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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4133, 19 June 1874, Page 2

It is stated that the Provincial Government have under consideration a proposal to erect a number of cottages for the accommodation of the immigrants constantly arriving, so' as to obviate the annoyance and inconvenience to which the newcomers are subjected on account of the scarcity of dwelling-houses. The scheme of the Otago Provincial Government has proved eminently successful, and no doubt if the Provincial Government of Wellington adopt a similar plan, the project will be attended with an equally gratifying result. The Hospital Trustees are about to discuss a projjosal for the extension of the present building at the Thorndon end of the City, which has for some time past proved utterly inadequate to the accommodation of the number of patients who present themselves for admission. The present difliculty is the want of funds, but it is incumbent on the trustees to make a strenuous effort to bring about a better state of things. The odium which would inevitably have fallen upon the City in connection with its insufficient hospital accommodation has been staved off by the admirable management of the Provincial Surgeon.and his efficient assistant, Mr. Monteith, but it is palpable to those who pay periodical visits to the Hospital that its accommodation falls far short of what is absolutely required in a city containing such a population as that of Wellington. The effects of overcrowding are not so apparent in the present cold weather, hut it is a matter of fact that in tho hot season the atmosphere of the wards Iras anything but a curative tendency. Proper representation from the trustees would no doubt bring about a different state of things. Messrs. Crawford, Sharp, Kebbel, and Paul, Licensing Commissioners, held a sitting yesterday morning at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, for the purpose of considering tire adjourned applications of George P. Campion for a license for the Globe Hotel, and of Betsy Laird for a license for the Lady Bowen Hotel. At tire request of Mr. Buckley, who appeared for both tire applicants, the cases were further adjourned till the third Monday in July. In the case of Mr. Nelson, of the Ferry Hotel, Porirua, whose license was refused some little time ago, Mr. Ollivior applied for a rehearing of the application, and produced a petition signed by a number of residents in the neighborhood of tire hotel in favor of a license being granted to Mr. Nelson. The Commissioners, after a short consultation, determined to adhere to their former decision, and the application was refused.

Mr. Purdy, who seems to have misinterpreted the terms of Hr. Wiltshire’s challenge (which appeared in yesterday’s issue of this paper), has called at this office to state that lie is willing to walk Mr. Wiltsliire a two-mile match for £2O or £3O a side, and the championship of New Zealand. Mr. Wiltshire, it should be understood, “ tackles” nothing under 1000 miles on his own account, and in his challenge to make a match for £3OO or £SOO against time and endurance he evidently means that he is willing to make a match in which the first win) succumbs at the one mile an hour business should be declared the loser. Such a match might extend to 2000 miles, or, if there is anytliing in habit becoming second nature, the two might walk till the end of their existence. Mr. Purdy and Ml - . Wiltshire are not likely to he matched. The following is published as the list of successful and unsuccessful tenders for the construction of four steam launches for the Government, to be delivered at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Dunedin :—Accepted—Praser and Tinue, Auckland, £2IOO. Declined—A. and E. Price, Thames, each, £585 ; Masefield and Co., Auckland, £2500 ; B. W. Mills, Wellington (informal), each, £5 15 ; John Anderson, Christchurch each delivered in Lyttelton, £605, elsewhere £715 ; Sparrow and Co., Dunedin —each delivered in Dunedin, £Ol5, Lyttelton £065, Wellington £O7O, Auckland £075 ; Kincaid, McQueen, and Co., Dunedin (witli Field boilers), £2316 ; Hamblotou and Go., Dunedin, each, £906 ; C. M. Bridge, Akaroai—offer of one steam launch, two years old, for the sum of £IOO. Of the passengers who arrived in the La Hogue and Wennington eight or nine families still remain in the barracks, not because of want of employment, but? simply on account of the impossibility of obtaining house-room elsewhere. The heads of six of those families have been in employment since they arrived, and having spent several days in a futile attempt to find tenements for their families, they are now resigned to the chances of something turning up in the way of empty houses.

