WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 27, 1 November 1873, Page 8

WEEKLY EPITOME.

The regulations under which people in the Colony can procure free passages for their friends at home to this Colony, and their expenses paid to the port of embarkation will be found in our advertising columns. 5 The Nelson • Examiner ' in taking a glance at what those minerals, more precious than gold, have done for other localities, remarks : The feeling is general in the Province of Nelson that we must look to the coal and iron it contains As the foundation on which its future prosperity must be built. The 'Australasian ' bewails the new tariff of New Zealand a result of which m that New Zealand merchants who have formerly taken their goads from Melbourne, will have to make arrangements for doing busmesß direct with England. And a Napier exchange trusts that what is Melbourne* loss will prove to be New Zealand's opportunity. ™ uu ° Among the bills passed in the last days of the late session of Parliament was an Act to provide for a grant of land for the five hallc-castecluldrenof Charlaf William Broughton. of Wanganri in the Province of Welhugtoa. wfeo was •• treacherously assa BB n7ated »- £?f JtenJ 6 *' T!l°T !I° l ! Und J' ed acreß are t0 *» Belected *» the benebenefit 0> P the hftUd ' ° f t fcrußteeß f<» their Dußi>'G.the past mouth Kaiapoi has shown indisputable si<ms o f progress in the shape of additions to its local industries by the establishment of two iron and brass foundries-one on the north side and the other on the island portion of the town. Tendees have been accepted for about 38 miles of the Mount Ida Water Race, to the amount of £8800. The fire in Auckland i» regarded a " great calamity to the city and to the province A large proportion of the damage is covered by insurance, but the loss direct and indirect, to the commerce of Auckland imut be great. It is absolutely disgraceful to the provincial authorities to the municipal authorities, and to the citizens individual £J S?W fl U ° W f er § , app^- The mere loSB th » fc Auckland has suffered from fires within the last two or three years would have provided the moat expensive water supply that ever his been spoken •n rJ ? E n' BraCe H / rald ' understands that Messrs Webster and Shand will shortly proceed to Southland for the purpose of selecting 30,000 acres to be disposed of under the system of deterred payments. It has also been arrauged that Mr Adam will examine the ground previous to Lib departure, so that he may describe the same to intending emigrants iv the home country. c A iease has been applied for, for the working of a mine of antimony recently discovered on the gold-fields at Havenscliff, in the Province of Marlborough. ■ The Auckland 'Star' says:-John Parsons, recently a medical man ot the Buy of Islands, was sentenced last evening by Sir George A. Araey to four years' penal servitude. It was a lamentable spectacle to see an educated, apparently respectable man, with a head white with the boats of time, in lus fiftieth year, placed in the dock, and consigned to herd with the lowest class of criminals ; and mure especially as he has a sickly young wife and three children. The result of the trial of John Parsons, while it may act as a warning to others, shows that

