WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 38, 17 January 1874, Page 7

WEEKLY EPITOME.

" Dios Patria, V Mey." When the telegraph places the Carlists in a favorable light, their situation must be very good indeed. Spanish intelligence of the 30th of lust month states that a crisis has occurred at 51 ad rid. We next read — "Madrid, Jan. 3. General Mariones is marching in Bilbad ; 2'> ( (JoO Carhsts are concentrated in its vicinity." "Jan. 5. Serrano [the new chief of the Spanish Executive] has suspended constitutional quarauteee, and disarmed the Republican volunteers, berious fighting between the Carhsts and Republicans has taken place at Saragossa. General Maiioncs being unable to advance his army in the direction of Bdboa, re-embarked at Santona." This reads very like a Ctirhst success. If the serious lighting was in favour of the other side, we would have been duly apprised of the fact. The enquiry into the ciroumstanccs uttendai.t on the wreck of the immigrant ship Surat, which had been going on ior several days at the old i'olice Court, Maclaggan street, Dunedin. was at 11 o'clock on Tuesday night postponed till to-day, of the witnesses gave evidence that the captain and first and second mates got drunk in the time after the ship struck, on the night of ihe 31st ult., and before the skip 'was beached und they landed on the following morning ; otheis, that the offi[ei s were drunk and excited ; and some that they merely noticed a change in their appearance. Thn captain denied he was drunk, but sjid the first mate was. The third mate was young and too excited to be of service, and the fourth officer it appeared did his duty ; but, as the passengers and crew considered, the sailmaker was the better man, tho management of the ship was given to him. The sailmaker deposed tliut he saved the ship, the captain standing by and not contradicting his orders ; whereas the captain alleged that he had charge of the ship, und gave orders during the w hole time. Evidence was given which showed that the officers produced revolvers, and threatened to fire on the passengers on the latter signalling a passing ste uner, and also on their lowering the boats; and that the mate attempted to stop the working ot the pumps, and threatened that if he ■were ut the wheel he would send all the passengers under the water in tjn minutes. A council House for the Maoiies. (-Oft. by 30ft. has just been constructed at the Maori Kaik, Otugo Heads, and a gathering of the Natives will be held at 2 o'clock on the 22nd inst , to petition the General Government for compensation for un fulfil lea pledges made to them rclatiue to the purchasing of the Middle island, for which they claim £2,000,000. It is expected that 200 natives will be present, as well as v number of Europeans, and, at the time of meeting, a Ui ion duck cearing the name of the house m large Maors characters, a present by t lie Hon. Julius Yog'.e, will be huistfd over the building. 'llie Government have aeut a number of piesents for the oceßsi-in, and a grand spread will be provided, the whole ulTair winding up m the eyen ng with a ball. 'liLLGKAI'Hic advices hiive been received from London announcing that a steum collier of 15U0 tens has he-en put chased for Mr Frank Fulton, of Duuenin, to trade between l'ort Cnalmers and Nu-.vcastls She will replace the Fidela, wh.ch was wrecked the south coast of Africa ou her voyage our. lue total uniount of gold obtained f-om the Inangahtia reefs uuuiig the year ending on the 24th Deteiiiber l.i-t, wat 1J.1J9 ounces, winch was Qivid d among 13 companies. <)1 tho.-e, tlu* Golden 1 leece (Jo. heads tlie list with 3341 ounces, and the Boitldor S one Co. bim_;s Up the rear with the very tucdest total of 1\ ounces. Wi ('Thames Advertiser') learn that the several banks now doing busn-ess at the Thames have come to un agreement regarding the purchase ot gold, an I that standard tables have becu drawn up, fixing tuc pnee in accordance with tho assjy vihie. The Geneuil Government sale ot Waiktito lauds excited immense i-.teiest. High puces were realised. The emtlojment of windmills by gold miners, both for pumping out mines and quartz^ rushing batteries, is> advocated by the ' Hi ipeka Times.' ilentionii,_' a company m want of a cheap mouio power, it ga^s — "Water is a. . jug way oil; steam is too denr. Why not think of the wind r" The Wellington Inspector of Sueep, in an official report, e&tiluutes the number ol bheep in that Province at the end of November last at loO.uOO. Hit ittDAVOOD lias purchased from Mr Watt tl c iamous r.icing stallion Totara, by Diomedes out of Wunvsea, for the num ot 500 guineas. Mr Redwood takes the hor?e to Nels >n for stock purpo-o;' A combination aLo bus been efl't^tid betv^ocu these laige ovsnci? o. racehorses, by which Mr Watt purcimses h-ilf of Mr Rcdwoo.''stock, with a two-year-old by Ravensuorth ; i.lso h ilf the horses m truunng. This arrangement bus been eileetcd, us it is intended lo enter horses for the Victorian races. The Manna iluim, at Lyell, lor the first crushiuEf, hus yielded 1304: ounces of gold iroiii 300 tons of stone. lJßO6i'£Cii.\Gl J BO6i'£Cii.\G for quait/; iv<.fs is beii g steadily curried i.,i at Felorus Sound. The prospjctora are binguine ot finding a pavib.e reef. Mr W. C. Daldy, in a letter to the ' New Zi aland Herald,' states that the kauri timber trade of Auckland represents a capital of .it least Jtlt)O,uO(.', ami gives duect employment to GOO men, and .ndirect ti'iplcyi.t'nt to as many more. 24- HCiEL KEErr.Lo" of \S\-llington, have agreed, v.ivor pezalt), t

