BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3768, 22 March 1875, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

... i. x , , Wellington, March 20. • j 18 r ™at Australian Mutual Provident Insurance Society, in consequence of the loss of the Gothenburg, have had to m°et claims amounting life was insured for LI,OOO. Christchurch, March 20. Malvern Hill coal of excellent quality is-now being sold*in Christchurch. Efforts are being made to form a coal mining company oh a large scale.' The railway to Whiteoliffe, the principal coal district in Malvern Hill, will shortly be completed. Cadet Willis, the only cadet who qualified to fire for the caaet championship, is unable to compete owing to illness. New Plymouth, March 20. Te Whiti, at the Pariaka meeting re the Opunake affair, said if the Natives did anything to bring-trouble on themselves, they might the consequence. He refused to arbitrate or give any advice. Gbahambtown, March 2L One of the reporters of the Auckland ‘ Star* had a page of the ‘Advertiser’ photographed this morning on a reduced size, about three inches square, and pigeons olf with copies for the object being to get Sir George i address in the evening issue with*

out paying the rates charged to the evening papers. The reduced photographs were perfectly legible. DESTRUCTIVE FIRE AT AUCKLAND. Auckland, March 21. Mr Olson’s sauce factory, with the proprietor’s house on one side and Mrs Meurant’s house on the other side, were totally destroyed by firt last night. The fire broke out at ten o clock, and lasted one hour. The value of the property destroyed is L 5.000. Olson’s factory was burned last year. Mr Olson and his wife were away at Deadwpod spending the evening. They left Wm. Martin, a trustworthy man, five years m their employ, in charge at four o’clock. ■After seeing all safe he locked up at five p. m. and went to his residence a short distance off. lucre is no clue to the origin of the fire, which was first seen by the Misses Meurnnt, who were going to bed. The house occupied by Mr xWunden, near the factory, and also the house occupied by Mr Calder, close to Meurant’s had a narrow escape. The wind was blowing all the time, and whirling sparks half a The Catholic school very nearly caught, xr I °® uran oes are as followOlson’s stock, Ntw Zealand, 1,2,000 j plant, L 950. Half of are reinsured in the South British ; dwell-ing-house {New Zealand), LSOO ; furniture (New Zealand), L 100; manufactory (South British), L4OO. Blundon’s furniture (South British), LIOO. Mrs Meurant’s house (Victoria), L 20 0; furniture, uninsured. (From our own Correspondents.) Oamaru, March 22. Grave doubts are entertained as to the safety of the schooner Enphrosyne, which left Otago Heads for this port fourteen days ago, ftnd has not sinco been beard of. There are insurances on her to the extent of L 2500 The B.s. Bruce, which left Lyttelton yes* terday, via Akaroa and Timaru, passed here at 12.40 to-day. She is therefore due at Port Chalmers, at 5 p.m. Auckland, March 20. A remarkable contretemps has arisen between the Provincial Government and the Ladies’ Benevolent Society, in consequence of the former discharging the matron of the old "Women’s Home which was under the management of ladiqj. The latter took the matron under their protection, and the Deputy-Super-intendent wrote to the ladies that unless the matron was cleared out before noon to-day policemen would expedite her departure. The ladies’ thereupon carted the whole of the bedding and fittings of the Home, which are their property, and left the Government with the bare building full of decrepit old women in a helpless state. How the matter will end is doubtful, but public feeling favors the action of the ladies’ in resisting the arbitrary measures of the Government. - Much better reports have come in from the Ohinemuri. The miners are settling systematically to work on their claims. A rush was made to a new gully, and claims pegged off along the line of reef from which a quantity of gold found in the creek is supposed to have come. Christchurch, March 19. The man Patrick Oarey, charged with using “crooked” dice, and thereby robbing one Pierce, a billiard-marker in ; Port Lyttelton, was yesterday committed for trial on a charge of obtaining money on false pretences. Sergeant Maguire stated, in his examination, that on searching the prisoner’s portmanteau he found fourteen dice; two of them were loaded. It was proved by throwing them that on five out of six occasions the six turned up. He also found various other gambling tools in the portmanteau, notably a bottle containing fifteen marbles and a parti colored cloth. Bail was refused in the case. On account of Mr Farr’s resignation there is a vacancy in the City Council. A requisition numerously signed is inserted in this evening’s paper, requesting James O’Brien, a well-known chimney-sweeper in the town, to stand for the vacant seat. He is supposed by the requisitionera to be the fittest man to meet the requirements of a city councillor, as represented in Christchurch at the present time. If this wellknown character should be elected, and there are more unlikely things, the situation will be very comical, though slightly unpleasant to the members of the Council. At the Chamber of Commerce meeting yesterday, Mr M'Pherson brought a motion forward to request the chairman and mover to wait upon the Secretary of Public Works to ask if it would be suitable to ruu a train every day two or three hours later than the last ordinary train. The want of this train is much felt, and it is to be hoped that it may be granted. Mr Booth, the actor, took a benefit last night.. There was a very good house. The Cases are drawing good houses. Riverton, March 22. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day Archibald Dilson was committed for trial for receiving Ll|2, re the gold selling case. LiWRENCE, March 22. Rev. Charles Clark lectures here to-night. Upwards of fifty people left here this morning for Dunedin, The weather is stormy and cold.

A meeting is to be held to-morrow night of the friends of Mr J. C. Brown, who intend presenting him with a testimonial for his valuable service to the district during the last twelve years. A gentleman'in Dunedin has headed the list with ten guineas. It is anticipated that LSOO will he raised. .., , ~ Tokomaibibo, March 21. A fatal accident occurred on the Clutha line at 7.30 this morning. An engine was pushing two trucks and drawing one, proceedin'- from Miton towards Balclutha, and taking men to work on the different sections of the line between Adams’s and Cameron’s crossing. A gate was blown or thrown across the rails, and upset the foremost truck, killing one of the work people, a boy named Patrick Connor, the son of an old resident at Fairfax. Death was in stantaneoua, his brains being knocked out The body was brought to Milton, but an inquest cannot be held until to-morrow as Mr Maitland. R.M., resides in Dunedin. * . March 22. A letter will appear in to-morrow’s ‘ Herald ’ from Mr W. A Murray, M.H.R., regarding the opening of the Clutha line. It throws new light on the subject, and gives the Govemmtn* reasons, which are pretty conclusive, why it is not likely that the line will be opened before the contract-time. LARGE FIRE AT OAMARU. (From our own Correspondent.) . . . ~ Oamauu, March 22. Tne largest fire which ever occurred at Oamaru broke out at about twenty minutes aftCT midnight on Saturday, on the premises of Harbison, grocer, m Thames street. It raged for about two hours, burning to the ground all buildings on the east side of Thames street, from Kite’s carriage factory to John Milligan’s clothing establishment, where tinprogress of the fire was stayed bv the buildings. The block destroyed was entirely of wood. The bufldmgs totally destroyed were a follows :-Ki e’s carnage factory; Jones, the photographer’s; James Man*, watchmaker’s • Goldammer, furniture warehouse • Farr’ butcher ; Hanning’s, Alliance HotelHarbi’ son’s, grocer j Lippert, grocer; Falconer, seedsman; and Wansbrough, oil and color merchant. The following premises were more oi less damaged:—J. Milligan, clothier; Mrs Smith, fancy bazaar; G. Anderson, boot maker: N. Lane, butcher. The total esti mated loss is from L 7.775 to L 8.095, of which L 4.650 is covered by insurance. The insurance offices interested are—New Zealand, L 3 250 • South British, L 50 0; Royal, L 80 0; National L 10 0; and Norwich Union, L 250.