New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1871. SUMMARY FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 24, 8 July 1871, Page 10

New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. SATURDAY, JULY 8, 1871. SUMMARY FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA.

Since our last summary important resolutions have been passed of a colonial interest in the Provincial Councils of Otago and Wellington. As these are not only of great importance in themselves, but show how generally the policy of the present Government is now accepted in both islands, we make a brief resume of them, In Otago the Provincial Council have reversed the decision they came to last session—opposing the province in any way availing itself of the Immigration and Public Works Act, and have passed a resolution, formally acquiescing in the action taken by the General Government during the "recess, in commencing the Clutha Railway in spite of their opposition, and asking for the construction of six lines of railway. In Wellington, the Provincial Council passed unanimously resolutions empowering the Superintendent and Executive Council to recommend to the Governor (without calling the Council together again) to set aside lands in terms of the 17th section of the Immigration and Public Works Act for the construction of certain lines of railway from Wellington through the Wairarapa, Manawatu, Rangitikei, and Wanganui to the mouth of the Patsa- river, and ' also to set aside land in part payment or in full payment of the cost of construction. The following memorandum was also agreed to :

Memoeandum of railway works recommended by the Provincial Council of Wellington to be undertrken by the General Q-pvern* ment. A main line of railway from Wellington to

Patea, passing through Wairarapa, Manawatu Gorge, and, Wanganui, having been surveyed by the General Government, this Council recommends to the General Assembly the adoption of the said line, and is of opinion that the following portions of the line should be immediately proceeded with, viz : 1. Wellington to Masterton. : _

2. Wanganui to Waitotara. 3. Wanganui to the village of Marton, or to such point nearest to Marton as the line may run. This Council is ako of opinion that it will greatly facilitate and encourage the more speedy settlement of large areas of valuable bush country, and be of high value to the operations of defence, if the intermediate portions of the aforesaid main line are opened up as soon as possible by means of a light tramroad, preparatory to the formation of the permanent way, which would by this means be formed when required with far greater ease, economy, and despatch, through laborers being already settled along the line of way, through the saving in cost of transit of materials and supplies, and through the expenditure on the tramroad being really only a prior instalment of the necessary labor on the permanent way.

Important resolutions were also passed with regard to land* on deferred payments and special settlements, which will be peculiarly interesting to our home readers, as showing how much easier it is for a man of small means te acquire a small landed estate in this province than it is at home, Not more than 50,000 acres of the waste lands of the Crown are to he set apart for the purpose of providing land for settlement on deferred payments. Immediately on any block being proclaimed, the present land regulations cease to apply to it. The price per acre is not to be less than 20s or more than 40s per acre. No person is allowed more than 200 or less than 40 acres in any one block. Every applicant must adopt a prescribed form of application, and deposit therewith onefifth of the purchase money. If there is only one applicant, a license is granted forthwith; but if more than one, the land is put up to auction, and sold to the highest bidder. Unsuccessful bidders will have their deposits returned ; and no one is to bid who has already the maximum quantity of 200 acres. At the end of two years an inspector, appointed by the Superintendent, shall report to the Commissioner of Crown Lands whether the purchaser has fulfilled the conditions of his license ; and if his report sets forth that the purchaser has failed to do so, both the land and the depost money are forfeited to her Majesty. For his protection, however, the defaulting purchaser has immediate notice of the unfavorable report from the Commissioner, and should he think himself aggrieved, he has the right to appeal against it to the nearest Resident Magistrate, whose decision shall be final. Notice of bis decision must be sent in writing to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, who will either confirm or reject the title of the applicant to the land. If the former, the purchaser must pay another fifth of the purchase money, which he must likewise do at the end of the third, fourth, and fifth years respectively. Any purchaser, failing to pay any sum so prescribed within thirty days after it is due, shall forfeit the land and deposit. "When he has made all the required payments he receives a Crown Grant on paying the necessary fees and the expense of registration under the Land Transfer Act 1870. Forfeited land with its improvements (if any) is to be sold for cash, but not at a price less than 20s per acre. Any person without restriction can purchase land so forfeited and to any extent. Provisions are made for transferring licenses from the original purchaser in the case of bankruptcy, &c. For special settlement the maximum limit is 100,000 acres. Land so set aside shall not continue so set aside for more than three years from the date of proclamation. The Superintendent is empowered to contract with persons or companies who shall be bound to cause the persons placed by them upon the land to observe the terms sanctioned by the Governor in Council under this act. The Superintendent is also empowered to employ agents in Great Britain for the purpose of entering into centracts under the act, and for the purpose of contracting with intending settlers.

