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Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 40, 6 October 1860, Page 2

Foot Bridge over the Omaka.— Mr. Dobson, the Provincial Surveyor and Engineer, has just constructed a very efficient foot-bridge over the Omaka, at Blenheim, of a very simple and inexpensive kind. It is a wooden tubular bridge, of SO feet in length; the sides are each of two series of inch boards nailed together, the bottom of inch board, the top of onc-and-a-lialf inch ; all the boards a foot wide. It is strapped at intervals with hoop iron, and transverse pieces of board arc fitted inside. It has three supports between the banks, and a light hand rail on each side. The entire cost is about £'2s. Shipping. —The Alert arrived at the Boulder Bank on Tuesday morning, with a general cargo from Wellington. Mr. Bowden was a passenger, and she brought two seamen for the Shepherdess, now lying at Port Underwood. The Alert passed the barque Hound, from London, on her way to Wellington. On the same day, the Mary arrived from Nelson, with general cargo, and seventeen passengers. She came up the liver on Wednesday night, and is expected to sail this day. The City of Nelson arrived at the Boulder Bank on Wednesday last, with a general cargo, and three passengers; she has unfortunately grounded at “Tug-bard.” Appropriation Bir.T,. — We learn from the New Zealand Gazette. , that the Appropriation Bill, passed by our Provincial Council, has received the assent of his Excellency the Gevernor. Volunteer Rifle Corps, No. 1 Company.'— A meeting of the above was held at the Court House on Monday last, when a considerable number of new members were enrolled, and the following officers and non-commissioned officers chosen: —Ist Lieutenant, Thomas Wildridge ShiellMinchin; 2nd do., Thomas Wall; Sergeants, Charles Eyles, Jacob Walton, W. 11. Aotle, Wm. Picton : Corporals. J. T. Robinson, Thos. Davies, W. Homes, F. J. Litchfield. Bugler, T. Warner. Messrs. Robinson, MTntosh, and Siinmonds were added to the committee, Another Steamer. —A paddle steamer, called the Rapid, arrived in the harbour on Sunday. 23rd Sept. She is of Df>*2G gross and GO'6l registered tonnage, drawing G feet G inches of water; her length is SG feet, breadth 17 feet, depth 9 feet. She was built by the New South Wales Government, and her engines arc by Napier, Glasgow. She is now on the bank for the purpose of being cleaned, and is intended either for sale or charter.— Examiner. Sporting. —The second Australian Champion Stakes were run for on the Randwick course, Sydney, on the Ist Sept., and we can only to-day give the brief results of the great race and those which followed. For the Championship, eleven horses started, five of which were New Zealanders. The race was won by Zoe, Wildrake second, Veno third, Deception iburth, and Strop fifth ; so that of the five horses placed, the first, second, fourth, and fifth, were from this colony. But a few words must be said of the fate of poor Strop. At the end of two and a-half miles the old horse was well up in the race, pulling hard, when his jockey, riding to order, let him out, and ran up to Zoe, who was leading, and then took a pull, so as to satisfy himself that his horse had a rush in him for the finish. But the effort cost the old horse his life. Carter who rode him, heard his horse give a deep sigh, then followed

three short coughs, hut the game old fellow, though staggering, struggled to reach the post, and was beaten for fourth place by the Auckland mare by a bare head ; and then, on being pulled up, and his head turned to the weighing yard, he fell down dead. On examination it was found that he had broken a blood-vessel. The Free Handicap which followed, was won by another New Zealand mare, Phoebe, beating a field of eleven others. On Thursday, the 6th Sept.,[the Randwick Spring Meeting opened, and the first race, the Metropolitan Maiden Plate, was won by Archer, beating Io and four others. The Australian Plate was won by Wildrake (New Zealand), beating Yeno and Shamrock. The Ladies’ Purse was won by Phoebe (New Zealand), beating Ben Bolt and eight others. The racing on the Friday was indifferent, none of the cracks showing; but on Saturday Ben Bolt won the Jockey Club Handicap, receiving eight pounds from Zoe, and beating also Wildrake and two others. The City Plate was won by Phoebe ; as was also the Forced Handicap, giving weight to all her horses, and beating Deception, Yeno, and two others. — Examiner. From the Wellington Advertiser. The Amended Representation Bill.