TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 49, 30 December 1871, Page 11

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Auckland, December 22. The half-yearly meeting of the New Zealand Insurance Company has been held. A dividend of ]0 per cent, was declared. The company's losses during the half year are estimated at £21,425, including Rangoon, £1230 • Underley, £1595 ; Ahuriri, £IO7B. Walker has accepted Christie's offer to fire another match for £IOOO a-side, on condition that it is fired in Auckland. £250 has beeu staked. The Provincial Education Bill has been shelved in anticipation of a colonial act being passed. The Auckland harbor debt of £90,000 has been remitted. Mr Phillips is re-elected Mayor. The Provincial Council has voted £7OO for volunteer prizes. Mr Bertram's 10-roomed house, at Rangiawaha, has beeu burned. It was not insured. The sharemarket is dull. Caledonians, £57 10s; Thames, £ls; Tookey's, £l9 ; Alburnia, £5. In the Provincial Council a motion in favor of taking action under the Diseased Cattle Act, to prohibit tho landing of cattle in the province, was rejected by a majority of one. Markets—Canterbury flour, £1.2 to £l3 per ton ; wheat, 3s 6d ; oats, 2s Gel to 3s 6d. Fat cattle lower, 24s to 20s per lOOlbs. Dairy cows. £5 to £7. Sheep in good supply at 3d per lb. No alteration in share market. Napieb, December 27. Mr Dillon Smith has been found dead, seated in his arm chair. An inquest was held, and a verdict of death from natural causes returned. Tareha, formerly one of the native M.H.R.'s, went out fishing on Saturday, and fears are entered for his safety, as a heavy N.W. gale set in immediately afterwards.

Tareha has turned up all safe having { landed along the coast. The Governor has refused (o interfere with the sentence of the Court on Kereopa, and it will be carried into effect next week either on Monday or Thursday. Mr Bell, Mr Brogden's surveyor, is now here examining the proposed line of railway previous to a contract for its construction being entered into between Mr Brogden and the Government. Charleston, December 27. The races commenced .yesterday. The j weather was excellent, and 800 persons | were present. Trial Stakes—Task, 1 ; I Gertrude—2. For the Hurdle Kace I there were several entries, but not one of the horses could be got over a hurdle, ! although these were only three feet i high. Town Plate—Why Not, 1 ; | XXX—2 ; Sailor and Gertrude nowhere. The result was a surprise, as at starting XXX was the 'favorite. Why Not ran splendidly. There were no entries for the Ladies Purse, and the District Plate was a gift to XXX. December 28. Races. Second Day. Publicans' Purse—Spuds, 1 ; Gipsy, 2. Charleston Handicap—Why Not, Bst lOlbs, 1 ; ' XXX, Ost 4lbs, 2. The Hurdle Race was a walk over to Sailor. Ladies' Purse—Task, 1; XXX, 2. Consolation Stakes —Maori, 1 ; Gertrude, 2. There will be another day's racing to-morrow. CHR.iSTCBTr.ROH, December 23. W. E. Burke, late chief bailiff to the Magistrate's Court, has been committed for trial on two additional charges of forging Bills of Exchange. The performance of the Messiah by the Musical Society last night was a great success. Oats are offering freely at from 2s to 2s 6d. Barley, butter, cheese, hams and bacon are unaltered. The telegraph between Christchurch and Akaroa is now completed. It is thought probable that the Astronomer Royal will make use cf the ' Christchurch Observatory to observe the transit of Venus in 1874. He recently wrote to the General Government, stating that Canterbury was the best place for the purpose. The formation of an Astronomical Society is, therefore, very , apropos, and the Superintendent promises to ask the Council next session to give land endowments for the purpose . of promoting the establishment of the . observatory with a permanent astrono mer. In the meantime, donations and subscriptions are coming in very freely. DutfEDiN, December 23. At a meeting of the Dock Trust today, it was resolved to accept the contractor's offer of a compromise. Three members thereupon resigned. The flour mills are doing nothing in ; grinding wheat, which is scarce, at 5s ; to 5s 3d. Good samples of oats are firmer at 2s to 2s 3d. Flour is quiet at £l2 10s. A heavy southerly gale has been blowing all day. Several stores have been unroofed, and part of the first church steeple has been blown down. No other damage is reported. December 27. The damage done by the wind to the First Church is more extensive than was at first supposed. The gale raged in all the country districts, and at St Lawence several buildings were destroyed, and the whole of the fiuming at the Blue Spur, which had cost £4OO, was blown down. Several houses have been burned on the Peninsula, owing to bush fires. A quartz reef has been found in Gabriel's Gully. Gold is plainly visible in the reef, which is three feet thick. A shocking accident occurred in Macandrew's Bay, on Christmas Day. A pleasure party of young men were sailing in a waterman's boat, when a sudden puff of wind caught it, and it sank bodily. All the passengers sank immediately. The accident was observed from the shore, and from the deck of the steamer Maori, but no assistance could be rendered. It is supposed that the occupants of the boat were two young men, named Drew, three named Scfamageour, and Painters. Bruce, and Pristor. None of the bodies have been found, and the accident has cast a gloom over the city. Dimstan Peaces, first day—Maiden Plate—Flying Fish, 1 ; Patch, 2. Handicap Hurdle Race—Pretender won both heats. Grand Stand Handicap— Brunette,!; Miss Quins, 2; Slander,

