TELEGRAMS.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 161, 10 December 1874, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(Fer Anglo-Australian Press Telegraph Agency.) . « AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Auckland, December 9. The Memento has arrived from Newcastle. Melbourne, November 26. A Bill will be introduced into the Council creating an arbitration coui't for the determination of labor disputes. Sales of brandy (bulk), 7s 9d. No improvement in sugars ; sales, counters, £3O ; grainyyellow, £3l los; brewing browns, £23 jjs ; Valentia raisins, 7gd to 7-|d ; maize, 5s lOd. Newcastle. Arrived —Moa, from Timaru ; Guttenberg, from Lyttelton. INTERPEOVINCIAL. Auckland, December 9. At the wool sales to-day prices were a penriy per pound higher than last sale. GItAiiAMSTOWN, December 9. It is settled that Ohinemuri is to be opened for mining at once. Mr Mackay was busy yesterday marking off the reserves and boundaries. The natives retain the freehold. MiMcLean is expected on Friday. Mr Mackay returned to-day. Wellington, December 9. The business hitherto of the Presbyterian General Assembly has been chiefly on formal matters. The result of a mild discussion on intemperance was the setting apart of the second Sabbath in Murch as a day for temperance sermons. A resolution was passed favorable to union with the Otago and Southland Churches. It was resolved that St Andrew's Church, Wellington, be incorporated with the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Permission was granted to the Nelson Presbytery to sit in this city. WAIAU, December 9. Mr Ward's woolshed on the reserves, Kautara, Kaikoura, has been destroyed by fire, with fifty bales of wool. Dunedin, December 9. Thirty-two applications for the appointment of English master in the High school have been received. Mr Reynolds addressed his constituents in the Temperance Hall last night. There was a moderate attendance. The mayor occupied the chair. In speaking on the Abolition of the Provinces Bill, he said he supported the resolution, because ho considered that whenever a province became effete, and a burden on the colony, the colony should administer its affairs. He also supported it because from the central position of Wellington city he considered it to be the best place for the seat of the Government of the colony. Further, because he considered that by the means indicated by the legislation there would be greater security for the continuance of the expenditure of the land revenue. Whether the resolution had been passed or not, there would have been, and would still be, a hard fight. Some of the Northern members wish to make the land revenue colonial, but he had no fear of their success unless the Canterbury and Otago members treacherously abaudon the interests of their constituents. He trusted the verdict of those present would be in his favor for having supported the resolutions. He complimented Mr Wales for the assistance rendered him in supporting him in reference to local measures. He thought Dunedin should have another representative. Judge Ward had not been promised, nor was he likely to be, the position held by Judge Chapman. Mr Fish moved the following resolution, which was carried —" That the thanks of this meeting are due to Mr Reynolds for his address, and that he still retains the confidence of his constituents.''

TRANSIT OF VENUS. BUBNHAM, Dec 9. We are indebted to Major Palmer for the following memorandum : " Here the observation of ingress was spoiled by clouds, which prevented any measures with the double image micrometer from being made piior to the internal contact, and entirely hid the planet from view a few seconds before the contact itself. Photographs near contact were impossible. About fourteen minutes after the contact the sun showed a little more brightly at intervals, and a few micrometric measures of the distances of the limbß were made during some eight or ten minutes; but these would be of little value. A few photographs—most of them indifferent—were also secured. At three o'clock the sun became entirely hidden. Heavy rain set in at 3.30, and lasted till 4 30, when a little clearing and the look of the sky to windward gave hopes that the observation of egress (of immensely greater value than that that of ingress) might yet be secured. But clouds again gained the mastery, and the sun was not feen at all from half-past three until some ten minutes after the end of the transit when it shone brightly till nearly sunset.

The five sub-stations at Graharastown, Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Naseby met with the same bad fortune as \vc did. both at ingress and egress. The telegraphic arrangements by Mr G. Lemon and his staff were excellent. The weather only failed

Grahamstowj,, 11.31 a .mThe sun is not visible yet. It has been raining all morning, sometimes heavily. It is now drizzling. There are very slight indications of its clearing up. Wellington. 2.35 p m. At twenty minutes past one with an ordinary telescope Venus was seen to be just entering sun's disc ; at twenty minutes to two she had fairly entered, at a quarter to two the sun was obscured by cloudy weather. It is now dull and cloudy, with a close heat. Dr Hector reports an utter failure all over New Zealand at the critical moment. The sun is obscured, but hopns are entertained of further observations at five o'clock. 8 p.m. Dr Hector was unable to make the observation of either the ingress or egress. In Auckland the sky continued to be heavily overcast all day. Captain Heale, specially appointed to conduct the observation at Auckland, failed to get a view of the transit. Mr Lambert's party, consisting of himself and Messrs Pond and Martin, were observing from Hobson street. They succeeded in getting the first contact. The first contact was noticed at lh 50min 37sec, Greenwich time, subject to correction. The formation of the black drop was noticed at lh 68min, At 2h 17min lOsec another glimpse of the sun was caught, and the planet was fully on. Subsequently the sky became so overcast that further observation was impossible. The weather got still more dense towards the close of the day. None of the Auckland observatories saw anything of the final phase of the transit. [from our dunedin correspondent.] Dunedin, December 9. Most of the information got out of Mr Reynolds was by questioning. The meeting was very tame. The principal points were, if an income tax was to be levied would he support levying it on absentees, and if it could, making them pay double. Free emigration would be coutiuued as long as necessary, and no longer. He was not in favor of making the Upper House elective. The land fund would not be absorbed ; Otago and Canterbury could defeat any Government attempting it. For himself he would instantly retire from the Government if it was proposed. The Government had not considered the desirability of concentrating the Supreme Court Judges in Wellington.