LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2569, 10 September 1867, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

♦ — ■ Proposed Railway Commission. — The Hon. Licui . Colonel Wlutmore haa given notice that lio will move in the Legislative Council this ufter noon : — That an Address bo presented to his Excellency tho Governor, relative to railways in Now Zealand, brought up on Friday laut, be now adopted. May it please your Excellency— We, the Legislative Council in Parliament assembled, humbly pray, that your Excellency may be pleased to issue a Commission to competent persons to , inquiro into tho subject of railwjiy communica* j tion throughout the colony, and more especially to determine which are the most advantageous lines for trunk railways, with a view to the reservation from Bale of a portion of the unsold Crown Lands adjacent to such lines ; and also to inquiro whether, in all Acts hereafter to be passed by the Legislature for the construction of railways, provision ought not to be made for securing one uniform guago throughout the colony, and what that guago should bo . Sthkkx Improvements. — Pilgrims who have had occasion to traverse that Slough of Despond, Taranaki street, whether in journeying to the Hearen of Latnbfon Quay, or, having lost courage by the difficulty of the undertaking, in turning back to the City of Destruction, Te Aro, will rejoice to learn that the road is being metalled under the superintendence of the Town Archangel, Mr Skeet, for the convenience of future pilgrims. The bridge at the end of Willis street, which lately sustained some dauaago, ia being repaired. We obaoi-ve that the r^ad leading to the gaol, upon which tho prisoners have been, employed for some tim j j.a» ., ia completed, as for as the cutting of it jl«.

?"V '. i ■ ■ ■ f L _ Jofbnalkxio .Qam9sscrMs.^m.axssL feeift' derstand that arrangements have recently been made by which our contemporary the New Zealand Advertiser has changed hands. An arrange* ment of this kind haa long been deemed inevitable, j owing to the pressure of parties possessing claims j against the business, of which they desired an ('immediate settlement. It will be remembered that an attempt was made some months ago, to form a "Limited Liability Company" for the purpose of buying up the Advertiser and carrying it on ; but unfortunately the public leoked celdly on the scheme, and the shares were not taken up — so after a few meetings the projectors abandoned it. Since then, we believe, the property has re- , mained in the market, and various buyers have been talked of. Nothing definite however was arranged until very recontly, when a Mr Parsons, acting as the representative of an Auckland firm which had ! supplied the business with a considerable amount ( of paper, made overtures for paying off the debts j of the journal and assuming its proprietorship. . Mr Parsons has hitherto held a- lucrative position in the Stamp Office, which it is alleged he now gives up to enter upon, without any previous experience, upon the cares, responsibilities, and — we trust — the profits of newspaper proprietorship. Negotiations are not yet, we believe, completed on all matters of detail, but Mr Parsons has already so far assumed the proprietorship as to serve a notice on the sub-lessee of a portion of the newspaper premises that all rents are in future to be paid to him. This, of course, involves the existence of an arrangement { for the payment of existing liabilities. Meantime the previous proprietors, Messrs Joseph and Edward Bull, cease to have any further pecuniary interest in tho business. Mr Joseph Bnll contemplateß migrating to California, and for the present, Mr Edward Bull is employed by the new proprietor, as overseer in the printing department. In the literary department, which for some months has not been under tho control of any one in particular, no change has yet been made, but we believe Mr E. T. Gillon, under whose auspices a little country newspaper in the Middle Island lately came to grief, has been offered the editorship, under the now regimi. Mr Giilon at present is a reporter on the Government staff, and through the permission of tho Ministry haß also hitherto performed a similar duty for the Advertiser. It is rumored that some members of tho Government being anxious to obtain what is known in England as a "kept paper,"— that is to say a journal entirely devoted to their views irrespective of the public interest, have either given or promised support to this new epeculution, but we are not inclined to accept this rumor as relinble without further confirmation. A newspaper indeed which was tied hand and foot in this way, would never obtain the confidence of the community, and could only exist if largely subsidised with the money of individual Ministers, or by receiving large jobs of profitable Government printing. Order Paper.