LAST NIGHT'S TELEGRAMS

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1445, 3 October 1878, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S TELEGRAMS

[BY SUBMARINE CABLE.]

[eeutee’s telegeajas to the peebs AGENCY.] AUSTRALIAN. Sydney, October 2. Subscriptions towards the international exhibition reached nearly £SOOO. Sailed—Hero for Auckland. Bbisbane, October 2. The name of the French convicts escaped from Noumea are Thiebault and Lessier. The search for the third convict, lost on Whitsunday island, was unsuccessful. The Assembly is dissolved, and the Council prorogued to the 12th November. The Agnes, schooner, from Sydney to Townsville, was wrecked in the Capricorn Group. All hands were saved, Meluouene, October 2. The Ringarooma arrived yesterday. The Tararua saUs to-day, and the Alhambra tomorrow.

Adelaide, October 2. Mr Rees has resigned the Portfolio of Education. A proposed motion of want of confidence was consequently not proceeded with.

[Per Albion, via Port Chalmers.] MELBOtrENE, September 25. The events of the week, politically as well as socially, have been few and without interest.

The Council having given the finishing touches to their Reform Bills, despatched them to the Assembly, where Mr Berry took charge of them, and having procure their first reading, postponed the second reading for a fortnight. In the Assembly the Loan Bill has 'been finally passed. The amount to be borrowed is fixed at five millions, with 4| per cent, as the rate of interest. There was not a long discussion, as members generally concurred as to the necessity of borrowing. The only question in dispute was the amount and rate of interest. Several members of the Opposition urged caution in placing debentures on the market, and pleaded for a smaller sum than was contained in the Government proposal. Some progress has been made with the Estimates. The Governor has intimated to his Ministers that he will not depart hence until January next. In the meantime there is much anxiety as to his successor.

The Suez mail service in now occupying the attention of the Cabinet, and tenders for a fresh service are to be at once called. It is probable that the service will be from Suez to Melbourne and Aden to Melbourne, without calling at Galle, as by the detour to India much time is lost. The contract is to be for thirty-six days via Brindisi and forty-two days via Southampton. It is rumored that the P. and O. Company do not intend to tender. There is a desire on the part of the Ministry to make the service purely Yictorian, that is, Melbourne to be the first port of arrival and last of departure, the steamers not to call at the Sound or South Australia. The Church of England Synod is in session, and at the opening the Bishop delivered one of his able addresses. On this occasion his principal topic was the religious education of the young, and he refuted the idea that the religious teaching required could be supplied by Sunday schools. He also spoke in favor of a separate education grant being given to Catholics,

The tender of the Pulton Foundry Company has been accepted for 5C30 tons of iron pipes. By this encouragement of native industry the country loses £13,750, being the difference between the cost of imported and colonial made pipes. Lady Duffy, the wife of the Speaker, died on Saturday, after a long illness. Preparations are being made to give the Australian cricketers a welcome on their return, and a project has been mooted to form a united Australian eleven of the best players in the colonies to challenge them. The Mayor’s fancy dress ball this season was not so successful in all respects as previous entertainments of the kind.

Beautiful spring weather, with mild rain, has been experienced, and the country is everywhere looking well. Business continues dull.

Shakspeare, which at one time spelt bankruptcy with Melbourne managers, is running at two theatres. Q-eo. Rignold, with Henry V., is doing splendid business at the Royal, and Creswick, in Henry IV., is playing at the Opera House. The Morley and religious drama continues at the Princess’. There was an immense attendance at the Town Hall last night in celebration of the jubilee of the Rev. Dr. Cairns. A cheque for £IOOO was presented him on a silver salver for the foundation of a Cairns jubilee scholarship, in the Theological Hall yesterday. The Bishop of Melbourne received £IOOO from the Stanbridge squatters of E'aylesford for a scholarship in Trinity College. Negociations are being reopened with the Eastern Cable Company, and they are now willing to allow a reduction of 75 per cent over their lines, which will make the cost 5s Id per word from London to Darwin. Colonel Q-lover remains in Sydney till the sth October, to complete negotiations if possible. Both Messrs Berry and Burns are of opinion ths,t these are the best terms obtainable.

[feom cue own cobeespondent.] Reuter states that neither Bailey, Spofforth, or Horan played in the match against Sunderland.

Cablegrams relating to the aquatic contest on the Thames during the second week of September got considerably mixed in transmission to this colony. There were three heats in the Sportsman’s Cup. In the first Elliott beat Higgins by two lengths, In tho second Boyd beat Blackburn with ease, and the third was won by Elliott, but a protest of a foul was lodged by Boyd.

NEW ZEALAND TELBQ-RAMS.

[pee peess agency.] Auckland, October 2. The Auckland Timber Company have resolved to increase their capital by the issue of 12,000 more shares. Napieb, October 2. There is a strong suspicion that the fire at the Spit yesterday morning was the work of incendiary. An inquest is to be held tomorrow afternoon, when it is expected that evidence will be given showing that some person, out of enmity to Benkers, on whose premises tho fire originated, set them on fire. Wellington, October 2.