3. Members' Ptace—Yatterina. The attendance was good. December 28. Dimstan Races.—Second Day.— Hurdle Race—Patch, 1 ; Sir Tatr.on, 2. Alexandra Plate—Slander, 1 : FlyingFish, 2. Jockey Handicap—Brunette, 1 ; Exile, 2 ; Knottingly, 3. A laboring man, name unknown, has committed suicide at Portobello. The Intel-provincial Cricket Match commenced to-day, Otago going to the wickets first. The weather was line. The following are the scores for the first innings:—Otago—Fulton,cSaville, b Pierce, 3 ; Macfarlane, c and b Pierce, 13: Kettle, c Corfe, b Fowler, 24 : Collinson, b Souter, 20 ; Downes, b Pierce, 22 ; J. Fulton, c Corfe, b Pierce,o ; Turton, Ibw, 5 ; M'Donnell, c Saville, b Pierce, 7 ; Read, c Saville, b Souter, 8 ; Church, b Souter, 1 ; Allen, not out, 0; extras, 0. Total, 118. Canterbury—Wood, b Fulton, 14; Pierce, c and b Downes, 17; Lee, b Fulton, 0; Saville, not out, 25; Corfe, b Read, 7 ; Stevens, b Macfarlane, 4 ;. Fowler, not out, 2 ; extras, 13. Total,, when wickets drawn, 84. The Superintendent invited Colonel Fielding to visit Otago, for the purpose of making settlements, but the latteu replied that he was unable-to do so., owing to the shortness of his stay. All the bodies, except that of one of the Scrimageours, have been found. The jury, on the bodies of the young, men recently drowned, added a ride-" that greater care should be exercised in letting out boats, and that they should, always be accompanied ly an experienced person. A public funeral i& ordered for tc-inorrow. December 23. A fire broke out at six o'clock this, morning in a large store in Tay street,, belonging to Mr Mitchell, hut partly, occupied by a grocer named MoKenzie.. Water was abundant, and assistance being; promptly rendered the fire was soon got: under. Neither buildings uor stock.were' insured. A heavy gale has been blowing all day, but now shows si<ms of abating,. December 24. Yesterday's gale was the heaviest known here since 1804. It blew furiously from the westward for several hours. A considerable amount of damage has been done to buildings and: other property. The bell tower of thePresbyterian Church was blown down,. The railway line near the Bluff was= partly washed away by the exceedinglyhigh tide, but the work of repairing iw being pushed on, and will probably be' completed by to-morrow. Melbourne, Dec 20. Thomas Austin, of Barwon Park,, and the Hon George Rolfe, are dead. The lecture given by Anthony Trollope in aid of the Caxton Fund was very successful, there being a large' attendance. A Melbourne woollen company hasbeen formed. The wife of H. Galloghy, landlord of the Civil Service Hotel, has died suddenly. An inquest has been held, but. is unconcluded. The medical evidenceshows that death was caused by external, violence. George Fountain, a fruiterer, has: committed suicide. His paramour has gone insane. Tookey's were quoted at £B9 to £40,. but fell on receipt of Hero's news tc £2O and £27, with plenty of seller?'., Buyers at £2O. No business. Sydney, December 20. The submarine cable between Java and Port Darwin is working effectively. News was brought to Normantown,. Carpentaria, by one of the Northern Territory party. Twenty seamen of the American* man-of-war, St. -Mary, stormed thefemale reformatory, but ihe Captain, and officers followed and prevented the outrage intended. They arrested and ironed the offenders, and will probably make examples of them. BreadstufTs are quiet. A team of bullocks was killed by lightning at Bathurst. Adelaide, December 20. There is a perfect plague of locusts. Wheat is firm at 4s ICd. It is rumored that the Government will not take persons with the Northern Expedition intending to prospect for gold, for fear that the development of a goldfield will cause their employees to leave the service and take to the <*olci digging.