The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 68, 9 March 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1876.

The anniversary of the Richmond Wesley an Church was well celebrated last evening when, in addition to the residents in the district, a large number of persons attended from. Nelson, a special train being laid on for the purpose. A capital tea was provided in the Agricultural Hall, after which the usual meeting was held, the Hall being crowded. The chair was occupied by the Key T. Buddie, and addresses were delivered by him, the Kew W. Keall, Messrs Eose, Price, and Harkness. The financial report was read by Mr Harkness, which showed a deficit of £3. The members of the Nelson Wesleyan choir added much to the enjoyment of the evening by their very excellent singing, and at the close of the meeting £5 was collected. The visitors from Nelson returned to town shortly before eleven, after a very pleasant outing. Ax a meeting of the Institute Committee held last night it was resolved, That the Book Committee be requested to revise the present rules of the Institute, and also the catalogue. The following books were reported as having been added to the library : — Denise, May we live now, The Law and the Lady, The North Pole, Thrift, Place among Infinities, and A Journey into the interior of the earth. The City Volunteers will parade this evening at the Postoffice at a quarter to seven, whence they will proceed to the wharf to see the northern representatives, including Gunner Bell of the Auckland Artillery, the Carbine Champion, off by the Taranaki. Tire winnings of the Nelson representatives at the colonial prize firing were: — Crossman, £37 ; Paynter, £7 ; Doidge, £6. A regatta is to take place at Napier on the 17th instant, when there will be an interprovincial race of £50, with five cups to the value of £25, for fouroared gigs. A cakbine match between the Nelson and Wellington College Cadets was fired yesterday, and won by the former, the scores being: — Nelson College, 297 ; Wellington College, 289. The present strike among the firemen of the Union S.S. Company has compelled the employment of a most miscellaneous and varied selection of substitutes — even lawyers' clerks being among the present stokers. This throws considerable additional care and responsibility upon the engineers, who are obliged to see personally that their raw recruits do not put water in the furnace and coals in the boiler. — Post. Wiltshire concluded on Saturday night at Wellington his wonderful feat of walking two and a half miles an ' hour for one hundred consecutive j hours. There was a very large crowd at the finish, and he was very heartily cheered as he walked the last few laps. He did not appear very much exhausted. The firemen's strike appears to be a general one. There has been a strike at Dunedin, andvsome of the men have held a meeting, at which " John M'Laren," who described himself as an engineer, was the chief speaker. The following resolutions were carried : — " That this meeting disapproves of the present reduction of firemen's and seamen's wages." " That seamen's wages be £7 for sailing vessels and £8 for steamers ; and for firemen £12, and trimmers £8 per month." " That a standing advertisement be issued to caution passengers and consignees of cargo against placing their lives and property in jeopardy on vessels by allowing incompetent men to be employed." A Maori is said to have been murdered at Mercury Bay by a halfcaste. It appears the two men were engaged playing cards, when a quarrel ensued, and the half-caste despatched the Maori with a tomahawk. Mr Barnes, Inspector of Works under the Dunedin City Council, has been served with a writ for £1000 damages for a statement made to the Council that the money left on his desk was placed there by a contractor. A revolting incident is thus described in the Melbourne Argus of Feb. 23s — About three weeks since a man named Cole was found floating in the Saltwater lliver, and after the inquest had been held, the body, it is stated, was placed in.. q>cofi j v much too small for it, and men hau . to sfcan d upon the lid to close it, while iron v n ° DS were P laced aroun d the coffin to keep T Ke lid to g ether - The evidence of those pre" ufca * * h ? time was taken, and it is expecteu . at the matter will be placed before the | Chief Secretary. I