The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1875.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 132, 3 June 1875, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1875.

Funeral op Mr Mackat.— The funeral of the late Mr Mackay, which had been delayed for some time in order to allow of the numerous members of his family being present, took place today. The procession on leaving the town was a very large one, consisting of sixteen carriages and a large number of horsemen, and as ifc passed up the "Wakapuaka road each valley and each homestead contributed its conveyance or party of horsemen. On arriving at St Andrew's Church, a large number of the residents in the district were found in waiting, and the coffin was carried from the hearse to the church by eight young men who had been neighbors of the deceased, the pall-bearers beiDg the Hons Major Richmond, C.8., and Dr lienwick, Sir D. Monro, Messrs "Watts, Sclanders, aad Blundell. The pretty little church was filled to overflowing, the service being conducted by the liev J. Leighton, assisted by the Bishop of Nelson, aud the liev T.*Gfrace. Afc the conclusion cf the service, the Bishop addressed a few words to, those who were assembled round the grave, referring to the services rendered by the deceased to the church in the district, and pointing to his life as an example to be followed by those who were growing up. The respect in which Mr Jaackay was held was fully testified to by the very large number of people, especially of residents in the neighborhood, who attended the funeral. The "Wealth of Nations Quartzming Company, Reefton, cleared up for the month on Saturday, the result being 8630zs 18dwts of retorted gold. A dividend of 2s 6d per share was declared. A private letter from "Wellington informs the Q. i?. Argus that the General Assembly will be convened " for the despatch of business " about the 16th of July. Prom Mr M' Arthur's report respecting tbe forests of Southland, we learn that during the year ending the 3 1st of March last, the quantity of timber cut by sawmills in the district of Southland was 10,644,200 feet, the money value of which is estimated at £55,000, whilst the license fees amounted to £1372. A paragraph in the A\ Z. Times this morning gives a most extraordinary account of the rainfall in New Zealand for the month of March last. Ifc is evident that meteorology was " as mad as a March hare." The observations reported on make out a fall, in round numbers, of one-seventh of an inch in Napier; over one-half inch at Cape Campbell ; three-fifths at Auckland ; nine- tenths at Mongonui ; nearly on and a quarter at "Wanganui ; and a little more than that at "Wellington ; close upon two inches at Christchurch and Dunedin; more than two inches at Queenstown ; nearly two and a half at Taranaki; and nearly three and a half in Southland. All of a sudden we come to ten and a half at Bealey; eleven and a half at Hokitika; and wpwords of 77 inches — six feet jive — over a fathom- — at Nelson! This must have woke up " Sleepy Hollow " itself. Continued through the winter months, we should have to say — " lull fathom five my Curtis lies." What a gratuitous water supply? — Tribune, May 28. An affecting incident happened at the departure of the late Chief Justice, Sir George Arney, from Auckland, which bore remarkable testimony to the happy effects of his judicial utterances, and must have been particularly gratifying to himself. Among those who pressed forward and wrung the judge's hand was a liberated convict, well known to the police, who was sentenced by Sir George Arney some years ago to a term of imprisonment for a ielony. Since his release he has adopted an honest course of life, and he ascribes his conversion to the kind words which accompanied his condemnation. To i those to whom the man and the facts were known, the incident spoke more the address. __^ r-~^._.

