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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5579, 14 February 1879, Page 2

His Excellency the Governor returns to Wellington this morning, having left Lyttelton yesterday. We understand that his Excellency the Governor will receive a deputation from the Wellington Working Men’s Club on Saturday next to present him with an address. We were officially informed yesterday morning that communication on the Port Darwin line was restored. We hear since that communication on the Madras cable is interrupted While under repair. The inward San Francisco mail arrived at Auckland yesterday morning, a day late, the steamer having been detained at San Francisco thirty-six hours owing to the non-arrival of the English mail, and the southern portion was transhipped into the steamers Hinemoa and Taiaroa, which left at noon—the former by way of the East Coast, calling at Napier, and the latter by the West Coast, calling at New Plymouth, Nelson, and Picton. The Wellington portion of the mail is on board the Hinemoa, which is expected to arrive here to-mor-row afternoon. The Hon. Mr. Macandrew returned to Wellington yesterday. There are how more Ministers in Wellington than at any previous period since the session, but still there are two absent—Messrs. Stout and Ballance, who are understood to be having a good time of it with friend Cooley, et hoc genus omne. The following is the list of persons nominated for the election of three members for the Education Board for the district of Wellington :—Rev. Thomas Fanoourt, Mr. William Alfred Fitzherbert, Mr. William Hort Levin, Ilev. James Paterson, Hon. Charles Johnson Pharazyn, Arhdeacon Arthur Stock, Rev. R. J. Thorpe, Mr. Jonas Woodward. In connection with this matter the following circular has been issued by the secretary of the Board to the chairmen of local committees—“On receipt of this letter you are requested by the Board, in conformity with the Education Act, IST 7, to call a meeting of the school committee of your school district, who shall elect not more than three persons (it may be a less number), from the names which appear on the enclosed nomination list. You will afterwards forward to the secretary of this Board, in an envelope marked outside ‘ Board Election Return?,’ a list of the full names of the persons elected (not being more than three) not later than the last day of February instant. The Board will proceed on the 12th day of March to ascertain the three persons who have obtained the greatest number of votes, and these three will constitute the new members of the Education Board for the district of Wellington.” A correspondent suggests that the infant lately found in the Wanganui River, neatly done up in a number of the Wanganui Herald, may be “ Ginx’s ” baby. If so, he says, the turncoat Herald would be a fitting shroud. His Worship notified from the bench yesterday that in future a list of oil cases would be posted outside the clerk’s office two days before they come on for hearing.

The white fish ova, expected to arrive from California per Australia, and for which the Hinemoa was sent to Auckland, did not arrive.

A meeting of the Drainage Committee of the City Council will be held this afternoon. Three racehorses, viz., Grey Momus, Loch Lomond, and Pinfire left by the steamer Wellington yesterday, en route for the Blenheim races, which take place next Wednesday. The Choral Society met for practice last evening—the vocalists first, and the band subsequently. The practice passed off satisfactorily. Miss Cherritt has accepted the position of pianiste for a time. A meeting of the creditors of Henry Victor Clifford was held yesterday. A trustee was elected, and other business transacted. The liabilities are about £490, and the assets about £IBO. Shareholders of the Colonial Bank, whose names appear on the Wellington portion of the register, are invited by advertisement in another column to apply for their dividends now payable at the Wellington branch. We are glad to be able to report that Mr. Conyers has almost recovered from his accident. He has been out of doors, and is expected to leave by special train for Dunedin, en route for Christchurch, to-day. prom a paper published in Japan we learn that the farmers in that enterprising country are importing seed wheat from abroad, and have actually produced wheat of good quality. It is thought that Japan will yet become a profitable wheat-producing country. Yesterday we published a telegram announcing that Lord Harry had won the Hobarton Cup. Lord Harry hitherto has generally sported silk for hurdle races, but he started his new career by winning the Geelong Gold Cup a few days ago. He is a son of the Fisherman horse Angler, and out of Fair Nell. By the Wakatipu yesterday a fine flock of Lincoln sheep (first shipment) arrived here en route for the Wairarapa. These animals were consigned to the care of Mr. T. W. Pilcher, and were selected from the celebrated stock of D. Patchett, Esq., of Canterbury, for Mr. Mclvor, of Featherston. On board the steamer Kingarooma are two pure bred Arab stallions, transhipped ex mail steamer at Melbourne from Bombay. One is a Kyja, five years old, by Littlejohn, dam Ellrya Staiuo ; the other a six year old, by Jemamkie, dam Tehudha. They are imported by Mr. D. G. Kiddington, of Wellington. Two of our contemporaries seem to have arranged between themselves for the administration of the confirmation rite at St. Paul's Church on Sunday. We have been requested to state that the Church authorities are quite innocent,of such an arrangement. There will, however, be a confirmation about Eastertide, and the work of preparing candidates will commence on Sunday afternoon with an address by Rev. R. J. Thorpe, acting-incumbent.

