TELEGRAPHIC ITEMS.

(from our own cokresfc-ndent.)

Wellington, December 4th.

The public meeting on the recent events at the seat of war came off last night in the Oddfellows' Hall, and was densely crowded. The chair was occupied by the Superintendent, Dr Featherston. The first of the resolutions put to the meeting was expressive of sympathy with the sufferers on "the East and West Coasts. The second resolution proposed a vote of thanks to Mr M'Lean. and our native allies for thoir success on the East Coast. The third resolution urged the Governor to apply for the assistance of the Imperial troops stationed in Australia, on the ground that the Colonial forces were unable to cope with the rebellion, should it assume the formidable dimenr sions which it now threatens to do. An amendment affirming the contrary, and advising adherence to the policy of selfreliance, was proposed, and the numbers for the resolution and the amendment being nearly equal, it was put to the vote, when the latter was declared to be carMr Robert Hart, Dr Grace, and Mr Justice Johnston spoke in favour of the resolution, and*Messrs Anderson, Travers, Pharazyn, and Borlase for the amendment, the meeting finally closing at nearly 12 o'cock. At a preliminary meeting held there of persons favourable to the getting up cf a petition to the Queen and Parliament praying that the Constitution Act, so far as it relates to the North Island, may be suspended, resolutions were carried to the following effect :— That it is desirable that such a petition be forwarded home ; that the so-called Self- Reliance policy of the Weld Ministry was only advocated from political motives ; and that a Committee be appointed to prepare the petition for consideration at a public meeting to be held for that object. At the meeting of the Justices of the Peace held at Auckland to consider the propriety of making suggestions to the Government relative to the adoption of measures for the preservation of the peace of the Province, the chair was occupied by Mr James Williamson, aud twenty Justices were present. It was agreed that the Hon. ' Dr. Pollen should take steps to procure the stationing of Imperial troops at Ngaruawahia, in the Waikato. 350 stand of arms arrived here yesterday. The Assembly is further prorogued to the 26th of February. The usual rifle competition will no^ take place at Wellington this year, but the Southern competitors will meet at Dunedin. LSOO have \ een voted for prizes on the occasion, and the same amount for the North Island. Captain Herrick, lately on Colonel Whitmore's East Coast staff, is now promoted to be a Major, with the rank on the West Coast of Lieutenant Colonel, and has assumed the command there in Colanel Whitmore's absence. Great dissatisfaction is expressed in Napier at Colonel Whitmore's advent thither. The Hawke's Bay Herald says : it '|" o send Colonel Whitmore here at the present time, with no matter how many men at his back, would be most disastrous. He possesses neither the confidence nor the goodwill of the community, European or native, and assuredly none would be found to work cordially under hk command. We sincerely hope the report of his coming here is a mistake. He has already been largely instrumental in drawing down ruin on this province, and it only wants his presence here as a commander to precipitate the darger which' ab present is only seen in the distance." A verdict of wilful murder has been returned against the Maori who lately tomahawked a German pedlar. December 6 th. The telegrams received by the Government and the newspapers disagree as to the details of the engagement on the East Coast, bnt all concur in asserting that the enemy was beaten with great loss. On our side one friendly native and two Europeans were wounded. The volunteers who arrived here by the Lord Ashley, sailed for Wanganui last night. They are a fine lot of fellows, \ and only one o£ them got intoxicated after a day's liberty. . ] A memorial to the Governor, now being , circulated here, says :-" Never since the foundation of the colony has there been, a greater sacrifice of life and property than that which has taken place during I the last few weeks, and never has there existed such a general sense of insecurity, or such a state of unpreparedness to meet an insurrection daily assuming larger dimensions, as exists at the present time. 'The colonial troops, gonsiating almost en*

