INTER-PROVINCIAL ITEMS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 731, 1 November 1869, Page 3

INTER-PROVINCIAL ITEMS.

THE fourteenth half-yearly meeting of the jhareholders in the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company was held «n Tues« day, October 26, at the Athenaeum, Wellington. The Evening Post says that the report was adopted, and a long discussion took place in reference to winding up or re-construction of the Company, after which Mr Taylor proposed—" That the directors be requested to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company on the 17th November next, to consider the propriety of voluntarily winding up the Company." Some objection being taken to the brevity of the time, Mr Woodward proposed an amendment that the words 17th November should be left out, and *'within the month of November" substituted. The amendment being put wa3 declared to be carried. The Chairman then put the motion as amended, which was carried.

The Evening Post, October 26, contains the following : —The recent heavy and continuous N.W. winds, together no doubt with the sudden melting, by the warm moisture, of the snows accumulated during the preceding period of severe southerly weather, produced in the Hutt river a more serious flood than any that has taken place for the last ten or eleven years. The flood was at its height between one and two o'clock this morning, when the water stood in Whitowood's Hotel level with the top of the bar counter, and just up to the doorstep of Osgood's Hotel. We are informed tha a great portion oi Mr Riddiford's paddock's are strewed with log and driftwood, and that one log struck the bridge, doing some slight damage, but not enough to in terfere with the safety of the bridge for traffic. Up to Mabey's a culvert was washed out of the road, and a temporary crossing place had to be made to accom modate the passing of vehicles. We under stand that Mr Burl's goods have suffered much damege, and we fear that consider able loss must have been incurred by many other inhabitants, but at present we have eo full particulars. The Daily Southern Cross, argues in favor of holding the next session of the Gcneral Assembly in Auckland. With reference to the Siroerintcndency of Auckland, we learn that the nomination of candidates wa9 to have taken place on Thursday, October 28, and that the polling (if necessary) would be on November 18. A distressing story comes from Tapanui. The local correspondent of the Tuapeka Times writes that Captain M ; Kenzie has for some time had a man in his employment, whose work was to fell timber in the bush. This person lived ail alone, and utterly absent from anything like society. Some time ago, while pursuing his vocation, he was crushed by the fail of a dry tree. His condition wis j liable, for one of his arms and one of the small bones of his leg were broken, and his left side Completely paralyzed. No assistance was at hand, and the poor maimed fe.low had to drag his weary body to his hut in a conditiou that made the slightest motion agony. By sticking his axe in the ground he succeeded in reaching the hut, a distance of nearly a mile from the scene of the accident. But his tortures were not over, were indeed but begun. For eight long days he lay, weak and exhausted, and almost dead of starvation. His spirits were failing, he believed himself doomed, and was fast sinking into a fatal lethargv, when a loud cooee struck upon his ears It was the bullock driver come for a load of timber. The poor fellow was saved, and is progressing favorably under the treatment oi Dr. M'Laughlan. Anot' er disastrous fire, caused by a spark from the funnel of athreslrng-engine, took place at the farm of Mr Thomas Dale, Tokomairiro, on Oct. 19. The fire, according to a local paper, was at once noticed, and a ladder and buckets with water having been kept in readiness, a man was on the top of the stack with water before it had spread a foot in cir Conference. A north-westerly breeze was blowing, and the fi'-e spread so rapidly that it was impossible to subdue it. The consequence was that five stacks of. oats, containg about 800 bushels, were totally consumed. No part of the loss was covered by insurance. The mill, which wa* the property of Messrs Gillies, Dun bar, and Lewi3, and was insured to the extent of £IOO, was, along with sundry implements, also totally destroyed. The engine escaped injury. The total loss is estimated at £I,UUO, and no blame attaches to any one. The sale of the cargo and coals of the as. Taranaki was concluded on Thursday, and realised £IOSO. It is feared that the results do not come up to the estimate given to the Wreck Kecovery Company, the cargo being found to be in so much worse condition than was expected.—Wei lington Independent, Oct. 23. We take the following melancholy case of drowing from the Evening Post, Oct. 25 -.—Yesterday morning, shortly after six o'clock, the body of a man was discovered in the water underneath Compton's wharf Mr Compton's boy, who first observed it, ran for a policeman, and a boat being procured it was brought ashore. It proved to be the body of Mr Solomons, a dealer, who had been a short time resident in Wellington, but how he came to his end is a mystery, which will probably never be Unravelled. On Saturday night deceased, after calling on some Inends, hotnt and went to bed. His daughters did not hear him get up, but it was known that he was anxious to see the master of the Why JNot, a ketch which sailed about 5 o'clock a.m. from the wharf. It is conjeetoWd that he went down to look for the

