Local Intelligence.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1369, 4 October 1859, Page 3

Local In telligence.

The s. s.' Lord Ashley, Captain Kennedy, from Syduey via Auckland and Nelson, arrived in this harbour at 6 o'clock ibis morning. She brings a few days later papers fri-ra Sydney, hut they contain nothing of striking; importance. We extract the following weekly Commercial Report fiuiri the Enipii'e of the 17th instant.

•' TnE business transactions during the Week have been quite nominal, owing iv some measure to tUe departure of the null steamer Bombay, aud also'to the prevailing iilea Unit most articles of general consumption tviil experience a considerable decline on account of ilie very heavy shipments that are looked for.

We also attribute this dull ness to the slackness of nil demand for the interior, and the excessive caution displayed by our dealers, Lut we do not participate in the geucral opinion that goods will experience a considerable decline, as we are inclined to believe ifcat holders are very firm, and evince 110 immediate desire to realise.

The Bunks have lowered tlieir rates of exiibiuitre to 2 per cent, jler premium for Belling 60 dny drafts, and 1 percent, premium for purchasing. DisooariW regain unaltered. In the import nkrkets no important sales hare taken place in Kastern produce, viz., tea, sugar, and rice, are firm, with ail upward tendency. Oilmen's stores and provisions are plentiful, but firm. Candies arc exceedingly quiet, with a decided downward tendency. Flour remains unaltered— MO fnr firet, nnrt £ZH for secdn'ls'—but tlio nnioiliit of business doing a the mills is very lirniteil. No remurk of coutimianoe df exports to Melbourne. Metals, with the exception of sheet lead, are very The arrivals during the week liavn beeri unimpor:' tant. The amount of specie taken away by the Barnhay was very small, owing to the lowering of tuft rule's of exchange. A Fr.KKTPrtit Titß CdLONiEtS.-— Tn answer to a flei>iitaii in who waited mi Mr. O'.Sliannii-isv on the Kith September, the premiiir stated that advices li nt been received liftlie intention of (lie Ffoine (r ire'rnnrieul to send out an adequate lldui for i , f. defence ir|!,.. ...Lmil^s .The William Alfred is n.lveni.sed in the •tyl»e?/ Herald of the I7tl). for tlii.-t port, and the Si/apM, Cor Nelsun. ti> s-iil early. Wizard Lumi.kt.—Of the iiuny claimants for piililic patruiiase and support that have api> areil het'ore U-; i'eiv liaie deserved il better, or more alily sustained their preteiiSioix, than the above gentlemen, who tonvuritd the Lyceum Theatre for a short time inida ' Magic Temple' and delighted and astonisbel nil who have favoured hitri with a visit. Me iin lee i a Wiz.ird, a.id if vre are u!lowi;4 'o lin ci>mpct»iit judges in IKe matter, we sh uld say be ha-: firaduatud in the mysteries nf tin; lila.ik ~n with honours; It is well for ifr. [,uinley that he did ii.ot live some few centimes eailier, fdr instead of winning ' golden opinions' as we trust i? noiv the e.ise he would have been eonSigned l>7 credulity to the slake, for baying entered into some unholy alliance. And we doubt not if we had been then living to witness what we witnessed on our visit to to the Lyceum the other evening, namely- beans turned into cofiee; geineman's hats turned inti miscellaneous arid general stores, shawls made to disappear and reappear, in any place siijjfjesled by the audience. With" many other decepiiuns too numerous to mention, we too; slimili! have concurred in the justness of bhj condemnation. But. joking apart, .Mr Lumiey is an artiste of no mean aliilitv and well deserves the nncomiuins that have he'eu lavishprl npoii him. And we tr-ist his visit to Wellington will prove as satisfactory to him as it has been gratifying to us. His prime minister of state' Sambo' is an amusing and intelligent assistant, and is a most attractive addition to hi 3 cnteitainment

CORONER'S INQUEST. An Inquest was held at Mr. Henry London's, Poiirua Harbour, on Saturday last, at 2 p.m., on the body of one William Prior, which had been discovered two days' previously floating near the shore of the harbour. The following is a short report of the proceedings. Before Bingham A. Febard, Esq., a Resident Magistrate, and one of the Justices of the Peace' for the' Colony of New Zealand : and a jury consisting of Messrs. James Mitchell (foreman); Charles D. de C.istro, Willinm Benson; James Hindsley Bromley; Joseph Browne, Henry London, "James Browne, Thomas FJoyd', Robert Walker, Nathaniel Bartlett Philip Roberts, Peter Valler.

