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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4119, 2 June 1874, Page 2

The Government have advices of the sale in London of £072,000 of U per cent, debentures, nominally at i’OS, but with allowances for interest which reduce the price to £9O 9b. sd. This is part of the one and a-lialf million which has been offered for sale. Tho balance is to bo sold at the same price. Wc understand that the Government have received from California 501 b. of the seed of the Chilian Alfulfa grass. This grass is being grown to an immense extent in California, and the reports of its stock-carrying powers appear too extravagant almost for belief. For example, it is said that, in one case, 23,000 sheep are kept all the year round upon 1000 acres of grass, divided into paddocks. Alfulfa is a species of lucerne. Its roots strike down most vigorously to water; indeed, we have been shown, as a sample, part of a root which we are assured reached a growth of (sft. during a single year. We believe that the seed now received by the Government has been handed to Dr. Hector, for distribution ; and that the sample root has been handed to him. The preliminary investigation into the wreck of the Earl of South Esk, commenced on Friday last, will be continued to-day before H.' S. MoKcllar, Esq., Collector of Customs. The only evidence required is that of Pilot Holmes, who witnessed the wreck of the barque from the deck of the Inverallau. At a meeting of the Education Board held yesterday, the members present were—Messrs. Brandon, Hutchison, Tooraath, Waterhouse, and V. Smith. The Collector was instructed to sue for all rates in arrear. In answer to an application for a school at Masterton, tho Secretary was instructed to ascertain whether a suitable site could be obtained, and also what aid the settlers themselves were prepared to give. Henry AVillis, of Richmond, Nelson, was appointed master of the Feilding school, to to be opened on July 1. The Secretary was instructed to take steps to call meetings for filling up the vacant seats on the Board for Wanganui, Waitotara, and Rangltikei. The Inspector was authorised to explain to teachers that the regulation as to corporeal punishment was not to be understood to include ordinary moderate correction with the cane. It was agreed that if the trustees of the Carterton and Masterton Town Halls would put those buildings into repair so as to make them suitable for winter occupation, the Board would be prepared to render some assistance. Some routine business was transacted, and the Board adjourned. The annual public meeting in connection with the Wellington branch of the Foreign Missionary Society, was held last evening in the Wesleyan Chapel, Manners Street. From the reports read the progress of the Mission appeared to be very satisfactory. During the evening several Ministers of the Circuit addressed the meeting, which was closed with prayer. In connection with the Rechabite Bazaar, it will be necessary only to remind the public that the exposition and disposal of the articles gathered together for the occasion will commence this afternoon. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, D. Cheswell, charged wfth allowing a horse to stray, was dismissed with a caution. James Kerr and William Hart brought cross actions for assault, and Kcxt was bound over to keep the peace for three months, himself in the sum of £lO and one surety of £lO. Eight persons charged, with drunkenness were fined. The certificate of high commendation and the bronze medal awarded by the Commissioners of tho Christchurch Exhibition to Mr. T. A. Bowden have been left at this office for inspection. Viewed as a recognition of his endeavors to establish an emporium for the distribution of scholastic works of the highest standard, Mr. Bowden will attach a high value to the award, the medal itself being a neatly designed and well-executed piece of art, in tho possession of which any successful competitor might well be proud. Mr. Bowden has, during the last six years, done a great deal towards raising the educational status of the Province. His last stop in this direction is not less deserving of praise than any of his previous efforts. A number of orders for the construction of the Mungaroa section of the Masterton line were received yesterday at the Public Works Office, but the decision will, of course, remain over for a day or two, as in the case of the tenders for the construction of the Grey Gorge Bridge of the Brunner R ailway. At their usual monthly meeting, held last evening, the managers of tho Presbyterian Church, Willis street, had the satisfaction of reporting that £1(530 had already been subscribed towards the erection of a new church. i The Calling at Homo at St. Joseph’s Schoolroom