BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3465, 31 March 1874, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

„ Christchurch, March 30. The Hon. E. W. Stafford has consented to himself or ®i®°tion as a representative In the Provincial Council, _ . . New Pltmodth, March 30.f ine Superintendent has received a letter, stating that half the proceeds of the sale of con* fisoated land.would for the future be handed over to the Province, a moiety,of which is to he spent in the district where the land is, the remainder by a vote of thf Council ' A testimonial was presented to-day to Mr J. Kelly, M.H.R., by a number of friends and constituents, as ; & recognition of his services in Parliament in promoting the construction of the Waitara railway. mu .6* ~ t , Auckland, March 31. totara London correspondent states that the system of granting free passages has resulted in the shipment of an inferior, class of emigrants, and instanced the passengers by the Lorette, which .left on January 21 for Auoklaud, with 340 emigrants. The correspondent states that with the exception of the single women they are much below the average class sent to Auckland. The Shipping Company’s ship Waikato, intended for the Auckland trade, has been launched. She is sister vessel to the Rakaia. iho members of the Melanesian Mission, at a meeting held at Norfolk Island, nominated the Rev. J. R. Selwyn as Bishop. The appointment requires confirmation by the General bynod, which body is about to meet at Wellington.. _ T ■_ Hokitika, March 3L In.the Supreme Court in banco, Mr Newton, tor the Hokitika Tramway Company, showed cause against the rule nisi in arrest of judgment obtamed at Nelson, and Mr South, for the Provincial Government, supported the rule. Judgment was reserved. . . m -jjf ~ Alexandra, March 31. \ ihe Maoris down from Te Kuiti report that' no meeting for talk has yet taken place. Tho meeting so far appears to be a failure, the friendlies not having attended. FLOATING OP THE MACGREGOR. m, , ... Auckland, March 31. ine schooner Manon Renny, from Levuka, brings intelligence that the steamer Mncgregor has been floated. H.M.B. Pearl tried to get ner off for several days, but as all the strongest w £*Po^ ke was com P®H*d to desist. Meanwhile 200 tons of sugar and a large quantity of eoal were thrown overboard, there being no means of landing them, and the steamer floated off on tho 7th instant by herself. The Pearl having gone to Levuka, the Macgregor Wan taken into a safe anchorage in Galoa Bay. Shol has a hole 12ft by 3ft in one of her forward compartments, which is full of water. Otherwise she is uninjured, and will be repaired an well as circumstances will permit, and then taken to Sydney to be dooked. The proposed annexation of Fiji has been negatived by tho King and leading chiefs assembled at Bau, There are to be fresh eleo