PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VII, Issue 369, 5 December 1876, Page 7

PROVINCIAL AND COLONIAL.

The English Cricketers arrived in Sydney on Wednesday last. • A rich silver mine has been discovered near Penguin Creek, Tasmania. Samples of Kaimai quartz, tested at the Bank of New Zealand, Auckland, proved nonauriferous. The heat in Wellington on the 26th ult. was 122 degrees in the shade by the ordinary thermometer. The formal opning of the Bound Hill Tunnel, on the Tokomairiro and Lawrence Railway took place on the 25th ult. A man named Kingham was arrested at Auckland on Wednesday last on a charge of indecent assault on girls five and ten years of age. The estate of the Municipal Corporation of Sydney has been sequestrated for non-eom-pliance with the Judge's order to abate public houses within a fixed period. The Riverton Municipal Council have passed a resolution urging upon the Government the neeessisty of having the Western railways completed as soon as possible. Telegrams from Tauranga show that the Kiamai diggings give every prospect of being a good goldfield. Native opposition has been sullenly overcome for the present, but may be again fomented by the Kingites. A spring of mineral water which is reported to possess medicinal properties of considerable value has been discovered alongside an embanl* meat on the Tokomairiro and Lawrence Railway. A woman named Ellen Vincent has been committed for trial at Hokitika for the wilful murder of another named Jane Cunnington, upon whom she committed a succession of violent assaults.

Consequent on certain articles which have recently appeared in the New Zealand Times, commenting on the conduct of Mr G. E. Barton in the Police Court, the latter has commenced an actios, for libel against the Timet. It appears (says the Bruce Herald of Tuesday last) that the Debtors and Creditors Act 1876 came into force on the Ist of November, consequently the proceedings at all meetings held «nder the Act 1875, during the month are invalid. This fact was discovered by that astute public servant, Mr Peter Farrell, at a meeting of the creditors of late Major Atkinson. Information has been received from Mr J. H. Bennett, to the effect that the All-England Eleven will play at Auckland on January 28, 29, and 30. The team will then travel southwards playing at Nelson, Christchureh, Dunedin, and possibly also at Taranaki. They will leave New Zealand after playing at Invercargill, The Dunedin match will take place about the middle of February, but until the team arrives in New Zealand it will be impossible to fix the date. The Rangitihei Advocate states that on the Sth ult. two men, while at work iu the Parekarefcu Block, saw a young Moa, about four and a-half feet high, with a long hooked bill and very small wings. The men gave chase to it, but it got away, leaving footprints on the soft mud which showed that the feet were partially webbed and that each toe was over twelve inches in length. We (Guardian) regret to hear that scarlet fever has made its appearance at Port Chalmers. The gentleman attacked is a resident of Dunedin who makes a practice of passing Saturday afternoon and Sunday with his relatives at the Port. In accordance with his usual practice he arrived at their residence on Saturday evening, apparently in good health ; on the following morning, however, it was discovered that scarlet fever bad set in. Dr Drysdale is in attendance t» the sufferer. A serious accident befel a lad named Alex. Wishart, at Appleby, near Invercargill, on the 24th November. He and some other boys, one of whom had a loaded pistol, were together. The pistol went off—how it is not known—nod the contents, heavy duck shot, entered Wishart's right knee, shattering one of the boms. Some of the shot pastel through the limb, but a considerable quantity remained in the flesh, and at the hospital they were extracted by Dr Dorath. The cause of the present darkness of the hearts of the Kingites towards the Pakeha appears to be the refusal of the Government to give up the Waikato. According to Te Wananga, at the meeting of the Native Minister and Tawhiao on the 25th, 26th, and 27th of March last, Tawhiao's parting words with the Minister were :—" My word to you is—mine is only one large thing, my thumb and my muscles. By my thumb I mean Waikato, and by muscles the graves of the dead in Waikato. You know what Tawhiao means."

We {N. Z. Times) regret to have to record the death of Mr 0. P. Hursthouse, who had been for some time in the Mount View Lunatic Asylum. He died on Wednesday eveniug at 6 o'clock. Of late his disease took the form of violent convulsions; and during the two days before his death he was in a state of almost total unconsciousness. Mr Hursthouse was a prolific writer, and rs an immigration agent was very successful. Of his works, the best and most generally known is that entitled " New Zealand, the Britain of the He was of a kindly disposition, and his death will be regretted by many. .

At the ordinary monthly meeting of the New Zealand Eclectic Association held on Friday evening in the Punedin Athenaeum',, for the purpose of taking steps to assist the fund now being raised for the relief of the Bulgarians, the following resolutions were unanimously passed: 1.," That .this society, recognising the bond of sympathy which ought to unite the whole of the human race, irrespective of creed or nationality, regards with abhorrence and detestation the atrocities committed by the Turks upon the Bulgarian people, and trusts that Peace may be restored upon such terms as will render impossible the recurrence of such acts of violence and cruelty." 2. "That this society, sympathising with the victims of the Turkish outrages, resolves to aid the fund now being raised for their relief, and for that purpose appoints the following members to be a committee to canvass for subscriptions :—Mrs Walter, Messrs Tait, Bolt, Farnie, and T. Stout, and that the proceeds be banded over to the general fund as a donation from this society, in terms of the previous resolution."