WELLINGTON.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1632, 27 November 1874, Page 442

WELLINGTON.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) 23rd November. Not usually very fruitful of news possessing general interest, Wellington has been remarkably barren of anything in the way of item* suitable for a correspondent lately.

The now celebrated Strathnaven case was resumed this morning in the new Provincial Hall, which his been converted iut.ua temporary Supreme Court for the time being. When (he affiii will come to an cud is not to be speculated upon yet The fact that it will interfere considerably with other matters may accelerate its progress tlnougli the Court. On the 20ih Sir George Arney goes to Auckland to be in readiness to swear in thu Marquis of Nonuanby. Consequently with one judge a way, one occupied in another Court, shou'd any of the other three left be prevented attending Court from illness or other causes, the Court of Appeal will look somewhat out of gear. Mr Turnbull is eager to get away to attend to business at the othet side of the woild. The outer pilot must necessarily en trust hi*, duties to a subordinate while lie is compelled to attend the Court. Captain Doile of the Storm bird has i ieen obliged to temporalily relinquish his command for a like reason. It is to be hoped, for the sake of all parties that I may soon he aide to give you some particulars of the termination of a case which at one time boded proceedings of an interminable length.

As an instance of how difficult it it ro arrive at the real merits of a case like that of the Stntthnaver, I may instance that of the collier Ann Melhuish, which was put upon the slip a few days ;it>o. A few weeks ago when working through the Heads, the sigualman at the outer station telegraphed that the Anne Me'huish had taken the ground. Preparations were being made to render what assistance was possible when another message was received stating that she was afloat again. As the signals from that station are after of an eccentric nature, people thought the signalman had another erratic mood The Customs authorities, however, felt justified in holding a formal inquiry. The result was that no decision could very well be come to. The pilot described seeing the vessel get in a dangerous position and hang as if on a n>ck, and told how he extricated her. The captain, chief officer, andsecond mate would not admit that the vessel was on ft rock; they had often seen vessels hang in that way. The one was confident the craft had taken the ground and stirred up muddy water, but the other three were as positive that there was no grounding and no dirty water. The veal test of the case came when the Insurance offices declined to continue their risks without the vessel was put upon 'he slip. When hauled up the ways it was discovered that two planks, if not three, had been damaged by contact with a rock, and that recently. It will readily be seen hy thn, how difficult it may be to got at the whole truth in such a case as that of the Swtthuaver.

Last. Saturday the pri* ilegos of the Unit Racecourse were sold, and realized something unprecdcntedly high. Last year the, gate-* sold for £75, ami the purchaser cleared £SO out of them. Thi« year, for sonu l re-ison lather occult there was talk of a reserve of i-300 lieins: placed upon them; but there was no necessity. Started at £SO the bidding run rapidly up to ,£3lO, at which it was knocked down. The total amount realised is £'slo 15s Compared with £194 hat year, the difference is very striking. The ca-.isn can only he at tiibuted to the railway, by which it is expected more, than double the usual number will attend. At the ordinary prices, it will require that 8,000 people should attend upon the two day< to secure the purchaser of the gates from loss. J'f it should rain, it will he another affair.

Some little stir has been got up against the city assessment. Of course it is considerably in excess of that of last year, ami will largely augment flip income of the corporation. Those who take a rational viow of the case do not oliject to the increased rates, because rents all over the town have undergone a proportional rise, in many instances having doubled. The meanest hovel does not go untenanted, and carpenters are still masters of the situation in the matter of wages—indeed the same may almost be said of all kinds of craftsmen.

The Patent Slip Company are making preparations to add the business of shipbuilding to the ordinary work done at the slip. This will enable them to keep a gang of good hands in cons ant employment and always in readine-s to effect any repairs required by a vessel placed upon the slip. As the spot is exceedingly well adapted for the purposes of shipbuilding, there is no reason wliy the Patent Slip Company should not succeed in their enterprise.