WANGANUI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VIII, Issue 490, 15 July 1857, Page 3

WANGANUI.

DIXNEE TO THE SUPERINTENDENT. Dr. Featherston had a dinner given to him by the Wanganui settlers on Thursday-, th« 18th. Captain Campbell was in the chair, having his Honour the Superintendent on. his right, and the two Wanganui members on his left. His Honour made a long speech in which he referred to what he had done, contrasting the unsettled and unsatisfactory state of the other Provinces with our flourishing condition, and attributing fit to the unanimity which : had prevailed in his Council, which he ascribed to the uniform support he had received, and especially from the Wanganui members. He spoke o£ the great increase of our Provincial revenue ; last year it was £20,000 less than that of Auckland, this year it was already equal, and must soon be greater. He then spoke of the nourishing condition of Wanganui,. contrasting its present with its early state,: ~ when it only possessed the venerable Catherine Johnstone. Now, he said, its Customs were greater than those of the neighbouring Province of New Plymouth. This elicited great applause, and threatened to bring down the floor of the old warre in which the company were assembled. He then alluded to our proposed bridge,* and said he heard it spoken.of as only a hoax to secure their support, but he^ assured them that if he did not receive an invitation from them to be at its opening in less than eight- | een months from that day, he should be very much^disapointed, and it should not be his fault if it were not then finished. Ahuriri was also alluded to, and the complaints about the debt, but when he assured the settlers that he could pay it off whenever he pleased by merely puling up a few of their runs at ss. per acre, they were all quite satisfied, aad nothing more was said. The health of the Provincial Council was drunk,'but that of the General Goverment was omitted. The Company stayed late. There were about fifty persons present.— ' Spectator Correspondent. On Thursday evening last, a serious accident happened to one of the sons of Major Durie, our Resident Magistrate. The young gentleman, we are told, was riding a horse near the edge of a drain, fortunately with a soft bottom, when the horse tumbled into the drain with the rider under him. Major Durie, in the greatest alarm, and with extreme anxiety, was enabled with assistance to draw the horse off his son ; Avho was quite insensible, and apparently lifeless. Mrs. Dime at once caused warm applications to be made to the body, and sensation was restored. The Major went for medical aid; and the surgeons were soon satisfied that no bones were fractured ; and, though there were evident signs of excessive pressure on the chest, and some laceration of the face, there is every ■■reason, to hope for complete recovery in imK.— Waiigamd Chronicle, June 25. i