The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 62, 12 March 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1880.

The Royal Commission on Public Works has commenced its duties in Wellington, where, at the first Bitting, Mr Curtis was appointed chairman. The Commissioners have Btarted on a tour through tha country through which the Wellington and West Coast railway is to be taken. Dk. Skae, the luspector of Lunatic Asylums, has also been appointed Inspector of Hospitals and Charitable Institutions, and is now on an official visit to Nelson for the purpose of inspecting the Hospital and St. Mary's and Motueka Orphanages. The ball to the representatives last night was a great success, the gathering being a large one, and everything passing off most pleasantly. OwiNa to the rough state of the sea in consequence of the pale that was blowing yesterday, the Waitaki, with the San Francisco mail, has not yet been able to cross the Manukau bar. Her running on this trip is, therefore, to be altered, and she will proceed direct to Wellington. The Wellington, which arrived from Picton this morning, will also change her route, and will leave this evening for Taranaki and Auckland via Picton and Wellington, taking the Southern representatives. The four-weekly growl in the Wellington papers in consquence of the San Francisco mail being delivered there a few hours later than would be the case if the interests of Neleon, Marlborough, and the West Coast were overlooked, should on the present occasion be louder than ever. The Manukau bar has positively had the audacity to detain for several hours a steamer having on board English letters for Wellington. A meeting of the Executive Council should be called without delay, and immediate steps be taken for the prevention of the recurrence of such an insult to the Empire City. The return match between the Nelson and College Cricket Clubs will be played in Victory Square to-morrow afternoon. Thk cricket match yesterday between eleven of the Nelson Club and twenty two of the representatives resulted in an easy win for the former, who scored 108 against their opponents' 39, Halliday contributing 27, Firth 16, Naylor 12, and G. Fowler 11. At tbe conclusion of the match, Captain Thompson, on behalf of the representatives, presented Mr H. Halliday, who was in charge of the Telegraph Office at the Camp, with a handsome gold locket, and in doing so spoke of the attention and consideration they had always met with at his hands, not only this year, but at the last meeting. This little present, he hoped, would serve to show him how much the men appreciated the courteous manner in which they had been treated by him. Captain Thompson then called for three cheers for Mr Halliday, which having been given with a will, that gentleman said that he was so taken aback that he could scarcely reply. He thanked them very much for their kind present, and for the friendly expressions used by Captain Thompson. He hoped that this would Berve as another link of friendship between them, and that they would all meet again next year. Whrther Ministers are justified in attempting to relieve themselves of responsi bility in so many matters by referring them to Royal Commissions, is quite open to question. It would appear, however, from what fell from Mr Oliver, at Blenheim, the other day, that they fully intend to act upon the recommendations of those Commissions. This we gather from the following Blenheim telegram dated Thursday last, which appears in the Post •. — " lie the Awatere line, already surveyed, Mr Oliver recommended that the claims of the district be impressed upon "the Railway Commissioners when they visit Marlborough ; for upon their dictum the Government have to rely in a great measure as to whether an extension of tbe line will beimmediately proceeded with or not." A recent Sydney telegram Bays : — Some experiments have been made at the instance of a number of gentlemen interested in meat preserving, tending to show the advisability of sending sheep home in a frozen state without taking off the skin and wool. A fat wether sent down from Young on the 14th August, and frozen eight days afterwards, was skinned aud found perfectly sweet.