LATEST TELEGRAMS

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1693, 7 January 1874, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS

( ANGLO- AUSTRALIAN PRESS TELEGRAPH AGENCY.]

Wanganui, Jan. 8. The Customs revenue for December was L 2616, against L 1649 for December, 1872. ■■< ■ Christohurch, Jan. 6. It is rumored that the Hon. E, Stafford is coming forward to contest the Superintendency. Mr John Ollivier, the Provincial Auditor, will also be asked to offer himself,' and it is reported that a number of gentlemen have offered to : guarantee his expenses if he does. On opening the session of the Supreme Court,- Judge Gressou favorably reviewed the statutes passed last session, but deprecated their coming into operation so early after receiving the Governors assent, as it rendered it impossible for the general public in parts of the Colony distant from the seat of Government to be acquainted with the laws which they were bound to obey. '" _.... . j Prize medals for awards at the'lnter-provincial-Exhibition, 1872/ have arri veld from London. The design and workmanship are beautiful. !■•:■■ * !■.:■■' Dr Berggren, Professor of the : University of 'Lund, Sweden, has arrived, and intends remaining twelve mohthsin New Zealand, investigating its botany for the Swedish Government. He makes Chris ;• church his head-quarters. ' _ : . . •;• , : ; PvEBFTON, .Jan 6. In 'the District Court, Leotaroji rCanipani, for unlawfully wounding, was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. Sbmerville, ;for escaping from custody, six'months. :: , ■ : j The Court has been occupied all dajy with the Band of Hope liquidation case and is still sitting. , ... | ■ Dunedin, Jan. 6: I The banquet to Mr Vogelwas a greajt, success. The Superintendent was in th'echair, and the Governor sat on the left of Mr-Vogel. • The captain and officers df the French war ship Vire were presenij, and most of the leading citizens. : j His Excellency made a capital speech. He hoped ie the term of his office to earn and deserve some portion of the respect due to his office. He spoke in high terras of Mr Vogel's abilities. M ' The Chair map, in proposing Mr Vogel's health, went into his whole career with great minuteness. He said that L50!0 had been ; subscribed, and would be' spent in the purchase of. a piece of plate, as a testimonial to Mr : Yogel. He. went into 'the ,. whole question ; of: ; the position of the . Colony. A great misapprehension existed aa to' the debt of the Colony. The amount of debt on June . 30 on Colonial account was L 6,465,000, and on Provincial : account L 3, 356,200. The Provincial debt was ultimately a Colonial . liability, . but at the same time it was secured primarily upon the. land revenue of the Colony,. which,, between Ist July,- 1872, abd December 20,: 1873, exclusive of receipts oh gold and Native lands, amounted to L1,37'0#00. The. Colony need not, therefore,, be afraid of a 'liability of L3.0f)O,OOO with' Such" security at its back. On June 30 there remained to be negotiated L2,352]600 of loans already authorised, making a total of L 11,974,000. Beyond that there was required 'L1' 886,9^)0 to complete 767 mi.les t - railways authorised last session, thus making L 13,860,900 .the amount of debt ; which , would , exist • after 767 miles were completed, , when L 1,0.00,000, 0.00, 000 had been expended upon immigration, .whW';lsbp',ooo had^been spent in acquiring native land, when 1406,000 had i.been spent on roads in the North Island, and when L 300,000. had been . spent on I'lheg'old-fiei'ds.' That'debi would iuclude L 6,000,000, 000,000 Bpent on .public; .works/ o-

which only L 2,000,000 had been spent on the 30th June last. In 1870 the land revenue amounted to L 174,000 ; in 1871 it was L 230.000 j in 1872 it was L 5.00,000; in 1873, it was no le3s 11,111,600." He said that, the . trade with -the .South-Sea. Islands be ; in ? the ; hands of this Colony. On sitting'down he was cheered enthusiastically: "" ~ "--•'-- -■-—.. - . r AodKLAND, Jan. 6. j The Basilisk struck a reef at Teruka with serious injury'to herbb'ttom; She; is going to.Sydney for repairs.^ , „,,; ■ '•., The Phoebe has arrived. She left Sydney. on December 31;:; She brings 200 tons cargo for the South, and .twenty, passengers. Most of her news has-been anticipated''by the Gothenburg. '■' > ■'„■■