WELLINGTON.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 523, 29 June 1869, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

(feom oub own cobbespoxdext.) On Thursday evening several petitions were presented to the House, one of them being from Otago praying for exemption for Mr Henry Smythies from the penalties of the Law Practitioners Act. This petition was returned by the committee to whom it was referred, who could not advise the House to interfere in the matter as Mr Smythies could carry his case to the Court of Appeal. Another petition was from the Provincial Council of Marlborough, asking that its Provincial Institution might be abolished, and its gaols, harbours, police, itc, be taken charge of by the General Government. One report of the Public Petition Committee recommended that an allowance of £"SO a-year be given to the brave lad James Wilson, the survivor of the Poverty Bay mas?aere, until he shall be IS years of age, and a free grant of one hundred acres of land. On Monday last the body of a marine named May,belongingtoll.M.S. Blanche, was buried here with military honors. The deceased had been missing for some days, aud his body was found floating in the harbor. On Saturday at an inquest held a verdict of " found drowned " was returned. The Duke of Edinburgh on leaving the Colony made the magnificent donation of £l5O to be divided among the five provinces which he had visited in New Zealand, and to be devoted to charitable purposes. The £3O falling to the share of Wellington was given to the Benevolent Society, and is a very timely addition to its funds, which were very low. A curious public meeting is convened for to-morrcw evening here "to take steps to develope the mineral resources of the Province." I suppose the promoters of it are intending to raise funds to pay for a systematic prospecting for a gold field.