The Nelson Evening Mails. SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1868.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 115, 16 May 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mails. SATURDAY, MAY 16, 1868.

As we have already stated, a general and spontaneous wish seems to have made itself felt throughout the colony that the approaching anniversary of her Majesty's Birthday should be celebrated with more than usual eclat, and it is not difficult to fiud full and sufficient reasons for _uch a feeling in the deep and universal sympathy with the Sovereign, which the late attempt upon the life of one of her family has drawn forth from every part of the colonial empire. It might have been safely predicated that Nelson would not be found wanting in regard, and we are glad to observe that active preparations are on foot to celebrate the auspicious day with no less spirit than we find other provinces purpose displaying on this occasion. Independently of the gi*and review and sham fight at the Botanical Gardens in the morning, and the monster tea in the afternoon, it has been determined that a Volunteer Ball on an extensive scale shall take place at the Provincial Hall in the evening. A meeting of the officers of the various Volunteer Companies took place yesterday afternoon, when the necessary preliminaries were arranged. Last year the Volunteer Ball was confessedly a failure, but that, we believe, was . attributable to causes which were well understood at the time, and to which we need not specifically allude. On the present occasion no similar drawbacks need be contemplated, and the committee of officers seem determined to make the affair one which shall be altogether worthy of the occasion, and which may successfully compare with similar demonstrations in other parts of the colony. As befits an event of such public and universal rejoicing, to the annual recurrence of which all her Majesty's liege subjects look forward with loyal gratification, the ball wiil afford a becoming opportunity for the enjoyment of all classes of the community, as represented in the Volunteer body itself, and we cannot doubt that the affair will prove as successful as we can desire it to be. It will be seen from the advertisement which appears in another column that gentlemen's tickets, price 155., each also admitting two ladies, are procurable from the Stewards, and as it was in contemplation to organise a ball for the Cadets on the same evening, it has been determined to unite 'the two entertainments. The noncommissioned officers and members of the three Cadet Companies will therefore, very propeily, only be called upon to pay the moiety of that sum for their tickets, and we shall hope to see the young hopefuls of our rising generation largely represented on the occasion. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, Henry and John Flower were each fined £2 and costs, for furious driving. Tho following persons, viz., Samuel Gif m ford, of Waimea East, William Brooks," George Currin, and John Andrews, all of Waimea South, and William Gill of Wakapuaka, were each fined £1 and costs, on the information of the Chief Inspector of Sheep, for neglecting to make returns of the number of sheep in their posses- , sious, on the Ist of January last. The monthly meeting of the Nelson Fire Brigade took place last night at the Brigade Room, Harley-street, nnd was numerously attended, Captain Knight being in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed, and one or two slight alterations made in the rules of the company. A vote of thanks was passed to the agents of the New Zealaud Insurance Company (Messrs. Curtis Brothers), for paying their annual subscription of £15 to the Brigade. After some other business of no public moment had been transacted, the meeting .was brought to a termination. A special meeting will, we understand, be held on Monday evening next, at 7 o'clock, at the Brigade Room, for the purpose of considering a letter received from the Defence

