GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5027, 4 May 1877, Page 2

GENERAL NEWS.

The Commission of the Peace of New Zealand now numbers 1000 names. ~..,. His Excellency the Governor and Commodore Hoakins left for Duriedin in the Government Bteamer Hinemoa at noon on April 19. The Hon. Mr. Ormond left for Napier pn April 19, arid the Hon. G. McLean left for the South in the Hinemoa, as. Minister in attendance upon his Excellency the Governor. The ball to Commodoie Hoskms and the officers of H.-M. ships Wolverene and Sapphire took.place at the Provincial Buildings,on the 18th April. There wasa good attendance. His Excellency the Governor and the Commodore were present,, together with the officers of the Wolverene and Sapphire, also members of the Government, Sir William and Lady Eitzherbert, the city representatives, and tbe leading members of society ' jn', Wellington. The assemblage was most gay, the gorgeous'uniforms of the officers .adding to the brilliancy of the scene. , Supper was served about midnight, !Mr. Laing being the caterer. >His Excellency the Governor remained an hour longer than! he had originally intended,' being enabled to do so osing to the detention of the Hinemoa.' , . ,

' The ; following appointments in the Armed Constabulary have been made in consequence of the General 'Government taking over the management of the police :—Robert Clarke Shearman to bo Inspecting Superintendent ; date of i commission 30th April, 1877. Thomaß King'Weldon. to be Inspector, first class ; date of commission .'lst . November, 1867. Frederick Atchison to be Inspector, first class; date of commission 2nd November, 1867. Thomas Scully to be Inspector, first class ; date of commission 4th November, 1887. John Emerson to be inspector, first class ; date of commission Ist July, 1868;' William Henry James to be Inspector, first class ; date of commission Ist July; 1870. ' James Hickson to be Inspector .' first' class ; date of commission 20th August, 1872. Samuel! Moore to be Inspector, first class ; date of commission, Ist July, 1873. Andrew l Thompson to be Inspector,: first class ;. date of commission Ist July, 1873. William. Graham Fox to be Inspector, first class ;, date of commission Ist July, 1873. Peter Pender to be Inspector, first class ; date of commission 24th April, 1874. Frederick Mallard to be Inspector, first class ; date of commission 23rd January, 1875. ' William Aventon Kiely to be Inspector, first class;;; date of commission 7th May, 1875. Alfred Buckley to be Inspector, first clalss; date, of commission 28th June, 1875. Albert George Barsbairi to be Inspector, second class ; date of commission Ist January 1874. Harry Feast to be Inspector, sedond class; date of commission, ,28th June, 1875. Charles iO'Donnell to be' Sub-Inspector, first class; date of commission.'2nd September, 1872. Samuel, Goodall to be Sub-Inspector, first class; date of commission 18th June, 1873. i

Planß are being prepared for the new magazine about to be erected at Point Halswell,' in compliance with the request of a deputation which recently waited upon the Government. It is not yet decided, however, whether the magazine Bhall be placed on the top of tho hill or at a spot to be excavated for its reception;

Replies have been received from nearly all the colonies favorable to the establishment of a colonial museum. The question will be brought before Parliament after the Mansion House meeting.. , .The estimated population of New South Wales on the 31st of December last .is 629,776,; 317,869 males, and 281,907 females. During the half-year ending the 31st December, the arrivals by sea to that colony were 15,354, and the departures for the same period 9684, leaving a,gain of sea-borne immigrants of 5670 during six months. -Ijcwill.be seen.byourChristchurch telegram that Pooley and Bramhall, of the English cricketers, were acquitted on the charge of having wilfully destroyed the property of one Donkin. The evidence of identification seems to have broken down.

The following tenders were received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, for the erection of a store at Newmarket :—Accepted: William Cameron, £793. Declined : William Philcox, £997 ; Charles Rhodes, £ll2O ; Messrs. Watson and Co., £1144 ; Gr. J. Matthews, £1212 45.; John Taylor, £1232. Mr. E. W. Lowe, late chief clerk in the Wellington branch of the Australian Mutual Provident Society in Wellington, has received the appointment of resident secretary and head of; the New Zealand agency, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Dyer. Everyone is acquainted with the value of the coal mines on the West Coast of the Middle Island. Evidently faith in them is not failing. A new company has been formed to work mines at Westport, and the company has purchased the Government steamer Luna for £4OOO, as being specially adapted by her light draught of water for crossing bar harbors. It is understood that the shares in the new company will be allotted pro rata in the different centres of population in the colony. A Wairoa correspondent of the M.S.Herald telegraphs,:—"lt is reported here that on Monday evening a reading native at Waihirere pa; named Anauia, was recounting some of his Chatl#im Island experiences to a circle of listeners, when he suddenly dropped asleep. They awakened him and heard the rest of the adventure, and again he dropped asleep ; but they could not waken him this time. He was honored with a taugi and buried next day; but the natives affirm that he neither lost color nor got cold from the time of his supposed death till' he was buried."

The following letter was received on April 11 by the Ringarooma from Captain J. McLean: —" Melbourne, April 3,lß77.—Messrs. Bishop, Laing, and Billings.—Dear Sirs, —In acknowledging your favor of the 19th ult., covering bank draft for £l5O, as a token of kindly remembrance from seventy-two subscribers in Wellington, permit me to tender you and the other subscribers to this handsome testimonial my most sincere thanks, which I> regret circumstances prevent my expressing in person, my lengthened connection with the people of Wellington having always been to me a source of great gratification, arid rest assured that the port and people of Wellington will always be held in kind remembrance by, yours truly, John McLean."

We understand that a number of gentlemen are moving with the endeavor of procuring the Humane Society's medal for Mr. Ferris, who saved husband, wife, and child from drowning just off the breastwork on the night of the 9th. There can be no.doubt that Mr. Ferris acted with great bravery. It is no light matter to jump into the water where three persons are struggling for life—indeed it can only be done at the risk of the life of the person who so acts!; and when the attempt is successfully made, such gallant conduct should be recognised. Mr. Ferris performed the deed on Monday evening, and we should be much pleased to see him receive the medal, particularly as we happen to recollect that some twelve months ago he saved a couple of lives in much the same manner.

