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Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3922, 9 October 1873, Page 2

The steamer Napier was employed the greater portion of yesterday in transporting the passengers of the Douglas, with their goods and chattels, from Somes Island to the Queen's wharf. It required two trips of the little steamer to perform the work. Any person looking at these new arrivals could not but admit that, whatever may have been the shortcomings of the Agent-General, he has sent out excellent-looking material for the manufacture of good colonists. The lot seemed to be a very fair admixture of the inhabitants of the three parent countries, and though the proportion of children of the Green Isle was not remarkably conspicuous, yet there was clearly a good sprinkling of them to be seen. It was also to be observed that several members of the Catholic clergy of Wellington were ready at their debarkation, in order to render their co-religionists what information or assistance might be in their power. Taking the whole shipload of immigrants, they are a presentable and unobjectionable looking lot. Men and women alike possess that fine healthy English freshness of look, their apparel and the quantity of luggage they bring would indicate that they are of the more thrifty class, while the children are sturdy and clean. As there is an unusually large number of single girls amongst the passengers by the Douglas, housewives will have an opportunity of obtaining that domestic help which there is such a demand for. Very little work was done on board the Douglas yesterday afternoon, owing to the constant crowd of passengers who were on board paying a farewell visit to their friends and to the ship that brought them out so safe. When the Napier steamed past the stern of the Douglas, those on Board the steamer observed Capt. Wilson standing on his quarter deck, when a round of hearty cheers was given for the captain. The majority of the immigrants were duly installed in their new quarters at the Depot yesterday afternoon, where their stay is not likely to be long, owing to the demand for them which exists just at present.

It would appear from some correspondence in the New Plymouth papers that Taranaki is in an uneviable position in the matter of receiving her letters. One writer says that the passing on of steamers has become of so frequent an occurrence of late that when the mails are landed, it is quite an occasion for public wonder. Another correspondent suggests that ' ' at this season of the year our mail boat should fire a rocket with a line attached, and by that means haul a hogshead, made watertight, to and fro, and so dispatch our correspondence each way." The difficulty between the late manager of the Wanganui Steam Navigation Company and the liquidators haa been satisfactorily adjusted by the former paying the amount of the ascertained deficiences. A receipt has been given "in full of all demands," and lv's bond has been returned to him.

The Customs revenue at Wanganui for September is as follows, as published in a local paper : — Spirits, £713 9s 7d ; cigars, £66 19s 5d ; tobacco, £250 10s ; wine, £45 15s Od ; tea, £114 13s Gd ; sugar, £138 10s 6d ; goods, gross weight, £25 11s 9d ; goods, ad valorem, £409 16s lid ; other duties £63 12s 8d ; total £1834 19a 9d. For the corresponding month of last year, the total amount collected was £1464 4s 6d, or a balance in favor of this year of £370 35s 3d. For the quarter ended 30th September, 1872, the amount received was £4677 3s 8d" ; while that for the same quarter of the present year reached £5537 15s 11, showing a balance in favor of the present year of £360 12s 3d. The exports for the last month showed a great falling oif, and were as follows :— Cattle, 200 head ; sheep, 920 ; horses, 6 ; pigs, 25 ; wool, 10 bales ; tallow, 15 casks ; hides, 259.

The sudden death of an infant of one of the immigrants by the Douglas, yesterday afternoon, while in its mother's arms, led to some little talk on the wharf ; but there was nothing very singular in the circumstance, as the child was never expected to live from the moment it was born. It appears that the child was bom on the voyage out, but with a deficient spine, and Dr Tuck told the parents that they must not expect the child to live. When the mother found that the little thing had died while wrapped up in her shawl, she gave way to violent maternal grief.

As has been previously announced, the boating season will be formally opened by a procession of boats on Saturday — wf>ather permitting, of course. Should the weather promise favorably, the vessels in harbor will run up their bunting at two o'clock. The different crews are requested to be in readiness at their sheds at halfpast three, so that they may be able to take their places at the wharf at four o'clock. The order ©f the procession is as follows : — Dolly Varden, Stella, Wellington, May Flower, Rua Lura, Lass o' Gowrie, Empire City, Queen Mab, Electric Spark, Faugh-a-Ballagh, five pair-oar boats, bankers' boat, three scullers' boats, whaleboat. As a little music would greatly enhance the effect, an enthusiast has suggested that the Pearl's steam yacht and a band of music on board of it would make the procession a great success. It is to be hoped that the crews will study uniformity of dress as much as possible, for the sake of effect.

A meeting of the newly-formed Wellington Chess Club was held last evening, Mr J. H. Wallace occupying the chair. As the club was in want of a suitable room, Mr Wallace kindly proffered the use of a room in his auction premises. The club accepted the offer, and at once enrolled the donor as an honorary member. The following gentlemen were appointed a committee of management : — Messrs Reeves, Mowbray, Skey, and Ollivier. Monday and Friday evenings were fixed as special practice nights. The club already musters about twenty members ; and there is little doubt that if they exhibit a becoming devotion in the study of the noble game, they will not be long in getting such a list of members as will give them both a local habitation and a name.

