INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 128, 31 May 1881, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Christohurch, Tuesday. The Abernethe, wUicb arrived from London yesterday, had exceptionally heavy weather in the channel, during which time the cook was lost overboard. His name was Thompson, aged 39, and a native of Belfast. He had beun drinking heavily before joining the vessel. The agricultural statistics for the counties of Aknroa, Ashburton.andSelwyn, published to-day, give the following averages: — Wheat, 23 bushels per acre ; oatß, 27 j barley> 2& ; potatoes, 4 tons per acre. Mr Thornton, Engintesr, has replied to Mr O'Connor's report on the proposed West Coast railway. He asserts that the latter is wrong in several vital points and that Mr O'Connor's estimate of the cost ia at least £500,000 too high. The Premier addressed his constituents at Halkett last night. The only new point in his speech was a reference to the alteration iu the railway freights. Hb Said that whilst some parts of New Zealand bad not had a shure of the benefit of public loans, tbey had nevertheless contributed their proportion of the loao incurred on the railways. It was the duty of the Government to endeavour to make the railways pay interest on the cost of construction > and the Government had endeavored to accomplish this by & reduction in the working expenses, by reducing tbe number of trains run upon sections on which there was comparatively little traffic, and by a readjustment of the tariff. When the present Government came into office au excessive reduction in tha tariff was made in the bopi that a largely increased amount of traffic would ba thereby developed ; this hope, however, was not borne out by tbe results, and they had to retrace their steps, and to some extent revise the general tariff. In some parts of tha colony the people had been told that the treatment; they were at present receiving contrasted unfavorably with that which they received under the Provincial Government, but upon enquiry it was found that in the cringle article of grain the tariff was from 12 to 15 per cent lower than when the railways were under Provincial management, and this, in i spite of those made at the beginning of the present season. He had been anxious in an agricultural community that this point should be explained. On the conclusion of his speech a vote of confidence was unanimously passed, : Napier, Tuesday. Mr Clark, the manager of the South Pacific Petroleum Company, telegraphs to tbe herald that an analysis of paraffin material found in the Company's claim made by Mr Dixon, public analyst at Sydney, shows 30 per cent of solid paraffin. The balance is composed of kerosene, 25 per cent 5 intermediate oils, H per cent; heavy oils, 12 per cent ; carbon and loss, 11 per cent. Balclutha, Tuesday. Mr Thomson addressed bis constituents last night and received an unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. Dunemn, Tuesday. ' A crowded meeting of sympathisers with the Irish Land League was held last night.: Resolutions were carried expressing sympathy, and subscription lists were, opened, and a ladies' Committee formed. Mr Prince . has purchased Mata for 800 j guineas and intends ■ briDging him to K«w Zealand. ° The licensed victuallers object to 85 ap- i plications for new - licenses on the ground that they are not wanted. . Rjcefton, Tuesday. For last week the United Alpine Company reduced 150 tons. quartz for a yield of 100 obs. of amalgam from the top plates. The Golden Fleece crushed 135 tons for 151 ozs. of amalgam from the top plates. The JNil Desperandum • tnbuters for 6 days put through ,192 tons quar! 2 for 116ozb. of retorted gold. The Goldea Treasure Company crushed 58 tons of* atone for 75 pzs. of retorted gold. The Tua Marina Company (Lyell) got 2500zs of retorted gold from 50 tons of quartz. Buyers quotations are as follows :—.United Alpine «81 8b ; Keep it Dark 12s ; Energetic £1 Is 3d ; Golden Fleece Extended 6s ; Result 12s 2d ; Oriental 3s 6d ; Wealth of Nations 15s ; Homeward Bound Is 9d ; Golden Treasure 3a ; Just in Time Is Id ; Fiery Cross (extended) 2s 3d ; Welcome 4s Id. Sellers quotations are slightly in advance. Mr J. G. Fitzgerald obtained an unanimous vote of confidence at Reefton after addressing a largely attended meeting. Auckland Tuesday, Mr Mcßae, head master of the Grammar School, has written to the Board of Governors stating that unless the Rev Mr Gulliver, English master, was removed, he would himself resign. The Governors resolved to relieve Mr Mcßae of his duties,- giving him twelve months salary and appointing Mr Sloman to the^ temporary head mastership. 3 New Pltmodth, Tuesday. The Hawea* witEHhe San Francisco mail on board jeffr for Wellington, direct at JQ

o'clock tbis morning. Passengers :Mr and Mrs Habens, Mr and Mrs Younger, Mrs Searle, Messrs Fox, Walsh, Saxton and Master Atkinson. Wellington, Tuesday. In consequence of the low depth of water in tbe reservoir it has been decided to place tanks at several cf the springs in the vicinity of tbe city ao that the main portion of the spring will flow into tbe tanks, and from tbe latter branch pipes will be led into the maius. Hawera, Tuesday. Walter St9nnard has been committed to take bis trial at the Supreme Court at New Plymouth on a charge of stealing a mare from a Native named Pokei. Major Parris left here on Monday for the purpose of liberating another batch of Maori lirisouera. Tamatana, a chief of the Taiporhenui tribe, died suddenly at an advanced age. No chief on the coast was more respected. Abiiburton, Tuesday. The man Goldburg was discharged tc»Jay on a charge of vagrancy. Invercargill, Tuesday. Charles Peterson, charged with stealing f roai Waipapa Beach a gun belonging to the late Dr Campbell who was lost in the Tar&rua, was sentenced to two months hnrd labor.