An instance of smart telegraphy was mentioned by the Bishop of Melanesia when speaking at the social gathering given in Auckland in connection with his departure for his see. In concluding his speech, his Lordship said he had lately been made to feel that the world was much narrower than they were accustomed to think. On February 2 he had telegraphed to his father, ,the Bishop of Lichfield, the news of his consecration, and on the following day had received a reply, containing the information that on the-evening of February 17 his father would be conducting a service which might fit in with the one that he (his son) would be then holding at Nelson. He had told them this, because he knew they would sympathise with the father in his feeling for his son.' The Ohinemuri correspondent of the Thames Advertiser writes: —"Sub-Inspector Bullen, who is now in charge of this district, came up to-day on a visit of inspection. On his way up he seized a keg of leaden bullets, which was being! transhipped, from the Ruby to the for conveyance to Te Aroha. The keg was in a dirty sack,, and was supposed to be a parcel of corned beef. The affair has caused a great sensation here. The keg and contents were' lodged, on arrival at Paeroa, at the A.C. station, and there will of course, be an ; investigation. Ema Te Aoru, I hear, claims the keg as her property." The governing body of Christ College, Canterbury, have offered the appointment of tutor and chaplain to' the Rev. F. A. Hare. Mr. Hare is a graduate of Cambridge, was formerly private chaplain and secretary to Sir James Fergusson.'late Governor of New Zealand, and has been acting for nearly two years past as hcumiteriens 'for the Rev. Croasdaile Bowen, incumbent of Riccarton. It is not yet decided When'Mr. Hare is to enter on his duties at the C6lle'ge.. : Mr. "Bowen is not expected from England till'August next, but Mr. Hare is under no engagement to remain at Riccarton aft»r May. At the quarterly meeting of the governing body of the College, to be held on April 10, arrangements will probably be made for the admission of students in the collegiate department, and for the regulation of their studies and discipline. The j increase of work at the Lion Foundry rendering it necessary to have additional steam power to work.the complicated machinery, a new boiler and engine have been made at the foundry. Steam was got up on April 10, and the result was entirely satisfactory. The engine is of 25 horse-power, horizontal, and is one of I the prettiest pieces of machinery we have working with great smoothness and regularity, notwithstanding that it w&b quite new. It has been erected in a room built purposely, and lined with well planed and moulded boards/which will be varnished, and the room in fact so fitted up that the machinery may be kept perfectly sheltered and clean.. The boiler is in a separate room. Jit is a multi-tubular boiler; 18ft. long by sft. 2in. diameter. There ! is also a water heater underneath the flue, connected by pipes with the boiler, the advantage of this ; being that, a great saving of coal is effected. The connection between this room and the engine is of course by a large steam pipe, whilst there is a separate pipe from the boiler connecting with the steam hammer, which is situated in the blacksmith's department, id the.main body of the building. The old engine was one. of 10 horse-power; thus a great increase "of force has betn obtained, iquite sufficient indeed for all purposes in connection with the foundry work for some time to come. Additional space has been secured ', by the alteration, as the old machinery will be removed,'and its room utilised for putting together boilers and other ironwork. The Lion Foundry has received an order to! make new engineß and boiler for the Rangatifa. , The work of manufacturing these has already been commenced under the superintendence of Mr. Seager, the obliging manager, parts of the.machinery being already made. It may be mentioned that quite recently a: boiling-down machine was made for Mr. Tyer, of the' Wairarapa; and as showing j that work can be '' turned out with despatch at the foundry, 'we may add that within fourteen days from the receipt of the order the apparatus, which is capable ef containing .300 sheep at one time, was put together and delivered at the station, it being now in use there. It is satisfactory to note the progress' being' made by such local industries in Wellington, and we look forward to the time, at no very 'distant date, when the amount of work in this and other lines here will be as important as. in Auckland, Christchurch, and JDunedin.

The Patea County Council seal has arrived. The Mail says :—"lt is a boomer—2Jin. in diameter, mystically warlike in design, with charioteers, prancing Bteeds, mangled human corpses, and so on. On top of the central design is the motto Sociatis Laboribus, at bottom Omnia Fortiter Vincimus. In his address to the electors of Totara Mr. Gisborne says :—I may state generally that I would support the Government in measures to give successful effect to the Public Works Policy of 1870, with which I was identified, to maintain the Union of the colony, to follow up provincial abolition by securing substantial local self-government in goldfiekls and other districts, and to place the finances of the colony in a sound and satisfactory position. The Otaffo Daily Times gives an account of the meeting of the so-called unemployed in Dunedin, presided over by the well-known John McLaren, which was held in the neighborhood of the Fire Brigade station lately. The Times says:—"There were 100 to 150 persons present. . The attendance comprised citizens who happened to be passing at the time, a goodly sprinkling of small boys, and probably a few men who really are desirous of work. The latter, if there are any such, have our sympathy, but if they really want work they should apply at the Public Works Office, Dunedin, where they are much more likely to find it than by following the lead of a vulgar loafer. The Waikouaiti section of the Dunedin and Moeraki railway has been reserved especially for men in need of work, and we have lately been assured by Mi - . Blair that those who have accepted employment there are making equally as good wages as the men employed by contractors. The proper course, then, for 'men requring employment is to apply to Mr. Blair or those in the habit of employing men, and should they then fail in having their wants satisfied, they might apply to the Government to provide them with temporary employment. The fapt that they took no steps in this direction during the time of Mr. Reid's visit to Dunedin tends .to show that the meeting of yesterday is simply a subterfuge for the purpose of bringing discredit on the city, on the occasion of the Governor's visit. We believe McLaren's object is to present a petition, of some sort to his Excellency on or after his arrival, and it is this consideration alone which leads us to make the slightest reference to any proceedings with which McLaren is connected. At a public meeting held at Caversham some time ago, he avowed that on one occasion during political excitement his noiss support was purchased for £1 sterling, and what guarantee is there but the demonstration which he is seeking to get up at present, may not have originated in consequence of his having received a similar sum from some one who would like to see disgrace brought upon the city ? There are very few citizens who do not know how to appreciate law, order, and public decency at their proper value, and in their names we hope that as Dunedin has a character to Bustain, and a reputation to lose, steps will be taken to secure that McLaren will be kept in the background on Saturday next." It will be seen by our telegrams, that McLaren was " kept in the background." Our telegram also showed that McLaren had entered upon his latest mission in consequence of certain matter that had appeared in the Otago Guardian. We notice by our files that the Guardian vehemently denies this ; but a perusal of those files leaves little doubt that the statement telegraphed by the Press Agent at Dunedin is true. The Guardian also complains bitterly that the Press Agent at Dunedin should be a member of the staff of the Otago Daily Times. But, if we are correctly informed, the Dunedin Press Agent was, until very recently, a member of the > staff of the Guardian. Read in the light of this fact, its last complaint seems curious.

