TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4355, 5 March 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[Per Press Agknct.l Auckland, Thursday. Robert Graham and John Sheehan proceeded to Kawau to-day to present the requisition to Sir George Grey, asking him to contest the Superintendency and to express his views. A fine seam of coal has. been struck in a drive at Wangarei mine, which has been in process of construction for eighteen months. It is twenty feet thick. The drive has been carried out wholly by working men on their own account. The Luna, which left yesterday for Wellington, will call at various East Coast settlements on the way down. The Daphne, from Levuka, brings later Fiji papers, but nothing important. Measles are very prevalent there amongst the natives. A discovery of coal has been made at Rewa. Two informations were sworn to-day by Captain Burgess, the pilot, against the Captain of the immigrant ship India, charging him with interfering with him in the discharge of his duties ; also with calling him a " liar," and threatening to punch his head; ■ • Gkahamstown, Thursday.

There is very little from Ohiiiemuri to-day. The prospectors' claim or reserve has been jumped. The Gasette notice only reserved ten men's ground, and Mr. Mackay gave the amalgamated party fifteen men's ground. One party pegged-off five men's ground last night, and the remainder was jumped to-day. From all appearences there will be plenty of litigation. Residence and business sites have been pegged half-a-dozen times over. In Mackaytown, C. F. Mitchell has lodged an application for a prospecting claim, at Waitematuri. He reported to the Superintendent having found payable gold there in December, 1873, and asked for protection. The money received for miners' rights and business licenses—over £looo—was brought down by Inspector Bullen to-day. William Baker was yesterday sentenced to six months' imprisonment, for. stealing food from the Maori's whare. Some dissatisfaction is felt upon it being, ascertained that several miners became possessed of miners' rights before 10 o'clock.. New Plymouth, Thursday. ■ Mr. Provis, Custom House officer, was presented with a testimonial from the importers. of the place, who all wished him a speedy promotion in the service. He leaves for Auckland to-day. The Provincial Council meets on the 16th. . . Wancanui, Thursday. The' settling for the races took place last night: Jackson, £171; Quinlivan, £57; Palmer; £47 155.-; Day,"£47; Sower, £387 Wilkie, £23 9s. ■' ' ■ In.the,[rifle match with Nelson, Wangamii scored 490 out of a possible COO. Nelson did not fire. : \' r The Chronicle gives currency to a rumor that Mr. W.- H. Watt has resigned his seat in the Provincial Council. , [ ' Blenheim, Thursday. A prisoner, named Higgins escaped at dinner time yesterday, from the custody of the warder while at work at the Hospital at Picton. He was pursued, and seen near Walton's sawmills, but got away.; He went to his house, changed his clothes, and took his boy, thirteen years bid, with him. Inspector Emerson" and two constables from Blenheim went last evening in search. They watched a hut at the junction of the railway and Picton road, and saw Higgins go in at about two in the morning. They went in and found him.under the bed, on which his sou was lying as if asleep., Higgins was then handcuff ed, and a cart- being procured, was forwarded to' Picton gaol. Higgins was under sentence, for. two years, having < been convicted at:;the last sessions of the Supreme Court for defrauding Messrs. Brogden, by cutting off the brands' from sleepers already paid for, and delivering them to, Messrs. Brogden as his own Cutting. •'■"'. • : ' Chbistchdiioh, Thursday: The Times this morning says the re-appear-auce of . Sir George Grey, in, the. political world, and the murmurs arising against Mr:" Vogel-for the contempt which his .silence in:' England is considered, to imply,'and, the, jjeyys. that he is unable to, ■ negotiate > loans ;- as, favorably as former loans, together with many ; pther indications, forecast a change in the political atmosphere.. It then says people-are» getting surfeited , [With, , political. ~< romance. They, wish to . settle" down" quietly* to agri-. cultural, pastoral, and mining pursuits.'; - The" immigration and* public ' works is . quite enough for our statesmen for the-next •few years, without a South Sea bubble or the Herculean task of Constitution mongering.' : "" -;;An interprovinc'ial boat race has been arranged for the 20th March. Another' length of twenty miles of .the Southern Eailway, from Ashburton to Rangitata, will be ready for opening on the; Ist of ; May. ', The Girard Troupe opened to a large house last night. The performance was-a great success. : A Snider carbine match, between ten men of the Cavalry and ten of the-Artillery,.was fired yesterday. Conditions—lso, 200 and 300 yards, and five shots each. The Artillery made 460, and the Cavalry 437. Sergeant Fox, of the Artillery, made 57 out of a possible GO. The following appears in this evening's Qloht:—" We publish the following communication, which we have received from a reliable correspondent, but we must not bo supposed to vouch for the opinions expressed therein : < Editor Globe. —Kaiapoi, March i. —A nioa's recent tracks have been discovered at Oxford bush. Two reliable correspondents from Oxford report that, on March 2, Mr. William Cooper called on Mr. Woodfield, storekeeper, and Mr. Paul, Chairman of the Road Board, requesting them to visit, the bush near '. his father's house, where they were shown the footprints of a large bird, each footprint measuring, with a rule, a little over Bix inches. Footprints were traced around the house, and

into the bush for half a mile, when they were lost. ■ The distance between each print was from seven to nine feet, as measured in several places. Mr. "VVoodfield has taken wax casts of the prints, which he will bring to Bangiora today for me to see. The bird seemed to have been walking leisurely along. • Fresh droppings were also discovered. I vouch for the accuracy of these statements.' " [Oxforihush referred to in the above, is about forty ruilig^--—-from Christchurch.] '

Dunedin, Thursday. "The Times to-day tenders an apology for having published a letter on 16th February, in which Father - Coleman was spoken of as a money-snatcMug priest. It says :—" We now express our regret for having inserted the letter. We have been informed that the strictures are untrue and unjust, and that in all Father Coleman does he is actuated by a desire to promote the best interests of his people, and that his Church has no more faithful and zealous servant. We ,'therefore repeat ourexpression of regret, and tender our apology for having, given pain to Father Coleman." George Allan, in the employ of Butterworth Brothers, met with a: severe accident lastnight, by falling over a cutting twenty-two feet deep. The Times says it understands that an offer of one of the vacant seats on the Bench of the Supreme Court is about to be made to Mr. George Cook, barrister, of Dunedin.

The Rev. Mr. Gillies, of West Taieri, has received a call from the Timaru congregation. Last evening the City Council resolved to forward a letter of condolence to the. Superintendent, expressing regret at his recent bereavement.

Nine hundred and seventy immigrants arrived in the province during February. Mr Bathgate to-day made an example of two men for resisting a police constable, and characterised the conduct of .the. crowd, who assembled and jeered at the police, as cowardly in the extreme. ,: