LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3327, 24 October 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

* General Assembly Ball.— The members of the General Assembly gave a ball laat evening, at which His Excellency Sir George Bowen and Lady Bowen were the chief guests, and which was also attended by many of the leading: residents of the city and province of Wellington. After the rising of the two Honaes on Friday last, extraordinary exertions were made to convert the House of Representatives and the Legislative Council Hall into suitable ball rooms, and the exertions made were as successful as they were great and well directed. In the decoration of tho halls, the supper room, the card-rooms, the lobbies, and other retreats, much taste was displayed, aud in every other particular the preparations for the reception of guests, and for the general pleasure of the party, were most complete. The ball was very numerously attended, and was altogether one of the most pleasant social gatherings that has ever taken place in Wellington. Although we have already in type a description of the decorations, and of the elaborate preparations made, we withhold until tomorrow our account of the proceedings until it can be supplemented by details of proceedings, and by fuller notice, which, the features of this very pleasant meeting deserve. Chinese Immigration.— The Select Committee on Chinese Immigration have Bnbmitted to the House of Eepresenta tives their first ad interim report, a copy of which we have received. In this report, the Chairman, Mr W. J. Steward, prefaces the record of the evidence taken by the following remarks : — Your committee, immediately after their appointment, took active steps to collect all available information on the subject. Circulars were sent out, containing a number of queries, to chief officers of police in the various provinces, to wardens of goldfields, and to various gentlemon of the medical profession, replies to most of which have been received, and have been considered by your committee. Your committee have also forwarded, through the Hon the Colonial Secretary, a request to the Governments of the neighboring colonies of Victoria and New South Wales, for the furnishing of such data as the experience of those colonies, with regard to the Chinese question, will enable them to afford. Your committee have also examined a number of witnesses, whose attendance was procured without any expense to the colony, including Mr J. T. Thompson, C.E. Commissioner of Crown Lands, Otago ; Mr John Ah Tong, Wellington ; Mr Maitland ; Captain Biflhop, of the ship Halcione; Dr Hector; G. M. Webster, Esq., M.H.R. , and C. E.j Haughton, Esq., M.H.R. On the receipt of replies from Victorian and New Wales, your committee will have concluded their labors, and will bring up such recommendations as may appear to them expedient. The Petition of Lundon and Whitakeb.— Tho following is the report presented to the House of Representatives by Mr J. Shephard, as chairman of the select committee to whom was referred the petition of Messrs Lundon and Whitaker: — " That, having duly considered the whole circumstances of the case and taken evidence thereupon, they have come to the

following conclusion : (1) That the petitioners had a legal title to the land when the Native Lands Act, 1869, was passed ; (2) that this legal title was obtained by fiiir and equitable moans ; (3) thnt. considering the Native Lands Act, 1869, did interfere with petitioners' title, they are entitled to compensation from the colony; (4) that the amount of money proved to have been actually expended by the petitioners in the premises has amounted to £1544 6* 8(1 ; (7) that the statement made by Mr De Hirsch, that the petitioner, Frederick Alexander Whitaker, in his professional capacity, prepared a deed for him, and claimed the land included in it, is devoid of truth. Your committee would refer the House to the report of their proceedings, and the minutes of evidence hereto appended, and they desire to reeemmend the clnims of the petitioners to favorable consideration." Gold Exports. — A comparative return of the quantity and value of erold exported from the several provinces of New Zeaiand, for the quarter ended 30th September, 1870, and 30th September, 1871, has just been published. According to this return, the exports from Auckland have increased to an extraordinary extent. In the quarter of 1870, Auckland exported 16,106 ozs, and in the same quarter this year the exports from the same province amounted to 126,229 ozs. All the other provinces, with the singular exception of Marlborough, exhibited a decrease in the quantity of gold exported. In the quarter of 1870, Mnrlborough exported! 433 oz I.1 '. nnd this year 678 ozs. Nelson pxported 27.961 ozs this year, against 33,9910zs last year. And the following are the figures relating to the other districts : - Westland. 