The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3297, 10 February 1868, Page 3

The Daily Southern Cross.

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10.

The KangatirV which arrived in the Manu*au yesterday, brings later Australian and h, \ t *?d? d news - Duke of Edinourgh has been royally received at Sydney. Me is to visit Auckland, as the first port in Jwew Zealar J d > an( ] ma y be expected to arrive here on t*, c 2 0th March. "l r cfeorge Bowen was sworn in Governor ?* .New Zealand by Judge Johnston, at Wellington, on the sth. "We trust the term of his office may be free from the troubles which beset his two predecessors. Wellington, Whanganui, and the Middle Island have been visited by storms and a severe earthquake. The shock was the severest felt at Wellington since 1855. Blenheim has been partly submerged by a flood, and considerable damage done. The elections in Victoria have so far been favourable to the Government.

We are indebted to Mr. Brewer, Sub-Collector of Customs at Onehunga, for the receipt of exchanges from Southern province! by the s.s. ' Rangatira,' which arrived in the Manukau at twenty-five minutes to seven last evening. The mails were delivered in Auckland at a quarter past 8 o'clock. The Circular Saw barque 'Novelty,' Captain Rearing, made the harbour on Saturday, after a most successful run of 92 days from England. She brings a general cargo and 11 passengers. The Novelty, we need scarcely say, hails from this port, and was despatched in April last with a* full cargo of color ial produce and 45 passenger*. She is tbe first colonial vessel to make the voyage round ! the world, end it i<i some satisfaction to know that 1 she has beaten no lers than eight clipper ships from ' Jlew Zealand on her outward passage, t-he left this port in company with the magnificent ship ' ' Electric,' and arrived in London six day* before ( her, whilst she has beaten the ship • Maori 31 days ' ont and home. Her railing capacity reflect* credit J on her builders, Messrs. Niccol and Son, North Shore. Onr Upper Thames correspondent report* that, although several natives have returned from the great mretii gat Tokargamutu, no information can ] be gU aned as to whether the goldfit-ld boundaries are to be extended. Ihe chief Te Pira appears to bave ' been taktn into tbe secret counsels of the King, greatfy to tbe chagrin of other aspiring courtier- 1 chiefs. It is said that Tawhiao has decreed another i year of peace ; that plenty of crops »re to be grown j and that leasing and selling of land is to cease. < By the arrival of the cutter ' Volunteer' in the Mannkau on Paturd*v, we have received copies of the Westport Daily Times for February 3 and 5. The cutter • Peter Cracroft,' which arrived last evening from CoromandeJ, brought up 338"z. of gold, the produce of one month's crushing at the Kapanga Company's daim. Tbe recent heavy gale whiih visited Auckland appears also to have heeia very destn ctive at Coromandel. There was a very heavy flood in the creek— twelve inches higher than ib has ever been krown before. An e ztensive bush iSre has been raging for the past ten days, and some very valuable kauri timber in Ring's bush has been con., eunaed. We hasten to correct a misprint which or jCurre( j in onr report of tbe proceedings at them' meting of the Peception Executive Committee, held on Friday last. Tbe name Major Matson was ; inoO rrectly printed as treasurer to the committee ins' o j r> Matsor. At the Police Court on Saturday, t Q eMOM weM pmritbed for drunkenness. Joser ' c * bell who committed tbe murderous unr J & w ' Jfe on last Fnd.y week, was remand- rf §, TuMd next on the application of Mr. C /Omm ; B8 ; oner Nauyhton. An mfomation was la' d . the rf charging bun with an ar intent to l murder . v £" ex ?![ lcd S iaiyr^eMl meeting of the shareh^ders of be lSew Zmlju d lmntt * M Company is adverted to be eldthill aftpin oon at 3 o'clock, at the C« mpam s « tt Frasers Buildings, for the purpose of amenainr , Ueriltf Md repPa Hng several of the proYißioi^ of tb( , arficleg of aB ,, c ; ation# \ * creditors of Mr. James Palmer are convened *° Attend a meeting at 2 o'clock to-day, at the Royal ilotel. A soiree is advertised to take place to-morrow evening at the Waitemata Mill, on which occasion the ' Gemini ' will make two trips. We again beg to call attention to the grand musical entertainment to be given this evening at the Panmure Mall. The vocal portion of the entertainment is to be under the direction of Miss Shana•ghan, assist* d by some of the well-known amateur cingtrs of Auck'and. The 18th P.I. band will be in *atter>dance, under tbe conducton-h'p of Mr. ■Quinn. the talented bandmaster. Tea will be served at halfpast six o'clock. Two men, named Charles Gale and William Walls, were brought from Mahurangi on Saturday afternoon, in custody of pprcial constable Brown, charged frith stealing a ci>w, tbe property of the Bey. Robert JMcKinney. The animal had heen killed, and the hide f< und near their place of abode. A portion of the me»t was alco discovered in thpir house. Tbe Bey. Mr McKinney and several witnes^e• came to Auckland by the san c conveyance, and the accused will be t>r< upbt t-efore the Bench to-day. It is probable they will be remanded until the following day. Tbe monthly inspection-parade of the Auckland Rifle Volunteers w fixed to take place to-morrow moning at 6 o'clock, when all members absent without leave will he fined £1. Future monthly inspection -parades will be held on the first Tuesday in each month. The Compensation Court sat yesterday, when Mr. Joseph Borrell's claim was concluded. Mr. Boardman informed the Court that he had been instructed by the General Government agent not to entertain a claim brought forward by a wife whose husband had made a previous claim. Tt appears the Government of Taranaki have adopted a very convenient method of getting rid of disreputable characters, by paying their passages down to Whanganui. The 'Kaikoura' arrived at Wellington at half- past 5 o'clock p.m. on the 4th, after a passage from Sydney of four d»ys and 23 hours, during which strong winds were experienced. '- It is said to-day that his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will make Auckland his first port of oil in New Zealand, and that he may be expected there about the 20th of March.—Wellington Evening Post. Her Majesty's "loop of w*r ' Falcon' will, we understand, remain in harbour for some six weeks longer, th« reason eiven for her detention being that the 'Bask,' which was to have relieved her, bag gone to Fremantle, Western Australia, to allay a riot of a serious character, caused by disorderly persons, alleged to be Fenians. — Ibid. The following telegram, from Mr. Stafford to his Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury, has been published. It is dated Wellington, 21st January, 1.40 pm:— "Sir George Grey has written to me, stating that the Duke of Edinburgh has informed him that he will have great pleasure in complying with the request that he should open the tunnel. An attempt has been made to burn down the office of the Wanganui Chronicle. Tbe schooner 'Joanna,' Gifford, nwter, has been wrecked in Cook's Stiaits, and an official inquiry held at the Custom-houKe, Wellington, before Mr. Seed and Captain Johnston. An inquiry has likewise been held into the wreck at Oiara Island of the Greenock ship 'Esmeralda,' the captain and crew of which arrived by the last Panama steamer. Mr. Robert Whitworth. of the Melbourne Argut office, arrived r.y the 'Gothenburg' yesterday. The object of his vinit is the compilation of a Gazetteer for the whole colony, the proprietor of the bavin? been subsidised by the General Governm nt to perform that work.— WcUinqton Independent, February 6,

