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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5258, 30 January 1878, Page 2

-We hear on what appears to be good authority! that some of the electors of Wellington have requested Sir George! Grey to allow himself! to be put iu nomination for the vacant seat! for Wellington, and that! he has replied to the effect , that if, on his: return from .the! North, he is assured .by competent judges in the matter : that, he has a fair chance of success, he will-place his services at the disposal of the constituency. Mr. Hutchison it is said will stand for the Wairarapa, and will be backed by the Grey interest in that district. ■ The superintendent of the Eastern Extension Cable Company has telegraphed that the Singapore .and Batavia cable was working badly for gome days prior to its total interruption. . The repairing ship Edinburgh was on her way from Rangoon to Singapore, and communication would probably be restored in about a week. . Mail steamers arrive at Batavia from Singapore on the 3rd, 6th, 17th, and 20th of February ; but many local steamers are sure to arrive between those dates. A fire broke out yesterday afternoon at Mr. Bishop’s tea mart, Willis-street,- but was fortunately extinguished before any serious damage was done. At about 2 o’clock smoke was observed coming from a window on the upper floor of the building, and on access being gained to the room it was discovered to be on tire. By the prompt application of a few buckets of water—there fortunately being a good supply at the time—the flames were got under, aud when the fire brigades came on the scene, which they did within a very few minutes of the first alarm being given, there was no need for their services. Some American brooms and other articles were damaged, . but the pecuniary loss will be very small. What was the cause of the fire is at present unexplained, but it ia presumed to have been purely accidental. Shortly after the arrival of the brigades a rather unseemly altercation took place between a member of the Central and a member of the Wellington Brigade, which resulted iu a fight in which the Wellington man appeared to get rather the worst of it. The great and valuable services reudered by both of the brigades to the citizens are so highly and deservedly appreciated that it seems a pity that any occurrences of the kind referred to should take place. The Wellington Rowing Club are determined to be fully represented at the Wanganui Regatta. The Dolly Varden, the champion crew of New Zealand, proceed to-day by the Manawatu to the above place. The colonial regatta will be held on the 13ch and 14th of the, next month, so the representatives of the Wellington Rowing Club will have ample time for practice.. Mr. Floyd also leaves in the same boat, taking with him a sculler’s skiff. The Lyttelton crew will arrive here to-day by the Wanaka., and will proceed by'.the next steamer to Wanganui. The following are the crew of the Dolly Varden :—Hearn, No. 1 ; McGrath, No. 2 ; Walker, No. 3 ; Woods, stroke.

Horokiwi Valley on Friday last was a scene of festivity and enjoyment, it being the annual gathering of the children for their treat and sports in Mr. Smith’s paddock, adjoining the school. Although called the school treat, the grown-up people always make a day’s amusement also, and on this occasion upwards of loft people were oa the ground. The Pahautanui band, which was in attendance, rendered valuable service, and dancing on the green formed one of the leading features of the day's entertainment. Amongst other noticeable events wera the vaulting by, the boys and the racing of the girls for a large wedding cake, the gift of Mr. T. Smith. The tea was under the superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. Pryke, after which dancing was resumed, and carried on till a late hour, when the company dispersed well satisfied with their day’s pleasure. On inquiry we regret to learn that the aoVident to Mr. Manning, organist of St. Paul’s, Thorndon, and schoolmaster of Kaiwat-ra, is more serious than was at first supposed. It appears that while riding down Molesworthstreet lately a tradesman’s cart turning out of Wihgflcld-streCt “at. other than a walking pace ” rim against him, and the wheel cut his left log open from the knee downward* right to the bone. Ho is in consequence unable to leave his room, Dr. Newman, his medical attendant, haying enjoined perfect rest,, . i According ,to notice,the Hon. Mr. Fox con-, ducted divine service in the Pahautanui chapel on Sunday evening last, and preached a most effective sermon upon the evils of intern-, peranoe, and’referred to several passages in Scripture .which he argued were in favor; of tqtal abstinence. He exhorted the cougrega- - tioh present to! clo alt they could both by precept and example, to aid the good cause. ’There was; a! very large congregation, wholistened with rapt attention to the speaker. ! The Wesleyan picnic at Silverstreara. yesterday we hear was a very successful affair. The weather.was all that could be desired, and the spot selected a most charming one. There was a largo attendance, and all present —the ladies aud children, and the clergymen and laymen—seemed to enjoy themselves thoroughly, and the party returned to Wellington in the evening, after spending a most pleasant day.

