The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1868. NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 156, 4 July 1868, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1868. NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Board took place yesterday evening. Present: Mr Bentley, in the chair, Messrs R. Burn, D. Burns, Webb, Field aud J. Hooper.* The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The opening of the tenders for the improvements in the Waimea road was further deferred for a fortnight, in order to enable the Public Works Committee to examine the plans; an amendment by Mr Webb that it be deferred until Tuesday next, having been lost. A letter was received from the Churchwardens of All Saints' Church, requesting that the completion of Vanguard-street may be proceeded with as apeedily as possible. It waß determined, in reference to this communication, that, owing to the season of the year, and the fact that a new Board will be elected at the end of the present month, it is undesirable that any work of importance should be undertaken at present. The Finance Committee reported that they had examined the books and accounts for the past month, and found them correct. They also recommended that no new work should be commenced until the completion of that already in hand. A petition was received from 11 inhabitants of Nile-street, requesting that that portion lying between Collingwood and Shelbourne streets be gravelled. The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee for their report. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary relating to a proposal by the Provincial Engineer to connect the drainage of Bridge-street East with that of the Botanical Gardens Reserve, suggesting the substitution of Dun Mountain stone for a glazed earthenware drain, as being more economical and equally serviceable; and offering, in event of the Board agreeing to the proposition and carrying it out at once, that the Governmentshall pay a share of the cost of the work. The Board resolved that Messss B. Burn and Webb should wait upon the Provincial Secretary on the subject, and report accordingly. The Secretary's plan for a pedestal and lamp to be erected at the junction of Trafalgar and Bridge Streets was submitted to the Board and adopted, tenders to be advertised for its construction, either in Adele Island stone or in totara wood. A motion by Mr Hooper, relative to the erection of a urinal and lamp at the Port, was referred to Messrs Burn and Webb, to be brought by them under the consideration of the Government. In reference to the propbsed extension of Halifax-street across the Mud Plat, for which a vote in aid of £300 was granted by the Provincial Council last session, Mr R. Burn proposed that a memorial be drawn up by the Secretary, with a view to obtain the subscriptions of persons interested in the project, which was carried. Mr Field proposed that the work ordered to be carried out in Kawai-street be completed as soon as possible. A letter was read from Mr Harley, in reference to the raising of the road and footpath near Col-lingwood-street Bridge, and the Secretary was instructed to see to the raising of the footpath. A letter was read from Mr J. Percy and other ratepayers resident in Van Diemen-street, asking for . an enlargement of the culvert 'there, and it was determined that the matter should be reserved for the consideration of the new Board. The Inspector of Nuisances having reported on the ditches behind Mr Betts's premises, it was determined by the Board that they should be cleaned out at Mr Betts's expense. The Board then adjourned until Friday, the 17th inst.

The election to fill four vacancies at the Nelson Board of Works, caused by the retirement of Messrs Bentley, R. Burn, It. Carter, and J. Webb, will take place on Monday, the 27th instaut, at the usual place. We understand that several fresh candidates for public honors are likely to solicit the sweet voices of the ratepayers on this occasion. Many *of our readers may not be aware that a monster petition has been in course of signature for some time past at Messrs Lockhart & Co's stores, Trafalgar-street, which will probably be more numerously signed than any petition which has ever been forwarded from this province for presentation to the General -Assembly. The petition to which we allude, is intended to urge upon the [Government, the propriety of awarding to. Captain Levy — whose heroic exertions, by which the Rev. T. S. Grace and party were rescued from the hands of the fanatic Maoris, after the horrible murder of the ReviC. S. Volkner, will be in, the memory of our readers —

the compensation which ha was awarded by the Special Commission appointed by the Government to report lipon the case. It will be remembered that a reward of £ 1000 was offered for the rescue of Mr Grace and his party, but neither this reward, nor any compensation for the losses he sustained have ever been paid to Capt. Levy. At present, under the Public Debts Act, the money has reverted to the General Government, and cannot now be paid, without further legislation on the subject. In the meantime, although three years have elapsed, Captain ' Levy, with the exception of a dinner and testimonial presented to him shortly afterwards, has received no sort of recompense for one of the most daring and meritorious acts which took place during the New Zealand war, but has, on the contrary, sustained very serious loss and injury to his prospects therefrom. The petition has already been most numerously signed by members of every class of society in this community, although this province is situated at a considerable distance from the scene of Captain Levy's exertions, and we believe that the number of signatures might be very materially augmented, were opportunity offered the inhabitants of the other provinces of the colony e 'to testify their acquiescence in the prayer of the petition. We trust that the representatives of this province in the General Assembly will unite cordially in giving effect to this movement, which has been initiated at no inopportune moment, when we remember that a parallel case — the rescue of the Abyssinian captives — has just cost the British nation some £70,000 each. We understand that an accident of a very serious character occurred yesterday to a fireman belonging to the Charles Edward steamer, during her passage to this port. It would seem, from the information we have received, that a quarrel having arisen between two of the firemen, one of them pushed the other, and he fell down the hold amongst the machinery, and was fearfully mutilated. The injured man was conveyed this morning to the hospital, where he now lies. The Fire Brigade had their first practice last night in their new helmets, which have lately arrived from England, and which, independently of their contributing materially to the general appearance of the company, also afford a very necessary protection to the head in case of falling timber, stones, &c. The Brigade visited the Port last night, and after playing upon the adjacent buildings from the roof of the Ship Hotel, satisfactorily tested the hydrant on the Government Wharf, returning to town after an absence of upwards of two hours. We observe from the West Coast papers : that a friendly trial of speed took place on Wednesday last between the John Perm and the Charles Edward, on the run from Hokitika to Greymouth. The fact that the race would take place was telegraphed to Greymouth in the afternoon, and the result was waited for with considerable interest. About 8 p.m. the lights of both steamers were seen off the bar, which they crossed within a few minutes of each other. The John Perm was moored before the Charles Edward passed on her way up to the wharf. The Grey River Argus of the 2nd instant says that the CharJes Edward was two miles ahead when the Perm crossed the Hokitika bar, but was heavily laden, having about 50 tons of cargo on board. The Perm rah the distance iv two hours and five minutes. On the return trip to Nelson the John Perm left the Westport wharf at 1 130 a.m. yesterday, exactly half an hour after the Charles Edward, and arrived off the Arrow-rock, Nelson, at 5 a.m. to-day; the Charles Edward at 5*25: the Perm therefore beating her rival by about an hour in the race from the Buller. A Wellington telegram in the West Coast Times of the 2nd instant states that the Hokianga native disturbances were settled, the escaped prisoner, Tewhati, having been given up and lodged in Auckland gaol; that Mr Bonar, of Westland, and Mr Nurse, of Southland, have been called to the Upper House, an 4 that Major Richardson's resignation of his seat in the Executive has been gazetted. The Southern Cross of the 29th ult. mentions the death of one of the most eminent settlers of the Auckland district, General Taylor, who died at his residence, West Tamaki, o n the 27th ult., in his 78th ..year. Major Tighe, Commanding the Auckland Volunteers, expired suddenly on

