WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3119, 15 February 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

This day. Sir George Grey on the Zulu War. To-day's New Zealander publishes a memo, from Sir G. Grey relative to the present Zulu campaign. He considers the difficulties before Great Britain in Natal great, and suggests that they should be met as follows : Conciliate the Boers, and secure their cooperation. Provide for the safety of the inhabitants of Natal as the Zulus have all the strongholds in that country. Defer military operations until the safety of the scattered European population is secured, using all the

troops for that purpose, and thus accustom them to the climate. While this is being done, the Governor should visit the various native tribes and secure their allegiance and cooperation. The Transvaal frontier should be protected from Zulus. These preparations having been taken, no very large bodies of European troops would be required to march together. Operations should be conducted from several points towards a common centre, the forces being mixed troops—European levies and native allies. A campaign conducted thus would be less expensive than desultory operations of large masses of troops. One campaign, however successful, would not Becure South Africa against the Zulu nation. To defeat those people in one or two actions and then abandon the country would leave Natal in a worse state than before the war began. The permanent safety of Natal and the country lying between that and Cape Colony should be thoroughly provided for, but to thoroughly work out the plan would require four or five years. Once the safety of the European population of Natal is secured the military expenditure would be small. Sir George believes the adoption of the above plan would be permanently success* ful. o. .

In consequence of a demand made by journeymen compositors for increased rates of pay, the master printers and com. positors held a meeting and discussed the matter fully. Anderson of the Chronicle argued the case at great length on behalf of the employers, pointing out that the men's demands were inopportune, for these reasons :—That the land sales having fallen off, and general advertising also; that as this stagnation was expected to last several months, and that owing to the competition unavoidable from four local papers in a comparatively small town, advertising rates were lower than in other centres of population; and as the rates of printers' wages were as high here as in any part of the colony, and higher than in some, it was considered the men's demands were inopportune, and they suggested the resolution come to be with* drawn. After considerable discussion pro and con, the men ultimately agreed to withdraw their resolution, and the matter is thus ended.

Lord Normanby'g commission as Governor of Victoria will arrive with the

'Frisco mail per Hinemoa this evening. Sir Hercules and Lady Kobinson and the staff will probably leave Sydney for Wellington on the 14th of Match in H.M.S. Wolverine accompanied by H.M.S. Emerald. „Ji ..,,- Th,e Times this morning statlr that at the late Hutt races the owner of Lara demanded £50 from the person who drew Lara in North's sweep otherwise Lara would not be allowed to run. Mr Knight who drew the horse agreed to pay, and out .of the £400 prize £60, went to " square " Lara's-owner;: •: - • t

Th« plan* of filtration basins for the Water Supply are being prepared by the Corporation Engineer. s . ■

The Governor's Farewell Levee.

The Governor held a farewell undress levee to-day ; very large attendance. The Chief Justice and all the Ministers except Sir George Grey were with the Governor. The Town Clerk. read a farewell loyal address, signed by the Mayor on behalf of the City Council and citizens of Wellington. His Lordship, in reply, remarked on the wonderful change in the city, even since he had been, here, while from the character of the buildings now being erected, and the signs of progress everywhere visible, he had no doubt that within a few years Wellington would be one of the finest cities in the Colony. He should always feel the deepest interest in the welfare and prosperity of New Zealand. He had every confidence that his warmest wishes would be speedily realised. He said he .left New Zealand with extreme regret, but having been offered the Governorship of Victoria, though entirely unsolicited, he felt bound as a servant of Her Majesty to accept it.

Friday.

The Wairarapa races took place on the 14th of February. Handicap Hurdle race of 50 soys., 2 miles and a distanceRoebuck, 1; Ada, 2; Agent, 3. Blue Jacket, Harkaway, and Kangaroo also ran. The two latter fell. Won by a head. It was a grand race. Time4minß. 26 sees. A protest re the Maiden Plate was settled in Merlin's favor.

Wairarapa Jockey Club HandicapLaertes, 1; Lady Ellen, 2. Ika bolted, and threw his Jockey. They could not get Bribery to start. Danebury, Lara, Mufti, Diver, Ada, and Black Prince were scratched. Black Warrior won the Hack Hurdle race; time, 3mins. 4secs. Wairarapa District Handicap, one and ahalf miles—Diver, 1; Lara, 2 ; Orphan, 3. Barbelle and Pretty Girl also ran. Lady Ellen, Ika, Blue Jacket, Harkaway and Ada scratched. Time, 2mins. 56secs. Lady Grey won the ten stone Hack race. The Consolation Stakes—lka, 1; Blue Jacket, 2; Black Prince, 3. Won by a head.

The N.Z. Shipping Company have received a telegram from London, advising that the steamer Stad Haarlem would leave Plymouth on the 13th instant with six hundred emigrants for New Zealand.

The ship Pareora has arrived at London from Auckland with cargo and passengers. $ In consequence of the impure state of the water supply, the distributing basin was drawn off this morning, and a deposit 6 inches thick of foul slimy mud found at the bottom, and numbers of mediumsized eels. The basin was found in excellent condition. In order to clean the basin the supply of water to the city has been cut off for to-day. In the new reservoir there are 47 feet of water, or two months' supply without rain. The Drapers' and Clothiers' Association intend to move for shorter hours on Saturday, by appealing to the public to shop earlier. The plasterers are taking steps to form a trade society.