YESTERDAY'S TELEGRAMS

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1083, 18 December 1877, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S TELEGRAMS

[PEE PEESB AGENCY.] Plevna and Erzeroum still Defended. Russian Reverse at Shipka Pass. Wellington, December 17. The following telegram has been received by the Australian Governments from London. The date is not given : Kars was taken after five days and five nights’ continuous bombardment, Plevna is entirely invested, and is hourly expected to fall. Erzeroum is invested by Russians, and has been called on to surrender, but Mukhtar Pasha has received orders to defend it to the last. The Russians suffered a reverse in Shipka Pass, losing nearly the whole of one cavalry regiment. The Roumanians have captured Rahova, with a quantity of ammunition and provisions, and by a heavy cannonade sunk a Turkish monitor at Kalafat. The Montenegrins have been generally victorious, and are now bombarding Lusnoria. There are rumors of mediation. Telegraph Communication Interrupted Wellington, December 17. The Port Darwin land line at Powell’s creek, about 1400 miles from Adelaide, and 500 from Port Darwin, has been down since an early hour this morning. AUSTRALIAN. [Per Ringarooma, via Bluff j Melbottene, December 12. The Legislative Council last night rejected the Payment of Members Bill by eighteen to eight, which was a much larger majority than was anticipated. The question was put “ That the Bill be now read a second time,’ and an amendment was moved “ That the word ‘now’ be omitted,” and the amendment was carried. This will give an opportunity for again introducing the measure, but that is unlikely. The majority of the members declined to discuss the Bill on its merits, inasmuch as it was against the dignity of the House to deal with the question on its merits under coercion, the amount being still retained on the estimates. Several members ' who voted in the minority admitted that they were voting under compulsion, in order to avert the misery and suffering which would be produced by a deadlock. If the amount is sent up in the Appropriation Bill that pleasure will share the same fate. The Council last night also rejected the Bill to appropriate a sum of a hundred thousand pounds from the railway loan to other purposes. This same Bill was described in the Assembly in very harsh terms by two ex-Treasurers, as well as other members. Judge Polhman, the senior County Court Judge of the Colony, and whose career was bound up with the early history of the colony, died suddenly last Thursday night. He had been long ailing, and was on leave of absence. He had a very large funeral. Mr G-. P. Smith, one of the most prominen politicians, and at one time Attorney-Gen era! of the colony with Sir James McCulloch, died the same morning. The vacant seat at Borandara will be contested by Mr Murray Smith, the representative in Melbourne of the New Zealand Loan Association, and one of the ablest politicians. He was defeated at the last general election by a majority of one only. * Sir John Coode, the eminent engineer, has accepted the offer of the Harbor Commission to visit Melbourne to report on the harbor and canal question. His fee is 5000 guineas. He leaves England this month. Sir Samuel Wilson’s salmon ova experiment has so far proved eminently successful, and in the course of a few days it is expected that there will be 28,000 hatched out for distribution in the various rivers of the cojony. !In one day last week the wills proved in tii© SujCowt aajou£te4 to m £26ofioo»

Mr Yarley, the Evangelist, has got into disgrace recently. He had a meeting for men only, and discoursed to them on the social evil. His remarks are reported as having been awful and disgusting. The City Council have declined to give him the further use of the Town Hall. Mr Creswick has just concluded a most successful engagement at the Academy of Music. During his two benefit nights hundreds were turned away from the doors. The Soldene Tronpe are doing a fine business. They leave on the 19th instant for Dunedin. The dry weather continues very disastrous to the crops. There are great complaints from all parts of the country. [Per Wakatipu, via Wellington.] Sydney, December 12, Young Hanlon, of Toronto, champion of the Dominion of Canada, has put in a claim for the honor now held by Edward Trickett. The American is considered a good oarsman, having won the centennial contest and beaten the champion of New Brunswick. Trickett will accept the challenge, but it is expected that Hanlon will row Courtney, the United States Champion, before coming out to row Trickett. The “ Fiji Times” of December Ist gives an account of how Coceran, an American boatman, had been lynched at Samoa for shooting a man named Fox. Both were drink at an hotel bar. Leaning over the counter, without any altercation, Corceran stabbed Fox in the groin. The wound was fatal. Corceran, being an American citizen, was put aboard the schooner Uda May, for conveyance to America for trial, and at a public meeting it was decided that the murderer should be executed forthwith. The same evening two boat loads of men went on board the schooner, secured Corceran, brought him ashore, and informed him he was to be hanged to a tree for twelve hours. The resident missionary was sent for, and, after prayers, the man was run up with a double block and tackle to a cocoanut tree. This was repeated twice, and the body remained hanging for twelve hours. Death was almost instantaneous. INTERPROV IN DIAL. [PEE PBESB AGENCY.] Prospective Police Changes. Auckland, December 17. Mr Connelly, the artist whose sketches and luggage were seized by the Hauhaus is painting at Taupo whilst awaiting the restitution of his goods. He ascended the Tongariro mountain alone, and explored its summit. He has only been in bed two nights out of fifteen, and was not seen or heard of for nine days. Most of the chiefs are anxious to return his luggage, but one obstinate savage holds out. The natives will consider the case at the forthcoming meeting. It is believed that the reason the natives robbed him is that Tongariro is “ tapu.” A telegram from Sir Q-eorge Grey reports he and Mr Sheehan reached Kawau to-day. The Customs authorities to-day seized gunpowder which was being shipped by Morrin and Co., their employee having shipped more than the minimum quantity by mistake. Staines called a meeting of working men in the Domain on Sunday afternoon to denounce what he regards as an attempt to confine the reception of Sir George Grey to a class, shutting out working men. Only about twenty working men attended. The body of a young woman has been found on Shelly Beach under suspicious circumstances. The body was lying below high water mark, evidently left by the receding tide. There were only a few contusions on the forehead, caused by concussion with the rocks. The deceesed had no reason to commit suicide. The inquest to-day revealed no explanation as to the cause of death. The only supposition is that the girl fell over the cliffs. Wellington, December 17. It is understood that Ministers have advised his Excellency that they do not propose that New Zealand shall be represented at the Paris Exhibition. It is probable that from and after the Ist January the following changes will be made in the police and armed constabulary forces. The latter are to be a purely military body, with Colonel Lyon in command, with his head quarters in the Waikato district. The police of both islands will revert to their purely civil functions under Commissioner Shearman for the North, and Commissioner Weldon for the South Island. Colonel Moule will probably retire. Gbeymouth, December 15. A seaman named Charles Stanley, belonging to the schooner Eliza Firth, while going on board slipped off the gangway between the ship and the wharf and was drowned. His body has not been recovered. coeeespondent of the pbess.] Timaeu, December 17 The Anniversary of the Province was observed as a general holiday here. The weather was exceptionally hot, and a remarkably strong N.W. wind prevailed The annual flower show was a great success, both as regards the number and character of the exhibits. Napiee, December 17. The trial of Thompson, who it is alleged murdered his mate Ollandt in the SeventyMile Bush, occupied the Supreme Court all the day. The Hon. J. N. Wilson is prosecutor for the Crown ; Mr Lee Cornford defends. The evidence taken is all circnmstantial, and it is generally believed that there is a link wanting. The case will probably oecupy three days.