LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3231, 21 June 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Proroguation of the General Assembly. — A Gazette issued yesterday announces that Parliament is prorogued to the 15th July next. Pbovincial Council — The whole of another silting was yesterday devoted to committee work on the Highways Bill. When the Council met in the afternoon things outside -were at freezing point, and members looked in keeping with the weather. Pinched and buried in their gieat coats they proceeded to the dissection of the body of the bill. Mr Dransfield, apparently on tho score of humanity, proposed a simplification of the operation by striking at the spirit of the bill (the 37th clause) at once. This waß objected to by the opponents of the bill, who fancied i they detected in this a bit of sharp practice, and they insisted on taking each clause in its rogular order. Considering the frigid atmosphere at the time, it was not surprising that a desire was evinced to raise a genial glow by indulging in a little of that peculiar caloric known as " heat of debato," but anly v fitful flame was elicited, and the discussion relapsed into its wonted coolness. The 37th clause, and others dependent upoit it, were tested by divisions ; but the result showed that the Government had rather increased in strength than otherwise since the bill came under discussion. Various expedients in the shape of new clauses, provisos, and amendments, were made, but they were almost invariably negatived. The Government, however, anxious to consider any reasonable objections, agreed to postpone several clauses for re-consideration. Very little animation was displayed in the debate on the Council resuming, but business progressed rapidly. Indeed, the Government were determined that no other business should be gone into until the Highways Bill was disposed of, and refused to listen to the request of Mr Brandon that progress be reported on clause 32. With tho exception of the clauses reserved for further consideration, the whole of the others were disposed of. Tho Council rose at 12.15, and meet again to-day at the usual hour, 3 p m. Choral Society.— A meeting of the singing members of the Choral Society will take place at the Athenaeum this evening at eight o'clock. From the increased interest taken in musical matters of late, we shall be happy to hoar of a numerous meeting. The Athenaeum. — The Athenaeum committee notify that considerable additions are to be made to the library, for tke purpose of making accommodation for the forthcoming serios of lectures which it is intended to give during the winter months. It is also requested that members in arrear will pay their subscrip- j tions before the end of the present month ; that accounts against the Institute bo sent in by tho 30th inst., or they will not be recognised ; and that all book 9 belonging to the Institute be returned before the expiry of tho 24th instant, after which date no books will be issued until furthor notice. Tho yearly and half-yearly tickets, £1 Is, and 10s 6d, respectively, will be issued on the ]st July: payment, in all cases, to bo in advance. Peess Dramatic Club. — This club has issued its programme for next Monday evening's performance. The programme will consist of tho farce of " The Two Polts ;" the drama, " Love in Humble Life ;" and the farce, "Tho Spectre Bridegroom." Several songs will be sung, and a musical fantasia on glasses will be given, The Garrison and Artillery bands will bo in attendance, and a clarionet duet will be given during the evening by two well-known amateurt) of equally well-known ability. The bill is undoubtedly a good one, and we hope to see tho public appreciate tho efforts of the gentlemen who so promptly responded to the call made on them in this pressing case of charity. Artilleey Prizes, — The prizes fired for on Saturday last were awarded according to tho ascertained points, and were as follows : — No. 2, 12 points ; No. 3, 8 points ; and No. 1, 7 points. The winners merely tuke the honor attaching to their respective positions on tho score list, tho money having, with creditable consideration, been handed over for the benefit of the band fund. Baker's Hill Company. — A mooting of this company was held at Donnecker's Hotel last night, at which about forty shareholders wore present, Mr Baird being in the chair. The report and balance sheet were read, from which it appeared that after the financial transactions of the year there remained a balanco in hand of £5 19s 4d, which, added to £11-3/ ss, the amount outstanding on shares sold, amounted to £120 4s 4d, against which there were unpaid accounts to the amount of £38 8s lid. Sinco the last report the company's men have been kept steadily at work, the drive being now 320 feot, in the last 20 feet of which, as we have stated in previous issues, gold was found in such quantity as to justify the directors in having a trial crushing, which gave a return of 7dwts 3grs of retorted gold. The gold was placed before the meeting. At the last maeting it was decided that 290 new shares should be issued, but 17' Ao? theße shares were withdrawn from sale, ponding the result of the late crushing, and it is now proposed to offer these shares for sale by tender to the present shareholders, and