LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3319, 14 October 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

The Intercolonial Confeeence, it will be seen, have recommended a fort* nightly postal service to the colonies, or a monthly maiJ by way of Suez and another by way of San Francisco, and that New Zealand, if it choose, should be included in the arrangement. We print the recommendation as it has been telegraphed to us. The details will, no doubt, come to hand by the Claud Hamilton. Telegraphic Communication with all parts south of Cheviot was interrupted yesterday afternoon, but in the evening communication was re-established, and we received our telegraphic summary of Australian news brought by the steamer Claud Hamilton.

The Museum—Jaeeah Timber. — We have been requested to call attention to three specimens of the West Australia jarrah timber, which have been deposited for exhibition in the Museum, by Mr J. Millar, F.S.A., C.E., and are well worthy the inspection of engineers. No. lis the point of a pile from the old bridge over the Swan Kiver. No. 2 is a section of the same pile. The bridge was erected in the year 1840, and replaced by a more commodious structure in 1870, the piles having therefore been in use thirty years. The water in the river is salt in summer, and fresh in winter. The bed of the river is silt. The pile had not been shod. No. 3 is a post from a fenco which has been standing over thirty years in white sand, swarming with white ants. Philosophical Society. — A meeting of this society is to be held at the Museum this evening, when papers on the fish, birds, and coal of the colony, and other subjects, are to be read by members of the society. Plans of Towns.— Mr Charles O'Neill in the House of Representatives yesterday introduced a bill for regulating the plan of towns, and we trust that the hon member may succeed in passing the measure this session. We have long thought that some regulations were necessary, especially in regard to the breadth of streets, &c. We have seen new towns in this colony, in fact nearly all the towns, laid oft' somewhat similar in plan to someold English town, with narrowstreets, lanes, &c, although surrounded by boundless territory. In England, where land is so valuable, there may have been some excuse for narrow streets, but here where land is worth only a fevr shillings per acre, such a system seems perfectly inexcusable, and as new towns will spring up along our great lines of railway, this bill will be of the highest importance. The Proposed Alterations in Westland. — With reference to the proposals of the Government to alter the boundary of the County of Westland, and attach a portion of that; county to the Province of Nelson, it would appear that, although the population of that part of the county which is not intended to be added to the Province of Nelson is dissatisfied with the proposal, the people immediately interested in the change view the Government measure with satisfaction. We have received from Mr Harrison, the member for the Grey Valley, the following copy of a telegram received by him from the Mayor ofGreymouthyesterday: — "The proposed Government measure togive fixed portions of revenue to road boards, and alter the present boundary line of the Grey Valley, meets with the entire approbation of the inhabitants of this district.— E. Wickes."

E.M. Court.— At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, Edwin Bannister and Samuel Cutten were fined 5s and Is respectively, with costs, for allowing horses to wander at large, and J. Harding was fined ss, also with costs, for not having his name painted on his carfc. In the civil case of Hart and Buckley, v. W. Campbell— a claim of £11 Is 8d for fees— judgment for the amount was given, with £2 costs.

Lunatic Asylums. — The joint committee of the two Houses of Assembly have agreed upon certain resolutions, which are to be moved in the Legislative Council on Friday next by the Hon Dr. Buchanan. The resolutions are : — (1.) That the Asylums in the colony have not (save in some localities) either proper or sufficient accommodation for the reception and care of lunatics. (2.) That it is expedient that the General Government should take measures to cause proper provision to be made in those parts of the colony where the present provision is insufficient. (3.) That a duly qualified Medical Officer from the United Kingdom, having special knowledge and ex-

perience in the treatment of the insane, be forthwith engaged and appointed, and who shall have the supervision and control over all the Lunatic Asylums in the colony. (4.) That the question of a general central Asylum be postponed until next session, by which time information will have been obtained from reports of the Inspecting Medical Officer, which will serve to guide the action of Parliament. (5.) That whilst steps should be taken to improve all the Asjlums in the colony' the state of that at Karori, near Wellington, urgently requires immediate attention and reform. That the honorable the Speaker be requested to transmit a copy of these resolutions to the honorable the Colonial Secretary, for the consideration of the Government, with the view of their being carried into effect.

Stab Boating Club. — A meeting of the members of the Star Boating Club was held on Thursday evening. Several new members were admitted, and the following office bearers elected for the ensuing season : — Mr H. F. Logan, Commodore ; Mr O. Wakefield, Secretary and Treasurer ; committee, Messrs F. Ollivier, J. Ames, T. F. Lennox, L. Roskruge, and J. R. Brown. A &cratch match, to be rowed this afternoon at 4 o'clock, was also arrange.d. Taeanaki Iron Sand. — On (lit that Dr Hector, who is said to hare doubted Mr Smith's success in the experiments we lately reported, is now so thoroughly convinced as to have expressed his opinion that a bonus of £1,000 should be offered for the first 100 tons of steel produced by this process. The Chinese Immigrants.-— Four out of the thirteen Chinese who arrived at Dunedin by the last vessel, and who entered the hospital, have died. Another by the same vessel, living in the neighborhood of Stafford street, has also died.