Of the conditions to be endorsed on licenses to occupy land on deferred payments, by far the most important is, that the purchaser must, withirjrtwo years, build on the block a house of the value of ten pounds, and fence or clear, and lay down in grass or crop, at least one-tenth part of the land. Under the Immigration and Public

Works Act, his Excellency the Governor having sanctioned arrangements for the introduction of relatives and friends of settlers, the Provincial Government now receive 'applications for passages, subject to the following regulations :

1. Each applicant will be required to pay the sum of £5 for each adult at the time of making the application, and £2 10s for each child between the ages of one and twelve years. Infants in arms, under one year, free. This rate being from London to Wellington only, the cost of reaching London and proceeding up the country after arrival in Wellington will have to be defrayed by the emigrants themselves. 2. As a rule, no unmarried females can be provided with passages under these regulations, except they accompany and are under the care of some specified relative or friend. Passages for unmarried females not so accompanied can only be granted subject to the Agent-G-eneral in England being-able to make suitable provision for oversight during the voyage. •3. In the event of any emigrants applied for declining to emigrate, whatever money may have been deposited with the Government w.'ll be returned as soon as the Agent-G-eneral in England shall have apprised the Government thereof; but in the event of any emigrants applied for accepting the offer of a passage in a particular ship, and so, by failing to present themselves for embarkation at the time and place appointed by the Agent-General in England for the sailing of such ship, be left behind, the passage money and passages will be forfeited.

4. All the ships employed in this service will be uuder the provisions of the" Passenger Act."

5. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Agent-General in England will have power to refuse passages where the intending emigrants are in ill health or in any wayunfittrd, according to his judgment, to undertake the voyage. 6. Applications for passages are to be addressed to the Provincial Secretary, Wellington.

These important resolutions have already been taken advantage of, some of our settlers having removed to the lands so set aside, and, what is more desirable, several applications have been made by- persons now engaged in the public works in their immediate neighborhood. Several settlers have also, we understand, taken advantage of the nesv immigration arrangements, and sent home for their relatives. The Provincial Councils of Otago and Nelson have also passed similar land resolutions, and it is now generally believed that the intentions of the General Government will be fully carried out by all the other provinces, and that there will be, in the words of the Colonial Treasurer, no " want of local preparedness to receive the immigrants," whether es regards " land for settlement, employment of an ordinary character, or in public works, or facilities for establishing manufactories, or aiding special or co-operative settlements." The only Provincial Council that has not yet passed definite resolutions setting forth their views on immigration and public works is that of Canterbury.; but as it meets on the 14th instant they will still have ample time to decide what they will recommend to the Assembly, which does not meet t ; ll the 14th August. EDUCATION. Another matter of colonial interest is the action by the Council of the University of New Zealand at its first meeting. The following resolutions, moved by the Bishop of Christchurch, were carried in subcommittee of the New Zealand University Council:

That whereas the Council has affirmed that arrangements should be made by which one university alone should erist in New Zealand, with affiliated colleges, this Council earnestly recommends that the University of Otago should be affiliated to or brought into union with the University of New Zealand, with full control over its endowments, and over those which may hereafter be conferred on it from out of the consolidated revenue of the colony. That the University of Otago, thus affiliated, should have, under the direction of its own Council, the local administration of the Otago University, and that the members of the said Counc' 1 be constituted a corporation.