36.1280zs in the qnnrter of 1870, find 35,131 in 1871 ; Otago, 37.4900zs in 1870, and 31.2750z5in 1871. The total exports amounted to 124.0470zs in the quarter of 1870, and 221,304 in 1871, the difference being due to the increased exports from Auckland. Tea Meeting. — An anniversary tea meeting was held last evening in the Webb street Primitive Methodist's Chapel. The room was neatly decorated with flowers and evergreens, and the tables were well supplied. There was a good attendance. After tea hour, the room was prepared for tlie public meeting, which was opened at seven o'clock. After the singing of a hymn, Mr Hedge was voted to the chair. Addresses were delivered by the Rev. W. J. Dean, and Messrs Woodward, Hedge, and Ward. The choir also sung some selections, which contributed much to the enjoyment of the evening, Life Assurance.— Mr Thomson, agent for the Australian Provident Society, is announced to lecture at the School Room, Kaiwarra, on Thursday, and at the Xarori Hotel, on Friday. Excelsior Minstrels.— The members of the American compauy of Minstrels, who lately arrived at Nelson from Auckland, and who at both of those places attracted and gratified large audiences, are expected to arrive in Wellington by the steamer Gothenburg, and to perform here on Wednesday evening. Greville's Agency. — Greville's rooms have been placed in intimate communication with the Telegraph Office by means of a wire extending from the telegraphic operators' room, to the room of Mr Montrose, manager of the agency. By this means, Mr Montrose can be at once advised of the receipt of telegramß intended for distribution throughout the colony, or for local publication, and by sending his " familiars" to the Telegraph Office, can expedite at once the work of the agency and the work of the depart ment. Tne telegrams are not forwarded to the agency, but by an electric bell and an indicator, the receipt of messages is announced, and much time can be saved iv the transcription of theso messages, and in their distribution to the newspaper Press. The simple apparatus was fitted up yesterday under the superintendence of Mr Smith, the mechanician to the Telegraph Department, and seems to answer its purpose admirably. Barraud's Art Union.— The drawing for the prizes in Mr Barraud's art union took place yesterday. The following are the names of the first fourteen out of the seventy-five prizewinners: — Mrs Oldham, Mr M'Kelvie, Mr Hughes, Judge Johnston, Mrs Hector, Mr Calder, Mr J. Moles, the Hon. J. Hall, Dr Knight, Dr France, Mr Jameson, Mr R. J. Duncan, Mr Toxward, Mr F. A.Krull. A Monstrous Petition. — It was very amusing nn Saturday night to see some of the working men of Wellington, who openly declared they had never seen the Brogden contracts, sign a petition a few minutes after, alleging that they had " read and duly considered them !" Such barefaced lying is disgraceful. The Permissive Bill. — The opponents of the Permissive Bill, says a contemporary, are always maundering about the liberty of the subject, which they affect to believe to be endangered by the provisions of this measure. The liberty of the subject, as far as the sale of liquor is concerned, is already interfered with by the appointment of a licensing bench, to decide who shall, and who shall not, sell these admittedly troublesomo articles. Is it wrong in principle to allow two-thirds of the ratepayers of a district to do what a couple of magistrates may do ? The argument is a palpably stupid one, and will not stand investigation. In this, as in all other questions of social organization, the public must themselves be the beet judges. Watering the Streets. — A proposition made by Mr Moss at the last meeting of the City Council, with the object of providing means for the watering of the principal thoroughfares of the city, seems to have been put into effect, and there is at last some prospect of subduing the intolerable nuisance to which storekeepers and pedestrians are subjected. The City Surveyor, we notice, has called for tenders for carts filled for watering streets, the tenders to be sent in before noon on Friday next. Curious Accident.— A peculiar accident happened at Nelson lately to a young man named Faino. His arm was broken immediately above the elbow while he was in the act of throwing a stone. Employment of Convicts.— The Go vernment of Victoria have at last determined to employ convict labor on useful public works, which would not be undertaken without that assistance. Thirty prisoners selected at Pentridge was lately forwarded to Portland, to be employed on the break-water about to be constructed there, as a shelter for vessels in the bay in south-east winds. A Trumped-up Case. — The Resident Magistrate at Balclutha was engaged for four or five days last week, and also on Monday and Tuesday, in hearing the case of Brayshaw v. M'Neil, which was a claim for money compensation for injuries alleged to have been received by the plaintiff's wife at the hands of the defendant. The case excited considerable interest in the locality, on account of the seriousness of the charge involved, it being nothing less than one of attempted indecent assault, and the position of the defendant, '