The Rev. R. L. Stanford, of Dunedin, in the course of a sermon on Sunday, April 22, said : —" I want to speak more especially about a wrong-doing in our midst which does, I fancy, escape attention, but which is producing evils of which we shall sooner or later have to bear the consequences. I refer to the wretched habit of keeping banks especially, but also some commercial houes, open half the night. Open, that is in so far as the clerks are concerned. In the firßt place, the forcing young men to stay till nine or ten o'clock at least at work night after night, is a defrauding of a neighbor, for there is an unwritten law here declaring that a certain wage is given for a certain time of labor. I don't think I exaggerate when I say that it is becoming the settled habits of the banks to keep the men in their- employment at work till ten or eleven night after night, by a sort of irresistible moral pressurt, which it is utterly impossible for them to resist. This miserable policy arises from two causes. One great cause of it is simply bad management. The other, mere greediness. I understand that these young men are often by no means too busily employed all day. In some of those institutions which are the worst offenders, and where this is the caße,the evil is one solely of bad management. In those cases where work goes on all day and half the night, it is simply a question of greediness. The place is shorthanded, in the desire to give larger dividends, and every shareholder is concerned in the sin. lam well aware of the difficulty of dealing with a subject like this. It seems when we inquire into it to be just nobody's fault. It is one of those matters that ought to be banned by public opinion, and it can, I think, be cured in no other way." The rev. gentleman might have applied his remarks with equal aptitude to the manner in which civil servants are worked after hours.

We take from. the Lyttelton Times of April 21st the following particulars respecting the sale of Mr. Griffiths' thoroughbred stock at Spreydon. The attendance was very numerous, comprising all the breeders of note in Canterbury and other parts of New Zealand. The sires did not come up in price to the expectation of either the owner or the public. Albany was the first offered, and was started at 400 guineas. The bids advanced till 000- was reached, when he was knocked down to Mr. Nosworthy.' Blue Boy next came out, and Mr Delamain secured him for 150 guineas. When Traducer came into the ring he was greeted with three cheers from the spectators as the king of all New Zealand sires, and Mr. Newton, after recounting to the audience the names of all the winners of' whom he was the sire, asked them to bid freely for him, as he would be knocked down to the highest bidder, Mr. Griffiths having instructed him to dispose of the horse without the slightest reserve. The first offer was 500 guineas, and he gradually rose fifty guineas at a bid until 750 was attained, Iwhen there was a long pause. After about a quarter of an hour'B breathing time, fifty more was bid, and this grand horse was knocked down to the Middle Park Company. Of the imported English mares, Maria Theresa was first put up, and was the nicest ! mare of the "whole lot. She was started at 200 guineas, and gradually went up to 550 guineas, when. the hammer fell to the Middle Park Company's bid. Hammock, mare, of a fine color, fell to the Middlepark Company's bid of 3251 Aurifera was the last of the English thoroughbred mares Mr. Newton had to submit.' She iB a very nice mare, and is by Diophantus, the fastest mile horse ever known in England, arid combines the blood of Orville, Orlando, Emilius, and Sir Peter. For this mare there was not much competition, and Mr. Nosworthy, after bidding well for all the mares, sanured this for 275 guineas. All these mares are stinted to Traducer. Among those of ; the colonial-bred mares that fetched a high price may be mentioned Ethelred, the dam of Nectar and Bribery, now in her 18th year, who fetched 110 guines, going to the stable of Mr. R. Richardson. Twitter, also a colonial-bred mare with English pedigree, fetched 160 guineas, Mr. Stead being the purchaser. The foals out of the English mares by Traducer, were Bold at very paying prices, the first being a filly out of Idalia. She was Becured by Mr. Lance for 100. The next was a filly foal out of Aurifera by Traducer, which Mr. Mallock got for the same money. The filly foal out of Maria Theresa was the best of the whole lot, and after some spirited bidding fell to Mr. Lance's bid of 300 guineas. The bidding for the two-year-old filly Tell Tale, by Traducer, out of Brunette, who ran third for the Champagne Stakes at the Autumn Meeting, was commeneed at 100 guineas, and she eventually went to Mr. Nosworthy for the sum of 300 guineas.

The Bowen prize, to be competed for by matriculated students of the University, will this 3 ear be given for the best English essay on "The relation of Constitutional colonies to the Empire, as it is and might be.

The balance-sheet of the National Insurance Company shows the net receipts, including balance brought forward from previous halfyear, to be £51,076 ; losses, £22,564; profit, £28,511. The directors recommend placing £15,000 to re-insurance fund, and the payment of a dividend of 10 per cent., and a bonus of 6d. per share, leaving £Bsll to be carried to the next half-year. We (Napier Telegraph) learn from native sources that the division of the £17,500 paid by Messrs. Watt Bros, to the " Repudiation Office," was approximately as follows : —To Hirini Harawira, £1000; Pukepuke, £1400; Karaitiana, £3OOO ; Henare Tomoana, £3OOO ; Meihana, £1000; Henry Russell, £4000; Otene Wirahana, £606 ; Rora (daughter of Paora Nonoi), £600; Hohepa te Ringanohu, £600.; Nikora, £3OO. These sums amount to £15,500, leaving £2OOO to be accounted for, which our informants were not able to do, further than to state that various small sums were to be divided amongst the other natives with whose names they were not acquainted. Some of our informants stated that Mr. Henry Russell received £6OOO, others £4OOO. The legal expenses amounted to £2OOO. Respecting the presentation to Pooley, the Lyttclton Times very properly says:—Testimonials are nice things. Sometimes they reward merit; occasionally they only flatter vanity, not unfrequently they soothe ruffled feelings, and instances are upon record in which they have been used as pure braggadocio. To which of these categories belongs the testimonial presented the other day to our distinguished visitor Mr. Pooley, it is perhaps useless to inquire A testimonial is a reward for gome service done, or some duty well discharged, but in this case there was not much, if any, of these things. The story is very different. Pooley entraps an innocent with a specious bet, assaults the innocent savagely, and either he or his friends destroy the innocent's property, and would further have mauled the innocent himself if he had not quickly betaken himself elsewhere. For this Pooley gets a testimonial and a gold ring, and his satellite gets a share of the good things. If the friends of these people like to comfort them with guineas, speeches, and social afternoons, let them do so by all means. It is a matter of taste. When indulging their taste, the less they say about testimonials the better. To use the word in Buch a case is only to bring discredit on a good term. A gardener named George Smith, residing at the Water-of-Leith, Dunedin, died on the Ist April under somewhat extraordinary circumstances. It appears that the friends of the late Dr. Hulme, who was buried about three months ago, had prepared a vault for the reception of the body, and Smith, with some other workmen, were on Tuesday last employed to lift the coffin. While digging it out they were almost overpowered by the stench emitted, and a quantity of liquid matter oozing through the seams adhered to their tools. One of the men accidentally grazed the side of Smith's leg with the point of his spade, but the bruise scarcely pierced the skin, and appeared so trivial that no attention wa3paid to it. The same evening Smith, who is a Forester, was at a meeting of his lodge apparently well and happy, and on Wednesday he was working as usual. On Thursday he felt ill and took to his bed. Dr. Brown was called in to see him, and discovered that the unfortunate man was suffering from symptoms of blood-poisoning. Everything that medical science could suggest was done for him without avail, and after enduring the most fearful agonies imaginable, he died on Sunday afternoon. Decomposition set in so rapidly that the side of the body on which the scratch had been inflicted became as black as ink almost before the body was cold, and the deceased had to be coffined immediately. The deceased was a hard-working, industrious man, about forty years of age. He leaves a wife and young family to deplore his death.

