TELEGRAMS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 987, 5 July 1883, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

[PKB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Suspicious Fire. Auckland, To-day. A fire, at 2 o’clock this morning, was discovered in the Corporation Market. On bursting open the door, it was found to have firm hold of the seiies of stalls held by, Henry Rapton, basketmaker and general dealer. The brigade got several streams of water and subdued the Raines, confining the damage to the section where the fire originated. The damage is estimated at about L2OO to the market building, over which the Corporation hold a, policy in the National of L 3.000. _ Rapton’s stock was insured for L6OO in the Union. Afterwards the Brigade dis- ( covered that their hoses had been cut ( with a sharp instrument in several places, . and the matter is being rigidly enquired into, foul play being suspected. Customs Returns. ; Wellington, To-day. The customs returns for the colony for last month amounted to L 105,818 8s lOd, the returns for the principal places being —I unedin, L 30,413 16s 5d ; Auckland, L 28.844 15s 8d ; Wellington, L17,i41 6s 34 ; Lyttelton and Christchurch, L 13,513 j 11s 9d. The return f r the colony for c June 1882 was L 110.187 15a lid. The ] beer duty last month was L 4,136 5s 7d - arid for the corresponding month last year L 4,093 6s 6<L, The return of the tax from the principal towns for June 1883 was—Christchurch, L 998 3s Id ; JDunedin, L 975 13s 2d; Auckland, 1813 9s Id ; Wellington, L2BB 7s 3d. 1 Gold in Wellington. ® Among the exhibits on the table at the Philosophical meeting last night was about two pounds of quartz taken from a ppint between Lowry Bay and the Pencarrow lighthouse, near Wellington, which Dr Hector said had been tes ed and found to contain gold at the rate of 607 ounces to the ton. Dr Hector added that the breaks were all fresh, he himself having made them, but that beyond that ihe could say nothing about the find, * except, that the quartz had a very close resemblance to that of the Wealth of ‘ z Nations at Reefton. _ Remanded. Dunedin, To-day. Loath, for embezzlement, was remanded, pending the decision of the T Court of Appeal on a point reserved. The Gaol Enquiry. . At the gaol enquiry to-day Warders Nicholson and Clark gave evidence that n they had seen Sergeant Watson drunk, ci They also testified to the impro- E per treatment of certain prisoners, t: Nicholson said he . was dismissed in 1879 because he made a charge of drunkenness against Watson. The wit- 7 ness was reinstated in 1880. The Com mlssieners expect to leave for Christchurch on Saturday. They return here for the purpose of hearing Mr Caldwell’s wit-