TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4902, 7 December 1876, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(from odr own, correspondent.) Hokitika, Wednesday.

At the Waste Lands Board to-day further applications were made for leases for mining silver ore at Mount Kangitoto. Hudson renewed his application for the lease previously granted, to him, but which was held to have lapsed;- Applebee and others applied for part of the same ground..- The decision of the Board was that the 600 acres applied for should be submitted at auction' next, Board day, in one hundred acre blocks. Some extraordinary disclosures were made implicating an officer of the Board.' The following telegram, dated Hokitika, November 20, from Mr. Etheridge; who is secretary to the Board, addressed to Mr. Henry Young, Wellington, was read ; —■ “What lease is Leslie ■ floating ? Know nothing here. Wire name soon.” ■ A copy of a memorandum from Etheridge to Applebee, dated November 21, was also read. ■ The original, it appears, was lost, and was picked up by an official, and was said by the chairman of the Board to. have rbeen destroyed. The copy of the memorandum was to this effect; —- “Dear Applebee, Don’t forget that you searched the books re Hudson’s lease, and that I paid 2s. 6d. for you to Receiver of Land Revenue.” The copy was certified by Mr. Ghreville, Assistant-Treasurer, as being to the effect of the original found, and said to have been destroyed. This discovery is believed to disclose a plot regarding which there will probably be further inquiry.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Wednesday. The total insurances on the Otago are reported to be £15,000. The following weights are declared the steeplechase at the Auckland Summer Meeting -Tommy Dodd,, 12st. lib.; Butcher Boy, list. 101 b.; Medora, list. 71b.; Isleman, list.; Whitefoot, list.; Wrangler, list.; Perfume, lOst. 71b.; Toby, lOst. 71b.; Don, lOst. 71b.; Shamrock, lOst.; Gladstone, 9st. 101 b.; Mystery, 9st. 41b.; Lottery, 9st. . ' James Kelly,; a pensioner, was: drowned off the wharf. ‘ 1

At the meeting of.the Presbyterian General Assembly the Rev.'James Paterson, of Wellington, was elected Moderator, and delivered an excellent address. He expressed his thanks for the honor -done him by his election, and the pleasure experienced in these fraternal meetings was to many of them a real holiday, and they might hope that as the difficulties of travel lessened a greater, number of persons would attend the General Assembly of the Church. He pointed out the advantages to the Church of these periodical conferences, and the necessity for ministers of the Gospel being, fully equipped, for a struggle between materialism and religious truth. It was needful that they should keep their own minds free from prejudice, and their hearts free from bigotry, and that they should cultivate a liberal spirit, that their I convictions should be deep,, earnest, and true. He then referred to the question of union with the Presbyterian Church of Otago, which now appeared to be further off than ever, though its accomplishment would be a great moral gain to both. At the same time the terms submitted by Otago were unsatisfactory, especially the proposal to break up into Synods. The speaker went on to point out the weakness of-the.Otago-proposals.. He was gratified , to report that, the Church was making steady j progress in extension and consolidation. He then went .on to. refer to the difficulties to -be- encountered in new districts. There was a want of organisation. for Church extension, and-lunityrof feeling, and .unselfish efforts-were ;required.' ;. Young-men* should come forward aa workers,in the Church. ,' He then mentioned the establishment of a- theoj logical hall or,faculty,- so as to bring up a ministry within the Church'. The rev. gentleman concluded with'an: earuest appeal in favor of an - extended evangelical spirit in the Church.

The City Council agree to appoint , two accountants : to examine the whole system of keeping the accounts of the city. ' . •'Alexandra, Wednesday, , Takere Teßau was here yesterday.;.; The Eingites objeottothe Taupo-road being made. They say the Constabulary now forming it must be called in. Port | Chalmers, Wednesday. ... Arrived—Steamer Express, with passengers, engineers, firemen, and stewards,.of the.Qtago, She s truck oh . the rocks off Choaland’s Mistake at 2.20 a.in. on the 4th ; remained about an hour, during which, time full steam was kept up in the endeavor to . get off,, but failed, and she rapidly filled. At 3.30 ; a, mail was despatched for Allday Beach, and .at 6.30 a.m. another for JEdendale, a distance of. 60 miles, crossing three riyers.r- iTlienoe telegraphed to .Dunedin. .Tents were formed on shore, and ■ample provisions and bedding landed; Captain Oalder, displayed-great coolness under the trying circumstances, and tho .whole of. the passengers and; crew jveresafely .landed.',, The Express reached .Chasland’s at 5.30 yesterday afternoon,;, and : instantly commenced ‘.taking the, passengers and luggage oh board, and left at, 9 p.m.. witfij,, 15() people.' Many of the poorer passengers are in a.pitiable elate, being partly; clad, and have lost much ,of their goods. Captain Calder remains, behind, with the officersand seamen, ,to s save property. It is said 30,000, ounces of gold are, on board. , The passengers apeak very highly bf the captain and officers. - The sailora are said to have behaved very, badly, .‘forcing themselves into the ladies’.tent, butjwere ejected by the captain. A meeting of. passengers is to be held this afternoon to frame a testimonial to, the captain. Several gentlemen passengers . behaved nobly, rendering‘all the assistance in their power, Mr; Hobbs, traveller for H. Ji Harris and Co., of Melbourne,'working successfully. Some doubts exist as to the safety of one steerage passenger from Lyttelton to the Bluff. The .mate says he has not seen him since the vessel struck. .

