ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL VIA SUEZ.

Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 908, 2 January 1872, Page 2

ARRIVAL OF THE ENGLISH MAIL VIA SUEZ.

(peu greville's telegram company reuter's agents.)

Hokitika, Dec. 30

The s.s. Rangitoto, Captain Mackie, arrived at Hokitika at G a.m. She left Hobson's Bay at 3 p.m. on the 23rd, and called at Milford Harbour on the 28th. Experienced light south south-east winds and fair weather throughout. Passengers Messrs Drummond> J. P. Carey, B. F. Bunny and boj', J. W. Jolly, Andrew Bing and boy, W. J. Moore, Trenery, Thompson, Fredk. Wilkinson, Maurice Moran, James Wilson, James Thompson, Moore, K. A. Billing; Mesdames Gramont, Fyffe and infant, Jefferson, Miss A. Moore.

Cargo for all the ports 203 tons W. L. Mailer, purser.

The branch steamer Alexandra arrived at Adelaide at daylight on the morning of the 21st. The mail steamer left Galle on Nov. 29th, and has London dates to Nov. 3 and telegraphic news to Nov. 27.

She has a long passenger list, but none for New Zealand.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

The Queen's health continues to improve. The Prince of Wales is ill of typhoid fever. The wool sales opened a penny easier. Australian preserved meat is in great demand. Stocks are run out. Four shops have been established in Aberdeen for the sale of New Zealand preserved meats:

The fourth series of tbe wool sales closed on Oct. 11 ; 137,997 bales were sold, including 39,438 bales of New Zealand wool. The total sales for the year are 652,299 bales. The prices for New Zealand wools ranged from lid to 2s 9d; greasy, lid to Is 6d ; scoured, Is lOd to 2a 6d; lambs, Is 8d to 2s 6d. la flax a fair amount of business has been done, and about 2,500 bales have been sold at full rates. An improvement in the mode of preparation is noticeable. Hides are in leas active demand. The arrivals with hides are—England, from "Wellington; Roslyn Castle, from Otago; Crusader, from Lyttelton, and Wild Duck, from Auckland, which, with Australian arrivals, brought 4,475 salted hides. The quotations are New Zealand, first heavy, 6|d; second do., Gd.

Tallow is in very good demand at an advance of 2s for mutton and Is for beef.

In Australian gum there is little change ; 82 sacks red pressed fetched 41s ; middling to good realised 35s to 365.

New Zealand sixes, 1891, 110 to 112 ; fives, 101 to 102 ; Consolidated IOO.j to 101^; sixes, June and Decern,] ber, 111 to 113. Money is still dear. On October 2nd, the Bank of England advanced the rate of discount to five per cent After consultation on November 2 the directors declined to reduce the rate » although the bullion and reserve of notes had largely increased. Government and other securities have declined.

The French Government has twentyfour million pounds ready for the payment of the 4th instalment of the

war indemnity

The Crusader, from Lyttelton, arrived at Gravesend on October 26th ; the Roslyn Castle, from Otago, on October 27th; and the Wild Duck, from Auckland, on October 28th.

The Caduceus sailed for Auckland, and was off Brighton on October 25th.

The England, Mason, Wild Duck, and Canterbury, are loading for Auckland.

The Cyrene sailed on October 18th and the Harvest Home on October 19th for New Zealand. The Charlotte Gladstone and Crusader are loading. The Tyrol is loading for Nelson. The "Warrior Queen saiied for Otago on October 29th. The Asterope and Jessie Beadman are loading for Wellington and Celeno for Wanganui. The Malay sailed on October 11th; the Charlotte Gladstone, from London * j on November 2; and the Celeno on the Ist.

The news of the loss of the Rangoon reached London eight hours after the wreck.

The inquiry into the loss of the Underly resulted in the suspension of *he master's certificate for three months. A good deal of the cargo has been saved. The extra mail steamer Pekin sailed for Shanghai, via the Suez Canal, on Nov. 22.

