The Provinces.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 6, 15 December 1869, Page 2

The Provinces.

The Coromandel correspondent of the Shortland Times gives the following account of the polling at that place Superintendence election :—“ At ■ part of the morning there were hut few M people about, and the polling went on I slowly and - , quietly; but as the day ad- fl vauced, little knots began to gather round the centre of attraction, discussing probabilities of the contest. The lead was . ■ taken by Mr Williamson, and kept through- ■ out the clay. The day would have passed oil* quietly, but for the attempt of a few to kick up a row, in which they were vei'v ■ nearly' successful. One of Mr I check-clerks had occasion to swear one or p two of Mr Williamson’s voters as to their right to vote, and a cry was immediately i raised by some near the door to ‘ pull him out.’ A rush was made into the Courthouse, which the one constable tried to stem in vain, and some of the doors were closed. The check-clerk received several severe blows about the head and body, i when the Messrs Ring, Copeland, Tierney*' and others, succeeded in clearing the place, * and the poll was adjourned for quarter of • an hour. By this time, things were a' little quieter, and no further interruption ■ occurred to the business. When the poll \\ was over and the same check-clerk was ; : 3' leaving the place, a rush was made at him by three or four, and he was knocked down and kicked. Some of the miners came to his help, and he was permitted to walk away. There was but a small quan- „ tity of drinking going on, except with a few. The large majority soon dispersed to their homes.” We find the following in a Wellington paper :—“ The Blue Ensign, with the letters N.Z. in one corner, has been, since 1867, adopted as the New Zealand flag, and some discussion has been raised by the Imperial authorities as to the right of colonial vessels to fly it. A correspondence has taken place on the subject, which has resulted in the right to use the Blue Ensign being accorded to the Colony. By proclamation in a Gazette of the 23rd inst., the temporary badge, consisting of the letters N.Z., is discontinued, and it is appointed that the seal or badge in future to be worn as distinctive by all vessels employed in the service of the Colonial Government of New Zealand shall be the i Southern Cross, as represented in the Blue Ensign by four five-pointed rod stars in the i fly, with white borders to correspond to ' the colouring of the Jack ;in the Jack by white stars on the red 9| ground of theßtT^aoir^h'‘ Ulc \ * n _ B the Pendant by four stars near * similar to thosc’in the Ensign.” ; A great fire took place at Westport onf | the night of the 4th December, by which i the principal places of business were totally destroyed. The block destroyed is in Glad-stone-street, and extends from the premises of Messrs Fleming and Murray, drapers, to those of Messrs Southern, drapers, both inclusive. The value of the property de-, strayed is estimated at £15,000, none ewH which is covered by insurance. The fir. was caused by the bursting of a kerosene lamp in the shop of Mr Onslow, draper. 1 A mysterious paragraph recently appeared in the I Vest Court Times, respecting an alleged disco vm y of a rich quartz reef, specimens of which had been brought into - Hokitika. With regard to this discovery, the Grey Hirer Argus says :—We are in a position to state that the discovery in question was made by Mr F. B. Von der Sloot, within thirty miles of Hokitika, up one of the tributaries of the Hokitika River. With one mate, lie has been prospecting for eight weeks, and has followed the reef for miles. At first there was no v gold, then gold was seen in the quartz, which was followed through the granite; then a rich specimen of auriferous quartz, j water-worn, was found in one of the lead- | ing creeks, and now the men are prospect-' Ing to find the reef in the slate. They ire confident that within a month they will be able to lay bare a magnificent quartz-reef, but as yet they are naturally disinclined to make known the precise locality, as no leases are granted by the County Council, and the ground would be -i at once rushed. y—J It will be seen from our Tauranga correspondent’s letter (says the Auckland Weekly Herald) that there has been another case of selling ammunition to tie natives, and that the offender has beai committed for trial. Our correspomleifc says ;—“ Tlminas Short, who was cor.- / milted for trial for selling ammunition ro a native, is an old soldier, formerly of the 57th Regiment. Drink, from the effects of which ho was evidently suffering time of hearing, appears to have been the incentive to the crime with which he is . charged. lie is said to have borne a good character in his regiment, from which lie was pensioned. It is noticeable that "the last offence of this nature, where a committal took place at Tauranga, was perpetrated by a discharged soldier of the 57th I Regiment.” 1 The Shortland Times states fho arrival of the steamer at with the returns for the North, | majorities for Mr Gillies, “the taining the names of the places and the numbers polled was very pulled down and torn into small and scattered in all directions.” 3881