The Evening Post. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1865. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. YESTERDAY.

Evening Post, Issue 144, 25 July 1865, Page 2

The Evening Post. TUESDAY, JULY 25, 1865. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. YESTERDAY.

The Speaker took the chair at five o'clock. The Clerk read the minutes of the previous sitting. Captain W. B. RHODES asked the Provincial Secretary what was the intention of the Government with regard to the alpacas. Also, for returns of the number of the animals, the date of their arrival in the Province, the cost of purchase and maintenance up to the present time. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY made a few humorous observations respecting the animals, and replied that up to the present nothing in particular had been done respecting them, but that for the future the Government intended to make better arrangements, in order that they— fifteen in all— might be better taken care of. Several members moved resolutions for placing additional sums on the estimates, all of which were passed conditional to the approval of his Honor the Superintendent. The House adjourned for half an hour at seven o'clock, after whioh it went into Committee to consider Mr. Borlase's resolutions. The PROVINCIAL SOLICITOR considered that the real question at issue was whether Land Boards should replace and do the duty of the Land Commissioner ; further, whether it would be advisable to put a stop to the system of selling pastoral land at ss. He then moved an amendment negativing the resolutions. In the course of a very lengthy debate Which ensued, several members discussed the question Of the amendment, and Mr. JOHNSTON expressed his disapprobation of the matter being made a Government question. About a quarter past eleven o'clock the amendment was put, and the House divided. The following is the result of tho division :— Ayes, 14 ; The Speaker, the Provincial

Secretary, the Provincial Solicitor ; Messrs. Taylor, Hunter, Stokes, Pharazyn, A. Milne, Watt, Kells, Bryce, Turnbull, Allison, and Reading. Noes, 13 : Messrs. Bunny, Masters, Welch, Dransfield, Johnston, Ludltim, Borlase, W. Milne, G. Crawford, Burt, Galloway, M'Douall, and Fagan. • The H6n. W. Tltzlig* Bert and W. Hickson, Esq., paired ofl! . After the Cfiairman (Mr. J. H. Wallace) had reported progress, ehe^ question was put, that the amendment be read a second time, which was carried, and the amendment read accordingly. On this second reading the Council again divided, this time with a majority for the opposition. The following is the result of the division : Ates, 11 : Provincial Secretary, Provincial Solicitor, Messrs. Allison, A. Milne, Watt, Stokes, Pharazyn, Turnbull, Hunter, Bryce, and Kells. Noes, 14 : Messrs. Bunny, Masters, Welch, Galloway, W. Milne, Burt, M'Douall, Fagan, Dransfield, Ludlam, Borlase, Wallace, Crawford, and Johnston. A reference to the above shows that while the Government gained a majority on the first reading, they were beaten on the second ; consequently, by the rules of the House the matter drops to the ground, unless Mr. Borlase brings forward his Amended Land Resolutions de novo. The sittings, at half-past eleven o'clock, were adjourned to five o'clock to-day.

A correspondent at Masterton, writing on the 22nd, say 9—" Yesterday about 30 natives, all mounted, rode through Masterton, preceded by sL Hou Hau missionary, bearing a white flag with .a black cross, and white ring in centre, which I am informed is the identical flag used to initiate their converts ; and to day there is a rumour amongst the friendly natives that the Hau Haus are coming down in force from Ngaito's pah on next Tuesday, to fight. . Whether the last portion of this information, is correct or not, time will tell ; but the procession I saw myself." The General Assembly is convened to meet at two o'olock to-morrow afternoon, in the Ceuncil 'Chambers, G>verntnent Buildings. The Upper House will assemble in the long room, on the right hand side of the entry, lately known as the Museum ; and the lower will occupy the Provincial Council Chamber, which hfts beeri renovated ana suitably arranged fpr the purpose. The following gentlemen arrived from the other Provinces, per Lord Ashley and Wellington :— The Hons. J. H. Bartieyi Dr. Buchanan, Brodie, Carleton, G. Outfield, H. E. Curtis, Fitzgerald, F. Gledhill, Miller, Dr. Monroe, Prendergast, Major Richmond, A. J. Richmond, Reynolds, A. P. Seymour (Superintendent of Marlborcugh), E. W. Stafford, Vogel, ,W. Wells, Wilson. The Wellington Rifle Volunteers will parade to-morrow, at a quarter to one o'clock, on the Reclaimed Land, for* the purposa of furnish ing a guard of honour at the opening of the General Assembly. Edward Pearce, Esq., the candidate for Mr. Carter's seat in the General Assembly as representative for the Wairarapa, left town yesterday morning for the purpose of meeting the electors of that district in the valley. This evening Mr. Welch will move in the Provincial Council that all wholesale dealers in wines and spirits should contribute to the revenue by an annual payment of not less than £10, or more than £20 ; that all persons in the Province licensed for the retail of wines and spirits shall pay the same amount, namely, £30 ; and that persons obtaining a bush license shall only be allowed to sell beer or ale, for which the annual payment shall be £5. The s.s. Wanganui, 104 tons, arrived ifl this harbour at eleven o'clock last night, from Wanganui, under the command of Capt. Lowe, who has succeeded our old friend Capt. Linklater, in the command. The new master has great experience in colonial waters, having sailed for many years as chief officer of coasting vessels. The Wanganui brings no authentic intelligence from the front. It is said that Captain Brassey's men have attacked and beaten the rebel natives, who are reported to have lost as many as twenty men. '• Thieves do prowl whilst honest men do take their rest." This old saying apparently has an equal application in Wellington as it has in the old country, for last night during the tempestuous weather some person or persons succeeded in burglariously entering the business premises of Mr. Alfred A.

Barnett, and abstracting therefrom a number of watches' and other articles of vertu. The burglars have left no clue to their detection, and it is feared have made ofl: with their spoil. It is /umoured in town that they are the same gang who made a raid on the ironmongery store some short time ago, and who were so nearly successful in effecting an entry into Mr. Fredman's jewellery establishment. We notice in the advertising columns of the Independent a lengthy epistle, signed by most of the ship masters in this port, strongly condemning the conduct of the crew of the barque Mary and Edith, and stating that they, and not Captain Coutts, were the cause of the late assaults, the enquiry on which has created such an excitement among the seafaring community. A Parliamentary paper just issued shows that the relatives of the following ofßcers, killed in New Zealand, have received compensation, viz, :— £7ll to the Rev. F. R. A. Glover, father of Captain R. C. Glover 5 £457 to the same gentleman, on account 'of his son, Coptain P. G. E. Glover ; £254 to the father of Lieutenant W. L. Murphy ; and £1144 to the father of Captain J. S. Phelps. _____________