education and natural abilities do not always prevent a man from sinking into vice and moral degradation. These died at Oamaru lately a very old and respected residentHenry France — who for years was intimately connected with public matters in the town, and for some time represented the district in the Provincial Council. The ' Wakatip Mail ' has the following on the subject of larrikin* ism :—lt: — It will be seen by our Municipal Council report that the subject of larrikinism in Queenstown, upon which we havo more than once commented, has significantly attracted the attention of the authorities. We earnestly hope steps will be taken to put down a growing evifc On Sunday evenings it id positively disagreeable to pass through the main streets, owing, to the crowds of boys and youths indulging in horseplay, and coarse expressions. The polioe might, we think, take steps to put an end to this grievance. Captain Goldie, Lieut. Christie, Sergeant and Volunteers Mann and Dobbie, the accredited representatives of Otago at the forthcoming Intercolonial Bifle Match at Melbourne, sailed by the Claud Hamilton. Mr O'Conor's public meeting at Charleston resulted in a proposition being carried affirming his fitness to contest the forthcoming election for the Superintendency of the Province of Nelson. An amendment, " That in the opinion of this meeting it is undesirable to express an opinion," was negatived. - , Fboh Jleeftown comes the intelligence that the Wealth of Nations Co. has obtained 306 ounces of gold after a .crushing of ten days' duration. The Just in Time Co., from 110 tons of stone, has obtained 1230 ounces of amalgam, equal fully to 450 ounces of gold, while the tailings will yield over au ounce per ton additional. The 'Southern Cross' states it is reported that negotiations are on foot, on behalf of the National Insurance Company, for the transfer to that Company of all the New Zealand business of the Victorian Insurance Company, This proposal if carried to completion, will secure for the National, a large and profitable connection at the commencement of its career. With the exception of six men, all the emigrants to Canterbury, per Adamant, numbering 150, found employment in two hours after the Barracks were opened to employers. The rates of wages given were : — Married farm laborers, £78, with cottage and firing ; married couples, £60, and found ; together with a bonus of £10 if they remain with their employers 12 months ; masons, 10s per day ; carpenters, 9s per day ; single women £20 to £35. The demand for single women and farm laborers greatly exceeded the supply. A SMAIJ. party of miners working at Tuapeka mouth have struck a lead, from which they have taken out £60 a month's worth of gold per man, and expect to get at least £500 or £600 each before working it out. We read that Mr F. McCarthy, late sub-editor of the 'Independent/ has accepted the management of the Anglo-Telegram Agency, in lieu of Mr Montrose. The Roman Catholic Synod at Sydney, has been opened by Arch* bishop Polding. Sixty priests are present. Lately at Lawrence a boy named Kelly got his face and hands badly burnt with powder at the railway works. . It appears that the boy obtained some of the powder used by the workmen, and ignited it with a match. This should be a warning to those who have the charge of powder in connection with the railway contracts to keep it inaccessible to children. In an editorial article, the -Australian and New Zealand Gazette (published in London) says " it is safe to assert that in no country ia in the world does so high a percentage of middle*class ease and prosperity, prevail," as in New Zealand. Thb Greymouth licensed Victuallers' Association is being wound up. The gold return for the month at the Thames, is given at SOOO ounces, obtained from a little over 6000 tons of stone. The share market shows little change. . Two well-known re?identß at Lake Wanaka, Messrs Macdonald and Tuoby, are now in the direction of the head waters of the Haast river. They are about to take up some. Country in that direction for pastoral purposes. KrRST-Ciass coal ia now being received ia Greymouth from the Greymouth Coal Company's mine. Hokitiea is to have a new fire-bell, made of steel, and to weigh 13 cwt. Thb ' Auckland Herald ' says it has information of a reliable nature to the effect that Sir Duncan Cameron has written out by last mail recommending Colonel M'Donnell for the Colonial Cross. The Governor's reception at Auckland was nothing equal to that which Sir George Bowen received j it was altogether very tame. Thb .prospectus of the "New Zealand Times," (Wellington) Newspaper Company has been issued. The capital is £10,000, in shares of £2 each. Mr Vogel's name is amongst those of the directors, The others are local men, merchants, including the Mayor, as well as Mr Moorhouse, solicitor. It is intended to make the paper " the repre> eentatire one of the Colony." The prospectus says 3500 shares are already applied for, and that it is expected it will not be necessary to call up more than £1 per share. The idea of making a Wellington paper with a capital of £5000 the representative journal of the Colony, is one which is very rich. There must needs be more railways,, closer iuter-communication, and less provincialism before the Colony can have a really representative journal, and then such a paper would need at least, six times £5000. But we are told that Mr Vogel is the Colony, and the Colony is Mr Vogel, and it may be representative, of the Colony in that sense. A man named John Paton lately slipped off a punt on the Taien river and was drowned. He leaves a widow and four children. Mb T. B. Giliies in his address to his constitutenta, condemned the general attitude of the Government during the session, and eulogised the Legislative Council.

Thb Bank of New Zealand has declared a dividend of 12} per oont per annum. Thb prospectus of the Imperial Building and Inrestment Suciety i3to be found in our advertising columns. At a meeting- of the shareholders of the Society, held at the offices of the Society, Exchange Chambers, Princes street, rules for the working of the Society were adopted, and other important business transacted. This Society is now fully embodied, and promises to be one of the sure and solid, if not of rapid growth. It is rumoured that in the place of the abolished Mayor's Court, it is proposed to establish a Court of Petty Sessions in Dunedin, for the disposal of criminal cases, and that it is intended that Mr H. S. Pish, Jun., who has been permitted to retain his title of R.M., should be appointed Chairman of the same. The shareholders of the Dunedin Water Works Company, nave, by a majority, resolved that in view of the general rise and increasing value of the Company's property, the sum formerly offered and recently renewed, by the Corporation, of £15 per share does not represent the fair value of the shares ; and have empowered the directors to refer the question of actual price to the arbitration of arbitrators unconnected with the City or Province, and to be mutually chosen. The Corporation decline to proceed to arbitration. As will be seen by a notice which appears in another column, the monthly meeting of the National Building Society for the receipt of subscriptions, &c., will be held at Mr C. K. Chapman's offices on Monday evening next, between 6 and 8 o'clock. We understand that the directors have appointed Mr J. B. McCulloch, the well-known and thoroughly competent accountant, of this city, to act .as secretary, and that he will enter upon his duties in a few days; This will consequently be the last meeting of the Society which will be held at Mr Chapman's office. This Society intends immediately to establish agencies in all the country districts, to give persons in the country an opportunity of becoming members.