The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1870.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 56, 8 March 1870, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 1870.

The decision given by the Warden in the case of Culliford and party must be admitted by all who have read it to be a 1 masterpiece of sound reasoning and logical deductions. The admirable manner in which he has placed on record the whole of the arguments for and against the applicants, and the clearness and perspicacity which characterise the whole document are such as might be expected from a Judge of far larger experience than that of which Mr. Kynnersley can boast. The objecting parties appear to have rested their claim on the fact that Culliford had not strictly complied with the Goldfields Regulations, and on this ground Mr. Kynnersley has met them, and, in reading his statement of the case we are forcibly reminded of Portia's words to Shylock, who " cr aved the law." " Thyself sbalt see the act : For, as thou urgest justice, be assured Thou shalt have justice." And so in the present case. The objectors endeavored to show that in strict law Culliford was not entitled to what he applied for, and they are met with the reply that if the strict letter of the law is to be adhered to in the one case, it must also be so in the other, and as they too, on their own showing, have not acted up to the regulations, it becomes a question of equity and not of law, as between them and Culliford, and the warden gives his opinion that, under the circumstances, " of the two parties, the prospectors are more fairly entitled to the ground than the objectors." We are sure that wherever and by whomsoever this able decision is read, the unanimous verdict will be that it is a thoroughly just one, and that it has been delivered . by " An upright judge, a learned judge."

Supreme Court. — We understand that, owing to the indisposition of the Judge, The civil sittings of the Supreme Court will, in all probability, be adjourned until Friday next. Stabbing case- John Fielding, charged with stabbing James Hopewell, was brought up again this morning, and remanded until Thursday next,. when it is expected that the wounded man will be able to attend and give his evidence. Prize Firing, — The firing to decide upon who are. to be the Nelson representatives at the. competitive firing in Dunedin., will take place at the City Butts to-mor-row morning, commencing at 10 o'clock. The Provincial Secretary and Provincial Engineer were passengers by the Murray, which sailed last night for the W ; est Coast. CuLLIFOKD GOLDMINING COMPANY. — An extraordinary, meeting of shareholders in the Culliford Company, was held at the Assembly Eoom last night, the business being to nominate a director in the place of Mr Burnett, resigned,' and to consider a memorial signed by Mr D. M. Luckie and twenty-nine shareholders, requesting that the present meeting might be called to consider the condition of the Company. Mr. Wells having been voted to the chair, the nomination was at once proceeded with, when Messrs. J. P. Blacky E. J<ee, Elton,

and Cooksey, were named as candidates, and notice was given that the polling would take place to-day between the hours of 12 . and 4. The memorial was next taken into consideration when it was decided thatas a great change, had recently taken place in ; the status of the Company, the meeting should be adjourned until Monday next in : order to "give Mr Culliford time to make an offer to the directors, and to state what modified terms he was willing to accept ; now that he was in a position to put them in possession of only half the amount of i reef -that he originally proposed. After ! some desultory conversation the meeting ■ adjourned until Mond&y evening next, at ' half-past seven. Since writing the above we have learned that the. following propssitions have been made to the directors by Culliford:- — Ist, That the capital of the Company consist of £15,000 in 2000 shares of £7 10s. each; 2nd, That Culliford and j his mates shall receive £1500 inclusive of ; the £500 already paid, and also that they < are to have 600 paid-up shares and 200 - 1 floating shares; 3rd, That any compensation received from the Government be the property of Culliford and his mates. Conversazione. — The conversazione in aid of the funds of the Parish of Christ Church is to take place as previouosly notified, on Friday evening next. The programme, which includes instrumental and vocal music, readings and recitations, is a most attractive one, and no doubt will ensure a good attendance. In Canterbury, we observe that entertainments of this description are of frequent occurrence, and from their great popularity we should imagine they must be attended with much pleasure to those "who patronise them, as well as with pecuniary benefit to ■ the funds in aid of which they are given. We trust that this, the first attempt at anything of the kind in Nelson, will meet with a success as great as that which bas attended similar entertainments in other parts of New Zealand. Owing to the sitting of the Supreme Court being adjourned until Friday, the conversazione will not be held in the Provincial Hall, but in some other room, of which notice will be given. The arrangements under which we receive the English mail at present (says the Wellington JPost), are certainly most unique. The last mail took exactly eight days to come from the Bluff, just double the time required to bring it from Melbourne to this port." The arrangements whereby Nelson receives her mail are still more singular, as it was thirteen days in reaching us from the Bluff, or a trifle less than a third of the time it -occupies to convey it from England to Australia. Dueing the past week heavy rains have been experienced on the West Coast, causing considerable destruction of property and endangering human life. At \ Hokitika it appears the greatest damage : was done. The race-course has been entirely destroyed, a great portion of Gib- J son's-quay has disappeared, five miles of ( the Christchurch road near Taupo river ■ | has been so torn up that communication is i interrupted, while private property has J suffered very considerably. On Wednes- ( day last, the river at Hokitika rose so j rapidly that fears were entertained of the < safety of the lives of • Wadeson's family on I the island. A boat was manned and sent ( across the river when it; was ascertained , that the whole of Mr Wadesori's grounds i were under water. The family, had been driven from their home, and when the boat came to their rescue were seeking shelter ', in the powder magazine. After a struggle they were safely conveyed to the Hokitika side and landed amid the rejoicings of many friends. , -.-■ ■ Mr. George Cotterell has bee attracting large' and fashionable audiences ' in Wellington, where the local press speaks most; highly of ..tis entertainment. We notice that he proposes visiting the country : districts in that province. The men of the Armed Constabulary ; occupying the MduntCbbk Barracks, Wel-

lington, are said by the Advertiser to present a true soldier-like appearance, and if we may judge from their bearing we may look forward to giving a good account of their services in the field. The steamers Airedale and Wellington have lately made pleasure trips from Wellington to Lyttelton and back, each with_ nearly 200 excursionists on board. . A Public. Meeting is to be held in Wellington on Thursday next, for the purpose of considering the case of Walter Tricker, now under sentence in Wellington Gaol. [Tricker, it may be remembered, wa9 sentenced to death for the murder of Mr. Rayner, of Rangitikei, some years ago, but, owing to their being aa apparent discrepancy in the evidence, hia sentence was commuted to penal servitude for life. It is now. believed that the principal witness against him, a halfcaste lad, can be proved to have been guilty of perjury.] The Hawke's Bay Herald announces military changes. It says that it is generally understood that Col. M'Donnell and Major Drummond Hay have been deprived of their commands in the armed constabulary force, A post mortem examination has been held on the body of a Mr. Horn, who lately died at Napier, when it was found that he had at one time swallowed a small piece of wire resembling a common pin, round which an abscess had gradually formed, until it terminated in death. The Rangatira lately brought from Napier to Wellington for shipment by the Melita, 200 bales of flax, said to be the best packed of any ever landed on the wharf. Hawke's Bay has shipped direct to London this year wool and flax to the amount of £104,000. This is in addition to large quantities of produce, shipped coastwise. The Auckland correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, speaking of the opening of a new club, says : — " Sir George Bowen, who was specially invited, made one of his extraordinary speeches, which would certainly have done the reporter of the Wellington Evening Post good to hear. He lauded the Auckland folks in somewhat fulsome terms, and had one or two very severe digs at the Empire City and its inhabitants. His words I will not repeat, as they were not meant by His Excellency to reach, I should fancy, the ears of our Wellington neighbours, who seem to have quite enough trouble already without any further addition."