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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 263, 5 November 1868, Page 2

The Panama Mail closes to-morrow morning, at half-past 8 o'clock.

Amongst the passengers from the North by the Airedale this morning were the Right Revs. Bishops Harper and Suter, the Dean of Christchurch, and Archdeacon Butt.

la connection with the astronomical phenomenon which will be visible this afternoon, we may mention that one of the chief objects of Captain Cook's visit to New Zealand was to observe the transit of the planet Mercury across the sun's disc, which he did from Mercury Bay. The last transit took place in November, 1861, about the same time in the evening as on the present occasion, a little before sunset, when its ingress on the sun's disc, and partial emersion, will be distinctly visible. The planet may be distinguished from any sun spots by its motion and by its sharp outline. We may also mention that Jupiter, with its four satellites, is very favorably situated at the present moment for observation, being considerably above the northeastern horizon before dark, aud reaching the meridian before midnight. The satellites may be seen with auy telescope of ordinary magnifying power.

A meeting of the Nelson Regatta Committee will be held this evening, at the Customhouse Hotel, at 8 o'clock, when a full attendance of the, members is requested.

We hare authority for stating that the Chairman of the Board of Works has given instructions that the time kept by the town clock at Christ Church shall be set at 6 o'clock this evening to the mean time adopted throughout the colony, in compliance with a resolution passed during the last session of the General Assembly, and in accordance with which the public offices of the General Government are opened and closed. The time adopted for the mean time of the colony corresponds with the longitude of 172 d. 30m. east from Greenwich, which is exactly 11| hours in advance of Greenwich time.

It is notified in the last General Government Gazette that Motueka has been constituted a Money-order office and Postoffice Savings Bank.

The last General Government Gazette published a return of the quantity and value of gold exported from this colony to the 30th of Sept. 1868. The amount exported from this province is set down at 680,6930z5., representing £2,674,202; Westland county figuring for 1,096,8830z5. A comparative return is also furnished of the quantity and value of gold exported from the various provinces of the colony during the quarters ending on the 30th of September 1867 and 1868 respectively, showing an increase for tbe^present year of 18, 130 ozs., or £72,520.

The Sturt, which arrived yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock, brought 25 members of the Nelson portion of the Nelson and Taranaki Contingent, the remainder, with the exception of those landed at Taranaki, having taken service under the new regulations. The men seem in excellent health and spirits, but complain of their treatment, as regards diet, &c, by the Government. We understand that Colonel Whitmore, previous to their departure, passed a very flattering encomium on the general conduct of the contingent, and stated that he had been empowered by the Government to offer every encouragement to induce the members of ihat particular company to re-enlist.

An enquiry has taken place at Shortland into the circumstances attending the death of Mr George Bramhi Frazi, civil engineer and surveyor, on the 22nd ult., and the jury brought in a verdict to the effect that the deceased died from disease of the brain, accelerated by a fall two days previously. AMr James Rogers, who had been engaged in an altercation with the deceased immediately before the fall alluded to, which is said to have been caused by a blow inflicted by Rogers, has been arrested on a charge of being concerned in his death, but has been admitted to bail. The deceased was suffering from softening of the brain, caused by intemperance.

The Wellington Independent of the 1 7th ult. says that the Panama Company's tenders for the two monthly interprovincial steam mail services for the year 1869 have been accepted..

It is stated in the Taranaki Herald of the 31st ult. that Tongariro, in the middle of the Northern Island, is now burning, and that the flames are distinctly visible. The Auckland papers received by the Airedale give the following dazzling intel* ligence from the Thames goldfields:— Mauukau Claim has yielded 2OOozs of gold from 401bs of stone; 261bs of quartz from the Junction Claim, near Hunt's Claim, had yielded 95ozs of retorted gold; the Moanatairi Company (late Hobson's) had justxfinished crushing 200 tons of quartz, the total yield being 7230z5. A gentleman from Victoria contemplates erecting a powerful plant of machinery at the head of the Karaka-creek, capable of crushing 300 tons per month. The plant is ready for shipment, and is capable of separating the silver and the gold.

