BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3454, 18 March 1874, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

_ Wellington, March 17. H.M.S. Blanche, which left Wellington on the 19 th February, reached Auckland Island on the 26th, and remained at Port Ross till the 2nd March. She visited, repaired, and painted the storehouses, and steamed round the Island looking for signs of shipwrecked seamen. She left on the sth and went to Campbell Island, and anchored in Perseverance Harbor. She found the French war transport La Vire had left there on the Ist of January. The-provi-sions were everywhere to be found in a good sta,|;e of preservation. While at Auckland and Campbell Islands several severe storms of snow and hail were ’ New Plymouth is likely to be the next place the Blanche visits. She is expected to leave to-morrow. The tender of Mr D. J. McKenzie B’of 8 ’of Dunedin, for the Deborah railway contract’ has been accepted. The amount is L 35,227 For the.KowaibrWge the only tender was that of Mr E. G. Wright, of Christchurch, L 13,065 which was accepted. ’ ’ m , , , . Grahamstown, March 17. d J WK eeU • obse J ve . d ' “ » general holi C itliolie ChS?! SoClefcy “arched to the Cathohc Chapel to hear a sermon; The members of the Society wore a green regalia. The day s celebration winds up with a ball.

mi . , New Plymouth, March 17 Ffi 0V i n , c . lal S opened yesterday, and ijf:the Superintendent should not sit n the Council. I'Ho Superintendent says in Ins speech that the population of the'Provihcfe wastakem ed siuce , tbe last'census ml 16 I’ankaka meeting commences to-dv. - ihe Maid pf Otago, while entering the -Wni l tara River during a heavy gale on Saturday her rodder earned away, which caufied b§

torun^° U nf on ; tli e North ,th« Her cargo wbeing got out, / whiaiiihe will p wbably be got off. The Maid is froihPicton, with timber for the Waitara Railway

T . . , . Taurakoa, Marbh 17. It is rumoi ed by a party of st ante Natives just arrived from the Waikato, that Te Kooti has given himself up The information, however, is not considered reliable. mi ... x Hokitika, March 17. The Omeo sailed at 8 a.m. for Melbourne via Newcastle, with 3,700 ounces of gold. His Honor Judge Richmond has arrived here per Otneo. The Circuit Court opens to-morrow and the calendar is larger than usual. * _ Bluff, March 18. The Otago, Capt. M‘Lean, arrived at 9 a.ra. She left Melbourne on the 12 th, and brings 60S tons of cargo, and 38 cabin and 76 steerage passengers for all poits. ’ She sails for Dunedin at 6 p.m. Passengers to Dunedin: Rev. Mr Dickie,, Mr and Mrs L. Lyons, Mrs H. Eastwood, Mrs Kelly, Miss Goodwin, Miss Christopher, Mrs Pallant and three children, Messrs Gerraud, Smder, Gibbs, Orr, Hislop, Tayor, Delacy, btaile, and forty-two in the steerage. 284 ions of cargo for Dunedin. t> ,• „ Loxnetf, March 3. Parliament formally opens to-day. Mr Brand’s re-election to the Speakership is unopposed. There will be no speech from the Throne until the members are sworu and Ministers re-elected. The Houses probably, meet for business on the 19tn.

. , . , , March 6. A despatch from General Wolseley, dated 2nd February, states that the peaceful profession of King Koffio Galcalli, with his oner of unconditional surrender, wore solely intended to deceive, und the whole negotiation was a plot. The Ashantees : offered a greater resistance than was believed possible, ina Earl of Carnarvon has received a letter , from Goldsworthy dated the Bth February. ' announcing that the King of the Ashantees is a prisoner, and that General Wolseley bn* ■ returned to Donbor. A despatch has also been received from General Wolseley, dated the 9th ! February, announcing the capture and burninir of Coomassie, and flight of the King, The troops have withdrawn to the adjacent, bills, awaiting the issue of the peace negotiations, 1 he Ashantees did not interfere with the troops bn their return march. The steamship Atrato returned to Plymouth yesterday with nor machinery disabled.