The Wellington College ■will., re-open, after .the vacation, on Monday morning next at 10 o’clock. , Yesterday being the ; anniversary of the Queen’s proclamation of the colony, the-. Supreme Court did not sit. Another attempt was made last evening to blow up the sunken hulk, Eli Whitney, with 251bs. of dynamite, but'owing to some defect the charge would not explode. . The visit of the Australian 1 Cricket Team was celebrated by a farewell ball at the Polytechnic Hall last evening. Panning .was kept up until an early hour this morning. , A i sailor named Francis Birch was arrested on warrant yesterday on the charge of wilfully disobeying orders. He was brought before the Resident. Magistrate in the afternoon, and remanded until to-day. A man named James Brooker was taken into custody yesterday aud lodged ia the lockup, on the charge of using violent and threatening language cowards Mr., Haynes, landlord of the Newtown Hotel. The annual meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society will be held oa Saturday evening next, when an address will be delivered by Mr. Travers, F.L.S., and office-bearers will be elected. After the meetiug-there will be a conversazione in the Museum. Tenders are invited up to the 21st February next for the purchase, of the property of the New Zealand Lead and Galvanised Ironworks Company (Limited), at Auckland. Copies of specifications, &0., can be obtained at the office of this paper. Captain McGee of the Wellington, has brought with him from Picton a box of quartz specimens found at Napier Point, about six miles from Picton. They are consigned to Dr. Hector, and are very rich in appearance, all of them showing gold. Mr. J. P. Hydes, the well-known comedian, who is detervedly a great favorite with the theatre-going portion of the public, will talce his benefit this evening at St. George’s Hall. An excellent programme has been prepared, and considering the popularity and ability of Mr. Hydes, aud. the quality of the bill of fare to be put before the audience, a full house may; confidently be anticipated on this occasion;

Intelligence from British Columbia, December 13th, confirms intelligence previously .'re-ceived-of the satisfactory progress' of the Cariboo Goldfield. The S. F. Bulletin of the 20th December publishes the following news from Victoria (Vancouver Island), December 13th. Public interest is entirely centred in the gold quartz discoveries at Cariboo. The principal lodes unearthed border on the famous William Creek, from which official figures show 38,000,000 dol. was washed from 1862 to 1871. Mr. Harper, the Government Mining Engineer, has arrived from the scene of discovery. He confirms the previous reports of the richness of tlie vein, which he, says is the mother lode of the country, and being cut in two by William Creek,,, was probibly the source of the rich'deposits found in the creek. The rook contains a very small per cent of si ! ver. At a meeting of the directors of .three’quartz companies at Cariboo it was resolved to employ no Chinamen in digging as long as a single white man remained unemployed at fair wages. The Colonist warmly, applauds, this resolution.

Then Melbourne Argus of the 16th Inst, publishes the following from its Brisbane correspondent :—At, last advice, has been received respecting the result of 'appeals made to the Privy ..Council against the. decisions..of our Supreme Courtj which in effect authorised the Government to seize upon large, tracts of selected country which had been obtained in contravention of law—in short, dummied lauds. Mr. O. B- Eisher, of South. Australia, bore the main brunt of the legal assaults made by the Government. A partner and agent of his, Mr. G. H. Davenport, had acquired a very extensive and valuable estate, known as Headiugtonhill,andof this it was sought to dispossess them. Messrs. Wienholt and Co., an old and very wealthy squatting proprietary, and Mr. W. B. Tooth, another old and wealthy squatter, and a Mr. J. Morris Simpson, an extensive selector, said to be backed by the Hon. John Hay, of Sydney, were also in the toils. Their defence was irainly “ waiver” on the part of the Government. That Is to say that after the Government were in full possession of all facts relating to any mala Jides or irregularities, they continued to claim and receive rents. The rejoinder of the O:owu lawyers was that no act of the Executive could cancel the penalties imposed by an Act of Parliament. The Supreme Court took this view, aud decided for the Government, and it is this decision which the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council has just reversed. The consequence of this reversal is that not only the selectors already assailed, but a number of others held in view, escape forfeitures, while the Government will have to pay all the defendants’ costs from the initiation of the proceedings, subject of course to taxation. Mr. N. J. Isaacs will hold an immense clearing sale of wines, spirits, and general merchandise, at Ins rooms, Lambton-quay, this day, at 2 o’clock, entirely without reserve. Messrs. J. 11. Betlmne and Co. will hold a sale of fancy goods at their rooms this day at 2 o’clock, comprising a large and varied selection of useful and ornamental articles, imported for this market, ex Crownthorpe, from London.