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Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3902, 5 September 1873, Page 2

Our report of the House of Representatives proceedings of yesterday are held over until next issue. The motion of the member for the Thames, Mr 0. O'Neill, in favour of a further reduction of sixpence per ounce on the export duty on gold, was yesterday defeated on a division by 31 to 26. An amendment to the effect that power should be given to Provincial Councils to effect reductions in the duty was lost by 36 to 15. The Tapseott Defence Fund has been augmented by another £1 forwarded to this office by 0. Willeston. The mooring anchor for the buoy off the south end of the wharf was hoisted up yesterday, and put on board the Rangatira, for the purpose of being used at i the wreck of the Rangitoto. The Rangatira left for the wreck last night. The Messrs Brogden have purchased that building on the Kaiwarra road which was used as a soap factory by Cooper and Co. It is excellently adapted either for a workmen's barracks or a storehouse. Negotiations are now going on for the sale of the Odd Fellows' Hall, as it appears that the investment has been anything but remunerative. A meeting of persons interested in the case of the William Tapseott prisoners will be held at the side room of the Odd Fellows' Hall on Saturday evening at 7.30 o'clock. Amongst the arrivals yesterday were two members of the Legislature, Mr Vincent Pyke, recently elected to the House of Representatives ; and the Hon Henry Russell, of Hawke's Bay notoriety. Mr R. J. Duncan will hold ta-day one of the largest sales of woolpacks ever held in this city. We have been informed by Messrs Johnston and Co, the local agentß for the National Insurance Company, that upwards of 11,000 shares have already been applied for in thi3 city. A donkey-engine imported by the Corporation was tested yesterday afternoon, the jibboom of the Halcione serving as a purchase. It was evident that the engine is not equal to raising very heavy goods ; ' but for the discharge of light packages and ordinary cargo it ought to be found very useful, as it can be moved about at pleasure. The following cases were dealt with at j the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday: — Thomas Winslow, who had used abusive and intimidating language to Captain Bishop, was fined 60s and bound over to keep the peace ; in default, to be committed for fourteen days with hard labor. S. J. Hill, for a breach of the Municipal Corporations Act, was fined 5s and ordered to pay 9s costs. Thomas North, Martin Whelan, and James Brown, were each fined 10s. William Taylor, for being drunk and illegally on the premises of S. S. Griffiths, was fined 10s. A great many civil cases were down for hearing, but the majority were, as usual, settled out of Court. A. P. Stuart v. Hickson. — Claim, £1 14s 3d. This was a re-hearing, but the original judgment for amount claimed and costs was confirmed. J. Bowater v. E. Sheen. — Claim, £1 15s 6d ; judgment for amount and costs. J. Cornwall v. C. Papal, — Claim, £2 18s ; judgment for amount, and costs, 9s. J. H. Smith v. H. Carter. — Claim, £17 7s ; judgment for 12s 6s, with costs. A splendid specimen of a pilot boat has just been completed by Mr John Maclean for the Provincial Government. It measures 30 feet in keel, 5 feet 11 inches beam, and is seated for five men and coxswain, whose steer-oar is 27 feet long. It may not be generally known that this class of boat is fitted with a cork roll eight inches in diameter underneaththe thwarts, as well as with cork -jackets the same as in the life boats at home, and are therefore fitted to face any weather. Indeed it is no unfrequent occurrence to see our pilot boat' put out when steamers are anchored in Worser'a Bay. To provide against the contingency of being blown to sea, a five gallon breaker of water and a box of biscuits are put into the boat every time she puts' off to a vessel. About eighteen months ago Mr M'Lean built a similar boat, and it turned out a very serviceable one, The cost of the new boat is estimated at £40. We notice that Captain Baldwin, one x of thf^clirfifitovn <yf ths_ NaiiesaLE**' 0 I»x~ sufance Company, is a passenger by the Paterson, and is proceeding North as the representative of the company. We understand that the company is meeting with extraordinary success in Otago and Canterbury. Forty thousand shares have been applied for in Dunedin alone, and the up-country agencies have been literally rushed by applicants. In Canterbury, it is expected that applications will be received, before the share list closes, for between fifty and sixty thousand. In this city, also, we learn that eleven thousand shares have been applied for already. We believe that the directors have determined to distribute the shares of the company as widely as possible, so as to deprive it as much as may be of a speculative character. "Diogenes," writing in the "Grey River Argus," suggests that an effort should be made to obtain female immigrants from Tasmania. He says : — - v Let our Government bring in a few shiploads to the various places most wifeless, and make each fair one return the cost of her importation when she gets married. There would be short delay for recoupment of the passage money, I promise you. The girls would go off in the matrimonial market more readily than a flock