Lieut.-Colonel Reader, in his report on the prize-firing at Hokitika, said : From the return it will be seen that the average shooting throughout is very much higher than it was either last year or the year before, which I attribute in a measure to the representatives having this year been provided for the competition with new rifles of a uniform pattern, and first-class arms in every respect. The range. which was situated nine miles from Hokitika, on the Arahura River, was everything that could be desired,. and contributed not a little to accurate shooting. Our only drawback was occasional heavy rain, which interrupted the firing, and spoiled the ground for a time. I cannot speak too highly of the work done by Assistant-Armourer Christy, who preceded us to Hokitika by a month to prepare the range. Hia was a very arduous task, for in addition to having to clear about 400 yards of brushwood aud stumps, raise the butts and platforms, he had two bridges to build to enable us to get to the range, one of which had at least 40ft. of span. How he got through so much work in so short a time, doing it so thoroughly and well, was a matter of astonishment not only to myself but to everyone connected with the camp.! The only suggestion I have to make is, that the mode of marking I adopted, of painting out every shot, should be adhered to at future meetings, as insuring accuracy, rapidity in marking, and general satisfaction to the competitors themselves. In couclusion, I beg to be ; permitted to record, on behalf of the representatives, staff, and myself, our grateful appreciation of the kindness and hospitality «ho%vn us by the inhabitants of Westland during our stay amongst them. A gentleman who has lately returned from Rotorua informs us {N.Z..Herald) that a noti-. fication has been printed by the natives, prohibiting any person from taking photographs of the scenery, unless they pay £5. The English version of the notification is as follows : "To the Europeans who visit Rotomahana, who photograph at that place. They are to give to Hoani Kahutaka five pounds (£5). Should they not consent to pay this money, they must cease photographing at Rotomahana. The reason that this arrangement is determined on is that they will receive a great deal of money for their photographs when exhibited for sale. Also, let writing'names on the terraces cease." Natives are exceedingly ingenious in imposing taxes ;; indeed, so fertile m resources are they that we fancy they would put to the blush any Colonial Treasurer who ever presided over the finances of New Zealand. Maori ideas on this subject change with the times, and within the historic period we have had several interesting modifications of the tariff. In the good old times, when every pakeha in New Zealand lived merely on sufferance, the list of reasons for taxing him was enormous, and worse than all, it was quite indefinite. No European ever. could understand the Maori code, so as to be able to! evade the multitudinous regulations, a breach of any one of which involved a heavy fine or a ruinous mum, or robbery according to law. Most of the plundering was done on account of alleged breaches of religious rites. Then came a change; Europeans became more numerous, and of course more powerful; they refused to be stripped of their possessions for having done something whish, acaording to the ever-varying Maori code, inferred punishment. We do not know whether we would be right in ascribing the cessation of punishments of this'nature to the Maoiis having become Christians. We will take it that they had to come down a peg, and raise the wind in another way. Trespass was a favorite pretext for a fine, and European travellers were mulcted to a most extraordinary extent when they had to cross rivers or to have recourse to a Maori guide. Things west from t>ad to worse, and now the most horrible infli-tion—quite as bad as the religious idea—is ih.e begging that prevails. The people living in the Lake Districts are well up in the art of extracting money, and they have a srJendW opportunity._ They were famous in Miori' history for being sharpers, and their ancestors, in taking possession of Rotomahana -md Rotorua, must have had in prophetm/view the fine harvest their descendant* wpulo jet put of pakeha travellers. The abore notice is, however, likely to be taken exertion to; they have no right to charge those yho take photographs, for the Government lave paid money on the Rotomahana, and so are part owners.

During the month of April, 1877, ending on Monday, 59 births and 24 deaths were registered in the city of Wellington. The number of marriage certificates issued during the month amounted to 24.

The rite of confirmation was administered by Bishop Hadfield at St. Paul's Church on Sunday afternoon. There was an unusually large number of candidates presented by the incumbent, the Rev. B. W. Harvey—3l females and 16 males. The Bishop preached an earnest The Rev. Mr. Coffey, of St. Mark's, is now holding preparatory classes, and a confirmation service will take place shortly.

Great interest was felt in Wellington on Monday as to the result of the polling for Totara, and according to our telegram it would seem there was a good deal of excitement.ln the district. The result of the election is that Mr. Gisborne is once more a rnembev of" the House of Representatives, having a majority of twenty-one from the principal polling places, the others being of so little consequence that they cannot affect the result. At a meeting of the Auckland branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society, it was reported that the total issues during the year were 2748, being an increase of 25 per cent, over last year; collections, £176 195.; balance in hand, £2 3s. We have been shown an immense bunch of Black Hambro' grapes, grown by Mr. A. McDonald, Upper Willis-street. The bunch is one of the most beautiful we have seen, and this is remarkable, inasmuch as it was grown iu the open air, rather an uncommon occurrence at this time of the year, and in a climate like that of Wellington. The Ohinemuri natives have been induced to raise the blockade of the river, and it is expected a complete reconciliation will shortly be effected between them and the Aroha natives. The latter are beginning to feel the want of articles only to be purchased from Europeans, and which they cannot procure in their isolation.

About 300 natives were present at the Kaipara meeting. The business was conducted in parliamentary form. Kesolutions express determination of the natives to adhere to the Chiistian religion and laws, and become one with Europeans, and to give up murderers and thieves to legal tribunals. . They also affirm" the wrong of recognising claims to land hy right of conquest; that the seat of Government ought to be at Auckland; that orphan children should be supported by Government, and all legislative grievances to be submitted to Parliament, and to acknowledge benefits derived from the Queen's Government. Judge Richmond, in passing sentence upon Moffat, who was found guilty of manufacturing powder for the natives at Teo Teo, Upper Wanganui, Baid :—lf your offence were to be punished in proportion to the danger which it occasions to the public, you ought to receive a heavy sentence. You are to be looked upon. by all well-judging persons as an enemy to both races in this island. On one hand you have been strengthening against your fellowcountrymen a merciless foe. A Maori victory you well know means massacre, sparing neither age nor sex. On the other hand, you have been encouraging the disaffected in vain resistance to the advance of civilisation. You have been planning disaster for Europeans, but for the natives you have been preparing utter destruction. The evidence has but given a glimpse Of your proceedings ; enough, however, to disclose their dangerous, treasonable character. It is well for you that the time is one of profound peace, or you could expect, as you would deserve, nothing but the halter. I am going to pass upon you a most inadequate sentence, but it is the heaviest which is allowed by the extreme leniency of the law -on this subject. Sentenced to two years'; imprisonment, with hard labor.