The Caledonian Society of Wellington are about to receive a noble present from Captain Sellars of the Electra, who is a member of the society. The present is as tasteful and appropriate as it is valuable, and it may be said to be all three. It is no less than as close an imitation of the Royal Standard of Scotland as it is possible to make, both in size and emblems. It is a yellow ground, the fleur-de-lis and lion being scarlet, all being made of the best bunting to be obtained at home, where it was made by some lady friends of Captain Sellars. The flag will be formally presented at the next meeting of the Caledonian Society. As the size of the flag cannot be less than 12ft by 40ft, the society ought to look round in time to secure a suitable flag-pole. '

Mr Arthur Vivian announces another of his " comique variety entertainments" for Saturday evening, at the Odd Fellows' Hall.

Mr Lewisson has paid Wellington another visit, and, as usual, has put up at the New Zealander Hotel, where he will dispose of as much of his large stock of jewelry as he can during a brief stay. It will be disposed of on the Art Union principle.

Another settler, Mr George Dixon, of the Tinakori Road, has passed away at 56 years of age. He was a member of the Dixon family, well known as being probably the largest in this province. The Bench at the Resident Magistrate's Court was occupied yesterday morning by J. Holt, Esq, who fined John Long 5s for being drunk, and ordered him to pay 2s 6d cab hire. Thomas Brown was fined 5s for a like offence.

Matrons of the feline tribe sometimes select strange places in which to deposit theii progeny upon their first introduction to this vale of tears ; but one of the most extraordinary places that any pussy ever selected as a lying-in hospital was a loaded dray while on its journey. The surprise of one of the Wair&rapa Carrying Company's drivers may be imagined when, on unloading at the depot yesterday, he discovered her feline ladyship between some packages absorbed in the care of a large family of kittens, "all doing well." The dray was loaded at Masterton, and the driver is positive no pussy passenger in an interesting condition was taken in

there.

Mr D. Hall, the City Missionary, thankfully acknowledges the receipt of the following contributions in aid of the funds of the City Mission for September : — Gent, Is ; Lady, 2s ; Mr Sidey, 7s 6d ; Dr Hector, £1 ; Mrs Buxton, Is ; R., 2s ; X.Y.Z., 2s ; Mrs M'Nabb, 4s ; Trimmer, Is 6d ; Mrs Coe, 2s ; Mrs Morrow, 2s 6d ; Mrs Williams, 10s ; Captain Yule, of the Heversham, £1 ; M. G., £1 ; MrHedger, ss ; J. L., 2s 6d ; a Friend, 10s 6d ; Captain Bishop, of the Halcione, 10s j Mrs "Warren, 2s ; total, £7 0s 6d.

The state of the poll at four o'clock for the election of five persons as a Board of Commissioners for the Kaiwarra district was as follows : —

W. T. Whyatt 25 G. Reynolds - 24 E. M. Taylor 22 J. Guilford 21 J. Holme 16 D. Caldera 15 The first five are therefore the Commissioners.

The Melbourne correspondent of the " Otago Daily Times" thus gossips concerning the proceedings of the Victorian Legislature : — " A good deal of complaint is made against our Parliament for neglecting its work. The Upper Chamber meets once a week, reads the usual form of prayer, potters about for half-an-hour, and then adjourns for a week. The Assembly meets three times a week, goes through the notices and questions, all punctually enough, and then when the work of Legislation comes on, the greater number of the members betake themselves to the refreshment rooms, and the billiard and card tables. While the important bills for the reform of our legal system have been going through committee, it has been difficult to get a dozen members together. The other evening a novel subject of debate was introduced. One foolish member named Harker wanted the House to adjourn early, because some members had invitations to an evening parcy at Sir George Bowen's house at Toorak that evening. The suggestion was an unlucky one. Some members were invited but others were not, and one of the uninvited rose to discharge the vials of his wrath on the proposer. He denounced the favoritism that dictated the invitations ; declared that it was an insult "to the Assembly, and warned the Government that ' ' these distinctions ;mu3t not continue." This man, Mr M'Lellan, is an out-and-out democrat, sterr^ incorruptible, and all the rest of it £. but it la noticeable that nothing that has occurred in or out of Parliamenc for a long time has so deeply stirred his indignation as the omission of the Governor to ask him to Toorak. But it is felt to be going a little too far, even for the nondescripts that compose our Parliament, when they sit debating on the duty of the Governor to invite them to dinner.

The resources of Fiji appear to be more varied than has hitherto been supposed. The "Fiji Gazette" of a recent date says : — " We have been shown a magnificent sample of iron-sand, similar to the Taranaki sand, only somewhat richer — containing considerably over 80 per cent of pure metal. The specimen shown was brought from the Island of Santo, in the New Hebrides group, where, it is stated, the supply is practically unlimited ; the whole beach, in fact, consisting of this valuable ore." Elsewhere it is announced that very rich argentiferous sulphide of lead and antimony has been found on the island of Viti Levu. The ore has been analysed by Mr Parker, Levuka, and found to contain a very high percentage of silver. The person who brought the ore into Levuka, to ascertain what it was, said it was in such abundance on Viti Levu that he could "load the steamer with it in three weeks."