abstoiu from selling liquor on Sunday, except to ionajide boarders. They are also endeavouring to secure the compliance of other publicans. The Wellington Gas Company hare reduced the price of gas 20 per cent., or 14s per 1000 ft. The Provincial Council of Canterbury, have voted £500 for the importation of insectivorous birds. Thb compensation money to the Natives (5000) for the Princes street (Duuedui) reserve, has beeu forwarded to Mr I. N. Watt for distribution. The following is the official declaration of the poll for thp Superin tendency election of Westland : — Bonar, 534 ; Kennedy, 383 ; White, 223 ; Uoos ; 50. At a meeting of the Christchurch Central Boating Club, it wae resolved that all champion races may be rowed with or without a coxswain. The prizes have not yet been been fixed for all the events, but they will be on a liberal scale. Three Canterbury boats will probably contend for the big event An* explosion of foul air has occurred in a sunken cylinder or shaft at the new railway bridge, near the Reliance Hotel, Otakia, by which two workmen were severely burned. The explosion occurml on a match being lighted. The steamer Pretty Jane is running her last trip, so far us Dunedin i* concerned. She has been sold to an Auckland firm, and is to run in tho trade between that port and Povertj Bay. The loeb to Otago of so smart and handy a little steamer is to be regretted. The llarbor Company have obtained a very fine price for her, over £7000. Mr Henderson lias been returned as M.P C. for Clutha, by a majority of four votes over Mr Thomson. The annual interprovincial cricket match between Otago and Canterbury was played in Dunedin this week, and resulted in a victory for Otago by oue innings aud 28 rune. Lynch, of Oamaru, was the top scorer in the match. The American whaler Abraham Barker, has arrived an Mongonui with 1000 barrels of oil, the result of a ten moths' cruise. A meeting of the Dunedin Branch of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society was held on Monday evening, Hie President, Bro. E. Carroll, in the'uhair. The chief business was the election oi iiro. J. Toal, as Treasurer. It was resolved that the Hon Secretary wiite to Dr Bakewell, the medie.il officer informing him that his services would be dispensed with iv three months from date— that being the shortest term of notice allowed by the agreement. The reason of this is a certain advertisement for a servant which appeared in tlu> ' Evening Star,' and which was construed as meaeing " No Irish need apply." Drßakewell subsequently wrote to the 'Star' characterising the action as "delicious."