BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 968, 7 May 1872, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

PEOCEEDINGS m the NELSON PEOVINOIAL COUNCIL. (PEOM OUE OWN COBBESPONDENTS.) NELSON. May 6. Messrs Kynnersley, O'Conor, and Guinnoss have up to the present time been conspicious by their absence. The Superintendent, in his opening speech, said that the revenue from the Goldfields had fallen off by £3OOO. The Eovenue from all sources amounted to £70,000, and tho expenditure to £GB,OOO, the remaining £2OOO has been devoted to reducing the Provincial overdraft. ,The Superintendent has promised to introduce a bill to empower him to grant land in payment of the construction of a dray road between the Arnold and the Ahaura, and it is e:cpected that a rate will be passed for the same purpose. A sum has also been placed on the estimates for the construction of a stock road between the Ahaura and the Amuri. Steps will be taken, with the asseut of the Assembly, to make a special settlement in the Buller Valley, and a road towards Nelson. Five thousand acres have already been surveyed for sale at the luangahua, and five thousand acres more are to be surveyed. The Inangahua is to be represented in the Provincial Council. The wreck of the Ocean Bird has been found to be perfectly sound. She was found bottom up with all her sails set. The races commenced on the 3rd. The weather was favorable, and the attendance large. Maiden Plate. —Awatea, 1; Squally, 2 ; Fiddes, 3 ; Nightingale, 4 ; Diomedia a bad fifth. Time, 2min 25sec for a mile and three-quarters*--Turf Club Handicap.—Mile and three-quarters. Vatterina, 1; Peeress, 2 ; Flying Jib, 3. A capital race between Tatterina and Peeress. The latter beaten by half a head, after a splendid run from start to finish. Time, 3min 33sec. Steeple Chase. Three miles.— Eonald, 1 ; Siren, 2 ; Eclipse, 3. Ladies' Purse. —Mile and a quarter. 1 Slander, 1; Black Eagle, 2 ; Mystery, 3. Black Hawk far in the rear. Slander came in hands down, Eagle hard pressed. Time, 2min 30aec. The steamer Lyttelton has been despatched to tow in the schooner Ocean Bird.

CHEISTCHUECH. May 6. The Canterbury Provincial Council have negatived a proposal to consider the relative position of the General and Provincial Governments in regard to public works. AUCKLAND, May 6. There is no sign of the Nebraska with the English Mail. The delay is most unaccountable. SAN FRANCISCO CONTEACT. [This message is forwarded by the Hon. the Postmaster-General with a view to its being published for general information.] The following are the leading provisions of the contract entered into between Victoria and New Zealand on the one hand and Messrs Webb and Halliday on the other : The contractors are to provide a fourth boat, in every respect equal to the Nevada, Nebraska, and Dacotah. If the fourth boat is specially built for the service by Mr Webb, then, for a a period of eight months a vessel such as the City of Adelaide or the Albion may be used. The employment of four boats will enable the following arrangement to be carried out: —The boat performing the up trip will proceed through from Melbourne to San Francisco, calling at Auckland and there receiving the New Zealand mails, passengers, and freight. The boat performing the down trip will proceed through from San Francisco to Port Chalmers, calling at Auckland and other ports as at pre.-ent. At Auckland the Victorian mails, <fec, will be transhipped to the boat waiting there; and she will proceed direct to Melbourne. Thus the steamer from San Francisco will always proceed through to Port Chalmers, and the boat from Melbourne will always proceed through to San Francisco. The boat which has last arrived at Port Chalmers from San Francisco will proceed up the coast to Auckland, collecting mails, &c, and transhipping them at Auckland to the boat calling there on her way from Melbourne to San Francisco. The boat from Port Chalmers will wait at Auckland until the arrival of the next vessel from San Francisco, and she will then receive the Victorian mails, &c, and proceed to Melbourne. By this arrangement each of the four boats will in their turn make the round voyage from San Francisco to Auckland and other New Zealand ports, back to Auckland, thence to Melbourne, and to San Francisco by way of Auckland. Victoria having the through service on the up route instead of the down is to pay £SOOO more than New Zealand ; the respective payments being, Victoria £32,500 and New Zealand £27,500. In respect to £2500 of the extra payment by Victoria, it is agreed that that amount shall be made a preferential charge on the amount of any subsidies received from other colonies which may be divisible between Victoria and

New Zealand. The subsidies froa other colonies are to be thus dealt with. After the payment, if any, fop branch steamers, one-third the amount will be given to the contractors. Vic. toria will receive the two thousand five hundred pounds first mentioned and tho sum remaining will be equally divided between Victoria and New Zealand. The contract, is not to come into operation until it ha 3 been an. proved of by the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and by the New ZealandHouse of Eepresentatives. The precedent of the contract between the Imperial Government and the Peninsular and Oriental Company has been followed on this point, that contract only providing that before its coming into effect it should receive the approval of the House of Com. mons. Subject to the ratification stated the new San Francisco contract will come into force in September neit and will continue for eight years and a half, in other words during the un. expired term of the existing contract. The latter will remain in full force until the new arrangement comes into operation as desirable. It was under, stood that if Mr Webb obtains the subsidy from the United States Government, he will build four new boats specially for the line. Iti ß also understood that the Governments of Victoria and New Zealand will jointly through their respective Agents-General apply to the Im. perial Government for aid to the amount of one-half the subsidy the two colonies are to pay to the contractors ■ and that whatever amount may be re. ceived as such aid will be divided amongst the colonies contributing to the service in proportion to the sums respectively paid by them.