TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4507, 31 August 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(from odh own correspondents.) Auckland, Monday. Referring to the death of Commodore Goodenough, the Sydney Morning Herald says ;—“ The nobleness of the late Commodore’s character perhaps never so forcibly displayed itself as after the attack upon himself and those on shore with him. When it became necessary to take measures to impress upon the islanders a sense of their wrongdoing, he gave orders that no life was to be sacrificed ; that villages alone were to be destroyed ; and at these blank cartridges were, in the first instance, fired, to scare the natives away before the destruction of their huts commenced. His life was Christianlike to the end ; as he lay in his cabin and as the last sad hours were passing, no murmur was heard to pass his lips. The only regret he expressed, when he knew that his end was approaching, was that he had not strength enough to praise God sufficiently for all his mercies ; and he apologised to his officers for giving them so much trouble in watching beside his dying bed. He remained conscious to the end, giving to his officers the last fond message to his now bereaved widow and children, in a calm clear voice. At his own request he was carried on to the quarter-deck, where he spoke a few affectionate words to his officers and men, and soon afterwards life had ebbed away. Commodore Goodenough was several times in the China seas. He first went there as lieutenant in the frigate Raleigh in 1857. He next went in command of the Calcutta, which vessel he took Home and paid off in 1859. He was afterwards commissioned to the Reuard, a despatch vessel in the Chinese seas, and was subsequently appointed commander of the Revenge, flagship of the Channel Fleet. He also commanded the Victoria, flagship in the Mediterranean. When the Minotaur was commissioned as the flagship of the Channel Fleet in 1867, he was appointed flag captain, and served as naval attache to the courts of Europe. On the 22nd of May, 1873, the Pearl was commissioned to the Australian station, with the deceased as commodore.” Dunedin, Monday. The meeting to-morrow is expected to be packed by provincialists. A special train leaves Dunedin at ten o’clock on Wednesday morning for the opening of the Clutha line. A resident at Hyde named Hepburn is supposed to be drowned. The prospectus has arrived for a new journal at Queenstown, to be called the Wakatipu Times. By the San Francisco mail on Saturday 101 applications were sent Home for nominated immigrants. A little fellow named Keogh, for stealing four shillings out of a collection plate at church, was sentenced to twenty-four hours’ imprisonment, and ordered to receive five lashes. The Australasian of the 14th inst. contains a capital pen and ink sketch of Sir Julius Vogel, whom the writer considers far in advance of any other Australian statesman. Hoskins was a pass mger North by the Taupo to-day. He and Steele had a row in the Criterion Hotel on Saturday, which almost led to blows. (PER PRESS AGENCY.} Auckland, Monday. The first instalment of the petition from the electors to Sir George Grey and Messrs. Wood, O’Rorke, Sheehan, Swanson, Diguan, and Von der Heyde, praying for resistance word by word to the Abolition Bill till February was forwarded by the Haweato-day. It bears 275 signatures of electors. Other instalments will be forwarded as it is signed. The Thames gas company declared a dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. Mr. Swanson, M.H.R., has telegraphed enthusiastically supporting the Interprovincial football match, and stating that the best men must be sent at any cost. A Government messenger attempted suicide by cutting his throat. He had been drinking very heavily lately. He is not dangerously injured, and was removed to the hosoital. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency has the following market telegram, dated London, August 19 : —The wool sales opened at an average decline of Id. to IJd. on prices at last sales. The principal decline boa been on superior medium washed New South Wales and Queensland. Up to date 300,000 bales have arrived, and 16,000 bales have been sent to the manufacturing districts direct. Trade in the manufacturing districts is unchanged. Tiie tallow market is firm. Leather, best sides showed Ml. decline on previous rates ; others in proportion.. Wheat market, quiet; quality of crop, indifferent ; foreign arrivals, heavy ; Adelaide, worth 575. per 4901b5. ; New Zealand, 545. Picton, Monday. Several tons of herrings have been driven ashore by porpoises during the last few days. The beach is thick with them. An accident occurred on the Picton railway on Saturday morning. A locomotive engaged in ballasting got off the rails and turned over. It was put on again in the afternoon, and brought to Picton slightly damaged. No one was hurt. The accident occurred on a part of the line not ballasted. No blame can be attached to the driver. Sailed, on the 29th : Barque Prince Alfred, for Lyttelton, with timber, Timaru, Monday. Sir John Cooke’s report recommends the construction of a breakwater at Timaru, to cost £240,000, and the subsequent construction of a jetty at a cost of £79,000. It gives great satisfaction here. Dunedin, Monday, Bishop Moran writes to the Times, contradicting the statement which recently appeared in the Wellington Tribune, that a pastoral had been issued by the Bishop against the abolition of the provinces, and says there is no truth in it. A meeting re abolition was held at Mosgiel on Saturday, and a resolution passed declaring for delay, and the Bill to go before the country. The Times, in an article on Stout’s speech, says that it contains no sophistry, and that Stout’s attack on the Government measures savored, not of sophistry, but of that strange and unaccustomed thing in Wellington, good, sound, practical common sense. At the inquest held on the body of the child found on the Ocean Beach the jury returned an open verdict. The police have no clue at present. Thursday is proclaimed a Government holiday, to celebrate the opening of the Clutha line of railway.

