BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3685, 14 December 1874, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Wellington, December 12. Captain Pharp, an amateur astronomer at. Nelson, succoeileil in taking a perfect observation of the egress in the transit of Venus. By chronometer time, compared by telegraph yesterday with Dr. Hector, it was found that a difference of two minutes existed. It is intended to compare the time of this chronometer for a few days, and, if found reliable, iv is thought the observation will be of scientific value, and Major Palmer will proceed to Nelson in connection with the observation Mr Thomas Buchanan, manager of the Bank of Austi alasia here, who refused a very advantageous offer to join the Colonial Bank, has accepted an offer from the National Rank, and commences his new duties in the early part of February. Gueytown, December 12. The »1 ockey Club Plate, 100 sovs., tivo miles, was won by Little Wonder, without difficulty, beating Premier easily. For the Consolation race, Kanaka led all the way till within fifty yards of the judge’s stand, when he jibbed, leaving Hatter to win. The District Pace ivas won by Little Wonder. _ CniusTCHcmrH, December 12. . Tim public meeting held last evening to consider the question of Funeral Reform, was influentially attended. Those present included ministers of nearly every denomination. Sir Cracroft Wilson was in the chair. On the motion of the Dean of Christchurch, seconded by the Rev. C Fraser (Presbyterian), it was resolved That in view of the desirableness of effecting a reform in ordinary customs connected with fnnera's and wearing of mournim' a committee ho appointed for the purpose 3 of collecting information on the subject, and considering the best measures to be taken fir effecting such reform, and that they be authorised if they think (it, to convene a public meeting for the consideration of the subject or to initiate stops for the formation of a Funeral Reform Association.” Those present were aiipointed a committee, with power to add to their number, to carry out the objects of the resolution, ( I'vom our own Correspondents.) Napier, December 12. •i, 9° troupe left for Auckland last night, after giving two most successful concerts. The receipts for the two nights were Ll6O, and would have been larger had the weather been favorable.

The body of the man named Bachelor, who was drowned at Port Ahuriri on the 2nd, was yesterday found on the beach by a party of boys. It was much eaten by fishes. shares in the Poverty Bay Petroleum Company are at 10s p; emimu. The same complaints rc the Telegraph Department as are made in Dundin are made here, "!*■ . no blame can be attached to the Napier officials, who have to work at a great disadvantage. There are eight instruments, while counter clerks, messengers, Yin emeu, & c ., are all jumbled together in a small room. The fact is that business has so incrfe&nd over the whole Colony that the supply of cadets is not equal to the demand. An accident, fortunately without serious resuits, occurred to the Taupo coach. Wliile descending along steep cutting near Potui the horses bolted and the coach overturned. All the passengers were severely bruised. The Supreme Court sittings have been adjourned to the IGth. The captain of the s.s. Pretty Jane refuses to go to the wharf at Poverty Bay in future, the bar being m bad. Great indignation is expressed against the Auckland Provincial Government for refusing to improve the bar. New Plymouth, December 12. Two men, named McCarthy and John Sale respectively, were killed yesterday by the falling of a gravel pit. Auckland, December 12. A melancholy accident occurred to a little girl thirteen years old, the daughter of Mr Brown, of Hobson Park. The child, with some younger companions, was sent to school at the usual hour, but went out upon the cliffs for a ramble, when little Miss Brown's attention was attracted by Christmas blossoms upon the pauutuhama trees, mid in reaching to gather some, fell over the deceptive protruding edge, a distance of twenty feet. Her skull is fractured, and small hopes of her recovery are entertained. A very serious accident by the explosion of a gun occurred at Tike, Coromandel. Martin McDonnell had pushed the butt end under his !