WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1782, 8 September 1884, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

[From our own Correspondent.] Last Friday a very imposing military funeral followed the remains of the late Colonel Leckie to their last resting place, . Besides the volunteers, a veiy large number of private citizens and carriages, including the Governor's, attended to render respect to the memory of the departed soldier. ! A poultry, pigeon, cage bird, rabbit, and cat show was opened on Wednesday by His Excellency the Governor in the Arcade, Truly this show comprises a rather large number of classes of the animal kingdom, and a great many belonging to each olass were sent to the exhibition. Unfortunately those from the country arrived rather late, owing to the bad state of tho weather lately, By those who consider themselves judges opinions have been expressed that the exhibits as a whole were highly satisfactory, and displayed great care and attention on the part of breeders. It would occupy too much of this letter to give you a full list of the prizes, and would interest but few of your readers, The exhibits were displayed in a way for the public to see them to the best advantage. Many of the exhibits believed in not; only being seen but in making themselves heard, and the roosters every now and then started a crowing competition among themselves, each one trying with ail his might to beat all the rest. Then the hens did their best by cackling, loudly to let their owners and all the world know that they were good laying birds. Puss also made herself heard to an undue advantage, and it was we'll for the sake of visitors that dogs were excluded, for the howling and barking at the last dog show was something sickening, and if the canine fraternity bad been admitted to this exhibition the concert produced by the lot would have been more varied than pleasing. Ttie exhibition was brought to a close on Thursday evening, after being visited by hundreds of people, The political situation is as unsettled as when. I last wrote. Then Mr Thompson was trying to form a Ministry, He has failed and Major Atkinson has had a turn at the helm, and put a set of officers on board out political ship, but has been thrown overboard, and Mr Stout has now been asked to again take command and is trying to appoint officers that will give satisfaction to his numerous and rather mutinous crew. It is to be hoped that he will be able to guide the good ship New Zealand out of the shallows of financial embarrassment into which she has drifted, It is rumored here that if Mr Stout does riot form a Ministry commanding the confidence of the House, a dissolution will be asked for, but ol course this remains to be seen,

? The Philosophical society held their :usiml fortnightly meeting at the Colonial, Museum on Wednesday evening. The' most important item on 'the programme for discussion was a paper on the exSinction af the raoa, prepared by M. A, de Quatrefuges, in which thelatter brought forth evidence to show that the extinction of the moa was of a comparatively- recent date, and that Dr Yon Haast was wrong in thinking that'it was annihilated thousands of. years ago. Judging from the essay' there can be little doubt but that the great bird is now extinct, and that the, hope entortained by some that it might be yet found alive in some part of the' interior of the country has no foundation.

I see by your paper that you have had very severe floods in the Waira-, raua.recently. I am thankful to say that Wellington has not suffered from floods, though we have had plenty of wet lately. But you know this city is too high to be' seriously flooded, so Jihis is one advantage of being'short of flat land. It is understood that Messrs Hannah and Co, boot manufacturers, who have very extensive works here and also at Napier and Wanganui, intend to transfer their-business to a limited liability company. The company whenformed p.urpose also taking over the tannery works at Kaiwara belonging to Messrs Hurst and Co, and working the two together on a very largo scale. Although at present the two establishments employ upwards of one hundred and eighty hands, it is said that with the capital the company will pub into the concern, this number of employees will bo -yery largely increased. In a* short tinie probably the prospectus will be beftii'e the public, when they will have an opportunity of 'investing in What is believed to be at present two very good paying concerns.