The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 67, 18 March 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1872.

Expected Dissolution of Parliament. — The Wellington Post, of Friday last, contains the following : — "A rumour has gained ground to-day to the effect that Ministers intend to advise his excellency to dissolve Parliament, iv order that the opinion of the people may be fully expressed on more than one important topic of the day." Drainage of the City of Christchurch. — The City Council, having affirmed the necessity of borrowing, under the enlarged powers conferred upon them during last session of the General Assembly, the Bum of £8000 for drainage purposes, steps are at once to be takeu to raise the requisite sum by means of debentures. Last Night of Professor Haselmater. — To-night is positively the last time our citizens will have an opportunity of witnessing the wonderfully clever tricks of this Prince of Magic. After tonight there will be no more wonderful birds and mice, no more of the astounding goblin drum — but to-night there will be its explanation. The Professor leaves by the Taranaki, for south, at 2 a.m. Drunk and Disorderly. — James Ford was this morning charged by the police with having been drunk in the street on Saturday last ; and having been twice before convicted of a similar offence was on this occasion committed to gaol for aeven days with hard labor. James Ford was then charged by Winifred Robinson with having assaulted and beaten her, and ■was fined forty shillings and costs, but being unable to pay the fine be was sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment, with hard labor, this latter sentence to date from the expiry of the previous seven days. Reported Discovery op a Gold-reef at Jackson's Head. — Humor circulates that another reef has been found, this time at Jackson's Head, near the entrance to the Pelorus. From a letter received from Picton, dated Saturday evening, we take the following : — "A large party went down on Friday morning and returned today. They all procured specimens and were thoroughly convinced of the richness of the reef. I, in the presence of others, broke off a much richer specimen than has been yet found. Mr. H. Curtis has some specimens with him." We have but to say that we hope this may be found to contain a little more than its predecessors have done.

I More General Government Officers. — The Wanganui Herald hears i that the General Government are about to reward the distinguished services of Mr. Edwin Woon with a billet. In the native department as usual. The cry is, " still they come ! " Captain Eough, who has ever taken a very lively interest in our Hospital and Gaol, being about to visit England, has resigned his appointments of Visiting Justice to the Gaol and Chairman of Ihe Hospital Committee. The resignation on being forwarded to his Honor the Superintendent was received with much regret as will be evidenced by the following : — Superintendent's Office, Kelson, March 16, 1872. Sik — I have received, with much regret, your letter resigning the appointments of Visiting Justice to the Gaol and of a member of the Hospital Committee, in consequence of your approaching absence on a visit to Europe. On behalf of the Province I have to thank you for the extremely valuable services for which the public has been indebte i to you, more especially in regard to your judicious and highly successful exertions in the reduction of the cost of, maintenance of the Nelson Hospital without in any degree impairing its tisefulness. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Oswald Curtis, Superintendent. David Kotjgh, Esq., &C, cSiC, &C, Nelson. Sale of Lands by the Ngatimartj (Taranaki) Natives. — Iv the Taranaki Herald of Maich 13, there appeared an announcement as follows : — An event took place yesterday the significance of which can scarcely be overrated in its probable effect on our relations with the natives of this Province, with respect to the purchase of land. Several of the leading men of the Ngatimaru tribe have arrived in town, and made a definite offer to sell a block of 25,000 acres. The piece of land is known by the Dame of the Kopua block — it lies inland of Tikorangi, on the north bank of the Waitara Eiver, and consists of about one-third fern laud and the remainder bush. The natives allege as one reason for selling that they have been so long sponged upon by disaffected natives, that they are determined to be slaves no longer. The Smallpox in Wellington. — We see by our file of Wellington papers that the report of smallpox having broken out among the Scandinavian immigrants on board the ship England is only too true. Captain Harrington, in his report, described the symptoms as those of a malignant or typhoid form of measles ; but Dr. Bulmer says that several of the passengers are suffering from variola or smallpox, and that the cases are sarious. We clip the following paragraph respecting the immigrants from the Evening Post of March, 11 : — " The voyage of the ship England to this Colony seems to have been made under peculiar difficulties. For one reason or another the surgeon was off duty for nearly two-thirds of the voyage. At one time, Captain Harrington reports that the best half of the ship's company were laid up with sickness in the southern seas, amidst gales and icebergs. All the passengers who could be spared from attending on the sick, were placed on watches, and even theu the captain could with difficulty muster five or Bix in a watch, such was the strain upon them in attending their families in sicknes. On last Monday morning, the passengers went en masse and made complaints of negligence and cruelty against the doctor, one specific charge being made of his having caused the death of two children. Acting on his authority, the captain immediately ordered him under arrest, where he still continues till handed over to the proper authorites. It does not appear that the captain himself had made to the Board any specific charge against the doctor, but attributes his negligence to his bad state of health and his inexperience in the superintendence and care of immigrants at sea. With regard to the treatment, which these immigrants received on their way to England, we are informed that some of the captains who brought them over, out of sheer compassion for the women and children, sooner than see them remain on the upper deck of a steamer in the North Sea in the month of December, put them down on the ballast. The consequence of the inhuman exposure was that they went on board the ship England with the germs of disease of bronchitis, diarrhoea, &c, which showed itself soon after their departure from Great Britain. The seamen are now all on duty, and the passengers 'are eDJoying the good food that has been sent off fo them. The Scandinavians are said to have been very badly selected, and to have been chosen or rather " picked up " from the lowest grades of the population. The investigation by Dr. Bulmer has clearly proved that there was smallpox, as well as measles on board during the voyage, although the ship's doctor asserted throughout that it was the measles, and inserted entries in the official log to that effect." ****** Dr. Bulmer reports that there has evidently

been great ignorance or inattention displayed on board tho ship during the voyage out. At present, there are several children sick with epidemic diarrhoea and catarrh, but only two cases of distinctly marked small-pox, both being adults, and doing well.