That the power of conferring degrees rest with the University, of New Zealand alone, and that arrangements be made with the affiliated College or University of Ofcago, under which its professors and tutors may form a part of the board of examiners. Whereupon the following resolutions were passed by the Council of the Otago University and forwarded for the consideration of the Council of the New Zealand University. Ist. That the New Zealand University Act provides distinctly, as a term of amalgamation, that the University of New Zealand shall be established at Dunedin; whereas the resolutions of the Council make no reference to its location at Dunedin or in any other place, and therefore are not consistent in that respect with the letter or the spirit of the act.

_ 2nd. That the resolutions of the Council do not touch the question on which this Council has felt it necessary to lay considerable stress—namely, the constitution of the Council on amalgamation. 3rd. This Council therefore respectfully request the Council of the New Zealand University to give its consideration to the above points, and to favor this Council with its opinions on the several terms of amalgamation contained in the prop r sals already submitted. 4th. That this Council earnestly desires the union of the Universities of New Zealand and Otago in terms of the said act.

sth. That this Council is in favor o n the affiliation of Colleges possessing the means of impa ting advanced instruction in classics, mathematics, and philosophy, and of arrangements by which examinat'ons for degrees shall be conducted, in places to be hereafter named, by examiners chosen every third year by the Council of the University.

The Council of the New Zealand University, in reply, sent the following resolutions :

Ist. That the University Act, 1870, provides for an agreement between the University of New Zealand of the one part, and the University of Otago of the other part, whereby the dissolution of the University of Otago shall be effected. 2nd. That the said Act provides, fur-, ther, that if the Council of the Un ; ersity of Otago, within six months from the passing of the act, enter into such agreement, the University of New Zealand shall be established at Dunedin ; but, in default thereof, that the University of New Zealand may be founded at such other place as the Governor may select, thus leaving it optional with the Governor, after the lapse of six months, to establish tho University, or not to establish it, as he shall deem expedient, at any particular place in the colony. 3rd. That it appears to this Council undesirable for the present, until further experience of the working of the University shall have been obtained, and larger opportunities afforded for forming a correct judgment of the requirements of the colony as a whole, to fix upon any particular place in the colony as the permanent site of the University. 4th. That for the present this Council shall confine its action to the founding of lectures in affiliated institutions and of University scholarships, to be competed for by youths within the colony, and that for this purpose the selection of any definite location for the University is not necessary.

sth. That with regard to the question of the constitution of the Council on amalgamation, this Council does not believe that any alteration in this respect is required by the circumstances of the case, nor is such alteration permitted by the wording of the act, which makes no provision for amalgamation, but only for the dissolution of the University of Otago. 'sf 6th. That this Council concurs with the University of Otago in earnestly desiring the union of the Universities of New Zealand and Ofcago, but only on terms which will be feir to all Colleges which may be affiliated. Accordingly, the Council in terms of the fourth resolution have advertised in all the colonial journals that the sum of £1,500 has been appropriated by the University for the subsidising, in affiliated scholastic or collegiate institutions of professorships, the precise nature of which will be determined hereafter; and, also, that £I,OBO will be awarded for twenty scholarships in several different branches of education. A noteworthy feature in the regulations is that proficiency in any one branch will be rated as of higher value than a superficial knowledge in several branches. The Otago University, we learn by telegraph, was formally opened on the sth inst, with great eclat, Major Eichardson, the Chancellor, delivering the inaugural discourse. The University opens with three Professors of distinguished, attainments, and established reputation. The question of education has been very fully debated in colonial journals throughout the month, and the General Government are preparing a colonial measure, to be submitted to the Assembly. The subject is beset here with peculiar difficulties, some parts of the colony having made great provision, and some little, if any, for the education of the people. The religious and denominational questions, added to the difficulties as to vested rights, sure to arise when the colony seeks to make provincial educational institutions colonial in their character, not to speak of local jealousies ever ready to crop up, will render the task of the Government no ea3y one. The Government are, we understand, giving the matter their most anxious consideration, and the Premier, it is understood, will take charge of the bill in the Assembly. The Colonial Treasurer is expected in Wellington by the 17th August, the Assembly meeting on the 14th. Extensive alterations and improvements are being made in the Parliament buildings and the Governor's residence is

