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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 303, 8 September 1874, Page 2

The Colonist this -morping stated that 150 'immigrants W-iVej-pected to arrive in the Phoebe this afternoon, but we are assured by the Immigration Officer that he has received no advices relative to their shipment. Shipping Telegrams. — We yesterday complained of the neglect dt_phrysd in not telegraphing the jdepartureW . the Waipara from Wellington for\his port. The manager informs ua \ that he duly reported the matter at Wellington yesterday, and received a reply to the effect that it waa % tho fault of the Customs department, they having reported the steamer at the Telegraph office as sailing for Hokitika. The Honorarium Qba-TioN. — We make it a rule not to notice anonymous letters in other papirs, but may make an exception in favor of one that appeared this morning, siuce the writer is as well known by his initials as though he had signed his name in full. We are not going to reply at length, but would merely ask " H. A. L."Jone question. Does he mean to say "men who bave to earn their living by the sweat of their brow" could lnot afford to go to Welling lop for, j_ay twelve weeks, at £9 a -week, hnd passages paid both ways? j Mrs Palmer's Entertainment. — Noth withstanding the wretched weather there was a very fair attendance at the Oddfellows' Hall last night, when Mrs Palmer and her friends gave their second entertainment. The first portion of it was a repetition of that of the previous Tuesday, but tbe farce entitled Dandelion's Dodges, was new, was very creditably rendered, and appeared to give complete satisfaction to the audience. • Waimea Rifles. — The monthly inspection parade of this company took place on Saturday last at Waimea West, when there wps a good muster, fortythree being present out of forty-seven on the roll. After -tie inspection the company took their first march out, headed by tbe band, which consisted of fifteen performers, and the spirited manner in which they played reflected great credit 'on their instructor, Mr Cl.ridge. The company is fast increasing its strength, and is expected by the middle of tbe coming summer to be at least sixty strong. Evening drill is being carried on in a large room kindly lent for that purpose. Abolition of the -Provinces. — The Australasian refers to this question in the following terms : — " The multiplicity of her governing institutions bas long been a reproach to New Zealand. Nothing so much astonishes a stranger to that colony as to find that a community of less than 350,000 inhabitants possesses not only a General Government, with two Chambers of Legislature and all of the apparatus of Parliamentary and responsible institutions, but also that each of the provinces into which the colony is divided has a smaller system of Parliamentary and responsible government of? its own. Earl Grey lately laid down the principle that no colony could find materials for more than one Chamber of Legislature, and here is a colony recklessly providing about a dozen. Such a state of things has nothing to plead in favor of its continuance, save tbat it exists. But it exists merely till a strong Minister bus the courage to grapple with the "condition of provincialism, and to sweep away these petty legislatures, aa 1 take over their powers and responsibilities to the General Government of the colony. And the colony possesses in Mr Vo»el a Minister who combines the strength with the dariog, und with the tendency for innovating, necessary to induce him to take in band a reform which, if aot undertaken by him, must be entered upon by one of bis successors. Mr Yogel feels and says tbat the time has come when the work of abolishing these Provincial Governments should at any rate be begun. He accordingly proposes to comraence with the.Nort^ Island, in ( which, owing to ihe absence of natural boundaries, . there is no real line separating oneH

province from another. He proposes to do away with these artificial divisions, and tbe petty little legislatures, the councils, and the superintendents that are founded upon them, and to consolidate the administration of government in this island in the General Government of the colony. This step is but the first towards the object of abolishing provincial institutions altogether. But instead of layingdowo any general sweeping principle, Mr Yogel for the present merely purposes to deal with tbe island where these institutions are found most inconvenient, and where the reasons for their removal are the strongest. Even in tbis be does not contemplate acting with precipitancy, but, having sketched the plan, leaves it to mature in the mind of the country before proceeding to give it effect in action." The Boss Guardian, of the 27tb ult , says : — «* Mr Ryan, a storekeeper at Gilfespie's. who reached here on Tuesday morning, brought the melancholy intelligence that Mr. Thomas Fifzsimmons met an awful death near tbe Five.Mile Beach on Friday last, haviog been gored to death by two bulls. The deceased was***-* dairyman, an J on Thursday last went into the bush alone to look after some cattle. He did not return that night, a circumstance to which no attention was paid, as he had often stayed out all night; but, as he did not put iv an appearance on Friday afternoon, Mrs Fitzsimmons became alarmed, and induced two men to go out with her to see what, was the matter, when the body ofjMr Fitzsimmons was discovered literally piecemeal, parts being found here and there, completely denuded of all clothing. The funeral took place on Sunday last. A party of men went out to shoot tbe bulls the same day, and found them, so wild that they.^had to seek protection in some tree_>»4rom which vantageground they took aim while the bulls were butting at the trunks. The deceased was a member of the Okarito Road Board, and was greatly esteemed He leaves a widow and a young family, for whom great commiseration is expressed." We understand that a gentleman who is on a visit to the colony for the good of bis health, and who is connected with tbe Portland penal establishment, having heard of the system of prison labor in Otago, made some* .enquiries on the subject/ with the following results: — A gang of 30 immigrants were at work at a spot on Bell Hill from which a gang of 13 prisoners had a day or two before being transferred— the 13 prisoners working seven hours a day (the hours of labor are. s\yen\ per day in winter a^ut-nine in summer) actually sent out two mora waggon loads of material per day tban the 30 immigrants did — the immigrants working eigbt hours to the prisoners'. seven. The Southern Hotel Company (Limited), is advertised in theD-uedin papers. The capital of the company is to be £40,000, in 40,000 shares at £l each, of which amount it is proposed to call up 10s per share, on easy terras to shareholders. Thereare 15 Provisional Directors, all well known citizens. The prospectus states that the 'company is formed for the purpose of greeting in Dunedin a first-class hotel, similar to those existing in tho large cities of Europe and America — one that will not only supply existing requirements, but will offer inducements to tourists and travellers to visit that part of New Zealand. It is proposed to build a hotel with 200 bedrooms, and other necessary accommodation. The coat of tbe freehold .land, and building is estimated at £29,000, and tbe furniture and fittings £6000, thus making the total outlay required £35,000. To meet this a capital of £20,000 will be sufficient, as the balance can be borrowed at a moderate rate on the security of the land and buildings. ...