LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXIV, Issue 2782, 9 January 1869, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Governor.— -His Excellency the Clovernor will leave for the South this afternoon in H.M. s.s. Challenger. His Excellency will be accompanied on his tour by Capfc. Smith, aide-de-camp, and the following Maori chiefs : — Wi Tako, Mete Kingi, and Tamihana Te Eauparaha. He is not expected to arrive at Port Cooper bofore midday on Monday ; so thafc tho Challenger will make an easy passage down. The AsTERorE. — This vessel has cleared at the Customs, and is now ready for sea. As will be seen from our shipping columns, she takeß a i number of passengers and a valuable cargo. It is hoped that in a few days Captain Stuart will have sufficiently recovered to take the command. It will be seen the cargo is valued afc £47,029. Funeeal op Cai>tain Smith.— Captain W. Mein Smith, 5..A. was borne to his last home on earth on Wednesday afternoon. A procession of fully 200 of of fche mosfc respeotable of fche Wairarapa settlers followed the corpse from WoodBide to the Greytown cemetery, which was further augmented on its way by a troop of mounted volunteers under tho command of Adjutant Cleland and a company of Maoris who came to pay the last mark of respect to one who knew their race well in the old times. Headed by the clergyman, mounted, as were the others, the long line of mourners reached the grave where the. Churoh

service was read by the Rev. Dan' Desbois. The N wild, breezy Moroa plain seemed a fit resting place for one whose best years and energy had been spent in preparing the wilderness for the abode of men, and who had lived to see his hard • - work profit co many of his countrymen. Ab a' simple minded gentleman, a scholar, and a friend his loss has yet to be felt and realised. City Impbovemente.— Notwithstanding the. 1 depressed state of trade, we are glad to see a number of buildings in course of erection in various parts of the .town. At Thorndon end, at fche corner of. Molesworth and Pipitea streets, is ' '■ ' a large and commodious hotel in an advanced ' stage of completion, for Mr Urwin, which will bean improvement; to that part of the town, and an additional convenience to members of the G-eneral Assembly ; and, on the opposite corner, Mr Nicholas is. also having another hotel built. Mr C. Tringham is the designer, and superintends fche erection of both those buildings. On Lambton quay is a large and handsome building in the Italian style of architecture, also designed and under the superintendence of Mr Tringham, at the order of Mr J. M. Cleland of Thorndon. 1 Considering the limited area of the Bite, we think the building has been admirably arranged. It is ) divided into three excellent; shops and dwelling ;,- houses combined, by means of party walls, which are lined with tongued and grooved boards on each side, and filled in with dry sand. This is a . very good arrangement, as ifc will effectually pre- ' i vent the sound in one house from passing into?, the next. Some improvement is also to be seen ! in Willis street. The butcher's shop of Messrs [ Barber now presents a handsome appearance, having had another storey added, under the supervision and designs of the same architect. ) Eabthquakes. — The Nelson Mail, of the 4th ' instant, says : — Another smart shock of earth- ' quake was experienced in Nelson yesterday morn* i ing afc 25 minutes past; 10. Beyond creating un- ; easiness and alarm, we have not heard of any harm having been done. There was another but 1 much slighter. shock this morning at _ o'clock. i Obdeb op Fobestebs. — Ifc may be interesting ' to know that the Foresters are distributed over the world in the following proportions : — Eng« j land, 304,056 ; Ireland, 1193; Scotland, 2486; » Wales, 13,283; New Zealand, 1420; South i Africa, 198 ; New South Wales, 912 ; South Aus- | tralia, 2830; United States, 191 ; Victoria, 9819 ; and the West Indies, 100. The Tabanaki Almanac. — We have received a copy of this handsome little work which does 5 credit to the Herald office, from which ifc i? issued. *■ It contains some valuable information with' referJ ence to the province of Taranaki, and is adorned. ' with colored illustrations. The compiler has ex- . hibited great taste and skill in conveying much r, information in a email compass. The Govebnob's Visit. — The Press, of the L 7th instant, says : — At a committee meeting held . in the Lyttelton Council Chamber on Tuesday . evening, the following resolutions were passed i- — [ "That fche Governor be received on his landing t and an address read to him by the" Mayor under : f the triumphal arch to be erected across the bptt torn of Oxford street, stretching from Mr D. - i Davis's store to the Canterbury Hotel." " That i a dejeuner should be given in the Colonists' Hall ; • tickets one guinea each." " Thafc the different 1 orders and friendly societies be invited to join the 1 procession." " That the erection of a dais and ! other matters be left to Messrs Inglis, Donald, ' Allwright, England, and Chalmers." , TeoutOva. — The attempt to acclimatize trout ova at Nelson has been pronounced successful. The Countt Movement. — A movement has i been commenced afc the Buller for the purpose of j promoting the separation of that district from , Nelson, and its formation into a county. Eeteenohment. — Tho Marlborough Press [ says :— A movement is on foofc in the more southi crn portion of the province for memorialising the : General Government to compel a reduction in fche number of Provincial Government officials under • i the altered circumstances of Marlborough. The ? promoters consider that the duties of the whole : departments might be efficiently performed by a Commissioner of Waste Lands and his clerk. The Caledonian Gathebing.