WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3083, 4 January 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

i This day.

It is estimated (hat the new line discovered for the Foxton railway by Mr Climie, Engineer, will cost only about £6000 per mile, including the permanent way, rolling stock and stations. Previous estimates had been £10,000 per mile with steep gradients.

The Wellington land tax valuators have commenced their duties.

The anniversary regatta committee will apply to the Colonial Secretary to have Anniversary Day proclaimed a public holiday

The dry weather having arrived, the Corporation are taking active measures to prevent waste of water.

Farley, the Revivalist, who has been lecturing here lately, will deliver his farewell lecture to-morrow at the Opera House, and leave for Cbristchurch on Monday. ,

The Anti-Chinese Committee hare com* menced calling in all subscription lists. Yesterday the Mayor received a telegram from the Secretary of the Seamen's Union, Sydney, asking him to stay further subscriptions, the strike having ended in their favor.

The Commission on higher education commence sitting on the 15th February. The Rev. Jas. Habens, Inspector- General of Schools, will be Secretary, and Mr Drake, of Hansard Staff, shorthand writer to the Commission. All provincial districts will be visited, also Wanganui.

His Excellency again attended " Henry Fifth " last night.

Complaints are being made of insufficient clerical assistance in the District Court;

Mr Gordon Allan called the attention of the E.M. to the practice of shipmasters refusing to pay counsels' fees out of seamen's money they held in hand. The Magistrate said the masters could not legally do so, and there was no help for it.

Some of the Hermione seamen have been sentenced to 12 weeks' imprison* ment for going down the hold with lights without . permission. They were found with some bottles of champagne.

It is reported here that Mr Bartom M.H.8., will shortly remove to Auckland to commence practice there.

Mr Stafford, formerly of the Land Transfer Department, and late Assistant Law Officer to the Crown, leaves the Government service and joins the firm of Hart and Buckley, the former gentleman retiring.

It is understood that some hitch has occurred regarding railway free passes the press of the Colony. Mr Macandrew positively refuses to authorise the issue of them until such time as the matter is brought before a Cabinet of Ministers. . The Customs revenue for the four principal ports .Of the Colony for the year are as follows :— For 1878— Dunedin ' £371,876 Ly tielton 240,363 Auckland ... ... 224,997 Wellington ... ... 201,100 The increase shown as compared with 1877:- ' !i-■,:-;

for Dunedin 19,653 „ Lyttelton ... ... 39,505 „ Auckland 28,765 ./Wellington ... 24,161 Customs revenue for December quarter— Dunedin 84,863 Lyttelton ... ... 56,249 Auckland 53,746 Wellington 48,165 Friday.

A deputation waited on the Government to»day regarding the building of

the railway station ou the newly re. claimed land. The Government intimated that they would build one alongside Mills' foundry. They also said they intended to reclaim twenty acres at Pipitea point for railway purposes.

Of the three projected routes for Foxton and Waikane railway the most satisfactory one is nearly completed, and the formation will be commenced as soon as the reclaimed land is sold.

Mackie's case on a charge of larceny is still going on.

The amount collected at the cricket ground and gales on Few Year's Day during the Caledonian games was over £165.

The last San Francisco mail took away eighty-three nominations for the Government immigrants. This is about the usual monthly average of nominations. The Government estimate the proceeds of the sale of reclaimed land at five hundred thousand pounds, with which they propose constructing the West Coast railway line (North Island).

The establishment of a High School for girls in Wellington is being agitated. The whole of the female immigrants by the Hermione have obtained situations at good wages almost immediately.

It is suggested that the Fernglen immigrants for Nelson should be sent over here, where there is so great a demand for them.

It is notified in to-night's Gazette, by an Order in Council, that the old tariff rate by which evening papers were allowed five hundred words at evening rates between 8 in the morning and 5 at night is extended to fifteen hundred words during the same hours. Another schedule notifies that any proprietor or publisher of newspapers, or any persons, corporation, or company carrying on the business of Press telegraph agencies or business, the object of which is to obtain and transmit news, may have the use of a special wire, but not at a less sum than £2000 per year ; and if any extra copy of any such telegram be required for any newspaper five shillings roust be paid for every such copy as supplied. The Hon. G. M. Waterhouse, M.L.C.; W. Travers, and Ihomas Mason, Esqs., have been re-appointed Governors of the New Zealand Institute.