-— The following questions and notices of motion, amongst others, are on to-day's Order Paper of the House of Bepresentatives :— Mr Watt to ask the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wlietlrer mtoualun of tU» olooU'ic,. toleeraDll. from_ Wellington to Wanganui is provided for in the j sum of £38,000 which appears on the present Estimates? Major Heaphy, V.C., to ask the Hon. the Minister for Colonial Defence, if it be the intention of the Government to allot land to tho officers and men of the original company of Forest Rangers, and if so, when effect will be given to such intention ? Mr Ormord to ask the Government, whether the proposal contained in that part of the Financial Statement, which states Government had decided " to propose to the Committee that the confiscated lands should with cert am limited exceptions, and subject, &c, bo handed over as speedily as possible to the respective provinces for their beneficial administration," is intended to be applied in the case of those lands situate on the Kast Coast of the province of Auckland between Opotiki and Mohia Peninsula ; and whether if such be the intention due consideration has been given to the financial condition of the province of Auckland, and the consequent inubility of that province to administer those lamia to tho advantage of the interests of the districts in question and the colony generally ? MrLudlam to move that any correspondence relative to a bond given to certain natives of tho Rangitikei district, by William Davios of Wellington, for the payment of the sum of £600, bo laid upon table of this House. To-morrow the Hon. J. C. Richmond will move that a Select Committee be appointed to inquire into tho circumstances of the nttack on Pokaikai, by tho Colonial Forces under Lieut. -Colonel McDonnell. Committee to consist of Air A. S. Atkinson, MiBaigent, Mr Clark, Mr G. Graham, Mr Ludlam, &Ir Al'Leaii, Mr McNeill, Mr Puioreon, Mr Tuncreel, and tho mover, with power to call for papei s and persons ; three t» be a quorum ; to report in a fortnight. VoitTNTEBR Abtim-hry.— The first drill parade of the newly organised Tolunteor Artillery Com puny was held at half-past seven o'clock yesterdny evening in the Market Hall, and tho member, mustered in force, some of them in their undres.uniform. The parade was under tho command of Captain Buckley, but the preliminary drill was conducted by Sergeant Corliss, barrack-mas cr, late of the Royal Artillery, who put the squad through the first stages of recruit's drill. The carbines for the corps have not yet been served out, but will shortly be issued, and before long the company will be ready for the Armstrong guns. It will perhaps bo as well to point out to our gallant volunteers the advisability of sending to Melbourne for the most recent works on gun nery, as of late 'years the heavy gun-drill ha, considerably changed. It would also bo desirable were the momborß of the company to iiiTeß* in the " Field Exercise of 1863," which contain several simplified evolutions in the preliminary o getting up drill. A copy of the work may b. seen in this officeEjtsign Thorns, 14th Regiment.— This officei. who was oharg«d at Hobwt T«wa witk aa Miaua on a girl undor fourteen years of age, has beei acquitted, and has bow joined the bead quarto of hia regiment at Melbourne. j

