LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXI, Issue 2433, 27 October 1866, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

N.Z.S.N. Company.— We wouldremind the shareholders of this Company in Wellington that the usual half-yearly meeting of the Company, will be held on Monday next at 2 o'clock in the Athenajutn. We refrain from publishing the working account, as it is not c'ustotnai'y to do so, before the meeting has taken place. In fact, the Chairman of the Company called special attention to this point at the last half-yearly meeting. Coubt of Appeal. - The Court of Appeal sat again on Thursday last, at eleven o'clock, and the judges, besides hearing and deciding on the new case of Mills v. Buck, gave judg. ment in all the remaining cases except that of Sinclair v. Bagge. As this case is a mosx ! important one, involving the question of the legality or illegality of certain Provincial Acts, their Honors have taken further time to con- j sider it, and adjourned till Tuesday next' at eleven o'clock. Citt Assessment. — The new rate is now I due and will bo received by the Clerk to the I Board at the Town Board Office on Mon- J days, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, during office hours. Persons contemplating a change of tenancy would do well to see that the rates have been paid, as otherwise they will be liable for them as occupiers. Town Board. — The Town Board held a special meeting yesterday to hear appeals against the new assessment There were only two appellants, :> and their cases were taken into the favourable consideration of the Board. Wesleyan Sabbath School Tea Meeting. — A few weeks ago the teachers of the above school met together, and agreed to enlarge their school by adding a wing to the present building. Having obtained per-' mission from the Trustees, the teachers set to work and raised about £30 amongst themselves, and had a room built 30ft. x 18ft., with a large gallery in it for the intant classes. By an advertisement we see that a tea meeting is to be held in the school-room on Tuesday evening nest, at six o'clock, for the purpose of raising the balance of the j cost, when we hope that the parents and friends will attend, and show their appreciation of the teachers' labours sabbath after j sabbath. . We understand that a meeting will be held afterwards, when there will be a selection of pieces sung by some of the teachers and scholars. Post Office IS or ice. — We observe from a Post Office notice recently published, that after the despatch of the Suez mails in November next, all letters and book packets from New Zealand addressed to the United Kingdon, the Continent of Europe via the United Kingdom, America, and the West Indies will be sent by way of Panama, unless specially directed otherwise. The object which the Postal authorities have in view is of course, to make the Panama service tho principal one for tho conveyance of mails' to those places. Maori Case. — At the Resident Magistrates' Court yesterday, three 'Maoris were ; brought up charged with assaulting two 1 other Maoris, one being a man, the other a woman, but the case was not a very serious one. Dtfring the hearing of it several Maoris were congregated in the street outside; and one of them, a female, kept up a most lamentable howling, because, as we understood, one of the Maoris^in custody was her son. She was not, however, dealt with harshly, but a policeman gave her a gentle hint, and she moved on. Choral Society. — The Wellington Choral Society held their adjourned meeting on Thursday evening last, at the Odd Pellows' Hull. Ifc was, wo understood, a private one, but we have since been glad to learn that there is some chance of the continuance of tho Society, aud that for the present they will meet every Wednesday evening for practice under the leadership of Mr. Mowbray. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to Mr. Mowbray, for his services. Land Sale. — A sale of 5s land in the Pahaua block, on the East Coast, will take place at the Crown Lands Office, at one o'clock, on Friday,. the 23rd of November next. Band op Hope. — The usual weekly meeting of the above Society, was held in the Temperance Hall, last Thursday evening, and there was a good attendance both of children and adults. The amount collected at the Penny Bank, was £33.

