the militia. — Advertiser, April 14. The Independent has an article,''the lads of which are taken from the Sou-

them Monthly Magi zinc, from which it appears that a change Ims been made on. Mr. Domett’s plan of colonization, the plan being now as follows, if the Magazine writer is to be taken as an authority : ' ’

“.This scheme presents the novel feature of a. proposal to do away with the merely military settlements in the Waikato country. It may be briefly summed up as follows :—Five thousand militarysettlers being placed on themoi’e exposed and frontier positions, it is intended that all others should be more ordinary settlers/planted indeed in the most suitable localities, and in no instance isolated from one another, but without any greater amount of militaiy organisation than any other settlers in the Province. The new settlers being assured of land, are to receive it in such places as ' shall most effectually advance the great design of the war—the civilisation of New Zealand and its inhabitants. They will be so distributed tl at the natives who receive land on their submission, may be forced into constant intercourse with the European inhabitants, rather than with, other sections of their own nation. In short they will be placed as near as possible in the position of those citizens of Borne who were drafted off to leaven the provinces annexed to the Roman. Empire, with the civilisation and'laws of the then most civilised nation in tlie world.”

Such being the case, says the Independent, let us now see how it is to be carried out. One gratifying assurance is given at the outset, that the settlers required are to be procured from Great Britain if possible, instead of J'rom Germany or elsewhere. Measures we are also assured “have already been taken to procure these settlers without a moment’s unnecessary delay.” It is not stated positively what kind of settlers are to be procured, but it is understood they are to consist of three classes, the first and most numerous being that of laboring men j the second, small farmers or people who have a small capital left after paying their passage to the Colony ; tlie tim'd, being wealthy yeomen, whose capital would enable them to embark in agricultui'alor pastoral pursuits on a large scale. Of course settlers cannot be procured unless a sufficient inducement is offered. The labouring man will therefore have his passage paid to the Colony ; will be provided with work by the Government for the first year, and finally, will receive a grant of land amounting to five acres. In the event of any one of this class paying the passage money for himself and family, either in the whole or part, a larger grant of land will be made, a* an equivalent. The class of settlers paying their own passage money aie to receive grants of land greater in extent, say from forty to sixty acres each ; while tlie wealthy yeoman is to be-tempted by a grant of live hurxjjre'd acres of land on the condition that a certain sum is exjiended within three years upon its uclture and improvement.