Operations upon tho Muugaroa section of the Hastorton line wore commenced yesterday by Hr. Melvirdy’s workmen. The progress made during the next few weeks will probably not bo very great on account of the scarcity of hands, but Hr. MTCirdy intends pushing on tho work with the utmost expedition, so that in all probability it will bo completed before the expiration of tho contract time. Tho ship Waikato, one of tho new vessels built for the Now Zealand Shipping- Company, is now eighty-seven days out on her voyage to this port, and may therefore bo expected to arrive at any moment. At the time of sailing she had on board, independently of her crew, 80S souls, classified as follows Halo adults, 111 ; female do., 103 ; male children, 51 ; female do., 45 ; infants, 23 ; total, 308 ; equal to 291 statute adults.

Winchester is to be the designation of the post-office at Waihi Crossing, Canterbury, after the Ist of July. Yesterday was a Jay of rejoicing, or perhaps one of sad recollection, to the remaining heroes of Waterloo, the day being the fifty-ninth « anniversary of that memorable battle. The appointment of Mr. William Gray as Secretary to the General Post-office of the Colony is gazetted, the appointment dating’ from May 1 of this year.

Attention is directed to the sale at two o’clock to-day, by Mr. G. H. Venueil, of building sites in Mulgrave, Pipitea, and Webb Streets, and other property.

It is intimated by the manager of the Gas Works that, for a few days, in consequence of extensions which are being made, there will be no supply of gas from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

There are now five immigrant vessels on their way to Wellington—the Waikato, which sailed in March ; the Euterpe and the Conflict, which sailed in April with SIO passengers ; and the Reichstag and Strathnavar, which sailed in May, with 700 passengers. Inspector Atchison received a communication from Constable Eyster, of the Upper Hutt, yesterday morning, stating that no trace had been discovered of the missing child Ettie Needham, although he and the greater portion of the inhabitants had kept up a continuous search in every direction.

The Governor has discontinued the services of the No. 4 Company Auckland Rifle Volunteers at their own request, disbanded the Orepuki Rifle Volunteers, amalgamated the Auckland Engineer Cadets and the Auckland Rifle Volunteer Brigade Cadets under the designation of the Auckland Engineer Cadets, and accepted the services of the Mount Hobson Artillery Volunteer Cadets. We understand that the gentlemen who have arrived here from Dunedin to further the interests of the proposed Colonial Bank have met with a reception almost better than they anticipated. There has been a very fair number of applications for shares, and a meetingwill be held this afternoon for the purpose of selecting the names of gentlemen to be recommended as a local directory. A suitable building for the Civil Service Club of Wellington is talked of. It is proposed that a building, with over seventy bedrooms, should be erected ; and it is understood that the promoters have made application for a site on the land proposed to be reclaimed from Bipitea Point southwards. The capital is to be found by a company with limited liability. The following tenders were received at the Public Works Department, for the construction of a railway bridge over the Wanganui River ;—Accepted Rundell and Bassett, Patea, £14,831. Declined —H. McNeil, Palmerston North, £15,884 ; J. Loekie, Wellington, £19,049 ; C. MclCirdy, Wellington, £20,445.

Tire new trade between tire principal ports of the Colony and the Fiji Islands, in favor of which a small subsidy was recently granted by the General Government, was practically commenced yesterday by the departure of the steamer Star of the South on her first trip to the ports south of Auckland. She will call first at Napier, then at Wellington, and, after visiting Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, will make the round of the ports prior to proceeding direct from Auckland to Fiji.

The s.s. Otago was looked for at the Bluff last night. She was to leave Melbourne on Saturday afternoon last, and no doubt would sail punctually to time. It is probable, however, that she may have experienced those south-easterly winds which appear to have detained the Claud Hamilton on her run across. In all probability the Otago will be heard of in the course of the day. Mr. Crawford, R.M., delivered judgment yesterday morning in the case R. S. Cheeseman v. Brown, in which the plaintiff sought to recover £3O as commission upon the sale of a property at the Hutt which defendant had instructed him to dispose of. Judgment was given for the plaintiff, with costs. The defendant in the case is “ Hokiwi Brown,” a man of considerable notoriety in the olden days. In Garment v. C. O. Montrose (claim £1 Os. 9J.), judgment was given for the amount and costs ; and in Seager v. Howe (claim £3) judgment was given for 30s. and costs.

