NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1519, 30 December 1878, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

Wellington, December 28 ; A proclamation in the "Gazette" notifies that Mount Hutt has been severed from the South Rakaia road distri t. Kcserve No. 72, Kaiapoi, intended as a reserve for a ferry, is changed, and made a site for public buildings other than for purposes of General Government. It is notified that the consent of ratepayers and owners of property has been obtained to the construction of the Duutroon-Haka'eramea railway from Marowhenua river northward. Ihe assent of ratepayers and owners of property has also been obtained to the construction of the Waimea Plains railway, from the township of Gore, in the provincial district of otago, to Elbow, in the said provincial district. The railway working account, giving, total receipts and expenditure during the financial year 1878-79. shows that the total receipts of the following sections of railways for that period were: Kaipara, (16 miles open lor traffic),. £1723; Auckland (97miles), ,£i7.(>95 ; Napier (65miles), £9831; Wellington (45 miles), £253L; Wanganui (86 miles), £10,977 ; New Plymouth (21 miles), £2016; Greyuouth (8 miles). £3171; Westport (19 miles), £968; Nelson (20 miles), £2l 5; Christchurch-Dunedin (532 miles), £l5B 140 ; It is estimated that 6000 persons travelled on the tramway yesterday. Five engines and ten cars were constantly at work during the day._ The immigrants from the Hermioua having been released" from quarantine, were brought to town this afternoon. It is stated that the Government have instituted an inquiry into certain suspicious circumstances which have recently been discovered with regard to the Government Buildings at Blenheim which were burnt down about a year and a half ago. The Governor presented the prizes at the Wellington College this afternoon. There was a large attendance. The largest amount ever taken in a New Zealand theatre on one occasion is said to have been taken last night by George Darrell, ou the production of Henry V., with a large company from Australia. Ttie proceeds were £230. IN ot being satisfied with the progress of the Wairarapa railway, the Government intend urging the contractors to put additional men on the works. The valuators under the Land Tax Act for the several counties have nearly all been appointed, and their names will shortly be gazetted. So great was the force of the wind near Featherston last night that a roof was blown off and carried a distance of several hundred yards by the gale. Arrangements have been made for opening a temporary Post < ffice and Telegraph Office in the inindle of next month in the Te Aro suburbs of Wellington, the Thorndou suburbs having ene already at Government Buildings. The Post Office will embrace money oderand savings bank offices. The permanent office, however, will be erected upon another site. The ship City of Auckrand on Otaki beach broke her chain, and has again been thrown up on the beach, and is now lying broadside on. As the wind is still blowing on shore, nothing has been done to remove the Hydrabad. Blenheim, December 28. Charles Lucas' grocery store, Grove road, was burnt out at 4 o'clock this afternoon. The family were all in the front shop with customers, A person outside saw tire coming out of a bedroom window at the rear. All inside the room was in a blaze, and nothing could be saved, neither clothing or furniture. The building and stock were insured in the South British for £3500. The cause of the fire is unku iwn. Hokitika, 1), cember 28. It has been raining heavily and blowing like mid-winter weather, every day since the holidays commenced, and there is no sign of improvement. The rivers are flooded again and a g cut deal of damage has be-n done. The races arc postponed till next week. The Christehurch coach due last Wednesday, has not arrived, and outward mails cannot be dispatched on account of the floods. The damage done to ronds and bridges will take three months' revenue of the County to repair. Geeymotjth, December 28. It has rained almost incessantly since yest rday at 2 o'clock, and the rivers arc now in full flood, the Grey river being near its highest. The racus had to be postponed, as the course is now under water. The Banks are said to have bought more gold this v hristmas than for years past. A man named Eric B isted, a Scandanavian, committed suicide this morning by jumping off the wharf into the river. The body was swept out to sea. Dtjnedin, December 28. The Harbor Board has initiated proceedings against David Proudfoot to compel him to om-. plete his contract for the purchase of the lease of sections in the Crawford street block. The Harbor Board at present employs 303 men, aad the wages account for last month was £2175. Balcltjtha, December 28. There is a very strong gale blowing since yesterday afternoon. The river is in high fkwd and rising, but very slowly. The protective works m prepress are proving thorough y effective ; but for these the township would again have been flooded, but there is not the slightest daneer at present, though a considerably larger body of water is flowing over iuto the Cluth* to-day than during the last flood. Clyde, December 