TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 252, 2 April 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(Pres.? Telegraph Agency.") AUSTRALIAN NEWS. Bluff, April 2. The Otago left Melbourne on the 27th, and arrived at 8 a.m. on the 2nd. She brings 40 saloon and 55 steerage passengers, and 309 tons of cargo for all ports. She brings no later cable news. Passengers— Mrs Cooke, Mrs Raphael, and sixty tons of cargo. Melbourne, March 27. Notwithstanding all the apparent precautions, and the new »nd vigorous system,

twenty leading communists, headed by Dr ' Rastoul, have managed to escape from New Caledonia in a boat of their own building, and they are now at large, all search as yet being unavailing. The Macgregor, with the Californian mails, reached San Francisco on the 20th. All hope of hearing any further news of the Gothenburg is abandoned. A fund has been raised in Melbourne and Adelaide, and amounts in the aggregate to about £7OOO, for which there are numerous claimants. A man named Martin, at Launceston, recently fabricated a story of the wreck of the barque Colino, on her voyage from London to Sydney, on King's Island, and he alleged that he was steward of the ship. No vessel of such a name proved to be coming to Sydney A case exciting some interest, Cameron v D. A. Hughes, for the recovery of money lent in connection with the starting of the newspapers Express and Town and Country, resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff. During the regatta on Saturday, Miss Perry, a daughter of Captain Perry, of Williamstown, lost her life by a buggy accident. There was a collision of a Ballarat train with a trolly on the North-eastern railway, and three lives were lost. A commission has been appointed to inquire into the condition of the volunteer force. Hans Breitman won the Ballarat Grand National Steeplechase. Blondin left for Europe by the mail steamer. Sydney. On the reassembling of Parliament, Mr Allen was elected as Speaker in opposition to Mr Wisdom, but he has resigned as the fairness of the election was questioned. The Government promised to amend the Land and Education Acts, and modify the tariff. A vote of £SOOO was passed for the Melbourne and Philadelphia Exhibitions. Sir J. Innes has been elected Chairman of Committees of the Council, and Mr Drivei in the Assembly. Eight hundred Chinese have been landed at Cooktown en route to Palmer, and 3000 more are at Hong Kong awaiting their transit to the colonies, principally for Cooktown and Townsville. Gunboats are searching for the escaped Communists, but no tidings have been received. Incessant rains and heavy gales continue on the Queensland coast. The Brisbane Government have awarded Malligan £IOOO for the discovery of the Palmer goldfield. Newcastle. Sailed—l9th, Hopeful. 23rd—Speculation, for Lyttelton. COMMERCIAL. The breadstuffs market has assumed a better tone, and prices are firmer. Wheat, 4s 9£d; for oats, 4s 8d to 4s 9d has been paid. Liquids are a little better; Hennessy's case 30s 6d. Teas and sugars without noticeable alteration. A meeting of the creditors of H. Smith and Co, drapers, Ballarat, has been held. The liabilities are unstated. INTERPROVINCIAL. Auckland, April 1. On the day the San Francisco mail left, a statement was published in England that two more survivors by the Cospatrick had arrived. The following appears in the Glasgow Herald of February Bth. A Brixham pilot named Salisbury, who landed yesterday at Brixham, reports having on Saturday evening, off Torbay, spoken the full-rigged ship Coldstream, belonging to Messrs Leigh and Smith, of Fenchurch street, London. The captain of the Coldstream informed Salisbury that he had come from St Helena, and has on board two of the crew of the Cospatrick, who has been taken to St Helena by an outward bound vessel. The Coldstream is believed to be bound for London, and is reported as passed Plymouth yesterday at 5 p.m. At the second day's enquiry by the Board of Trade into the burning of the Cospatrick, Mr Smith, the despatching officer to the New Zealand Government, states that he was quite satisfied with the cargo and stowage, and attributes the origin of the fire to some attempt to get either at the spirits or beer Tommy, a Kanaka native, has been fined one hundred pounds for smuggling ten pounds of tobacco. There was fearful mortality last month. There were eighty-seven death; forty-four from measles, and eighteen from diarrhoea or dysentery. The Flirt sailed for Lyttelton to-day with 32,326 feet of white pine, 10,000 feet timber, 10,000 empty sacks. The Mary Melville sails to-morrow with 32,000 feet timber and 500 sleepers. The Omaha is loaded, and lying windbound at Kaipara bound for Lyttelton, Auckland, April 2. The Star of the South, from Fiji, reports a fearful mortality from measles among the natives. The natives are paralysed and refuse to assist each other. All the head chiefs are dead, and 300 natives died on the Island of Ovalau alone, and on the other islands a great number from the disease. The disease is followed by dysentry, and has assumed the form of a plague, Several native towns were depopulated ; at one the the bodies lay for days uncovered, and were mangled by the pigs, the natives only burying the bodies a few inches below the surface. The late rains washed the soil off, and the smell was fearful. On the Island of Angahu a great many natives are reported as lying dead, as no one will bury them. Trade is at a standstill. The Star of the South returns with but little cargo, no one being about to take it out of the store and put it aboard. A sugar company are erecting machinery. Messrs Brodiamack and Soans have been committed for trial for the manslaughter of natives having died through their neglect. A missionary scandal is occupying attention here. Wellington, April 1. The City Council had a long discussion this afternoon as to the right of the press reporters being present at committee meetings, the Council ultimately decided that the reporters should be allowed to be present. His Excellency the Governor and Lady Normanby attended the entertainment of the Case's last night. The new Chief Justice took the necessary judicial oaths at Government House before his Excellency the Governor, the Minister of Justice and Commissioner of Customs being present, representing the Executive Council. His Honor leaves for Dunedin by the Easby to-morrow,

