LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2582, 10 October 1867, Page 3

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Prorogation ov the General- Assemutcy. — The House of Kepresentatives will meet at halfpast eleven o'clock this morning for the transaction of some formal business, and the prorogation of tho Assembly is expected to take place betweon twelve and one o'clock. A number of members left for their homes yesterday in tho steamei'B Tararua, Airedale, and Kangatira, and tho remainder will probably loavo to-day in tho Taranaki andPhosbe.

The Superintendent. — His Honor tho Superintendent yesterday evening proceeded to Castle Point in the Colonial steamer St. Kilda, and will, wo believe, be absent for about a week.

The Judges. — Mr Justice Moore, Mr Justice Gresson, and Mr Justice Chapman, have arrived in town in order to attend tho annual Bitting of the Court of Appeal.

Legislative Councillors. — Tho non. Major Eichardson slated in the Legislative Council on Tuesday evening, that; (he names of those Councillors who have beon absent without leave for two successive sessions will bo struck oil' the roll,

Inquiry into tkk Loss ov the Manttkau.— A preliminary enquiry was held to-dny in tho Custom House, before Mr Seed, Commissioner of Customs, into the circumstances attending the wreck of the N.Z.S.N. Company's three-masted schooner Manukau. The carpenter and pome of Uio crow wero examined, and the enquiry was adjourned pending tho avrivul in town of Captain Bryant, who is still at the scono of tho wreck.

Penny Beading. — Tho usual weekly PennyReading will be given at the Temperance Hall ilub evening.

• "Stah" Boating Club. — Ten now members havejiut joined the "Star" Boating Club.

The Wbeck op the Manukatt.-— We have received some additional particulars relative to the wreck of this vessel from a correspondent at Manawatu, who writes as follows on the sth inst. : — " You will no doubt have heard already about the wreck of the schooner Manukau, about four miles from the Manawatu ferry mouth, still I question if any details have yet reached you. Two men were drownod, and the body of one— - Mr King, the chief officer — having been fovmd

', washed ashore, an inquest was held upon it on : Friday last, before Bitten Smith, Esq., coronen , and a jury, which included Major Edwards, Resident Magistrate, as Foreman, Captain Bascand of the steamer Waipara, and several experienced nautical men. Evidence was taken afe considerable length, which made two things perfectly clear; first, that; poor King was not drowned, but accidentally killed by the fall of the mizenmast ; and second, that the Manakatt was in an entirely unseatvorthy condition. So strongly was the jury convinced of this, that after returning a verdict relative to the cause of death in accordance with the evidence, they added the following rider : — " The jury beg to call attention to the grave responsibility which rests on those who permitted the Manukau to go to sen in the i condition she wa9 in, it appearing from the evidence that she was not only very leuky, but that some of her timbers, spars, and planking were I absolutely rotten. The jury therefore request that the coroner will sue that the above expression of opinion is forwarded to the proper authorities." I perfectly agree -with thia rider. The condition of the vessel was absolutely shameful. She struck at four on Thursday morning, and almost immediately went to pieces. Most ef the men got a«hore on pieces of the wreck, and the carpenter, who had been working in the after part of the vessel, wns rescued by Mr Nicholson, who, with a rope attached to his body, boldly swam out through the surf, to the vessel, and brought the man ashore. It was blowing very hard at the time of tho wreck, and so far as could be ascertained from the evidence, the captain and crew of the vessel were perfectly sober. The s.s. Waipara is still in the river weathor-bound. It is blowing a gale now, (Tuesday). The body of the other man drowned, has not yet been found."

Court of Aitkai-. — The Judges of the Court of Appeal will meet at 10 o'clock on Saturday morning. The following cases have been set down for hearing : — From Wellington : Cameron and Cameron ; Kebbell and Jacka ; Stelling and McEwon ; Kennard and Featherston. From Canterbury : Tooth and Chapman ; Toms and Grigg and others ; Dalgetfy and King; Fleming and Marshall ; Buckley and another and King. From Otago : Garringe and Hepburn ; Cameron and Otago Daily Times ; Clements and Edmunds ; Clements and Dodson. (These two latter cases will probably be heard together). .From Nelson : The Queen and James, reserved case. From Hokitika *. Bartlett and Shaw.

Auckland and Drury Railway Bill.— The bill which is intended to onablo tho Provincial Government of Auckland to complete the Auckland and Drury railway has passed its third reading in the House of Representatives. While it was going through Committee, Mr Robert Graham (on behalf of Mr Carlcton) endeavored to get a clause inserted appropriating the sum which Auckland will receive under the Surplus Revenue Adjustment Act to the railway, but, as Bomo difficulty arose as to the competency of the Committee to deal with the clause, the Auckland members, fearing lest tho bill should drop altogether, insisted upon its being passed through its various stages at once, which was accordingly done, without tho clause.