Consequent upon the representations of a seaman belonging to the barque Chevert, as to the loss of one of her hands overboard during the voyage to this port from Newcastle, the Collector of Customs instituted an inquiry into the matter and found that there was no misrepresentation in the statement of the seaman who brought the circumstances of the accident under public notice. The Collector purposed holding an official investigation, but a question haring arisen as to whether a French vessel is subject to English Custom House forms, it has been referred to the AttorneyGeneral. In opposition to the statement of the seaman, the captain and mates of the barque state that she was rouuded-to when the man went overboard, but that he went down almost immediately, and that it would have been useless to lower a boat. It is doubtful whether further inquiry will lead to any result, as the passengers by the barque have left Wellington. As the case stands at present, it is merely word against word. A proposal to raise the salaries of the Corporation officials was discussed at the meeting of the Council last evening, but as the members desired to discuss the subject colloquially, the reporters withdrew. It seems that one servant of the Corporation is not to share in this prosperous condition of things, for the Counciluuanimously applauded thcSurveyor for having given the foreman his conge. The particular offence of the Foreman of Works was not specified, but it was evidently of a serious character, as all the Councillors, who were evidently aware of the facts, did not care to allude to them. A full report of the proceedings of the meeting apx>ear in another column. Despite Mr. Travers’s opinion as to the clearness of the provisions of the Marine Act ~of 1567, relating to the examination and licensing of pilots, the Provincial Government have been a little puzzled by the vagueness of the Act. In reality, Mr. Gordon Allan —in the late case as to the collision between the ship Golden Sea and the barque Anno Melhuish —pointed out the practical difficulties in the case, but the Bench ruled against him, and unnecessary trouble is the result. The Act does not mention any particular Board of Examiner’s before whom pilots are to be examined, neither does it prescribe any form in which the license or certificate of competency is to bo drawn up. Under these circumstances the Provincial Government have applied to the General Government to point out some course by winch a license or “legal” certificate of competency may bo issued to Pilot Anderson. Henry Williams, an impudent thief who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment yesterday in the City Court, received no more than his deserts. On the previous day the prisoner coolly walked up to Mr. Lewis Moss’s shop door, lifted down two coats, and was about to make off with them when he was arrested by Constable Smart, whose proximity was unobserved by Williams in his hurry to seize the booty. The facts were too palpable to admit of any defence, and the prisoner pleaded guilty, adding that he took the coats because he was “hai'd up.” The inhabitants of tho City in general, and shopkeepers in particular, will no doubt experience a sense of relief at Williams being placed in the care of Mr. Micaiah Head when they leam that he was originally a “lifer” in Western Australia, and, obtaining his release from the penal settlement, has been a great annoyance to the people of Taranaki for a number of years past.

AUCKLAND. An accident occurred a few days ago to Hr. John Mason (of the firm of J. and T. Mason, Queen Street), which will incapacitate him from attending to his business for some months to come. He was, it appears, chopping- a piece of wood in the morning at his private residence, when a splinter flew up, striking him in the face, and cutting the ball of the loft oyo. At last some practical steps arc being taken to establish an efficient fire brigade for tho

city. Tlic Jfcndd refers to a meeting' of the Executive lure Brig-ado Committee, atVhich it was finally decided to at once take such steps as would insure its inauguration under a competent superintendent, such as may be secured at a salary of £250. TARANAKI, Mr. William Mumford Burton baa, according to the statement of the Jfcndd, been officially appointed English Emigration Agent for this I’roVince. Mr. Burton lias received notice to hold himself in readiness to take his departure by the first mail steamer via San Francisco. Mrs, Burton accompanies her husband, and, it is thought, will bo of valuable assistance in procuring suitable female servants for the settlement. A Masonic banquet of an unusual kind has been held in New Plymouth. It having become known to the brethren in the Province that Brother P.M. Newhind, Mount Egraont Lodge, No. 070, E. 0., bad just completed bis half century as a mason, it was decided to celebrate so remarkable an event by inviting him to a banquet in Freemasons' Hall. Accordingly on Wednesday evening last, about forty of the brethren sat down to a sumptuous repast. The chair was occupied by Brother P.M. Carrington. Brother P.M. Newlaud in returning thanks for tho great honor done him by the brethren, informed them that bo was initiated in the Robert Burns Lodge, London, on Ist May, IS2I, and had from that time, he believed, faithfully adhered to the craft, never having had the slightest reason to regret his connection with the Order. WESTLAND. A fund is being subscribed for tho relief of the sufferers by the late fire in the small township of Paroa. The weather (says the West Coast Times) has been most extraordinary of late, and its valuations have occasioned considerable sickness. Tuesday night was without exception tho coldest that has been during the present season.