Nelson, April l; Two dead bodies have been found on a sand spit, on which an inquiry has been held by Mr Davidson, J.P. Several portions of a wreck have been found, and also articles of clothing, and the body of a large black and white retriever dog. It is quite possible that these are portions of the same wreck reported from West Wanganui on March 20th, but the lighthouse keeper .it the Spit thinks that the vessel to which they belonged must have been from 200 to 400 tons, whereas the other wreck was estimated at not exceeding 100 tons. On the morning of the 19 h of March the lighthouse keeper saw one barque and two brigantines standing towards the north, and one barque, hull down, standing up Blind Bay. The barque standing north was painted black, with a wide red streak. Poet Chalmers, April 1. The following verdict hus been arrived at by the jury on the inquest touching the death of George Smith, who was killed in a cutting at Port Chalmers on the 31st of March :—" That George Smith was accidentally killed while working on a cutting at Port Chalmers." To which the jury added the following rider :—" In our opinion the face of the cutting (19ft 4iu) was too high, and we would recommend the Government to pass an Act restricting the height of earth to be fallen to say 10ft; also, that contractors be requested to provide efficient supervision over works of this kind." [from our dunedin correspondent.] Dunedin, April 1. At the City Police Court to-day Thomas Weir was remanded to Christchurch on a charge of larceny as a bailee of 300 cornsacks, the property of Robert Wilkin. Our whaler Splendid reports meeting no whales for the first four months out. The first capture was on January sth. She brings into port 120 barrels from three whales. The City Council appears determined to go on with the new gasworks. The lessee is bringing pressure to bear. He now charges lis 10s per lamp, which will largely increase the cost of the city lighting. Curtis, of Melbourne, offers to construct works capable of supplying 250,000 ft for from £28,000 to £35,000. The Scottish Company, on disbanding, handed in its challenge belt, valued at £3O, to Jamieson, their late captain. The deaths in Dunedin during the March quarter were nearly double the number foithe same quarter for the past two years. April 2. Hunter's accommodation house at Riverton was totally destroyed by fire. The estimated loss is £I6OO which is partly covered by insurance. Mr Wilson Gray is said to be dying. A rich gold bearing reef has been discoverd at the Bluffs, Arrowtown. [FROM OUR AUCKLAND CORRESPONDENT.] Auckland, April 1. There was an almost unprecedented mortality in Auckland during the last quarter, viz, 279 deaths as against 28 births; last month 87 deaths were registered; of these three adults died of measles, one aged 30 years, one 20, and one 29 ; there was a single death from typhoid fever of an adult aged 42. The deaths by measles in a great majority consisted of infants under two years of age, viz, 32 out of 44, and of these 14 were under one year old; one poor little thing was only six days in existence, another ten days, and another being only nineteen days old. Eighteen deaths by measles were of infants between one and two years, and in great majority of cases the word diarrhcea or dysentry is added to measles, showing the manner in which the disease usually result when fatal. The screw barquentine Emu will be placed in the Fiji trade. A considerable sum has been subscribed towards the Gothenburg relief fund. There is very favorable news from the Ohinemuri. Gold is shown from two claims but nothing startling as yet. The Customs authorities are enforcing stringent regulations to stop the smuggling supposed to be going on from the small South Sea vessels, and compel them to keep their hatches sealed from five at night till ten the next morning, although they may have only fruit aboard. To day they pounced on one Tom, a Kanaka, one of the crew, and victimised him to the extent of £IOO for bringing ashore a quantity of tobacco from the Albion whaler. Tom went to gaol.

