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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 31, 8 February 1869, Page 2

Major-General Chute, Commander of the Forces on the Australian Station, arrived this morning per s.s. Gothenbuurg, en route for Melbourne. Our Lunatic Asylum appears to be constructed on the most approved principle of how not to keep within its walls, the unfortunates who are committed to it as being unsafe to be at large. We noticed on Saturday last, that a man of the name of Alexander McDonald, who had been placed in confinement on the previona Wednesday, had on that day escaped, and after a two or three hours ramble, been recaptured and taken back to the Asylum. At eleven o'clock that same evening as a Mr Joseph Mills and his wife living in Brook-street, were about to retire for the night, a knock was heard at the door and on its being opened, a man who was unable to explain whence he came or where he was going, walked in and asked for a glass of water. His manner appeared very strange, so while Mr Mills was getting him the water, his wife escaped from the house, sought the assistance of her neighbors, and shortly returned wilh two men, by whom the intruder was conveyed to the house of Police Constable Dixon, whare he was at once recognised as the unfortunate McDonald, who, in the face of his already during the day having given evidence of his wandering propensities, was thus suffered to roam about at that hour of the evening. That some one is to blame for this most undesirable state of things is evident; whether it is that the attendants at the asylum are not sufficiently numerous, or that those who are there, are unfit for their ofiice, we are unable to say, but whosesoever the fault, it is high time that steps were taken to prevent the inhabitants of the town and its neighborhood from being disturbed at a late hour of the night by unfortunate individuals who, on the evidence of medical men, have been placed under restraint, because, being of unsound mind and eon-

sequently not responsible for their actions, they are not in a fit state to be at large. We learn, with much pleasure, from the English papers that our late esteemed Governor, Sir George Grey, availed himself of the royal command, and spent some days at Windsor Castle on a visit to her Majesty the Queen. Sir George arrived at the Castle on the 30th November. — Evening Post. The arrival of the new Bishop at Otago, is thus noticed by the Times : — Bishop Jen ner arrived by the Phcebe from Wellington yesterday morning. He was met by several members of his Church at the Port, and there was quite a crowd assembled at I the old jetty to see the arrival of the Golden Age, in which steamer he came up. He was received by the Rev. Mr Edwards and other gentlemen, uo demonstration of any sort beiug made by the assembled crowd. — Evening Post. Our Volunteers are to have every pessible encouragement to practice, and to fit themselves for the forthcoming competition. During the month three silver cups are to be shot for, and a match between ten Westland Volunteers and ten of Wellington is if possible to be arranged.-— Hokitika News. A number of Mr Charles Bonnington's friends entertained him at dinner at Coker's Hotel, on the eve of his departure from Christchurch. We understand that Mr Bonnington will leave by an early steamer for Auckland, where he intends ' establishing a musical depot. The Defence Ofiice has for some time past had under its consideration a proposal to give a colonial decoration for distinguished conduct before the enemy, and I believe that it has now been finally deteri mined to do so. The new badge will, I hear, consist of a gold cross bearing the words ' For Distinguished Conduct,' and it will be attached to a crimson ribbon. Silver clasps or bars will be given for each distinguished act of valor. This decoration will, no doubt, be eagerly sought for, and highly prized by those who win it. — Wellington Correspondent of Otago Times. In our Saturday's issue we noticed a report that was abroad of the death of Te Kooti. The Taranaki papers do not place much confidence in the report as appears from the following : — lt is reported from the ITrewera country that this notorious rebel had died from the wounds he received at the attack upon Ngatapa. The report, however, does not appear to be sufficiently authenticated, and it is possible it may have been circulated by Te Kooti or some of his friends, with a view to his safety. Information, it is said, had been received at Tauranga, that the friendly natives had received a message from the king, asking them to allow Te Kooti's band to pass unharmed through their territory to Waikato. The friendly natives, however, had unhesitatingly declared that they would sooner loose their lives than that one of the murderous band pass through their territory. However unfavorable may be the remarks made occasionally against the loyalty of the friendly natives, their conduct does not seem to deserve it ; in fact, any successful fighting there has been recently, is mainly to be attributed to them. — Evening News, Feb. 1. As some misapprehension appears to exist as to the see of New Zealand it may j be as well to mention, that there is no such prelate as the Bishop of New Zealand, j On the resignation of Bishop Selwyn, the primacy of the colony was allotted, by ballot, to the Lord Bishop of Christchurch. In case of the vacancy, the office will again be balloted for, and the prelate who obtains the distinction will enjoy the title and discharge the duties, of primate, retaining his own peculiar position in the episcopate. — Christchurch Evening Mail.

The Otago Evening Star says that New Zealand gardeners may learn a wrinkle from Victoria, where farmers have lately adopted with success the plan of growing flax around their apple trees, to prevent their being'eflected by blight. Some of these who have thus succeeded, contemplate planting rows of flax between each row of cabbages, in the hope that it will prove equally advantageous* Mr Thomas Craig arrived in Auckland from Wangapoa via Shortland, bringing the first batch of gold from the Wangapoa diggings, namely, 104ozs lfdwts and 17grs, which was lodged in the Bank of New Zealand. The gold was the produce of the Wangapoa claim, and was the result of four men's work for 6 weeks* Mr Craig also brought up 140ozs of promising specimens. — Evening News. The intelligence from the Thames continues to be most favorable. The report that the large quantities of gold obtained come from some half-dozen claims only, is a mis-statement, as may be easily seen by reference to the reports from the several hatteries. Claim after claim briugs down its stone in samples from one to 20 tons, with varying but satisfactory results. By the bye, when the tramways are completed, instead of sending samples of a few tons to be crushed, the claims will send stoue by the hundreds of tons. There aro scores upon scores of claims with a yield of from one and a half to five ounces to the ton, so situated that ;the stone could only, with present conveniences, be crushed at a loss; but when the tramways shall have been completed these claims will pay handsomely. The Una Quartz Crushing Company Battery finished a crushing of 33 tons for the Shamrock claim, from which 2250z. of gold has been retorted, besides 750z. which has been laken from some specimens, making, in all, 300oz of retorted gold from a little over 33 tons of stone. Five tons from the Tower of London claim have also been crushed, bnt are not yet retorted. The battery is now engaged crushing some small lots from different claims. — Thames Advertiser.