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

A wish having been expressed by many of our subscribers that we should, from time to time, give a short summary of the parliamentary debates during the session of the Assembly, in order that the public may be kept alive to its proceedings, we have much pleasure in complying with so reasonable a request. In our present issue we therefore give a resume" ofthe proceedings in the Legislative Council, abridged

from the report furnished in the first number*of Hansard, which reached us yesterday; to be followed by those which have taken place in the House of Representatives. Mr Burns, the member for Caversham, has given notice of a motion in tbe House of Representatives, with a view to exempt from charge the addresses and signatures to telegrams, a proposal to which it may be hoped that the Government will give a ready acquiescence. . The June Mail from Europe via Panama is due to-day at. Wellington, and may possibly be brought on with the Suez Mail, either by the Otago or by the Taranaki, which is due on the 24th inst. The telegram which appeared in the Wellington Evening Post, announcing the landing of the 180 Maori prisoners of war at Whareongaonga, five miles from Poverty Bay, adds that they had seized Captain Thomas and the guard, and bound them up. The escaped natives are said to be entrenched in a strong position, and much excitement prevails up country in the Hawke's Bay district. The Waipara steamer has been dispatched from Wellington to convey Major Whitmore and his Volunteer Force from Napier to Poverty Bay, in pursuit of the prisoners. It is satisfactory to find that the number of the Native Contingent who are stated to have gone]over,to the enemy near Patea ' with all the breechloaders and revolvers lately served out to them,' is extremely insignificant, the 'Contingent' not numbering more than [two or three^ men at the most. It is also stated that the number of disaffected natives north of Patea does not at present exceed 150; and as the Government show every determination to deal decisively and promptly with them, there can be little doubt that the rebellion will be a very shortlived one, especially if ColoneljM 'Donnell is allowed carte blanche, and his action is not impeded by other influences. A telegram was received this morning by Captain Lockett from the Defenceoffice, authorising him to enlist volunteers in Nelson for Colonel M'Donnell's force. An advertisement to this effect appears in another column, to which we would refer those adventurous spirits amongst us who may desire to 'cover themselves with glory' in the Patea campaign. We are gratified to learn that the Committee of the School of Arts are using every exertion to insure the success of the entertainment to be igiven by Mr Charles Russell to-morrow evening, at the Provincial Hall, for tho benefit of that institution; a large number of tickets having already been disposed of. The brig Emma, laden with sugar, arrived this morning from Mauritius. As our readers are aware, yellow fever was raging at that island at the date of the last advices. We presume that every precaution to prevent the possibility of the transmission of infection has been taken by the proper authorities at this port, It will be seen from an advertisement in another colnmn that the Central Committee of the New Zealand Patriotic Fund, having found it impracticable to carry out their original intentions with regard to the disposition of the subscriptions, have determined to return the amounts to the subscribers. It has also been determined that those subscriptions which are not claimed within three months from this date, shall be devoted to the Nelson Hospital Convalescent Fund, an object which is well worthy of such assistance. The new contract between the P. and O. Company and the Imperial Government commenced on the Ist of February, 1868, aud is to continue in force for 12 years. The subsidy in £400,000, the security to the Crown for due performance being £45,000.