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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 250, 12 October 1876, Page 2

Sir Juliua Yogel and family will leave Wellington for England via San Francisco in the Australia on Thursday, the 20th inßtant. Referring to Sir Juliua Vogel's departure from the colony, the Post says:— " Already the borrowing limit— at least for a time — has been nearly reached, and there will come a period of reaction and trial which will tax all tbe strength of the colony to bear. Sir Julius Yogel has been in the colony while the millions have lasted, and all has been well. He is leaving it now just as the money is coming to an end, and a time of anxiety is approaching. New Zealand will have sufficient difficulties and dangers to struggle witb during the next few years, and the task of finding tbe means to finish the public works already in hand will be no easy one. In that struggle Sir Julius Yogel will have no share. He will serenely, from afar off, watch the heroic efforts of other men to get the colony out of the difficulties in which he has involved it, and probably will then repeat to himself his famous saying, " New Zealand has got into a mess, and must get out of it as best she can." The lease of the Odd-Fellows' Hall at "Wellington for 42 years was offered at auction on Monday but withdrawn, the highest offer made reaching only £10Q a year. The Southern Cross thinks that "the Assembly has of late had too much of the modern aud terribly deteriorated Wakefield brood." From the Kumara Times we collate the following items; — A meeting was tojbe held on Wednesday evening to lake steps for the erection of a place of public worship. — A public meeting is to be held in a week to elect a Permanent Hospital Committee ; a site of about five acres, near Houlahan's dam, has been applied for upon which to erect the hospital. — A lodge of Good Templars is to be opened on Friday next.

Mr 'Duncan Chisholm, inspector of the railway surface*- men between Tokomairiro and Balclutha, has a velocipede with which he :runs along the line at the rate of ten ot twelve miles an hour. ' The machine is made to fit the rails, I and is very easily driven. i Mr E. Scott, a settler at Ohiuemutu, j has been seriously hurt by being beaten with a poker about the head by his | Maori housekeeper. The Dunedin Rinking Club gave an entertainment in the Headquarters Drill Shed recently, when about 150 persons were present. The various dances (including the quadrilles and waltzes) on skates were, says the Times, remarkably well performed, considering that this was the first gathering of the kind. A singular proposition was made by the Chinaman Ah Wong, before his trial at the District Court, at Hokitika, was concluded. Fearing that the jury might bring in a verdict of guilty, and that he might be sentenced to a term of imprisonment, he proposed to his counsel to fulfil any term imposed by the Court by substituting a number of bis countrymen. To put it in Ah Wong's own words he said, " Suppose I get two years, can I divide the time between myself and twenty or thirty other Chinamen who would do a lew weeks each?" He felt quite satisfied when informed by his counsel that no such arrangement would be entertained by the Court, His counsel managed to do better for him than that, as they soon saw him at liberty, to the joy of bis willing countrymen, who were disposed to applaud when the welcome words were announced of " Not Guilty.'" G R. Argus. The Wellington Argus of Monday says: — There seems little chance of the session ending for another five or six weeks. Sir George Grey, it is understood, expects an answer by this month's mail to his celebrated "Bombardment of Auckland " despatch to the Imperial Government; but if this does not come the Opposition will prolong the session until he receives a reply by cable to the message which he sent on Saturday to the Imperial Government on the question, appealing for interference to prevent Abolition. It will be at least three weeks before the reply eau come. It is understood that last week legal opinions were taken from Messrs Cook, Hagget, and Macassey, in Duuediu, and from Mr Swainson, in Auckland, as to the power of the Assembly to abolish the Provinces. They concurred in declaring the Abolition Act ultra vires. The Yogel Testimonial Committee (says the Post) met on Saturday evening, the Mayor in the chair. It was resolved that two sub-committees should be appointed, one to take charge of the fund aud the other to arrange for the presentation. The former sub-com-mittee to consist of Messrs Black, George, G. Hunter, Krull, Moeller, Moorhouse, Rankin, Roxburgh, Taylor, aud Young, the latter to be appointed subsequently. It was also decided to appoint a paid secretary. Subscriptions amounting to £220 were announced, including Messrs G. Hunter, Krull and Co., and Joseph Nathan of 50 guineas each, and several sums of 10 guiueas each. It was resolved to confer with the various Friendly Societies aud with other parts of New Zealand on the subject. A thousand cases of small-pox have occurred in San Erancisco since May 19th. Vaccination is being rigidly enforced. The epidemic is waning.

(For continuation of Newt see fourth page )