■"■•■■* ■ •. KJ*.^---i peared in yesterday's Advertiser respecting tip ■: Benevolent Society's; concert would, if ,l#j!fc, r ■ . unoontradicted, lead .to a most; erroiieou* im» ' pression of the state of the case being enlee* s tamed. The facts are as follow* j — Shortly [ before the concert took place, an application. . was made by one of its promoter* (Mr. '. Parsons) to Mr. Bell,, the Secretary of th» ■-, Odd Fellows' Hall, fer the use of that build* , ing. The applicant was informed that tlw hall had been let to Mr. Nathan, and he was re* commended to apply to that gentleman, which he accordingly did. Mr. Nathan at first refused to accede to the request, but afterwards did so upon hearing that his Excellency the Governor was to I attend the concert. After the performance had taken place, Mr. Nathan was thanked by the Secretary of the conoert committee for having given up the use of the hall, although the gift ' cost him but little, as the proprietors of the building deducted the night's rent from hia account. Upon Mr Bell sending in the account for one night'B use of the hall to Mr. Parson*, he waa told that the concert committee wore not aware that the charge was due, but, if it were, they would ask for its remission, as the concert had been given for & charitable purpose. To this a written reply was sent,, to the effect that if the debt were acknowledged the hall committee | would then state what terms they would offer. " No reply was received to this letter, nor the debt l paid, until three o'clock yesterday afternoon, SO that the Advertiser's statement that the money had been already paid was quite incorrect, and calculated to mislead, not only the public, bnt also those more immediately interested. In considering the matter, it has to be borne in mind, that the money invested in the hall, has not been invested for the benefit of individuals, but the Sick, Dis. tressed and Funeral Fund—an equally charitabl* object with that for whioh the concert was given. Rbpoet of the Aitdit Committbb.— Thtf Audit Committee, in their report, state that it ii physically impossible that the term* of "Tli» Audit Act Amendment Act, 1866," can be com* plied with; the evidence of Mr Woodward* Assistant Treasurer, is exhaustive on this point, and perfectly safisfactory, and the Committee recommend that a law so entirely inoperative be no longer retained in the Statute Book. The Committee at the same time express their opinion that nothing can be more desirable, with regard to the Public Accounts, than that the principle embodied in the said Act should be oarried out, and that the accounts of tho immediately expired financial year, and the Auditor's Report there- ' upon, should be laid before Parliament at it* ; annual sitting. The Committee are, however, of opinion that the suggestion of the Assistant , Treasurer upon the Bubjeot,— -that the account J be absolutely closed upon 30th June, i§ worthy of consideration. The Committee also point out that the " ComptroUer'sAot" is by no "means a perfect measure, and add that no provision exists for the control of the oo« casionally very large sums whioh are raised »nd «• ponded in England, nor for the control of money* ; which pass into the Treasury cheat 'by way of deposit^ as proceeds of Intestate Estates, ; deposits" lnTP^WXAHce^ivrngs^Binlu^^^ ana~pay- — — ments for Post Offioe Money Orders. The Com* ; mittee find that these moneys at present pan into the Public Account, and tint the Oompfcrol* ler has allowed them to be withdrawn, in order to - prevent the very grave inconveniences whioh would have arisen had the terms of the " Comptroller's Act" been strictly complied with. . Amateur Covceut. — The amateur concert given at the Odd Fellows' Hall last night was ft ; decided success, if reitemUd applause is to be' taken as a criterion to judge by, The programme lacked variety, a serious defect, but possessed tb> merit of moderate length. The performance was however, made longer than necessary by the , exorbitant demand for encores, a vicious habit, of Wellington audience*, which the managers of th^, concert probably bore in mind when arranging the programme. It would bean invidious task to., pick out the " gem of tho evening," and we shall therefore not attempt it. The first piece that, attracted notice was Arditti's "II Bacoio," sung by a lady, to a pianoforte accompaniment, nlso execut&d by a lady. The fair songstress wa» evidently nervous, which made her singing rather niievou, and the accompaniment was played. » little too loud ; but both faults were corrected