We glean from the Australian papers that Mr. Kerr, brother i f Mr. George Kerr, of Gilbert, K-rr, and Co., London, who some time ago v.sited hew Zealand, and is well known to oar merch»nt«, was killed at the Moonta Mines, 'delaide, by falling down a shaft. The unfo innate gentleman, although not a partner of the L ndon firm, came ont on a tour of inspection of these colonies on their behalf, and to increase their large mercantile business. A shook of an earthquake was felt in T yttelton on the morning of the Ist instant, at about ten minutes to eight o'clock. The shuck appeared to run from went to eaat, and lasted about three seconds. It appears to have been roost felt at the north (upper) cud of the town, many of the inhabitants in which state that their houses were much shaken at the time, the vibration being considerable. We also hear that a similar slight shock of earthquake was also felt at Kaiapoi, lasting for the same xpace of time. It is described as being a sharp oscillatory movement of the ground, which caused the buildings to creak, and as having pissed in the direction, of west to east. — Canterbury Press. The firing for the honour of representing Canterbury at Wellington for the colonial prizes took place recently, Sergeant Brass heading the scores with a brilliant total of 65 points. It was at first thought to be doubtful whether the very good score made by Captain Haruian, namely, 58 points, could be surpassed, but io the next contest that took place he was beaten by Corporal Frew, making 61 points, and he also was afterwards defeated by Ensign Beswick, of the Timaru Volunteer*, who made the capital rcore of 62 points. The highest scorer at the present time is Sergeant Bra^s with 65 as above ; and. it is doubtful whether be will be beaten, as the Bcore is a remarkable one, and has never before been equalled in Canterbury.— lbid. A very sad affair occurred at St. Kilda (Buller) on the 16th ultimo. The Tramway Station Hotel, kept by Mr. Pierce, was discovered to be on fire ahout. three a.m., and in a very short space of time was burnt to the ground, some of the inmates barely escapi' q with their lives, while a son of Mr. Pierce, — a fine little boy of three years — was burnt to * cinder, and Mrs. Pierce so dreadfully injured that her life is despaired of. The fire appears to have originated in the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, where a candle bad been left alight, and the destruction of the premises and everything that was in it is complete. A special meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commence was held recently " to consider the reply of the Colonial Secretary to the Provincial Government, in the matter of a search at the Auckland Isles for shipwrecked persons" The following resolution was passed: — "That a sub-committo be appointed to wait on the Solicitor-General urgently representing the need of a steamer being despatched without delay to the Auckland and Campbell Isles, and, failing the sub-committee being able to induce the General Government to undertake the 'fluty, to apply to the Provincial Government, and to take any other steps which may be considered necessary. The sub-committee to consist of Messrs. Carrick, McKinnon, Turnbull, Davie, Kobertson, Most, and Martin." An attempt has been made recently to burn the lodge at Government House, Wellington. The Government have offered a reward of £50 for the discovery of the guilty party. Throughout last night the rain came down in torrents, and at ten minutes to eight o'clock this morning, the sky being murky at the time, and * heavy drizzle falling, two distinct shocks of e-^j^ quake following in rapid succession, P reoe '^ e aby a rumbling noise, woke up rather uncerer^;^, * he new chum* of Wellington, »- jd made them acquainted with our harmless ~l~ lS itors,wbo, however, gave scant notice of the';, - ooro i O g , The shock is said to be the severest fe , t BinoB 1855,-Wellington Evening Post, Jan-_ aary 2 2 q # At 4 o'cloc l^. 0Q the gad insfcant, Blenheim w * s ™ lte „ with heavy rain and wind from the S. X., which on tinued throughout the day with but very littl^ intermission, causing Taylor river to rise ?'