The Thames Advertiser^ November 2, reports the narrow escape of the American Theatre from fire through the breaking of a kerosine lamp. Just before the opening of the house on Saturday evening, one of the men was hoisting up the chandelier containing 12 kerosine lamps to the top of the ceiling when the rope broke, the lamps fell, the kerosine became ignited, and a dense volume of flame reached from the floor to the ceiling. A quantity of flooring was burnt through and charred, but prompt assistance being rendered the fire was ulti* mately put out* * ; The Otago Daily Times reports j—From. reliable information, gleaned in the Lake district (writes our special reporter), I am in a position to say that the wheat crop for the ensuing season will be somewhere about 30,000 bushels. This is equal to 50 per cent, more than it was last year* I have heard no estimate placed upon either the oat or root crops, but both are talked about as likely to be larger than they were last season.

A Sydney telegram in the Melbourne Herald of the 20th ult. says: — la tha Legislative Assembly, this afternoon, a good deal of interest was excited by tha expected Ministerial statement. Shortly after the Speaker took the chair, the Premier, Mr Martin, rose and informed the House that, in consequence of the vote arrived at on the previous evening, the Cabinet had met, and decided to advise his Excellency the Governor to dissolve the Assembly, so - that he and his colleagues might appeal to the country. His Excellency had refused the advice tendered, and thereupon he and his colleagues had placed their resignations in the Governor's hands, and now only held office until their successors were appointed. He admitted that the public finances were not in so satisfactory a state as could be wished* The new Ministry to be formed it is expected will comprise the following names i — Messrs Robertson, Samuels, Windeyer, Garrett, Forster, Egan, and Sir William Manning.

The effect of the recent fall in the price of wool is thus alluded to in the Melbourne Leader: — There were three words in the latest telegram which carry dismay to thousands of Australians. 'Wool threepence lower' is to the squatter what the handwriting on the wall was to Belshazzar. To many a settler it means prompt ruin. To fully appreciate the significance of this great fall in price, we must recollect that the average value of the Australian wool clip is not much, if anything, over one shilling per pound. The average is lowered by inferior qualities of wool in. grease, and of course raised by the value of the finer washed wools. The predomi* nance of wool in grease will justify the estimate of an average export value of about one shilling. A fall of three pence per pound during the month of August means, thus, a depreciation of 25 per cent, in the value of our greatest export stable — gold only excepted. The present fall is due to the fact that production has overtaken consumption, and that the wool just now grown is absolutely in excess of the world's present requirements. Now, if this be so, there is scant room for hope of any speedy upward turn of prices. Tbe Cape colony has been running us in this staple, and New Zealand has also been largely increasing its quota of supply.

The Richmond correspondent of the Petersburg Express says: — A duel was fought near Hollywood the other morning at sunrise. The antagonists were two citizens, one a shoemaker and the other a tailor. The first shot was not counted in consequence of the prematuse explosion of the shoemaker's pistol. The next proved harmless to flesh and bone, bat the tailor's Hong tail blue' sustained a perforation, the bullet passing entirely through oae skirt.

"*T_ie 'seconds' were about to attempt a reconciliation, when the ' thirds' were discovered rapidly approaching. A couple of policemen, hearing of the bloody business, determined to stop it, if possible. But the duellists ran like greyhounds, making good tbeir escape. It seems that an Oregon-hill damsel, polite in figure, comely in person, with dreamy blue eyes, dimpled cheeks, and auburn curls, had encouraged both the knight of the needle and the awl in thefr Visits, and thereby aroused in the breaat of each a bit of the 'green-eyed raonsteiC which could only be removed by -an appeal to the duello. The mother of the young lady in question compli■mented the combatants, wheD she heard of the affair, with the very sensible remark, 'that all the fools were not dead yet.'