By Electric Telegraph

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 265, 3 April 1874, Page 3

By Electric Telegraph

t), O ■ JT (From our own. correspondent.)

Dunedin, Tliursday evening. The rjuarter's customs revenue amounts to £92,000, being nearly £36,000 increase -over the'corresponding quarterof 1573. -

..Beany has purchased Spritsail for £3OO. , The libel case, Macassey v. Bell, is set down for hearing on the 13th. ' There are eighteen l criminal 'cases for" trial this session. The calendar includes one murder,. one manslaughter, one forgery, one per- 1 jury, one burglary, and . two for embezzlement.

The Atrato resailed from Plymouth to Otago on February 10th. ; The William Davie calls at the Bluff. She has 290 immigrants for that port. The Awamoko estate was purchased byH. J. Miller for £9,699. ■ , The City rate hasbeen fixed at Is. sd. The* valuationfor theyear is £152,000, as against: £136,000 last year. :

- The ' Star' gives the average yield of graincrops in Otago and Canterbury,-as follows:— 1

1872-3. 1873-4. s Otago—Wheat ...29£ bushels... 29 4 bushels. i Oats ...30£ „ ...33 4-5 „ Barley- ...264' „ ...27 5-22,, J i 1872-3. 1873-4. ; Canterbury—Wheat ...21f bu5h....231 bushJ Oats ...21-4 » .-27 Barley , 20 ~ ...27 „ ! The Claud Hamilton has arrived at the Bluff. CABLEGRAMS. . ; .. London, March 19. The Queen's speech on opening Parliament"' states that foreign 1 relations are friendly, and ■ that Ministers would not fail to exercise the' influence thus derived from the maintenance of peace, and the faithful observance of international obligations. Trusts that the negotiations with the' King of Ashantee willlead to a more satisfactory' condition of affairs on the West Coast of Africa, and warmly eulogises the conduct of the forced engaged in the expedition. Regret is expressed at the extreme scarcity of food ixi Bengal, amounting to actual famine, and extending over an area inhabited by many mil-i lions of persons; but the Viceroy has been directed to spare no expense to mitigate th 6 effects of the calamity. The speech announces measures to simplify the transfer of land} for the extension to lreland of the rearrangement of judicature effected 1 last session; and a reform in the: procedure of appeals in Scotland; a Royal Commission to be appointed to consider the Acts .relating to masters and servants; and a Bill to be introduced to amend the Licensing Act. : The Government will direct their attention to the laws of friendly and provident so l cieties. • g ■ The House of Commons adjourned on the 21st March until the 13th April. ! The Budget is to be submitted on. the 16th April. • ' ■ • . V- ■ The Marquis of Salisbury announced that , the famine loan amounted to ten millions,' three millions of which would be required immediately. : The Benchers of his Inn. of Court intend to inquire into' the conduct 'of Kenealy in the late Tichborne trial. . ■ March 20. 1 Disraeli intends shortly to release the Fenian prisoners. : March 21st. : Butt moved an amendment to the address m reply to the Queen's speech, that the House legislate in favor.of Irish Self-Grovem : ment. The motion was rejected, 314 to 50. Wolseley has arrived at Portsmouth. ' Galle, March 20. 1 The Baroda left punctually on the 16th. AUSTRALIAN. Melbourne. > The elections and the probable results to the Ministry are the principal topics of conversation, but, although the polling for the first batch is taking place, very little interest is being shown. The general feeling is against raising a quarrel with the Upper House on an abstract question,- and it is not unlikely a majority will: be returned against the Govern-.-ment on that point. .;- . The population of the Colony, on 31st December was 790,44-8. . . \ The Government contemplate prosecuting Maher for forgery and perjury in coririection with the Buckley Wi.l Case. The libel action, Walker v. George, the .publisher of the ' Australasian,' in reference to the pulling of the horse Marquis of Lome; in the steeplechase at Bendigo, resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff of £3OO damages.' The verdict is much commented upon, It is likely a new trial will be applied for. A full Court gave judgment for defendant in Degraves v. M'Mullen, inspector of the Union Bank, where jury previously awarded Degraves 10,000. The English cricketers played the concluding match against twenty-two of Yorke's Peninsula. The scores were—Peninsula, 42 and ■l3 ; the Eleven 64—Greenwood and Jupp being the only ones scoring double figures. A representative of a London-and Melbourn'e firm lias absconded' to California. The liabibilities are heavy. One bank loses £6OOO. ! Victor, the gymnast, and Lottie's husband, has been drowned in a water hole while bathing at Benalla. Sydney. • The agent for Sieman Bros, has submitted' to the Government an offer to lay a cable to - New Zealand. The representative to the Torres Strait line offered to make Sydney the • permanent terminus if subsidised. - Encouraging news is arriving from the Palmer Goldfields: Several reefs have been discovered. Provisions are very scarce. A large number of miners keep arriving; Several deaths have taken- place through dysentery. The Blacks prove very troublesome on the road. AUCKLAND. ' - The Mongol arrived at Auckland at 7- yesterday morning. She made the outward passage to Kandavku in three days and twentytwo hours. . The Tartar arrived from 1 Sydney on the 22nd insfc., and . sailed with passengers and' mails for San Francisco the same night. Qnthe 26th, the City of Melbourne not arriving, Captain Flamank left for. Auckland in order to take the outward mail. • The Macgregor is much more damaged than was previously reported - —numbers of the plates proving completely riddled —her keel being carried away from the foot of the foremast to the stern. It is intended, on return of the Mongol, to lighten her as much as possible, and build a'copper dam over the injured parts, after which the Mongol will, take her to Sydney. ' Fiji news reports a terrible canoe accident at Kow —sixty-nine natives lost their lives, most of them being devoured by sharks while attempting to swim ashore. , A special issue of the ' Fiji Gazette,' dated 20th March, has the following:—At the interview between the King and the British" Com-/ missioners this morning, the King stated, after consultation, that he and the chiefs were willing to cede the island to Great Britain. Thurston, the. Chief Justice, St. Julian; and the leading chiefs, will confer with tho- Commissioners and foreign consuls with reference to the formation of an interim Government pending the reply'from England. The City of Melbourne has. arrited with the Frisco-mail. Left Frisco March '%th, and ar - rired at Honolulu in eight days. Left in 24