Office, with reference to the acceptance of the services of the Brigade under the Volunteer Act.. Mr B. Crisp informs us that the following will be the bill of fare for his monster tea to be given to the children of the province on Monday week, ac the Temperance Hall, in celebration of her Majesty's birthday, and in aid of which the Provincial Council yesterday granted the sum of £20, the estimated cost being about £50 : — 500lbs. cake, 3000 buns, 100 loaves, 501bs. butter, 7 rounds of beef, 6 hams, 1501bs. sugar, 251bs. tea, &c. The number of patients remaining under treatment in Nelson Hospital on the 31st of March was 13; there were admitted during the month of April 12, making a total of 25; of these were discharged cured, ! 3; discharged relieved, 1; died 3; remaining, Aprif3o, 18. It is understood that the General Assembly will meet for the despatch of business sometime in the early part of July. I The following resolution, 'which bears a striking verbal resemblance to one lately proposed iv our own Provincial Council by Mr. Donne, was recently agreed to in the Otago Provincial Couucil : — ' That in order to give every facility to the investment of capital, and the working of inferior auriferous ground, the time has arrived when the duty on gold found in Otago should be reduced, at the rate of 6d. per ounce per annum, until the duty shall be abolished ; and that an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to forward this resolution to the General Assembly, with the view of giving effect thereto.' Another branch of local industry has lately been brought under our notice which might doubtless be cultivated largely and profitably in this community. We allude to the manufacture of baskets, an article of universal requirement. We have been shown admirable specimens of baskets made by Mr Cook of the Waimea road, from willows imported from Tasmania, and sold here at quite as cheap a rate as they fetch in London. Tne basket willow, we need hardly remark, grows readily in damp swampy ground, and its cultivation hereabouts might be made to serve a double purpose, by protecting the banks of the river, and by yielding a large revenue by its manufacture in the form we have indicated. At the grand ball given last week by the citizens of Auckland to the Governor and Lady Bowen, bis Excellency, in returning thanks for the toast ofhis health, humorously remarked that he thought thafc he might mention, without any breach of official etiquette, that his Ministers fully admitted that it would be in the highest degree unconstitutional and contrary to Imperial interests if they were to advise the Governor to spend elsewhere than in Auckland the first month of pheasantshooting, an announcement which was received with much laughter and applause. We 'would suggest that our Motueka friends should forward to Wellington at the earliest possible opportunity, a few brace of pheasants from the preserves in that district, a present which may have the effect of expediting Sir George's promised visit to this province. Midnight telegrams are not unfrequeutly received in Wellington by Ministers. One lately roused up Mr Richmond, the' Commissioner of Customs, from his slumbers, only to tell him that the opinion of some of the good folks at Oamaru was that that district afforded a splendid site for a central prison, that the prisoners could be well employed in erecting a breakwater^nd requesting that the Prison Commission might be sent thither to report thereon. The New Zealand Herald acknowledges the receipt of a sample of cigars grown and made in the Province of Auckland, by Mr Wilson, at Papakura. There can be no doubt whatever, it remarks, as to the quality of the leaf, but being new, the cigars are apt to become soft, in the smoking. This is a fault which of course a little age will remedy. Mr Trimble's Nelsou Hotel at Westport had a very narrow escape from destruction hy fire ou Friday week. It appears that a candle had been left burning on a chair at the top of the stairs, and a window blind which was hanging on the window closely adjoining the chair, caught fire. This was fortunately „ detected by a girl who happened to come up stairs a minute or two after tbe occurrence and uumistakeably gave the alarm of fire. Had but a few minutes elapsed before the discovery,

nothing could have prevented a serious destruction of property. Man-thrashing is becoming a favorite pastime of the ladies of. Westport, of late, two lords of the creation having suffered chastisement at the hacfds of two of the opposite sex,- during the past week. The first victim was very roughly handled, and if the latter was less hurt, it was no fault of will, but lack of power on the part of the indignant fair one, who belabored her object of vengeance with all her might in a public place, in the direction of the North Spit. The Westport Times says it is not at all improbable that the shilling nobler (to which Mr Home made allusion on Thursday night in the Council), is doomed, an agreement having been entered into by a number of customers not to pay more than sixpence for their refreshment, that being the price at Hokitika and other places. Whether the publicans or the association will give way remains to be seen. The Grey River Argus of the 7th inst. says that payable gold had been struck somewhere near the Nelson Coal mine, and two parties are working at a place known as ' Sulky Creek,' and are on good gold. It is also stated that another party are driving a tunnel from the river about two miles beyond the coal mine. They had previously sunk a shaft at the back and obtained good prospects. Several prospecting parties have recently gone up Coal Creek, and are located somewhere between the Coal Creek range and the Bald Hill. The newly discovered lead at the back of the North Beach has been rushed, and great expectations are formed of it. The Dunedin Correspondent of the Lake Wakatip Mail has the following with reference to Mr J. Hyde Harris, formerly District Judge of Otago, then Superintendent, and now Solicitor-General of the colony, and Mayor of Dunedin : — The filing, by so distinguished a man as Mr Harris, the Solicitor-General, of a deed of arrangement quite took people by surprise. The office of Mayor is vacant, but I have been unable to obtain, even from ihe best informed quarters, how his position as Solicitor- General of the colony is affected. But one thing is certain — • his other positions will not be affected by it. Mrs Harris possesses large landed estates and property, and, it is stated, recently received a present of a very large sum of money (£5000) as a slight recompense for kind services rendered by Mr Harris. It is under these circumstances thafc people wonder at the filing under the Bankruptcy Act of this deed of arrangement. An obituary notice in the Otago Daily Times, of the 28 th ult, announces the death of the oldest Freemason in these colonies : — ' On the 27th April, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs Muir, Bedford House, Mr Thomas Allen, in the 82nd year of his age. The deceased was one of the earliest colonists of South Australia, having arrived there with a large family, in 1836, and is presumed to be the oldest Freemason in the Australian colonies.'