GREAT NATIVE MEETING.

Auckland, April 1. The Star's special correspondent at the great Kingite Meeting, successfully penetrated the country to Te Kuiti. He writes a long account of the journey, a description of the King country, and the opening proceedings. He says, after passing Alexandra, there is no road, only a track, along which travellers are compelled to ride Indian file, which leads to Kohua, eight miles through a difficult country, twice crossing tbe river by almost impassable fords, owing to the swamps. There are two Europeans, who have married Haubaus, living at Kohua, and a miscellaneous population of whites and half-castes. Fourteen miles beyond is Lewis' store, kept by a half-caste, in the vicinity of which Mackay's life was attempted. Between this store and Kopua three streams have to be crossed, and two swamps. The banks on each side of the river are nearly perpendicular. From the store it is sixteen miles to Kuiti, over a rough hilly country, and heavily timbered. After penetrating the dead forest the traveller comes out on open ground and begins to see the various settlements which surround Kuiti on all sides for about seven or eight miles. About a thousand natives live around Kuiti, which is built on both sides of the river. It has a large courthouse capable of accommodating three hundred natives. The king's tribe is a small one. All his land lies at Kawhia. He has two sons and several daughters, and three wives besides concubines. The eldest son is learning blacksmith's work with a European named Moffat. Tawhiao, and both sons are addicted to drink. It is generally understood that at his death one of his neDhews will succeed him, owing to his freedom from that vice. A large tract of land is under cultivation at Kuiti under wheat, oats, tobaico, melons. They have a large surplus of hops and wheat, which they will send to the market as soon as there is sufficient water in the river to allow canoes toproceed. The correspondent describes the whole country as a series of hills and dales. There are 6ome high mountains and extensive forests. Pheasants and pigs are abundant. There are also a fair share of cattle, horses, and a few sheep, which the country is noi adapted for, owing to tbe general growth of fern and tui-tui. In the river ironstone is always found. Only recently a seam of cannel

coal has been discovered. There is also alluvial gold found on the downs. The natives have resolved not to permit the making of roads and telegraphs, or to sell or lease the lands. Sullivan's and Todd's murderers and Te Kooti live there. The chiefs are now all for peace. The correspondent adds their successors may bring on a war, but if they do so it will be the last; but before the natives are vanquished many Europeans will be killed, the natural features of the country offering great barriers to Europeans. The meeting commenced on the 28th. 4000 natives were present, nearly all being Hauhius. 2000 more are expected. Those there include Smith, chief of the Wanganui district, with 250 of his tribe. Disappointment is expressed at the non-attendance of Tawhiao. He will probably be sent for. The correspondent states that subsequent to McLean's refusal to go with the Governor unless the meeting was held at Kawhia, he offered to go to Kuiti if the iriendlies were allowed to accompany them, to which the Kingite chiefs replied—" If the Governor could not trust their safe escort, it was better that he should stay away." The principal object of the meeting is said to stop the Waikato natives from giving Government in returns for presents a lien on the lands which the natives are permitted on sufferance to occupy and cultivate, and which the Waikato tribes have no title to. This is alleged to have been going on for a long time, the natives accepting Government presents, and giving in return a lien on lands not their own. A warm discussion is expected .