tirely of new levies, are necessarily inadequate to cope at once with, so wide- spread an insurrection. Your memorialists .therefore pray that you will make an earnest appeal to Australia for the aid of the Imperial troops stationed there." Much dissatisfaction is expressed at Major Herrick's appointment to the command of the forces on the West Coast, as two months ago he was only a gentleman volunteer in the East Coast campaign. 151 natives have arrived at Taranaki from the Chatham Islands. At a large meeting cf the natives, they expressed friendly sentiments. At a meeting of the natives held at Wairarapa, the King's circular was read, and a resolution arrived at that Wairarapa should not be disturbed. December Bth. On Friday Tito Kowaru's men came to WoodalPs redoubt with a flag of truce, and warned the Militia and Constabulary to clear out, as they were about to attack it that night. Major Herrick detained them, and sent them to Wanganui, where they were searched at the police station, and a watch found on one of them, which has been ascertained to have belonged to one of the men killed at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu. They were brought before the Resident Magistrate on Saturday, but the investigation was not concluded. The schooner Tyne, from Wanganui missed stays yesterday, and went ashore on the rocks, it is feared she will "become a total wreck. No lives were lost. Later news from the Waikato states that everything seems quiet. The Southern Cross says this will have the effect of allaying the apprehension which has existed for some time past. About 70 blue jacketß are to be landed with rockets from the Blanche on the East Coast. A collision nearly took place the other night between the Blanche and the Phoebe. The Phoebe had to steam backwards to avoid it. Propositions have been made by some of the dissentients to refer the Manawatu claims to a commission. The difficulty is to make anything binding on the whole. The Charybdis will probably leave in a day or two for the East Coast. The Rakaia i 3 signalled. The following is the tenor of the letter brought to our camp on Friday under a flag of truce. After quoting sundry texts of Scripture, it goes on to say that, as in one day God made the two different races, the one to live in England, and the other in New Zealand, the Pakehas ought never to have crossed the sea, and that Tito Kowaru's endeavour will be to exterminate them. He solemnly warns the Europeans to leave Wanganui, and ends somewhat as a judge does after passing sentence of death, to the effect that the Lord may have mercy on their souls. On Saturday the Constabulary abandoned the blockhouse at Woodall's redoubt, and the head-quarterswere removed to Westmere. The public indignation has been aroused by this step, the more so as by it the Militia have been left unsupported at Stewart's, 10 miles from the town. 1 On Sunday a man was fired upon by an ambuscade within five miles of Wanganui, between the posts of Westmeie and Stewart's. A meeting of the magistrates and inhabitants of Wanganui was held on Sunday afternoon, and a plau for the defence of the town, drawn up by the military engineer of the 18th Regiment, was submitted. It proposed that the part of the town between the two stockades, and from either point in the line to the river, should be surrounded by a^ ditch and bank wall. Every man in the town was pressed for the performance of this work, which was commenced on Monday morning. It is believed that some attempt will be made on the town at 'he expiry of the usual three days of Maori warning. Colonel M'Donnell has started at the head of 300 Kupapas to act against the rebels. On Friday they were seen at the extremity of the Brunswick line, but since then they have not t-een heard of. The s.s. Mataura, which was advertised at Sydney to sail for England, is said to have been taken possession of by Mr Marshall, the agent of the Royal Mail Company. The Sydney Morning Herald says that the Rakaia will convey the last mail to Panama ; but private letters ex- j press the hope that some arrangement I will be made to continue the service. It is thought probable that the Tararua will take up the service for the present. The Claud Hamilton and the Auckland are reported to have been sold at Sydney. H.M.S. Challenger will probably come to New Zealand. Mr H. A. Brice, who with his family was a passenger from Melbourne in the Tararua, and who had paid L 230 for his own passage and those of his family by the Rakaia to New York, has been arrested by the order of fa© Yiotorian Go-

vernment, on a charge of embezzlement. It appears that he was a member of the Civil Service in Melbourne, and the Government there telegraphed to Sydney , the order for his arrest, the warrant for ■which reached here by the Rakaia to-day. : Nelson, December 6th. 151 natives have arrived at Taranaki in t the barque Collingwood from the Chatham i Mauds, being the balance of the prisoners confined there. They seem quiet and peaceably inclined, and are going to settle down. A large meeting of friendly native chiefs has been held at Taranaki, upwards of 20 being present. The meeting was a peaceful one, and great couresy and kindness were shown to Mr Parris, the Superintendent, and the other Europeans present. A letter from the chief Patara is published in a slip issued by the Herald. Its i tenor is peaceful, and it states that the ! new comers wish to live quietly at the j settlements of Okati, Tataraimaki, and Oakuro, leaving any dispute to be settled ] by the laws. The news is considered good here. Napier, Dacemher 4th. Owing to the reported intention of our forces to assault the enemy's position — which ha 3 been rifle- pitted— last Thursday, the return of the Ahuriri with the news is anxiously looked for. The universal disgust felt at Colonel Whitmore's coming to Poverty Bay has been expressed in a memorial to the Governor, complaining that in this, as in other matters, Mr M'Lean's plans have been systematically thwarted. This memorial is being signed by nearly the whole of the population. The force at the Front is now unnecessarily large, while Wanganui is left almost unprotected. The Lady Bird arrived at. Castle Point at 4 p.m. yesterday. The Blanche has gone to Poverty Bay. December sth. The Ahuriri has arrived, and brings news that the Hauhaus' position was attacked on Wednesday, and the enemy routed with the loss of 30 men and 6000 rounds of ammunition. Our loss was three wounded. The Hauhaus retreated on Puketapu, •whither they were being closely followed. Te Kooti has been wounded, and had left on a litter some days before, accompanied by women and 250 meD. i Latest news states that they have been overtaken. Rama and Henare, two bloodthirsty chiefs, are among the slain. Colonel Whitmore was off the coast last night, and was ordered by Mr. j Richmond to land at Wairoa. j Puketapu will probably be the next j scene of operations. December 6th. The Lady Bird has arrived here from Poverty Bay. The Ngatiporou came up with the main body of the enemy on Thursday, six miles from the scene of the fight on the previous day, attacked him, and killed 55 men, including Nekora and i other leaders. Four were killed on. our i side. ! The Ngatiporou were awaiting the arrival of ammunition to inflict a final i blow. ! Major Frazer has gone to the Front i from Turanga, at the orders, it is believed, of Colonel Whitmore. The total number of the enemy killed up to the present time is 109. The Blanche is at Napier. It is thought there will be no necessity for her to go on to Poverty Bay. Latest dates to hand from Auckland are to the 3rd instant. Up to that time the Waikato was quiet. ' Bth December. The Ahuriri, which, arrived here this morning, has brought back Captain Tanner and the cavalry. She reports that a Napier chief, named Karauria, had died of his wounds. Authentic details of the last fight prove that it has been much exaggerated. It was not the main body of the Hauhaus — which has since been ascertained to have retreated into the bush — but one of several detached bodies which was attacked, and their loss was small. Only 70 of the Ngatiporou, under Ropata, were encaged. The native allies were on their way back to Pututahi and Turanga, knocked up, dissatisfied, and unable to get supplies so far inland. Colonel "Whitmore and Major Frazer were four miles beyond Pututahi, awaiting the return of the Friendlies before going on. It is generally supposed that Colonel Whitmore will go by the Sturt to Wajroa, as being the proper base of operations, and that Major Frazer will go straight on. The expedition has virtually collapsed, Much of this result is due to Colonel