— - The Committee have published their report, from whioh it appears that tho receipts amounted to £207 18s 6d, and the expenditure to £131 Is 3d, leaving the handsome balance of £46 17s 3d for the fund for the relief of sufferers from tho present insurrection resident on the East and West coasts. Abmed Constabulaby, — There are at present on pay upwards of 2000 officers, non-commissioned officers, and men belonging to this force in the North Island — a force amply sufficient to put down the native rebellion. Accident. — A lad named Johnson, son of a warder afc the gaol, who was driving with his brother in a cart, met with a severe and fatal accident in Molesworth street yesterday morning. By some means the cart tilted and the little fellow was turned oufc, and sustained severe injuries on his head. He was conveyed to the hospital, when he died shortly after his admission. An inquest will bo held at 2 o'clock this afternoon. The Auckland Almanac— We have received from Mr Wayte, bookseller, Auckland, the copy of "The Auckland Almanac and Goldfields Annual for 1869." The work abounds in useful information, is creditably got up, and is remark* ably cheap. The Duxe of Edinburgh's Visit. — As the time is now drawing near for the arrival of Prince Alfred on a visit to this colony, people should begin to bestir, themselves in making preparations for receiving him. We hear that several tradesmen have already given orderß to Mr J. H. Cowan to execute transparencies for them. It may be recollected that this artist arrived here from Melbourne last year, and painted several transparencies in view of the Prince's visit, which was then expected. Beautiful Cabinet Wobk. — Afc . Sam, Wah and Co's establishment in Manners street there are to be seen as splendid specimens- of carving work as were ever manufactured m these colonies. There are two elaborately carved frames for cheval glasses, ornamented with various mouldings, birds, birds nests, and other figures j a. bird cage surmounts one, which has a carved bird inside, all made oufc of one piece of wood. There is a very large and elegant sideboard, principally made of rimu and totara ; cheffoniers, carved bedsteads, and ofcher cabinet; work too numerous fco mention, and which must be seen to be appreciated, ••^p^w-'o;; ■■•-.■■■■.

Mb Bbuce.— lt will be Been from our police report that Mr Bruce after more than a month's imprisonment has been discharged from custody. We cannot help saying, after the hard and unusually severe articles thafc have appeared in the Melbourne papers on the subject, that we did not expect to see the case end in such an nnlooked for manner. It was only reasonable to expect thafc, when journals, holding fche position that the leading Melbourne papers do, nofc only give currency to charges such as they have done, bufc write such Btrictureß on one who had certainly not as yet been proved guilty of any crime, fchafc the affair would not have thus ended in smoke. We are informed that the only message brought from Melbourne on the subject was an order from Mr J. W. Howden of fche Custom House to Captain Underwood of the Gothenburg to supply Mr Bruce and family with any money fchey might require, which would be made good on their arrival. Mosfc certainly the case bears an unaccountable appearance, and probably that if sustained it would, as Mr Travers contended, have only amounted to a breach of trust. Accident. — Dr Smith of Greytown has bad the misfortune to. fracture his leg by a fall from his horse, the stirrup. leather having broken. A New London Magazine. — We understand that a new periodical of first-class character is projected for the colonies, entitled the AngloColonial Magazine, and intended to circulate throughout all the British dependencies. In addition to a serial tale by a leading novelist, and various articles by eminent writers, special papers are to be devoted to matters peculiarly affecting colonists, and to questions in which their interests are directly involved. The idea, which is indubitably a happy one, promises to take shape about the beginning of the year. Meeting op Officers. — The Wairarapa Mercury says : — A meeting of the officers of the Volunteer and Militia Forces in Wairarapa was held at Cadwallader's Hotel on Thursday night. No one appeared to know why ifc was convened, but all partook of a very good dinner provided by tbe landlord. After the dinner, three resolutions were proposed to the effect; :— (1) Thafc the officers should be taught their drill. (2) That drill instructors should be provided for thafc purpose. (3) That all 6fficers should attend drill for three consecutive days iD the beginning of the week for four weeks, viz, afc Featherston, Greytown, Carterton, and Masterton. Tho last resolution was objected to, and an amendment was proposed to the effect that 'the officers should drill for six consecutive days, two a Tauherenikau. two afc Carterton, and two at