(vessel at Pyle's Wharf, where she had boen lying, and by some means or other, was either blown off or fell into the water, and was drifted down by the wind to where he was found. Strange to say, when discovered he was in an upright position, his hat was on his head, and hi* stick tucked under his arm, in a manner usual to him when alive. An inquest was held to-day, at the Empire Hotel, before Dr. Boor, and a jury, but nothing fresh was elicited. Dr. France proved that when he was called to see deceased about 8 o'clock, the body presented the appearance of having boen dead about 3 hours. The jury returned a verdict of found drowned, but that there was no evidence to show how deceased came to his death. It was stated that he was subject to a giddiness in tlie head. M> Solomons, who wa3 much respected, leaves a family of three grown-up daughters. The Auckland papers tell us that, on Tuesday, the 19th October, as some workmen were employed in excavating in the grounds of Mr David Burn, North Shore, they came upon a human skeleton lying upon its right side. When the men attempted to lift it, it fell to pieces. The bones have been left as they were found. Twenty years ago Lieutenant Snow was murdered near this spot, and the skeleton was at first supposed to be his, but on sub' sequent examination it was pronounced to be that of a woman. The front teeth are very much worn down, leading to the sup position that the person was aged. The question will 90on be set at rest, so far as it is possible after the lapse of so long a period, two surgeons having been engaged to examine the remains. In reference to the iron sand, the TaranakiNews of the 23rd October says:—"All the main difficulties are now overcome, and we have no reason to doubt that before next Saturday some tons of the Taranaki iron or steel will have been cast in a form fit for the market. The directors of the company waited on his Honor the Superintendent during the week to request that the necessary steps for the issue of a lease of the portion of the beach alloted to the company by the late Council might be taken as early as possible, and were assured that their wishes would be complied with." In the Resident Magistrates Court, Wellington, on the 26th October, a man named Ash bridge sued Mr M'Cleland for i>_2 10s, deposited in'the Penny Bank, Mr Buckley appearing for plaintiff, and Mr Oilivier for defendant. The evidence in this case was similar to that in Wilson V. M'Cleland, decided a short/ time ago, and judgment was given for plaintiff for amaunt and costs. Another case was then brought forward—Levy v. M'Cleland—claim, £25, being the £'lo for which judgment was obtained by Wilson, and £5 expenses incurred. Mr Allan for plaintiff, and Mr Oilivier for defendant. The case excited a good deal of interest, and the Court was crowded. Tiie same witnesses were examined as in the previous cases ; and Mr Levy having showed by books and a balance sheet produced, that lie certainly had not retained the missing money, judgment was given in his favor for amount and costs.

The Blue Ensign, with the letters N.Z. in one lias been, since 1867, adopted as the New Zealand flag, and some discussion has been raised by the Imperial authorities as to the right of Colonial vessels to fly it. A correspon dance has taken place on the subject, which has resulted in the right to use the Blue Ensign being accorded to the Colony. By proclamation in a Gazette, issued on Oct. 23, the temporary badge, consisting of tho letters JN.Z. is discontinued, and it is appointed that the seal or badge in future to be worn as distinctive by all vessels employed in the service of the Colonial Government of New Zealand shall be the Southern Cross, as represented in the Blue Ensign by four five-pointed red stars in the fly, with white borders to correspond to the coloring of the Jack j in the Jack by four five-pointed white stars on the red ground of the St. George's Cross; and in the Pendant by four stars near the staff similar to those in the Ensign. The Dunedin Chamber of Commerce has set an excellent example to other bodies of a similar character by offering one gold and two silver medals as prizes at the High School, The medals are to be competed for by boys of different ages. The jubjects for examination for the gold medal are to be arithmetic and tiiose oraiches of geography most useful to those entering on business pursuits. The silver medals are to be competed for in arithmetic alone, but good handwriting is to be an imperative condition in regard to each of these prizes. 1 he hon. Julius Vogel and Dr Knight left Wellington on the 23rd October to be present, as delegates from this Colony, at the Interco onial Conference to be held at Sydney in November. We (Evening Post, Oct. 25) were sorry to see some flax of very inferior appearance being shipped on board the Claud Hamilton from a small craft, on Saturday, just before the departure of that steamer. We trust that it will not find its way further than Melbourne. Even there it may get a bad name for New Zealand flax. Every one who engages in this praisworthy industry, should take the utmost pains never o smd any article to a foreign market that *ill net tend to improve its repuiai o.i.

The value of the West Coast gold-fields may be gathered from the following memoranda extracted from a Middle Island contemporary : —The s.s. Tararua left Hokilika on October 5, taking 4,t56 ounces of gold to Mei bourne. Since Hokitik i has been made a port of entry, 1,111,007 ozs. of gold have been exported from thence.