in the pieco sung in response to a hearty encore. A fantasia on the violin, executed by a gentleman, w is really a musical treat, the violinist showing a perfect command oror his instrument, and playing with great delicacy and sweetness. Buckley's " Nil Desperandum" wa9 sung by a lady possess*, ng an exceedingly sweet and clear, though not very powerful voice. Tho s^ame lady gave two or three other songs in the course of the evening with equal skill and effect. Another lady also deserves praise for her pretty rendering of Wrighton's "Her Bright Smile." There wer» two quartettes sung during the evening, but would, both have been improved by a little more praotice. vVe present tho programme, which, however, wai' not strictly adhered to, two or three songs being interpolated amongst the pieces set down :— Part 1. — Duett, L'ltaliana in Algeria, (violin accoai* paniment), Rossini ; song, "Under the' Walnut free," Linley ; solo (piano), Scottish airs; *ang, 4 11 Baccio," L. Arditti ; solo (violin), fantasia j j <ong, " Nil Deaperandum," Blockley j quartette, ' Here in Cool Grot," Mornington. Part 2.— ' *010 (piano), "Nightingale Waltz," 0. Martin: song, "Auld Robin Gray;" song, "Her Bright cJmile," Wrighton ; solo (piano) ; song"LaFiglift lei Reghnento ;" solo and quavtette " Come *here my love lies Dreaming ;" " God Save the Tho concert was given in aid of the unds of St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, whioh vill, we should imagine, be considerably benefitted ■y it, as there was a numerous audience present. Gold in the U^pee Moboa. — The Mastertoa urreepondent of the Wairarapa Mercury, sayg is reported that gold has been found at the Tpper Moroa. The 14th Regiment. — Our old friends of ti*« •cond battalion l4tk Rogkare amusing the MeU .* ourne public by theatrical performances, asd itraobing large houses.

«»— »»y— m w^^w*- i i — ■ \ ■ "Thb Convict TBicKEB.-^Tbe Select Committee appointed by the' House of Itypreßeritativei to in» vestigifcethe'truta'of the statements set forth in the' petition of the Bey.A. Stock, relative to the oaie of "Walter Tricker, examined several priioners at the gaol yesterday. Ab the proceedings of Select ContmitteVs are conducted with closed doors, we cannot at present obtain any report of the examination. Mr Stock was present during the enquiry, and ( will bo examined by the Committee to-day. We , shall shortly be able to give the result of the enquiry. Penny Headings. — Penny Peadings appear to have become quite a favorite mode of amusement in this province. The first of a series is to take place at the Karori schoolhouse, to-morrow evening, under the presidency of J. E. FitzGerald, Esq. Madamb Cabandini.— -We are pleaied to obaerve that this talented lady, with Mr Walter Sherwin, and the Missos Carandini are at present giving la Beries of succeseful concerts in Dunedin, and may shortly be expected in the Empire City. We heartily congratulate Madame Carandini on her aucceas in the south, and look forward .with pleasure for her arrival here. We havo vivid recollections of the very many enjoyable evenings •we spent on the occasion of her first visit to Wel» lington in company with Messrs Small, Salaman, and Kohler, and we further look upon her &b the pioneer of legitimate amusement in New Zealand, and can safely predict for her a hearty welcome on her first appearance, and liberal support during her Btay amongst us. Of the Misses Caraneliui we cannot speak personally, never having heard them, but from criticisms in the Melbourne Argus (no mean authority by the way), and other reliable information, we are perfectly satisfied of their ability both as vocalists and instrumentalists, indeed the very fact of their taking part in the Concerts given by their gifted mother is in itself a sufficient recommendation. My Uncle. — Wellington is making rapid advances in civilisation, and very shortly all the conveniences of the old country will be found in the " Empire City." "My Uncle" has act-up an ettablishment on Lambton Quay, and generously otfera to assist needy persons with pecuniary advances ; all he asks in return, being a. material proof of his protegbs' love. The old man, however, appears not to have yet overcome that bashfulness which is incidental to most people's advent amongst strangers, and instead of erecting his Lomburdic coat of arms over the door of his mansion, has Bimply posted up an announcement of his benevolent intentions in the front window. May it be long before his charity is put to the test! The Benevolent Society. — We havo been requested by the Rev P. Hay Maxwell to acknowledge the receipt of £2 for the Benevolent Society, being a small donation from a visitor to Wellington. .Sheep Shearing. — A dispute has arisen between the sheep-shearers and flock-owners of Marlborough. The former demand 20s per 100 ; the latter offer 17s 6d with rations. x>». -EtAaox.