The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1880.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 127, 28 May 1880, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, MAY 28, 1880.

The Hon. Major Richmond, M.L.C., and Messrs Adams, Huratbouse, Richmond, and Shephard, M.H.R/s, were passengers to Wellington by the Taiaroa last night. A special meeting of the City Council I

was, we hear, held last night, when a lengthy discussion took place upon the proposed public works, but no definite decision was arrived ac. Owing to our not having received any notice of the meeting our representative was not present, and consequently we are unable to give any report of the proceedings. Mondat last having been so miserably wet, it was impossible to shoot for the prizes so liberally presented by the citizens of Nelson. It has, therefore, been proposed, and the suggestion, we understand, has been generally received with favor, that Friday, the 11th June, should be observed as a holiday, thus giviug the whole of the Volunteers the opportunity of taking part in the competition. At the weekly parade of the H Battery of N.Z. Artillery la9t night, Gunner Topliss, who has always been a useful and energetic member of the corps, wag elected without opposition as second lieutenant v'ce Lieut. McCabe resigned. After parade the Battery adjourned to the Nelson Hotel, where the health of the new Lieutenant was drunk with musical honors and a pleasant evening was spent. Lieut. Topliss has expressed his intention of presenting a prize for the most regular attendance at drill during the ensuing year. The return football match between the College and Nelson Clubs will be played in the Botanical Gardens to-morrow afternoon when a well contested game may be expected. The ball will be kicked off at 2.30 sharp. It is feared that a fatal accident has occurred in the Waimea River, resulting in the drowning of an elderly man named Kruse, who has for many years been a resident at Brightwater, and was one of the hands kept regularly employed by the Waimea Road Board. He was last seen yesterday driving towards the ford a little above the Appleby bridge, and since then the cart and horse, the latter being dead, have been found on the river bank some distance lower down, so that there is but little hope of the unfortunate man having escaped. Bachelder's Combination Troupe, with their splendid panorama of American views, arrived by the Taiaroa yesterday, and will open at the Theatre Royal to-night. They are accompanied hy M. Chalet, who is said to be the best ventriloquist who ever visited the colonies, and much amusement may be expected from his performances. A further attraction will consist in the distribution of valuable gifts on a large scale. There will be a specirl performance for families and school children to-morrow afternoon, when every child will receive a parting gift. The attention of those who are in want of employment is directed to an advertisement which appears elsewhere, in which Mr Blackett announces that those who are desirous of obtaining work on the Pelorus Road must send their names to him before eleven o'clock to-morrow morning. Mr Reeves, M.H.R., who was last session an ardent supporter of Sir George Grey's party, has, as will be seen by our telegrams, announced that he is not prepared to oppose the present Ministry, and that be believes the late Opposition to be disentegrated and broken up. In replying to certain remarks of the exPremier at Leeston the other night, Mr Hall sai i he did not care how much Sir George Grey spoke about him, but he objected when he called his constituents, first, a " rotten borough," and them spoke of then as " farmers living in an obscure village." (Laughter.) But to come to a comparison. On the electoral roll of the district which Sir George Grey represented there were 4446 electors, and 850 were not properly qualified. A large number had no qualifications at all, and a number of Maori men and women on the roll were dead. Under these circumstances it was somewhat invidious for that gen leman to speak about ) " rotten boroughs," especially when Selwyn had not, as rotten boroughs generally did, asked for any favonrs. Had the Selwyn electors not elected a man who was the means of putting him out, Leeston would be a splendid district, having splendid children, in which he would take the moat marvellous interest, and their fathers and mothers would be told that all their eons would be made colonial governers. Some of the statements by Sir George Grey were such utter rubbish that they would only go down with crowded meetings at the Oddfellows' Hall, where only one aide of the question was heard. As to such rubbish as being a ruler of men, he (Mr Hall) would always be satisfied to be a servant to them. (Cheers). He had always done his best to help the colony in which he had laboured as his home, and he would continue to help it forward as much as lay ia his power, (Cheers). Referring to the trade returns for the last quarter, the Wellington Monthly Price Cur-? rent remarks : — " The falling off in imports is very large, especially as the December quarter shows a total of only £1,550,676, agaiust £2,253,373 for the corresponding quarter of 1878, making a decline for tho six months of nearly £700,000 below the total of a similar period a year before." A piivate letter from Wellington states that almost all the seats on the Opposition benches in the House of Assembly have already been taken. Sir George Grey's seat is placed in the centre, with what remains of the Auckland phalanx around him. The Opposition whips seem to be still a'ive. — Star. A Melbourne telegram of tha 25th instant states that it is rumored that the police hire surrounded the Kellys in !an inaccessible position near King River, but that a hundred am pi men could not get at them. The only way is to starve them out.