— On the 14th Sept., Mr. Weld introduced the Bill to amend the Representation of the Colony. From an estimate of the population of the provinces of Auckland, Canterbury, Wellington, Otago, and Nelson, at the present time, Ministers propose to give as nearly as possible one member to every 1.500 inhabitants; and this to the provinces enumerated would give Auckland 15 members, Canterbury 9, Wellington 9, Otago 7, Nelson 6. Taranaki is to remain represented as before; Marlborough is to have one additional member. The present House of Representatives numbers 41 members. It is proposed to add 12 to the number and to apportion the whole to 39 constituencies, as follows : —Province of Auckland —Bay of Islands 1 member. Marsden 1, Northern Division 2, City of Auckland East 2 ; City of Auckland West 2, Suburbs of Auckland 2, Pensioners Settlements 1, Town of Onehunga 1, Cook 2, Raglan 1. Taranaki —Grey and Bell 1 member, Town of New Plymouth 1, Omata 1. Wellington —Wanganui 1 member, Rangitikei 1, Porirua 1, City of Wellington 3, Hutt 2, Wairarapa 1. Hawke’s Bay Napier 1 member, Clive 1. Nelson—Collingwood 1 member, Motueka 1. City of Nelson 2, Suburbs of Nelson 1, Waimea 1. Marlborough —Picton 1 member, Wairau 1. Canterbury—Cheviot 1 member, Rangiora 1, Ileathcote 2, City of Christchurch 2, Town of Lyttelton 1, Akaroa 1, Timaru 1. Otago —Hampden 1 member, Bruce 2, Town of Dunedin 2, Wallace 2. The Taranaki Settlers’Relief Committee. —On the 11th of September the report of the above committee was brought up by Mr. Sewell. It recommended that the expense of maintaining the refugee families from Taranaki should be a charge on the general revenue of the Colony; that facilities for settling in other Provinces should be offered to those refugee families deirous of so doing; that refugees so settling should have grants of land in the Province where they settled, on certain conditions to be hereafter determined on; that temporary pecuniary relief should be afforded to them ; and that such relief or allowances should not prejudice any claims for future compensation, but should be a charge against such compensation. These recommendations were substantially agreed to. Potatau ll. —The son of Te Whero Wherohas been inaugurated as successor to the late King. It appears that the ceremony passed off very quietly. With reference to this kingship it appears that the Maories are in earnest. By the return of a portion of their tribe from Taranaki, laden with booty, the Waikatos, it is reported, have begun to appreciate the advantages to be derived from the war. Important from Home. —To this Colony the most important intelligence received by this mail is the statement by Mr. Fortescue, the Under Colonial Secretary, in the House of Commons, on the 17th July, to the effect that no vote for the purpose of contributing to the expense of the war in New Zealand would be made on the Colonial Parliament. Tiie Horse G uards Again. —lt would puzzle any one to determine whether the Government of the British Empire is vested in the House Guards or the Responsible Ministry. Time after time has the Colonial Minister urged the forwarding of reinforcements to this Colony, at the urgent solicitation of Governer Brown; and on each occasion his wishes have been frustrated by the officers of the War Department. They have now attempted to set aside the expressed wishes of tbc Prime Minister himself. While he was telling a deputation of colonists that troops should bo despatched atonce to New Zealand, they were advertising for tenders for two troop-ships to convey the Goth from New Zealand, which is upwards of 1200 strong, to be replaced by a battalion of the 14th, of little more then 900! We learn that so preposterous an arrangement has been since set aside, and in any case it could not have been complied with.