The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 63, 16 March 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1868.

The Mail for Europe via Melbourne and Suez, closes to-morrow morning, at 11 o'clock ; for registered letters, money orders, and newspapers at 10. We hear that the Provincial Council will be summoned to meet on Tuesday, the 21st of April. Mr Wastney, M.P.C., held a meeting of the electors of Takaka at the schoolroom of that place, on Monday evening, the 9th instant,iu view of the approaching election for the Golden Bay electoral district, which was numerously attended, and a vote of thanks to Mr Wastuey, moved by Mr Haldane, was carried unanimously. On the following evening, Mr Wastoey met a large number of the electors of the Upper Takaka, at Mr A. Douson's Hotel, who expressed themselves favorable to Mr Wastuey's candidature. We understand that Mr Wastuey has met with a very cordial reception from the electors generally. We are informed' by a correspondent that ti.o wLaliug gun said to be invented by Captaiu Pierce, of the James Allen, aud described as a new invention in the Examiner of Saturday last, was in use at the Auckiaud Islauds in the operations of the Southern Whale Fishery Company some 18 years ago, when it was found not to be nearly so effective in killing whales as the common harpoon "thrown by hand> while it materially detracts from the value of the blubber. Tbe Grey River Argus of the 14th states that Mr David Johnston, Collector of Customs at Greymouth, will shortly be removed to Nelson, whero he will take the place of our present Collector of Customs, Capfc. Rough, and regretfully congratulates Mr Johnston on the agreeable change in his position. It has been understood for some time past that, in obedience to medical advice, our present Collector has determined on leaving for Auckland, where he will fill a similar official position. The Provincial Gazette contains notices of bankruptcy concerning the following persons : — Fredk. Jones, publican, Westport ; Hugh Robertson, baker, Mokihinuij • James Hayes, storekeeper, Addison's Flat; Leonard Whittington, trading in copartnership with T. W. Scanlan, publicans, Addison's Fiat; H.E. Campbell, solicitor, Westport ; George Blair, publican, Westport ; T. W. Melville, publican, Westport. We learn, in relation, to a statement quoted by as from tha Wanganui Times — to the effect that his Honor Mr. Justice Johnston had positively refused to hold sittings of the Supreme Court at that place — tKkt the Judge's refusal is generally understood to be attributable to tbe imperative necessity which exists for his presence in Wellington, as a member of the Royal Reception Commission, in view of the requisite preparations for the Prince's visit, in which the Judge takes the liveliest interest, and with which his absence in Wanganui would be obviously incompatible, more especially in the possible event of the Prince's arrival taking place during the sittings of the Supreme Court at Wanganui. It must be admitted that the administration of justice is a matter of altogether immeasurably secondary importance when weighed in the balance against such considerations as

those to which we have allndsd, and the Judgo.s refusal to comply with the representations made some mouths shice throi-gh the Premier by the inhabitants of Wau.uaimi on this subject is therefore most satisfaciorily accounted for. The Resident Magistrate's Court has been occupied during the greater part of the day with the adjourned hsariug of the case Reuben Waite v. John Norton & Co., aa action to recover £100, the price of some land at the Buller, leased from the natives, and sold for £250 to the defendants, who bad paid £150 on acconut. The defendant alleged that one of his pa'rt tiers, Mr Blair had bought his interest in this purchase, and had produced a receipt for £100 from Mr Waite. The case was adjourned on the 19th ult., in order to admit of the appearance of Blair and other witnesses, and had not concluded when our reporter left. The Census Returns taken on the 19th of December last, give the total population of the Province as 23,813, of which the City of Nelson contains 5,652 ; its suburbs, 829 ; the Wainiea District, (including the Waimeas East and South, Motueka Valley, Arnuri, and Upper Buller,) 2,657 ; the Motueka District, (including Waimea West, Moutere, and Motueka,) 2,451 ,• Oollingwood District, (incJuding Takaka, Coiling wood, Pakawau and Keraniea,) 978 ; the Amuri, (including the Cheviot and Wairau, the remainder of the Electoral district of Cheviot being part in Canterbury and part in Marlborough,) 606 ; and Westland North, including the various diggings, 10,611. The population of the province has increased since 1864, in each district, except the Waimeas, which show a decrease ■ oi SO/, giving a total increase of 11,904. Ths increase in the population of the city is put down at .1,109, giving an addition of apparently 367 pyr annum, but it will be seen, ou making the needfuTcorreclaon, that, iu consequence of the census having been taken three weeks later in the year on this occasion than in 1864, ifc comes out 364, or just one unit added to our population each day. The firing of the Waimoa Company on Saturday last terminated ths competition by the various Volunteer Companies for the Government District Prizes. We subjoin the names and scores of the successful competitors in this province : — First Class, Ist prize and medal, Sergeant J. Sharp, City Rifles, No. 1, 53 ; 2nd prize, Bugler J. Tunnicliffe, Waimea Company, 47 ; 3rd prize, Private J. T. Catley, and Private J. A. Moore, City Rifles, and Captain Slater, Wakapuaka Artillery, who each scored 46, and who will have to shoot over again ; Second Class, Ist prize, G. Batchelor, City Rifles, 48 ; 2nd prize, Private W. Arnold, Waimea Company, 46 ,* 3rd prize, C. Hibberd, Wakapuaka Artillery, 42 ; 4th prize, J. Tomlinson, Waimea Company, 41. The firing for the Government District Prizes by the Waimea Company took place on Saturday last. The weather was very propitiour, and several spectators were on the ground; amongst them, the Honorable Major Morse and Captain M l Tavisb, who took a lively interest in the proceedings, with other gentlemen, both from town aud country. The following was the scoring : First Class— Bugler Tunnicliffe 47, Ensign Rutherford 41, Private Harper 40, Private G. Silcock 36, Privates W. Tomlinson, W. Kent, and Corporal Ladley, 35 eachj Second Class — Privates W. Arnold 46, J. Tomlinson 41, G. Boddington 40, J. Baigent 39, R. Fowler 38, J. Tomlinson 37, and J. Ford 31. An advertisement appears in another column, offering a reward of £10 for the conviction of some person or persons unknown, who, on Saturday nighfc, maliciously cut some o£ the bines in Messrs.