Whitmore's assumption of the command, which was most unfortunate. The Blanche left here last evening.

Tttrangaint;i, December sth. I The Ngatiporbu have fixed the enemy ! about five miles above the former field, j and have begun to fight, taking the outer i fence with the loss of one killed and five wounded. ■ Frazer's men are off, and will be on the ground to-morrow morning. ( " Frazer's men," means a detachment of the constabulary under his command). All looks well. No grumbling amongst the Maoris, so far, at Whitmore's. Oamaktj 1 , December Bth. , Telegraphic communication is interrupted north of Oamaru. The following intelligence has just been brought into Oamaru by a special messenger connected with this department. I forward it to you, thinking it may be of interest. Yesterday, at about 3 p.m., a fire broke out in Cain and Munro's premises, at the north end of Timaru, and burned furiously, before a strong north- wester, till half-past six o'clock, destroying all the principal buildings of the town. Among the rest may be mentioned Munro's furniture warehouse ; Knight, painter ; Mr. Wood, saddler ; Mr. Solomon, draper ; Seymour, watchmaker ; Jacobs, watchmaker ; Erskine, grocer ; Watkrns, chemist ; Clarkson | and Turn'mll ; Beldy, barber ; Butler, chemist ; Horton and Belfield, office of Timaru Herald ; Bilton, bookseller ; Byrne, private residence ; Stubbs and King, butcher's shop and residence ; Morgan, baker ; Mountfort, photographer ; Melton, stables and resi- ' dence ; Fraser, butcher ; Pogonouski, barber ; M'Rae, Club Hotel ; Stubbs and King, butcher's shop No. 2 ; Post Office ; Telegraph Office ; Bank of New Zealand. No lives lost, as far as has yet been ascertained; but very little property saved. Queenstown, December sth. The road at the Nevis Bluff is expected to be passable for vehicles by Monday (to-day), and the repairs to the punts will be completed by Thursday. The intention of the Government to proceed at once with the bridge over the Shotover river has given general satisfaction here. Messrs Robertson and Co.'s new steamer Antrim will be ready to make her first trip up the Lake in about three [ weeks. ! A saddler named Comooka, and a photographer named Rich, were found dead in bed yesterday morning. An inquest was held on both of the bodies today by Mr C. Beetham, R.M., and a verdict of death from apoplexy resulting from drink was returned in each case.

"With the exception of the Newmarket meeting, there has not been much stir ia the sporting -world during the past month. The Australian Aboriginal cricketers have been playing matches with varied success, one of their last being with the Press of England. The match was not concluded, the Australians only playing one inning, in which they scored 82 — the Press playing two innings, scoring 101 and 74. The band of celebrated All England cricketers in America has not excited a great amount of enthusiasm. You will probably have had the news before this reaches you, of their match with twentytwo of the St. George's Club, New York. The Club scoring respectively 61 and 88 in their two innings, and the All England ers 175 in one, thus -winning ia one innings, with 26 runs to spare. Roberts continues to play matches at billiards, and continues to win. His last match of consequence was with Dufton, to whom he gave 300 out of 1,000; the champion won by 64 points. Of the two principal events of the Newmarket meeting, Major Pemt erton's Cecil won the Cesarewitch (2 miles, 2 furlongs, 28 yards ; time, 4min. 12] sec) ; Baron Bothschild's Restitution second, and Count de Lagrange's Nelusko third ; and Sir J. Hawley won the Middle Park Plate (1000 soys and 180 sabs., 30 soys entrance), with Pero Gomez, Duke of Beaufort's Scottish Queen second, and Mr. Johnston's Pretender third. Many of the knowing ones had booked Blue ' Grown, the Derby victor, as winner of the Cesarewitch, but the weight he carried, Bst 111b, was too much for him. A fewdays previous to the meet Cecil was at twenty to one, *>nt just before the race he was first favourite at five to one. The winner of the Middle Park Plate, Pedro Gomez, is being backed heavily to win the next Derby, his price being seven to one. It is strange that Sir J. Hairley declared to win with Cophetua, who came in ninth, He backed his " pair" gamely, and won, L9QQO in bets on the event,