29. The river is very high, running above the old suspension bridge. The water went down yesterday morning, but has risen again three feet since last night. It has been raining heavily up the country, and a bad flocd is expected. Direct coach communication has been stopped at Owen's Point, near Arrowtowu. At Alexander the passengers and mails crossed at some risk in a bout. Invercaegill, December 29. The report of the drowning of Mr Geo. Crisp, arbitrator, has received confirmation. He was tii route from Wrey's Bush to Waitoa and was being carried across the part of Jacob's River at Johnston, by a man on horseback. It is supposed the ford was missed, for the stream swept the horse away and Crisp was washed off. He, however, with the horse and the other man landed on a gravel bank in midstream, where the water was about knee deep. A man named Mortimer, who was waiting to be carried across, saw him suddenly fall and the current swept him into deep water. Mortimer hurried along the bank, got hold of and pulled him ashore, but he was quite dead. He was subject to fits, and he is supposed to have been seized with one. A requisition is being signed to Mr Thomas Denniston, asking him to conte -t Mr Wood's sat for Mataura. He will consent. Mr Kinross, lately appointed to the Waste Lands Board, is a'so likely to be a candidate. Mr Shanks is already in the field and working hard. Active preparations are in progress to celebrate suitably the opening of the railway through to Dunedin. The invitation committee have decid d to issue invitations to the Mayors of twenty-one municipalities, commencinar with Wellington and ending with Winton and Riverton. '1 be County Council was recommend d to invite all chairmen of counties, and it also resolved to invite all members of the colonial Legi-lature residing in Otago and Canterbury. Preparations for illuminating the town are being made, and devices erected in front of the principal hotels. fVEOM THE COEEESPONDENTS OF THK PBBSS.] Auckland, December 28. The Russell statues presented to_ Auckland Institute have now been placed in position under the direction of Mr Wm. Campbell. A large increase of visitors has been the result. The Taranaki cricketing te' m is expected on the 31 st. The match will be played with the Auckland team on t e Ist and 2nd January. Gas engines are being successfully introduced into Auckland. Father Heniiebery is actively engaged iu devising a plan in concert witb the Catholic laity for inaugurating a Catholic school. Napier, December 28. An accident occurred on Friday evening to the engine of the 4.30 p m. train from Napier to Jsopua. At about half-past 8 o'clock, soon after the train had left Takapau statiou, some cattle were observed on the line. Thebpeedof the train was at once reduced to a slow pace, when one of the beasts rushed the engine, and was, of course, kl oe ced down and run over. The obstruction thus caused on the rails threw the engine over into the drain. Fortunately no one was hurt. Inforinat on of the aeeieent was sent to Waikuputau, and another engine was sent up, which took the (rain to its destination. Friday being the Masonic festival of St. John the Evangelist, and the day appointed for the installation of officers of all Freemasons lodges, was celebrated in the customary manner by the bre'hren of the craft of Napier. To suit the general convenience, the officers of country lodg' s were instal ed in town. An nt of a serious nature occurred to the wife of a well known settler of Harm den y sterday. Mrs Burgess was liding on a load of hay, which was being brought from one of the paddocks to the homestead, wlieu i-ke lost her b lance and ftdl heavily, her forehead striking against the wood work of the dray. The result was that her scalp wa< completely torn off, Mrs Purges was conveyed to Wai« p.wa for medical attendance, and Dr. Todd attended to the sufferer, who is n.nv progress, ing as well as the nature of the inj'.u'iei will permit,

Wellington, December's. In presenting the prize* at the Wellington College yesterday, the Governor referred to the importance of a proper education of the young in a country governed by representative institntions, and inculcated the principle of loyalty, expressing a hope that it would be long before the union of the cobny with the mother country was dissolved. He had .-pent four happy ye irs in New Zealaud; and he should often look back with feelings of pleasure and regret to his connection with the colony, as he thought of the many friends he had made there. It was one of the painful parts of the office which he held that, as soon as a Governor had made friends whom he esteemed and regarded, he was taken from among tem "Wherever he might be in the future he would look back with interest to New Zealand, ever watching hor progress, and ever reafiy to do anything which might be in his power to advauce her i .tere-ts and prosperity. He congratulated the colony on the appointment of Sir Hercules Robinson to the Governorship. He had long Ie n acquainted with Sir Hercules, and he felt confident that in resigning the colony into his hands he was resigning it into the hands of one who would perform all his duties in such a manner as to gain the respect of the people whom he governed.