BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 4120, 11 May 1876, Page 3

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

ANOTHER MANIFESTO. Auckland, May 10. Sir George Grey has addressed a letter to the ©ivil Commissioners, in which he says he learns from his Provincial Treasurer that the information they require is so simple and ordinary that he would have furnished it with pleasure to the Colonial Secretary, and does not understand why it should have been thought necessary to send the three gentlemen to obtain it. Sir George Grey also writes to know who is agent for the General Government at Auckland, understanding that a Minister of the Crown is at present discharging the duties. He comments strongly on this, and generally upon Civil servants holding portfolios in the Ministry. The corrected fist of the Insurance Companies' losses by the fire yesterday is :—New Zealand, total L 1,200, partial under risks amounting to L6OO ; Norwich Union, partial, LBOO ; Batavia, partial, L 50 0; Transatlantic, partial, L 35 0; Eoyal, partial, LI,OOO ; South British, partial, LI, 400; Standard, partial, Ll,500; National, partial, L6OO ; Victoria, total L 250, partial LI, 900 ; Imperial, total Ll5O ; partial, L6OO. The fire originated in the Fijian Fruit House, which is unoccupied.

Napieb, May 10. The Auckland Chess Club notify that they are going to play the Dunedin Club on the Queen's Birthday, and if convenient will play the Napier Club immediately after.

Wellington, May 11. At a general meeting of the Chamber of Commerce it was resolved to form a Harbor Board, and to acquire for L 60.000 the Queen's Wharf and Te Aro foreshore of seventy-two acres. The Corporation having control over the drainage and sewerage, onesixth of the land is to be handed over to the Corporation for public reserves. The Government is to be communicated with to learn what endowment they will grant the Board, and whether they will introduce the necessary Bill into Parliament. The following are the tenders for the Wai-Sawa-Takapau contract of the Napierlanawatu railway—permanent way only : —Accepted : Millar, Murray, and Walker, L 6,490. Declined: Tracey and Allen, Napier, L 7.200; W.H. Topham,Waipukurau, L 7.349; John Whittaker, Dunedin, 7,400 ; William Kowe and M'Carthy, Wanganui, 7,G20; John Wilkie, Wanganui, 8,248; Mackay and Monteith, Waipukurau, 8,713 ; Thomas Denby, Wanganui, 10,362; Edward Brennan and Co., Napier, and J. Gray and Co., Wanganui, informal.