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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4249, 2 November 1874, Page 2

The chief Inspector of Stock in New South AVales reports to the Government of that colony that the number of sheep in it at the close of 1573 was 18,990,595, as compared with 17,873,696 at the close of 1872. The average lambing was no more than 78 3-7 per cent. The fleece was lighter than in the preceding year, unwashed fleece weighing 41bs. 9ozs., as against 41b. 120z5., and pool-washed fleece 2 lbs. llozs., as compared with 21bs. 14ozs. In the course of the past year the number of stud sheep introduced from England or tho colonies was 35,000. From the 16th of 'October, 1872, to the 23rd of September, 1873, the number of bales of wool shipped was 111,727, as compared with 104,706 in the corresponding period of the previous year. News as late as the 7th October has reached Auckland from New Caledonia. The new Governor, Colonel Alleyron, had assumed office. Works of water supply for the city of Noumea were about to be commenced; and a municipality for the capital had been created, to consist of a mayor, two associates, and twelve members, all to be nominated by the Governor. A meeting of the Education Board will be held this forenoon at eleven o'clock. The Hon. the Commissioner of Customs (Mr. Eeynolds) returned to town on Saturday last. An adjourned meeting of the City Council will be held this afternoon at four o'clock, in the usual place. The Californian Minstrels, who lately played a short but very successful season here, will appear to-night at the Oddfellows' Hall, for a short season of one week.

Speaking of the prosperity of tho city and tho want of household accommodation, it may be a circumstance worthy of note that during his peregrinations in the preparation of the assessment roll the city valuator found the sum total of all the vacant houses in the city to amount to not more than six. Most places can boast of their "deserted dens," "ruined cots," " chancery villas," and " ramshackle cribs," of an uninhabitable character, but if there are such structures in'Wellington they seem to be turned to very profitable account. The arrangements for the suppression of fires in this city are now as perfect as in any other of the advanced cities of the world. With a water supply of sufficient force to cover any building up to a height of 80 feet, there need be little apprehension as to the possibility of a destructive fire occurring in any locality within range of the hydrants. During the last few days, the position of the fire-plugs has been carefully noted, and the locality indicated by the customary plate being posted in their vicinity. The time allowed for preparing the assessment roll of the city having expired on Saturday, the valuation will be submitted to the City Council at its meeting to-day, Mr. Taylor having spared no pains to comply with the wishes of the Council n this respect. The Inspectors of Nuisances is amongst the number of municipal officials to whom Councillor George has directed his attention. The notice paper for to-day's meeting contains two motions calling upon the inspector to make detailed, not to say very detailed, accounts of the business transacted by him every week. Punctual to announcement, the handy little steamer Napier left tho wharf on Saturday afternoon on an excursion round the harbor. Over a hundred people availed themselves of this opportunity of .spending a half-holiday, a number of whom were ladies. The afternoon was fine, with a nice breeze from the N.W. On leaving the wharf the steamer proceeded over'to Evans Bay, and thence round Somes Island, where the Manawatu was embarking immigrants by The Douglas for Foxton. The wharf was reached at five o'clock. All on board appeared to have enjoyed themselves, and a hope was generally expressed that tho trip was but the first of many. In tho Resident Magistrate's Court, on Saturday, George Smith, for being absent without leave from The Douglas, was committed for forty-eight hours. A neighbors' quarrel between John Walker and D. B. McOulla, residents in Manners-street, resulted in McCulla being brought up to Court and being bound over iii the sum of £lO to keep tho peace for three months. Tho threatening language used was really very harmless, but as there was little of the parties mingling their grief and arriving at a state of perfect peace, his Worship thought it better to bind one of them over. A supplement to the Now Zealand, Gazette of Thursday last has been issued, containing rules for the Resident Magistrate's Courts under the Imprisonment for Debt Abolition Act, 1874. Three coasting Bteamers departing in divers directions have taken or will take away two hundred of The Douglas immigrants from Somes Island within tho past three days. On Saturday the Manawatu embarked 105 for Foxton and tho Feilding settlement, but re- ( mained at tho island till the wind moderated, and the Stormbird 48, consisting principally of single women for Wanganui. Tho Waipara will sail for Hokitika, taking with her 53 of the immigrants to satisfy an urgent demand on that part of tho West Coast. Tho remaindor of tho immigrants will probably be landed to-da7. Perhaps no circumstance could more forcibly demonstrate the value of life assurance, says the New Zealand Ecvald, than the untimely end of Commander Gowlland, drowned lately in Sydney harbor. When tho body of the unfortunate officer was. recovered, there was found in one of his pockets a policy of assurance upon his lifo for £IOOO, executed only eight days before the sad catastrophe.