Captain Macdonald, of the Queen of the Thames, has published a pamphlet advocating a line of steamers for Australia via the Cape of Good Hope, to do the voyage to Melbourne in 40 days. A stall for the Bale of Australian preserved meat has been opened in Manchester, and it is crowded with customers. The new Victorian tariff' is likely to hamper the export trade and emigration.

The Liverpool Emigration Beport shows an increase of emigrants. Fifteen thousand people attended Gladstone's meeting at Greenwich. He spoke for two hours. One hundred and seven reporters were present. The whole speech was cabled to America the same night. The criticism of the press on the speech is favourable

Sothern, the actor, has left for

A m en co

The magistrates have refused music or dancing licenses to Cremorne, Highbury Barn, the Alhambra, and Simballi's.

The Home Secretary has declined to release the remaining Fenian prisoners connected with the Manchester riot.

The labour agitation is extending. Working men generally are contending for the nine hours' principle.

LATE TELEGRAMS

London, Nov. 27. John Bright has recovered, and will return to public life.

Disraeli has been elected rector of the Q-lasgow University, and Sir Wm. Maxwell, rector of the Edinburgh University.

The court martial on the loss of the Megoera has exonerated the captain and officers.

Two thousand applications have been made by officers to retire previous to the issue of warrants to carry out the Army Eeform Act.

The French Government havo decided to submit to the National Assembly a proposition for doubling the capital of the Bank of France. The bank has raised its rate of discount to six per cent.

A large fire has taken place in Geneva.

Cholera has re-appeared in Constantinople.

The republicans elected the majority of their candidates in New York, also in Massachusetts and Wisconsin.

The famine in Persia is increasing daily.

Disturbances have occurred among the Chinese at Singapore. The Prince of Wales became suddenly indisposed on Nov. 22nd. An official bulletin, issued on Nov. 23rd, states that the Prince is attacked with typhoid fever, but no unfavorable symptoms have appeared. On the 26th the fever was increasing. Prince Alexis, Russian Naval Com-mander-in-Chief, when replying to an address of welcome at New York, declared that nothing could disturb the friendly relations between Russia and America.

The German Beichstag have adopted a bill for introducing a gold coinage. M. Thiers received the Chinese Ambassador who apologised for the Tien Tsing massacres.

Bismarck is unwell. The dissolution of the Spanish Cortes is considered certain. The boiler of the steamer Marton burst, but no lives were lost.

Some of the Rangoon's mail bags have been recovered in a good state of preservation, also some passengers, luggage, but no cargo. Pigott, the proprietor of the " Irishman," has been sentenced to four months' imprisonment for advocating the repeal of the Union and local selfgovernment.

Kelly has been acquitted of the murder of Constable Talbot. M. Thiers has offered His Holiness an asylum in Prance, but he remains at the Vatican.

There are great expectations in respect to the labor demonstrations to be held at Brussels.

The wool sales opened a penny higher.

At a meeting of wool importers and others, the London woolbrokers' association was reconstituted. Adelaide wheat is in slow demand at sixty shillings. There is a great demand for Australian preserved meats; present stocks are exhausted. Consios 93^.

The first telegraphic message was despatched from Galle to the Melbouene Argus on Nov. 28th.

The TTmbia met with severe weather after crossiu? the line, and had to put iuto Freemantle for coal, thus accounting for her delay in arrival. LATEST SPECIAL. Wheat firm; brandy, sevenpence higher; iron advancing. Victorian preserved meats in great demand. Mutton in 4<lb tins and beef in 61b tins sixpence per lb. A large attendance of buyers at the wool sales, and biddings spirited; 68,000 bales offered. The Queen returned to Windsor on the 25th. Her health is improved. The Great Britain has arrived. Dr Mynter is dead. An Italian commission has been appointed to enquire into the condition of the postal service via Brindisi. Bank of England rate of discount is reduced to four per cent.