completed and furnished. It is expected that Lady Bowen will accompany his Excellency and remain in Wellington. A telegram has just been received, stating that the Earl and Countess Belmore have just arrived from Sydney, and are guests with his Excellency at Auckland. NATIVE. Affairs may be said to be destitute of almost all color and interest from the little that is said or printed about them. But the cheering fact is still conspicuous, that without anything very decisive nv very brilliant having.been enacted, peace seems to be more firmly secured than rver, and we may bope that, with ordinary prudence, we may manage to preserve this harmony for a few years longer, when, we hope, all possibility of future outbreaks of any extent will have been obviated. Our Auckland telegrams have been more than usually barren of native items during the last few weeks, but they only reflect the whole of the Northern press. As we no longer hear of extraordinary occurrences and threatened 'dangers at Alexandra, we presume that \: e highly imaginative correspondent, once so distinguished in that way, hassought other fields of glory, a fact to be highly appreciated by those who are nervous in native matters. As we have not yet heard of Te Kooti's exact whereabouts, notwithstanding the persistent search after him by his countrymen, we presume the fellow is still in the land of the living, though his quarters and commons must not be very enviable. The last intimation we had from the North of the native bete noir was from Whakatane, whence, it appeared, that William King, Ngaitai, and his party had started off on an independent quest for the skulking chief. It is understood that they go on the usual terms—no prisoner no pay, though it is said the Government have allowed them rations. Even if this were true, the liberality does not amount to much, though it is the least that could well bo allowed under the circumstances. As the impassable nature of the country would prevent the men overloading themselves, and as horses are useless, the supply taken rarely exceeds two or three weeks' rations. Should the hunt be protracted much beyond that time, the party have to go on very short allowance, as was repeatedly the case with Hopata and his men. There is one advantage in connection with these repeated excursions into the retreats of the rebel chief that has been almost overlooked. As the expeditions have started from various points and traversed that hitherto unknown country by different routes, and by men drawn from a large area of country and scattered hapus, the intricacies of the rebel haunts will become very widely known. The value of such knowledge must be obvious, as the district is one of the last remaining portions of the North Island which has preserved its primitive character unbroiien by the labor of the adventurous settler; and as there is a tendency towards extending roads and settlement from Tauranga southward, it is possible that ere long the most accessible and useful portions of that dangerous country will pass into the hands of either Europeans or enterprising Natives from further north, many of whom show as great an ability to deal in land as others of them do to make roads. Speaking of this part of the country, it is satisfactory to note in conjunction with the above remarks, though not surprising under the circumstances, that Mr Commissioner Clarke has succeeded in finally arranging all disputes with the-Natives about the confiscated lands at Tauranga. A few minor details, however, still remain to be dealt with, and these are in good train. From the more northerly country still, we learn that the Natives are, as is their quietly occupied with their cultivation and fishing, occasionally relieving \ the monotony by a tangi or other Native business or gathering. An Auckland correspondent informs us that a number of surrendered rebels, who have been for some time in the keeping of the Ngatiio--1 rous, seem to rather enjoy their so-ca Led captivity, as they are well supplied with food. An incident occurred during the month at Tauranga which led to a little temporary excitement amongst the Natives. Two of them, who were working on the Taupo and Tauranga road, went out pig hunting, and became separated during the day. Only one returned that night, and as day after day passed without his companion making his appearance, it not unnaturally led to all sorts of wild conjectures. Search parties went out and scoured the country, but fifteen days elapsed before the missing man was found. It appeared that in striking at a pig with his tomahawk he struck his own leg instead, completely disabling himself. He managed, however, to creep to an old plantation, where he subsisted on raw potatoes until found by his friends. So far, the news is of the most satisfactory nature: but as there are two sides to everything, we may mention a few features in connection with native affairs not so coleur de rose. We learn from our Taranaki files that the once formidable Titokowaru, whose existence has latterly

