New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4849, 6 October 1876, Page 2

New Zealand Times. (PUBLISHED DAI LY. ) FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6.

Some doubts have, been expressed! recently as ; to; whether Mr. S. C. Brees ever filled the position of Surveyor-General in this colony, and, we beg to inform our readers that the gentleman in question arrived in this colony in the yearlß4l, and succeeded the late Captain W. M.: Smith, R.E., as ’ Chief Surveyor for the New Zealand Land Company, and! held that office up to the year 1845, when the New Zealand Land Company ceased operations, and the; Government took: over charge of the Survey department.! Mr. Brees was a man of considerable experience and the author of several well-known works, amongst which will bo! found “Railway Practice,” “Glossary of Terms used in Civil Engineering,” “Present Practice of Surveying; arid' Levelling,” &c. When he returned to England he’ published a Work entitled : “ Pictorial Illustrations of New Zealand,” which contained a number of beautiful plates, ' a short history of the, colony, and explanations regarding the various illustrations. The following extracts from the preface and introduction are worth rending, and we feel sure will be perused with interest “ During the period that the author was professionally engaged in New Zealand and residing at Wellington, he had numerous opportunities of witnessing the trials and difficulties of the colonists, and in some measure of participating in their hopesi He left New Zealand with reluctance, charmed with , the .couritry and climate, but grieved that this favorable field for the enterprising colonist ' and refuge for, the industrious emigrant should have failed in its early , stage ; in, , commanding! the consideration that was expected,”

I "In the meantime so many conflicting ac- ' counts of the country, more especially of Port Nicholson, the heart of the islands, having appeared, the author has (regarded it in the light of a duty to lay the results of his^ experience before the public, together with his sketches of the country, which he trusts may be depended upon as faithful representations. —“ It is not the intention of the author to give any more than a short description of ■ the scenes .represented in the plates,, interspersed with" anecdotes of the natives and life in the bush, principally from a desire of avoiding the many .controversies connected with the management of the colony, as foreign to theinten"tioiTof "this work, and the want of time to execute such a task satisfactorily.”—“That -New Zealand from its position must ultimately ■become a great country there can be no doubt, and the seat of numerous manufactories, being possessed of a vast amount of water power, with a climate admirably adapted for the English constitution. The hills will soon be covered with sheep and cattle and the valleys occupied by agricultural farms when the colony once gets properly settled. As the islands possess few navigable rivers, and the interior is so mountainous, the sea will probably continue the common medium of transit between distant parts for some time to come.”.

The Hon. Major Atkinson will make his financial statement on the supplementary estimates in the House of Representatives tonight at 7.30. . In consequence of the pressure of matter on our space, we have been compelled to hold over our report of last night’s proceedings of Synod. Pretty well the whole evening was taken up with a discussion on the subject of “Hymns Ancient and Modern.” Amendments to Colonel Gorton’s resolution on the subject were proposed by Mr. C. C. Graham and the Rev. Mr. Tudor. Eventually the amendment of the latter gentleman, referring the whole matter to the General Synod, which is to meet next January, was carried. ' Warnings stating that falling barometer and northerly or easterly gales are probable were sent to all stations yesterday afternoon. The sea is funning heavily on the eastern coast of this island, and was also a good deal disturbed in the south yesterday afternoon.

