Untitled

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 158, 9 July 1867, Page 2

7 There are only two notices of motion ou /the paper for consideration by the Provincial Council this eveuiug, viz., the second reading of the Westport and Charleston Railway Bill, and Mr Simmonds's motion that the Council is of opinion that a Dry Dock is the most snit- , able structure for repairing vessels ia i Nelson harbor. The house will theu pro- • ceed to the consideration in committee of \the Estimates in the usual order. It has been suggested tbat the Council shall pass t^ie Estimates and also the Railway Bill,as soon as it shall be sent down to them, and then adjourn, so as to permit the Superintendent and the members for Motueka and Waimea South to leave for Wellington as soon as possible, in order to take part v the deliberations of the General Assem-

bly, which are likely to be of a more than ordinarily important character this session . Sir David Monro and Messis. A. J. Richmond and Wells left on Saturday last in the Airedale, in order to be present at Jhe opening of the Assembly, which takes place to-day. In fact an adjournment seems almost imperatively necessary, if the various Bills which have been called for, are to be drawn and legislated upon during the present sitting of the Provincial Council. We are glad to be able to state that the epidemic sickness which has prevailed so generally iv this city and its suburbs during the last two or three weeks, now shows some symptoms of abatement. - Unfortunately, the weather has lately beeu very unfavorable for all kinds of diseases, especially of a febrile nature, and 6< uutil we have a decided change to a dry and more propitious description of weather, we can hardly expect to be entirely freed from this visitation. We hear of whole families who have been attacked by measles aud whooping cough. These, however, are diseases to which all persous are ouce liable, and they generally attack children of tender years. For themost part they have exhibited themselves in a mild form, but in some few iustances they have brought iv their train other sicknesses far more fatal in their effects than the diseases themselves, the ouly fatal cases of which we are cognizant having beeu caused by diseases whichhave followed upon attacks of measles or whooping-cough, and these happily have been very few in number. The Board of Works held a special meeting to-day, as stated iv our issue of yesterday, for the purpose of signing debentures for the sewer in Bridge-street, and the Collector of Rates was instructed to he in attendance at the office daily from 1 1 a.m. to 2 p.m., until the 19th instant, for the purpose of receiving payment of arrears of rates: after that date the Secretary is instructed to sue for them. We understand that the Collector has experienced great difficulty in obtaining payment of the rates from certaiu individuals, and this step has consequently been decided upon by the Board, iv order to leave no arrears due at the commeucement of the financial year ou the Ist August next. The annual election to supply vacancies in the Board of Works will take place on Monday, the 29th inst., and, should a poll be demanded, it will take place on the following day. The vacancies in the Board are occasioned by the resignation of Mr R. Aitken, who has left Nelson for Wanganui, and the retirement of Messrs. Rout, D. Burns, and W. Wright, whose term of office will then expire, but who are eligible for re-election. Three of the members to be elected on this occasion will hold office for two years, and one (who will fill the place of Mr. R. Aitken), for one year only. We understand that the vj cant seats are likely to be hotly contested, and among the probable candidates are mentioned the names of Mr. J. Webb, (who, we need hardly remind our readers, was for many years an active and influential member of the Board,) and of Mr. Gorrie, who was also a former member of this corporation. We are requested by the writer of the letter which appeared this morning in the Colonist, signed '• F. W. 1.," with reference to the railway, to correct two typographical errors which make an essential difference in its meaning. In the first paragraph the words " contending parties," should read •' contracting parties;" and ih the paragraph relating to the sections of the railway, No. 1 should read " Nelson to Motueka Talley," not " Nelson to Motueka." A correspondent, noticing iv our issue of yesterday the telegram announcing the departure from Port Chalmers of the ship

