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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 23, 26 January 1878, Page 2

At the Wesleyan Conference now being held at Wellington, the secretary read the draft of the annual address to the churches. It referred to the harmony prevailing throughout the connection, and the progressive constitutional changes which had been peacefully effected. The number of fully accredited Church members was 3594, being an increase of 181, with 195 on probation for membership. There were 652 communicants and 339 catechumens. The address expressed thankfulness at the results of mission work at Mornington, Ashburton, and Pukekohe ; it referred also to the cheerful liberality manifested.throughtthe colony in supporting the various institutions of the Church. The Extention Association was dwelt upon, and itsftindB commended to increased support. While expressing thankfulness for ministerial laborers raised up in New Zealand itself, the address pointed out the promising fields of labor which still awaited occupation. The Sunday-school department was in a flourishing condition. Parental responsibility, family prayer, and the religious culture of youth, were each commented upon. The peculiar temptations presented to young people in the present day were noted, aud the importance of Biblical study and of the culti- j vation of an acquaintance with sound, healthy literature urged. The address referred to the good work being effected by the collegiate institution at the Thee Kings, where three English and eight native candidates for the ministry were under training during the year. The address was closed by urgiug on the members of the churches the importance of Christian fellowship, personal holiness, and entire consecration to God's service. An interesting discussion followed the reading of the address, in which the Revs. Messrs Reid, Buddie, Bavin, /Thomas, Harper, Lee, and Simmonds took part. On the motion of the Rcr. J. B. Richardson, seconded by the Rev. D. McNicoll, the address was received and ordered to be printed in the annual minutes. At the District Court on Tuesday (says the G. R. Argm) at the finish of one of the civil cases, the usual bickering took place between the learned counsel as to the proper amount of costs to be allowed. His Honor Judge Westou expressed his surprise at such unseemly scenes taking phiee before the the public, who could come to no other conclusion than that the lives of the profession seemed to be bound up in the acquisition of a few extra shillings. His Honor hoped ho would see no more of such scenes. The Wellington correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald writes:—" The last list of men put on the Commission of the Peace is considered here as the worat yet made. Mr Edmund BarfE has long worked hard to obtain the right of adding J'.p. to his signature. Several Ministries refused his application."

- It is quite possible, says the West Coast Times, that the lawyers of Hokitika will soon have more grist brought to their mills by the commencement of two libel actions. In one J case a gentleman holding an official position I considers himself slandered by a local print; J aud in the other instance the feelings of one or two plaintiffs have beenjoutraged by a letter which appeared in the Kumara paper reflecting rather severely on some proceedings connected with a recent sweep. The Rose Brothers have been performing at Reefton, but not with any financial success. According to the Herald, their receipts for three nights, with the prices of admission 3s ( and 2s, amounted to £38, while the actual cnsh disbursements amounted to £42, reckoning coach fare only one way. The Ha aid publishes the fact for the benefit of those who, following in Mr Rose's footsteps, may expect to encounter a similar loss and disappointment. There are many instances on record of rats having attacked children of tender years, and a case of the kind occurred iu Dunedin a few days ago. A gentleman and his wife, having retired to rest, were awakened by the loud cries of one of their children, a little girl about two years of age, who had been put to sleep in a cradle, in an adjoining room. As the child was usually peevish, and in the habit of crying in the night, very little attention was paid to it, until its screams became so loud that its parents thought something must be wrong. They therefore lit a candle, aud on entering the child's sleeping apartment were horrified to see a good-sized rat jump from the cradle. Upon examination it was found that the child had been bitten by the rat on both cheeks, and the pillow was covered with blood. A valuable dray load of wool on its way from an up-couutry station to Dunedin was destroyed by fire the other day. A high wind (says the Cromwell Argus) prevailed at the time, and on coming near the residence of Mr Felton the wool broke into flame, and burned so fiercely that Hood (the driver) had some trouble to get his horses clear of the wagon. Mr Felton came to the wagoner's assistance, but so strong a hold had the fire obtained that only two bales were preserved uninjured and two others slightly damaged. The balance of twenty-four bales was totally consumed, as also the wagon itself. There was no water available of sufficient quautity to be of any service, and the wool is described as having burned as though soaked with kerosene, so rapidly was the load enveloped in flame. There is no clue as to how the accident happened, but it is generally supposed to have been the result of spontaneous combustion through the wool heating. We have not learned whether the load was insured, but the loss is estimated at some £400,