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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 247, 20 December 1866, Page 2

The mail for the Buller closes to-morrow, at 9 a.m.; Picton, Wellington, South, and Melbourne, at 5 p.m. Wilson, alias Murray and De Lacey, have been committed for trial, at Hokitika, the former, for the murder of Mr. G. Dobsou, on the 28th May last, and the latter, for conspiring to rob Mr. Fox, at Greymouth. The N. S. Wales Parliament have voted their share of the subsidy for the Panama contract. Sydney is to be the terminus of tiie trunk liue. Dr. Featherston has succeeded in completing the Manawatu purchase. The representative chiefs, amongst whom the money was divided, expressed great satisfaction with the arrangement, and festivitives and war dances followed the negotiations. Private Kent, of the Waimea West Company, was the successful competitor, yesterday, for the Provincial Champion Prize. Each competitor fire! five shots each at 200, 300, 400, and 500 yards range. The scores are as follow. —

Mary Buckley was charged, in the Resident Magistrate's Court, this day, with vagrancy, under the Act of J 806. The magistrate ordered her to be imprisoned for 14 days,

Last night the store of West & Jervis, Canvastowu, was destroyed by fire. We understand the property is insured in the New Zealand Insurance Company.

Fox's diggings are turning out splendidly, and the miners are iu first-rate spirits. Woodpecker Bay is now the favorite place of lauding, as it is available at almost any turn of tide or weather. Refering to Coal Creek, a writer in the Gr. R. Argus says — The wisdom of the step takeu by the Nelson Government in throwing open this laud for occupation has been fully borne out by tha excellent results that have followed. Not ouly has an uuproductive waste of ground beeu converted into prolific— and what is more to the purpose, profitable—gardens, but the fact has been established that agriculture is a pursuit for which the soil aud climate of this part of tbe colony are well suited. Indeed we should imagine the agricultural conditions of climate to be better fulfilled more in the interior where there is not so much redundant humidity as ou the coast. As to the character of the soil it is without doubt excellent, particularly on such alluvial flats as that beyond Coal Creek.

The West Coasfc Times states that afteithe^ committal of Wilson and De Lacey and whilst they were being conveyed to the Gaol De Lacey threw himself on the ground in the gateway leadiug from the Camp iuto Revell street, and obstiuate[y refused to move. After a little gentle persuasion on the part of the police, he was at last induced to proceed, and the party reached the Gaol iu due course. The above little scene collected an immense crowd, and nearly as much excitement was displayed as ou the day that witnessed the arrival of Sullivan.

About; a quarter to three o'clock on the afteruoou of the llth instant two or three slight shocks of earthquake were distinctly felt in Dunedin and the vicinity. The Times says that they followed each other in rapid succession, were unaccompanied by noise, but caused a vibratory, or perhaps more probably a tremulous motion of the houses aud furniture. The course seemed to be from north to south.; as by a telegram from Clyde they were felt in that district.

At the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court at Auckland, Isaac Robinson, the notable " Jack Sheppard," who has broken out of prison so mauy times, was sentenced to undergo teu years' penal servitude, f o commence afc the expiration of his present term of imprisoumenfc, five years hence, for breaking out of gaol and assaulting Mr Lawson. In the course of his trial Robinson denied that he was related to or counected with the murderer Kelly, of Mauugatapu notoriety.

The Hokitika E. Star says : — As is well known in commercial circles here a charge under the Fraudulent Trustees Act, was recently preferred against Mr. Alfred Cleve in Dunediu, and the evidence was such that the Resident Magistrate there thought right to send the case for trial. The charge from the first was not credited by those who knew Mr. Cleve, and we now have great pleasure in statiug thafc on the trial which took place, he has been acquitted. We need not say how heartily glad we are to find such a stigma removed from a name long and honorably knowu in Victoria and New Zealand.

We (E. Post) see by the West Coast journals to hand, that our old friend Small, the fidus Achates ofthe inimitable Thatcher, has made a most successful tour through the colony of New South Wales with the Nathan family, and intends revisiting this country at Christmas. As Mr. Small is a landed proprietor in the Wairarapa, doubtless he will pay Wellington a visit.

An effort is being made in Wanganui to get up Caledonian Games before the commencement of the New Year. A meeting has been held, and subscription lists opened.

The latest advices from Canterbury say that the fire iu the Oxford Bush is still burning in places,but no further damage is at present apprehended. The fire has now been burning since the third ofthe month.

The Westland Observer states that the sum of £243 Bs. has been forwarded from Okarita to the Ladies' Committee, Dublin, for the relief of the wives and/ families of

the Irish State prisoners. Of this, sum £33 Bs. was collected in Okarita, and £210 at the Five-mile Beach. We learn, from Hokitika, thafc two men, one named Maori Jack, under sentence for highway robbery, and another named Moutressor, charged with forgery, had escaped from Hokitika gaol. They were .'fire at by the warder, and missed. Montressor has since beeu recaptured. A gentleman, recently arrived from Okarita, supplies later information to the W. C. Times coucerniug that place. Okarita is described as beiug very dull indeed, both as regards miuiug aud business; and geueral discontentment is the result. Between 400 and 500 miners continue to work on the Fivemile Beach, but many are leaving for the Pakihi ancl Fox's diggings. Rather favorable intelligence has been received from the Haast river, where some 40 men are digging and getting very fair returns. A 3mall rush has set iu to the Waiho river, with only moderate. results. From the Melbourne papers we learn that the Dutch Govern ment have placed the sum of £17,00<> per annum on the budget for the purpose of subsidising steam communication between Australia and Java. The rifle match between Victoria and New South Wales has resulted in a victory by the latter by 90 points. Mr. Gavan Duffy has again arrived in Victoria, and is sojourniug afc Scott's Hotel, Melbourne, where he has beeu visited by a large number of private aud political friends. The Tarreugower Times thus records another death from hydatids: : — We regret very much to learn that Mr. Chambers, late of Chambers and Stow, died at Carisbrook on the Bth instant. His disease was a fearful one, called, we think, cyst on the liver. It is occasioned by the gathering together of a crowd of insects, which form a ball or tumor. The insect is imported into the system through the patient eating partly cooked unhealthy mutton. Drs. Soufchee and Laidman attended the unfortunate gentleman and stated that had the decased been attended to iu time, an operation might have saved him ; but ifc was too late.

Private W. Kent 16 16 12 ll ... 55 „ Lange 13 11 6 13 ... 43 , „ Catiey 15 12 9 6 ... 42 Serg.-Maj. Alborough 15 4 10 12 ... 41 Sergeant Ruthertbrd.. 15 9 11 4 ... 39 „ W. Wastney 13 12 9 4 ... 38 Private E. Thomas... 12 10 8 8 ... 38 „ Morrison 15 10 8 4 ... 37 „ Marsden 13 12 9 2 ... 36 Lieutenant Barnes ... 13 9 8 6 ... 36 „ D. Slater.. 15 10 5 6 ... 36 Private C. Martin ... 15 9 8 0 ... 32