During the debate on the second reading of the Dunedin Drillshed Bill Mr. Pyke described the hon. member for Dunedin, Mr. Stout, as “ a burning and shining light of the local legislature of Otago.” Mr, Stout remarked that in 1871, the period to which Mr. Pyke had alluded, he was not a member of the Otago Provincial Council, and Mr. Pyke retorted “ What a happy thing for the Council,” his remark being received with considerable laughter and applause. After the division on the second reading, on the usual proposal to go into committee, Mr. Pyke, in reply to a characteristic speech from Mr. Stout, said that his hon. friend was evidently not a military man, for he could not disconnect from his idea of land being set aside for military purposes the necessity of erecting a fort. He might assure Mr. Stout that it was not intended to bombard Messrs. Sargood’s warehouse, and it was very necessary that there should be a military site in Dunedin, to hold in check the “ rabble mob” Who hold meetings and defy constitutional authority. Mr. De Lautour, who followed Mr. Pyke, said that the hon. member for the Dunstan had no cause to be alarmed, for on his arrival in Dunedin he would doubtless be received with “ showers of bouquets.” A special meeting of the City Council was held yesterday afternoon. Present—;His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Oleland, Greenfield, Rainie, Allen, George, ■ Mills, and Moeller. The object for which the meeting had been called was to consider the ; building regulations and the report of the committee on the proposal to sell the reclaimed land sections. With regard to the first question Mr. Dransfield said he was not sufficiently acquainted with it to express an opinion then, and therefore moved that the suggestions made by the architect be printed, slips to be supplied to each Councillor, and that the subject be considered at a meeting to-be held that day fortnight. This motion was carried! The Council then gave their consideration to the report of the committee on the reclaimed land question, and after a brief discussion it was resolved that the upset price proposed by the committee in the first instance be adhered to with regard to the sale of the reclaimed land sections. Subsequently, on the suggestion of Mr. Moeller, the following was added to the resolution, that none of the land should be sold except by public auction. The recommendation of the committee originally was to this effect—that the leases of the sections fronting Lambton-quay and Custom House-quay be sold —comers at £SO per foot, and others at £ls ; Featherston-street —corners £45, and other sections £35 per foot. The question as to whether the All England Eleven are to visit Wellington is now placed before the public of Wellington in a definite shape. The cost to New Zealand is to be £3OO, with admission fees at the various cricket grounds where the matches are played; and of this sum Wellington is called upon to contribute £6O. That is the offer made, and to consider it a meeting of the Wellington Cricketing Association and of others interested in the matter is called for to-morrow evening at the Post Office Hotel. The result of the meeting will determine whether the cricketers shall visit Wellington. Manifestly the few cricketers of the city cannot and should not be called upon to provide the funds. It is the duty of the public to come forward on such occasions. No excuse can be offered in case of failure. The Cricket Association has called a meeting, and it is the duty of those interested in cricket to give a guarantee that the £6O shall be raised.

It is a fact worthy of notice that in the division on the New Zealand University Bill, in the House of Representatives last night, Mr. Stout’s amendment received the support of the only native members who voted. Both of Mr. Stout’s supporters on thisocoasionarealmost entirely ignorant of the English language, and in all probability they knew nothing of the subject on which they voted. The resolutions telegraphed by a correspondent at Cromwell, which we publish in another column, were this afternoon telegraphed to Mr. Pyke. They show clearly that the charges continually levelled against that hon. gentleman, as to his not being in unison with his constituents, are so far as Cromwell is cohce’medt without foundation.

At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday three drunkards were punished. James Dickson, steward of the steamer Hinemoa, was charged by Captain Watson with embezzling a quantity of stores,. ..The evidence of the captain failed to show that the steward had committed the offence, while that of the second steward was in favor of prisoner. Before the evidence of the latter was concluded the case was withdrawn.

We are indebted to Captain Williams for the following copy of ; a telegram received by him yesterday from Nelson At a meeting of the shareholders of the Para Para Coal and Iron Company, limited, held here last night, the following resolutions were carried, to be submitted to a meeting to be held in six weeks hencel. That the best legal advice be obtained to compel defaulting shareholders to pay up. 2. That the company be wound up under inspection.” The Simonsen Opera Company, after a most successful tour in the northern provinces, returned to Wellington, en route for the South yesterday. . Owing to inability to secure the Theatre Royal on satisfactory terms, the company: will not appear in Wellington, but will go bn to Canterbury and Dunedin. On Sunday last the new Presbyterian minister, the Rev. Mr. Lindsay, preached at the Eernside and Eeatherston churches. We (Standard) understand that a manse is to be erected ..for., him at , Waihenga, towards which over £IOO has already been subscribed, the Hon. G. M. Waterhouse'heading the list with £56. ' "V, ’

The Wairarapa races are fixed take place on the: 15th and 16th February next.

It has been decided to hold a horticultural exhibition at Masterton,

His Excellency the Governor has accepted the resignation of Captain Stevens, of the Wellington Artillery Cadets. ’The.following Is "an extract {com Le Figaro, under the heading ‘‘l/IndustrioFrancaise a Phlladelphie Passlng oH to brandies, we find the name oißoutellean and Co., of Barbezieux. , This important house, founded in 1849 by a society with a capital of two millions, is known in the United States under the name of Vineyard Proprietors Company, and in other countries under that of Champagne Vineyard Proprietors Company. Boutelleau and Co , the clever administrators of this society, .established it with the idea of encouraging the sale of the country s produce, which forms a considerable figure in the business with the United States, England, India, and Australia, nor is it astonishing' that this brand passed immediately in the first line after Martell and Honnessy.” The proprietors of this brand in France are certain persons having a fine produce of a superior quality. To foreigners, and especially in the English colonies where they make use of brandy as a'tnedicinal remedy, this brand is particularly recommended by doctors. It is with pleasure that wo, notice the presence of the produce of this house in Philadelphia.