MastcUon. On a division the amehdment^vaß carried by nine to five. New Cavalry Tboop. — The Mercury says : — A meeting "will be held at Harris' Waihenga ferry on Saturday (this day), with the view of raising a troop of Volunteer Cavalry, and ifc is said thafc sixty men will be found willing to join. Ifc will be remembered that on a recent occasion the Government declined to accept the services of the new cavalry troop in Wellington, owing to their inability to pupply them with the necessary equipments, but this excuse will hardly hold good now as the arms, &c. of the Castle Point Cavalry, if disbanded, could be re-issued to this new troop. Oue Colonial Forces. — The JV. Z. Herald says : — ■" Mr FitzGerald; in . his letter to fche Independent in favor of fche employment of colonial troops, tauntß fche colonists of New Zealand wifch being men of an inferior type to those who sett cd. in Americia in fche Bixteet.t'i century, and contrasts the settler of to-day, looking for Government assistance,, with the stern New England settler holding his farm against all marauding Indians. Tbo caßes are nofc analogous. The settlers of the sixteenth century were hampered with neitherthe interference of Exeter Hall, > nor with an overriding Imperial Government which stood between themselves and the Bed Indian, preventing, them from inflicting that Chastisement on the latter which his acts deS3rved. When the backwoodsmen of America Buffered such an outrage as that; committed the Oiber day, they assembled together and inflicted a salutary vengeance on the offending tribes, and in such a manner and to such an extent as seemed best to them. Does Mr FizGerald mean to say that if a band of say four or five hundred men in Auckland had armed themselves and devoted themselves to the revenge of those massacred at Poverty Bay the Government, would have sanctioned the act ? Nay, rather would ifc not have held every Maori death a murder ? Clearly the the cases cited are not analogous, and if the New England settlers of two centuries ago had been called oufc to practise the goose step under Colonel Whitmore, and been ordered under impossible circumstances like Von Tempsky and Hunter fco do certain work, the result would have been the same. The settler of to-day is a man of no inferior type to him of two centuries back ; bufc jusfc as our colonial troops have been demoralised by being directed by men of inferior ability, so our colonists have become apathetic and careless, baying neither faith nor trust in those who are at the head of affairs. Nothing could so readily restore cofidence and inspire tbe people of this colony wifch a true feeling of ' self-reliance,' aB the' opportunity which a dissolution would give them of placing tho best men at the helm in this crisis of the colony." Vietue not Rewarded. — John Trimmer, master of the schooner Success, which took a lofc of refugees (women and childern) from Poverty Bay to Auckland, writes thus to the Southern Cross: — "Sir, — I bave to request thafc you will call public attention to the manner in which our Government has treated me in the matter of fche conveyance of refugees from Poverty Bay, in my Bchooncr the Success. I was about fifteen miles afc sea, when a boat boarded me, requesting assistance, and I accordingly abandoned my voyage to render it. The refugees wero fifteen days on board, and the provision expenses alone cosfc me £40, and my total expenses average above £90. I do not regret, as far as I am concerned, being of service to. fche unfortunate parties, who are wholly unable to repay me any part of my losses ; bufc on making an application to the Resident Minister here (Dr Pollen) for compensation, he has told me to divest my mind of all idea of getting any money from the Government, and that; I must look to public subscription for recompense." The Eabl of Pembroke.— The ■ N.Z. Herald says : — lfc will be seen by our report of the races yesterday, that the diggers and others paid to the Earl of Pembroke the compliment of giving him three cheers as he passed them on the road. = We recognise this incidentasshowingthatthe colonists give bearty welcome and sympathy to thoso who come amongst them for pleasure or for health ; and also the existence of genuine English good feeling, for which no class of the community can be more remarkable than the digging population. British Taoors.— The Nelson Examiner says : —As fur as mere fighting goes, ifc is well to compare what a British force 10,000 strong did under a famous general in several years, with that wliich a colonial force, wifch its native allies, has accomplished in a few weeks on the East Coast. After all, may not "British capitalists" and " intending emigrants" alike be best reassured, our own honor best consulted, and tbe natives and Exeter Hall mosfc effectually silenced by shewing the real facts of the case — that a considerable proportion of the natives is actively and devotedly loyal ; that the bulk— however sullen — is anxious to keep the peace ; that those in active rebellion — however ferocious — aro few; and above all demonstrating fchafc Now Zealand,/ar„ da se, can take good care of herse'f? _ The " Nelson Examinee."— This old establishep paper announces that " in fche altered state of the province, arising from dulness of trade," it is deemed advisable to reduce that journal into a bi-weekly in future.

