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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4344, 20 February 1875, Page 2

His Excellency the Governor and the Hon. C. C. Bowen, Minister of Justice, visited the gaol on Thursday, and, it is understood, expressed themselves in terms of approval in regard to the condition and management of the establishment.

It is understood that Colonel Lyon, who arrived from Auckland yesterday, has been appointed head of the New Zealand Armed Constabulary; Colonel Moule being about to obtain leave of absence. Till recently Colonel Lyon has been in command in the Waikato district.

A comparative return of arrivals and departures at the Port of Wellington for the quarters ending 31st December, 1873 and 1874 respectively, shows that the number of ships in the latter period was 242 as compared with 224; and the tonnage 51,987, as compared with 43,437. Of vessels from Great Britain the number was nine, of 8731 tons, as against five, 0f'3635 tons. Prom New South Wales there were only fifteen vessels, of ,5934 tons, as compared with twenty-two of 9151 tons; The trade of Tasmania is entered as nil, which can hardly be correct, considering the voyages of the barque Malay ; and Victoria did no business with Wellington in sailing ships in either period, unless she comes under the heading of “ other ports.” Coastwise the trade grew from 181 vessels of 24,031 tons, to 199 of 28,079 tons. The departures were 242 vessels of 51,989, as compared with 183, of 42,031. The return does not embrace steamers, and, therefore, is but of little value as illustrative of the trade of the port of Wellington. A proclamation appears in the Gazette of Thursday, conferring upon the Hon. D. Pollen all the powers vested in the Governor under or by virtue of the Goldfields Act, 1866, except the powers conferred by sections twenty-two, forty, forty-eight, sixty, ninetysix, and one hundred and seven : “Provided always that copies of all rules and regulations made under the delegation aforesaid shall be forthwith transmitted to the Colonial Secretary, in order that the same may be laid before the General Assembly, in ' accordance with the provisions of the one hundred and tenth clause , of the Goldfields Act, 1866.” The Post'has been: unmercifully' “sold ” over the £500,000 story. - Up to the present moment neither the Government, the bank, nor any of ’ the many financial agencies know anything of such a transaction having been concluded, ■’ nor indeed has any word—good, bad, or indifferent—been received from the Premier since he left the colony. It is known, that he arrived at Brindisi on the 16th December, and since the receipt of that announcement the Government have received a letter from the Agent-General, containing the bald statement that he had been in communication with the Premier (who was still on the continent.) Beyond i this bare announcement, the Government and the bank are quite in the dark as to the Premier’s movements and actions, from which but one . inference can be drawn : either the Post has been intentionally hoaxed, or its backstairs informant is, upon this occasion, very wide of the mark.

The public cannot but take an interest in the extensive sale of land by auction announced by Mr. K. J. Duncan for Tuesday. About 100 building allotments will be offered, all possessing frontages to public streets, of 50 feet in width ; and as the terms of payment are unusually easy, it is probable there will be many buyers. The whole of these eleyen town acres are all level land, aud so afford'a good opportunity for people anxious to acquire freehold city property. Such an opportunity, in fact, may never again occur ; certainly, never again at the prices that these allotments are likely to sell for, as nearly the whole are to be sold without reserve. .For fuller particulars we refer the reader to the advertisement, or to the auolioneer, from whom lithographed plans may be procured. The barque Edwin Fox sailed from London for this port on the 2nd December, with 261 souls on board. Amongst these are the following nominated immigrants : Thomas Brosnan, wife, and 3 children ; William Clarridge, wife, and 2 children ; George Haskell and wife ; Patrick Keegan, wife, and 7 children; William Kershaw, wife, and 3 children ; Hermann Knigge, wife, and 2 children. Single men—Samuel Atkins, James Bracelin, Michael Coffey, John Dunn, Thomas Kiugerlee, Edward Mooney, Maurice Kelliher, James Hagan, Martin Purcell. Single women—Ellen Bergant, Maria Clark, Mary Downey, Frances Dunn, Bridget Purcell, sen., Bridget Purcell, jun., Kate I’ower, Margaret Shea, Ellen Lownie. Amongst those classed as single women are several married women coming out to join their husbands in the colony, aud these have amongst them nine children.

Live vagrants were yesterday brought up at the Police Court and sentenced to well-merited terms of imprisonment. The names of these worthies are—Anne Matthews, Margaret Smith, Elizabeth Burke, Alex. Keid, and Wm. Ellison, all of whom, in addition to several Maoris, were found herded together one evening in a small whore at the Te Aro pa, the dimensions of which were stated to be Bft. by sft., and about Oft. high. The woman Mathews is a notorious bad character from Wanganui, but as her career in Wellington has been short, she was dismissed with a caution. Margaret Smith, alias “ Mother Quinty,” is a wretched drunkard, whose convictions extends over twenty years. She was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, as also were Burke and Keid. Ellison was sentenced to one month in gaol.. Some unimportant civil actions concluded the business of the day.

The Stormbird is announced to make a special trip to Wanganui on Tuesday, the 23rd instant, to enable Wellingtonians and others of sporting tendencies to be present at the races there, which take place on the 25th and 20th of this mouth. The trip, with fine weather, will be a pleasant one.

