LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3328, 25 October 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

<» The Brogden Contract. —We shall have a full report of Mr Vogel'g speech extended from our reporter's notes. The strangers' and speaker's galleries were densely crowded during its delivery. The House. — Both Chambers of the Legislature had resumed their usual appearance by the time of meeting yesterday evening. The transformation must have been accomplished in a very short space of time, as the dancing only concluded at four o'clock on the morning of the same day. After troops of dancers came troops of workmen, and the demolition of the ornamentation, which Mr Ferrers and his band had been, at such pains to arrange, was a work of little time and less consideration. The Assembly Chamber bore no evidence of the gaiety of the preceding evening, excepting in the anxiety of somo of the members to bring the legislative labors to as speedy a conclusion as possible, and to this desire is to be attributed ths early adjournment of the House. Cantebbuhy Regatta. — A meeting of the Canterbury Kegatta Committee was held last evening, afc the Pier Hotel, for the purpose of naming a probable crew to represent Wellington at the forthcoming regatta; Mr M'Kenzie in the chair. Several names of persons likely to go into training were taken down, and it was resolved that a gentleman of experience should be asked to coach the crew. The meeting then adjourned to Tuesday evening next, at the Pier Hotel.

Never Despair Gold Mining Company.—A meeting of the shareholders of this company was held on Monday evening at Barett's Hotel, Mr Mr J. E. Nathan was in the chair. It had been resolved at a previous meeting that the capital of the company should be increased to £10,000, but notice was required before this could be agreed to legally. Mr Palmer had given notice of motion to this effect, and as he was not present Mr Buchanan took up the motion, which was carried unanimously. Two other resolutions, agreeing that in the event of the company declaring dividends before the instalments on the new ipsue of shares had become due, the new shares should receive equally with the old, and that previons shareholders should have priority in taking up new shares, were carried, without a dissentient. Other resolutions were carried to the following effect: That new shares be allotted to old shareholders in proportion to the number at present held by them ; that on the new shares being taken up, a general meeting should be called, at which directors should be elected ; that no shareholders should be eligible as directors holding less than 50 shares ; that a clause bo inserted in the lease, giving the company power to renew the lease for 21 years at the expiration of the present lease; and that a lease be obtained for machine and water purposes, and for a right of way to the claim, by means of either tramway, railroad, or wire tramway. Courts. — To day the Supreme Court sits for the purpose of hearing bankruptcy cases. A Native Lands' Court was held yesterday, at the Athenfeum, by Judge Smith, but the cases heard were only of personal interest. At the Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, there was one charge of drunkenness, ia which a fine was imposed. There was only one civil case, in which the judgment weut by default. No. 1 Company, Volunteers. — It is intimated that, in consequence of the monthly inspection of this Company taking place on Friday next, the usual weekly parade will not be held this evening. After the inspection a general meeting of the company will be held at Donnecker's Hotel. Dr. Carr.— Dr. Carr notifies that he lias altered his hours for phrenological consultation. The hours now are from half-past one to four, and from scvon till eight o'clock. Excelsior Minstrels.— These mm strels are passengers by the steamer Gothenburg, due here this morning, and give their first performance this evening, at the Odd Fellows' Hall. Mr Chilman's Mission to England. ■ — Advices have been received from Mr Chilman, relative to his negotiations in London with regard to the iron sand. As reported in the "Taranaki Herald," he states that he has had several introdue tion to persons in England, but nothing ■ definite as yet has been done as to forming a company. Dr Featherston is assisting him in the matter in every way possible. Mr Chilman, we believe, was to leave England during the present month, and therefore may be expected about January next. Cole's Coaches. — The Taranaki "Herald " states that Mr A. Young (formerly a partner of tho late Mr Shepard), has taken over the line of coaches running between Wanganui and H>(ew Plymouth. Mr Young's name is a sufficient guarantee that the service will be carried on efficiently. Mr. Brogden, the railway contractor, while tho steamer Wellington remained at anchor in the Taranaki roadstead, wont on shore and visited the works of the Pioneer Steel Company. Hutt Bridge Hotel. —In the old country it is customary at tho commencement of any buildings of note that some distinguished person should have the honor of laj'ing the first or foundation stone; but in this, our province of Wellington, the honor is in the driving or laying the first pile. But a few days since the Hutt was honored by the presence of his Excellency the Governor (who has always taken a sincere interest in the welfare of the colony and its settlers) and a number of the Provincial Council and members of tho General Assembly, to drive the first pile of the new Hutt bridge. And on Monday last we were pleased to notice the first pile of a new hotel, to be called The Hutt Bridge Hotel, was laid by George Crawford, Esq , of this city, in the presence