LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3303, 15 September 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Education Bill. — In the House last evening Mr Fox delivered bis reply to the arguments adduced in favor of and against this bill, intimating at the same time the points which the Government would accept, and which they would reject. It' the bill were so shaped in committee that the Government could not accept it they would withdraw it altogether, so as to give opportunity for a full discussion of its principles by the people of the country during the recess. The bill was read a second time, and the time for going into committee appointed for Friday week at half-pasfc seven o'clock. The essential points of Mr Fox's reply wil) appear in our issue of to-morrow.

The English Mails. — By the steamer Wellington we shall to-day receive tho Suez mail, transhipped from the Tararua. The steamer Taranaki, with the San Francisco mail, is also due, but her arrival at Nelson has not yet been telegraphed. The supposition is that she has been detained at Manukau by the state of the barOn her arrival at that place with tho outward mail, as will bo seen by our shipping report, there was a fearful sea running, rendering it impossible for her to enter for a day and a half after tho time of her reaching the offing. In consequence of this it was necessary to detain the Nevada for seven hours.

Defences of the Colony. — Yesterday, in the Legislative Council, the Hon. Col Brett moved " That a select committee be appointed to consider and report upon the subject of the defences of the colony, with power to conduct their proceedings in conjunction with any similar committee of the House of .Representatives." There was a somewhat lengthy and discursive diflcussion, during which an amendment was proposed by the Hon Colonel llussell, to the effect that his Excellency bo requested to appoint a commission to coneider and report upon the subject. The Hon. Colonel Brett accepted the amendment, and it was agreed to by the Council.

The Fatal Accident at Kekerangu. — We learn from the " Maryborough Expreßs" that on Wednesday last an inquest was held at Kekerangu by Dr Williams, coroner, upon the body of Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Mr Lovegrove. The evidence, which was brief, was to the following effect : — -Mr Lovegrove was engaged in erecting a fence on the previous Monday evening, and about 5 p.m. deceased, who bad been with him left to go home, having her younger brother with her. Some quarter hour after they left, talking together, he heard the boy scream, and saw him run along the fence, but thinking that his sister had run away from him, and that he was running after, he took no notice, but finished his work for the evening, and returned towards home. His attention was then called to something being wrong, and seeing persons running towards the river, and hearing sounds of distress he immediately ran down also, in company with David West, and J. Ly ford, to the Bluff, from whence the boy's screams proceeded. There he found deceased, and picked her up quite dead, and carried her to the house, where, on undressing her, he found the body much bruised, and her neck broken. She had fallen from the top of the cliff, about 30 feet high, while collecting flax-stalks for her brother and sister to play with, one of which was found with the body. It is supposed that her dress had caught the fence, which is near to the edge of the cliff, and it had caused her to fall over. The verdict was that she came to her death by accident.

Found Deownkd. — Yesterday the decomposed and mutilated body of a boy was found in the sea near the wharf, and in the afternoon an inquest was held by the coroner, Dr Johnston, at the Pier Hotel. It was by some remnants of clothing identified as the body of a boy named Walter Harris, who has been missing for several weeks, and the following evidence was given as to the circumstances under which he had probably lost his life :— J. A. Willetfc, a lad 15 years of age, said about three weeks ago he was on board the barque Haversham, close to the wharf, and he saw the deceased go down underneath the wharf to wash his face. He asked witness to go with him, but he would not. Witness did not see him again ; he thought it waa all right, and that he had gone home. Witness had been called away, and he, for the time, forgot all about him, so he did not know whether he came up or not. He heard next morning that Harris was missing. William Harris, the next witness, said on the 21afc of August his nephew, Walter, who lived with him, left home between 9 and 10 o'clock, ostensibly to go to school. As he did not come home that evening, witness went to look for him on board the Haversham, the cook on board which he knew ; but he waa told the boy had left there about half-past three o'clock with Willett. The vessel was searched by the police and other persons, but the boy was not seen since. He searched about town till four o'clock next morning. He came to the conclusion he was drowned, and he had searched all round the bays since. He identified the body by the clothes and boots. The evidence of William Ashbridge as to some shout which he heard nnderneath the wharf on the 21st of August was given. He thought it was from some boys sky- larking down there, and paid no attention to it. The jury returned a verdict of "accidental drowning," with a rider that some steps should be taken by the Provincial Council to prevent boys from fishing and playing under the wharf.