■ quse on the Emily Claim to leave it there until his return from work. On returning he stooped down, took hold of the gun by the muzzle, and was in the act of drawing it out when it exploded. He received a terrible wound, but with presence of mind gripped his arm just above the wound with the left hand, and ran a distance of about a hundred yards to where two men named Moore and Stevenson were at work. The hand was nearly shot off, and besides a great number of shots lodged m the fleshy part of his thigh, extending from below ihe hip down to the knee. The wonder is that the thigh bone was not shattered, as the principal wound was only half an inch from it, and a couple of inches only saved the whole contents of the gun from lodging in his abdomen. It is only a month since he had the middle finger of his left hand smashed at the end, from which accident he has scarcely yet recovered. ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS VIA SAN FRANCISCO. Auckland, A London telegram of November sth says i that the chief authorities of the Church have decided to hold a great International Catholic , Congress in London with the object of main- ’ tabling the doctrine of Papal infallibility, of rei asserting the Pope’s rights, temporal as well as spiritual power, and proclaiming it to be the . hmndeu duty of all Christians to retain allegiance to Rome. It is stated that this determii nation is the result of direct instructions from the Vatican, and some of the highest dignitaries , of the Church will attend the Congress. ArchL bishop Manning, in a speech at Westminster, r stated that the spiritual influence of the r Pope had greatly increased since the loss of , his temporalities. If arbitration was ever to supersede war, the Pope would be the only possible authorised arbitrator in the Catholic , world ; and, he added, he was threatened with i a controversy on all the decrees of the Ecunie- , Council. There was undoubtedly ap- , preaching one of the mightiest contests the r r ligious world had ever seen. Therefore it was , necessary fearlessly to assert through the free . Press of England the Pope’s rights and his prel tensions to world-wide allegiance, i The American papers contain full telegrams l i dative to the eaithquake at Guatemala, which . caused great loss of life and property. Gttate- > mala papers state the losses in one department , | lrG calculated from 200,000d015. to 250,000d015., [ including farm houses, machinery, storehouses' j in which cochiueal was burned'—all under > Tl 18 ', The number of victims is not exactly I stated, because many dead bodies remain - buried under the stream of mud which dei sceuded from Cercro del Trata. In Lui,;a alone r ever thirty persons perished, the greater part 3 bein h r women and children. It is estimated , that twenty-five bodies were burned in other T towns ; a hundred were wounded. The town i Dluiios is entirely ruined. A short distance I “ om Dueuos, near the coffee farm Seinga, i *n n place called La Estansia, there [ was an extraordinary promontory of r ™ud which had descended from the 3 height _of Cerero del Trata Promontory, , i* na it hid some places to a depth of ten feet. 1 It was formed by eruptions of mud, which the i geologists call salos, which generally is not , a good sign for border countries. The eruption 1 which produced this promontory consists of - solid mud, which, though compact, carried in t its current enormous masses of stones, trees, e f c - 'I, be Government ordered supplies of flour i from Salvador and California. Subscriptions B are being raised in Guatemala for the families of the suffering. A telegram to Government 3 from Antigua says “The consequences there of - the earthquake are very serious, fourteen deaths e occurred in Antigua, five in Duenos, five in 1 Joccalango, and one in San Pedro. The town . of Dueuos is entirely ruined, and Allowhnango i and irinidad Vieza much damaged. Amattar has also suffered considerably, but no loss of life occurred there.” A telegraphic despatch to the Government, from Samafoa, dated Antigua, September 4, stated the President had gone through the city and found six victims, mostly worn n who had lived in some old ruins, t In Patiza much damage was done, and one - hundred deaths are reported. Another de- ■ spatch from Antigua dated the sth ult., says i the church and Gabildero suffered much, while i farm houses in the neighborhood and native - huts remained intact. Two rivers which der sounded from the volcano overflowed the city s and carried away huts with about twenty 3 victims' at Chiinultango. On the (ith ult. the - President telegraphed for surgical aid. The people of this place were in a state of conster- : nation at the effects of the earthquake. Villa de Sargoza Pazior to Isla.-a are ruined com- | pietely. Provisions were forwarded and all the I aid possible. This last despatch says the victims might be 200.