The Wananga of April 7th gives a further instalment of the speaking at the late native meeting, at Omahu. On the subject of an increase in the number of Maori members the discussion appears to have taken a curious turn. A gentleman named Tikawanga remarked—" We shall be overthrown if we have many (Maori) M members, as you may see in what has taken place; two out of the four Maori members have gone to the Government side, and only two members remain true to us. Now, if we have many Maori members we shall suffer greatly." Eenata Kawepo followed in the same strain. He said—" I will not consent to have many Maori members,'as we may elect some poor man who has not any money, who will rejoice because of "the Go-, vernment penny." The fact that there is a difference of opinion among the natives themselves as to the desirableness of additional representation will not be calculated to strengthen the hands of those who propose to agitate for it. The report, we (Haiokt's Bay Herald) may say, conveys the impression of being a: bona fide one, and this cannot be said for all the reports of native meetings that have been published by our Maori contemporary.

The Rev. Mr. Carlyon, incumbent of the Kaiapoi Episcopalian Church, is still in hot water respecting his ritualistic practices. • At the last meeting of the vestry the following resolutions were proposed:—"That the Churchwardens apply to the Bishop for a faculty to remove from the church at Kaiapoi the following articles (the use of which has been declared by the highest Ecclesiastical Courts in England to be illegal), viz., all candles and candlesticks not necessary for the efficient lighting of the church, vases, tablecovers (except such as are provided by vestry), crosses, retable or supra, altar candles, etc., and that the Bishop be requested to inhibit the contiuuancs of all processions with or without crosses, colored stoles, banners, bowing to the • communion table, and the employment of one or more acolytes within the communion rails, which, in the opinion of this, vestry,-are not only illegal but highly repugnant to a very large inarjority of the parishioners." "That in the opinion, of this vestry, the sermon delivered, by the incumbent in defence of the Rev. Mr. Tooth, now under punishment -lor contempt of the laws of England, was not only uncalled for, but disloyal, and that the churchwardens report it to the Bishop." The Rev. Mr. Carlyon refused to put toth motions, and the meeting soon after terminated. Other steps will probably be taken in the matter. The new skating rink was opened on April 12th in St. George's Hall to a fair attendance. The room used for the purpose is a considerable improvement upon the Odd Fellows' Hall, as the floor is much more even, and the ventilation is good, the want of which was a great drawback in the old skating rink; while the greater width, and altogether the more roomy character of St. George's Hall, renders it well suited for the purpose for which it is ' now used. A goodly number of the youth of the.city ventured to put on the skates; and for beginners some showed considerable proficiency, while others found it rather a difficult task to keep their equilibrium, and very frequently had to obey the laws of gravity aud make unpleasantly close acquaintance with the floor. However, accidents of any serious nature in the rink are of rare occurrence, and those who commence boldly to learn the art of skating should iu one night at least be able to keep on their feet without any difficulty, while three or four nights is sufficient to make them proficient. During the night Lillie, Queen of the Skates, and Professor J. E. Taylor gave some exhibitions in the art of rinking. This lady and gentleman first went through a number of difficult manoeuvres on the skates, such as rolling on their toes and heels, turning round suddenly, rushing backwards, and glidiugalong apparently without the least exertion, on one leg. The lady indeed shows great mastery of the art, and goes through all the various postures in a.xnost graceful manner, while Professor Taylor seems to be as much at home with skates as without them. He exhibits; all sorts of imaginable figures as he glides round the room, throws hia legs about in a wonderful manner, and occasionally executes snatchesof some jigs and reels. Indeed Lillie's and the Professor's are well worth seeing, as they show to what a pitch of perfection the art of ska'ting can bo brought. Lillie and Professor Taylor also sing and dance on the skates, the latter being ' very good ; but the singing was somewhat ;; spoilt last night by the mußic not being suffi* ■' ciently loud to be heard above the noise produced by the rolling of the skates. The rink is now open to the public on reasonable terms, we believe.

Things cannot be quite so bad in Dunedin as McLaren and the Guardian would make out. The Benevolent Society there has this year put £ISOO out at interest. From Balclutha we learn that Dr. Hector has visited- the Kaitangata coalpit, and made a minute- examination of the working, with a view to reporting on the same. He expressed himself as much surprised at the superior quality of the coal and extent of the field. While the train was on its way from Palinerston to Foxton on Monday, April 16th, it ran into a fine large bullock, severing its head almost from the body. This collision caused a temporary stoppage. After some little delay the carcase was removed from the rails. The'undermentioned prisoners were flogged in the Gaol on Tuesday morning, April 17th, in the presence of Mr. Head, Governor of the Gaol, t>r. Johnston, and two of the turnkeys:— John McCann,, 30 lashes, second flogging ; Owen Kane, 25 lashes, second flogging ; Rudolph Laurent, 20 lashe3, only flogging. The punishment was severe. Mr. J. H. Wallace at his land sale on April 19th sold 15ft. 6in. to Lainbtou-quay to Jacob Joseph, Esq., for £480; 76ft. to Xasmanstreet and house, sold to Robert Miller, Esq., for £4SS; town acre 835 withdrawn at £7OO ; sections 184 and ISS, Fitzherbert, withdrawn at £2. per acre.; part of acre 817 and leasehold, Upper Hutt, withdrawn at reserved price. The'following tenders were received at the Public Works Office, Wellington, for tbeMungaroa contract No. 1, permanent way, on the Wellirigton-Masterton line of railway :—Accepted—John Robinson, Upper Hutt. £2663. Declined—P. Johnston,- Wellington, £2678; W. H. Topham. Wanganui, £234 ; J. McLean, Wellington, £3451 ; J. McLachlan, Upper Hutt, ' £3816 ; C. McKirdy, Wellington, £3931.'

A very important argument was heard by the Supreme Court in banco on April 13, on a question as to how far an insurance policy is protected.' It has been commonly supposed that an assurance on a life once being effected goes direct, on assured's death, to next of kin, if the policy have not been assigned, or the money accruing under it specially devised. The point, however, has now been raised, and after hearing very elaborate arguments from counsel —Mr. Travers on the one side and Mr. Hart on the other—the Court reserved its decision. Information wad received in town on April 13

that the Paikaikariki Hotel, owned by Mr. /- r ' Bills, was bnrned to the ground on Thursday night at 11 o'clock.'- The inmates of the hotel had a narrow escape for' their lives, most of them having to leave it in their night-dresses and get out through the windows. How the fire originated is unknown. Nothing was saved from the hotel. . Mr. N. J. Isaacs offered for sale at his auction mart on April 18th the well-known Dry Biver estate in the Wairarapa. The property

was purchased by the mortgagees, Messrs. Jacob Joseph and Co., for £8000; but subsequently to the sale several offers were made to buy the estate at an advance on this sum. The property has therefore been placed in Mr. Isaac's hands for sale by private treaty. A Sunday-school conference was the other day held in Christchurch, when it was resolved to form a Diocesan Sunday-school Association for the purpose of securing greater unity and efficiency in Sabbath-school work. The Dean of Christchurch, after some remarks, during which he pointed out that the necessity for forming such a Sunday-school Association was new all the greater, as it was rumored that even the little opportunity given of imparting religious instruction in schools was about to be taken away under a purely secular gystem which it was stated was to be introduced by .the Government next session of the Assembly. If thi» intention were correct he hoped that petitions would be got up and largely signed, so that each churchman might mt least clear his soul from complicity in such Godless-"work.