been almost forgotten, save by the settlers in his immediate neighborhood, is a constant source of uneasiness to the district. A resolution was not long since brought forward in the Taranaki Provincial Council, asking that the attention of the Superintendent be called to the fact that Titokowaru and some of his rebellious clan were in arms, though not in actual hostility, in what are considered settled out-districts of the province ; the object being that the Superintendent should call the attention of the Native Minister to the necessity for declaring the exact status of these natives. Therein lies the whole difficulty, as may be readily imagined by any one conversant with the circumstances of the case. In the course of the debate which ensued, though the resolution was carried unanimously, the exact position of the case was put both briefly and clearly by Mr Hichmond, who said:—" There were only two ways in which this native difficulty could be settled satisfactorily, namely, either by extermination or allotting land, within the boundary of which the natives would be compelled to reside. In his opinion the Government were not in a condition to follow either of those methods, as force would be necessary in the fulfilment of them, and the only course which seemed available was to allow the rebels to settle down quietly in their own districts." At the Thames, native matters are exceptionally quiet, though there" is a smouldering opposition to all sorts of progress ; and if tho obstructive parlies are neither very great nor very active, they must still be taken into consideration so as to prevent things being precipitated. The result is that there is still a break in the telegraphic wire in the North Island, and of the overland mail to Tauranga little or nothing is now heard. Te ifira still maintains the same passive but unconquerable and dogged opposition. * GOLD MINING. In Wellington has every appearance of becoming a settled industry. The process of development has been slow, and though possiblysome considerable time longer may elapse before the industry becomes an accomplished fact, that it will eventually become so seems none the less certain. And from the news received from the different provinces in both islands, sanguine hopes are entertained in every division of the colony that gold mining will yet become a settled pursuit. In those provinces where it has so largely contributed to their rapid advancement and prosperity, the falling off in the yield sometime back complained of seems to have ceased, and by the help of superior appliances and a better knowledge of the geological conditions of the gold deposits the ordinary yield in many places promises both increase and permanence. The inauguration, too, of that portion of the Government policy which deals with gold mining on the established fields must be the means of giving an extraordinary impetus to their prosperity, as it must lean to the investment of a very large amount of capital usually lying unemployed in all mining communities. For the want of some comprehensive works, generally of too great magnitude to be initiated by private enterprise alone, miners have long been compelled, as it were, by the mere force of circumstances, to dissipate their savings either in hanging about tho district in which they have been successful, waiting, Micawber-like, for something to turn up, or in roaming in search of fresh fields. If the gold mining works in contemplation by the Government were productive of no other result than the mere fixing on the soil the volatile but hard-working miner, the colony must in the end be a considerable gainer ; . and that these works will exercise an immense influence in this direction there cannot be the slightest doubt. The remarkable success which has latterly attended dredging operations in the rich river beds in the province of Otago, has induced the miners on the West Coast of the South Island to turn their attention to the dredging of the rivers in their districts, the Upper Buller and the Aorere being talked of as likely spots in which to try the experiment. Hitherto the prospecting efforts made in Canterbury have only been productive of disappointment, and of late they seemed to have ceased altogether ; but recently rumors have reached us that the opinions of returned Thames diggers on certain likely-looking spots has been the means of reviving their hopes that a goldfield of some sort may yet be developed in the vicinity of Christchurch Nelson continues to show substantial indications that auriferous wealth may be brought to light at no remote day. The little province of Marlborougn, too, has several ventures in quartz-reefing, though, so far, the prospects obtained have been miserably poor. But slowness in developing a reefing country should be no cause tor discouragement, as that seems to have been a distinguishing feature in the opening up of all the reefing districts in the colony. We might perhaps except the Thames, which was fortunate enough to have_a remarkably rich claim to start with; and this very advantage at the outset ultimately was productive of considerable loss and disappointment (now

