WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2786, 18 January 1878, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

- Thursday. A Government Gazette, issued to-day, notifies that the following will be the rates of pay and allowances of officers of the Armed Constabulary : —lnspectors and lstclass superintendents, £500; inspectors and 2nd class superintendents, £400; inspectors, £350; sub-inspectors, £250; surgeons, £250. G. S. Whitmore is gazetted Commissioner of Armed Constabulary while he remains a member of the Executive Council without being entitled to any salary or emolument whatever. Another notification contains the appointment of all constabulary officers, as inspectors, Ist and 2nd class inspectors, sub-inspectors, and surgeons.

The terms and conditions under which rewards will be paid for the discovery of new goldfields, in pursuance of a resolution of the House of the 4th October last, are published in the Gazette.

The total Customs revenue for 1877 is £1,213,479; for the previous year, £1,206,791.

A deputation from Masterton waited upon Sir George Grey to-day, requesting him to visit tho Wairnrapa district. Sir George promised to visit the Wairarapa next week. He will be accompanied by the Hon. Mr Sheehan.

During the last few days several altercations have occurred in the Supreme Court between Mr Barton and tho Chief Justice. Yesterday, in the case Gillon v. McDonald, Justice Richmond had occasion to say to Mr Barton that his language was insolent, and the best thing he could do would be to sit down. Today there were other passages somewhat similar in character, and in one Justice Richmond remarked, when taking excep* tion to some of Mr Barton's observations,

that he could not have these things going on. After some remarks by Mr Barton, tho Judge said: "Mr Barton, if you will make yourself a common nuisance in tho Court, I must take some means to put you down." Mr Barton : " I don't think you can." Tho Judge: " I will try." A fire broke out this afternoon in a building intended for a hotel, but which failed to obtain a license, just opposite the railway station. Owing to the water supply being limited, in consequence of the waterworks not being completed, it is usually thrown off during the day. When the water was turned on at the reservoir it took about an hour before it reached the fire. There was no force in the meantime, and the hotel and two adjoining buildings were burnt down. The flames were blown across the street and set fir© to the railway station, which, along with the offices of the district, the engineers, and traffic manager, were soon destroyed. None of the carriages or rolling stock were injured. The railway station was valued at about one thousand and the other buildings at twelve to fifteen hundred. The hotel was occupied until yesterday, when nearly all the effects were removed. The hotel and buildings were insured in the National for five hundred, the New Zealand one hundred and fifty. The origin of the fire is unknown. A few minutes after the alarm the building was all in flames. Had a proper supply of water been on, the railway station would have been saved.