of the Hon. J. Patersou, several other hon. members, C. B. Borlase, Esq., and other gentlemen from Wellington, in which a great number of the inhabitants of the Hutt joined. Mr George Crawford, in laying the first pile, said he had much pleasure in so doing, , as he was well aware the host of the new hotel, Mr Nathaniel Valentine, would, as he had always done, be a most obliging and attentive caterer to the public. He was well aware, as were all present, Mr Valentine had been a great sufferer by the inroad the river had made upon his land, and he sincerely trusted, on the completion of the new hotel (as hitherto) his friends would rally round and prove to him their appreciation of his universal attention to their convenience and comfort. After laying the pile, the party returned to our worthy host's and partook of a most excellent luncheon, provided by, to use the familiar phrase, our old and respected host Nat. Ppofessional. — ■ Mr and Mrs Frank Towers, and their daughter, Miss Rosa Towers, have been playing very successfully at Westport and Charleston. Geeville's Agency. — The followingletter from Greville's New Zealand Manager appears in the "Otago Daily Times :" — I notice in your issue of October 2, a letter from your Auckland correspondent, in which the following paragraph occurs :— "In a former letter I referred to the arrangements made for the agency of Greville's Telegraph Company, and the improbability, under such arrrangement, of theirßucceedingin keeping the telegrams free of political bias. That my apprehensions wore not unfounded ia proved by the publication in the ' Southern Cross" of yesterday of the following telegram : — 'The Fox Ministry is considered safe. Yogel has jumped Stafford's claim, and | left him without a grievance.' Comment is needless, but in the interest of the public the source of such telegrams should be well understood, aad kept in view." I beg most emphatically to stste state the telegram quoted above was not sent by any authorised agent of ours. Whichever paper originally published the telegram as from us must have done so by mistake. My attention having been thus called to the matter, I shall make it my business to institute careful enquiries respecting the origin of the telegram, which has either been attributed to Greville's Telegram Company by mistake, or the signature to the telegram has been a forgery. P.S.— Since writing the above, I find that the telegram originally ppeared in the " Wanganui Chroniole" of Sep tember 14th, from the correspondent of that journal. I may state that we have

never supplied telegrams of Parliamentary news to the " Chronicle." The telegram must have been copied into the "Southern Cross," and by mistake placed under our heading." The " Taranaki Herald" is responsible for the following story, which is too good to be true :— Some years ago a philanthropist of the Exeter Hall stamp, who came to Now Zealand for the express purpose of reclaiming the " noble savage," invited a few chiefs to dine with him. Of course they were treated to many delicacies they had never seen before, and displayed a perhaps excusable inclination to "go through" the bill of fare. A young chief who had partaken of nearly everything on the table, had been eyeing the mustard for some time, no doubt thinking that such a pretty paste would taste as good as it looked. At length, an opportunity appearing, he reached forth in a dignified inanuer, took a liberal spoonful, and swallowed it without moving a muscle of his countenance, but in spite of his utmost exertions, the tears soon streamed down his cheeks. An aged chief opposite to him, who had been watching the whole proceeding, leaned forward and enquired what he was crying for. He replied, " I was thinking of my poor old father, who died a short time ago." Soon afterwards the " aged," being unable to restrain his curiosity, also solemnly took a dip from the mustard-pot, and swallowed it without the quivering of the muscle ; but his eyes were not as strong as his will, and the little tears soon trickled down hia cheeks. It was now the young red man's turn. Leaning forward he inquired the cause of the grief, to which the elderly party replied, "I was thinking 'twas a pity you hadn't died when your poor father did." The New Rush in Westland.— Accouuts received in Kokitika from the rush at the Totara punt are very encouraging. Some of the claims have been averaging £10 per week per man, and in a few instances even more had been obtained. One or two stores are being erected, and the locality is fast assuming the appearauce of a settled diggings. Several parties passed through from the Greenstone, and some few have even come down from the Grey district to try their fortunes at the new ground. The inducement has not come from the Press, but men on the ground have written to their friends so favorably as to their prospects as to attract a crowd which is daily getting larger. Last week Hokitika was crowded with miners from various localities, who were making arrangements to cross the river for the scene of the rush. The Eobbeky at Opunake. — We reported last week that a robbery had been committed at Opunake, and that Mr Parris, R.M., had proceeded there to try the case. The native, whose name Tamati Waka, pleaded guilty to the charge, and was sentenced by the Court (under clause 105 of the Resident Magistrates' Act, 1867,) to return the money and pay a fine of £5 and costs. Mr Parris, R.M,, and Honi Pihama, Native Assesaor, were on the bench, and the natives assembled respected the law in a way that speaks well for their peaceful intentions towards the Europeans. After the proceedings of the Court were over, says the Taranaki " Herald," a deputation of natives