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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1117, 11 September 1871, Page 2

A. Wellington telegram in the Daily Southern Gross states that Q\ving to the late period at which the session of the General Assembly commenced, the Government will endeavor to expedite business, and restrict it to absolutely necessary measures. An attempt recently made in Auckland to get up a meeting of persons interested in horse-racing seems to have resulted in failure. We read in the Southern Cross that "at halfan-hour after the time announced for the meeting there were three gentlemen present. One of them was despatched to find a fourth. The two remaining adjourned to a billiard-room lor pin pool, and were gone when number three returned with number four.'' The total number of births registered in Auckland tor the month of August last, was 114; marriages, 39; and deaths, 30. A very large percentage of the deaths were from consumption. During the month of Augu-vb last there were imported into Auckland 1,181 tens of breadstuff's (Hour and wheat), 9,857 bushels oats, 7,100 bushels bran, 3,628 bushels barley, and 9,675 bushels maize. The Sydney Chamber of Commerce have decided to urge noon the Government the necessity of providing dock accommodation for the largest war vessels. On August 12, at Orange, N.S.VV", a prime bullock, fed on prairie grass, was killed and exhibited. It weighed 1,200 lbs., and ho d three inches of fat on its ribs. A. prisoner named Andrew Hume, now in gaol at Parramatta (Sydney), has made statements which aie thought liktly to lead to the discovery of some of the relies of the Leichardt expedition. On. the 24th August, a seaman named Henry Malleton, was washed overboard from the schooner Herald, whilst that vessel was on her passage from Auckland to Hokianga, and drowned. The following extract from a letter from a clergyman at the South African diamond fields was recently published : —We met at dinner a Mr E, , manager of one of the South African banks. He had that very day recehed from a digger a most magnificent diamond for safe custody in the bank chest. It is one of those extraordinary and startling finds which now and then occur, The diamond weighs twentyfour carats—nearly as much as the Koh i noor in its present form—is said to be a perfect gem, and worth probably between .£30,000 and £40,000. This diamond has been turned out of its hiding place under a stone, where it has, perhaps, lain for a thousand years or more, by a fortunate digger named Foster. The diamond is truly a magnificent gem—in size about the bigness of a walnut, only difFeiently shaped. It is a perfectly pure gem of the first water, free from spots or flaws, and of a delicate straw color. What will be its history no one can tell It will not be an easy matter to find a purchaser for it, for few people can afford to give £50,000 for a single stone, and J daresay the diamond merchants in Europe, mto whose hands it will probably pass, will ask quite that sum. We have seen dozens of smaller ones from the size of a pin's head upwards; hut this is the largest yet, and is. indeed, the largest, save one, yet discovered 111 the fields. It is the property of three, persons who were working in partnership together, at a place called Cawood's. Hope, about ten miles from Klip. Drift. Tins place has only been worked since Christmas, it being only then discovered that it was a diamond-producing locality. At this moment probably as many as 2,000 poisons are encamped on the spot, wheie prior to Christmas) day there was not a single tent.

gPho September sittings of the criminal quarter session of the Supreme Court at Auckland were opened on Monday, 4th iast. There was a more formidable array of cases than had bt'en. customary of late years, comprising (amongst other offences) no less than ten separate charges of forgery, committed, however, l>y only two persons. Our latest dates do not apprise us of the result of any of the cases. A floorcloth factory has been fully established near Melbourne.

At Auckland on the Ist inst,DiIJayner, Secretary to the Auxiliary of the United Kingdom Alliance, accompanied by Dr. Wood as one of its members, waited upon J. Williamson, Esq., M.H R., for the purpose of requesting hi ui to present to the General Assembly a petition in faYor of the Permissive Bill. The petition contained the names of a large number of the inhabitants of Auckland.— Mr Williamson assured the deputation that he quite concurreo with them in the nature and object of the petition, which he should have very great pleasure in presenting to the House, and supporting to the utmost of his power. He considered the efforts being made as very promising; but before there was any reasonable probability of such a bill being passed the electors must, determine to return only such representees as would vote far it. Faith in the Permissive Bill must be the cardinal point in the political creed of eveiy member sent to the House, if the peopeople really desired to posses such a franchise as the Permissive Bill would put into their hands.

