The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1871.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 206, 31 August 1871, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1871.

Earthquake. — A smart shock of earthquake of some seconds' duration was felt this morning at a few minutes after two. Thames Goldfields. — The latest telegrams from the Thames state that pending the approaching meeting of shareholders, all kinds of rumors are current about the Caledonian. Shares in this mine are quoted at £125. Lunatic Asylum. — The Nelson Artizans' Association have kindly consented to give another of their entertainments at the Lunatic Asylum, this evening, on which occasion Mr. Butler has invited a number of his friends to attend. Winter Evening Lectures. — The eighth lecture of the series will be delivered at the Assembly Room, to-morrow evening by Mr. J. C. Richmond, who has selected a subject that is at this time possessed of peculiar interest, namely, " Communism, Socialism, and the Idea of Property." Ne-w Zealand War Medal. — We have been shown by Sergeant Nasb, of the Nelson Police Force, a medal, which he received by the steamer Wellington from Auckland to-day. The War Office is not too hasty in distributing its rewards, the medal in question being for services rendered in 1846, at which time Nash was in the 65th regiment. Steamer Rangitoto. — Our attention has been called to the rapid run made by the Rangitoto from here to Wellington on Sunday last. She left the harbor at 5 a.m., but did not get clear of the entrance until a quarter-past, and the telegraph board reports her arrival at her destination at 2.45 p.m., having accomplished the distance in 9^ hours. This, we believe is the quickest run on record. Gas in Wellington. — A local paper says : — The Government Buildings have recently been fitted with gas, and a very vast improvement has been thereby effected. Every part of the building is excellently lighted, and nothing whatever is left undone. There are in all about 250 burners fitted, including starlights, sunlights, and a host of other lights that we forget the titles of. Auckland. — The s.s. Wellington arrived this morniDg from the Manukau bringing late Auckland files. A serious fire had taken place at the New Zealand Insurance Company's Buildings in Queenstreet which resulted, in the total destruction of certain apartments which had been let to Mr. Cyrus Haley, and by him fitted up as a reading room, a dining room, and a room for public meetings. He was only insured for £100 but his loss exceeds that sum by a very large amount. Several other premises that had been let to sharebrokers and others were much damaged. A correspondent of the Daily Times writes that it is now pretty well ascertained in Auckland that the knowing ones were terribly sold in the late fluctuations of the Caledonian scrip. The mine looking anything but promising, and those behind the scenes looked out at £100 to £105, expecting to buy in at £70 or £80. The unlucky shot in the old winze, which again uncovered a rich lead of gold, came most inopportunely for them, and many have been glad to buy at £170 to £180, after selling at £100. Among them are some of the directors and best known speculators. The Tichborne Family. —As the name of Tichborne has been before the public so frequently of late, the following reference to the family from Dr. Milner's History of Winchester may prove of interest to our readers : — " Sir Benjamin Tichborne, who lived in the reigns of Elizabeth and James I, has been already noticed for his spirited conduct in proclaiming the latter, Richard, his eldest son and successor, was sent by Charles I on an embassy to the Queen of Bohemia; his youngest brother Henry, who succeeded him, was implicated in the sham plot of Titus Oates, and imprisoned for many years in the Tower. In 1685 he was made Lieutenant of the Ordnance; but since that period the family do not appear to have been employed in any

state affairs." Speaking of Winchester Castle, the writer says : — When James I ascended the throne of England he bestowed it (the castle) in fee simple upon Sir Benjamin Tichborne, of Tichborne, near tbis city, and his heirs for ever, as a reward for his services in proclaiming him in this couDty. In the great civil war it was strongly garrisoned for the King, and commanded by Lord Ogle j but at length in 1645, it was taken, after a week's siege, by Oliver Cromwell, who dismantled aud almost destroyed it. What remained was conferred by the Parliament upon Sir William Walley, one of their partizans and general?. He was also brother-in-law to Sir , Henry Tichborne, its real owner, whose other property, as well as this, they had previously confiscated." New Zealand Postal Service. — Returns connected with the postal department recently laid on the table of the Assembly show that considerable progress has been made during the past year in the amount of business transacted, although there has been a slight decrease in the revenue, owing to the reductions on the intercolonial and interprovincial postage. Forty-three new offices have been opened througbouD the colony, and there have passed through the Post Office 629,284 more letters than in 1869, the number being for 1870, 5,645,879, against 5,016,595 in the preceding year. The newspapers also show considerable increase, . there being 136,47& received, and 190,042 despatched, more than in 1869. We should have been glad to find some promise held out that the postage on newspapers would be done away with, but no reference is here made to the subject; Mr. Vogel, however may see his way to doing away with" this most obnoxious tax. The total number of officers employed throughout the colouy is 555 of whom 427 are sub-postmasters. The number of " dead letters," we are told, is annually decreasing, there having been a reduction of over 10,000 during last year as compared with 1867. The total amount of money orders issued during 1870 was £140,454, and the total amount of payments £8-4,823. The SaviDgs bank in connection with this department appears to be doing a thriving business, as we find that from its first opening in February, 1867 up to 31st December, 1870, the total amount of deposits was £796,134, to which has accrued and been added to principal, interest to the amount of £20,275, making the total £816,410. The total amount withdrawn during the same period was £521,038, leaving a balance of £295,372 to the credit of depositors at the close of .1870, on which date the number of accounts open was 8,315 against 6,290 on 31st December, 1869. Eleven new offices for Money Order and Savings Bank business were opened during the year, and the number of new depositors in the same time, as compared with the population of the colony was, as one in 59. In the subsidies granted for intercolonial and interprovincial services there has of late years been a very large reduction made. In 1868, when they were at their highest, they amounted to £68,845, whereas last year the total amount paid was £10,096, but it must be remembered that, while the Australian steamers are not regularly subsidised now, we have on the other hand to pay £50,000 a-year for the Californian service. As the Australian Government had refused to contribute to the new service it was at one time in contemplation to send a special agent thither to endeavor to make some arrangements with them, but it was then thought best to wait for the return of Mr. Vogel, who would bring the latest propositions of the contractors relating to the Australian service. Lord Lttteltoit has written a letter to the Birmingham Posi, iu which he denies a statement made by a correspondent of that journal, to the effect that he had complained of being misreported in the Times: The following is the concluding portion of his letter : "I repeat that I do not complain of the reporters. To do so would be unjust in my casevery foolish in any case; for we are absolutely at the. mercy of those excellent and formidable personages, and to complain would make matters very much worse. ■- 1 will tell two anecdotes : — Mr. Cobbett, during the short time he was in Parliament, incessantly abused the reporters (whom he always called * reporthqrs') foe not fully reporting him. The consequence was that they ended by not reporting him at all. The late Lord Monteagle, when Mr. Spring-Rice, iu the House of Commons, once said something the reporters did not like, - they sent him a formal warning that, unless he publicly apologised, reported he should ' not be., .He idld ~not apologise, and reported he was not for two years. At last the spell was broken by Mr. Murray, the bookseller, starting a new paper called the Oonstitutiofilfr-, which;, nearly ruined him; T^ ingratiate Jjimeejf. with Mr. Rice he reported' hia'speeohiss, whereupon the others gave in."