Neat Zealand Birch. — A Woodaide correspondent, " S. R.," writes to us : — One who is experienced, Mr George Allen, has stated through your columns that birch ia most durable, in salt water excepted. I have heard that the woods of New Zealand have been tested for strength, and that birch has been proved to be the strongest wood in this Colony. It is certain that there is an immense quantity of birch on the hills in this province, which from size would generally only yield sleepers. If strong and not durable, it could bo rendered lasting by being " kyanised" or put under some other simplo process, by which durability is given to woods in Europe in those days. The demand for sleepers in Europe and India must always be very great for construction and replacing in connection with railways. Ships going to India might take loading of birch sleepers at a very moderate freight, and to England the wool ships might take them as ballast. Would it not be well to send a few hundred of birch sleepers to England the coming wool season to test the suitability and their' market probability. Should they be adopted, then a timber that not only now is profitless, but costly to destroy, would be found cloihing our hills with the best crop they will ever sustain, and to yield an important addition to our export trade.

The Wellington Volunteeks. — Lieut-Colonel iiarington, in liis annual report upon the Militia and Volunteers, which has just been presented to the Assembly, has the following reranrks upon the efficiency of the Wellington Volunteer corps: — I am glad to be able to report upon the regular attendance of Ilio members of the various corps, which has resulted in a marked improvement in the drill and efficiency of the old corps, whilst the new ones have made very fair progress. The total of efficients is 7G5, out of 803 enrolled members. Tho Artillery are a very creditable corps, both in appearance and general efficiency. Their attendance ia regular, and the way in which they work their guns shows that the members all take an interest and prido in their drill. The shot and shell practice was goad. Tho country corps, including those at the Hutt, deserve especial mention, as

they attend with great regularity, not* withstanding tho distances they have to come to their respective parades, and Lieut-Colonel Reader reports that it is quite tho exception to have any absentees from tho monthly inspection. In point of drill, many of the older corps compare favorably vrith those in other districts which are similarly situated. Their arras generally are in very good order, and several of the corps have provided themselves with the new regulation uniform, which is serviceable, and adds much to their appearance. Only a portion of the Artillery, and one of the town companies, have been through a course of class firing, but it must be borne in mind that nearly all the corps of this district are composed of country settlers, who can ill afford the time necessary for this purpose. Football. — The return match between the Wellington Foot Ball Club and the Armed Constabulary men, has been arranged to come off on Saturday next, at two o'clock, on tho Te Aro Cricket Ground. It is stated that Lady Bowen has intimated her intention of being present. R.M. Covet.-— Yesterday, in the Magistrate's Court, the cases of assault Atcheson r. Mulhern, and Mulhern v. M'Leavy, were again remanded for a week ' in consequence of the continued illness of M'Leavy. Three persons were charged with keeping pigs, contrary to the bye- laws, and fines of ss, Is, and 6d, were inflicted. The Volunteebs of the Colony. — In his annual report, the Inspector of Militia and Volunteers states that, in June, 1870, the strength of tho volunteers in the colony was 5,407, of which number 3,811 qualified themselves for capitation allowance. Tim number gradually increased till, on- 31st March, 1871, there were 6,568, of which number 4,880 received capitation money, being an increase of 1069 efficients in the year. This excess, he says, may beattributed to the increased capitation allowance, which was raised from 25s for all corps to the original grant of £3 to cavalry and artillery, and 50s to idfle volunteers, as well as to the encouragement given to tho whole movement by the liberal grant of the Legislature towards the colonial prize firing. In the North Island, the Militia Act being in operation has also had the effect of increasing the numbers, and especially in some of the country districts. The returns show the percentage of enrolled and efficient volunteers in 1869, 1870, and 1871, by which it will be seen that the proportion of efficients has increased from 51 per cent, in 1869 to 71 per cent, in 1871. Letters via Bhindisi. — We are requested to state that the postage on letters for the United Kingdom via Brindisi will for the future be tenpence per half ounce instead of ninepence. CoLLINGHVOOD GoLDFIELD. — The last fortnight's crushing at the Perseverance mine produced only 74|0z8 from 261 tons, 193 of which was obtained from the No. 2 drive. During the working, the reef suddenly narrowed from 5 feet to 6 or 7 inches, but has since then widened again to about 3 feet. The Caledonian Mine. — The total return of the Caledonian for the fortnight ending August 6th was 4062 ounces. Fourteen cw& of very rich specimens yielded 1800 ounces of gold. Golden Oysters.— A fishmonger in the Grey Valley recently brought to the Ahaura some rock oysters — probably from Auckland — and adhering to the shells of some of them were portions of a kind of conglomerated ironstone and hard slate rock. On opening one of the bivalves, a piece of the rock happened to get broken, and gold was plainly seen in the fracture. The pieces of rock sticking to tho shells are evidently part of the casing of a quartz reef, and if gold is as thickly scattered through the stone as it is visible in the casing, it must be a valuable one.