-.ddenly. On Moudaj forenoon the river rose higher till midnight, submerging all Blenheim to a defth of from 18 to 24 inches deeper than any flood which has occurred here before. The loss is immense. The chief part of the harvest is over. The new Scotch Church, which was half erected, is swept away, In E warts Hotel there are 16in. of water, and in the Government buildings 12io. Volunteer parties in boats rescued many persons from perilous positions, and conveyed them to hotels. No lives, fortunately, have been lost. On the night of the 3rd the waters commenced slowly to subside, and at midnight of Tuesday had fallen three feet, when, the Opawa being up. the flood again rote, and had attained eighteen inches at 11 a.m. to-day, when it commenced slowly to subside, and is still going down. At present no estimate can be formed of the amount of damage done. — Blenheim teleg-am. Mr. J. O'Neill, M.G.A., of Auckland, and a member of the Penal Establishment Commission, has arrived in town, ana will proceed to <>tago on business relati' g to the Comm'ssion. Mr. Haughton, M.G.A., of Otago, also a member of the Uommi-sion, is at present in Sydney, and will return to Wellington in a few days. It is expected that the Commission will shortly commenca its labours, when these gentlemen will furnish such reports as they have obtained. — Wellington Independent, February 6. The earthquake, which was felt in Dunedin on the 24th ultimo, seems to have prevailed generally over the provinces of Ocago and Southland. The Waikouaiti Herald says :— " The shock of an earthquake was felt here on Friday night, which, from the description one gentleman gives, must have been a rather severe one. 'I he time of the shock is stated to have been about half -past six o'clock, and the vibration was of several seconds' duration, seeming to be from north to south. Generally, however, the shock was not felt by the inhabitants." The Kivertou correspondent of the Southland News writes :— " A severe shuck of earthquake was felt hsre on Fri day, tbe 24th instant, at about 6.15 pm. A low rumbling noise was heard, followed immediately by a strong vibration of the earth, causing buildings to fhake very much." The shock was not perceived in Invercargill, although remarked by residents at the Bluff, at Wintoo, and elsewhere. The Director of Meteorological Stations reports ;—"; — " Mart^ndale, January 25th. —A smart shek of an earthquake w«s felt here last evening, at five minutes past six. There was no perceptible noise. Ihe vibration continued for nearly a minute, The barometer had been perfectly Bteady for three days at 30*u91 inchep. It has since fallen slightly. The weather at; the time was fine, but slightly overcast with cirrus and cirrostratus ; a dead calm ; temperature, 70 degrees ; humidity, 79 degrees." The Wanganui Evening Herald of the Ist instant says : — "A shock of earthquake, of longer duration than the one which occurred a few days since, was felt this morning at the same time — 8 o'clock. It was of about a minute's duration, and was more oontiuueri, and almost as severe as the former one. The undulations were from south to north. Unlike the other, having reached the culmination, it died gradually away like the ripple of a wave." At about 4 a.m. on tbe 3rd instant, the wind sprang up from the S.B.j and gradually increased to a gnle. At about noon yesterday a whole gale was blowing from the S.R. ; in fact, old salts report that they have not seen such for the last nine years from the same quarter; a tremendous sea was running ioto harbour, and all the vessels were labouring heavily and dragging their anchors. The ship • Melita,' when our report left, had dragged to within a dangerous distance of tbe ship ' Beautiful Star,' but, as all the vessels were losing ground, no immed>ate danger was anticipated. The cutter • Antelope' had a narrow escape of going on the rocks, and other small vessels had great difficulty to hold their anchorage. Great difficulty was experienced by the watermen in getting off to the s s. • Gothenburg,' which arrived in harbour at three p.m. Such was the violence of the gale that the oldest inhabitants aver that they hare not seen anythiogto equal it.— Canterbury Press.