TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4936, 17 January 1877, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

■- # (PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Tuesday. A hitch has arisen re Broomhall's purchase of Te Aroha block. Mackay claims to reserve several thousand acres as native reserves. The Registrar's returns show the following figures for Auckland district for the year 1876 : —Births, 1506 ; deaths, 709 ; marriage certificates issued, 317 ; marriages solemnized by Registrar, 91. Since the marriage fees were reduced the number of marriages have increased. The All England Eleven are expected to play in Auckland on the 29th and 30th, and leave on the latter evening for Wellington. £l3O has been collected and promised. The Augusta, from Fiji, brings news that seventy mountaineer prisoners have escaped from custody at Savasava and got clear away to the mountains. Troops and volunteers are being organised for the defence of TJluilakeba, lately built. —Auckland won the yacht race at Levuka.—lt is rumored that the Mary Eliza, cutter, has been wrecked. The City of Auckland, clipper ship, sails to-morrow with a full cargo and fifteen passengers. The case of McCarrigle, photographer, is proceeding at the Supreme Court. Plaintiff claimed £1287 12s. upon an insurance of £IOOO in September. His premises caught fire, and property was destroyed of the alleged value stated in the claim. Defendants pleaded that goods were not of the value claimed, and that a considerable portion were removed to the North Shore. The Attorney-General appeared for plaintiff. At a special meeting of the Harbor Board, to consider the question of deepening the dock, the engineer's estimate for the increased depth of sft. was £7024. A resolution was carried to the effect that the Chairman of the Board wait upon the Government to ascertain whether they will support a further loan for dock purposes. F. H. Lewisson and Samuel Wells, jewellers, charged with being beneficially interested in ?• lottery got up for the disposal of jewellery, were to-day fined 20s. and costs, and three other charges were dismissed on payment of the fees. Albyn Roberts was placed in the dock chargec" with deserting his wife at Timaru. Accused had been arrested on board the Rotorua, about to sail for Sydney, the arrest being made on the strength of a telegram to the police. Mr. Rees defended, and demanded the release of accused on pain of an action for false imprisonment against the police, who had no business to arrest on a telegram unless for felony. There was a great scene in court. Barstow, the Resident Mogistrate, said he had no power to remand him to Timaru. Inspector Broham said and maintained that accused was properly arrested. Rees told the accused to walk out of court. He did so, and was pounced upon by three constables and brought \ back. Rees and Broham had a regular set-to. The formeraccused the latter of gross ignorance of the law, and threatened to bring his conduct before the Government. Broham pooh-poohed the threats, and described them as idle and windy —he had heard them often during the last ten days. " .' ' Nelson, Tuesday. Messrs. Curtis and Sharp addressed a meeting of their constituents last night, when there was but a very poor attendance owing to boating matters attracting so much attention. Curtis spoke in strong terms of the waste of time of the session by unnecessary talk, and thought the House should take steps to stop it in future. Regarding Sir George Grey, he said that though ho was over violent and persistent in bringing groundless charges against Ministers, and was often very injudicious, BtiU he regarded his presence in the House as a great advantage, and as having had the effect of checking abuses and promoting economy. He strongly condemned the outcry against Vogel for resigning. He considered he was perfectly justified in doing so on the grounds stated by him, viz., failing health and private affairs. He thought the House should have voted his travelling expenses, as the colony was perfectly well aware of his extravagant habits when they placed him in power, and had no right to complain of him afterwards. He spoke dispassionately, and not as a supporter of Vogel, as he thought the colony would have done far better if it had never placed him in charge of its affairs. Votes of confidence in Curtis and Sharp were passed unanimously. Gketmooth, Tuesday. The Coal Pit Heath Company are seventeen feet through the main seam. The coal is splendidly bright and hard. Christohurch, Tuesday. The weather is most unpromising for the cricket match. It has now stopped raining, but the sky wears a very threatening aspect. Dunedin, Tuesday. The land revenue for the provincial district of Otago for the quarter ending December 31 was £63,788, of which amount £28,754 was for assessment on stock. The City Council has accepted D. Proudfoot'B tender for construction of tramway in Dunedin. AUSTRALIAN SUMMARY. (per wakatipd, at hokitika.) Melbourne, January 10. Jupp does not play with the Eleven at Sydney, but accompanies them to New Zealand. Several midshipmen have been fined £lO each for cutting the hawser _of the steamer Kent at Sandridge pier. The gold statistics of Victoria for last year shows a falling off of 100,000ozs. The seamen on board the steamer Warrnambool struck work on a question of overtime. W. H. William?, printer, was fined £25 and costs, for/printing a paper called the Clipper without entering into recognizances. Sales of supar to-day realised full market value ; large sales made privately. Captain Coffey, well-known in shipping circleß, died to-divy. Two hundred and fifty hogshead Hennessy's brandy sold at 9s. 6d.

