BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2395, 5 December 1870, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

(FROM GREVXUiE’s TELEGRAM COMPANY, REUTER’S AGENTS.) Bluff, December 4. The Tararua, James Hagley, commander, arrived from Melbourne at 11 o’clock this morning, having been four days 16 hours on the passage. She left Sandridge pier at 5 p.m. on the 29th, and brings 21 chief cabin passengers, 325 tons cargo, and 42 horses for all ports. The Tararua brings the Southland portion of the English mail, having left Melbourne a week later than the Rangitoto. Passenger list—Messrs Clapporton, Muir, Pittman, Louisson, Ecroyd, Templar, J, Peake, Longhan, Wood, Garwood, Strahan, Gidney, Mrs, Miss, and Master White, Mrs Kingswell, Mr and Mrs Greig, Mrs Edmund Smith, Mrs Paterson, and 39 steerage. Melbourne, November 29.

The Legislative Assembly has passed the whole of the Estimates with the exception of two postponed votes. It is expected that the Wines and Beer Bill will pass this session. The French ironclad Bellqueuse is here for coals, provisions, and repairs, en route for New Caledonia.

The navvies employed on the North Eastern Bailway have struck for an advance of wages. As yet no violence has been used. The shareholders in the Australasian Insurance Company signed a requisition requesting the directors to wind up the fire and marine branch, or amalgamate with another company. The Argus publishes the Chamber of Commerce cental table, and quotes grain and flour at per cental. At a further meeting of the National Bank the shareholders appointed a committee to wait upon the directors and manager and put to them a series of questions and report to an adjourned meeting.

Nimblefoot, the winner of the Melbourne Cup, was sold at auction for 650 guineas. The "Polynesia Company have appointed a committee to fully investigate their affairs. Business is very dull. Flour is lower; no sales have been made over LI2 10s. Wheat steady; New Zealand is quoted at 5s 2d. Oats (ordinary samples) 3s 5d to 3s (Id ; good quality, 3s 7d to 3s Bd. Sugars are quiet. Wool is arriving more freely, and prices are considered satisfactory. Shipping—The Lady Denison has arrived, and is now loading for Wanganui. Sailed—Mary for Hokitika, Juliet for Invercargill. Sydney. The Assembly has resolved to reduce the upset price of land, also to increase the duty ou beer. The Government have been defeated on several occasions. Mr Lloyd moves another vote of censure on them this week. Last month’s Customs returns show an increase. The floods have not yet subsided. Considerable damage has been done in many places. A mine of rock salt has been discovered near Scone. Commodore Stirling appeals to the Sydney public for subscriptions for the survivors of the turret ship Captain. The Earl of Pembroke, whose yacht was wrecked at the South Seas, together with the vessel’s crew, will proceed to Auckland, Business is dull, and quotations are unaltered.

Arrived. Kate, from Auckland ; John Knox and Lady Bird, from Lyttelton. Sailed.—From Newcastle : Hevershara, for Wellington. The barque Zingari sailed from Mauritius for Dunedin on the 119 th of October. Brisbane. The new tariff has been passed. It imposes a duty on beer of 9d a gallon, and on wheat and oats of (Id per bushel, with an ad valorem duty of 10 per cent. Adelaide, The Assembly has passed a Loan Bill. Mr Hutton, the Under-Treasurer, took poison, but recovered. He afterwards cut his throat, but is likely to recover from the effect of the act. The second reading of the Land Bill passed the Legislative Council. Wheat lower. Sales at 4s 4d, but little doing. Hobart Town. Two large salmon trout were caught in the River Plenty. Advices received here from the Mauritius up to the 29th of October state that little business is doing, but prices are very firm for whites. Invercargill, December 5. Public opinion here seems to favor Mr Macandrew’s action in regard to public works. Great dissatisfaction is expressed at the delay in the payment of the liabilities of the late Province. The Agricultural Show'on Thursday promises to bo a great success, Christchurch, December 5. The Criminal Sittings of the Supreme Court opened to-day. Judge Gresson congratulated the Grand Jury on the lightness of the calendar, there being only twelve committals, mostly for light offences. The Judge said ;—I have been examining the criminal records of the Province for the last four years, and it is satisfactory to find that since 18G7 crime has not been increasing, and that the number of committals for this year does not come up to that for 1867. The crimes most common are larceny, obtaining property under false pretences (generally by means of valueless cheques), forgery, and embezzlement—all of which in most instances are traceable to the excessive use of intoxicating liquors. I have reason to think, however, that this fruitful source of crime is decreasing, and that further decrease may be looked for from the efforts being made for more widely diffusing the benefits of education. The Judge says the bankruptcy law is in an unsatisfactory state, and creditors are as much to blame for tKe failure of publicans and small farmers as the bankrupts themselves.

Chang opens here to-day, and pm ceeds to Otago on Friday next.