We regret to have to record the death of Mr. Wm. Craighead, of ; the Taita, Lower Hutt, which occurred on April 14. He was engaged in some outdoor occupation when he suddenly fainted;- but on restoratives being he rallied sufficiently to allow of his walking into his house; however, he then lay down and died. Deceased was well-known in the Wellington province as an old colonist of some 36 years standing, having arrived in the Lord William Bentinck in 1841; : and it is not too much to gay that he was a favorite with all persons with whom he had come into contact, especially those resident in the locality of the Hutt. His wife died less than a year ago. He leaves an only daughter. ■ ' A very large number of teachers assembled on the 21st April in the Durham-street schoolroom, to consider what course teachers should take previous to the introduction of a general system of education for New Zealand. The Times states that after a long discussion, it was agreed, on the motion of Mr. J. Cumberwprth—"That a general conference of teachers be held on May 12, when the question of education can be fully discussed in all its bearings.'.' A committee of thirteen members wa3 appointed to make all preliminary arrangements for holding the conference, and it was also decided that the members of the House of Eepresentatives, the members of the Board of Education,- and the ministers of the different denominations be invited to attsnd and take part in a general meeting,; to be held in the afternoon o£ the conference. At the close of the meeting the members of the committee met, when Mr. Howard was chosen chairman, and Mr. Hill secretary. It was arranged that teachers from the other educational centres'and counties in New Zealand be invited either to attend the conference or send resolutions which they would like to be brought before the conference. '.'■..:;.■<

A musical and literary entertainment on behalf of the building fund of St. Mathias' Church, was given in the North Makara schoolroom on Tuesday, April 24th, by a few local amateurs,,, and were assisted by a number of town friends who kindly lent: their assistance. Notwithstanding the unpropitious state of the, weather, the room'presented a...very crowded appearance, and the entertainment passed off admirably < The first part was entirely devoted to music,' voeal. and. instrumental, the m st pleasing efforts being a pianoforte solo by a young lady, and the song "Good-bye Sweetheart," by the young lady who so ably tookthe part of the widow in; "Naaman" last week. "The Uuby," was rendered with exquisite taste by a gentleman amateur.,; The second part of the entertainment; iffW devetSd to four scenes from,Coleman's Comedy of the " Heir-at-Law," which'was rendered; by the same gentlemen who so ably went through the same performance at the Polytechnic. Though all were excellent, the parts of Dr. Pangloss and Cicely were particularly good, they being rendered in a manner which would have been bo disgrace to professional actors., The magn ficent " make-up" of the gentleman who took the part of .the latter calling forth the admiration of the fairer portion of the audience. After a. little more vocal music, the room was cleared for a dance. Mr. Manning, with his usual kindness, presided at the pianoforte. Altogether we should say the funds of the church have been considerably augmented by this entertainment.', Our Makara friends ■wish to thank the Wellington ladies and gentlemen who so kindly helped them on this occasion. > ,

Mr. Oajces, the r contractor for metalling the road between Mauriceville and Eketahuna, haa been malcing fast and favorable progress, and according' to, the Newt Letter expects to finish it in about three weeks. There are now about two hundred men and fifty teams at work, and should the weather hold up wo may expect to sse it finished even before that time.. The new ford and road to tho camp were opened this week, bufj, if anything t'aey are rather worße than the old one, in their present state, some places, especially in cuttings, being simply impassable. . ..,.; All fearaof a,/short supply of feed during the ensuing winter (says the Wairarapa News Letter) havo, now yanished, the favorable weather wUch has prevailed during tho last three or four weeks having given a splendid starfv to the grass. " On the, coast there is, abundance of';foed, and tho runholders are looking forward, >t° a most favorable season. If the weather.does not, turn unusually cold, there should be a largo crop of wool, for the weight and quality of tho staple naturally depends upon the supply of good food.

From Alexandra we learn that the meeting on Tuesday, April 24th, at Kopua was one of the largest held for some time past, 'lawhiao, Eewi iUanuhiri, and all the chiefs were present. The object of the meeting was to welcome the lower Waikatos. heven large bullocks and potatoes in tons were presented to them. Kewi gave them their choice of laud from Puuiu to Waipa to settle on. The following statement of the net profits of the Queen's wharf management for six mouths ending the 31st March, was presented to the Wharf Committee at its last meeting:— Wharf tolls, £1607 Bs. 7d. (out of which amount £llsO has been paid for interest and sinking fund) ; proceeds of labor, £2241 lis. Bd.; water, £394 Is 2d.; bond, £264 1-s. 6d.; the total beiug £4507 13s. lid. The balance-sheet of the Wellington Public Hall Company, with the annual report, was submitted to a meeting of directors on April _b and audited. The receipts for the past year were over £I6OO, which with the balance from last year, made £2394. The working expenses came to £666, payment of a dividend to £433; and after carrying £799 to profit and loss, £495 were left to be put to credit for next year. . ~_ On the night of the 26th H.M.S. Wolverene was serenaded by a party of amateur musicians in two watermen's boats. They formed a very good band, and as they pulled round the vessel discoursed some stirring martial tunes, which called forth the enthusiasm of those on board the man-of-war, who, in response, gave three ringing cheers. The boats which contained the" musicians were illuminated by Chinese lamps and lanthorns. The night being calm, and the water perfectly smooth, the effect was capital. In the annual report of the sheep inspector for Hawke's Bay the following occurs:—" The enclosed returns comprise 671,416 ewes, 588,546 wethers, and 13,706 rams, or a total of 1,273,668 sheep over six months old in the province on the Ist May, 1876, as.against 602,812 ewes, 524,405 wethers, and 12,540 ranis, or a total of 1,139,757 on Ist May, 1875. The in-, crease on the year is 133,911. While the net increase thus shown" is' nearly the largest I have yet had to record, and gives unmistakable evidence of the increased carrying capability of the country year by year, our exports have in no wise diminished, but rather increased; and as there are still large tracts of unstocked country in Poverty Bay and the East Coast district which will draw their supplies from Hawke's. Bay, there will for some years to come be an outlet presented for our surplus stock. As the'surface sowing of permanent artificial grasses and subdivision of runs by fencing is becoming more general, we may expect the improvement here indicated to be steadily progressive. No sheep have been introduced overland to Hawke's Bay 9ince the date of my last report, and with the exception of a cargo of merino ewes, the imports have been limited to sheep for stud purposes, and comprise 390 long-wool rams, 96 longwool ewes, 381 merino rams, and 128 merino I ewe 3 ; or a total of 995 sheep during the last twelve months. The exports during the same period coastwise and overland to the neighboring provincial districts amount to about 86,000, and about 130,000 have been absorbed by provincial consumption and boiling down. The lambing of last year was a fairly good one, and averaged about 75 per cent., and the clip is a heavy and sound one." Mr. Fitzroy, addressing his constituents the other evening, said he should oppose a scheme of deferred payments if applied to the lands of the whole colony, but believed such a measure would be very well if limited in its operation to certain parts of the colony. If taxation became necessary, he should be in favor of a property and income tax,.which latter should be limited to incomes of over £3OO a-year. H--should support free, secular, and compulsory education. Separation meant that the North should be governed from Auckland ; the South from Dunedin. He wa3 opposed to such a policy, because it would end in a border tariff at Cook Strait. Should not vote for the Upper House being made an elective body; should snppoit four year Parliaments, as a compromise between triennial and quinquennial Parliaments. In answer to a question, he said if more money were wanted it must be had, and he should not support a measure for taking a poll of New Zealand on the matter. He should vote to reduce the honorarium of members.