headed by the chief Mira, waited upon Mr Parris and requested he would ask the Government to erect a court-house and lock-up in their district. The Civil Commissioner informed them that he would communicate their wishes to the Government, immediately on his return to New Plymouth. Copper Obe-— We mentioned the other day that c, sample of copper ore had been giren to Captain Bishop of the barque Guiding Star, during his stay at Timor, by a Scotch gentleman resident there, and who stated that there was plenty of it on the island. Captaia Bishop has forwarded the sample to the " Otago Daily Times" office, and it is spoken of as looking very promising. The following is the letter received by Captain Bishop along with the sample from Mr Drysdale, the gentleman referred to aa resident at Timor: — " Capt. Bishop, commanding the barque Guiding Star. — Dear Sir, I take the liberty of sending you a small sample of the copper ore from the locality where we have obtained a concession of nine square miles. You will greatly oblige me by showing the same to any of your friends in Australia, or to the Chambers of Commerce. As my object is to give publicity to tlie existence of valuable copper deposits in Timor, and perhaps induce capitalists to form a company to work the copper fields, for which we have obtained a concession, I may add that thes-e mines are situated at about twelve miles distant from the place of shipmeut, and being only twenty-five miles from the capital city of Timor, there is no danger to be apprehended from the natives. — I am, &c, Thomas C. Duysdale. Timor, Koepang, 12th August, 1871." The Island of St Paul's. — The little Island of St Paul's is in latitude 39* S., about halfway between the Cape of Good Hope and Australia, far south in the Indian Ocean. It was discovered by Van Diemen, in 1633, and has several times been visited by exploring expeditions. Lord Macartney visited it in the ship Lion, in 1793, and published a short account of it ; and it was again visited ia 1858, by the Austrian frigate Novara. It lies nenrly in the track usually made by men-of-war on the voyage to Australia, but somewhat to the north of that followed, as a rule, by merchant ships. The island is claimed by M. Ottovan, a ship chandler of St Denis, in the Island of Bourbon, who sends twice a year a small fishing vessel of some 30 or 4.0 tons. The fishermen, generally fifteen or eighteen in number, spend about two months on the island in summer and about theaame time in winter, taking, packing, and salting great quantities of Indian cod. They fill up their spare time iv winter by planting wheat, maize, barley, and potatoes, which they reap, gather, and lay by for the next winter during their short summer sojourn. A Frenchman, named Viot, who flies the tricolor on the approach of a strange auil, bus visited the island overy year since 1841, as overseer of the fishery. He has imported goats, pigs, geese, rabbi t9, cats, &c, and has several times stayed for a year at a time, with only one or two negroes for companions. Tho island is volcanic and rocky ; hot springs exist, and considerable volcanic heat is still felt in parts of the soil. The top of the crater can be seen from some distance, and the basin is now wished into on one side by the sea, and affords a safe anchorage for small vessels, though the bar is dangerous in heavy weather. There are several graves on the island, one of them that of an Etmlishnoinan, who died in a merchant ship off the island, and another of a skipper who was drowned in crossing the bar into the basin of the crater. Crested and hopping penguins are found in great numbers, and it is the home of the vast flocks of sea birds which circle and skim over the waste of waters arouud, and rear their young in the vast ocean caves of the island.

I The Hokitika Coal Company.— The " West CoaSt Times" of the 18th inst, gives the following particulars of the starting of a company for the working of a coal seam up the Hokitika river: — A meeting of gentlemen interested in promoting a movement to prospect for coal up the Hokitika river, was held last night at the White House Hotel. There were about eighteen present out of thirty-three who had subscribed. Mr Hoes waß in tho chair. Mr Meyer stated the object of the meeting. He said that coal had been found cropping out in two different places up the river, about 400 yards distant from each other. This was from personal observation of his own. The largest seam was 4ft 6in thick. Coal had also been found cropping out about half-a-mile south of those two places, and also ! about three miles further south. The conI jecture which he deduced was that coal ran right through the bill. To test the ground, • protection had been obtained for three miles square For the purpose of prospecting, it was proposed to raise a fund of £200, and £175 had been subscribed in three hours, and there were numerous applications made after the list bad been closed, but they were declined. He suggested that a committee should be formed to conduct the business of the association. Mr Gawne moved and Mr Klein seconded — " The formation of a committee consisting of five members," which was carried. Mr Klein moved, and Mr Keller seconded — " That the following gentlemen form the committee :— Messrs Meyer, Gawne, Hoos, Kortogast." The motion was carried. It waa resolved that the committee bring up a report on Monday next, setting forth the made of operation, &c. Mr Meyer waß appointed secretary and treasurer, and it was ordered that a call of 5s per share be made payable not later than Saturday next, or in default tbat the shares be forfeited. All those present immediately paid the call, and the meeting then adjourned until Monday next.