of prime ewe.3 in a famine-stricken town. Why send to Europe for women when they can be got so much better, prettier, and cheaper so much near home 1 Besides, it would be a real act of charity to the Tasmanian girls to ship them to New Zealand." A writer in the "Grey ßiver Argus" says that washerwomen in Greymouth get as much as £78 a year, with good board and lodging. According to recent advices, it appears that the number of paupers, even in London, is less by some 40,000 than it was three years ago. Cattle-stealing is becoming so common in Victoria that unless steps which are being taken to prevent it are successful, the colony will soon acquire an unenviable notoriety. Among theatrical gossip it is mentioned that Mr J. J. Bartlett, formerly of Hokitika, has been very unsuccessful at New York, but hopes to succeed at Baltimore ; and that Emmeline Zayistowski, the blonde of the Zaviatowski troupe, has married, and the others have retired from the stage. The Parnell people, who are obstinate against gas, have hit upon a comical expedient to direct the wayfarer at night. At the comer 1 of each^street a whitewashed streak has been laid on to the palings or wall to guide the traveller on his way. Here is a memo, for immigration agents : — Six of the single women who arrived recently at Maryborough, Queensland, by the laßt Government immigrant ship, found husbands in a day or two after they had landed. A Nelson paper says that the Egyptian geese lately placed in the Eel-pond have . commenced breeding. One goose has hatched out ' several young ones, and' another is sitting. A smuggler, named the Result, from Newport, Belgium, was seized recently at Southampton. She had on board several tons of tobacco and cigars. As illustrating the losses incurred by residents in Westport, only one among the hundreds in business since its settlement by Europeans continues in the premises originally erected. • <■ ■ ■ The Rev Dr Turner, in an article in the "Presbyterian Church News" (published at Auckland) for August, says that the imports and exports of Samoa range from £50,000 to £100,000 a year. At a meeting of stall-holders in the Auckland market, held to consider the best means of popularising the market, it was resolved " that stall-holders do keep open till a late hour, sell the best articles, and jointly advertise." Besides the distribution of fish during the approaching summer, an attempt will be made by the Otago Acclimatisation Society, in the course of a few months, to introduce a large number of black game from the Highlands of Scotland. ; The enormous sum of £1,200,490 was raised last year for the maintenance of the poor in England and Wales, and of j this amount £807,403 was spent in actual relief. It is reported, says the " Bay of Plenty Times," that Te Raiki and Hakariwhi, with a party of Ngatihaua, from Waikato and Matamata, are about to take vengeance upon Piriraka for having advised the withdrawal of the Waiharakeke block j (on the Thames) from the operation of the Lands Court.. The " Alta California" says that there is some probability the Pacific Mail Company will re-establish the New Zealand line, but it awaits the action of the directors of the company in New York, for which port the New Zealand Commis- j sioners have left San Francisco. " The "Haiwaiian Gazette" says : — The missionary packet Morning Star has sjone i on an eight months' cruise in the Polynesian Group. She is under orders to visit some islands which have never been visited by the vessels from the American Board. ""Urn™ A girl named Lamb, charged at the Geelong Police Court, with stabbing her father in the face with a putty knife, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment. As she left the Court she shook her clenched fist, and said she had not the slightest objection to swing on the gallows if it would afford the public any amusement. An Auckland paper says : — A few natives residing in the immediate neighborhood of Whangamata have resolved to establish a shore station on the Island of , Tuhua. Three boats have been equipped and manned by Maoris, principally at their own expense, and at a cost of about £150, leas than a third part of which has been advanced by the Government in the shape of a loan to be repaid within" six months. That it is pre-eminently the office of any enlightened Government to foster and aid the development of local industries, is no mere truism ; but we cannot help recognising the fact that this, <3n the part of the native department, is a step in the right direction. "Under the "Verandah" occasionally gets hold of some amusing items. This is one of them: — "The ignorance displayed in England upon subjects pertaining to Australia is somewhat amusing. A 1 governor of a neighboring colony, wheji last in Melbourne, stated that while in London he had an interview with the i Hon. George Higinbotham's particular aversion — the man Rogers. Speaking of New Zealand, to which colony the governor was proceeding, the chief clerk in the Colonial Office stated he had no doubt but that he would find his appointment an agreeable one. While intimating that the Imperial Government had had no trouble with New Zealand governors lately, he inveighed somewhat harshly against Sir George Grey. The front of that gentleman's offending seemed to be that he had purchased laud, and had built himself a private residence thereon. "And what's more," said Tiogoi-s, i'.lliooiJ, blu%« lie- eaoouragea wallabies about his grounds." On the listener stating that he saw no harm in that, the anger of Rogers was roused. ** I don't know what you think," said he, j " about wallabies, but I scarcely think it is compatible with the dignity of a governor of a British dependency to encourage half-caste Maori females about his dwelling place." The following paragraph from the " New Zealand Herald" applies to Wellington as much as to Auckland : — A correspondent draws onr attention to the very fine library of books in possession of the Provincial Government, purchased for the use of councillors. But as the Council is not in session more than two or three months in the year, the question naturally suggests itself, why should the public, under proper restrictions, not have access to the books ? There are about forty Provincial Councillors, of whom, i perhaps, not more than a dozen ever think of using the library, which has cost the province many hundreds of pounds. There is a very large section of the community who would willingly avail themselves "of such an excellent selection of books, and why it should not be utilised is what we have not been able to learn. If councillors would be satisfied with such

of the works as relate lo legislation, together with parliamentary papers, blue books, public returns, and the like, there is nothing ,to prevent the collection of works in history, science^ and general literature, forming a magnificent nucleus of a free library. Fiat — let it be done.