TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 823, 10 February 1877, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(Per Press Agency ,) LATEST FROM AUSTRALIA. —• o~ [By Submarine Cable.J Sydney, February 9. Case brandy 32s to 33s ; quarters, 9s 6d, The market is quiet. Kerosene nominal, prices falling ; rice, nominal; Adelaide flour, £ls to £l6 10s; Adelaide wheat, 6s 8d to 7s ; New Zealand, nil. For New Zealand oats 3s 2d is asked ; prices rising. Barrett’s twist, Is 2d ; Black Swan, Is 6d; sugai', unchanged ; Belmont candles, 10§d. Sailed —Australia, to-day. INTERPROVINCIAL. Auckland, February 9. In consequence of his success Emmett waits for the March steamer to ban Francisco. Adelaide flour, £l7; maize, 6s ; oats, 2s 9d to 3s; wheat, 6s 6d ; sharps, 2s lOd ; bran, £6 ; bacon and hams, 9d to lOd ; jams, in 11b tins, 8s per dozen ; jars, 7d per lb. Thfc two seamen of the Thurland Castle were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for broaching cargo. The inquiry re the grounding of the Glenlora, was commenced to-day. Napibe, February 9,

The Waipawa county resolved yesterday to take the full powers granted by the Counties Act.

The Hawke’s Bay County Council, at a special meeting to-day, adjourned from yesterday in consequence of the nomination for the House of Representatives, resolved to rescind the resolutions previously passed for taking only restricted powers under the County Act, and to take full power. Colonel Whitmore, who, in fact, induced other members to vote for the restricted powers, vas not present. One argument raised for rescinding the former resolution was, that in the case of heavy floods, there would be no one to care for bridges, some of which would almost assuredly be carried away. It has been raining incessontly since yesterday morning. Rain came down in torrents about 2 this morning, with thunder and lightning. The railway is all right, but the country about Taradale is much flooded. The weather seems clearing up now (I p.m.) It has resumed raining heavily, and there is every appearance of its continuance. Wellington, February 9.

The Gazette notifies that the Westland and Nelson districts are assigned to the Chief Justice and Judge Richmond ; the Wellington district, to Judge Richmond. The imports of the colony for the year 1876 were valued at £8,029,172, and the exports at £5,828,627. The following tenders have been received for the construction of the protective works at the Orari bridge on the Bangitata aud Temuka railway:—Accepted, Messrs Jones and Peters, £281; declined, Mr fciilas Sibley, £lB5, refused to complete contract; Mr Barnes, Christchurch, £275, informal; Mr McGill, £315; Messrs Armand and Co, £561; Mr Parsons, £BO9. Nelson, February 9.

In the General Synod yesterday the business was chiefly formal, with the exception of long debates (1) on the Bishop of Auckland’s motion relative to forming local branches of the English Church Temperance Hociety, which the Synod agreed to recommend, and (2) on the subject of religious instruction in Government schools. It was resolved to petition the General Assembly to sanction religious instruction by clergy or other authorised persons in public schools, and to subsidise d nominational schools in which secular education was up to the standard.

OAMARU, Febuary 9.

A large dam outside the municipal boundary threatens the destruction of a large portion of the town property and railway embankment, and serious loss of life through its probable bursting. Considerable amount of anxiety is felt by the residents. The municipality has no power to act, nor has the County Council apparently. Mr Campbell, chairman of the Council, is in communication with the Minister of Public Works on the mister. Another flood may carry the

dam away. The municipal engineer states that the dam contains I®o,ooo tons of water. It appears that the Attorney-General is the proper authority to proceed by indictment against the owner of the dam. Hokitika, February 10. Several cases of scarlet fever have occurred during the last two or three days. Two cases have proved fatal. Greymoutii February 10. A sailor named Brown, of the schooner Cleopatra, fell between the wharf and the vessel while going on board last night, and was drowned. The body has not been recovered. The man was sober, but as there were no lights on the wharf he is supposed to have tripped and fell.

Dunedin, February 9. The formal trial of the Harbor Board dredge took place this afternoon in the presence of a large number of the leading citizens. Mr Biair, district engineer, said that the dredge would compare favorably with any on the Clyde. It worked most satisfactorily. The Government have abandoned the idea of converting the Provincial Council Chambers into a Supreme Court House, as Judge Williams has reported against their suitability.

{From a correspondent of the Press.') Timaru, February 9,

At the inquest to-day on the body of Samuel John Fulton, late of Christchurch, who was drowned in the Rangitata on Tuesday while attempting with another man to cross that river on horseback, a verdict of "Accidentally drowned ” was returned. Dunedin, February 9.

The Guardian computes the loss on the Taieri Plain at between £35,000 and £50,000. The plain presents a pitiable sight. Fields are covered with water ; hundreds of tons of grain have been swept down the river and carried out to sea. On many farms, the crops were cut and stocked at the time the rains commenced, and the farmers were looking forward to a lucrative harvest, Mr James Brown, one of the oldest settlers in Otago, and resident in Taieri for twenty-five years asserts that the flood was two feet higher than he has ever seen it before. For miles nothing is to beseen but a clear sheet of water With here and there the top of a cabbage tree. At Greytown the flood rose ten feet, and the water rose level with the platform at the station. The principal sufferer amongst the farmers on the plain is Mr James Shand, the whole of his crops being totally destroyed ; 1200 sheep of his were also drowned, and 45 head of cattle, His loss is put down at £SOOO. The Meadow Bank estate losses £BOOO ; Mr Menlove, of Windsor Park, £4OOO. It was the carrying away of the embankments near Outram that did all the mischief.

Mr Borrie’s body has been recovered. A large jagged wound was discovered over the right temple. In his attempt to save the Coopers he fell off his horse, and it is presumed he was kicked by the animal while swimming. It is a singular circumstance that exactly nine years ago the deceased’s brother nearly lost his life in attempting to rescue the same family from the same house during a flood.