Dr. Knight, Auditor-General, returned to Wellington yesterday, irom an official visit to the Middle Island.

The moonlight excursion by the Manawatu has, for the present, been abandoned, for the reason that it will interfere with the vessel’s customary trips coastwise.

Mallala, in the colony of South Australia, is now a 1 money order office in connection with the New Zealand Dost Office money order system.

Professor Bruce, the well-known and successful lecturer on phrenology and mesmerism, intends, we observe, to visit the various townships in the Wairarapa in the course of next week. He gives his last lecture iu Wellington this evening in the Odd Bellows’ Hall.

The nominations for Thomdon Ward; to fill the vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Councillor Burrett, will be received up to the 26th instant, and the poll will be taken on the Bth of March.

A general meeting is called of the members of the Wellington Benevolent Asylum, to be held on Friday, the 23rd instant, in the Library of the Provincial Council, to receive the yearly report and balance-sheet, and elect officers.

His Excellency has been pleased to appoint John Jermyu Symonds, Esq., and Samuel Deighton, Esq., to be Judges of the Native Laud Court of New Zealand. These appointments date from the 12th February current.

The annual sermons in aid of the Melanesian Mission, will be preached to-morrow iu St. Paul’s and St. Petef’s Churches. The Rev. C. Bice has been for eight years connected with the Mission, and will advocate its claims both morning and evening ; and in the afternoon, to the children of St. Peter’s Sunday school. Anniversary sermons in connection with the Sunday-school of the Primitive Methodist Church, will be preached in the Webb-street Chapel to-morrow, in the forenoon ; in the afternoon (for the young),and in the evening. A tea meeting will follow on Tuesday. . The Rev. James Buller, President of the Wesleyan Conference, arrived in town last evening by coach, having come overland from Napier. As will be seen by the church notices, he is to preach to-morrow morning at the Wesleyan Church, Molesworth-st'-eet, and in the evening at Manners-street. The rev. gentleman is one of our earliest colonists, and is known and respected by all New Zealand. Large congregations will, no doubt, assemble to hear the veteran preacher. An alarm of fire was experienced at the Railway Hotel, Upper Hutt, yesterday morning. About half-past nine o’clock, Constable Lyster was about a hundred yards from the hotel when he observed the roof to be on fire. He gave the alarm, and with the help of some twenty or thirty of the neighbor's, who at once went to his assistance, and the supply of water being good, the flames were extinguished before much damage had been done. It was found that sparks from the kitchen chimney, falling on the shingle roof, had set it on fire. Under the Marriage Act, 1854, the following names of officiating ministers, within the meaning of the Act, are published for general information Roman Catholic Church—The Rev. Charles Henry Kirk, Rev. William Mahoney, Rev. Denis Carew, and the Rev. Francis Jardin. The Church of Christ—The Rev. Thomas Herbert Bates. Hebrew Congregations—The Rev. Jacob Levy. The final deposit has been made by Messrs. Ashton and Purdy for the forthcoming walking match. The stakes are £25 a-side, and from the manner in which both parties are training, the public are likely to witness a good and well-contested match. It takes place on the Basin Reserve on the Ist of March. Opinions as to the result of the match appear to be about equal at present, although Ashton is being backed freely to win the mile event.

A match between the well-known ketch Falcon, and the yacht Xarifa, has been talked of during the past day or two, but as yet no definite terms have been decided on. The backers of the Xarifa wish to stipulate for a whole-sail breeze ; the backers of the Falcon, it is understood, decline to be hampered by any conditions; and’so, for the present, the matter has ended in' talk. . It is likely, however, that a,match will be arranged between the two boats.

A meeting of lumpers, and wharf laborers generally, for the formation of a Lumper's Society, was held in one of the side-rooms of the Odd Fellows’ Hall last evening. There were about fifty; present, e A chairman having been appointed, the meeting elected a working committee, who were entrusted •with the preparation of. rules which are to be presented for approval at a future meeting. The object of the society is to watch over the interests of the body, and the establishment of a sickness and accident fund. Similar, societies exist in the other principal ports of the colony, and, it was stated, were in a most flourishing condition, and had been productive of good. The following produce telegram has been received in Wellington from the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company Limited, dated London, 3rd February, 1875 : —“ Wool—Up to date 140,000 bales have arrived ; trade in the manufacturing districts not so good. ! Tallow—Dull of sale ; supplies of town .melted are heavy ; mutton, 425. per cwt. ; beef, 41s. per cwt. Leather-Trade demand is good. Copper—Market unchanged; ore of 17 per cent, is worth 16s. per unit. Wheat—Off coast cargoes have declined-2s. per quarter of 4961b5. since last report. Preserved Meats —The provincial demand has declined ; boiled mutton without bone, 61b. tins, is worth 6£d. per lb. Kauri. Gum—Market firm ; stock according to last returns was 600 tons.” ■ ■

We are requested by the local agents of the National Fire Insurance Company of New Zealand to state that the policy over the wrecked ship Blcncathra—mentioned yesterday in a telegram from, Melbourne as having been held by the “National,” —did not refer to their company, but to the National Insurance Company of South Australia.