was as well attended as its most ax’dent well-wishers could desire. The tea provided active occupation to a numerous congregation of juveniles, whoso movements were regulated by the older members of the party, and in the evening an entertainment consisting of singing, dissolving views, &c., provided two hours’ amusement of a most enjoyable kind, Mrs. Sharp and Mr. Wiggins earned a most cordial vote of thanks for their services during the evening, and the grateful feeling was extended to other amateurs, who lent willing aid during the evening. A correspondent furnishes the following facts relative to tho working of tho differential duty on colonial and foreign spirits ; —“ I buy first-' class English or American spirits of wine, GO per cent, over-proof, at from ss. to Gs. per gallon. The duty amounts to about 20s. per gallon, and the cost is 255, or 2(!s. per gallon. Colonial made spirits of wine is charged mo 7s. Cd. per proof gallon, which, at 60 per cent, over-proof, costs 12s. ; and, as the duty is 10s. per gallon, the cost is 225. So that if I buy colonial spirit instead of the other, the revenue receives only 10s. per gallon instead of 20s. for every gallon I use in business, and the other is divided in the proportion of 7s. to the distiller and 3s. to me. Practically the result has been that, disgusted with receiving so small a share of the advantage, I have ceased buying colonial spirit, especially as I find tho American or English sweeter and purer for use.” A supplement to the JVcio Zealand -Gazette, published yesterday, contains a notice that application is intended to be made at the next session of the General Assembly for leave to bring in a Bill to authorise tho Lyttelton Gas, Coal, and Coke Company (Limited) incorporated under the provisions of the Joint Stock Companies Act, 1860, to break up streets and bridges, and to lay down and place pipes, conduits, and service pipes, and to make and construct other works for supplying the borough of Lyttelton and suburbs with gas. The number of births in the City of Wellington registered in May was 33. The number of deaths registered was 12—a reduction since April of 12, or 50 per cent. Of these deaths i wore under five years of age, anil 8 over five. The deaths from zymotic disease have fallen from 11 in April, to 2 in May, viz., 1 from enteric fever, 1 from diarrhoea. During the month the cold has been much greater ; rains have fallen which have to a greater or less extent cleansed the drains and removed noxious exhalations. Of tho children, one died from accidental asphyxia, and one, a child eight days of age, from debility. Of the 8 admta, 5 died from phthisis (consumption) ; one of these is known to have arrived in the Colony only a short time before Ms death. The difficulty in tracing the history of tho other, cases makes it impossible to say how many of thorn canic to Wellington with diseased lungs. Napier is to have now offices for the Postal and Telegraph Departments. The buildings are to bo two storeys in height, and arc de--scribed as likely to he a handsome addition to the architecture of tho town.

Mr. «T. P. Hamlin has been appointed Native Lands Purchase Commissioner for Hawke’s Bay and the West Coast. The ship Ballochmoyle, which was spoken by a recent arrival at Melbourne, reached her port of destination Lyttelton yesterday. She brings 383 immigrants. The demand for labor at Napier continues unabated. The Tch’f/raph states that all the single girls that arrived by the Schiehallion were engaged almost simultaneously with the opening of the barrack gates, and the single men have all found employment. The Pcms Journal gives the following account of the escape of the Communists from New Caledonia:—“A vessel carrying the British flag was for some time in sight of the Island. The ship was said to have on board various objects for the use of the convicts, and was waiting for permission to land them. That authorisation did not arrive and the craft stayed on, communicating frequently with the shore. One morning the discovery was made that four of the convicts had succeeded in escaping. What has become of them % The fact was soon known that they had taken refuge on board the self-styled English craft. The first care of the French authorities was to demand them, but the captain refused to give them up. Moreover, he remained a fortnight longer in sight of the coast, having the Communists on board, and then set sail for Sydney.” We have received from the G-eological Survey Department the meteorological report for 1873, in which are included returns for 1871-2, and abstracts for previous years. The report is accompanied also by an abstract of an essay on .the climate of New Zealand, by Dr. J. Harris. These reports have been printed at the Government Printing Office by command.