if they are not taken up in a reasonable period they -will be offered to the public. The retiring directors, Messrs J. Fitchett and F. Cooper were unanimously ro-electod. Tho directors expressed themselves as very sanguine as to the ultimate result of tho company^ efforts, and this feeling seemed to be endorsed by the meeting. A number of resolutions were passed, the most important of which wore — " That the sale of shares be stopped, till a trial of five or more tons has taken place." "That owing to the improved prospects of the claim, the resolution passed at the last general meeting of shareholders, giving a bonus of one share for every share applied for in the new series by original shareholders be now rescinded." Mr Bennett tendered his resignation to tho meeting, but withdrew it, at tho unanimous request of the meeting. All tho business having been transacted, the meeting separated, with groat confidence as to tho future good prospects of the company. R.M. ComtT. — No criminal oases wore down for hearing at tho Court yostorday. Three unimportant civil cases were heard, one of which, Boor v. S. Woodward, claim £18 10s, was postponed for the purpose of communicating with the pluiutiff, who appeared in Court by attorney. Entertainment at St. Peter's Schoolroom. — One of the series of entertainments came off hist evening, and was well attended, considering tho inclement state of the weather. Tho programme consisted of a number of well-chosen songs, readings, &c. The song, " The Sexton," was encored, being well rendered. The choruses, " Swiftly o'er tho Moun-

tain Brow," and a " Strong Pull," were well sung, tho voices being well in tuno. A reading by the Rev. Mr Paterson was well delivered, as also one by the Yen. Archdeacon Stock. A number of songs were well sung. A clarionette solo, being well rendered, received an encore, and contributed much to tho enjoyment of tho evening. New Zealand Flax. — A correspondent of tho " European Mail" writes : — ' I have been making some enquiries concerning New Zealand flax, and through tho courtesy of a leading firm of brokers give the following information for tho encouragement of growers. They write : 'We are now paying for experiments that are being made on the leaf, so as to lesson tho expense of preparing and producing a fibre that will be more applicable for tho real flax purposes j we also want to utilise the waste leaf, so as to be available for making paper ; in that case wo could find an outlet for 1000 tons a month, but wo are afraid that the high freight will be an obstaolo we cannot overcome. If the dry leaf could be delivered in Great Britain at £8 per ton, there would be no limit to its consumption for piper. To give you an instance : In 1851 we introduced a fibre from the Mediterranean, and in 1860 we succeeded in getting 3,000 tons used in the year. It has attained to such proportions that with an advance of price just double, we are quite starved upon an import of 93,000 tons per annum, and the manufacturers have got over their prejudice against raw material. The Port Light at Napier.— This light is now in good working order. A party went out on Wednesday night last to the Pania 1 reef, to observe it from that point. They report that the results are satisfactory. It is ready to be lit regularly a3 soon aB notification is made in (he " Gazette." School Drill. — The " New Zealand Herald" is glad to learn that it is intended that the ordinary drill should be included in the Common Schools education. At a meeting of tho Board of Education the other day, a country teacher wrote down for a manual, while a Committee of the Drury, Otahuhu, and Howick schools were desirous that the scholars should receive an early military training. The question was, however, postponed. Reformation — The girls in the Newcastle (New South Wales) Reformatory, owing to their disorderly conduct, are to be removed to Cockatoo Island. Time Table for Webb's Line. — The following time table of the San Francisco mail route has been kindly supplied to the <l New Zealand Herald " by Messrs Henderson and Macfarlano : — Inwards — Leaves London Thursday, May 4; Thursday, June 1 ; Thursday, June 29 ; Thursday, July 27. Leaves San Francisco Wednesday, May 24 ; Wednesday, June 21 ; Wednesday, July 19 ; Wednesday, August 10. Arrives at Auckland Wednesday, June 21 ; Wednesday, July 19 ; Wednesday, August 16 ; Wednesday, September 13. Outwards — Leaves Auckland Thursday, July 13 ; Thursday, August 10 j Thursday, September 7 ; Thursday, October 5. Arrives at Sau Francisco Tuesday, August 8 ; Tuosday, September 5 ; Tuesday, October 3 ; Tuesday, October 31. Arrives at London Monday, August 28 ; Monday, September 28 ; Monday, October 23 ; Monday, November 20. KNIGIXTIN& OUR COMMISSIONERS. — An " Anglo- Australian " writes : — The arrival of Dr Featherston in London, as Agent-General for New Zealand, is looked forward to with much pleasure, and hopes are expressed that Mr Knowles, who acted as his secretary when he was last here, may accompany him. I notice that the Now Zealand " Times " correspondent complains that the Doctor and his colleague, Mr Dillon Bell, were not knighted, and his suggestion that this honor should be conferred upon them as o compliment to the colony may yet be carried out. If they be not, they may