BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3847, 23 June 1875, Page 3

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Hi# Excellency and suite arrived, per Luna from Nelson at eleven this morning. ’ m OheistchubcH, June 23. The ‘Times’ this morning says it is rumored that the Hon. E. W. Stafford is in active communication, by letter and otherwise, with the old Centralist party, and intends to press the question of the abolition of all the Provinces to a division during the comine session of the Assembly. It is also said that at the general election next year he will, if leave his present district of Timaru, which is considered certain to return an Abolitionist, and contest a seat with one of the leading members of the Frovincialist party. From a private letter received by Mr Fowler from one of the Victorian promoters, it seems that the expenses, &c., of a cricket team from that Colony are estimated at Li ,000. This amount, however, is probably capable of considerable reduction, so that the chance of an Australian eleven visiting New Zealand is by no means unlikely. J {From our own Correspondents.) T _ „ . ... , , Napieb, June 22. •KTanllr f e rf ß +if e a° forwarded from Napier to the Auckland Star,’ purportin'? to he a copy of a letter from Mr HanJin to the Native .Minister, the 'Tele|rfph ‘ eaV s he letter was never tendered for pu&icatio?, and never reached the dignity of a State paper• but was a private communication. If the letter did not assume to be a true copy of the original

attested by Mr John Sheehan, M.H.R., who is well known as the legal adviser of the parties now prosecuting the action against Mr Sutton, we should believe it to be a bold and impudent forgery—forged with the direct object of injuring Mr Sutton in his purse and character ; and would forget the ulterior object of prejudicing bis cause in the Supreme Court in respect to Native transactions. A more infamous and libellous letter it is impossible to conceive—so utterly untrue in its statements is it, that we scorn to allude to them further than to exhibit their malicious character. The contents of tho letter have been industriously telegraphed from Auckland to Dunedin and Wellington, and it has been said that no Hawke’s Bay jury would fve an impartial verdict in cases between uropeans and Natives affecting land in the actions pending. The intention is to apply for a change of venue. If so, the publication of the letter in. all places likely t he the scene of the trial, can only be characterised as nothing less than villainy on the port of the promulgators.

Cltde, June 23. Mr Alexander, tbe postmaster here, has been committed for trial on a charge of embezzling the department’s monies. He was bailed out in two securities of LIOO and himself in a similar amount.

Wellington, June 23. The General Government has impounded tbe capitation allowance of Wellington for April, May, and June, about Ll,ooo per month, to pay the interest on the Hutt railway.

■ _ Christchurch, June 22. At a meeting of the Intercolonial Match Committee to-day, it was resolved (1.) That Mr Meares’s estimate of L 750 generally as tlutotal contribution of all the Provinces be approved; (2.) that it is desirable that Mr Meares be asked to act as secretary, and forthwith to obtain the decision of all the Provinces, and to send a final answer to Mr Goldsmith by the next Australian steamer; (3.) that as it seems doubtful whether Wellington and Nelson’s contribution together will reach tho sum of L 225, Canterbury will raise, Mr Meares estimates, from L 175 to L2OO, if Otago will de the same, and that Auckland be requested to do likewise; and (4) that a copy of the resolutions be sent with an explanatory letter to Mr Goldsmith immediately.

Auckland, June 22. A correspondence is proceeding in the columns of the * Star’ as to the respective merits of the Auckland and Canterbury cricketers, a correspondent having warmly advocated Canterbury’s supremacy in the Colony. “ Touchstone ” writes that the average during the past season shows that Mumford and Rees, the best Auckland bats, are quite equal to Corfe and Fowler, the leading batsmen of Canterbury, and that the next ten or twelve bats made a fair average. * ‘ Touchstone ” contends that Auckland is still able to hold the championship of New Zealand against all comers. Judge Turner, who is now in Auckland, from San Francisco, attended a meeting of the City Council to-day, by request, and gave a most satisfactory account of the working of the street tramways in that city. °The information was elicited in order to guide the councillors in their decision on two proposals from private firms to lay street tramways in Auckland.

Tho revival services are continued with very meagre attendance.

A special Napier telegram to the * Star ’ today says that a bookseller of this town, who is also agent for the sale of books issued by the society for the propagation of the Christian religion in foreign parts, had imported a quantity of obscene photographs and books, which have been seized by the Customs authorities. They are eminently disgusting, and calculated to debauch the youth of both sexes.