Ministers' Residkncks. — A sum of £600 has been voted by tho House of Representatives as i*p»t for Ministers' residences. When tho item was under discussion, Sir David Monro expressed himself very strongly in favor of an increase being made in the salaries given to members of the the Executive. Mr >Stnflbrd said he concurred in thi« opinion, and, wero he out of office, would propose an increase; but the Ministry had not thought fit to do so tins session owing to the present circumstances of the colony.

Benevolent Socikty. — At the usual weekly meeting of the Wellington Benevolent Society which wti3 hold on Tuesday afternoon, there were present Messrs D. Lewis (chairman), Powles, the Revs P. H. Maxwell, and A. Stock. The Secretary read a letter from the Hon. J. C. Crawford, explaining the reason of his absence from the meeting, and recommending several persons as worthy of relief. On tho motions of the Revs ' Messrs Stock and Maxwell, several persons in j distress were relieved. The Secretary submitted an account /'or printing circulars and advertising, amounting to £17, which was ordered to be paid. It wub intimated that Cup tain Benson had kindly offered to have circulars written, requesting persons connected with the shipping to subscribe to tho funds of tho society. It was also intimated by tho secretary that the funds of tho society tit the previous meeting was £206 ; that since that time money had been paid in, making tho funds now about £210. Several cases of distress, however, are now under the charge of the Society ; tho funds, therefore, at next meeting, will not be so great as at present. Guard of Honor. — The members of the recently organised Artillery Corps will to-day make their first appearance in public en masse, Captain Buckley having received instructions to parade his men and march them up to the Government Buildings, in order to form the guard of honor on tho occasion of tho prorogation ef Parliament by bis Excellency the Governor. Mb Donovan. — Among the passengers yesterday evening by tho steamer Tararua was Mr E. C. Donovan, who proceeds in that vessel to Melbourne en route to England by tho overland route, his duties in this colony in connection with the Cook's Straits cable having been concluded in tho most satisfactory manner. During his brief residence in Wellington Mr Donovan made many friends, a largo body of whom assembled on the whurf to wish him a pleasant passage and a happy return homo. Thk Fhee Caußcn Soikee.— The following; statement of the receipts and disbursements on account of the above soiree held in the Willis street church on Monday evening last, has been handed us for insertion, from which it is gratifying to find that a handsome balance remains to | the credit of the church funds : — Subscriptions from ladies having oharge of tea trays, £10 15s j tickets sold, and receipts at door, " £20 2s ; sun* dries sold, 16s 4d j total, £31 13a 4d. Paid baker and grocer, £10 8s 8d ; other contingencies, £1 ss ; balance to credit of church faud, £19 19a 8d ; total, £31 13s 4d.

j iNQXrssTP^Aii inqxTeW'wae'h'eld'Ql'Tne" Hoij>£f tftl yesterday afternoon, before) Dr Boor, cowmei 1 of the district, on view of the body of Duncan Thompson, the unfortunate man who, on Monday afternoon^ received such severe injuries from & fragment of rock thrown tip -when Mv Toni»' ■workmen were blasting the hill behind WiUw street, injuries which caused his death oh Tuesday. The evidence of Mr Tonks' foreman andDr Grace having been taken, ;the jury returned a verdict to the effect that death waa caused by the accident, and attached a rider commenting on the danger attending the habit of blasting in such close proximity to a public thoroughfare.

Sale op Allotments on thb Ueolaimed Land. — Yesterday afternoon there was submitted to public competition at the Crown Lands office, Thorndon, forty of the allptraentsof the reclaimed land, some time ago advertised for sale by auction in the Provincial Government Gazette. The at" tendance was not large, and the bidding, as has always been the case, wna extremely feeble. Mr Holmes officiated as the Knight of the Hammer, and having read out the conditions of sale, put up the several lots, none of which realised more than the upset price. Out of the whole of the forty allotments, seven only found purchasers as fol* lows :~Section 52, 80 feet frontage to Panama street, at £17 per foot, to the P.N Z. & A.R.M, Company ; section 63, 41ft 6in frontage to Lambton Quay, at £16^0 Mr Abraham Harris; section 69,40ft to Lambton Quay, at £18 per foot, to Mr J. Burne ; sections 149, 150, 151, 152, to Mr E. W. Mills, the first two at £10 per foot each, and the two latter at £12 and £14 per foot each, respectively. The whole proceeds of the sale amounted to £3,612, and the value of all the lots submitted was £22,000.

Wellington Literaey and Debating- Association. — This Association met at the Athen* teuni yesterday evening. Mr Green announced his resignation as secretary and trensurer, and Mr Ingpen was elected to fill those offices. A diacusi eion took place on the subject of "Centralism and Provincialism," which was finally adjourned till the next meeting. There was a good attendance, and several new members were proposed and elected.