m. Tv i . March 7. r The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh landed at Gravesend to-day, and met with a heartyreception. : • Uneasiness ,is felt owing to the absence of later news from General Wplseley. „ deputation of aborigines interviewed the Secretary of State for the Colonies, and presented memorial respecting the Polynesian *laye trade. JSarl Carnarvon assured the deputation of the Government’s sympathy, and stated they were only waiting the report of the Commission of Inquiry at Fiji. The opening competition was, well maihtaftwd x?ri e wool market. Faulty descriptions loWer. Wheat firmer; Home deliveries small, and foreign arrivals inconsiderable. New Zealand flax has slightly advanced.

.. ‘ ' March 9. At a meeting of the members of the late Oahinet, Mr Gladstone declined to undertake the leadership of the Liberal party in the House of Commons. » 1 .■ y.

Heavy rains and tornados render the homeward march of General Wolaeley’s arniy dis ;

, • Match i(|. r The lorres Straits and Sap Francisco mails were delivered to-day. ' A heavy, fall in the prise of coal has taken place in the manufacturing and a reduction in wages has commenced. General Wolseley, in a despatch, states that the Ashantee King has sent 1000 ounces of gold •w a first ihstalment of the war indemnity. All the white troops'are on their way book to the Coast. The last detachment embark at the end of the month. , .

mi , . , „ Pabib, March 7. . l“ e of the ComtedeChambord’aportrait in France has been forbidden. -/ m . .. „ , . Bebmn, MarchS.- , To® new Anti-Ecclesiastical Bills are applicable to : the whole of Germany, and have .been submitted to the Federal Council, HOME AND NEW ZEALAND ITEMS. . Three brass bells, cast [from captureed guns, have been presented by the German Emperor to Christchurch, N. Z. Messrs Henderson and Co. commenced'their new line of clipper ships between London and Otago with tho. William Davie on the 15th. The Atrato has been placed on the berth by Messrs Shaw, Saville, and Co. • H.M.S. Basilisk has been ordered Home. : Captain Stephen, of the steamer Oyphrehes, was drowned during a gale in the Channel two days after leaving London. His newly-married wife was on board.

Free passage and expenses have been offered by tile New Zealand Government to Mr Arch, provided he visits the Colony and reports on its emigration capabilities, f The experts to New Zealand were L 319.100 for the month. ’ Colone! M*Neill, V.C., has been appointed aide-de-camp to the Duke of Cambridge; . Dudley Field, the eminent American junst, arrived by the mail at South Australia after visiting the Australian Colonies, and proceeds Home via California. MAIL ITEMS.

Jean Luis is to be tried for bigamy at the General Sessions. Another marriage in the Royal family is talked of. A coushi of Brince Louis oj Hesse aspires to the hand of Princess Beatrice. '“ ” A deliberate assault was committed on the Duke of Cambridge in Pall MaU by Captain Maunsell, who had a grievance which he wished to bo corrected. He has been committed for trial.

The remains of the late Emperor Napoleon were removed from their temporary restingplace to the now mortuary chapel at Chislehurst.

A Civil Service Pension of Ll2O a-vearbaa been granted to Mr M. F. Tapper. J , The British Consul at New York has pent home twelve ftiryiVois of theAfirguiius. - ’ ’ » The strike in the Nottingham lace trade ter« mmated in a compromise. A number of large fires have occurred, involving considerable destruction of property stSinw 0n ’ a i e Ty? fl ! trough reckless steennj,, twenty men lost their lives, • Amphlett, Q.C., has been appointed to thuvacant Judgeship m tho Exchequer Court SiST 6 . G .°, ddard was a success in Calcutta! Signor Susmi has returned to the Colonies. : _ Obituary Herman Merivale, General Sir Gaspard La Marchant. oir q P vJI!. l i\ have been Mus ? clman riots In Bombay. £ S “ cked ’ b “‘