The Evening Post. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1865.

Evening Post, Issue 172, 26 August 1865, Page 2

The Evening Post. SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 1865.

The Provincial Council met yesterday, evening for the purpose of considering in committee the bill to repeal the Wellington Town Board Act. Immediately on the minutes of the previous meeting being read, the house resolved itself into committee on the bill, "which was carefully gone through clause by clause. After much discussion the bill was reported with amendments, ordered to be printed, and the third reading made an order of the day for next sitting, which, on the motion of the Provincial bolicifcor, was ordered for three o'clock on the afternoon of Wednesday next. Tlio, Councill will then be prorogued. The bill to repeal the Wellington Town Board Act was read a second time yesterday evening, and, we may say, virtually p;:ssed.

This bill possesses many advantages, which will no doubt be felt by the coming Commissioners, and. from its usefulness, add considerably to the comfort and convenience of the inhabitants of Wellington. It grants powers to the Board of Coruiulssioneis to meet the increasing? requirement* of the city, authorises the Board to enter into contracts for lighting the town or any prut of it, and gives them power to make sirrangements for a supply of water. Under the old Act the j Commissioners were so fenced in and cramped by the want o£ resoui-ees, that thuy word unable either to meet the requirements of the I town or even to do what was absolutely necessary i'or keeping the streets in a proper state of repair. The present commissioners go out of office at the end of the current month, and their successors have the onerous rtspnnsibility of providing for our increasing wants. In bidding adieu to the present Board we cannot refrain from acknowledging that they have had no easy task during their term of office. Through sneers and grumblings they have steadily worked on, doing all that could be done with an empty exchequer. i Tney have neither rushed lavishly into extra- ' vaganeies, nor parsimoniously held back where they could effect some good, but, having their financial position before their eyes, did their utmost to make both ends meet. They have succeeded ; and notwithstanding the heavy drain on their resources by the contract entered into with Mr. Smart for the laying down of asphalte, they have still a balance in their favour to place to the credit of their successors. In the House of Representatives yesterday the Postmaster General presented a petition from a large number of the inhabitants of Oatnaru, representing the grievances under which they labour from not having an equitable share of the public moneys of the province JaM out in their district, and praying that their case might be taken into the consideration of the hout,e. The petition was received. —Mr. Vogel moved that the papers relating to the Jarvey case should be laid on the table, as the opinions expressed on the case by the Attorney General were o£ importance in governing future cases. He said that the impression left in the minds of the people in Otago was, that they were to have cheap justice without regard to efficiency. He concluded by accusing the Government of showing an apathy in regard to prosecutions. The Attorney General donied the latter portion of Mr. Vogei's statement, and expressed tm behalf of the Government a desire to have all correspondence connected with the case printed. After a good deal of discussion Mr. Vogel's motion was negatived. — Mr. Graham moved that the ports of Auckland and Otago should be those of arrival and departure for the Panama steamers. In doing so, ho believed that a saving of two d»vys between- Panama and Sydney would be effected by the adoption of the course he pointed out, and enlarged on the advantages Auckland possessed as a harbour, trusting that his motion would be carried Mr. Burnes seconded the motion. Mr. Maeandrew suggested that the matter should be left to a select committee, and was supported by Mr. Haughton. The discussion continued until three o'clock, when the house proceeded to the Orders of the Day. The debate would have been continued at seven o'clock, but there not being a sufficient number of members present to form a quorum, the house adjourned until noon on Tuesday, when th<± question will be re-opened. We notice that the Government are calling for tenders from persons willing to run a bi-weekly line of coaches between this city and Waoganui. The advantages of an overland route up the West Coast were fully acknowledged when tLio matter was discussed in the Provincial Council, and the advisability of making terms with Cobb and Co. as speedily as possible, urged upon the Government. The district of Manawatu will before long be broken up into small farm settlements and densely populated, which in itself is a reason for opening up the country. The little stc-amer Moa, which put into Porirua Harbour on Saturday last in a dis- j abled condition, arrived in harbour early this morning. We understand that Mr. Borthwick, of this city, has been appointed to paint and re-decor.tte the saloon of the s.s. Wanganui ; and that while on the slip at Nelson, her bottom will be coated with Borthwick's patent anti-fouling composition. The Wangacui Chronicle of the 23d inst. says: — "The advance of the 57th, which went up to Pipiriki, was expected to reach there to-day, anil thj JTorest Rangers and

military settlers are on their way down, some of them having already "arrived. The Moutoa will be of great use if she is able to go as far as Parakino ; but if not it will be rather dangerous to trust the provisioning of the post to friendly natives." On Wednesday evening last one of those pleasant re-unions that make life so joyous, was held at the Rising Sun Hotel, Greytown. The Grej'Unvn Volunteers, anxious to celebrate their anniversarj% invited their companions in arms from Feutherston and other districts in the Wairarapa, to a dinner served up in Host Fuller's best style. After enjoj'ing the amenities of the Bising Sun. the company adjourned to the long room, which was put in order for a ball, with which they wound up the pleasures of the occasion. The only case on the police sheet of the day, was one of disputed claims. Mr. W. RI. Morgans, architect, of this city, claimed from Mr. Thompson the sum of £14 for plans drawn, and specifications made out, and the case was decided in favour of the plaintiff. Information was given at the Police Court this morning by Mr. fc-cott, a general dealer, in Willis street, that some malicious persons had poisoned two valuable watch dogs which guarded his store. Mr. Scott has strong reasons for believing that he knows the culprits, but we refrain fiom mentioning names for reasons that are obvious. We learn by the Wanganui Chronicle of the 23rd, that some natives broke into Messrs. Taylor and Watt's premises on Taupu Quay, on the night of Monday last. No suspicion attaches to any parlies as being concerned in the burglary which resulted in the loss to Messrs, Taylor and Watt of drapery goods to the value ot £7 or £10. A new Baard of Wardens, consisting of Messrs. George Lethbridge, Dugald Cameron, Arelmbald Cameron, James Bowen, Robert Wilson, and James Bruce, have been elected for the Turakina District.