Taranaki. — The Nelson Examiner says : — " We have been favored with the following extract from a private letter from a gentleman at Taranaki . — ' We have, I hope, passed fche crisis in native affairs. Once or twice I feared actual outbrake, which would have done for ne. Parris has shown rare ability, and is well supported by the'friendliea. There is still the prospect of gold being found in. the ranges. The stone and qurtz correspond in appearance with the Thames specimens.'." A Bush Force. — The N. Z. Herald soya : — "The discipline and organisation of a force fco fight in the New Zealand bush must be something very different to fchafc of ordinary British troops. We do nofc require fco fight in masses, to move about on the battle-field with tho regularity observable at a grand field-day before an inspecting general. There must be in addition to the foundation of all disclipnie, viz., military obedience, a power and intelligence in each man fco adapt himself to the special circumstances of the position. He must be able to aid the design of his officer by doing more than merely carrying out an order, and this requires some little organisation. Men who would make a very sorry figure in marching past on a field-day may prove fche very best soldiers for bush warfare. And there is danger in respect to our own levies that thoy may be handled too much on the usual military routine priniciple as applied to fche English army, and fche specialties of the case not be properely attended to. Obedience, endurance, pluck, ability as marksmen, a cheerful alacrity to move about rapidly in the bush as a guerillia force to harass the enemy as much as possible, destroy his cultivations, follow him up from place to place, and inflict on him as severe loss as possible — fchese are the requirements needed by men of a colonial force in New Zealand." Voting Machne.— Once a Week says :— " In fche Assembly Chamber of Albany members record their votes without leaving their seats. Two dials are set up in fche House one for ' Yeas' and the otber for ' Noes,' and each dial has a suit of numbers upon it corresponding to the number of members' seats. Each seat has a pair of handles like bellpulls — one for and the ofcher against — communicating with the respective dials. When fche member pulls either of these, his number on the desired dial makes a motion, that his vote has been registered. All the members can vote at once, and The tale of tho votes on either side can be read in a minute." Peoeessoe Anderson. — It will be seen by the following extract from tho Theatrical Advertiser, that the " Wizard of the North" will shortly pay us a visit : — Almost the lost man in the world who could be charged with moral cowardice has been stigmatised as a suicide ! in addition fco being charged with the crime of murder ! The New York correspondent of the Sydney Morning Herald reports :— " Professor Anderson has met; a sad end. A few days ago he committed suicide in Cin.inn.tfci, where he was performing, first having killed his son! Domestic trouble is assigned as the cause" Happily for himself as well as for the public, of which he is such a universal favorite, we have testimony to rebub most conclusively the allegation of his murderous and suicidal proclivities. Within tbe last month during which he has sojourned amongst us in Birmingham, and of which place he is about to take his final leave, 34,000 persons have beheld Professor Anderson in propria persona, in his unequalled entertainment, jovial in health, and easy and nonchalant as ever. Tne paragraph in question is, however, going the round of the world— we hear of ifc from the East, West, North, and South — from San Francisco and from the Wellington Independent (New Zealand). As it is the intention, we believe, of Professor Anderson to visit New Zealand on the conclusion of his present farewell tour in this country, fche necessity for an extended contradiction of this calamity is the more apparent.