console themselves that in these days knights are almost as plentiful, so to speak, as blackbemes, and that the distinction from a certain point is, after all, one of an equivocal character. A Lament prom Auckland. — The Auckland co-respondent of the " Otago Times" writes : — As the time for the departure of what is called the " vice-regal party" to Wellington approaches, there is much weeping and wailing hero. People want to know who is to fill up tho terrible gap, and how are the archery parties and other small gaities to be supported in the absenco of a social centre, with aides-de-camp whose whole duty it is to see to these important matters. At present we are hopeless, and see no way out of the forlorn prospect. Perhaps to you, not accustomed to the immense advantage of a " social centre," and of some one to " give tone to society," the problem may appear less desperate; but to many of U9 here its solution is looked upon with great concern. What is to become of Government House and its splendid grounds is not known ; but some Goth has proposed to turn it into a public school, for which purpose it would not be surpassed in the colony. The Brtjnneb Coal Mine.— Wo have rocoived several communications, thanking us for our leader on this subject yesterday but containing nothing really new or important on the Bubject. Mr Dransfield has kindly handed us the following letter, received from a local authority. It shows that tho charge against our Wellington dealers of preferring Now South Wales to New Zealand as their source of supply is utterly unfounded : — "(Sreymoufch, West Coast, May 16.— Mr J. Dransfiold, Wei- | lington. — Dear Sir, — We beg to acknowledge the receipt of your favor of tho 4th instant, making sundry inquiries respecting tho supply i of coal at this port. In reply, we beg to j state : 1. The depth of water on the bar as a general thing is from ton to fourteen feet. Sometimes, however, it is less thau this, and it occasionally happens that the vessels from Melbourne, tho largest that frequont tho port and drawing perhaps ten feet, have to Ho outside for some days for a greater depth of water 2. The uniform ratea for coal delivered on board are — for steamers 18s, and sailing vessels 16s per ton for net cash. These prices are fixed by the trade, and are in no instance departed from. 3. The time required to load 240 tons would depend on the state of the river. With sufficient water, barges bring djwn two or three and twenty tons; at other times only four to five. We may mention that no vessel has as yob entered this port that could get out wit^h more than 200 tons at the outside, and one to carry 250 tonß must be in her construction somewhat different from the ordinary construction, Nearly all tho coal that leaves hero for Now Zealand ports is sent away, no return cargo in coasting vessels carrying from 30 to 100 tons. — We remain, &c." The Auckland Schip Market. — David George Smuile, lately of Wellington, was charged at the Auckland police court with having offered for sale a transfer of two scrip in tho Alburnia Gold Mining Company, well knowing the same to be forged, with intent to defraud Joseph Westmoreland. The same defendant wa9 charged with having committed a similar transaction on tho 6th of Juno, in tho case of six scrip of the same company. Mr Broham applied for an adjournment, stating, that there was another similar charge against defendant, and material witnesses were absent at tho Thames. — The cases were remanded for a week, bail being allowed—prisoner's own bond for £200, and two sureties in £100 each. Artesian Well. — Tho work of sinking tho artesian well at Napior has been recommenced. Tho rods aro now down to a depth of 315 feet. Tho formation is still clay. There is at present a flow of water to the amount of about two gallons per minute. Eclipse. — Tho eclipse of tho sun which was not visible in Wellington through tho dulness of tho weather, wns visible at Napier on Sunday, about half past two o'clock. It was, however, barely preceptible ; the indentation in tho sun's rim being very slight indeed. Midwifery. — The "Grey River Argus" says that a Mrs Seebeck ha 3 announced the practice of midwifery in that town. Her diplomas have boon submitted for our inspection, and they appear to bo of a high order, one of them being tho diploma of tho midwifery school in Kiel, Province of Holsfcein.

The Wakatip Claim at the Thames has been sold by auction for £730. Caledonian Dividends.— The Caledonian mine paid the sum of £71,500, in the shape of dividends, on May 31. Bumble Bees.— The Rev. W. C. Cotton, of Frodsham, is making efforts to procure some bumble bees for New Zealand, and as soon aB fine weather sets in he will doubtless have some ready for shipment. The Peice of Law.— A number of shareholders in the reef recently discovered at Murray Creek, left town early yesterday morning to attend the Court at the Inanghua, in order to contest the jumping of their shares by miners. A few days ago they telegraphed to a legal gentleman at Wesport (as all the Greymouth solicitors were engaged in the Supreme Court), to enquire the cost of his services in representing them on the occasion, and the answer made the modest demand of £40! It is needless to add that the offer was declined with thanks.— " Grey River Argus."