f Hooper and Dodson's hopgi-ound in the Wood, ami we heartily trust it may have the effect of bringing the perpetrators" of this wanton piece of mischief to jusJice. j The barque Helen 8. Page arrived yesteruay from Newcastle N. S. W. with 89 head of cattle. The monthly inspection, by the Officer Commanding the District, of the Wakapuaka Artillery Company, and of the City Companies takes place to-morrow, the former at half past 2, and the latter at the Botanical Gardens at 6 o'clock. We would remind those of our readers who purpose recording their votes at the Collingwood election, that the Lady Barkly leaves at 1 p.m. to-morrow, arriving at Collingwood early on the following morning, the election day, and returning to Nelson on Thursday. The Westport Star of the 12th, says that great preparations are being made at Addison's Flat for the demonstration announced to take place on Tuesday next St. Patrick's Day. Emblems are being prepared, bands have been engaged, and people from the neighboring diggings are expected to take part in it. The procession will be formed at Addison's in the first instance, march thence to Wesfcporfc, where a ceremony in memory of the Fenians who were executed at Manchester will be performed. It is stated in the Grey Hirer Argus that the demonstration which it has been rumoured was to take place in G-reymoutk on St. Patrick's Day; will be not be held on that day. The following letter from Mr C. E. Haughton M.H.R. one of the Royal Penal Commissioners, relative to the presence of certain Roman Catholic clergymen at the Feniau demonstration at Hokitika on the Bth inst., appears in the West Coast Times :— Sir— ln your report of the Fenian demonstration you state that the vanguard of the procession, consisting of the Rev. Mr M'Donough ,• Mr Clarke, M.C.C. ; and Mr Melody, arrived in the Cemetery on horseback. Will you allow me, as a careful observer of what took place upon the occasion, to state that the Rev. Mr M'Donough took no part in the proceedings, but was present, I believe, simply from a sense of duty, in case reasons for exerting his influence to calm excitement should unfortunately have arisen ; your reporter might have noticed that the rev. gentleman referred to was in his ordinary dress, and wore no party emblems whatever. The report also stated that ' the Ross contingent, headed by the Rev. Mr C-olding, Curate of Ross, arrived on the ground.' Mr G-olding has, to my own knowledge, no ecclesiastical status in this diocese, and cannot, therefore be ' Curate of Ross.' The woman Hester Hocken, whose confession of an alleged murder in England created such a sensation in Christchurch has been sent to the Lunatic Asylum for safe custody, there being reasons for supposing her to be insane. Several of her fellow passengers who came from the same neighborhood as herself, state that they had never heard of the alleged murder, and that the girl was always thought to be slightly deranged. A copy of her statement has been sent to the authorities in England. A telegram from Wellington states that Judge Moore has decided tbat Commissioner Mackay, of the Thames Goldfields was informally appointed. Hunt's claim has been jumped, and great excitement prevails on the diggings, as the licenses, &c, are invalid. A perjury case from the Warden's Court has been ignored by the the Supreme Court, in consequence of the doubt as to the Warden's Court being properly constituted. Owing to the invalidity of some of the signatures to the petition sent to Wellington some two months ago, the town of I Greyinouth cannot be proclaimed a Muni-

cipality until an amended petition has been forwarded. A telegram was received from the Hon. John Hall on Thursday, stating that the Attorney- General has decided that the signatures io the Greymouth petition which are either attached under power of attorney, or purport to be. those of firms, are invalid. A deduction of these names leaves an insufficient number of signatures. The Grey River Argus says that the Volunteer movement in Hokitika is likely to prove a success. At a meeting held on Wednesday upwards of 90 persons put down their names as working members.