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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 170, 21 July 1868, Page 2

The third officer of the Airedale, Mr Arthur Buckland, died very suddenly a* Onehunga on the Mth inst., of disease of the heart. Another sudden death is also reported from Auckland, iv the person of Mr W. M. Wilson, Barrister-at-Law, of that city, and author of Practical Statutes of New Zealand, and other useful legal works, who was found dead on the beach at Tapu Creek on the 13th inst. His death is stated to have been caused by apoplexy. The Hon. John Hall has given notice of motion for leave to bring in a bill to amend the Provincial Audit Act. Leave of absence from the House of Representatives for six weeks has been granted to the Colonial Treasurer, the Hon. Mr Fitzherbert, who intended leaving England about the 2nd of last month, and will probably reach New Zealand by the Mail next month. It was announced on Sunday the 12fch inst. to the Roman Catholic congregations in Wellington, that the Rev. Father O'Reilly might be expected to arrive in this colony in about two months' time* Advertisements appear in the Wellington papers of the 16th inst. to the effect that 200 men are required by the Government to proceed on active service to the Patea District, under the command of Captain Buck, of the Veterans. It is stated by the Independent thaf there is a good deal of speculation afloat as to the duration of the present session of Parliament, some predicting aa early term to its existence, but whether it is to terminate in a dissolution or in a ministerial crisis and changes of colonia! ' responsible advisers,' no one is bold enough to prophesy. The Ministers say that the work will be exceedingly light, and that with the exception of a few eonsolidatinabills and the financial statement, there will be little else to do. The session will hardly close without a very energetic trial of strength between the -colonial and provincial parliamentary forces. It will be remembered that an enquiry has been instituted by the Government into the circumstances connected with an assault alleged to have been committed by Mr Hull, M.H.R., on the Governor's steward at the Birthday Ball at Auckland. The Commissioners, Messrs Beckham and Crawford, having sent in their report, Mr Hull has been informed by the Colonial Secretary that the Government would not advise his Excellency to accept Mr Hull's resignation of the Commission of the Peace, which he had tendered, and he has therefore withdrawn his resignation. It seems that the Thames goldfield was visited by a violent storm on the Bth inst. which would seem to indicate that the recent gale experienced at Wellington and the various Southern ports prevailed throughout the country. The Independent expresses __ hope that some independent member of the General Assembly will place upon the notice paper the following questions addressed to the Colonial Secretary »— l. Who was the Government official that forwarded the telegraphic message from the Bluff announcing the arrival of the Suez Mail telegrams and pretended to forward a summary of the news contained in them ? 2. Was the aforesaid official drunk or insane, or both, at the time when he attempted to perform this duty? 3. How did it happen that the aforesaid official contrived only to send a summary of one or two items of news, which had been received by the previous mail ; and almost altogether omitted to send any fresh news whatsoever? The Independent goes on to say that the telegraphic agents of the General Government are * clearly not up to their work. They are incapable of compiling and transmitting a proper summary of news, so that the Press and the public are alike defrauded, and ex-

I presses a hope that so crying 8 n evil will j fbe brought before the Assembly. — It is stated that the Government intend to appoint a regular telegraphic Press agent '' at the Bluff for the future, and we trust j that a thoroughly competent person may be ' appointed to the post. j An indiscreet man confided a secret to another, and begged him not to repeat it. 'It's all right,' was the reply, 'I will be as close as you were.' A Westend musicseller was lately overpowered by a fastidious young lady who wanted to purchase 'Mr Hood's — a — Song of the — a gentleman's under-garment ! '