INTERPROVINCIAL SUMMARY.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1540, 9 January 1874, Page 74

INTERPROVINCIAL SUMMARY.

AUCKLAND, Gth January. The Basilisk, man-of-war, struck on a reef at Turcka, and sustained serious injuries. She has gone to Sydney to repair. The Ladybird has sailed with 100 passengers. A large body of armed natives has left for Waikato. It is believed that they will be employed on the railways at the frontier. The Superintendent is to turn the first sod of the railway, opposite Ngaruawahia, on Saturday. 7th January. The Superintendent is to turn the first sod of the Mercer and Ngaruawahia line of railway on Friday. The annual meeting of the Orange Lodge was held last night. A banquet took place afterwards, at which the Thames, Coromandel, Waikato, Napier, and Wellington delegates were present. In a cattle-stealing case heard to-day, after the prisoner had been found guilty,it was found that one of the jurymen had served in the place of another, through mistaking his name. The Cheif Justice held that the conviction was bad, and ordered a new trial. ALEXANDRA, 7th January. The owners of the new store just opened at Hone te Hone’s place, at Aotea, near Kawhia, have been ordered off immediately by the Hauliaus, the alternative being that the store would be plundered. WELLINGTON, 7th January. The Claude Hamilton railed for the AVest Coast at C o’clock . Mr M'Lean has gone to Horovvheuua, to settle the native dispute. The natives ridicule the efforts of the Commissioners appointed by the Government. The Governor is expected here on the 17th instant. On the Ist of next mouth the Luna will leave, with the Commissioner of Customs, for the purpose of making tin examination of the coast line in each island, and dctei mining the sites for the new lighthouses voted last session. Bth January. The eleven to play at the cricket mate 1 ' with the Napier team are to be selected from the following players :—Buck, Crowther Dees, Ellis Erins, Flanagan, Knapp, Marchant, Mercer, Mooney, Bussell, Salmon Brothers (3), Stewart, and Worry,

A meeting of gentlemen was held to-day in connexion with presenting- a testimonial |o the late Mayor. Two gentlemen who were instructed to canvass the town for subjscriptipns, collected £BO in. the course of a few hours to-day. The Gas Company have reduced their price twenty per cent., or 14s per thousand feet. A private letter received from an officer on board H.M.S. Pearl, bearing date the 29th December, states that H.M.S. Blanche is to proceed from Levuka to act as senior officers ship in New Zealand. CHRISTCHURCH. 6th January. At the opening of the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, Judge Gresson favorably reviewed the statutes passed last session. He, however, deprecated them coming into operation so soon after the Governor's assent to them, as it rendered it impossible for the general public in those parts of the Colony distant from the seat of Government to become acquainted with the laws which they were bound to obey. The prize medals, the awards at the Interprovincial Exhibition, 1872, have arrived from London. Both the design and workmauship are beautiful. It is rumoured that the Hon Mr Stafford is coming forward to contest the Superintendeucy. Mr John Oilivier, the Provincial Auditor, will be asked to offer himself. It is reported that a number of gentlemen offer to guarantee his expeuses if he does. DUNE DIN, (sth January. Mr Vogel's banquet was a great success. The Superintendent occupied the chair, aud the Governor sat on the left of MrVogel : the captain and officers of the Virc were present, and most of the leading citizens. His Excellency made a capital speech. He hoped, during his term of office, to gain and deserve some portion of the respect due to his office. He spoke in high terms of Mr Vogel's abilities. The Chairman, in proposing Mr Vogel's health, went into his whole career with great minuteness. He said £SOO had been subscribed, and would be spent in purchasing a piece of plate as a testimonial to him. Mr Yogel, in reply, entered into the whole question of the position of the Colony. Great misapprehension existed as to the debt of the Colony. The amount of the debt on the 510th June was : Colonial accouut. £f!,456,900: Provincial account, £3,1136,200. The provincial debt was ultimately a colonial liability, but at the same time was secured primarily upon the land revenue of the Colony, which between the Ist July. 1872, and the 20th December, 1873, exclusive of the receipts on gold and native lands, amouuted to £1.370,000. They need not therefore be afraid of a liability of three millions with such security at its back, On the 30„th June there remained to be negociated £2,352.600 of loans already authorized, making a total of £11,974,000. Beyond that was required £1,586, ( J00 to complete 767 miles of railway authorized last session, thus making £13,860,900 the amount of debt which would exist after 767 miles were completed. When £1.000,000 had been expended upon immigration ; when £200.000 had been spent in acquiring native lands ; when £400,000 had been spent on roads in the North Island : and when £300,000 had been spent on goldiiclds, that debt would include £6,000,000 spout upon public works, of which only £2,000,000 were spent on the 30th of June last. For 1870 the land revenue amounted to £174,000; in 1871 it was £230,000; in 1872 it was £500,000, and in 1873 no less than £1,111,600. He added that the trade in the South Sea Islands should be in the hands of this Colony. On sitting down, the Premier was cheered enthusiastically. 7th January.

At a meeting of the Surat Belief Committee yesterday, it was resolved to collect £SOO for distribution among the married people only. The losses of the passengers amounted to £2.500. One man had £204 in a box. The passengers' luggage and effects were sold with the wreck, notwithstanding a protest lodged by some of the passengers. The official inquiry commences to-morrow. Strange rumors are afloat concerning the conduct of the eaptain and some of the officers. A number of steamers have left for the scene of the wreck, with a view of saving as much as possible. If fine weather lasts, it is believed that the Surat will be got off. Several passengers by the Surat have been admitted into hospital. Private advices state that the Mongol left Loudon for this port direct on the|23rd December, with several passengers. POET CHALMERS, Bth January. Owing to pressure of business, Mr 'Vogel declines to accept the banquet to be given in his honor at Tort Chalmers.