who is mayor of Balolutha. Even that portion of the evidence which is published in the " Bruce Herald," is, in the words of our contemporary, sufficient to justify an opinion that the whole charge was trumped-up for mercenary purposes. The magistrate, in dismissing the case, stated that Mr M'Neil left the Court without a stain upon his character. Adelaide. — A recent Australian telegram stated that the Roman Catholic Bishop Shiel had excommunicated the Lady Superioress of the Sisters of the Convent of St. Joseph. There appears, says a contemporary, to be some mistake in this paragraph. There is no conventual institution in Adelaide, and no Lady Superioress of the order of St. Joseph. A scholastic institution was formed by a few young ladies during Bishop Shiel's late absence in England, and the head of the establishment may have assumed the name of Lady Superioress without authority. Large Wheel.— The largest wheel that has yet been cast in Wanganui left Mr Murray's foundry last week. It is a spur wheel intended for Major Turner's flax mill at Okehu, and sufficiently indicates that Mr Murray has now appliances of all sorts to such an extent that machinery of any kind can be obtained in Wanganui as good, and to the full as cheap, as anywhere else in the colony. Chinese in Southland. — Orepuki is to have its " peaceful invasion" as well as the other diggings of this favored province. The first instalment of Celestials, numbering thirty-five, with all their " dunnage" and bamboos, arrived at Eiverton on Sunday week, en route for the above-named locality. They are said to have been brought down from the Nokomai by a " pioneer Chinaman," who, having visited Orepuki, came to the conclusion that a better opening for the employment of his coolies was to be found there than at the inland mines. We understand that another batch is expected to arrive in a few days. New Zealand Flax.— The " Sydney Mail" publishes a leading article in praise of New Zpaland flax rope. It says : — The character of the rope made of the phormium tenax is excellent. Most of the captains that have giren it a fair trial prefer it to Manilla for running gear, on | account of its superior elasticity, durability, and softness. There are qualifications of this statement, it being said by some to be not so good as Russian hemp rope for water purposes or for standing rigging, though the latter would be soon driven from the market if the phormium rope were sold at 45s per cwt. In strength it stood the British Government test well — nay, in the " breaking machine" it stood just double what that test for new hemp rope is. The hemp testis 84lbs. Some of the flax strands stood at 21Olbs. There seems thus no doubt about the rope making capabilities of this fibre. Arrest for Forgery. — The young man William Thomas Bray, who was arrested at Hobart Town, on board the barque Bella Mary on a charge of forgery, alleged to have been committed at Auckland on the 25th Auguat last, was brought up at the Police Court, and charged with the offence. Mr Graves appeared for the prisoner, and pointed out that he was illegally in custody, the warrant on which he had been arrested not being properly authenticated, nor countersigned by a magistrate of the colony. The learned gentleman commented on the want of proof that the document was authentic, and remarked that if the magistracy and police authorities of New Zealand negiec ted to comply with the requirements of the law, our magistracy and police authorities should not strain the law so as to cover their laches. The Bench, on hearing the learned counsel's argument, intimated that before coming to a decision they would like to consult the Attorney General, and to afford them an opportunity of doing so they remanded the prisoner till Monday, intimating that if the Attor-ney-General advised them that the proceedings were informal, the prisoner would be discharged forthwith. The Police Magistrate afterwards had an interview with the Attorney General, and as a result of that interview the accused was discharged at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon. ! The Hobart Town " Mebcuby." — We notice that the old familiar imprint of this leading Tasmanian journal has given place to another. Mr John Davies. whose name has been so long assoeiatad with " The Mercury," ceases his connecttion with that journal, for which he has done so much to secure its present high position among the Press of Australasia. He is succeeded by his Bons, John George Davies, and Charles Ellis Davies, on whom has virtually devolved the management of the paper for some months past.