INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 268, 9 December 1876, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Wellington, Saturday. . It is understood that the negotiations re the San Francisco mail service have been narrowed to a sum of £2500, as between the Governments of New Zealand and New South Wale 3. Our Government, however, being limited by resolution of the House to the X75.000 modification, will, it is believed, not ■consent to any increase of New Zealand's Mabflity beyond its contribution to that sum. The question of making Auckland the only Hew Zealand port of call has been accepted toy the two Governments and the contractors. Mr J. Dundas iCr&wford, attache to the British Legation in China, and son of the Wellington Resident Magistrate, has been appointed by the Colonial Office to obtain full information respecting Chinese immigration to Australia, and to report thereon to the Imperial Government. ■ He has been accredited to Lord JSTorinanby and the several Governors who are required to render Mr

Crawford every assistance. In prosecution of this work Mr Crawford has arrived at Wellington, and will lose no time in obtaining by personal investigation in New Zealand and Australia the material necessary for the required report. , He . speaks * Chinese fluently. The ship Avalanche, which arrived yesterday, visited Crozets Island/ but obtained no additional information about the wrack of the Strathmore. Timaru, Saturday. Wheat, 6s ; oats, 2s fid. Several shipments to Australia have been made during the week. The New Zealand Meat Preserving Company is commencing work at the Washdykc factory. John Hamilton, farmer of Waitohi flat, has been sentenced to one year with hard labor f o*- having illicit spirits on his premises. He has appealed against the sentence, and is released on bail. Auckland, Friday. Mr Broomhall left for the South to-day. Mr Buckland reports wool in grease from 7d to ; B|d; washed lid to Is 3d; fat cattle, 27s to 30s; sheep; 2£d to 2fd per lb; best lambs, 13s to 175. : Female servants are still scarce. Mr Pritchard has complied with the conditions of the. Waste Lands Board by sending in fuller proposals. . Edmond Draper, an Oxford student, well connected at. Home, and sent to the colony for reformation, has been committed for trial to-day on four charges of defrauding the : Bible Depot, by forging receipts and pawning books. The Lingards have been re-engaged for the Christmas holidays. At Mr Buckland's sale of stock from England one roan heifer realised £336, another £468, another £462, and c. bull £115. Sailed— Taupo. Passengers for Nelson: Mrs and Miss Stanton, Mrs Gillies, Mr and Mrs 'Hutehih, Mr and Mrs Fisher^ Mrs M'Shane, and the; Mirror of England Troupe. New Piymouth, Friday. ' The nominations for the County Council are fixed for. the; 15th instant, and the polling for the 22nd." At Mr Courtney's cattle sale the bidding was spirited. Steers fetched £2 18s; two-year-olds, £5 1 2s 6d to £5 15s; three-year-olds, £5 10s to £6 ,7s 6d; store cows, £4 15s to £G 2g; heifers^'near Calviug, j£B to £10. Christchurch, Friday. The election for the County Council is exciting very little attention. Mrßolleston is a candidate for Avon Riding in the Selwyn County. The attempt to get a crew together for the Nelson Regatta has failed, as none of the good men can get away. The, Charitable Aid Committee of the City Council has decided to ask the Government to provide for all cases where charitable aid is required by newly arrived immigrants and families of persons in gaol. They also decided to recommend the City Council to invite co-operation of religious denominations with a view of establishing benevolent institutions for supervising distribution of charitable aid. Dctnedin, Friday. Wheat none offering; prime samples would command up to 6s 6d, and in the absence of importations are likely to go even higher. Oats continue more freely at last quotations,' viz., 2s 2d to 2s 3d for good to prime feeding up to 2a 4d for choice; milling stocks very light. Barley, feed and milling sorts have met with more inquiry during the past week; malting however is still almost unsaleable, the ' latter nominally at 4s to 4s 3d; feeding and milling at 2s to 2s 9d. The Council of the Convention has issued a circular as follows: — That while the Council is of opinion that it would be highly desirable that people throughout Otago should treat the Counties Act as a dead letter, at the same time seeing that in every district there will be found some who will give effect to the Act, ard seeing moreover the large powers o " taxation which the Act confers and the expense to which the whole district may be subjected against their will at the hands, it may be, of a small minority, . the Conncil is of opinion that the whole people throughout the province should take part in the election of County Councillors with a view of securing the return of men in whom they have confidence, and at whose hands the powers of the Act will not be abused. A Chinese deputation waited on Mr M'Lean to-day to urge a reduction in the duty in green ginger of 3d per lb. Mr M'Lean promised to do what he could to meet their request. Emmett goes to Invercargill on Wednesday order an engagement to Shepperson. Two thousand salmon ova have been turned into interior streams. At a long and wordy meeting, re the Interprovincial Cricket Match with Canterbury, it was resolved that the usual match shall be played. It was generally considered that the match was really of more importance and interest than that with the All England Eleven. Mr M'Lean has pointed out that there exists no hitch / c the County Council election; the fourteen, days notice applies only to ordinary vacancies, provision being made in the Counties Act by which all difficulties can be cleared away for the first elections. The Rifle Association Matches proceed slowly. The second match was completed this morning. Sergeant W. Grant, Ist prize; | Vol. Stewart, 2nd; Willcox, 3rd. In the third match, Vols. Anderson and Blackie, both of Clutha. were first and second. The Hon. Mr Bowen is on the goldfields, The official enquiry re wreck of the Otago will probably be held on Monday. The underwriters have determined not to sell the wreck until an effort has been made to recover the gold, and divers have be«n sent down. . Port Chalmers, Friday A party of shipwrights and clivers left by steamer to-day for the wreck of the Otago, for the purpose of recovering the gold, etc.