— x>r Julius Haasfc, JProvincial Geologist of Canterbury, has be«n elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of London. AuACAS.—The Argus of the 24th ult. says :— "An alpaca weighing 2161 b when dressed, has been killed at Bathurst, and retailed at Is per lb. The meat found a ready sale, and was highly spoken of by those who tasted it." Seals. — A seal of the same description as the specimen some time ago exhibited at Wellington, has bean lately killed on the beach at Oaraaru. Miss Habbibt Gobdon.— This clever actress, favorably known in this colony, has been drawing large houses on the West Coast, and is expected to make & tour through New Zealand. Pbimitive METHODIBTS.~-The New Zealand Herald, speaking of Mra Waters, of fchia city, who has recently retnrned from Auokland, says : — " Though tho lady'a sermons are not remarkable for any unusual display of originality, and are perhaps, somewhat wanting in that comprehend siveness, methodical arrangement, vigor, and clearness of logic of the opposite sex, she possesses a certain self possession and apparent earnestness that are calculated to invest her sermons with a good deal of iinpresßiveness and interest, and ! which display a highly cultivated intellect." Latest Waibabapa News. — The Mercury (of yesterday) understands that thirty-one members of the late G-reytown Cavalry Volunteers have made a request to Captain Donald, commanding the Wairarapa Cavalry Volunteers, to bo permitted to form under his command a second division, to which he has acceded. At tho usual monthly meeting of the Cornmitteo of the Upper Muroa Small Farm Association, held at Grey town, on Saturday, the Secretary was requested to communicate with the Government in order to ascertain whether the lands in the block belonged to tbo Crown, and if there were any Native Reserve within the block whether the boundaries of such reserve had been defined. A large meeeing of the rate-payers of the Greytown Road District | took place on Satnrday afternoon. The following ■ gentlemen were elected wardens, Messrs C R. i R. Bidwell, S. Revans, H. Jackson, H. Udy, sen., ! T. Kempton, jun., and J. Tocker ; Messrs A. jj Bkipper and E. Grigg, were elected Auditors. On the proposition of Mr P. Cotter, a maximum rate of 6d per acre wob agreed to. A meeting of tho Provisional Directors of the Wairarapa Public Hsll, took place on Tuesday evening, when it was resolved to cull a meeting for Saturday, the 14th ! inst., at 7 o'clock, in the Greytown school house, j of those who hud paid tho first deposit on their shares, to receive the Provisional Directors report, to elect a Committee of Management, and to decide on tho site of the Hall. 170 deposits on shares have been paid. Eaetikjuake at Melbourne.— The Argus informs us that a pretty smart shock of an earthquake was felt in Melbourne at half-past five o'clock on the morning of tho lOlh jJug;ußt, and' was also experienced at Queenscliff in the south, ' and as far north as Castlcmaine. The shaking of tho earth lasted for about six seconds ; it was i accompanied by a low rumbling sound, and the Vibration was sufficient to cause doors and window gashes to rattle, and crockery to clatter pretty loudly. The direction of the wave was from E. to W. Afc Queenscliffe it was remaiked that the iQwers of the lighthouse vibrated considerably.' The t-hock would seem to have been more violent in Geelong thttn elsewhere ; the noise there was! $£mpared fo a great explosion, and houses were fhaken to their foundations. Some slight amount of damage was caused, such as a ceiling or two! being shaken down. Corio Bay was very much' ugitated.