In order to make the overland postal service between Christchurch and the West Coast of more general use, the postal authorities have determined to arrange a branch service between Good Fellows and Kumara. The Greymouth mails and passengers will by this means be conveyed through in the same time as those to and from Hokitika.

Hokitika, October 2.

The steampr Waipara has not yet shown up, and uneasiness is beginning to be felt. The Lioness goes in search southwards tomorrow. The schooner Dunedin spoke the Waipara some days ago, short of coals.

Dunedin, October 3. At a recent meeting of the Professorial Board of Otago University the proposal of the Synod of Otago Presbyterian Church to found a chair of moral philosophy and political economy in the University was discussed, and it was resolved that these subjects were already sufficiently taught in the University ; algo that as the patronage of the proposed chair was in the hands of the ecclesiastical body, its institution could not fail to give rise to an impression throughout the colony that it was intended to subserye sectarian or ecclesiastical purposes, and that impression, even though such unfounded,

would be highly injurious to the welfare and future prospects of the University. The Board further resolved that in order to enable students to successfully pass University examinations, the chair required was that of physical science and English language and literature. On these grounds they recommended the Council to refuse its assent to founding the proposed chair of moral philosophy and political economy, which ,in the opinion of theJßoard, would not merely be superfluous, but would be prejudicial to the best interests of the University.

[FED:!! THE CORRESPONDENTS OF THE PRESS] Auckland, October 2. The sale of waste lands realised nearly £3OOO. . , Two boys from the naval training school, after stealing a boat, have been captured by the police after four days’ chase. Burton’s Australian Circus opened to-night to a capital house. Claims for compensation having been initiated by courts recently held under the Public Works Act, are getting larger. Claims have been sent in against the Parnell borough to the extent of £ISOO. Other boroughs are similarly threatened by property owners affected by public improvements. Timabtt, October 2.

The Waitaki river so far shows little or no signs of falling. The banks for miles are strewed with drowned sheep, horses, and cattle, the loss of which is something enormous. A telegram received to-day from Wellington says the Governor has agreed to the petition forwarded from here to commute the sentence of Costello, convicted for horse stealing at last Supreme Court. A testimonial consisting of a piece of plate valued at £25 and purse of 150 sovs. is to be presented [to Mr Woolcombe, late 8.M., tomorrow.

Mr Beetham is winning golden opinions from all. A telegram was received by the police this morning, stating that Mr James Mitchel, a contract surveyor, was drowned last night in the Waitangi river. Search is being made for the body. He was fifty years of age, unmarried, and came from Otago. Dunedin, October 2,

The criminal calendar is light, comprising twelve cases. Fire are for robberies, one for perjury, two for burglary, and one for horse stealing. It is stated that as Welsh, the wife murderer, cannot be tried at Invercargill till the middle of December, he will bo brought to Dunedin next week for trial. The meeting of volunteers last night re Rifle Association was very noisy. The artillery mustering in force were able to carry the addition of the sword carbine to the resolution approving of the formation of the society, and resisted every attempt made to ad journ to allow of a fuller attendance of riflemen. Colonel Stavely, in dismissing the meeting, said he was ashamed of it.

The Dunedin Artillery purpose holding an encampment for a fortnight on the Prince of Wales’ birthday, and if they can get sufficient tents intend inviting Christchurch and Invercargill batteries. A two hundred yards foot race for £2OO a side, between Watson and Apillet, takes place at Maitland on November 2nd. The most sombre accounts of the floods come from Southland. From Gore, southwards, the country is in a lamentable condition. The Mataura was never so high within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It presented a sheet of water two miles wide. At Mataura bridge it had risen nearly to the top of the water-wheel of the Paper Company. The Mataura falls were absolutely obliterated. The township of Gore was seriously flooded, having only one dry building in it. There has not been railway communication beyond Mataura from the South for some days, the line being carried away in three places. Beyond Gore it is under water for about seven miles. Oreti is described as a sea of water, and Makerewa flat is submerged. At Invercargill it is reported that the Waka and Makerewa bridges were carried away, Invercargill papers report the drowning of William Lawson, of the Iron bridge, a very old settler. On Saturday, when the waters rose, he was seen sitting on the top of a haystack on his farm, and as the waters bore the appearance of still rising, a neighbor, passing on horseback, advised him to make for Wallacetown. Lawson replied there was no danger, and he was welprovisioned. Next day parties rode through the water to the farm, and found the stack tenantless, and evidences that Lawson had slipped off. There is little doubt he was drowned. Moore lived on the farm with him. A person who journeyed overland from Dunedin to Invercargill, via the Lakes, reports Lake Wakatipu sft. higher than usual. Being of the level of the streets Queenstown is flooded to nearly that depth. Between Elbow and the Lake a great deal of damage was done to the railway.