Telegraphic Intelligence.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1569, 21 April 1874, Page 190

Telegraphic Intelligence.

PEII.AKGIjO-AUSTBALIAN press telegram agexct, INTERPROVINOIAL.

AUCKLAND. 17th April. Native Extortion. James Crawford, master of the cutter Ellen; endeavored to take a cargo up the Piako Eiver, to Captain Peacock's farm, at the Head, but the natives civilly refused to allow him to go up without paying "black mail," in consequence of which the vessel returned. „ Mr Mackay.—The Cambridge settlers arc subscribing for a presentation to Mr Mackay, at a public dinner, in recognition of his services in the Waikato district. 18th April. A G-reat Fire is now (7.45 p.m.) raging iu Queen-street. The premises of King, the chemist, Marshall, fruiterer, Eedferu, photo" graphcr, Hirst, produce merchant, Cheal hairdresser, and Seymour, fruitercr,arealready burnt down. The Southern Cross and Evening Star offices, and Vaile's buildings, are in great danger. 19th April. The fire is now quelled. It was confined to a block of wooden buildings between Vaile's, draper, and the Southern Cross office, which are both brick buildings. It originated by King, the chemist, taking down a bottle of turpentine and breaking it against another vial. The chemical steam ignited at the gas, and the building was a mass of flames in five minutes. Hughes' oyster shop, and Townsend, the produce merchant's store, were burnt down besides those mentioned last night. . The Southern Cross engine-room was several times on fire, and it was only by most active exertions that the building was saved, the wall being damaged with the heat. The water supply was most inefficient The insurances, so far as have been ascertained, ■ are as follows :—Norwich Union, £I2OO ; New Zealand, £ISOO, Victoria, £ISOO ; Eoyal, £IOO ; South British, nothing. 20th April. All the burned buildings Were the property of Mr N. Goodfellow. Insured in the Nor' wich Union, £700; Scottish Commercial, £SOO •; Hurst's stock, in the Victoria, £7OO ; Marshall, £IOO ; King, New Zealand, £7oo'; Townsend's stock in the New Zealand, £SOO ; Seymour, in the same Company, for £2OO ; Eedfern's, in the same Company, for £100" The damage to Vaile's building, and the Southern Cross office, fall chiefly on the Norwich. Uniou. • < ~, . ,i ' ' GRAHAMSTOWN. ;.:,;"": ;, ; ;'!,,.''.;',"•• ■;. ... s isth.Aprii. Majdr Gordon and the Volunteers 1 —Major Gordon is here, making his annual nspectioniof the Volunteers. He passed severe strictures on No. 1 Eoyals, one of the oldest companies in the district, in consequence of which the company is" going to disbaud,