happily not known) by inducing a greater rush to the field than it was prepared to receive. Now, however, the Thames can boast, if not the richest claim ever known, certainly of one of the richest. lhe returns speak for themselves. Our Auckland files last week informed us that 85,000 ounces of gold were banked m one month, and that the yield for the last fortnight was 30,000 ounces. On the whole, therefore, we see every reason for our Wellington miners to persevere, or to adopt, literally and practically, the motto of one of the claims, not far from the city, viz.—" Never Despair." Operations since last month have assumed no new phase worthy of special mention. Work is, however, progressing satisfactorily ; and when it is remembered that in the neighboring colony of Victoria, stone equally as poor as that of Baker's Hill-—often considerably poorer, and extracted at very much more cost in the one case than the other, there is reasonable ground for hoping soon to hear the constant beat of stampers in the surrounding hills. Only a few days ago we learnt of another claim being taken up, a very fair prospect having been obtained from a piece of stone picked up on the surface, and in which gold was visible to the naked eye. LOCAL MEMORANDA. The first real business-like step towards the ejection of a theatre for the city has been the holding of a meeting, at which the whole of those who had promised to take shares in the company to be formed for its erection attended. Mr Gillon, the promoter, stated to the meeting that it had been called for the purpose of determining the necessary preliminaries, such as the selection of the site, &c. It was expected that £3,000 would be the amount required to erect the building, of which shares to the amount of £2,000 had already been allotted. A site upon the reclaimed land had been fixed upon, and a hotelin connection with the building had been thought to be a desirable addition ; this it was decided to embody in the plans. The many requirements of an advancing city have long tended to convince _ the theatre - going and musically - inclined portions of our citizens that a suitable building for the holding of entertainments of a high order was a wantage which had become notable in Wellington the numerous defects and the inadequate accomodation of the Odd Fellows' Hall, the only building in Wellington, at all adapted for public performances, having forced themselves into the unfavorable notice of > those .having the management of entertainments at that place. As an evidence of the earnestness of the promoters of the project, the following gentlemen have been appointed provisional directors, with full power to conduct the business of the company in any way that may be the most beneficial to the interests of the shareholders : Messrs Pharazyn, Krull, Hunter, George, PJimmer, Gillon, and Dr Johnston. During the past month Mr John Martin, one of our most enterprising citizens, has been compelled, by a too keen and much overdone competition in the coastal trade, to withdraw his steamers, the Phoebe and the Ahuriri, frcm the coastal traific. This is a matter for regret on the part of the people of Wellington, because it will remove from here a good deal of trade and the circulation of a considerable amount of money, as our port reaped whatever advantage accrued from the fact of this being the rendezvous of the firm. The Phoebe will also be missed by the compulsory or voluntary " peripatetics ' of all parts of the colony. As a comfortable sea boat she has long and unanimously borne the reputation of being the most comfortable of our coastal fleet. She has been a great many years on the coast, having been, with the Lord Worsley and Lord Ashley, one of the pioneer boats of the Panama Company's line. It is rumored that she will shortly sail for Sydney, where she will change owners, and become engaged in the prosecution of the trade between Queensland and Batavia. The Ahuriri has sailed for the South, having been purchased, it is said, by Messrs H. Houghton and Co., of Dunedin.

The quarterly sittings of the Supreme Court commenced on the sth June. The calendar was a very light one, and was disposed of in one day. In his charge to the Grand Jury, his Honor observed that upon a careful examination of the criminal statistics of the colony, and those of the home country he found that the comparison was unfavarable to the colony, notwithstanding the fact that the people composing our communities received higher rates of remuneration for their labor, and that they were in the aggregate superior in point of intelligence to those of the mother country. In justification of his remarks, his Honor said he referred to such indictable offences as are tried in the colony before the Supreme Court or District Court, and in England before the Circuit Court or Court of Quarter Sessions ; and in taking the annual proportions of convictions to the entire population, he found that in England, speaking in round numbers, it was about one in a

thousand, a proportion considerably less than that of New Zealand. In the statistics for the United Kingdom for 1867, he found the proportion to be 30 to 19,450 persons, or less than two to each three thousand of the population ; whereas in New Zealand, in the same year, the convictions amounted to 224, a proportion considerably more than one in a thousand. In 1869, with an estimated population of 238,003, the convictions were 277. The cases tried were of no public importance, one being remarkable only for a wellmerited but extremely long sentence of fifteen years for bestiality. Some civil cases were taken at the same sittings, but they also were of only local interest.

