WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3151, 25 March 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

Thii day.

The German residents of the city celebrated last night by a ball, the anniversary of the Emperor William's birthday.

The Commission on Higher Education will po to Nelson by the first steamer. ;

The barque Albert has arrived from New York; has hnd a passage of 137 days, with fine weather all the way.

Ballinger, winner of the Champion Belt, is to be entertained at a dinner.

Government have concluded the parchaie of one million acres of land from the 'natives in the Manawatu district, along the proposed line of the WellingtonFox ton railway.

Dr Direr has just taken a large triangular piece of bone from the skull of the cook of the Loch Fergus, but says there is no chance of his recovery.

One fatal case of typhoid fever has just occured in the hospital.

Eegarding the removal of surveyors on the Waimate Plains, Government state that a party of natives headed by Te Manu (the native who some time ago was rescued from custody while on his way to Taranaki in the coach) carried away the tools of the surveyors to the nearest township, and ordered the surveyors off the ground. Government believes that the Maories intend to do the same with all the other survey parties. No violence whatever was offered to the surveyors, in fact the Maories acted in the most good humoured manner and made no threats of any kind. It is thought this act of Te Manu and company is a sort of final protest against the survey and occu. pation of the Waimate Plains, on behalf of the natives who have been cultivating the ground. It is thought the natives have acted under instructions from Parihaka at the instigation probably of Europeans who have some sort of interest in the land, but it is thought the natives would not have acted in so high handed a manner without having received, instructions from Te Whiti. Major Brown is on his way down from the plains and will be here to-morrow.

Monday. When the liquidators attended at the New Zealand Steam Ship Company's office to-day to open tenders for the purchase of the steamers* it was found that none had been Bent in. -- -' •>• ; - '■•■■* '".■■;

The Hon. the Native Minister arrived here to-day. , Plans for the Wellington and West Coast Railway are practically complete. It is expected the .line likely to be adopted is the one suggested in 1870 for the main liner from Wellington .northwards, before it was_ttou£ht_of_taking a line~by~way"oT~Wlurarapa. ; . •. . The Post says it is authoritatively informed there is no truth in the statement giving currency that the natives have raised obstacles by .refusing to sell the land to the Government. It appears that the land is already proclaimed, which effectually prevents private purchasers interfering. The negotiation for the completion of the purchase is expected to be closed shortly. The. natives are represented to be anxious to, dispose of the land now required so as to give an increased sale to the remainder. The cook of the ship Lbch Fergus, who was yesterday knocked down with a bandspike by one of the apprentices, has been unconscious ever since, and the doctors think the skuUis fractured, and that there is an effusion of blood on the brain,' and that the result will likely prove fatal. The apprentice who committed the assault was brought up to-day and remanded, Banks, the cook, being unable to appear. Captain Roberts, of the ship Hermione, has appealed to the Supreme Court for a rule calling upon the Collector of Customs' to shew cause why he refuses to consent to the discharge of the two seamen belonging to the Hermione now in hospital. The rule will be argued to-morrow.