IMPORTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1260, 13 August 1872, Page 2

IMPORTS.

Per Murray, from Hokitika— Transhipped ex Prosperity, from Melbonrne, under bond: 4qr-casks, 25 cases, Glenn. * From Hokitika :* 2 cases drapery, Manson ; 4 coops fowls, order ; 1 bag bolts, Girdwood ; 2000 ft timber, Nisbet; 3 pkgs chicory, M'Lean; 1 set wheels, Johnstone ; 1 case, Williams ; 8 truck wheels, Masters ; 1 bundle sashes, "Wickes. ,

The ss. Tararua had not arrived at Hokitika up to the closing of the Telegraph Office last night. She may be confidently expected to-day, when she will come on here, and bo despatched for Nehon. The s.s. Albion may be looked for tomorrow, and she will at once be despatched for Melbourne direct. She will take a considerable amount of gold and a good many passengers. The Murray and Wallabi were detained iv port yesterday, owing to the severe weather. They will leave this afternoon, the former for Westport and the latter for Wanganui The following petition has been "very numerously and influentiajiy signed " in Auckland:— "To the Honorable the House of Representatives of the Colony of New Zealand, in Parliament assembled.— The petition of the undersigned merchants, shipowners, and masters of vessels trading out of the port of Auckland humbly sheweth : That the present mode of levying light dues, pilotage, -and port charges is a great hardship and injustice to New Zealand-owned vessels trading on the coast, which are taxed more than double the amount of dues per ton that foreign vessels are, and in many instances small coasters pay as much as six shillings per ton per annum for light dues alone. This your petitioners represent as an unreasonable charge, and they are firmly convinced that the only just and equitable mode of levying dues is by a uniform rate, paid annually in some one port of the Colony. That your petitioners would also bring under your notice tbo fact that vessels owned in the Colony, trading on the coast, the masters of which hold certificates of exemption, are obliged to pay annual pilotage in every part of the Colony to whioh they may go. This charge your petitioners consider excessive and unjust, xonr petitioneis therefore pray •a inquiry into the present mode of levying the above dues, and that » uniform rate may be charged, as mentioned in the first paragraph of the petition, and that the pilotage charges may be abolished in the case of New Zealand vessels engaged in the coasting trade.— And your petitioners will ever pray, ' Ac.

• The steamer Boyne, which arrived at Southampton recently with the Brazil mail, when off Cape Finisterre, found her speed suddenly diminish, although her steam -power was kept up. After some time the . diminished speed was discovered to be owing to a huge whale which the cut water of the ship had struck and penetrated in the centre, and was driving along. The whale must have been floating 00 the surface dead or asleep when the ship struck it The passengers wanted the monster to be hauled on board, but the captain could not afford the timety do so, He therefore backed the ship some distance, and the leviathan became disentangled and sank.— Olasgmo Weekly Mail.