The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-01-15

Arrival Of the City Of Melbourne.

AAAANaA dO wy
The r. NJ. s. CITY Of Melbourne. Capt. Brown.
arrived on Wednesday morning. reporting n days
and Is hours from Sydney, including s~toppagos.
She was chartered 10 carry the mails by the New
South Wales Government. on account Of the non ar
rival Of the p. NJ. 8. Coiima up to Dec. 20. Tho
latter ship met with an accident ON the passage from
Honolulu to Auckland. In lat. 8 South, a check Of
the crank shaft broke. This broken shan was taken
out, and a spare one put into its place. which after
running three days and nights, broke, In lat 22.BO
8. This second shaft broke In two places. each check
Of the crank being broken clean. although the size Of
the iron lie about II by 8 inches. This shaft was
taken out, and the frst broken shaft again put Ia,
when the engineer repaired IL by dovetailing The two
parts Of the crank checks together and putting long
itudinal clamps and vertical straps over Tie fracture
"a most difficult thing 10 do at soa, and rejecting
great credit on the engineer. When the second
crank broke, the PistOn-rod being liberated from the
shaft las IL could not be stopped on the moment)
drove of the cover Of the low-pressure cylinder, and
burst the sides, thereby completely disabling the en-
gin, She was detained nine days altogether. and
arriy 4 at Auckland Dec. 10, under one engine. Had
il n been for tho accident 10 her machinery she
would have made q good passage. She left Auok-
land Dec. 10, for Sydney.
The r. NJ. s. CyphrsneI, Capt. Wood, chartered
as a branch boat 10 convey the mails aud passengers
to Kandavu, also met with a misbap 10 her machine
~ on the passage up from Lyttleton. II was re-
paired at Auckland. and she left on her voyage the
same evening.
New Zealand was in the midst Of an election for
members Of the Colonial Assembly, and The papers
are well filled with electioneering matters.
The German war steamer GGzeiie arrived at Lc-
vuka, FIJI, Nov. 26, having been engaged on the
voyage from Auckland ia doep-sea dredging and
sounding. She left Leyuka Dec. 4, on n cruise.
The loan estimate for railway extension In New
South Wales 10 G2. 9OO,0OO aud the total Of the loan
estimate is over 1900, 900, and Of this amount
eco, 900 is provided for immigration.
A debate on the Pacific mail service was started
in the Assembly on a motion for adjournment. The
Government stated that Mr.. Hall owed $4,000 for
oyer-payment, and $4,000 for penalties.
II is reported on good authority that the New
South Wales Government intend 10 repeal n number
Of Customs duties, and that the financial policy will
be further in the direction of free trade. IL 10 also
reported that upwards Of twenty articles will disap-
pear from the Customs duties.
The Postmaster General Of New South Wales stated
in the Assembly on December z that Mr.. Forbes, one
Of the sureties for the Pacific mail former contract
with which Mr.. IL II. Hall was connected. had made
a proposal through some Of bis friends for the pay
ment Of a sum O. money In order 10 obtain n release
from his obligation under the contracts. The pro-
posal had been referred to the New Zealand Govern
ment, and until IL had been considered by that Gov
eminent he did not feel at liberty 20 mention the
amount IL was. however, more than sufficient 10
cover all the costs in connection with law proceed
ings, and was, Ia his opinion, sufficient 10 induce
the two colonies 70 release Mr.. Forbes from tho PEN
alties.
Dates from FIJI are to Dec. 10. The papers state
that the alarm from New Caledonia brings 10 Leyu-
ka intelligence that a French man-of war was 20
leave Noumea two days after the Alarm, aud 20 20
the New Hebrides 10 hoist the French flag over that
group. The news has created considerable interest
10 FIJI as the labOrers on the plantations there come
in large numbers from the New Hebrides, with which
FIJI has been ia this way closely connected for the
past ten years. The pigeon English spoken by these
laborers ia FIJI ia order that they may be able 10
communicate with each other, must be pretty wcii-
diaused throughout the New Hcbrides group, and Il
seems n pity they should fall into foreign hands.
Nothing is said Of any action 10 be taken by Sir
Arthur Gordon ia the matter. Perhaps Ills Excel
lency may be yet beforehand, and repeat the lesson
learned in early New Zealand days at AkarOa.
The fret Appropriation Act has been published
with a full memorandum from His EKcellency which
was laid upon the table Of the Legislative Council
when the Estimates we're produced. In that memo
randum the Governor states that he has received
10000 from England, and hoped 10 have been able
TO use il to pay of old liabilities, but had been OBJ
liged to appropriate part Of the amount 10 current
expenditure. which exceeded the estimate 6rst made
by Sir Hercules Robinson. The revenue was not
equal TO Sir Hercules estimate on the other hand.
Sir Arthur Gordon meets the subject fairly aud
discusses it fully, beginning by r~efuDding 10 tho
treasury two thousand pounds out Of the Eve thous-
and ut which his own salary was fixed by the Colonial
Office. lie also takes upon himself the oott Of his
household entirely, Offering In this tho most sincere
proof Of his desire to make his Government n success
TO the colony. FIJI is fortunate in having a Governor
whose heart is 10 thoroughly ia his work and they
appear to fully appreciate their good fortune. The
Appropriation Act is only for the quarter 90 8ist De-
cember, and amounts TO f32,63e, Of which about
10000 is for the regular establishments and The
balance for various purposes. including 10000 for .
colonial steamer and 50, 900 10 pay OF over-drafts at
the bank. The eK-King Cakobau has q pension OF
81 800 q year, his daughter Adj Kuila has cl00 aud
MaAfu, the Windward Islands chief, has c60O.
Various other chiefs are e~nployed, and the total cost
is about fl 200 q year for the pensions and services
they render among the large native population u
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