AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAMS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1615, 29 September 1874, Page 375

AUSTRALIAN TELEGRAMS.

MELBOURNE. 17th September. The Doncaster St. Leger was run at 3 p.m. yesterday. The account was sent specially to the Argus, and was through in Beven hours. As the race was run, it would be one o'clock this morning by astronomical time. Thirteen horses ran. The race was won by Apology, Lioness second, and Trene third. The Albion, with the English mails, will leave for the Bluff in the course of a day or two, the Glenora being hourly expected at Adelaide. The Government have so far carried their Budget intact, the increases to 20 per cent being agreed to by a fairly large majority. The Treasurer was a good deal badgered for advertizing his principles, and following the -Protectionists Langton, the ex-Treasurer, stated in course of the discussion, that, had he remained in office, he would have remitted duties on imports amounting to a million and a-half, and would have made up the loss by imposing a stamp duty and a tax on bank notes. The Royal Commission appointed in connection with the Philadelphia Exhibition intend to ascertain if concerted action can be obtained in the Australian colonies, in which case 100 valuable statistical papers will be published, showing the relative position of the several colonies. As to New Zealand, it will be shown that the rate of taxation, per head of population, is £3 18s 10-Jd per year, and the rate of indebtedness, per head of population, £4O oa lid, which is considerably higher than that of any other Colony. A severe gas explosion occurred on Tuesday night, at the house of the Rev. James Ballantyne, which caused great damage to the premises, and severely injured his wife and son. Bishop Perry is not likely to return to the Colony. Madame Goddard and Jenny Claus are appearing iu conjunction under Lyster's management. The Californian mail steamer left San Fancisco on Sunday, the 13th September. The Payment of Members Bill was read a second time last night by a majority of ten. A clerk in the Union Bank named Shaw has suddenly disappeared. His accounts were found correct. The health of Mr Roebuck, the member for Sheffield, appears to have completely given way. English journals report that when attempting to speak in the House of Commons during the debate on Home Rule, the hon. member was compelled to sit down, his strength having failed him. He exclaimed, when compelled to resume his seat, "My force is gone from me." A correspondent of the Dunedin Evening Star, sending a copy of Henare Tomoana's " Wananga " describes it as " the first Maori paper ever printed in New Zealand." He must be ignorant of the fact that ten years ago the " Hokioi," a purely native production, known to pakehas as " the King's Gazette," was printed and published at Ngaruawahia, Waikato. The Bay of Plenty Times reports ;—The building of the new Government Offices, at TaUranga, was completed on Thursday, 17th September thirteen days under specified time —by the enterprising and energetic contractors, Messrs Bennett and Kay» Mr Evans, Inspector of Works on behalf of the General Government, formally took possession of the building, and gave the usual certificate of completion. I'he various offices have now to be fitted and furnished in accordance with the requirements of each department; In Nelson, on Thursday evening, there was a fire-brigade demonstration. The brigades formed a torchlight procession from the port, accompanied by the Artillery Volunteer's band. After they had paraded through the town, they dined at the Masonic Hotel. The Superintendent was in the chair, the Mayor in that of the vice. The Governor and Capt. Simpson; of the Blanche, were guests. The Governor iti returning thanks for his health* niade some very sarcastic remarks in reference to the frequency of fires, and the Want of appliances for extinguishing them at Auckland. The Opotiki correspondent of the Bay of Plenty times, under date 14th September, writes:—A most remarkable waterspout occurred here the other day. It commenced in the river near the bar, and travelled up the stream with great velocity, causing a fearful commotion in the water at its base, where it boiled and seethed and shot out in jets of spray and mist. The spiral jet, apparently of the thickness of a fnan's body, rose in a slanting direction, and united with a black cloud overhead. It followed the main branch of the Waioeka river, and in its course, came upon a flock of ducks, and carried one of them to a great height and with extraordinary rapidity, whence it came tumbling down in a very foggy state—a very " duck in thunder," The Waterspout turned off at the bend of the river, between the Magistrate's house and the Canoe bridge, and burst on the flat Without doing auy damage.

In Taranaki a stiff gale blew during the whole of Thursday Hast; the sea iu the roadstead was higher than has been known for years, and shoals of fish were washed on the beach. The waves were as high as the " Sugar Loaves," At high tide the sea washed away more of the reclaimed land near the proposed railway station. During the storm, a house in the country was struck by lighting, doing some danage. A whirlwind passed over BelL Block on Saturday, doing considerable damage.