LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1605, 2 August 1861, Page 5

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wellington Athenaeum. — We are happy to oall our readers attention to the

iuaurgual lecture which Judge Johnston has undertaken to deliver on Wednesday next. The learned Judge has selected for his subject the Poet Keats well known sentiment " A Thing of Beauty xn a Jot roit ever." With such a subject and such a lecturer, the audience may anlicipate a treat such as they seldom enjoy; for just as when Dr. Johnson was once asked the moaning of a line of Pope's he replied — "I do not know, Sir, what it means, but it was intended to annoy somebody;" so if our readers ask us the meaniug of the above lino of Keuts, we think we may quite as appropriately reply that it was meant to please everybody. The whole building has been thoroughly renovated, and the Lecture I Hall, especially, presents an aspect of comfort, such as it has never done before. The New Zealand Bank —We are happy to hear that nearly 3200 shares have been taken up in Wellington. Not ess than 4,000 however, will give this community the power of electing their own Directors, and it is to be hoped that the list will be filled up to this extent at an early date. Some hesitancy has been feh from the circumstance that no advice has been received of any of the members who are now in Auckland, except Capt. Rhodes, having taken up shares ; but i is more than probable that this circumstauce has arisen from their anticipated return to Wellington during the month's adjournment it was originally contemplated by the Fox Ministry to ask — an adjournment which it was found after wards could be dispensed with. As the members may probably return by the Airedale in about ten days time, it may reasonably be expected that at least the 4,000 shares which are necessary to be taken up here, in order to give us all the advantages which a local bank can offer, will be more than fully applied for. Selling Arms to the Natives.; McCoys case came on for hearing yesterday. As McCoy did not appear, it was postponed till the afternoon, when, not answering to his name, steps were taken to estreat his bail. We ( understand that the Resideut Magistrate refused to issue a warrant for his apprehension on the ground that no authority had been delegated by the Governor to any one in this province to prosecute, os required by the Arms Act. The case, therefore, has fallen to the ground. Without for one moment assuming that McCoy is guilty, it is to be regretted that through an omission of the General Government the cuse should not have been tried. It is useless Mr. Stafford offering rewards for the detection of crime, if the power to prosecute is withheld. This will of course be remedied by first return mail from Auckland. Pack Horses for the Army. — We copy the following from a Sydney Herald ofthe6thult. The price at which the contract has been taken we have not learnt, but the Horse market report in the same paper says " about fifty inferior and common hor&es have been purchased this week for shipment to New Zealand, at piices varying from £5 to £8." The contractor, however, writes to say, that this is incorrect, the prices which he has paid varying from £5 to £16. — "We (Sydney Herald) are glad to hear that the military authorities in New Zealand, — for it is to be hoped that the power is now in their hands, — have entered into a contract here for the supply of packhorses, for the conveyance of munitions of war, and of human provender, across the dreary mountain, where the heavy waggon, and " the sluggish car 1 ' so often come to a stand-still. The first contract is for one hundred horses, and has been accepted by Mr. Cheeseborough, son-in-law of Mr. Armstrong, veterinary surgeon, of Pitt-street. Between seventy and eighty of the animals have been purchased. They are not tall, stately animals, or very comely to look at, for such for the purpose would be of no avail, but they are strong, short legged, able bodied brutes, with almost a mulelike propensity for drawing a loud up and down a mountain* The first half of the draft will be shipped on Wednesday next, by the' City of Melbourne, from Smith's Wharf, Millers' Point. I; is pleasant, even in her difficulties, to see that New South Wales should be found whether in nnimals or in minerals, the mother of the materials of locomotion for the sister colonies,"