During the month entertainments have been carried on at the Episcopalian schoolrooms at the antipodes of the city—St. Paul's, Thorndon, and St. Peter's, Te Aro. The promoters have been indefatigable in their endeavours to cater successfully to the delectation of the public, and these endeavours have served to eradicate in some degree a long existing dearth of legitimate entertpinment.

The Presbytery of Wellington met at Masterton on July 14 to consider a call from the united congregations of Turakina and Western Rangifcikei to the Rev. John Ross, Wairarapa. The Rev. James Paterson presided as moderator; Alexander Milne, Esq., M.P.C., represented the congregation calling ;• Messrs A. Yule and J. M'Gregor represented the Kirk session and congregation at Masterton ; Mr Robert M'Gregor represented Carterton and Grey town ; Mr D. Sinclair Tuheterata and the Lower Valley ; Mr M'Leod Pahu and East Coast; Mr Adams, Opaki; and Mr Harvey, Wharekaka. Interesting speeches were delivered by Mr Milne, the Rev Mr Ross, and the Rev James Cumming. In delivering the decision of the Presbytery, Mr Paterson said that personally he felt a peculiar interest in the proceedings of the day. He had been closely associated with Mr Ross, and had learned to esteem and to love him, as a man of true soul, of warm heart, of most genial nature ; and in every way a faithful and devoted servant of his Divine Master. Through his friendship with Mr Ross he had also been brought much in contact with the office bearers and members of this congregation, and all his sympathies were entirely in their favor. Were he considering solely the respective claims of Wairarapa and Turakina, he would have no difficulty in coming to a decision. He would say at once, Mr Ross must remain where he is, for no one could deny that Wairarapa was at least as important a district, and as needy, as Turakina, and perhaps more difficult to supply. But he felt convinced that for many reasons a change was really needful, for Mr Ross, and the Presbytery would therefore take the responsibility of translating him to the united congregations of Turakina>nd Western Rangitikei, Mr Ross accepting the call. On Sunday, June 25, the anniversary services in connection with the missionary work of the Primitive Methodist Church, were held in the Church, Sydney Street. The Rev. W. J. Dean preached to good congregations, and the appeals were liberally responded to. On the evening of the following day, the annual meeting was held, the Premier (the Hon. MrFox) being in the chair. The Chairman traced the progress of the work of Christianising the Maoris, from the time when they were discovered in a state of savagery to the arrival of Dr Marsden in 1814, which, up to that time, had not exerted much influence in the way of proselytising them, and it was not till the arrival of the present Bishop Williams, in 1820, that any perceptible influence could be said to have manifested itself. The striking of a sympathetic chord, and the awakening of the Maoris to the truths of the Gospel having been, effected, the transition from canibalism to Christianity was rapid, but unfortunately, through the springing into existence of a savage fanaticism engendered by the restlessness and the cupidity of a race who combined with these qualities the faculties of considerable power of worldly penetration, a revulsion took place, and the work of the missionary was for a length of time at a stand still. The only thing that seemed clear was that in a few years not a native would be left on these shores ; at least, according to all human reasoning, that catastrophe, seemed inevitable, however much we might wish to see it averted. The Rev. Mr Dean then reviewed the progress of the missionary Society. According to a report published during the year the total number of mission stations was 144 which were occupied by 204 laboring missionaries ; and the total amount in hand was £23,117, being an increase over that of the previous year of £2,719. The success of the work in all parts of the world was most congratulatory. Mr Dean then announced that the church in which the meeting was being then held would no longer require assistance or aid from the missionary society, and that all funds raised in the future would be forwarded to the home country for the purpose of furthering the