Dr Cake's Popular Seances. — Phrenology and mesmerism were the subjects of an entertaining lecture, and of equally entertaining experiments, by Dr Carr, at the Odd Fellows' Hall lasfc evening. The characteristics of Dr Carr's lectures and experiments are too well-known to require specific description, and it was obvious, from the number of the audience assembled last evening, that the more they are known the more are his seances appro ciated and attended. The Hall was wellfilled, and the audience afforded more than the usual supply of " subjects " for phrenological delineation and mesmeric operations. Nearly all those who presented themselves on the stage were strangers " to the influence," but became ready sub jects to Dr Carr's mesmeric powers, and oneperson who had been mesmerised on the occasion of Dr Carr's previous visits, was speedily entranced, and made to go through a variety of eccentric actions, along with others who seemed to be completely at the will and command of the mesmerist. The Odd Fellows' Hall happens to be engaged for this evening, in anticipation of a ball to be held there on Monday evening. In consequence of this Dr Carr was able only to announce one public appearance during this his last visit to Wellington, but we understand that he has made arrangments for another seance at the Athenamm, and will lecture, this evening, at the same hour, and with the same scale of charges for admission, in the hall of that institution.

The Early Closing Association handed over £13 to the Benevolent Society, as the proceeds of their recent entertainment.

MABTEETON FLAX Co., LIMITED.— As only about 350 shares out of 500 which have been issued have been taken up, the directors of this company, confident of the undertaking, deem it necessary, in order to enable them to push on operations vigorously, to make a call often shillings per share, which they request shareholders to pay at the Union Bank of Australia immediately.

Sea-Damaged Flax.— The reports that were brought a few months ago by almost every mail of the large quantities of New Zealand flax that were landed in England in a damaged condition, and the heavy loss sustained by the colony from this cause, led the Commissioner of Customs to think that it would bo very desirable if this matter could be looked into by some trustworthy person on the spot. As Mr Chilman, the Collector of Customs at New Plymouth, about the time referred to was on the point of leaving for England, Mr Seed wrote to him, and asked him to endeavor to be present when any of the New Zealand laden vessels might be discharged in London, and afterwards, if possible, to trace the flax through the various warehouses and brokers' hands until it reached the manufacturer. Mr Chilman readily assented, and by the last mail Mr Seed received a letter from him, containing some interesting and valuable information on this subject, which has been communicated to the Flax Commissioners. In that letter Mr Chilman says :— " I have investigated the question of sea-damaged flax, and had a good opportunity of doing so, inasmuch as some shipped in the Melita by the company I am interested in, was classed as sea- damaged. I went to the warehouse and saw the wharfinger, with whom it appears the classification rests, and he pointed out to me the bales so classed. It appears that if a bale were discolored, say a foot square, or even less, it is put down as sea-damaged. I had a bale opened, and drew the wharfinger's attention to the fact that even in the slight portion of the fibre that was stained the strength of the fibre was not injured. He admitted this, but said that change of color was a proof of damage more or leas ; so that if a single hank is discolored, or even a few strands in a Bingle hank, as I pointed out in one instance, a bale of 3cwt is to be branded. The wharfinger said that if the damage was only slight, the purchaser would take this into account ; but I am satisfied this is not so ; at all events I shall attend the public sale on Wednesday next, and shall then be better able to judge ; but I am afraid it is a case of giving a dog a bad name, and that the produce suffers by this arbitrary action. There is no doubt that the damage, more or less, occurs on board the ship from sea water. . . . Covering with Hessian, as we have done, is also a useless expense ; it does not prevent the sea water from getting to the flax, and from its being so open I am not sure but what it spreads the stain over a larger surface. I hope this information may be of service. I shall see any parties in London interested in flax, and get them to co-operate with me iv a Btroug representation to the brokers respecting the sea-damaged flax, as there is no doubt that it would be better to take oufc all hanks that are discolored, than to let this bugbear affect the price of the whole bale."

Gold on Banks' Peninsula.— Again the public are invited to believe that there are payable quartz reefs on the Peninsula. Mr John Winterbine, who has had large experience on nearly all the diggings of the Australasian colonies, including those of Coromandel and the Thames, and who has been prospeoting in various parts of Canterbury for nearly two years, assures the " Lyttelton Times" that there ia a well- defined reef, in. which,

gold exists in payable quantities, about a mile and a half north of M'Queen's. It is known as Higgins* reef, runs north and south, and can be traced for several miles running through private property. Higgins has driven on the reef about eighty feet, and has gold in his possession now which he has taken from it. About one hundredweight of the quartz from this reef will be sent to Melbourne by the Tararua to be tested.

A Stbangeb. — A large turtle is reported by the "Taranaki News" to have been found on the beach at Moturoa on Thursday afternoon. It is alive and lively, measures four feet in length and two feet nine inches across the back, and weighs close upon two hundredweight. Gas at Wanoanui.— The " Herald " states that there is some intention of starting a gas company in Wanganui. It is said that £3500 of the £5000 of capital required has already been promised in Wellington.

Fatal Accident. — A few days ago, whilst a man named Robert Cair was at work in a cutting on the Port Chalmers railway, some earth fell and broke his ribs on his right side. He was brought to the hospital in a hopeless state, and died on the day following. — At Flaxtown, in Canterbury, a young man named Henry Bloomfield has had his skull fractured by being thrown from his horse.

Life Assurance.-— The Commissioner of Insurance, says the Wanganui Herald,' has intimated that the late Mr Shepard's insurance policy will be paid at once to the proper claimant. Preservation Inlet Coal.— We take the following from the " Southland News" of Saturday last: -"The schooner Edward, of this port, now lying at the jetty, is laid on for Preservation Inlet. Theowner and master of the vessel, Mr T. J. Thompson, proceeds with her in pursuance of an arrangement made in Dunedin with the company formed there for working the well-known Preservation Inlet coal seams. A cargo or two of coal was some time ago obtained from the company's mine, but the expense was too great, and the workings were temporarily suspended. Mr Thompson's mission is to ascertain, by personal inspection and practical test, whether it is not possible to work the mine with greater economy."