The following is a return of the patients in the provincial hospital during and ending the month of October :—Admitted —Males, 10. Discharged—Males, 7; females, 3. Died— Males, 3. Left in hospital —Males, 33; females, 3. Total in hospital, 36.

We regret to observe from the Wcstland Register that Mr. John White, M.H.E., has been suffering from serious indisposition for some days past, and has been confined to his house by medical advice. Owing to this fact Mr. White has been prevented from addressing his constituents as early as he had intended. The Grey River Argus is now printed by steam —the only newspaper on the West Coast the printing machinery of which is driven by that motive power. The proposed sale of the Thorndon foreshore seems to have alarmed one, if not more, of the members of the City Council. At the adjourned meeting of that body to be held this afternoon, Councillor Moss will move, —" That the City Solicitor be requested to give his opinion whether the Provincial Government can legally sell the land to be reclaimed on the Thorndon foreshore in one block as advertised." The motion will probably lead to a general discussion upon the whole subject of the reclamation.

The ratepayers are likely to have fuller information in future as to how the Corporation money goes. Councillor George, who stands to the public in the relation of the conventional " new broom," intends to move a series of re- • solutions at to-day's meeting of the City Council requiring information as to the number of persons employed at the expense of the Council; the rates of wages paid ; the number of carts employed and their cost ; the manner in which those carts are utilised ; the amount of work performed in forming streets, laying water services, &c. ; the number of buildings in course of erection upon which building fees have been paid ; and similar information in respect of other branches of the Corporation expenditure. The motion is a very exhaustive one. We learn from the Sydney Morning Herald that " during Mr. Vogel's visit he expressly stipulated that in any trans-Pacific service to which New Zealand would be a party, a loop line, such as was provided for by the Hall and Forbes contiact, should be carried out, thus giving Sydney only an alternative direct service, and a branch boat for each intervening month, the same as for Auckland. This, it is said, has since been' agreed to. On one point both colonies are unanimous, namely, that the Californian route shall be maintained. For some months it will necessarily be by tempo-i-ary steamers calling at Auckland en route, until a permanent contract and suitable boats are completed. The Macgregor has been chartered by the A.S.N. Co. to convey the mail of this month to San Francisco, and to return here with the mails from England and America, under contract with the New South Wales Government. We understand the ship has been arrested in the Vice-Admiralty Court for repairs executed or supplies furnished when sho was here in June last, sailing under the orders of the A. and A. Mail Co. Bail has been given by the present agents, and before the ship returns to port probably the knotty question of liability of charterer or owner will have been settled in the suit now pending." The same journal says :—" As the matter stands at present, default of the permanent service cannot be made for threa months after the date fixed by the contract, Mr. Hall having, when it was made in England, obtained a promise that, if necessary, three months' grace would be allowed the contractors." Mr. Holloway has now completed his examination of New Zealand on behalf of the English Agricultural Laborers' Association, and is likely to proceed from Auckland for London direct by the ship City of Auckland. We have been requested by Mr. Vennell to call attention to the clearing sale of drapery to be held by him, on the premises of Messrs Henry Owen and Co., Lambton-quay. The sale commences this day at eleven o'clock, and will be continued on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, at the same hour, the intention being to dispose of the present stock preparatory to the completion of new business premises.