LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 194, 17 February 1877, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[Pku I’ItKSS A'.IKXCY.] WELLINGTON. February IG. About 2 o’clock this morning fire was discovered in the bold of the ship Himalaya, alongside the wharf. Smoke and heat so great that it was impossible to go down the hatches to ■work, and an entrance was effected to the after hold, whore the fire was breaking through the cabin ; for several hours there wore four streams of water kept playing into the hold, before final extinguishment of the fire. The ship’s watchman was picked up dead below; it is supposed he fell down the hatch, and got smothered. Two men of central Brigade were also picked up senseless in the hold from suffocation, but they recovered. Groat portion of the cargo has been lauded. It is impossible at present to estimate the damage, which must be considerable. Mr O’Shea reports Produce prices .■■'as follows : Flour nominal, old, good, £ls to £ls 10s, new to arrive, £l2 10s ; oats, 3s 3d, old ; bran, scarce; wheat chick, 2s 9d to 3s fid ; pollard, 6s to 7s; maize, 4s fid to 4s 9d ; cheese, 8d to 9d. potatoes, £4 to £5 ; bacon, 4Jpl to B c p NELSON. February 16. Match resumed at. 11.30, but most of our men failed to make a stand against the splendid bowling of Hill and Shaw, and were all out by 2 o’clock for 56, of which 15 were byes, and 4 log byes. Halliday and Barnet made 8 each ; Cross and Wiggin, the latter a young boy, 6 each. Shaw bowled 9 wickets, and Hill 4. The lunch adjournment then took place, after which Nelson will go in again. AUCKLAND. February 15. The Englishman who was imprisoned 70 days on Wallis island for striking a French priest, is Mr or Captain James Lawrenson, brother of a draper at Dunedin. His Excellency and suite, with the Premier, leave in the Hinernoa for Hokitika on Monday evening next, They will be present at the representative firing on one or two days, leaving on Thursday night or Frida}' morning and will visit Greymouth on Friday and Westport on Saturday, leaving for Wellington that night.

CHRISTCHURCH. February 15, A Ratepayers’ Association was formed lasi night, to look after the interests of the ratepayers in all city matt ts. This lias originated from a feeling of dissatisfaction respecting the city assessment this year, and Caivuthcrs’ drainage scheme. The cricketers are practising carefully for the All England match. Freeth, the principal howler, who did not play against Otago, is still unwell, and cannot play against the English eleven. Raker, one of the principal bats; is also unable to play. February 16. At a public meeting last night, resolutions were carried antagonistic to CarnUhcrs’ drainage scheme, and ask ing the drainage Hoard to reconsider the scheme as compared with the dry earth system. 3d 15 city letters passed through Christchurch post office on Valentino’s Day-. The weather during the week has been favourable for , the harvest, and farmers are busy getting their crops into a stack with the fine weather; there will be no deliveries of new grain worth, speaking of for the next ten days. Markets are very unsettled, and no reports’ quotations can be given : Millers are offering 4s Gd to 4s 9d for good sound milling wheat, and 2s 6d to 3s for inferior parcels ; oats, Is 10 to 2s is offered in Christchurch ; flour, las in sacks, for old quality, no new in market; cheese, to Gd ; butter, 9d. As soon as thrashing becomes general, it is expected that prices will be steady. A little City Assessment this year has given great dissatisfaction: over 890 objections lodged.

DUNEDIN. February 15. There arc at present nine persons for trial at the ensuing sessions of the Supreme Court, to be held on the first fondly in April. There is one female for trial for infanticide at the Supremo Court at Tnapoka, on the 20th March. Wit!i the change from provincial administration, the monthly escorts appears to Lave disappeared, for no instructions as to their continuance have been received by the Treasury Department. The probability is that the Hanks will forward their returns at thenown responsibility in future. In the police court to-day Mr Watkins decided that playing a game of billiards to determine who should pay for the hire of the table was gambling, and inflicted a nominal penalty in a case of this kind brought before him.

ENG L I S 11. LONDON. February 15. The Libera] organs, commenting upon the Eastern difficulty as disclosed in the blue books, approve of the attitude of the English Government, and attack the conference for stopping short of that policy of coercion whereby isolated action of Russia could have been prevented. The Times says the country will go with Lord Derby. MELBOURNE. February 15. Thirty -eight trucks were destroyed by a railway accident on the Sandhurst lino. The loss is estimated at about £I,OOO. BRISBANE. February 18, The remains of two brothers named Macquarie have been found on the Palmer Road, murdered by the blacks. Portions of roasted human skin and hair were also found. In the case McLauchliu v. the Standard Insurance Company of New Zealand, for non-payment of policy, a verdict was given for plaintiff for £633.