AUCKLAND.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 289, 24 April 1862, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

to...the energy and determination of His Excellency’s Govern-, ment and notably to the personal, exertions of the Hon. the Postmastei'-Geueral, Mr. Ward, we are at length about to have, as we learn, something like an efficient steam postal communication between this Colony and Australia, as well as between the principal ports of the. Provinces in New Zealand. , n The arrangements, although not definitely concluded, are still, we understand, so far fixed as that we may look to have our next English Mail delivered from the Steamer at the Queen-street Wharf on or about the 21st instant. The line . now maintained between Melbourne and Otago will be comprehended in the general arrangement, and thus. Auckland and Dunedin will be connected directly with, the ports of Sydney and Melbourne. The service has also to be arran*d, and no difficulty will, , we believe, be met with in obtaining the necessary number of steam vessels suited for the coasting trade. It is proposed that a vessel carrying the English Mail, or that portion of it which is to be sent to Otago, shall leave that Port about the 20th of the month and come on by Cook’s Straits and the West Coast to Manakau, calling at the several ports in her line of route. About the 24th of each month another steamer shall leave the port of Auckland and, in continuation of the line from Sydney, take the mails by the East Coast to Napier.. About the 10th of each month a - third steamer will take the homeward mail, either from Manukau or Acukland as may be found convenient, to meet the Melbourne boat which leaves Otago on the 18th.

We can give necessarily but a very imperfect outline of the proposed scheme, the merits of Which can be judged accurately only when the details are filled in, but we think enough has transpired to show that a very great improvement is about to be effected in the means of communication Avitli Australia and respectively between the New Zealand Ports. It is understood that whatever portions of the new service, np to the limits of their subsidy, the I.C.R M. Company are in a condition to undertake, they will be permitted to carry on, but that the public shall be no longer at their mercy, as they have been for some time past. There are steamships enough, as we have said, to be found in other colonies suitable for the Inner-provincial line, the owners of which are anxious to engage in the trade and offer their services on very favourable terms. The “ White Swan” and the “ Queen,” both of them known in our waters, hai r e just had neAV boilers and received a thorough repair. By means of these vessels, or such as these avg believe the Inter-provincial Avork can be done, and done well, for a sum much less than that now paid to |the Coleman Company. The new prospects which are opening to us here in Auckland make the question of regular and frequent steam communication one of the very greatest importance, and the change about to be effected will, we hope be found to be as beneficial as it is Avell timed. —New Zenlander, April 2. ' ( The Provincial Council have adopted a petition to Parliament, praying that Auckland have a separate Government from the rest of New Zealand, under a Lieutenafit-Governor, to be appointed by the Queen. They have also memorialised the Governor to displace the Superintendent.

James Sanderson, a private of the royal engineers, has been committed for trial on a charge of selling twenty rounds of ball cartridge to an aboriginal native.

Ihe men charged with assaulting Dr. Neil have been liberated.

The road making continues. The soldiers and natives are on very friendly terms. A heavy gale on the 7th did great damage to the shipping in the harbour. The loss is estimated as above 50001. NELSON. The following,are extracts from the Examiner , April 2 and 9. The I&ter-Coeonial Royal Mail Company’s New Steamer. — A new and powerful steamer, built by the above Co. for the trunk line traffic between Australia and New Zealand, on the recommendation of their Colonial Manager, Captain Vine Hall, -was to leave Engeland for Sydney on the first week of the present month, bringing with her new boilers for the Prince Alfred. The prompt manner in which the Company has acceded to the recommendation of Captain Vine Hall to improve the character of these vessels, is a good omen for the future character of our steam mail service. Land Sale. —At the sale of Crown lands which took place at the Government Buildings on Saturday last, pastoral land in the Amuri distriot sold to the amount of about £II,OOO. The land sold,was chiefly on the Lowry Peak run, belonging to G. Duppa, Esq.; the remainder was on the run. vAbout 4,000 acres, which stpod te dpen from sale on Messrs. Rutherford and Domett’s run, found a purchaser in a gentleman from Australia. Compensation to the „ Working Classes —The Commissioners appointed under the Act of the General Assembly for finally disposing of the claims to compensation by the New Zealand Company’s Nelson immigrants, after holding a court at Nelsop, end in all the settled districts

bringing with her about. 370. ounces ;ot gold, 200 of which were,in. t’iejpossessicui of a native who ca'iie up a- passenger. in, her.. The gold and coal of the: districts are both highly spoken of. His Hononr the Superintendent left the Bulled for the Grey more than a fortnight since, and will will return.from the latter river by the-Mary. We trust we shall shortly be able to furnish our readers with a; valuable accouiit of what is' r actually doing in this important district. Rifle Prize Shooting.— By the account of the firing for the General Government prizes which appears below and from the fact that at Wakefield a score of 26 had been made with eleven shots by Mr. Samuel Hoult when darkness, compelled him to postpone the completion of his 15 rounds to another day, it will be seen that the Volunteers of this province have greatly improved since last year, The shooting on the part of the N elson City Company, which had been postponed in consequence of wet weather, took place at the company’s practice ground when a score of 30 points the highest yet obtained in Nelson, was made by Mr. West, who certainly fired with great steadiness making two bulls-eyes at the 300 yards range. Of the Waimea East company 9 members fired, two made scores of 23 each and other two 21 each. The Waimea South company furnished twelve competitors of whom one made 26 and another 25 points. The Nelson City company had 27 members competing. One made 30 points, two 25, and four made 24, 23, 22 and 21 points respectively. We'have only given the scores down to 20.