20th April. ' The Caledonian Claim.—Two hundredweight of specimens have been taken from the Caledonian mine. Shares'are advancing in price. , TAURANGA. «-' /' -? ; ; . i 18tlv April. 'Mr Steward Writes to the Bay of Plenty Times ;this, morning,' stating'that it is nearly certain special small farm settlements will be formed in Poverty Bay and' in'the Bay of Plenty. One hundred families, ar with small capital, will be settled at these places within ten months; they are to come from the North of Ireland. TAEAnAKI. new plymouth. ' 'J'".l '| '! ".// '■] •,<;' i ',' : 17tu A P ril The Agricultural Statistics for Taranaki have been published. The number of holdings is 557 ; land broken- up, 3,138 , acres ;in wheat. 945 acres; oats, 82 ; barley, 2!); grass. 41,0(19 ; potatoes, 477 ; other crops' 215. Total acres under crop, 43,182. 18th April. . Purohase Of Land.—The natives have sold another block of land to the Government. Mr Parris yesterday made an advance of £IOO upon the purchase of the land. It lies between the two blocks alleged to be under offer to the Government. '. : %. . WELLINGTON. 17th April. Takapau Railway Contract.—Mr G. G. Allan, of Wellington, was the successful tenderer for the Takapau contract of fourteen miles on the Waipukurau railway, the price being £14,100. Foxton-Waipukurau Mail Service, —The contract price of the weekly service between Foxton and Waipukurau, each way, is £1350 per annum. The coaches are to. commence running on the Ist May. Mr Yonug is now. in a position to book through from New Plymouth, on the West Coast, to Tauranga, on the East Coast, and Taupo and the Hot Lakes. Passengers from here to Napier will leave on Monday and reach Napier on Wednesday evening. 18th April. Supreme Court.— Mr Bauck, whose claims have been before Parliament several times, sued Mr Vogel in the Supreme Court, as the Head of the Government, for compensation. The case is just concluded. The plaintiff, who conducted his own case, was defeated on all points. 20th April. The Hutt Railway—About 600 people went to the Hutt by railway yesterday. The cattle trucks had to be fitted with seats. Proposed Company. —An attempt is.being' made to float a railway carriage and wagon factory company, with a capital of £50,009, one-half to be called up at once. The prospectus is to be issued in a few days. NELSON. 18th April. T. A, Fisher, merchant, has made an assignment to his creditors. The provisional statement snows liabilities to the amount of £30,269, and his assets £35.743, but the latter estimate is not likely lu ;jo realized. CANTEEBUEY. CHRISTCHURCH. 17th April. Fire.—There was a narrow escape from fire iu the heart of the city this morning. The roof of Spensley's music shop caught fire, and. was extinguished with great difficulty. Damage, £SO. The fire brigade assembled very expeditiously. TIMARU. 18th April. Sporting'.—The results of the second day's racing wen as follows: Handicap ' Hurdle Eaccs £ls, two miles— Cramond's Alma, 1; MartelPs Ivanhoe, 2; Luun's Alice Grey, 3. Peterson's. Maid of the Mill came in first, butwas disqualified for running a hurdle. Hack Hurdle Race, £lO, one and a-half miles— Thomas Andrews' Falcon, 1; McKay's Bushman, 2. South Canterbury Handicap, £6O, two miles—E. H. Campbell's Malice, 1; D O'Brien's Tambouriui, 2. Free Handicap— Tambourini, 1 ; Malice, 2. Consolation Handcap, £25, one mile —Jone's Madris, 1; Paterson's Malabar, 2. O T A G O. DUNEDIN. 17th April. Immigration. The total number of immigrants arrived in Dunedin during the quarter ending March, is 2,2G0, making the nett increase of the population of the province 1,882. Twenty-two more immigrants are to be removed from Quarantine Island to-morrow. Railway Progress.—Two new railway stations are being erected—one at Caversham ( and one at Green Island. The Snow is already lying on the hills round Dunedin. 18th April. Discovery of a Valuable Coal Bed.— Captain Hutton has reported the existence of a very valuable coal, bed at Tokomairiro, extending over sixty square miles, the seams being from three to twenty feet thick. The bed is estimated to contain about one thousand million tons of coal of good brown quality (not lignite). An engineer is at once to be sent up to survey a branch line of railway of three miles in length to be constructed for the purpose of conveying the coal to the main' line. It is expected that coal from this bed will be sold in Dunedin at 12s per ton. \' . " . ...;'■ ~, ■ •-. EUROPEAN SUMMARY. !'.. ;',', "J. LONDON. ! , 7th April. The Queensland mails via Torres Straits were delivered on the 4th April, and the Californiau on the 6th. Bth April. Dr. Livingstone is to be buried in Westminster Abbey, at the cost of the nation.

France and Russia have signed a treaty of commerce and navigation. 9 th ApriUgg The coal and iron workers in Scotland* have resolved on a further reduction of 20 per cent, in wages. "' Tenders are invited for an Indian loan of £3,000,000. /; ' ;■ ,' | ~ 10th April. Mr Westlake has- resigned the AttorneyGeneralship on account of ill-health. 'He will be succeeded by-Mr Shaggelly, the Solicitor-General. Three thousand colliers have struck in Somersetshire. 11th April. Luic, the pretended steward of the Ospreyi has been sentenced to seven years' penal servitude for perjury, and Captain Brown to five years. The English press are favorable no the annexation of Fiji. Cape Coast advices of the 17th March state that the King of the Ashantees has signed General Wolseley's treaty. FOREIGN. BERLIN. 11th April. The army dispute in Germany has been compromized, the Emperor and Liberals having agreed to a standard of 401,659, for a period of seven years. MADBID. 10th April. It is reported that a compromize between the Republicans and the Carlists, has been effected, and that negociations for peace are proceeding.