COLONIAL ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 121, 13 January 1874, Page 2

COLONIAL ITEMS.

(from the anglo-australian press agency)

Auckland, January 5. Mr. Hardington, clerk of the course, whose jaw was broken nt the races on Friday, is progressing favorably. The .Auckland Plate was declared no race. Calumny was to have walked over, but the Jockey Club declined to allow it after the scene on Friday. The Provincial Maiden Produce Stakes, £5OO, distance 3| miles—Golden Crown, i ; Kingfisher, 2 ; Perfume, 3. The Ellerslie Handicap, £lOO, distance 11 miles—Yatterina, 1 ; Parawhenua, 2 ; Slander, 3. The first two made a splendid race of it. ,

Thames Plate, 60 sovs. 2 miles—Papapa, 1; Hatred, 2; Calumny, 3. Won easily by a length. Selling Race, 60 sovs.—Ben Nevis, 1 ; Flying Jib, 2 ; Perfume and Maire also ran. The Chief Justice gave an important derision in the case Me Arthur, Shera, and Co. v. McKellar, Collector of Customs, in which Mr. Prendergast appeared as counsel for the defence. The action was brought to recover money exacted after the passing of the new tariff, on goods for which a sight entry had been previously passed. The Chief Justice cternieu mat. i.ne impuiniiluu vl Jutlubk. goods is completed by the passing all the appointed entries, rather than by the time the ship arrived. The entry was for home consumption, and could not be deemed to have been passed until the entry was perfected and signed by the Collector. Judgment for defendant with costs.

The races on the 3rd instant were, spiritless. The Handicap Hurdle Race, 60 sovs., 2 miles, over 8 hurdles, 3ft. 9in.—Skysail, 1; Sultan, 2 ; Nero, 0. Nero rushed the first hurdle, fell, got up, and went on without his rider.

Selling Hurdle Race, £5O sovs., If miles, 6 flights of hurdles—Nero, aged, 1, £5O; Sam, aged, 2, £2O, Sultan, aged, 3, £3O. Free Handicap, 50 sovs., sweepstake £5 added, miles—Ben Nevis, 1 ; Hatred, 2 ; Black Eagle, 3 ; Slanderer, 4.

For this race there were only 4 acceptances out of 23 entries.

Dr Smith, of Kawau, has been picked up, after clinging to the bottom of a boat in the open sea fo 1 five hours. The boat was capsized by a squall when the doctor was returning from visiting a patient. The Wentworth sails at 2 p.m. with 5,786 ounces of gold. The Governor Blaekall has arrived at Kandavau.

January 8. Mr Redwood has purchased from Mr. Watt the famous racing stallion Totara, for the sum of five hundred guineas. Mr. Redwood takes the horse to NelSon to use for stock purposes. A combination has also been effected between these large owners of race horses, by which Mr. Watt has purchased half of Mr. Redwood’s two-year-old Ravensworth stock, and also half the horses he has in training. This arrangement having been effected, it is intended to enter the horses for the Victorian Races.

Alexandra, January 7. The owners of the new store just opened at Hone te Hone’s place, at Oatea, near Kawhia, have been ordered off immediately by the Hau Haus, or the store will be plundered. TaUKANGA, January 5.

Visitors are here in abundance, mostly sightseers of the Lakes. All are delighted with the appearance of the crops, and many are becoming settlers. The farmers are engaged in harvesting, the weather being charming. A native engaged on the telegraph line, near Matata, died from the effects of a sunstroke.

The Ara was at Ohinemutu are indisposed to grant sufficient land for the telegraph station, and the works are stopped. Wellington, January 7. Mr. M'Lean has gone tp Horowhenua, to settle the native dispute.

The natives ridicule the efforts of the Commissioners appointed by the Government. The Governor is expected here on the 17th. On the Ist of next, month the Luna will leave with the Commissioner of Customs, for the purpose of making an examination of the coast line in each island, and determining the sites for the new lighthouses voted last session.

Seventy.four of the most respectable publicans have decided to abstain from Sunday trading, and endeavor to obtain the eomplianee of the other hotel-keepers in this city.

Christchurch, January 5. Nearly all the immigranta who arrived by the Star of India were engaged the first day after their landing, at good wages. The ship Isle of the South is due at

Lyttelton at the end of this month, with 317 immigrants. It is rumoured that the Hon. Mr. Stafford is coming forward to contelt the Superintendency. . , . Mr. John Ollivier, the Provincial Auditor, will be asked to offer himself. It is reported that a number of gentlemen offer to guarantee his expenses if he doesJanuary 8. The Provincial Council last night voted £5OO to be expended in procuring the importation of insectivorous birds. Wanganui, January 5. It is rumoured that Mr. Hutchinson, th* mayor, goes to Wellington to start the new paper.