THE WANGANUI HANDICAP.

Evening Star, Issue 3732, 8 February 1875, Page 3

THE WANGANUI HANDICAP.

(From the Press Agency.) Wellington, February 7. The weights for the Wanganui Jockey Club are considered very fair by sporting men. They are—Little Wonder, aged, 9st 61b ; Fair Helen, aged, Bst 121b ; Premier, 4 yrs, Bst 71b ; True < Blue, aged, Bst 71b; The Peer, aged, 7st 81b ; ■ Medora, aged, 7st 91b; Diver, aged, 7st 6lb; , Opawa, 4 yrs, 6st 121b; Stalban, 5 yrs, 6st , 121b ; Coralie, aged, fist; White Hot, 5 yrs, 7st 61b; Glenary, 5 yrs, 6st 101b; Tim Whiffler, aged, 7st; Rob Roy, aged, 6st 101b ; Nun, aged, 6st 91b ; Glenary, 3 yrs, 6st 81b ; Firetail, aged, : 6at 71b; Harry, aged, 6st 71b; Maid of the Mountain, 3 yrs, sst 121b; Cornelia, 3-yre, • 6st 121b. . (From our own Correspondent.) Auckland, Febiuary 6. The Girards’ farewell benefit at the Prince of Wales Theatre last night was a great success. The theatre wascrowded. They perform at the theatre next week, and then probably play a ! short season in the South. They are under ; contract to appear in London in May. A ridiculous fiasco has arisen out of the late yacht race and regatta. Owing to one vessel being told the wrong course, the committee declared it was no race, and appointed Saturday to have it run again. The two owneis of ; the largest yachts refused to sail, and the partners in one of them, who is starter for the regatta committee, refused to start the other , yachts. It is possible that the affair will result , in legal proceedings. Some speculators have been trying a gigantic swindle at Obinemuri, endeavoring to buy a large block of gold goldfields, and to get the boundary line placed outside at a distance. The laying off of the goldfields boundaries is to be commenced forthwith. A dispute there between two rival purchasers of a piece of land resulted in one chopping down the store of the other and violently assaulting the owner. A detachment of constabulary has been sent up to preserve order among the diggers. The printers held a meeting to-night to protest against the introduction of girls’ labor. The * Star ’ to-night keenly satirises the violent excitement caused by three “innocent little mites not higher than the editor’s elbow,” and aays the girls state they are sorry'that anything that they may have done should have frightened the printers so. It asserts that the experiment |s made in pursuance of the principle so frequently advocated that all businesses which could be .equally well filled by women as by men, should be thrown open to both. THE WESTERN RAILWAYS, (From our own Correspondent) Riverton, February 8. A well-attended public meeting was held on Saturday evening for the purpose of urging on the Government the necessity of extending the Western railways, when the following resolutions were carried unanimously : “ That this meeting respectfully urge upon the Provincial Government the necessity of continuing the survey of the line of railway from the termination of the present contract to Orepuki, with a view to inviting tenders for its completion.” “That this meeting respectfully urge upon the Provincial Government the necessity of carrying out the survey of the projected lines of railway from Otautau to the Nightcap Coal-fields, and from Orepuki to the Waiau River, in order that estimates may be prepared previous to the meeting of the Provincial Council,” “ That this meeting elect the Western District Public Works Vigilance Committee’’—twelve gentlemen elected, with power to add to their number. “That this meeting respectfully solicit our member of the Provincial Council to use every endeavor to get a money vote of a valuable endowment of land to the Riverton Harbor Board; and that a petition be drawn up embodying the above resolutions.” Mr Daniel, M.P.C.,and Mr M’Gillivray, M.H.R., were the principal speakers, and warmly supported the resolutions. It was the best meeting held in Riverton for a long time, and shows a sign of the residents rousing themselves from the apathy m which they have been for the last two years. LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Sydney, February 2. The Government were* defeated on the amendment to the Address censuring the MinS’ try and Governor re Gardiner’s release. The ppbjjtion had" a majority of four. The Ministry resigned' Th'e'Gqverqop has pronounced the position one of unexampled difficulty, and asked time to consider it. Two months’ supply has been voted. The Torres Straits mall is to be delivered today. It brings further particulars re the wreck of the a.s. Mongol. Captain Flamank, Mrs Flamank, the chief mate, and fourteen others were drowned. Archbishop Vaughan is making a tour of the country districts and has been well received. The Rev Mr Wilkinson has been elected Chairman of the Wesleyan Conference. The anniversary regatta was the best that has been for years. The yacht race, won by the Maggie, was the closest ever sailed here. The political crisis is unchanged. The Governor has accepted the Ministers’ resignation. Thompson, the sole survivor of the Hume expedition, has reached Borneo. He says the report of seeing Arthur’s (?) body is untrue, and believes him to be still alive. Melbourne. The Rev. Mr Robertson, of the Londsdale Presbyterian Church, died suddenly. The Rev. Mr Harcourt was elected President of theWesleyan Conference. Haricot and Melbourne are favorites for the Geelong gold cup; Victoria has applied by telegraph for 15,000 feet of floor space and 7,600 feet of wall space at the Philadelphia Exhibition. The s.B. St. Osyth left full of passengers. On Sunday the cottage of a man named Irvine, at Yarraville, and three houses adjoining, were destroyed by fire. Human remains, supposed to be those of Irvine’s wife, were found after the fire. In the South Melbourne v. Richmond match for. the challenge cup, the former made over 200 runs. _ Hobart Town. Tho encket match between the Tasmanian and Victorian teams drew a large attendance. Governor Weld was present. Tasmania made 60, and followed their innings, scoring 210. Victoria then went to the wickets, and won by eight wickets. Arrived—The Swatara. Adelaide. Sir James Fisher was buried to-day, there being a large pub io cortege. Wheat, *s lOd ; flour,