work in other parts of the world. On the whole, they had great reason to be thankful at what had been achieved. Since his predecessor, Mr Ward, landed upon these shores as their first missionary, they found the number increased to 71, and the handful of friends who rallied him then was s now multiplied to 5,777. The Rev. Mr Patterson, Presbyterian Church; the Rev. Mr Wesf, Congregational Church ; and the Rev. Mr Buddie, Wesleyan Church, addressed the meeting, which was a very full one. A useful comparison of the increase and decrease of the population in the different parts of the colony since the taking of the the census of 1867, has been published in a recent Gazette. From this comparison we glean that increases have been made to the populations in the following divisions of the colony -.—Auckland, 14,014 or 29.00 per cent ; Otago (as before union with Southland), 12,001, or 24 70 per cent; Taranaki, 121, or 925 per cent; Wellington, 2032, or 925 per cent: Hawke's Bay, 776, or 14'68 per cent; Marlborough, 864, or 1976 per cent; Canterbury, 8,468, or 22.09 per cent; Southland (before union with Otago), 826, or 10'39 per cent. In the following divisions of the colony the populations have decreased. 1 e figures are:—Nelson 1376, or 5"/7 per cent: Westland, 176, or I*l3 per cent; Chatham Islands, 51, or 27'71 per cent The total difference in the populalation of the colony, shows an increase since December, 1867, of 37,499, or 17.14 per cent, the last census giving a gross total of 257,124 as the population of the whole of New Zealand, spread over the different provinces as follows : Auckland. 62,357; Taranaki, 5480; Wellington, 23,982 ; Hawke's Bay 6059 ; Nelson, 22,596; Marlborough, 5026; Canterbury, 46,801 ; Otago and Southland, 70,578.-

In futherance of a particular branch of science, and for the purpose of completing what must become a valuable contribution to all scientific libraries, Mr Buller, for many years maagistrate at Wanganui, will leave in the Nevada for England. As an enthusiastic and untiring worker in the field of science, Mr Buller has visited the most inaccessible parts of the territory of the Colony, flourishing townships now existing in many places which were terra incognita, at the time of his visits. Many convincing evidences of Mr Buller's learning and zeal are to be found in some of the most valuable contributions to our Colonial Museum, and in the " Transactions of the Philosophical Society," of which he has been one of the most active members. The work which it is Mr Buller's intention to have printed in England will be based mainly if not wholly upon the ornithological and entomological branches,of the former of which it is intended to give illustrations of from 120 to 140 specimens, the originals of which have been presented to the Colonial Museum. The work will prove of inestimable advantage to New Zealand students as well as to those of the more advanced institutions of the Old World. An accident, miraculously unaccompanied with loss of life, occurred on the 16th June, on the north-eastern road near Featherston. A new bridge was in course of erection over the stream that crosses the main road, between Featherston and the Rimutaka, on account of the dangerous and dilapidated condition of the one which has for so many years served as a crossing. The new bridge not being sufficiently advanced for traffic, permission was given to several owners of drays on the day of the accident to take their teams across the old bridge. These passed without any warning of danger being imminent, and on the same evening a team of seven horses, driven by a man named Cave, and drawing a waggon very heavily laden, came along and attempted to cross, having made a preliminary inquiry as to the safety of doing so, to which the reply was in the affirmative. Acting upon this he attempted to cross, but just as the hind wheels of the waggon had got on the bridge a loud crack was heard, and immediately after one half of the bridge tumbled down with a tremendous crash, which was followed by the other half, on which the fore horses had then arrived. It is supposed that Cave was thrown first into the air and then precipitated into the stream, a distance of 15 feet. The men who had been working at the new bridge rushed to the scene, when search was made for Cave, who was found at the bottom of the bank, stunned, cool, and uninjured. The horses w e then released with some difficulty, r id five of them were got out safely ; but ,e sixth had his leg broken, and was subsequently killed ; the seventh, an entire, which was in the shafts, was killed on the spot. Strange to say the waggon was scarcely injured, and was found with its contents, from three to four tons in weight, undisturbed on one of the fragments of the bridge 7 The whole of the goods were recovered the same evening, and Cave proceeded on his journey. A great deal of damage was done to the works of the new bridge, but the escape of the driver of the team can only be regarded as providential.