Johs Babtlett, a laborer living at Porirua Harbour, deposed to having received information from two natives on the pn.ceding Thursday, that the body of a man was floating in Porirua harbour. Accompanied by his two informants, and an other native whom be met on the way, he repaired to the spot indicated, and found the corpse which the jury bad just viewed lying, back uppermost, on the water. They brought it ashore and conveyed it to an unoccupied cottage on Airs. Bowler's premises. Witness could not identify the body; the head was in a mutilated state, most of the flesh having decomposed and fallen off, and the skin hanging loose at the back of the skull ; some of the teeth also where wanting. Witness did not examine the pockets of deceased, nor did his companions ; he had seen an European pass his cottage on the Srindsiy fortnight before in company with a native named Mokana. The native remained at the cottage ; his companion: went on alone.

Riwai having been called, and sworn through the interpretation of Mr. W. L. Buller, slated— that on the Thursday last, about raid-day, he was travelling along the beach of Porirua Hatboar, in company with Mihaka. He observed something floating in the water, nml taking it for a dead fish directed his friend's attention to it; went up to the spot and found the corpse riow lying , in Mrs. Bowler's outhouse; it was floating with the back uppermost a few yards from the shore. He suggested to his companion that they should not touch it before communicating the discovery to some white man, lest they should be suspected of robbing the pockets; went accordingly to the cottage of Mrs, Bowler, and informed her of what they had seen. A half-caste girl went with them to the house of John Bartlett, and accompanied by Bartlett they returned to the spot; he assisted to lift the body out of the watpr, and it was subsequently placed in a cart. The body appeared to have been a long , time in the water; from its position wben found he inferred that it must have been floating about the harbour: had it been there loug it must have been seen before.

David Cla.uk, a sawyer, residing at Pahautauui, was next called. He identified the boar; which he and the jury had just viewed, as that of William Prior; he last saw deceased on last Sunday fortnight; he parted company with him about three or four o'clock that day near to Mr. Mcfiralh's, at Bromley's ferry; they bad been to Bromley's public house together and each had two glasses of porter; deceased was sober when be came out of Bromley's but the air seemed to take effect on him, and he appeared "rather in liquor"; they parted good friends ; he left deceased lying in I a flax bush ; he proceeded along the beach and met several persons and conversed with them, but not being quite compos mentis himself at the time, , h"e could not distinctly recollect who the parties were or what passed between them ; he had not seen deceased alive afterwards; deceased was a young man, and had been a sailor; he had been in the neighbourhood of Porirua for about three months, and had recently be°n living with witness; he had come to live with him in order to learn sawing; all the property he had when witness parted with him was a knife and some tobacco; he had noticed that deceased hud lost one or two of his teoth

John Belmont, having been sworn, stated—" that he is a sailor by profession, and is now living- at Motukaraka ; he knew the deceased ; they had been comrades; last Sunday fortnight deceased left his home and went in the direction of Bromley"s ferry ; on the following Sunday finding that deceased had not returned he weut in search of him, but could not find

him ; ho had lived in his company for four months, and had observed nothing in him to indicate unsoundness of mind ; he had never noticed that his front teeth were out, and though his impression was to the contrary he could not swear to it.

Mom ITaeiUe, the last witness, deposed to having seen the deceased on the evening of last Sunday fortnight after sunset; he met him on the beach of Porirua Harbour, between Bartlott's and Mrs. Bowler's ; he was aloue and was evidently drunk ; he reeled as he walked and tumbled once, but rose to bis feet again; tbe place were he fell was very stony, but witness could not see whether he hurt himself or not; they passed each other without speaking; the coat of the deceased was buttoned up and and his clothes generally appeared just as they are at present. . .

The CoitoNEH then asked the jury if they were prepared to consider their verdict; and on tbe foreman mentioning; the absence of teeth from the upper jnw lisa suspicious circumstance, lie (the Coroner) assured them of his readiness to adjourn the inquest, and in the meanwhile to order a post mortem examination of the budy; but after some further consideration and discussion the following verdict was recorded: — "That the said William Prior was on the 22nd day of September last, found dead in the waters of Porirua Harbour, within the Province of Wellington, in the Colony of New Zealand; that the said William Prior was last seen in a etate of intoxication on the road running along the shore of Porirua Harbour; and that tbe said WilHani Prior bad no marks of violence appearing on his body; but how or by what means be came by liis death, no evidence thereof doth appear to the said jurors."