r Otra Noblb' Selves.— The Hokitika Evening Stcir uayi : ! — One of the' richest, -the raciest, the rarest, and mOBt unique ideas .which ever, emanated, ■ from any ..deliberative,., legislative, or executive body, whether somebedies or nobodies, is that of the Colonial Parliament of Now Zealand, whereby every member's speech is to bo reported at the .public expense, of "courseT in full, whether it.be good, bad, or indifferent, short or long, foolish or wise, courteous or abusive! What shall we be 'asked next to contribute towards the requirements of " honorable " members. If ;their speeches are to be paid for, why nob their wine and grog scores ; for,. we may depend on it that in- very many c.asos the length and quality of the former is greatly dependant on the strength and quantity of the latter. If we pay for the reporting of speechesof members made in the House, why not for members observations made in the lobby, orduring refreshment time, or in the domestic circle. We are in possession of the firßt number of the New Zealand Parliamentary Debates, which extends over four nights, and occupies fifty-two closely printed pages in solid type, equal to about one hundred columns of the Evening Star. No bad amount of speaking this. These four days dobates now lie upon our office table, and we hereby offor a very handsome premium to the first person who will undertake to read them from beginning to end without afterwards being confined to his bed from collapse produced by utter exhaustion. Spelling through a hundred pages of a Latin dictionary or a Greek lexicon would be light, airy, and most interesting reading in comparison to perusing these debates. Ye gods ! Show us the man who could do it and we will pronounce him not the eighth, bufc the number one wonder of the world. What tees' Sat of U9 in England. — Representative Government in the colonies does not appear to meet with the approval of Earl Grey. In a recent debate held in the House of Lords (June 18) a petition was presented from the Cape of Good Hopeagainsttho withdrawal of troopsfrom the colony, and urging tho peculiar position of thefrontier,arißing from the annexation of Caffraria. The Duke of Manchester, who presented the petition, supported its prayer. The Earl Carnarvon, the minster from whom the impugned order had issued, justified the act. Earl Grey objected to the same rule being applied indiscriminately to all colonies, and insisted that the Cape colontstß, being exposed to the inroads of savage tribes, were entitled to miltary aid from the home country. Quoting the case of New Zealand as an instance of the disadvantages arising from Colonial Representative Government, he strongly favored the retention of an Imperial force at the Cape of Good Hope as just towards the colony and advantageous to the Imperial interests. The petition was ordered to lie on the table. Geneeali Chute. — The Major-General commanding the forces in Australia, has been on a tour of inspection through Queenslandt Mattngataptt Mubdebs:— The Ovens Advertiser, referring to the grant of £200 made by the General Government of New Zealand to the widow of Felix Mathieu murdered by the gang of assassins, Burgess Lcvi, Kelly, and Sullivan, says — " Mr and Mrs Mathieu were well known in the Ovens district. In 1854 he was a cook at Luke Keilly's, and Mrs Mathieu, then Mrs Price kept a restaurant at Happy Valley, on the BucklandRoad,whf rehe soon after joined her. Theythence proceeded to Snowy Creek, and subsequently to the first rush at the Indigo, and thence to Wood's Point, always engaged in the iune business. At the first rush to New Zealand they started for that place, and there the unfortunate man met with his melancholy death. Telegraphic Blunders. — A very awkward mistake was lately made in the transmission of a telegraphic message from Dunedin to the DunBtan. Messrs Henry and James Glaß9ford, of Matakanui Station on a visit to Dunedin ; and a teiugrapiiti! message, with no Christian name attached was [forwarded by one of those gentleman, to tho effect—" That ho could not leave till Monday." The word " leave " was construed by the Tokomairiro operator into " live ;" and, ! of course, the message produced tire greatest consternation. A special messenger was de- | spatched to convey the melancholy intelligence to I the station, 25 mile 3 distant. The messenger, however, acted with great discrimination, and upon his arrival at the station, expressed an opinion that there must be some mistake, as no person was likely to be so cool as to intimate by telegraph his so rapidly approaching decease. The second difficulty was, to which of the Mrs Glassfords the measnge was to be delivered. In the course of the evening the error was discovered by the Toko mairiro operator, and the alarm which everyone interested bad felt was eppedljr allayed.