WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2894, 25 May 1878, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

Friday.

A despatch from the Secretary of State requests the Governor to report the amount sent from New Zealand towards the Indian Famine Fund.

Lieutenant F. Le Fatourel has been gazetted Private Secretary to His Excellency the Governor, vice Captain Mating. It is stated that Mr Cnrrutherg, late Engineer-in-chief, has finally severed his connection with the Government, and received £1180, being one year's salary in lieu of a year's notice.

The following despatch has been published :—" Downing street, 14th Feb., 1878. —My Lord, —I have not failed to notice with the greatest satisfaction the accounts which have reached me, chiefly from unofficial sources, of the munificence which has been displayed in so mnny of Her Majesty's colonial possessions in contributions which have been made towards the funds of the sufferers by the famine in India. The liberality which has been shown in the colonies has, I bplieve, far exceeded that evinced on previous ogcasions when the calls of humanity have made themselves heard throughout the most distant portions of the British Empire, and has been peculiarly gratify* ing from the spontaneous consent of all classes of her Majesty's subjects; and I shall be obliged if you will be so good as to inform me what was the actual amount contributed by the colony under Government, and to supply me at the same time with any information on the subject which you may consider to be of interest.— (Signed) M. E. Hicks-Beach.' This day. TII9 Government have decided upon removing the lunatic asylum from its present sit", in consequence of the building being deficient in accommodation. The new asylum will be erected at the Upper Hutt.

As some of the carv-s on the Hutt railway a^e found to be exceedingly sharp, estimates have been asked with a view of ascertaining the cost of reducing the curves.