At Sydney, on the 19th August, the commandant's parade of the Volunteer force, in full dress, took place in Moore Park. The afternoon being fine, a large number of persons, (probably five thousand) assembled to witness the military spectacle. The forces present numbered about 1,200, and consisted of the Sydney and Suburban Battalions of Rifles, the Artillery, and the Gram-, mar School Cadet Corps., The San Francisco letter says ; —-One Goldberg announces in the San Franc i>eo papers that lie has on hibition some very an cent coins, in eluding a Hebrew silver shekel 6f the time of Moses. As during the time of JVioses the Hebrews were either abject slaves or homeless vagabonds we may be permitted to doubt chat they minted many shekels. Another of these coin-* is of copper, and dates no further back than Solomon, of whom it bears a profile,. Solomon's face is said to be wonderfully indicative of a hitherto unsuspected Irish origin. This remarkable " monish," says Mr Goldberg—whom ve would rather be crucified than accuse of lying—has been handed down from father to son ever since it was coined, with a trifling hiatus of one or two centuries. As above intimated, we believe Mr Goldberg to be a man of unimpeachable veracity, and we regard it a,> a very distressing misfortune that we are unable to believe a word he says. A story, in which a cow is claimed by two settlers, is thus narrated, by the VVaitakere correspondent of the Daily Southern Cross :—A Maori from the settlement brought up news that a cow had broken her leg, and was grazing close to his kainga. A party went down, and, after much difficulty in deciphering the brand, canie to the conclusion, that it was very much, like the figure 8, He immediately informed the settler whose brand corresponds, and was handsomely rewarded by a gift of the animal. Scarcely, however, was the beast killed, thaai anotherclaimant appeared on, the scene, anil the brand, which at first sight appeared, to be an 8, is said to have been S; and, as the ear mark and general description corresponded with the description, of an animal lost by the owner o,f the latterbrand he is generally believed to have the best claim to it. However, the cow is doubtless by this time eaten; and the question is who is responsible —the party who without inspecting 1 * > t gave the animal away, or the unlucky recipient of the same ] A nice little question for the Auckland lawyers ta decide. The Turks propose to construct » railway from J oddah to Mecca,

Four Europeans have died of heat noplexy at Lahore, East Indies. Great distress in Per.>ia continues ; the people are eating bread made of The amount .subscribed in Bombay , £i ie French loan amounted, at latest .dates to .£500,000. Jin .A del slide telegram of August 21 vs .__-" "Wheat is depressed. Buyers dffer'osld; filers ask 5s 2d. _ Prices must give way before transactions can take place. Holders talk of .shipping jto England." In her mercantile tonnage, flreat Britain leads the world with seven millions of tons. Germany far exceeds France on this score, being third on the list. In 1800 .the United States had overthrown England, and stood as the first commercial power in the world. The four years' war sadly reduced her merchant ' fleet, and now she ranks second, with five millions registered tonnage.

The Sydney Mail say* ?.— Another coiifei'ea.cft is about, to take place in Melbourne between the delegates of the New South Wales .and the Victorian .Government* on the subject of the border duties. The opportunity uill be availed of also to discuss the postal xiuestion in all its branches. This much was elicited from the Chief Secretary, jn answer to a question whether it would not be more .economical for this .{•olouy to undertake its own branch service between Galle and Melbourne, jt was alleged that it could be done much cheaper, and that tlu) advantages to be derived from a fortnightly service would justify the Go-ye ; tnment in terminating the contract \mtwum th® P. and 0. Company, with the view of .cu.iying out the change referred to. Some live y.?ars ago the Imporial Government invited this Colonv to undertake the branch service, and offered to pay half the subsidy, but it was decluieii. Necessity lias since arisen, in consequence of the action taken by New Zealand and South Australia, to review the whole question of postal service, and such steps are to be taken l.v the Government as will place them in a po-dtiou before the departure of tlio next mail to intimate their views to the P. ami 0. Company, and to terminate the contract, if deemed advisable, by giving .the. necessary notice.