Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1872.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1356, 22 June 1872, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1872.

"We learn that telegraphic communication with Heefton is expected to be opened in about five weeks. The value of wool exported from New Zealand, between the Ist Jam. to the 31st March, of the present year, is set down &t ,£1,629,942, as against .£913,475 for the same term last year. This is an increase of about 80 per cent, in the value of wool produced in the colony, as shown by the official returns to the end of March last.

j Willie Steel, "Southland's natural ■■ Songster," advertises an entertainment at the Port School on Monday evening. Mr Steel was for a number of years postman at Inveicaigill; but having been snowed up for some days in the ranges, his health became so seriously impaired that lie had to resign his situation, and seek a warmer climate He now earns a living for himself and " bairns "as a travelling singer. His songs are of a homely kind, in the Scottish dialect, and mostly of his own composition. He makes no pretensions to high art, and merely seeks to earn an honest livelihood in his own manner, We hope the Napier public will give Willie Steel that liberal support - , which his originality and self-reliance merit. The following extract from a late letter to the Otago Daily Times, from its Melbourne correspondent, describes the fate of Mr Vogel's mail negotiations with Victoria. It will be seen that the reMilt we had already anticipated from the irregularity of the service has been realised .—The unaccountable delay in the arrival of the long overdue Culifornian mail has given the coup de grace, if such were needed, to Mr D"'iffy\ unfortunate contract with Mr Vogel and Mr Webb, and the agreement finds no one to say a word in its favor. Mr Grant, indeed, tried to make a defence for it last night in the Assembly; but the endeavor was a very ineffectual one, and indeed the question has long ceased to be one on which any difference of opinion is entertained. The Chamber of Commerce has drawn up a protest against the confirmation of the contract, but the step was scarcely required.

A petition has been started in Kaiapoi (Canterbury) against Sunday trains, and without any canvass it received 300 signatures. The. Lyttelton Times, of the 15th inst., says The Pilot at Godley Heads informs us that he «avv a large comet last week. It was in a N.N.W. direction, and was very brilliant, the tail being remarkably so. Tt was visible for two hours. John Chinaman has commenced to cultivate the tea plant in Southland, with, it is said, (f\ery probability of success Southland, it is asserted, has the same soil, and nearly the same elements as much of the fine hill-ground of China. In an article on the California!! mail service, the Sydney Morning Herald says:—"The only way to determine the lowest sum at which Australasia and California can be connected is to invite tenders for the service, and, it necessary, allow time for the building of the most sail able class of steamers."

The imported birds are said to have greatly lessened the plague of mosquito*, in Auckland.

The Westland County Government have sent out a party to explore the head waters of the Hokitika and Kokotahi rivers, it being supposed that quartz reefs are likely to be disco\ ered there.

The Congregationalism of Chrtetchuich are about to start a magazine of their own. The first number will be published on the Ist July. It will be edited by the Eev. W. J. Habens,

8.A,, and contain sixteen pages of demv octavo,