UPPER MOTUEKA ROAD BOARD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 27, 31 January 1878, Page 2

UPPER MOTUEKA ROAD BOARD.

The Board met on Saturday last. The following members were present : —Messrs Coleman, Drummond, Phillips, and Oliver (chairman). The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Tenders, received on the sth instant, from Messrs Colemau and Needbam for widening no chains of the road to Spooner's Rauge, and for improving 85 chains of road in Motupiko Valley were read. The lowest tenders were accepted. The following were the highest and lowest tenders. respectively: — Widening, Spooner's Range— W. J. Burrows, £187 18s 6d; Edgar Brothers, £129 13s. Improving, Motupiko Valley— Sloss Brothers, £1.50; G. W. Pahl, £79 15s. Resolved, That the Chairman be requested to make enquiries as to the cost of cast irou standards suitable for erection as mile posts on the road to Westport. The consideration of a letter from Mr Adams concerning roads through Mr King's laid was postponed till next meeting of the Board, to be held on the 23rd February. Resolved, That the clerk to the Waiinea County Council be requested to f uruish the Board with a copy of the register of dogs and their owners for the Upper Motueka road district. Accounts were passed and paid amounting to £142 14s 6d.

A few days ago we (Argus) stated that it was rumored that Mr Bunny was to succeed Dr Giles as Under-Secrefcary for Lands. It appears, however, that some hitch has occurred, and that Mr Bunny will not now obtain the office. We understand that the Government intend to amalgamate the Survey and Lands Departments, and that no successor to Dr Giles will be appointed, the probability being that either Mr Thomson, the Surveyor-General, or Mr M'Kerrow, his deputy, will take charge of the combined departments. There is a good deal of talk about Sir G. Grey offering himself as a candidate for the city in opposition to Mr Pearce. This is scarcely putting the rumor fairly, however which is that a number of gentlemen who | take a great interest in politics in Wellington are anxious that the Premier of the colony should represent the capital of the colony, more especially in view of the purely negative utterances of Mr Pearce on the great political questions of the day. We confess that we should be glad to see Sir G. Grey brought forward, and the election fought out fairly on a party basis, when there is little doubt that the Premier's party would head the poll.— Argus In describing the attempt to blow up the Eli Whitney, the coal hulk sunk some months ago in the Wellington harbor, the Post says that a large number of spectators were attracted to the wharf, where they remained with exemplary patience for over two hours with their eyes fixed on the spot whence a mighty column of water was expected to issue with a terrific roar. Time wore on and weariness grew, and yet no explosion. At length a very grubby flag, in squares of black (very) and white (by courtesy), like a flabby chess-doard, was run up, and expectation, which had become languid, suddenly rose to extreme height. A pause—then a faint pop like the opening of a rather weak bottle of ginger-beer, and the mast of the sunken hulk made a slight bow to the multitude of spectators as if in derision of their disappointed hopes aud fears. And that was all 1 With " curses, not loud but deep," the crowd speedily dispersed to their cold dinners and lukewarm tea, with tremendous vows that they would never wait to see another blowing up—" no, never no more." It is pleasant to read good and sensible advice. Judge Gillies recently gave some to a Mr Hesketh, just admitted to practice at the bar at Auckland. His Honor (addressing Mr Hesketh) said :— I am satisfied that you is fully qualified and competent to be admitted as a solicitor of this Court. I can further only say, that if you endeavor to act fairly, honestly, and honorably in your practice as a solicitor, you will rise in your profession. You should always remember that it is an honorable profession. You should never allow your name to be connected with dishonest transactions in any way. You should even avoid the appearance of being connected with conduct that is reprehensible. If you apply your ability properly, I have no doubt you will find yourself in a high position in the legal prof ession ; you have a good example before you in your principal, and encouragement in the position which he has attained. Alluding to the recent departure of Mr Reader "Wood for England the New Zealand Herald says :-—" It has been rumoured that he goes home to fill the post of AgentGeneral ; and as Sir Julius Yogel has stated that as the period of bis engagement is near its close, he expects to be relieved from his duties as Agent-General in April next! shortly before which time Mr Wood will arrive in England, there is an air of probability about the rumour, although nothing definite has heen made public. Mr Wood is a capable politician, and is allowed to be an able, if somewhat uncompromising, administrator. If he succeeds, as it is said he will, the present Agent-General, he will no doubt be found to render his best efforts for the welfare of the colony, and will not neglect Auckland interests." The Indian Famine Relief Fund (writes "JEglen" in the Australasian) is like a huge machine which once got under way travels by its own rn.omentqtn., and oannot be pulled up by anything short of Mr Woods' railwaybrake. The Committee have tried to check the flow of contributions, but still they come flowing in. And it is quite on the cards that £30,000 may be reached in Victoria. I placed her first amongst the colonies when the trouble began, and she has distanced the field. But it is invidious to make distinctions. The £80,000 from Australia will do more than feed starving Hindoos. It will demonstrate to the mother country that her independent colonies have the will and the ability to do a generous deed in a whole-hearted way. Field-Marshall Moltke, who knows Asia Minor from personal experience, is reported to have said recently that the Russian conquest of Armenia would be a very serious affair for England. With Armenia Russia advances to the Euphrates, .and once she posses the Euphrates the way to India would for the greater part be already closed to England. The question is now whether the conquest of Kars, as formerly the burning of the Turkish fleet before Sinopc, will at least incite England to manly action. Here (at Berlin) the opinion of England's power of action has sunk so low that it is doubted whether wo shall sco her rise from her lethargy. These remarks are made in reference to the explanation now given from the Russian side of the Emperor Alexander's word of honor that he spoke only of Europe, and not of Asia, and in reference to the cry of the Russian journals that Armenia should be kept as a " war indemnity." So fir as the analysis of the quartz from Golden Point, near Piefcon, has gone (says the Post), it has resulted in gold being found in every specimen yet tested, the rate varying from loz 3dwts per ton in the best to 13dwts per ton in the poorest. Dr. Hector has telegraphed to Picton for some further specimens from the spot to be used in com--1 parison with those already tested. Only a part of thestone has been dealt with as yet and no official report will be made by Dr Hector until the analysis of the whole quantity, some iSOlbs., has been gone through, but there is every reason to anticipate that the reporfc>M prov^ favorable,

Some idea of the value of land in the heart ox London may be formed from the fact that to make one mile and four chains of railway will co3t nearly two million pounds sterling. ATimarupaper calls local larrikins by the happy and euphoniaos name "Timaruffiang." By the bye, there is good deal of " Timaruffianism" in that breezy locality.