TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 192, 15 August 1868, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC INTELLIGENCE.

Wellington, August 15, 11.30 a.m.

The water in the Bay has been rising and falling for a very few minutes, and great fears are entertained of an approaching earthquake.

Telegrams have been received from Canterbury this morning, announcing that similar indications have taken place there, and much anxiety and apprehension is felt there alsoi

It will be seen from the above telegram that phenomena of a very unusual character have presented themselves at Wellington and Lyttelton this morning. A similar occurrence also took place this morning at this port, of which we have gleaned the following particulars from Mr Cross, Harbour Master, and from other informants. It appears that it was high water at about 6.37 this morning, and the tide receded, as usual, up to 5 minutes to 8 o'clock, when it commenced running in again at a very rapid rate; the water covering the Boulder Bank in all directions until 8 o'clock. The rise of water is calculated to have been about five feet, and it was also observed that the water all over the harbor was much troubled at the time. It is stated by many persons in the city that the shock of an earthquake was felt very seusibly this morning about 5 o'clock, but it does not appear to have been very generally observed. The phenomena which have occurred at this port, as well as at Lyttelton and Wellington, betoken some extraordinary suspension of the laws of nature, and we shall look forward with curious anxiety to further information on the subject.

At the Kesident Magistrate's Court this morning the following case was heard. Flannery v. M'Phee. — In this case it appeared that the plain tiff had dropped two £1 notes at the Royal Hotel on Thursday last. The defendant was seen to pick up the notes, but denied the fact. Evidence having been given in contradiction to the defendant's statement, the plaintiff obtained judgment for the amount with costs.

As we have already stated, the Commission appointed by Government to enquire into Mr Commissioner Kynnersley's conduct during the disturbances which took place at Addison's Flat last April, have concluded their sittings, and although their report has not yet been published, there can be no doubt that it has resulted most triumphantly for Mr Kynnersley. The two Westport papers have observed a very suspicious reticence as to the evidence taken before the Commission, which, however, as far as that given at Charleston is concerned, has been published at length in the Charleston Herald. We find that a public meeting was held at this latter place on the 30th ult., which, though called at a very short notice, was attended by upwards of 400 persons. Mr Home, M.P.C. occupied the chair, and resolutions were unanimously passed, characterising Mr Kynnersley's conduct as wise and politic; stating that a petition emanating from Westport and purporting to have received numerous signatures at Charleston, had never been laid before a public meeting at the* latter township, in which case it would have met with the decided disapprobation of the inhabitants, and expressing the sympathy of the meeting with Mr Kynnersley for the vexatious annoyance he was put to through the wise and faithful discharge of his duties at Addiaon's Flat.

The Independent of the Bth inst. in referring to the approaching departure from Wellington of the Rev. John Hall, who during the last 12 monthß has been minister of the Free Church in that city, states that his successor, the Rev. James Patterson, has arrived at Nelson by the Ballarat from England, and will shortly be in Wellington to commence his ministerial dutiep. The Independent is evidently under a misapprehension as to this gentleman's movements, the Ballarat not having yet arrived at this port.

We are requested to call attention to an advertisement which appears in another column, calling for tenders for the execution of certain public improvements under the direction of the Board of Works, which it is desirable should be proceeded with as speedily as possible. A special meeting of the Board has been called for Friday next at 4 p.m. for the reception of these tenders.

An error occurred in the earlier impressions of our issue of yesterday. Referring to the late division on Mr Fox's motion, it was stated that Mr Curtis had voted with the Government against' the motion, and paired off in favor of it. It was Mr Collins who paired off with Mr Eyes.

A report was current in town yesterday to the effectthat four of Mr H. H. Stafford's valuable race horses at Annesbrooke had died. We are glad to find, on enquiry, that this statement is untrue. Mr Stafford lost three foals through the epidemic which proved so fatal some time since, and it is probable that the report to which we have alluded takes its origin from this fact.

This morning, as Holder's van was leaving Richmond on its way to town, whilst passing some large branches of gorse which had been lately cut and thrown on the road, the off leader shied, and an accident appeared imminent. Thanks, however^to the skilful charioteering of Mr Holder, nothing serious occurred, and the fair occupants of the van, several of whom had exhibited their agility in escaping from it, were enabled to resume their journey to town. This carelessness in leaving gorse in the public roads might well be prevented by the supervision of the Road Board. We are gratified to learn that Mr and Mrs Heine, who visited Nelson some time since, and whose excellent musical performances are still fresh in our memories, met with a most flattering reception in Valparaiso and Santiago, where they had been staying for some months on their way to England.

The Wellington Independent states that whaling, after having been, for some years past, almost entirely neglected, has again been partially revived. Two small parties have been established at Taewite, Queen Charlotte's Sound, by the Keenan Brothers, and they have been very successful, William Keenan having caught one black whale and two humpbacks, with only one boat, which turned out about 24 tuns oil; and his brother James, with two boats, two whales, which when tried out, made 12 tuns. Jacksons' party in the next bay, with two boats, have caught two humpbacks, turning out 10 tuns. The oil was to be brought to Wellington for shipment to London.

The tree, planted in the Park at Parramatta, near Sydney, [by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh, has been pulled up and cut to pieces "by some disloyal miscreant.

A new idea has lately struck the Wagga Wagga gentlemen, especially our old friend Mr Rawdon F. Green. Not satisfied with having once had a Champion, Race in those remote regions, it is now proposed to have a 10 mile race, welter weights. The late controversy as to the * Arabians scouring our sandy deserts/ &c., has aroused the Wagga Waggiana to & sense of the value of their own flying steeds, and they are open to meet Arabs> as well as all comers, in a 10 mile journey, and give the winner £300. I have no doubt the horses, if they be a good selection of the good old tough kind known as stock animals, will manage to accomplish the task; the difficulty will be to get welter weights to ride 10 miles on a stretch at racing pace. It is therefore to be hoped that the concocters of this cruelty to animals race will don the silk for the occasion, and I will warrant they will find that three mile3 is quite far enough to test the bottom of both men and horses. — Australasian.