WELLINGTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XIII, Issue 747, 4 January 1860, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

Our papers cotiie down to the 24th ultimo. The Council has adjourned,on its own motion, to the 20th March next, having passed an Indemnity Act for bygone expenditure, and an Appropriation Act for 1860. From the latter the salaries of the members of the Executive, and of the Immigration clerk and Paymaster of the roads, were struck out by the majority, some, however, objecting to so summary a proceeding. The adjournment for so long a period was carried at last, against the wish of the Government. The papers are still full of the Straiter»' case The 'Spectator' of Dec. 24th, says :— A deputation, consisting of Jas. Carter, Esq., Vf. Bowler, Esq., Geo. Hunter, Esq., G. Hart, Esq W. M. Bannatyne, Esq., W. B. Rhodes, Esq., and J. R. Duncan i Esq., with the petition addressed to His Excellency the Governor, for the commutation of the sentence passed on Chas. Sfcraker, was received by His Honor Mr. Justice Johnstone.at his Chambers, this morning. His Honor most kindly and patiently attended to. the wishes of the Depu. tation, as expressed by Mr. Jas. Carter, and we understand that his Honor eventually expressed an intimation that, though he was unable to concur in the terms of the petition as placed before him, yet he felt there was a general ground which mi^ht probably justify him in supporting its prayer. The following extract of a letter written"by Dr. Logan of this town, formerly surgeon in the lio.val Navy, giving his opinion, as a medical man, of the immediate cause of the boy Muir's death on board the barque Sharesbrook, is particularly valuable afc this moment in regard to the application to His Excellency the Governor by the inhabitants of Wellington for a commutation of the sentence of death pending over Charles Straker, the mate of the vessel:— "It appears to me' that the boy Muir died as much through the effects of sea scurvy as ill-treat-ment. His legs, were covered with sores which, when pressed by the finger, did not rise, but retained the mark of the finger: and at the time of his death his breast was covered with black spots, which always appear in the last stage of sea scurvy, and after which death would almost immediately occur, unless the patient received proper medicine. "The boy having the sea scurvy, lie would naturally become lazy, and even careless of life. It may be said that this makes the cruelty of the prisoners worse: but they might have beeen to sea for years, and never seen a case of scurvy—and therefore not knowing the disease, or its effects, they would naturally attribute the boy's lazy conduct to habit. People delicately brought up and unaccustomed to salt provisions, are always more subject to scurvy than sailors. " Having had a great amount of experience in this disease, not the slightest doubt remains in my mind that the boy at his death was in the last stage of sea scurvy." , We are glad to hear that the'petition to his Excellency the Governor for mitigation of the sentence of death passed on C. Straker, has already been signed by nearly 1100 persons. Christmas Fake".—The magnificent exhibition of Christmas beef,. veal, mutton and lamb, at the . establishment of Messrs. Luxford and Ling yesterday, attracted crowds of admirers. The best sheep, weighing upwards of 122 lbs., was bred by A. Ludlam, Esq., of the Hutt, as were also some fine i lambs only four months old, and weighing from .4Qlbs. to 501bs. There was also afine lot of sheep : bred by Mr. O'Mara, of Kapiti, averaging upwards ■of 801bs. each. ; In lambs, Mr. Wall, of Porirua, carried off the palm. The finest bullock ever killed in Wellington, four and a-half years old, and weighing 18001bs., was bred by R; Russell, :Esq'., Wairarapa. This was certainly the nearest approach to the Christmas beef of Old England we have seen in- New Zealand. A splendid calf ; from Mr. Roe, of Evans' Bay, attracted much notice..;, Ifc was only six or seven weeks old, and weighed 1801bs. The Wellingtonians .may feel themselves under great obligations to Messrs. Luxford and Ling for having catered so successfully for their comforts at this :festive season. Mr. Swan took a splendid photographic view of the establishment this morning. Royal Mail. Caet.—Mr. Hastwell, the enterprising^ Wairarapa carrier has, in connection with the mail service, established a conveyance between Greytown and Wellington, which will comfortably carry six passengers, and by means of which parties can reach. Wellington by the Wairarapa and vice versa in a single day; thus affording an excellent opportunity for parties seeing the interior of the Province, whether as visitors, land purchasers, or pleasure excursionists. We direct the attention of the authorities, as well as the public, to this subject, as it will afford the former the means of remedying to some extent the neglect from which the Wairarapa has in this/as well as in other respects, so long suffered, by establishing a bi-weekly mail service between Greytown and Wellington.—Advertiser,December 21. Judges' Chambers, Supreme Court. —Mr. R. W. C. DOyly having taken the oaths, was yesterday duly admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.— lbid. On Dit.—lt is currently reported that of the members of the Executive Council of the Colony, the Governor, Lieut.-Governor, and Mr. Whitaker, were in favor of granting a dissolution, and that Messrs. Stafford, Richmond, and Tancred, were opposed to it—the former threatening to resign if the prayer of the petition had been complied with. Query, will Mr. Whitaker, under these circumstances, be disposed to "vindicate the law," or will he not rather wait for the action of the General Assembly on the subject ? The more we reflect on this matter the more we are convinced that Mr. Wakefield's motion was ill-advised, impolitic, and pending the meeting of the Assembly uncalled for.— lUd. V '