WELLINGTON.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 21, 12 November 1880, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

-:■ # (WOt H OCtt OWX COBRESPOXDEHT.) WEST COAST RAILWAY. The Weat Coast railway project is not dying a natural death, we hear, although, from the apathy apparently shown since the great flourish of trumpets announcing the offer of the Government, one might think it was ; but the Times now comes out with a aeemingly inspired article, in which we are informed that the Government's terms " have been under the consideration of the committee, and the general committee has appointed a sub-committee to deal specially with the question, and keep in constant communication with the Government. When the negotiations have assumed a definite shape, then the sub-com-mittee will report to the general committee." Then I suppose the general committee will instruct the sub-com-mittee, and the sub- committee will probably appoint a sub-sub-commit-tee, and so on ad infinitum. But joking apart, this seems unnecessarily "red tapey," and I am afraid the amount of spirit shown in bringing the matter before capitalists and the public does not augur well for the success of the undertaking. Surely the terms of the Government were sufficiently specific, and liberal too, and no more valuable time should he wasted in arranging trifling details. The " powers that be " will be glad indeed, I should imagine, when the sub-committee appointed to " keep in constant communication with the Government " has ceased its labors: PRINCE OF WALES* BIRTHDAY. No city in New Zealand can- beat Wellington at giving herself up to holiday making, and on this occasion our spirits were heightened by glorious weather. To begin with we had the strains of martial music sounding through our streets at quite an early hour, a general parade of volunteers having been ordered for 9 o'clock on the Reclaimed Land. At half-past 9 the whole of the city corps — Ari tillery, Guards, Bifles, Navals, and Toipedos — embarked per train for Hutt (except a detachment of Artillery, which had started at 6 o'clock by road with the guns), whence they marched to the racecourse, and here a grand sham-fight and review ensued. Then the Friendly Societies had arranged a monster demonstration and picnic, also at the Hutt, and the Railway was thronged with passengers nearly all day going to one or the other. The sporting fraternity arranged a " meeting " at Lyall's Bay, and some very fair racing ensued. Private picnics abounded, and of evening amusements there was no lack, the Theatre Royal, Princess Theatre, Academy of Music, Athenaeum Hall, Foresters' Hall, and the Arcade all being engaged. MR. PROCTOR. This eminent astronomer has come and gone, but not without exciting very great interest in the subjects on which he treats. His lectures were eminently successful, and particularly SO', I should imagine, so far as he himself was concerned. But like many other great men, he seems to have at least one sore point. A bro* ther scribbler ,whd honors the Wangar nni Chronicle with his beautiful writings, seems to have touched the worthy man "on the raw." He actually had the audacity to state that Mr Proctor was under an engagement to Smytbe, the gentleman acting as his advance agent, at the rate of £60 per week. So greatly aid this upset the equilibrium of the man of stars and tomets, that he could not deliver the lecture he was announced to give on the evening on which be had read that paragraph; and further than this, he has instructed a solicitor to demand a retraction and apology. I should rather guess that the effusions of the Wellington correspondent of Chronicle never created half such a profound sensation before, , and, in* spired by this great success, I shall advise him to speedily try again, and; doubtless lie will quickly rise to journalistic fame. - STEAM SHIPPING ENTERPRISE. Not long since Messrs Grice, Sumner & Co., of Melbourne, put their steamer Hero into the New Zealand trade again, after having her laid yp; fox some considerable time. Buf the Union Company considered that it must retain its supremacy, and flotttaty so, out tHat it could tolerate no j^yals, .and .so the old Heio was promptly .bought up, and she has now donned the. familiar green paint and red fnnnel. This powerful Company is .certainly resolved to keep, fully abnaet' of the times, for not content wHh adding such splendid vessels as the, . Botomahana, Te Anau, and others to our coastal fleet, and buying of tile best of M'Meckan 's boats, we now hear that they are building a numbel?6f new ones. TheManipori is to lie 285 feet long, 86 feet, beam, and 2& feet depth of bold, with a power eqttal A to that of the Rotomam hai#r,andyet s,o as to i draw only aboilt 9 feet of water. She reill htaAa fa ffr* Wnrf fU»«*~w»-+to feim^lsland apd tot Wanganui. Andbtor^6tei^nst < .i 8 exehisHely for the three otfttfr C-tMStH* vewWg ' are

intended to work some of the minor ports in the North Island. Such enterprise is deserving of success.