Sir James Fergusson, late Governor of New Zealand, delivered h lecture at Ayr on Tuesday, in which he gave his impressions of that colony - . Provincialism,, lie said,, had had its day in New Zealand, ahd the greatest measure of economy and improvement which could be made in the government of the colony would be the abolition of the Provincial Legislatures. lie defended strongly thb " Public Works and Immigration " policy of the present colonial administration. — Scotsman, April 3. Love, Powdeb, and Smoke. — The following is the description given by the Otago Guardian of an incident which was sufficiently public to be made the subject of a telegram : — A young gentleman who is, and another who is not, in Government service, left town a few days , ago,, bent upon terminating each other existence. Por years they had been the best of friends; but recently the Government official was introduced to, and fell desperately in love with, . a young lady. He imagined, poor fellow, that the fair one was as far gbne as himself; such a thing as fickleness he feared not ; and,| while in that frame of mind, he intro- : dueed the ' lady to his friend. Upon] the latter her charms made a similar impression, and it soon became evident that he was the favourite. Then jealousy stepped in, and lover 'No: T assaulted lover No. 2._ No. 2 challenged No. 1 to a duel with pistofs, and; the challenge No. 1 accepted. Seconds were chosen ; so also were weapons.' Scene, the Ocean Beach. Time, 7 a.m., The seconds looked upon the .matter as': a good joke, and lest either principal' should turn out a Bob Acres, they endeavored to prevent the courage of either escaping. To their own dismay, however, the principals prepared to be more in earnest as the appointed time, drew near. They had vowed to fight, and fight they would. Fearing a serious result, the seconds imparted the secret to several friends,, some of whom' conveyed tbe exciting intelligence to. relatives of the principals, and, consequently, when the latter, like soldiers in marching order, were proceeding towards the scene of conflict, they were confronted, by persons, who, it* was. expected, would then have been in bed. Thus intercepted in their expedition, as, well as heartily laughed at, the would-be-duellists proceeded homewards, but vowing to dispose of each other hereafter in a satisfactory, if not sanguinary manner. The following singular advertisement appears in a Poverty Bay paper *.— " A. gentleman, whose misfortune it has been to acknowledge himself one of the illused and unpaid surveyors in this district, is at last compelled to sacrifice to personal necessity, his only remnant of former pride, namely, a five-inch transit theodolite, guaranteed sound, and in perfect adjustment. Apply to Bryant and Co. N.B. — The abovo unfortunate is now open to undertake any small building contracts at a great reduction on regular charges. " The West Coast Times appearß tp. think tbat there is, little chance of Neleon obtaining the proposed loan of £50,000. Our contemporary says : — ■ " lt is much to be feared that prncticfd enterprises of mode or less pith and moment will be turned away by the political difficulties which are likely to arisi from the absence of the Premier, and through the circumstances that the ensuing Parliamentary session will be the last of its series. Beyond the passing of the Estimates and of such measures as may be absolutely necessary for the amendment of existing Acts, party and personal positions will most likely be the questions which will prominently interest honorable members during this particular period, end it is scarcely probable that the authorising of provincial loans or the undertaking of fresh public works will receive much attention. In view of this, it seems very chimerical on the part of the authorities of the sister province oi Nelson, to count upon the procuring of a loan of large amount, and equally chimerical, if not deceitful, to dazzle the eyes of the Council and the country with a magnificent list of works, the execution of which is to mark the era of that Executive which now exisiß, and would willingly exist a little longer, if it could, to promote Progress and Retrenchment. Including that bridge which it is proposed to construct between Cobden and Greymouth, and to which Westland is asked to contribute out of its problematical loan, that list of works constitutes a nestful of chickens which it would be pleasant to count and beautiful to behold, provided they were only batched; but there's the rub. The hen under which each particular provincial egg will be placed is likely to prove a very slow bird in promoting the process of incubation, and if ever eggs were eggs, these that are now being laid are likely to remoin so, or, like " the best laid schemes," to "gang agley." Mr Hume, the Superintendent of the Dunedin Lunatic Asylum, has (says the Guardian) just added another to the mauy looal industries of tliat institution : — Bread is vow baked at the Asylum for the requirements of both the Hospital and the Lunatic Asylum, which uot only ensures a good article being supplied to the inmates thereof, but on the score of economy will be a very great saving. A large and convenient, bukehouse has been elected entirely by Aeylum labor. The patient who built die oven (au excellent piece of workmanship, by the way) which is cnpoble of firing 200 loaves, prides himself on biing "a true-born Englishman, and no Fenian," and " fhe Bou-in-law of Sir George Bowen."