WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2935, 12 July 1878, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

Thursday.

Several of the crew of the barque Elizabeth complained to the Resident Magistrate to-day as to the unseaworthiness of the vessel, saying they had been ten weeks at the pumps. They wanted the captain to put in at the Cape of Good Hope when off J;here, and into Bio, and into Hobart Town. On coming off Wellington they declined to pump any longer unless he put in there. An 'nquiry is expected to be held. Mr Burns and Mr Fisher have to-day agreed to and signed a minute respecting postal and telegraphic matters. The New Zealand Government will join Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia in the duplication of the cable to Cingapore. Aii arrangement for the reduction of the charges of the Eastern Extension Company fcr the transmission of messages between Fort Darwin and London has been come by which seventy-five per cent, on press messages and fifty on Government wi'l be made. Such an arrangement is held by the Governments to be liberal, and the above reduction may in the discretioa of Mr Berry and^ Mr Burns, be modified to the extent proposed by the company if it cannot obtain a similar reduction for its use of the Dutch and Indian lines. The keeping of a steamer constantly in a port of Australia or New~Zealand 4for the New Zealand cable is held to be P.a unnecessary expense, from wh'.ch the company should be relieved, while at the sains time it is to be held liable for keeping up cable, communication between the two colonies. The company, has agreed to reduce its charges for Ivansiai. sion of all messages by tiie New Zed' nd cable, but what the reduction is has not been made public, and is embodied in a separate agreement between Mr Burns, Mr Fisher, and Colonel Glover. The repairing ship of the company is to be at all times available for the repair of the Cook Straits cables. The New Zealand Government defray the expense thereof, indemnifying the company for any damage to the < steamer or machinery. The Agents - General of New South VVales and New Zetland are to move the Secretary of State for the Colonies to cause aid to be"given by the Imperial Government under the present treaty towards the Pacific, Suez, and Torres Straits mail services to be continued for a further period. (The present L-eaty between England and the Colonies respecting mail services expires this year). i;he Agents-Generals ..are also to request the contractor for the mail service to propose another surety in the room of Mr McGregor. New South VVales and New Zealand are to join the " Berne Postal Union" with the object of establishing uniform postal regulations of universal application, provided that no reduction is made in the rates of postage for ocean services, end that the cost of transit of mails between San Francisco and New York or Boston is not charged to the colonies, and that the laws of the colonies respecting wholly unpaid correspondence are not interfered with.

The following, candidates 1 aye passed the junior Civil Service examination : — Gillies, McFarland, Fleming, Grigg, Harley, Ashcroffc, Wilson, Wither, Pratt, Marchb.inks, Yon Tempsky, Halliwell, Marsh, Godwin, Watkins, C. W. MeFarlase, Eicbmond, Andrew, Raikers, Moorhouse, Ingles, F. Watkins, Shakleton, Sims, Corbett, Budge. Senior examinations : Gillies, E. J. McFarland, Fleming, Wither, Ashcroft, Ludbrook, Duthie, Fairlean, J3uchanan, Halliwell, Shitcliff, Moorhouse, Purchas. • A Gazette to-night notifies that black swans throughout the colony, and hares within the AuckL id provincial district, will not be deemed game.