Mr. E. J. Lee, revising officer, has been engaged in revising the Electoral 1101 l on tho Coast. In addition to the advertised list of objections, 202 Hokitika, and 73 Totara, new claims were disallowed.

The Gre>/ Mouth Star notices the arrival by the a.?. Alhambra, of three members of the religious order of the Sisters of Mercy. It is the intention of these ladies to take charge of the Holy Family Schools at the Ahaura, in addition to their customary evangelic duties. The people of the peculiar port of Oharito have lately been placed in a strange plight, thus described by the Ross Guardian: —“The township is nearly under water, caused by the lagoon being full, aud some of the residents have no other means of obtaining access to their houses than by boats. Hut this is not the worst. Provisions are very scarce, and as packing supplies to Okarito is next to impossible, if the channel is not soon cut out news will be to hand that the people are starving. Such a blockade has not occurred since ISGB, and then it was not nearly of so long a duration. One tender was accepted at £ZG to make a new channel, but after working hard for some days the contractor gave it up as a bad job. Fresh tender’s were called, and one accepted at £3O. The contractor commenced work last Thursday, and his efforts are expected to be successful. An indignation meeting was held last Tuesday, at which resolutions were passed strongly condemning the manner in which the cutting out of the channel has been conducted.” Later information states that a channel has been successfully opened.

The Kanieri water-race is described by tha directors of tha company constructing it as certain to prove a success. There have already been two extended claims applied for in Connelly’s gully, and Thomas Caldwell has made an application to be supplied with three heads of water-, ho wishing to have the first right. Also after crossing the left hand branch of Kanieri Eiver, there is a highly payable flat, of between 300 and 400 acres, at present being worked by two parties with a very inefficient water supply. This fiat will be supplied from the race, and will probably require from fifteen to twenty heads. There is also a good prospect of water being required to work the whole of the terrace from Kennedy’s point back to the long tunnel, a distance of three miles of auriferous country. The first claim is now about opening with every prospect of being more remunerative than any claim hitherto worked in that neighborhood. In addition, the Directors confidently expect that water will be running through five miles of the race in about three weeks, and the whole of the present contracts will be completed on or about the 30th September next. KELSON. Larry’s Greek, a remote but rich locality in the Inangahua reefing district is thus spoken of by the reporter of the Eeefton Herald : —■ It is certainly gratifying to note the improvements that have taken place here of late, and especially so to one who has been a constant visitor during the last two years, and has seen Larry’s pass through all its dreary stages in the scale of advancement. The scene is somewhat different now to what it was twelve months ago, when veteran Larryites assembled around Cox’s fireplace to wear away the leisure hour in recounting their past experiences, and indulging in fanciful hopes of the future. The few huts which then marked the site of the present township, have given place to substantial buildings. The population has increased to very nearly one hundred men—all of whom find employment in one or other of tho claims now working. Boatman’s is another locality in the Inangahua district from which good accounts are received. The Fiery Cross Company have strack a very rich reef in tho incline shaft, at a depth of 81 feet below tho main level. The width of reef 2 feet 8 inches, entirely free from pyrites, antimony aud other mineral substances, with which the stone has been so heavily charged for the last 70 feet of sinking. The block of stone which has been just mot with is of a dull blue color, very solid, and is thoroughly impregnated with gold, though of a fine quality. The Herald considers that the fact of such rich stone being found at a depth of 320 feet below tho level of tho Just-In-Time Company’s present workings, indicates the permanancy of the reefing industry in the Boatman’s district.

Tlie mining manager of the Halcyon Quartz Mining Company,Mohilcinui, sendsthe directors a most encouraging report. He says that soon after arriving on the ground, he proceeded to carry down the*shaft already commenced in the .southern drive. After sinking fourteen feet, which with that already done made twenty-four feet, the reef ran out altogether; but the casing still continued. He sank another five feet through the casing, when he struck the top of the lode, one inch wide. Ho continued down on this, and in the course of five feet sinking, it widened out to twenty inches; the stone on the upper lode getting poorer as they got lower; but the finding in the under lode is rich beyond anything yet found in that rich district. Cold, says Mr. Champion, is visible in every piece. The Halcyon Company intend bringing 700 to 1000 tons of stone to grass before entering into any negotiations for machinery.