Thursday morning, the 25th ult., at his residence iv Auckland, and was buried with military honors on the following Sunday, at the Catholic cemetery, an immense 0 concourse following the body to the grave of old soldiers who had stood in the ranks with him; militiamen and volunteers who knew him as a strict but kind-hearted officer; and citizens who held him iv high esteem for his simple and upright manners. An inquest had been held upon the body, &yd a verdict returned of Died from natural causes. The following paragraph, confirmatory of Captain Hayes's death, appears in the. Otago Times of the 27th ult.: — As there seems to be some doubt as to the fate of Captain Hayes, perhaps the following information received yesterday from Mr William Joyce, will set the matter at rest. He says that previous to leaving the Fijis in the cutter Lapwing, he conversed with a gentleman who was an eye-witness of a duel at Tanna, New Hebrides, between Captain HayeS of the brig Bona, and His chief officer; both parties landed, revolver in hand, stepped 15 paces from each other, back to back, turned round, fired without aim, the captain's shot missed, while the mate's took deadly effect. The mate at once took to the boat, went on board, and proceeded to sea. We understand that an old and wellknown inhabitant of Westport, Mr Leathern, late of the Steam Packet Hotel, of that town, has absconded, and that DetectiveJLambert has been despatched by the merchants of Westport, to whom the defaulter is largely indebted, to the Australian Colonies in search of him. As Detective Lambert is one of the most active and persevering members of the New Zealand Detective Force, it is probably he will soon be able to give a good account of the absconder.— West Coast Times. The Lyttelton Times of Monday Bays:-— The symptoms of pleuro pneumonia amongst the cattle on the Maori reserve, at Woodend, are gradually becoming of a somewhat more favorable nature. Too much reliance should not, however, be placed upon its continuance, for the original mob having* all been destroyed may have caused what" is probably only a temporary check of the disease. The present wet weather is not . of the most favorable description for furthering its eradication, bat would rather be most fatal iv its results if a warm close atmosphere were to accompany the return of fine weather. On Thursday last Mr Hill paid another visit to the reserve, but only found it necessary to destroy one out of the 500 head of cattle now remaining in quarantine. Mr Hill is in. hopes that the steady decline of the disease will continue, and has certainly at present a favorable opinion of it. A gentleman from Ashburton reports to the Christchurch papers that the weather has been most unusually severe in that district during the past week. Heavy storms of snow have fallen for several days, and in some localities on the plain it lies over four feet. The loss of sheep is expected to be very great. On one run numbers of dead have been dug out of the snow, whilst even t in the more, sheltered places the deaths have been numerous. The difficulty of travelling may be judged from tbe fact that the gentleman referred to was upwards of two hours and a half in riding seven miles. We copy from the Age the following telegram forwarded from Sydney, the 12th instant, by Messrs. Greville and Co.: — «' It is understood in official circles that the New South Wales Government are averse to any agreement with Victoria ou the subject of a fortnightly mail by way of King Georgejs Sound aud Adelaide 5 but they are favorable to an additional service by the Peninsular and Oriental Company via Torres Straits, to alternate with the present, and in which Melbourne might be made the terminus. This view has been endorsed by the Chamber of Commerce. The notice given by the Government of New South Wales .to withdraw from the present service of the P. and 0. Company will expire in October next. It is said that the last mail to England conveyed the representations of the Government on the subject of the mail service generally, and that the minute of the Postmaster-General contained a comprehensive review of the whole question, contending that the Imperial subsidy should be given only in aid of a scheme of several routes on the principle adopted by the late Intercolonial Conference. The Postmaster-General

was informed that no other arrangement would give * satisfaction to the eastern colonies, viz., New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand.' An Englishman and a Yankee were disputing, when the former sneeringly remarked: — * Fortunately the Americans can go no further than the Pacific shore. The Yankee scratched his prolific brain for an instant, and thus replied — 'Why ! good gracious ! they are already levelling the Rocky Mountains and carting dirt out West. I had a letter last week from my cousin, who is living 200 miles west of the Pacific shore on made land.'