Great Acrobatic Fbat.— This evening Ver* telli will recommend himself to the people of Wellington by making his first terrific ascont on a half- inch wire cord, Btretched from the top of the lofty rear buildings to the front, across the court-yard of Osgood's Empire Hotel.

TpE Cadet Corps.— The young members ef this company yesterday morning commenced drilling at Thorndou, aad will, "we understand, have frequent parades so as to perfect themselves in company's drill before the arrival of his Eoyal Highness the Duke of .Edinburgh.

Kaiwarrawarba School.— The usual weekly penny reading was held in the Kaiwarrawarra Schoolroom yesterday evening, and was well attended by a respectable audience. Mr Sims read a chapter from " Pickwick," and Mr Moßley some extracts from " Artemus Ward."

The Late Mr G. Brown. — A correspondent writing from Johnsonville, on Sunday, the 6th October, makes the following remarks : — Sir, — Ik tho Independent of Saturday, (sth inst ) you furnish your readers with a notice of an inquest held at the Rainbow Hotel, Kaiwarra, on the body of Mr George Brown. Tho urticle commences with Cg Death by Drowning," and ends with the verdict of tho jury of "Died from tho effects of an epileptic flb." You go on to state that "he was last seen alive on Wednesday evening atNgahau* ranga, ho having left the Rainbow Hotel shortly before." Now tho unfortunate deceased was last 6een alive on Wednesday evening, at Mr Tetlej's Butchery in Johnsonvillo. He ia supposed to have left ot about nine o'clock in the evening, and Mr Brown, if actually seen at Wallace's Inn, (Futter's), Ngahauranga, on Wednesday evening, was on his way to Wellington, and had never reached the Kuiwarra. It is sufficiently remarkable that the body hud not been observed.at an earlier hour than iiirie o'clock, considering that ninny persons must have passed the spot before nine o'clock, on Thurscbiy morning. As Mr Brown has left a widow and considerable pro* pertr, I trust you will procure and publish, a correct statement."

Threatening Indications. — In alluding to the attitude of the Hauhftus the Haiokes' Bay Herald remarks :— " Not long since we noticed thivt a chief named Karamoa had been shot, by order ol' the King, for -having abandoned their * cause ; and latterly it hus come to our knowledge t-hut n manifesto lms been issued, by the authority of the King, and circulated amongst the tribes, justifying that act, and declaring that no mercy should be extended to traitors — that death should everywhere bo the punishment of desertion from the cause. All true Hnuhaus wcro culled upon to look upon the execution of Karamoa as an example for their guidance in like cuses. The unfortunate man Karamoa was a Waikato chiefi formerly of the Hauhau parfy. He was in the engagement at Orakrfu, where the Hauhaus Buffered" so severely. Subsequently he joined the Queen party, and ctime to Napier on a visit to Kavaitiana. On his return to Waikato, he and His friend Netipi were shot by a party of the " twelves, 3 ' headed by one Mohi, for disloyalty to the King, as has been stated. Paora Matenga is now in town, and we are informed that he and his party are desirous of getting some arms and ammunition from the Government for self-de-fence. Wo do not know what the result may be ; but it is an important question whether an effort should not be made to assist these people againsb the common enemy.

Fatal Accident. — A telegram was on the 4th inst., received by Mr Inglis, the mnnager of. Mtttheson's Agency, Lyttelton, from Mr Mark Sprot of Hokitifca, informing him that Mr Taylor, of tho Lakes Station, Huruuui, had been drowned in the Rangiriri. Thk Bench and Bab. We find the following in the West Coast. Times of the 25th ult:— During tho sittings in Banco yesterday, Mr Justice Richmond remarked—" That some of tha members of tho Assembly were going in for the concentration of the judicial power of the colony. There was no doubt the Bench and tho Bar in New Zealand would never rank as high without such concentration as wns adopted in other colonies ; but, on tho other hand, the present system was a great convenience, and gave great facilities for the transaction of business. The proposition, of course, hud no reference whatever to the trial of issues of fact, whether of a civil or criminal character, but referred solely to sitting in Banco.'* New Zealand Criminals in Melbourne. — The Argus of the 26th September, says : — Mr» O'Neill, formerly Mi93 Anna Maria Quinn, appenrcd before the city magistrates yesterday morning, on remand, charged on four warranti with litrcony in New Zealand. Mr Aspinall, who defended her, submitted to the Bench that thefeWorships had no jurisdiction under the Justice* Act to send tho defendant out of the colony | and this view being concurred in by tho niagii* trates, she was discharged. Another individual ! named James Lyons, who waß charged with forgery in New Zealand, was also discharged fron^ the jurisdiction of the city magistrates, as they ! could not authorise his rauorol to that colony.