lionrs afterwards. and renched.Kandavu in 10 days and-12 hours. Had to wait till daylight before entering, and found the Mongol gone 19 hours before. Left at once for Auckland, and arrived after a splendid passage of 6 days and 22 hours." Passengers for Dunedin : Messrs. Woodville and M'Laren. The transmission of the mails across America was' delayed by a snow blockade. -"/■ i The (Commodore desires it to be known he and the Cor.sul investigated' the- financial position of .Fiji. It appears that the expenditure during the two years ending December. 1873. was £124,000, while the revenue was only £42,009. r!-There is nothing to show for'the expenditure but public offices,. which cost | about £I2OO, and a few hundred rifles. / I The New Zealand mail came wholly ut>- I sorted. ■ ■ •• j The Presbytery/ after, a' long, discussion, i negatived the motion protesting against Sim- i day trains and steamers, substituting an i amendment—'' That,' 'as . the Government shortly take over the railway,'the Presbytery take no.action'in the matter at'the present." : The Te Kuiti natives expected the Gover- i nor would come, and they delayed the meeting. There is now between 3,000 and 4,000 natives at Kuiti. Tawhiao wanted : to address the. Governor and M'Lean. TeWheora is disappointed, and will not attend. ; Tawhiao will address the meeting before conclusion. The future will depend on what; he says.' He is disappointed at the non-at-tendance of the friendlies, which will prevent: him going in so soon as hoped. Meeting very : orderly. 1 . WELLINGTON. ' The ' Independent says the cause of the delay in the publication of the handbook of the' Colony is ' owing to'two principal .Provinces ' not having sent in their portion, but; these are promised within three weeks. It is believed. '. to be the intention to have the work published; at Home, and distributed in large numbers. : ' " NELSON. ' ' ■ ■ f! A destructive fire took place in Bridgestreet. 'lt broke 'out in Philips' soap works . and. destroyed them, Thornton's saddler's shop ph.- one side, Wymond's drapery shop on the otlier ; also the billiard room and stables s ■belonging to' the Trafalgar hotel. Wymond's store !was insured-for £4IOO, and. buildings,! £1400; Philips' shop and house in £9OO. .Thornton is uninsured Wymond's loss is. far-in'excess of insurance/ Total insurance : 'South British, £1400; Norwich Union, £500; National, £IOOO ; Victoria, £BOO ; London an.d Liverpool and Globe, £ISOO. The flames secured a complete hold of the building before, the alarm was given.' ' WAIKOTJAITI. • •• i; One of the most successful.'and satisfactory of race meetings was held here yesterday. With tlie exception of the Handicap all the events were ; well contested. The weather was. enjoyable and the attendance good. The results were:— .. ■ Maiden Plate.— I Tommy' Tit, 1; Carrick. 'MaidJ 2; ißrih.-go-Bragh, ! 3.'. ; Six started. : : Publican's; Purse:—Schoolboy, 1; -Black-; ■bird, 2; Faugh-a-Ballagh, 3. Rufus and Maid of the Mill were scratched. : Waikouaiti Handicap.—Maid of the Mill, 1; Faugh-a-BaUagh,'2. Border Lad was; scratched; The race was a gift to the Maid,: • ; Sellingißace.—Bufus, 1; Bounce, 2;Faugh-a-Ballagh, 3. Mistletoe, Tommy, Carrick Schoolboy were scratched. Consolation Staked—Boufice, I; Faugh-a- ; Ballagh, 2. Blackbird was scratched. r , V ; CHRISTCHURCH. . The customs receipts for the March quarter amount to £45,227, as against £29,825 last year. "PRINCIPAL ITEMS BY THE CALIFORNTAN MAIL, i: After the verdict, the Tichborne Claimant expressed a desire to address the Court, but 'was refused, and driven straight to Newgate. l , Serious riots have occurred in Poland, in 'consequence of the closing of the Church by 'order of the Government. In one place the military fired on the mob, killing and wounding seventy. • Kenealy moves for a new trial in the Tichborne case, on the ground of misdirection by the Judges. If it is refused he will apply to the Lords.' .• - ■ The Press approve of the sentence. ; ' A sensation has been caused in Paris by the ; publication of an article in the German papers, declaring that the . preservation of Turkey was not a dogma with Germany,ftind that if Germany and Russia transformed 'the whole, map of. eastern Europe no one "could interfere. " . - AMERICAN. ■ An engagement. between 600 Cubans and 1,200 Spaniards resulted in the defeat of the latter. The greater part of Panama has been burnt down. The los 3is a million dollars. The insurrection in Paraguay is increasing and is likely to result in civil war.