BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2185, 9 May 1870, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

(from our own correspondents.) Hokitika, May 8. The Tavarua arrived at 11 o’clock last night from Melbourne, after a passage of five days six hours. She left Hobson’s Bay on the 2nd, and experienced moderate easterly winds throughout the passage. She brings 16 cabin and 26 steerage passengers, and 281 tons of cargo for all ports. She met the Company’s steamer Claud Hamilton at 1 p.m. on the 2nd, 10 miles south of Cape Schanck. The Claud Hamilton transhipped the passengers and mails short landed by her at Hokitida. She reported having experienced very severe weather, during which her decks were swept and the wheel carried away, besides other damage. Passenger List—Miss Grant, Miss Davidson, Mr and Mrs George Miller, the Misses Annie and Florence Miller, Mrs Bullock, Messrs J. K. Brown, B. Mendelson, Alman, W. Pole, E. J. Towt, George Bay ley, James Thomson, Walter Inder, and 26 in the steerage. Melbourne May 2. Thomas Webb Draper has been acquitted on the charge of embezzling the funds of the Commercial Bank. Mr Enoch Chambers has been killed by the upsetting of a buggy. Mr Wititle, formerly the Gaoler, is dead, as also is Mr Kaye, the amateur billiard player. Mr Taylor, the Baptist minister, has been convicted of fraud. Sentence is deferred until the result of the points reserved is known. Some New Zealand cheese exhibited at Mr M'Coy’s show was greatly admired. The loaf cheese of Messrs Wood and Cunningham of Christchurch, was much commended. Miss Docy Stewart has retired from the stage. The Council of the University have negatived the motion making chemistry a subject of examination previous to matriculation.

Bathurst, the notorious swindler, has been convicted of obtaining money under false pretences, and has been sentenced to three years’ imprisonment. Ah Pew, the Glenluce murderer, has been sentenced to death. A large fire has occurred at Ararat, by which several houses, hotels, and shops have been burned. Mr Charles Mathews continues to draw crowded houses. Mr W. J. T. Clarke has been elected Chairman of the Bank of Victoria.

Charles Vertelli, the acrobat, broke his leg while performing at Ballarat.

. Commercial—Business is dull. Quotations are as follows :—Flour Lll ; New Zealand wheat, 4s 7d ; maize, 4s 9d, scarce; oats, 3s 2d to 3s 4d ; sugars, fluctuating, though holders are firm ; candles 10^-d. Sydney. Severe floods have taken place at Maitland. The Court House and Police Station have fallen, and the embankments have been washed away. At Guunedah the inhabitants have gone to the hills. Seven lives have been lost at Denman. The townships of Singleton and Wagga Wagga were submerged. The rains have now ceased. The ship Walter Hood, from London, has been totally wrecked at Ulladulla, 130 miles south of Sydney. The captain and 13 others were drowned. The brig Spray, the schooner Nation, and the ketch Dauntless have also been wrecked. At the Ilandwick races, the cup was won by Barbelle, a dead heat taking place between The Earl and Bylong for second place. The Queen’s Plate was won by TiraWhiftter.