Riverton, Monday. At a meeting held on Saturday night to consider the abolition question, a resolution was carried by a small majority that the Bill should be referred to the constituencies. Invercargill, Monday. Another section of the main trunk line of railway—eight miles in length between Mataura bridge and Gore, was formally opened to-day. No general invitations were issued to the public. Mr. Brunton, C.E., was present on behalf of the Government, and Mr. Topham represented the contractors, Messrs. Brogden and Sons. The day was fine, and everything came off smoothly and quietly. The railway bridge at Gore was tested for the first time with engines and ballast waggons, weighing in all about sixty-five tons. Mr. Brunton expressed himself perfectly satisfied. Coming in by a special train, the distance from Gore to Invercargill—forty miles—was done easily in an hour and a half.

ARRIVAL OF THE HERO AT AUCKLAND. MURDER OF COMMODORE GOODENuUGH AT SANTA CRUZ. The following was published by us as a Second Edition yesterday ; AucKLiND, Monday. The Hero has arrived from Sydney. News has been received from the Santa Cruz group of islands, north of New Hebrides, of the murder of Commodore Goodenough and two seamen of H.M.S. Pearl, on that island. The following is the official report of the circumstances connected with the melancholy event : On the 12th of August the Pearl was off Carlisle Bay, Santa Cruz Island. Leaving the ship in the offing, the Commodore landed, accompanied by some officers and men, in hope of conciliating the natives and opening friendly intercourse with them. The latter assembled in goodly number on the beach, and accepted the presents offered them in an apparently friendly spirit, and were willing to barter. The Commodore and others village,and for some time mixed freely with the natives, who showed no signs of hostility until preparations were being made to embark. While the Commodore and one or two others remained near the village, a native standing near him fired an arrow, which struck the Commodore in the side. Before any arms—all of which were in the boat —could be reached, several flights of arrows were discharged on the party, wounding five men, and the Commodore again slightly, this second time in the head. A few rifles and revolvers were fired to stop the attack, which was entirely unprovoked, and one native fell. The Commodore determined, after returning to the ship, that he would show his disapproval of this treachery by simply burning the houses of the village near which the attack was made, and gave most explicit orders that no life should be taken, directing blank cartridge to be fired, to warn the natives previously to the men landing. It is impossible to assign any certain cause for this sudden attack, though it may perhaps be accounted for by supposing the constant hostility to visits of strangers to exist in the minds of those particular Islanders, who have shown almost the same spirit to vessels visiting them from the time of Mendana to this day; their hostility being probably provoked by some previous outrage committed by white men, and this opinion being held by the Commodore, induced himtopunishthemin the slight mannerin which he did. Great surprise was felt at this hostility of the inhabitants of Santa Cruz, as the natives of the islands of Ambryo Mallicallo, St. Bartholomew, Espiritu Sancto, and Vanikiro had received the visits of the Commodere and his officer's in a friendly manner, and although the natives of a few villages showed in some cases strange shyness and timidity, nevertheless mutual confidence had been quickly established in most of them. The Pearl at once proceeded southward, as a cooler climate would be more favorable to the wounded, of whom there were five in addition to the Commodore. Having touched at Mota, in Banks Group, to leave directions for H.M.S. Nymphe should she call there, the Pearl proceeded towards Sydney. For the first few days the wounded were all doing well, and great hopes were entertained that they would recover, but after five days symptoms of tetanus appeared. In three cases these symptoms gradually increased. On Thursday night one of the seamen named Edward Rayner, who had received an arrow wound in the shoulder, died. On the next evening, Friday, August 20, at 5.30 p.m., Commodore Goodenough died, and early the following morning a third seaman, named Frederick Smale, followed. He had received several wounds in the head. The other three wounded are doing well. The Commodore in his closing hours showed the greatest resignation and Christian fortitude, apologising to the officers for giving them so much trouble, and directing that no undue severity should be dealt out to the natives,! and regretting that his failing strength would not permit him to praise God enough for all his mercies. London, August 22. The representatives of Russia, Germany, and Austria had an interview with the Porte, and collectively counselled moderation. They asked for facilities to communicate with the insurgents at Herzegovina, to recommend their submission to the Turkish government. The wheat market is inactive. The harvest is progressing and the weather fine. Australian wheat is quoted at 545. to 565.; flour, 365. to 40s. The wool market is easier since the opening sales. The average decline has been Id. on last sales, excepting Port Philip fleece. Sydney wool lid. lower ; faulty pax-ticles none. Sydney. Ristori’s season has terminated to a crowded theatre. Goodenough’s funeral was largely attended. The Standing Orders Committee decided that the Assembly had no power to punish for breach of privilege, or summon witnesses to the bar of the House, and recommended the introduction of a Bill to increase their powers. Melbourne. All the Ministers were re-elected unopposed. The population on the 30th June was 813,588. The Executive decided on the execution of Ah Gnat. Duncan Longdeu has been acquitted on the charge of forgery. Sixteen Sisters of Morey arrived by the mail steamer. Adelaide. The Minister of Education was presented with a gold watch and service of plate. A private Loudon telegram announces a fall in wheat from 2s. to 3s. The market is quiet, at ss. 2d. to sa. 3d.