The acclimatisation of salmon trout in these waters may be considered a sure thing, so many individuals of the species having been taken from time to time. But it was not until yesterday (says Saturday's Otago Sally Times) that the long-expressed desire of the Acclimatisation Society for a living fish from which to obtain roe for the further propagation of the species by artificial means was gratified, and we are sure that the gratification will be shared by all true lovers of sport, and we add gastronomic admirers of this most dainty fish. For some time past the society has offered £1 per head for live fish, and at last has succeeded in securing a fine female about 41b. weight. It was caught by Mr. Nicolls, a fisherman living at Quarry Point, near Portobello, and intimation of the fact having at once been transmitted to Mr. Deans, the society's curator, he hurried down to the port yesterday, and found the fish healthy and strong, swimming about in the barrel in which it had been brought over. He returned to Dunedin with it by the next train, and by this time we daresay it is becoming accustomed to new quarters in the enclosed space provided for captured fish of its kind, near where the Water of Leith joins the bay. Referring to the hearty welcome given his Excellency the Governor by Invercargill, the Southland Times says:—" The cordial reception of his Excellency the Governor yesterday by the people of Invercargill will probably suggest to him that Dunedin is. not Otago, that we are loyal citizens here, and that there is no part of her Majesty's dominions where the Queen or her Majesty's representative,would be greeted with greater respect, or with a warmer welcome. The disloyalty at Dunedin of the semirespectable loafers under the leadership of the Otago Guardian, who have long fattened on the peculations and,corruption of a petty Provincial Government, and that of the nonrespectable oafers who own Mr. McLaren as their fugleman, and cry out for work which they have not the slightest wish to obtain, are little known and less trusted in-Invercargill. Perhaps his Excellency may console himself under nis slight from the Otago city of the past bv his reception at the rising Otago city of the futu«."; ':..-,,'""

The half-yearly report of the directors of the Bank of New Zealand, presented to the shareholders lately at the ordinary half-yearly meetingi will'be found in our commercial column*. As the New Zealand Uerald remarks, it deserves more than a passing notice, for .the figures of which it is made up are full of instruction. The net profit of the business of the half-year (after providing for every debt considered bad) has been £61,687 9s. Od., and the amount received from premiums on new shares for the same period has been £17,500. The last mentioned sum, together with £7,500, taken from profits, making £25,000, has been added to the reserve fund, which now stands at the handsome figure of £275,000. The ordinary profit above-named, together with £8634 19s. lid., balance of undivided profits in September last, made! £70,322' Bs. lid. The sum appropriated for dividend and reserve fund i5£87,822 Bs. lid., of which £36,250 is absorbed in the dividend, declared at 10 per cent, per annum, £18,125 in a bonus of 5 .per cent, a share, £25,000 as already stated to the reserve fund, and a balance of £8417 Bs. lid. to be carried to the next half-year. The only feature in the speech,of the chairman was the allusion to diminution of Government deposits, which only concerned the ; bank as one of the elements of their large business. Whatever prospective diminution ,of profit there may be under this head its place is supplied by the satisfactory increase of assets, which now stand at the magnificent figure of £8,800,000, as compared with £7,700,000 of last year. - When these large figures are analysed and referred to the source from which they proceed, it will bo found that the substantial progress and trade of the country, though less rapid,. is still satisfactory. The Bank of New Zealand, as the figures in its balance-sheet prove, has made a marvellous progress to its high position in tho course of only fifteen years. Its advance is a proof of the great advance of the trade and commerce of

New Zealand. Since its establishment two new institutions of the kind have made their mark in the colony : the National Bank of New Zealand, which has existed only some four years, and has secured a sound footing, and the Colonial Bank—a local institution, as its name imports—which, though of still more recent date, is steadily expanding its borders of operation. So with the other banks established in the country, though belonging to other colonies. These all show increase of business, and the steady growth of our national wealth, and accumulation of that capital which is the true basis of sound commercial progression. Mr. K. J. Duncan held a sale of property on April 24, consisting of Hospital Reserve sections. The announcement that such would be the case, attracted a large attendance to the rooms, and the bidding was unusually spirited. All the sections offered were disposed of at the following annual rentals :—No. 1, G. V. Shannon, £SO ; No. 2, J. Mcßeth, £2l ; No. 3, M. Kennedy, £57 10s.; No. 4, J. Mcßeth, £35 • No. 5, J. GiUigan, £37 10s.; No. 6, J. Mcßeth, £4O ; No. 7, O. W. Clayton, £63 ; No. 8, J. Gilligan, £47 10s.; No. °y J. GiUigan, £53 10s.; No. 10, F.C00k,£72 10s.; No. 11, S. Palmer, £42, and to pay cash down £IOO for the dwelling-house at present on the ground. Mr. Palmer also bought section 16 at a rental of £32 ; and the following sections were knocked down to Mr. G. Proudfoot at the rental annexed to each, namely, No. 12, £29 ; No. 13, £42 ;;No. 15, £44. A champagne lunch was provided for the occasion, and received generous discussion. . The total annual value of the rental to be received by the Hospital trustees will be £720 10s. In charging the Grand Jury at the recent. criminal sessions at Nelson, his Honor the Chief Justice said that there was but one case for trial, and this must be considered satisfactory, but it was not a matter of unmixed satisfaction that twenty or thirty grand jurors and thirty or forty petty jurors should be called together to try a very simple case, when there was a District Court sitting periodically, at which criminal cases could be disposed of. It so happened, however, that the Legislature in 1853 had fixed what he considered an improper and unreasonable rule limiting the jurisdiction of that Court according to the extent of the punishment the law allowed for | certain offences. This was manifestly improper,' as it did not at all follow that the Court would allow the full extent of punishment, permitted. For instance, in the ".case now to come before them the term of imprisonment: might be fourteen years, but unless something of a much graver character came oiit than was already known, it was not likely that the sentence would be anything like as severe as that. ■ It seemed to him that the older rule should have been retained, which exactly followed the English rule, which was that all criminal cases were disposed of at the Quarter Sessions, except such cases .as murder, libel, conspiracies, &c, which either from their heinousness or from involving points of law were sent to the higher Court. That rule, he thought, should be established here, and if they agreed with him they might perhaps make a presentment to that effect, which would have some weight with the Legislature. That the jurisdiction of the District Court should be limited by the extent of punishment that might be awarded was, he considered, a most undesirable rule, and one that should be altered. as speedily as possible. Those remarks, of course, were only intended' to apply to those places where there were sittings of the District Court.

Mr. Golder, the spokesman of the deputation which recently waited upon the Hon. D. Keid in Dunedin with reference to sly grogselling and other matters, said:—lt is considered by the members of the trade in which we are engaged that the time has arrived when something should be done to conserve the interests not only of the trade, but of the public, in the way of protecting the revenue by preventing the sale of pernicious drugs that detract from the character of those legitimately engaged in the sale of liquor. It was stated quite recently from the Licensing Bench, that in and around Dunedin there are about 103 public-bouses ; and as an old policeman, I am in a position to prove that there is an equal number of unlicensed houses selling stuff unfit for consumption, the consequence of which is, that the licensed vendors of alcoholic liquors are charged with innumerable offenceß of which they are not guilty. I will state, one or two facts which will show the necessity for something being done. About four years ago I was detailed by the Commissioner of Police —I being then in the police force—to collect samples for analysis by the General Government of all the liquors sold in and around Dunedin. My attention was particularly directed to one sort of brandy which was supposed to be got up with drugs, and not the genuine juice of the grape at. all. ■ After searching the whole of Dunedin, I failed to discover that a single drop of this poisonous stuff was sold by any publican ; but I found there were many shanties in Dunedin where it was sold wholesale. It' is by such places that onr lunatic asylumns are filled. At the same meeting, Mr. Eeid speaking of Sunday selling, said:—l would'not like to say that I would be prepared to support any measure that would open public-houses on Sunday. The argument of course; is, that the public are absolutely prohibited from purchasing liquors on Sunday, I think that, as a general rule, if well-conducted people require stimulants on Sunday, they can provide themselves with what they want on Saturday. It may be said that some people, have not sufficient forethought to do that. But the more we give such people facilities; the more will we encourage their want of forethought However, I am ndt speaking in this respect on behalf of the Government. lam simply giving my own '■■• i ' "■ : - - The Auckland correspondent of the : Otago Daily Times gives the following respecting the Moanataiari :—There is one illusion connected with quartz mining which,, the Moanataiari may fairly be said to, dispel. I refer to the idea that fortunes are made ia this way;suddftnly and without risk. ;Ih the Caledonian, the lucky shareholders—the" large, ones entirely, and the smaller ones with very few exceptions—had paid heavy calls' and stuck to their venture through depression of all kinds. In the Moanataiari there have been' no calls, but the mine was heavily in debt, and liable at any moment to have the debt called in and the shareholders lose entirely rwhat they had paid for . their ;,suares. Many feared this, and sold at 13s. to 15s. up to the eve of the: recent discovery. Others sold at 20s. to 40s. eagerly, when the shares rose to that unexpected figure. The latter are now among the chief of | the mourners, as might De supposed. The Moanataiari mine comprises 30 acres, and has a'valuable crushing plant.' It was formed :by amalgamating, some years ago, the Homeward Bound, the Bedan, and several small companies.- It: has never employed less than eighty, men, on tribute and on shareholders' account. : Four years ago it had nine miles of drives and underground wordings, and it then paid nearly £!50,000 in dividends in a year. Its shares rose to £15 —fell to £lO and £8 as the dividends'decreased, and finally went down slowlyto 13s. There are some holders who have paid high rates, and have stuck to the mine rather than sacrifice tho money, but the large holders are those who haVe held on from the firsthand who are now reaping a rich reward. There are also cases of people who; bought in just before the rise, but, they aro exceptional, and'the shares held by them are comparatively,few. .Buyers of this kind do not, generally hold long, but: sell at the first rise as a rule. , ; ~,--.,

A gift of more than ordinary interest has been made by Dr. Wilkins, of Dunedin, to the Museum) says the Ouardidn, consisting of a number of fossil bones found the other day under some 14ft. of' silt in a bank at the back of the Corporation offices, Oamaro. Dr. Wilkins happened to bo on a visit to Oamaru, and hearing of thf bo bones went to - sec them. Finding jthat not much importance was attached to thenij and perceiving their probable scientific! value, he wisely secured them, and has presented them to : the Dhnedin Museum, notwithstanding' strong inducements to, "send them to Professor McCoy in; Melbourne. . So far as yet determined, they consist, of the carpar and paddle bones of a whale; but thsre are some large ones which it is extremely difficult to determine, from the thick encrustation of lime from the silt which has

aggregated round the bones. Their value geologically is this, that they demonstrate the marine origin of the Oamaru silt which laps over the hills from the Horse Range to the north of Canterbury, forming one formation. This carries with it, of necessity, that the Canterbury plains have been submerged since the shingle was brought down from the hills, and have been re-arranged by marine action. This view has always been upheld by Captain Huttou, in opposition to Dr. Haast and other eminent New Zealand savans, who have contended that the existing form of the plains owes its origin entirely to the action of the great rivers. The best thanks of the community are due to Dr. Wilkins for his gift, of which more will yet be heard, we have no doubt, in scientific circles. On Saturday night, April 21, at about halfpast ten, as Sir. W. Galloway was going to his home in the Pahautanui Small Farms, he was accosted by a man on the road, who told him to stop and deliver np his money to him, if he had any. Mr. Galloway replied that he had some money with him, but he did not feel at all inclined to give it np to him. The man said he would soon see aWout that, as he had some mates who would help him. Galloway then snatched a stake from a fence by the roadside, and told him to call his mates and come on, as they would have to fight for it. The would-be highwayman appeared to think better of it, and walked on, leaving, Mr. Galloway (who deserves credit for the pluck which he showed) master of the field. Some time since, in noticing the coach manufactory of Messrs. Donbghue and Parr, who have recently started business in "Wellington, we described a landau carriage which, with other vehicles, was then in course of construction. The carriage is now completed, and was used!on the road yesterday for the first time, the result fully justifying the opinions previously expressed that it would be a very handsome, comfortable, and serviceable vehicle.. It is roomy and rides easy, and is fitted up with all the most recent improvements known to the coach building trade. Mr. Dixon, cab proprietor, is the gentleman t t"o whose order it was made, and we may state that he has ob-, tained it at less cost than: he would have incurred by importing it. This is the first landau manufactured in Wellington, and we heartily congratulate Messrs. Donoghue and Parr on the manner in which they have turned out their work.