1 The following is a passenger’s statement The Otago went .ashore in the second mate's watch, Captain' Calder having gone below. Before going he told, the second mate to call him if thick weather came on, . At 2.30, Capt. Calder, hearing the mate run aft, and giving

instructions to the man at the wheel to put the vesselvhard a-starboard, rushed on deck, and .was’ no:; sooner there than the vessel struck heavily, bow on, her bowsprit going amongst .the scrub and trees. No chance of getting her off.t Thsre are a number of hole? in her and she continues rolling and grinding on the.sharp rocks. Some, but not much, of that cargo may be rescued, and passengers’ -luggage saved. Should it come on to blow from N.E. or southwards, a heavy sea will’ break up the ship fast. At the time of strikihg" the-fog-was so dense" that' the passengers,, .when they,came op deck,., could not v see. the rooks though the, vessel was right,in amongstthem.

- Ddnedin, Wednesday. The Surveyor’s report on the s.s. Otago recommends - her immediate sale for the benefit - of all k concerned. ’ -The 3000 of gold en board is fully insured at £4 per oz. The ship is insured in Melbourne for £IO,OOO. At a meeting of the passengers of the Otago a testimonial to .Captain Calder was drawn' up, exjressive of their thanks for his conduct to them under the trying circumatances of the wrecks and admiration of his conduct.' It will be presented through the local agents. _ The Eresbytery are now sitting. - . The consideration of a request for permission to use a harmonium as aid to psalmody was held oyer till next meeting of.the Synod.- ;The. returns read re adoption of the Carrier Act .show,.six Kirk sessions against,; and four in (favor, of ; no returns from three sessions,.

1 In the case of Symthies v. Russell judgment was reserved for a week.

Chbistchcbch, Wednesday. - The Cricket Committee have decided to play with eighteen against., the English . eleven. Thirty will go into practice, and eighteen of the best will be selected from these. -.:

- The County elections are to take place on. December. 22.

At the first , annual -meeting of the shareholders lof ■ the Canterbury i lndependent, published at Kaiapoi, it was shown that the half of the capital has been- lost - since January in working the paper, and the directors were requested to take steps for winding up the affairs of the company. : . ■ ■ ■ : .

The attempt to start a new evening paper in, Christchurch is reported to.have failed.. ’ At the qupterly meeting-of the-Licensing Court, three new licenses in the suburbs were granted. All city applications were refused. Blenheim) Wednesday. Woedgate’s evidence lasted yesterday -till l 7.30 p.m.: Rogers, in defence, then spoke for half an hour, and Conelly, for the Crown, about the same time. The Judge was-one hour'and three-quarters summing up,ih> favor of the minor charge—concealment of birth'or secret disposition of the body.; The jury, after fifty-five minutes * deliberation,'returned a. verdict of guilty. ’• The prisoner- was unconcerned. A sentence’ of death was recorded without holding out any hope, but a point was reserved for the Court of Appeal as to-whether prisoner’s admission required corroboration, j, AUSTRALIAN NEWS PER ALHAMBRA Hokitika, Wednesday. The debate on the purchase of the Hobson’s Bay Railway has Occupied, the attention of the Assembly. There is strong opposition tothe proposals by a section of the community both inside and outside the House, The Government approve of the -purchase,: and - think it will prove highly remunerative. . The settling over the races is hot quite satisfactory to bookmakers, several large, sums being still open to them , from the . fielders. Briseis and Calumny arc the best favorites for the Champion Race. The case of the Rev. R. K. Ewing has occupied the attention of the Presbyterian circles. The Beechworth .congregation still stand to him, notwithstanding the decision of the Church Assembly. . , Theatrical matters are dulL Majeroni made a great hit as the Old • Corporal. Mrs. SoottSiddotxs has closed her engagement, and the Circus is on the wane. The Free Trade League is making every effort to make its programme known, and is assisted by Mr. Henry Taylor, Laborers’ Union delegate, who is not being well received. Sydnev, November 25. Bennett’s offer to play the English cricketers on the Ist and- 2nd December, has been declined, the time being insufficient to make arrangements. ‘During the race for fishing-boats, one capsized, and a man named Kernel! was drowned. Brady, a clerk in the Bank of New South Wales, was found on the railway line with his neck broken. Twenty-eight prospectors on theCanall Lead, Gulgong, have unearthed a nugget weighing 64 ounces. 1 ■ '! 1 . The English Eleven .play twenty-two Newcastle men on the 12th and 13th. November 29. A man named Maiawaring has been scalded to death by falling into a vat of beer. Roberts and Dean arranged to play three matches for £25 a-side. Roberts beat Dean in the first' match ;’ Dean 'won the second match. Adelaide, November 25. Peacock has been re-elected Mayor without opposition. The Government have restricted the number of immigrants to arrive during the winter to one full ship in two months. A share in the Wallaroo mine was sold for £IOSO. ' John Primrose, the well-known brewer, died aged 73. . ; ” i A crushing in the new Native Youth claim (Tasmania), of. 1100 tons quartz, gave 16000z5.. of gold. .. ’ . Queensland; .November 29. .The A. and E. Co.’s officers make Brisbane the terminus of the Torres Strait mail,- For the subsidy £50,000; is asked. They will not do it for £40,000. Parliament will be prorogued on Friday. The Assembly voted £21,000 for the Telegraph office, and £9OOO for the Museum. 1 ‘ -