“ £IOO,OOO a Year was performed at the The.atre Royal last night to a good downstair house. The piece was well put on the stage, and was thoroughly enjoyed by those present. The performance was brought to a close by a farce, entitled “A Model Husband.” Lydia’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin Troupe open next Tuesday, and the present company go to Blenheim, where they will play for two nights. The late telegraphic chess match between the Wellington and Christchurch Chess Clubs has resulted in a draw. The umpires have come to a united decision on the seven unfinished games, four of which they decide are drawn games, two are wins to Wellington, and one a win to Christchurch. The five finished games gave Christchurch one to the good. The total number of games played was twelve, of which Wellington won four, Christchurch four,' and four were drawn. The city engineer has planned an ingenious arrangement by which the full pressure of water will be available in case of fire. The basin is filled from the reservoir by a pipe near the top, [entering at the extreme end, and the town is supplied through a pipe near the bottom of the basin, at the opposite end. A wooden trough supported by trestles will be run from the supply pipe to the distributing pipe, and the flow of water can be _ easily regulated by an arrangement fixed in the trough. Thus the water will practically be on at full force all day, but this will not do away with the necessity for storing a supply for household use. The reason of this is that it is practically certain there is a considerable depth of slime at the bottom of the basin. The more solid portion of this can be lifted out, but there must be a large residuum of semi-liquid filth, and the only way to get rid of this in the short time at the disposal of the workman will be to flush it through the pipes. It will be evident that the water in the pipes will be so dirty that its use for even the meaner household uses will be impossible for a day or so. Merlin, winner of the Maiden Plate at Wairarapa yesterday, and also of the Maiden Plate and Derby at Wellington on the 6th and , 7th instant, was bred (a sporting writer states) by Mr. S. Nosworthy, of Ricoarton, Canterbury, out of Malice (own sister to the famous Lurline) by Blue Boy (imp.), admitted to be the best bred sire ever imported to the Southern hemisphere. Merliu, who is a beautiful dark bay, standing 16 hands, is acknowledged the grandest looking three-year-old iu the colony, and after his racing career is over will make a great stud horse, for which purpose his present owner originally purchased him. Merlin, for racing blood, is equal to any horse in the country, having the Traducer blood through his dam, and Beadman, Stockwell, Flying Dutchman, Weatherbit, and Touchstone through his sire.

Mr, Dodge, the statistician to the Board of Agriculture at Washington, reports that_ the anticipation of a great crop must be considerably reduced —the average of the whole wheat area being probably less than 13 bushels an acre—39o,ooo,ooo bushels altogether; not much in excess of the crop of 1877. In the following school districts no elections of committees have been made, from one cause and another :—Horokiwi, Opaki, Wainuiomata, Waihenga, Kaiwaiwai. No returns have been received from some districts, therefore it is not officially known whether committees have been elected or not. The defaulters in this respect are—Terrace, Te A.ro, Featherston, Lower Hutt, Makara, Kaitara, and Masterton.

In an article on wheat, the N.Z. Agriculturist, published in Oamaru, says:—“Very great loss has been sustained by the farming community through the late heavy galea of wind. The wheat and oat crops have suffered severely, in many instances losing from 30 to 50 per cent, of grain ; nor has this destruction been alone confined to ripe crops, green oats and wheat having also lost a considerable percentage. The question has been raised by thoughtful and experienced men—How can this very serious loss be reduced or avoided ?” After proposing the planting of trees for shelter, irrigation and improved methods of cultivation, as mitigations of the evil, the writer goes on to say : —“ There is, however, a species of wheat which will resist the action of heavy winds, even when fully matured, but the difficulty of obtaining it for New Zealand is very great. The Hon. M. Holmes, of Awamoa, grew it many years ago at Mount Maoedon, Victoria, and has offered £29 for a bushel of the old seed if procurable.” Some of our readers might be able to furnish a sample of this valuable seed, or name some other wheat with similar qualities. The Wairarapa Daily says : —“ It is with a certain amount of regret that we feel bound to admit that the farmers’ wives of the Wairarapa are hardly equal to the farmers’ wives of Canterbury, About one farmer’s wife in the Wairarapa out of three makes good butter, about one out of six cures good ham and bacon, and about one out of twelve turns out good cheese. In Canterbury it might be said that not one in three makes bad butter, not one in six inferior bacon, and not one in twelve indifferent cheese. Most people must know the flavor of the bulk of the butter, bacon, and cheese turned out in this district, the former a little pallid and streaky, and occasionally a little gritty, with a somewhat marked deficiency of flavor. The bacon is usually briny to a fault, and it is either very fat or it is very thin and very dry, and very lean. The cheese too is never very firm, sometimes not very sweet, and never very fine in flavor. We are sceptical whether good cheeses or good hams are made in the Wairarapa, although if any lady wishes to prove we are mistaken by sendin" us a good one, we are quite open to conviction. A very large quantity of Canterbury cheese and Canterbury hams and bacon is imported into this district, and the purchaser at a store usually finds in them an utter absence of the distinguishing traits which characterise the local article.”

The Tasmanian Crown law officers have lost no time in seeking to bring home charges under the new Act for the Suppression of Lotteries. A prosecution has been instituted against Messrs. Davies Brothers for publishing an advertisement in the Mercury of the Ballarat Art Union of Paintings ; and another against Mr. James E. Cunningham, for inserting an advertisement in the Tribune announcing that gift distributions were made at Rainer’s Diorama of the American War, which was recently exhibited at the Town Hall.