■•■■"■• ' > flpite of the unfair treatment which they flat* received from a portion of the press of thii city, will give another performance on Mon* day next, when they wiJl present "Luke the Laborer." New Clothing Establishment. — rThenew" premises, which Mr. Maclean has lately erected in "Willis-street, opposite Mr. Pearce 8 store, will be opened by nim to-day for the* first time for the sale of drapery and clothiug. He bids fair for the patronage of tbo public, and will, no doubt, find room for a Nourishing business. *«• Sale of Birds. — The birds which hare recently been imported by the Provincial Government, iq the Electra, were sold on Thursday last, at one o'clock, in the grounds of the Superintendent's office by Mr. J. H. Wallace, who acted as auctioneer. There were several persons present and the bidding on the whole, was spirited. Before the said commenced, it was announced- that one of the conditions was, that the birds should; on no account, be sent out of the province. - A letter was also read from Mr. C. Wilson, expressing his willingness to dispose of cock pheasants belonging to him at £2 2s each. The English pheasants, which were first sold, were bought by Messrs. Hunter, Owen and Moore, at an average price of £2 4s each. Two silver pheasants were knocked down, one to Mr. George Hunter at £1, and the other, to the Superintendents £1 ss. .The golden pheasant was also bought by the "ISttperintendent at £1 16s. The remaining birds realised good prices; the small birds, thrushes, larks, &c, fetching £2 10s the cage ; and the French partridges, £2 10s each, The Wairahapa. —We understand that a letter has been received by his Honor the Superintendent expressing, a strong desire on the part of Wi Hapi and Ngairo, that he should come out to Papawai, near Greytown, where they are encamped with their band of Hau Haus, and . see them. Mr. Yarnham recently saw them at that place, and in the course of conversation they both stated that they had not the slightest intention of breaking the peace in the Province of Wellington, and that they wished Dr. Featherston to receive this assurance. His Honor the Superintendent has placed the letter in the hands of the General Government, and should they request his services, will probably be ready to give them. In any case, as the Superintendent has to visit the Wairarapa next week, in order to present the prize rifle oup, it is probable he will see Wi Hapi and Ngairo, who express an intention of waiting till he comes. The letters of our Wairarapa correspondent's strongly urge the Government to take some steps for the protection of the district, an appeal which we support. Cobb & Co. — We understand that the tenders for the inland mail services for the ensuing year, require to be sent in on the Ist of September, though the existing con« tracts of course run on to the end of the year. A.t present the West Coast and Wanganui mail service is performed by Cobb and Co., or rather their successors, J. Forrester and Co., and every one will readily bear testimony to the satisfactory "manner in which the work has been done. Cobb has done much besides to open up the country ; to eacourage travelling ; to . increase the facilities of communication, both on the West Coast and the Wairarapa and has materially aided in its colonisation. Throughout the recent winter we have often been iv« debted for our Wanganui mails to Cobb's extra exertions in sending them forward on. horseback, and thus sotting flooded rivers, and bad weather at defiance. Smart Practice. — The correspondent of the Brisbane Courier, writing from Sydney on Oct. 9th says •'— " A smart business firm here somewhat astonished the natives on the arrival of the Ruahine. Almost immediately afterwards a boy was seen standing at the Herald office distributing supplements with the news. They were eagerly bought up." We have reason to believe that the firm in questiqn was that of Greville and Co., the well known telegraphic agents* who represent "Eeuter," of European celebrity, in the Australian colonies. It will be remembered that on the arrival of the first Panama boat at Sydney, Greville and Go. contrived to secure the telegraph wires first, and flashed the first press telegram of news via Panama all over the Australian continent. It now" appears that they can issue printed " Extraordinaries " of news the moment the Panama steamer arrives at Sydney, an hour or twq beforo the newspapers. Hebrew Congregation at the Hutt.— • No doubt the following may be gratifying to some of our Hebrew readers. On Sunday last, the holy rite of circumcision was performed by the Rev. B. A. Selig, at the house of Mr. Henry Lewis, on his infant son and nephew, in the presence of a full congregation from Wellington, assembled on the occasion. The ceremony being concluded Mr. Lewis entertained his friends to a luncheon, and after grace had been said, the company returned to Wellington. Should the Hebrew population at the Hutt increase in the same ratio that it has done during the past few months, we understand that it is intended to apply to tke Government for a piece of land re hcrcon to erect a synagogue. Furniture. — Yesterday we noticed a very handsome enclosed side board- in Mr. Webbe's Furniture Warehouse, Lambton Quay. It is manufactured from well seasoned rimu, is seven feet six inches long, and the usual height. It has an elaborately carved, back, and the wood is beautifully figured; The top is supported by four carved tresses, representing lions heads and claws. It is conveniently fitted up with trays for glasses, celeret, and other draws usual to this, class of furniture, and has been made to order for A. de B. Brandon, Esq., the price* we understand, being fifty guineas. Supreme Court. — The Supreme Court will sit in bankruptcy on the Bth; November next, when the petitions of James Bain, mariner, of Wellington, and of W, E. Taunton Esq., of Porirua, will be heard. Scholastic. — An examination of School Teachers and candidates from all parts of the Province, will be held in this city earhr in January next. That for probationers will last one day, apd that for third class certificates, two days; and supplementary examinI tions will be held, it requisite at Turakina and Greytown, in tho course of the year. ! Those who intend to offer themselves for I examination should send their names at once to the School Inspector. The New Cricket Grouni>. — We are glad to hear that the Committee appointed to collect; subscriptions, to. raise a fund ito . lease the Basin Reserve from the Board of Works, for the purpose of forming a Publio Cricket Ground, are actively engaged in fulfilling the office they have accepted. Wo will publish the list of subscribers when complete, ,