INTERPROVINCIAL REGATTA. (from our special correspondent.) Nelson, Tuesday. The weather, which has looked unsettled and threatening all day, promises better now, and there is every prospect of a fine day tomorrow, when excellent sport is anticipated. For the first event, the open Bailing boats, there are competitors from Wanganui, Charleston, Picton, and Greymouth, the Telegraph, the Nelson boat, being slightly the favorite, although the result it is impossible to foretell, depending as it will so much on the amount of wind, seamanship, and knowledge of currents, the harbor being narrow. It is quite possible there will be many fouls, leading to numerous protests. The second event, the champion whaleboat race, is exciting a large amount of interest among men on the beach. For this there are six entries, Eanger (Grahamstown), Echo (Wellington), Our Boys (Timaru), Colonist, Thistle, and Cutty Sark (Nelson). The Thistle is rather the favorite, but divides the honors with the Cutty Sark and Danger, which latter finds many supporters. The yacht race is considered a gift to the Secret, which will only be opposed by the Gannet (belonging to Richardson, of the Royal Dartmouth Yacht Club, and which was built to his order at Picton), and the Claymore. The Secret is twenty-seven tons, and the Gannet, which is larger than the Claymore, is only seven. A slight breeze is the onlj chance for the little ones. For the champion gig race, prize £SO and cup, Transit (Wellington), Waimea (Nelson), Eclipse (Star Club), Torea (Auckland), and Gazelle (Greymouth), are entered. The Waimea, which is a new boat lately arrived from Melbourne, has a fine crew, and her chance for the race is thought well of, although both the Wellington boat and the Auckland boat stand high in the opinion of the knowing ones. The volunteer whaleboat and junior four-oared gig races are expected to show excellent sport. It is impossible to ascertain which is favorite for either event, i The second day will open with a race for second-class sailing boats, of which ten have entered, and a very good contest is anticipated. For the champion pair-oared, Kiwi (Auckland), with Henderson and Dacre in her, is the de cided favorite, but many think Roman Fall (Wellington) will make them work hard to earn their laurels. The big race of course excites the greatest attraction, and will be a splendid contest. The course, three miles straight, is generally admitted to be the fairest in New Zealand, protected as it is from the open ocean by the Boulder Bank. The win ning post is near the harbor entrance. There are six entries—Valentine (Thames), Cam (Kaiapoi, Dolly Varden and Stella (Wellington), Ilissus (Timaru), and Wakatu (Nelson). At the Calcutta sweep last night Dolly was the favorite, there being very little choice among the others. The betting is principally confined to backing one boat against another. The Stella and Cam are well thought of by many, and some fancy the Nelson crew ; but it is generally believed that they have been in commission too short a time to enable them to win. All the crews have been steadily practising since their arrival here, and the harbor morning and evening presents a very lively aspect. The boats are so numerous that some difficulty has beeu experienced in finding room for all; but the committee appear to have arranged matters to the satisfaction of everyone; indeed, they have done everything in their power to command success, which seems certain if the weather only continues favorable. There are already a large number of visitors here, which will be considerably increased on the arrival of the Taranaki and Ringarooma, from Wellington; Murray, from the West Coast; and Wallace, from Wanganui, all of which are expected to-night.