Thorndean for Guam, inquires what this means? In reply we beg to state that this announcement is generally recognised in commercial circles as a mercantile fiction, aud really means that when a ship is in want of and cannot get acargo, she sails in search of cargo to one or more leading ports, and consequently her ultimate destination cannot be decided upon, and the agents being reluctant to acknowledge that the ship is unemployed, invent a geography of their own, and place the vessel on the berth for Guam! It will be in the recollection of our readers that well-founded apprehensions were entertained of the safety of the fine steamer Telegraph, plying between Sydney and Brisbane. We are happy to state that these fears have been set at rest by her arrival at Sydney, after having been exposed to a hurricane of almost unprecedented violence. His Honor Mr. Justice Richmond, it is announced, will sit in banco on Friday morning next, at 11, and in chambers the fame morning. The seat for Pieton iv the Houae of Representatives, rendered vacant by the resignation of Mr A. Beauchamp, who is now residing at Westport, will, it is understood, be contested by Captain Kenny aod Mr William Adams, of Nelson, who at . the last election was tho unsuccessful opponent of the late representative. The Grey River Argus has the following synopsis of the very complete aud exhaustive report made by the Civil Service Commission, appointed last session 'of the General Assembly : — With regard to the salaries of officers, the Commission recommends that the following scale should be. adopted, apportioning to each office a maximum and minimum rate of payment. Auy officer appointed in the future to commence at the minimum and to proceed to the maximum by fixed annual increase. The Commission divide the service iv to five classes, as follows: "Fifth class, from 100/. to 1201. (say two years' service); fourth class, 130/. to 180/., two years' service ; third class, 200/. to 300/., three years' service; secoud class, 350/. to SGO/., five years' service; the salaries of a very limited first ciass might be voted from time to time at a rate to meet special exigencies of the service." The Commission objects strongly to the amalgamation of forage and ti'avelling allowance with salary, and recommends that in future all travelling expenses should be paid as they ans actually incurred. It is also suggested that the political staff of the province should be reduced to one secretary for the East and one for the West Coast, abolishing the offices of Treasurer aud Secretary for Public Works. The office of the Provincial Engiueer is recommended to be amalgamated with the Roads and Works Department; and certain modifications are proposed with regard to the inspection of the West Coast road. Respecting the Survey Department, the Commission considers that the staff could be considerably reduced after about a year, and recommeuds a classification of salaries ascending to the scale proposed. The report complains that the local inspection of district surveys bas not been regularly kept up, and that the journals of the District Surveyors have not been regularly forwarded to the Chief Surveyor. The Commission considers it important that District Surveyors should not, under any circumstances, undertake works foreign to the department without special permission from the Government. The remarks on the Police Department are worth attention. Whilst regretting - the costly nature of the service, the Commission chiefly objects to the system itself as being unsuited to the character of the country and its population. The semimilitary character and organisation of the force is deprecated; and it is complained that the Manual of Peace Regulations

placed in the hands of the men is calculated to foster a feeling of independence of the control of the Magistracy. It is Recommended that the local Bench of Magistrates in each police district should send in a yearly report of the conduct and efficiency of the police; and that, on arriving at or leaving any out-station, the sergeant or constable in charge should be ordered to report himself to the nearest Resident Magistrate. No reduction in pay is recommended, but greater economy in the matter of uniform and horses is suggested. We learn from the European Times of the 2nd of May, that it has been decided that a small expedition, to be commanded by Mr. E. D. Young, is about to be despatched to Africa, to ascertain the fate of Dr. Livingstone. Mr. Young will be supplied with a small iron steamer with which he can navigate Lake Nyassa to its northern extremity, where, according to the story of the Johanna mcD, Dr. Livingstone was murdered. This is the suggestion of Sir R. Murchison, who has never yet quite despaired of the great traveller's existence He has maintained that, if the chance of Livingstone's existence were even more slender than it is, it is the duty of England to ascertain his fate, and the Royal Geographical Society have succeeded in impressing their views upon Lord Stanley. When Booth, who assassinated President Lincoln, was captured, a pocket-book was found on him which contained a diary written by the assassin. In this diary there was the following entry — "I have endeavored to cross the Potomac five times and failed. I propose to return to Washington and give myself up, and clear myself from this great crime." It is thought that the original plan of the conspirators was abduction, and not assassination, and that what Booth meant to say was, that he intended to reveal by whose instigation the plan was altered.