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Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5415, 23 June 1879, Page 2

[BY SPECIAL WIRE.J

The "V^o'odlands estate in Southland, the property of the New Zealand Land Clompany, was sold at Invercargill on Saturday by Mr GK B\ Martin, There was a large attendance, and the bidding was spiritr-d. Fair prices were obtained. The ship Soukar, which arrived at Lyttelton on Friday, passed the dead body of a sailor on the passage ; also a boat, Whi6h appeared to have been some time in the water.

• Tlie cutter Annie, from Auckland to Wanganui, went ashore on Saturday on the North Spit, Wanganui. There was a heavy sea running, and she became a total wreck. She was loaded with drain pipes

The captain of the St. Kilda reported that when entering the Wanganui river on Friday night he saw a two-masted steamer bumping heavily on the bar, with tlj.o sea breaking over her. He could not say definitely, what steamer it was, -but he thought it was probably the Tui. The Manawatu was sent : . to her assistance, and found it was the Patea, Captain Gibbons. He. said he was all right, and would get off with the night's tide. ; The main, objections to the land tax in Canterbury are on the ground that the value of land is now considerably lower than when the valuations were made in January. :

Chaplin and Miss Osborne arrived at Auckland on Saturday by the Hero from Sydney with a theatrical company.

In the , Auckland Police [ Qourt* ' on Saturday a charge of breaStv^of the Customs regulations was made against two watermen named Keene and Hunt, for having in their possession a cask of, rum, which had been taken, as the evidence showed, from the Madonna on the 31stMay. The defendants' pleaded having found the cask on the sand on Rangitoto beach. , The case was proved, and the men wers fined £50.

The Governor was handsomely received at Kihikihi by Rewi's people and the settlers. . Tupatue, a Ngatimaniapoto «hief , presented a valuable relic to the Governor. His Excellency proceeded to Te Awamutu to inspect the cavalry, and complimented the troops on their efficiency. Rewi made a speech to the cavalry, hoping that fighting was over. The Governor called for three- cheers for Bowi, which were heartily given.

The report of the Royal Commission regarding the loss of the Taupo censures the Harbor Master at T&uranga for allowing the buoy to remain in the place whither it had been washed by the sea, a considerable distance from the spot which, according to the Admiralty chart, it ought to have occupied, instead of either replacing, it or reporting* to .the Mariue Department its ohanged position. On the other hand the Commissioners considered that Captain Cromarty was properly condemned, because even his own evidence clearly showed that the wreck was not caused by the removal of the buoy, and that he was not misled by it, but knew that it had moved, and indeed had never seen it any where else while he had made several visits to the harbor. . At the same time the ■ commissioners point out that had the buoj been in its proper place it could not have failed to have attracted the attention of the Captain to the danger into which he was running, inasmuch as he could not have reached the place where the Taupo struck without actually passing inside the buoy. Still, with a powerful steamer, in good order, " strongly manned, in fine weather, entering a port well-known to the master, there was no valid excuse for the disaster, which the Commissioners, as did the Court of Enquiry, attribute to negligent navigation of the vessel. The Marine Department is entirely acquitted of blame in the matter, it being shown that no report was made as to the buoy having: shifted.

The"" debris of the Wellington Opera House is still smouldering.

The successful tenderers for the new Supreme Court House at Wellington are Messrs Barry and M'Dowoll. The price is about £28,000.

The official meteorological report for May, 1879, shows that the moan temperature of air was above the average of the previous years at all stations, the excess being 1 deg. in Auckland, 22 deg. Wellington, 2"G cleg. Nelson, 32 deg. Christchurch, 2*6 deg. Hokitika, and I*B deg. Dunedin. The highest and lowest temperatures in the colony (72*6 and 311) wore both recorded in Ohristchurch.

Fifty tons of ammunition, which arrived in the City of Madras to thG order of the New Zealand Government, was laired at Wellington, on. Saturday. ,

It is stated that the Government will next Bessiot). propose to abolish the bonus on .the eipcJrt of rabbit skins. It is^also stated they will introduce .^ sSh to impose^, tdx of £10 a head on Chinese coihiig,. l into New Zealand, and making' the oaptjalns of vessels liable for the pay.,menVofJilie money. No Government bill for the' 'amendment of the Bankriip&y. Aot is probable next session.

A telegram was forwarded from Wellington dn Saturday to the Eton. Mr Stout at 'Duneflin, intimating that a strong feeling existed in Wellington that he should not resign ..Ins position in. tho. Ministry, and that "a public meeting would be calledon Monday, to urge that course on him. ; The objections to the land tax valuations^ in the ,Wellington district number 2000. Very many are merely technical. All the objections will be submitted to ah independent valuer, distinct from the.gentletnen who originally valued tie properties. His report will be sent . into the Commissioner, ' : who will ; : determine whether the; case shall go before the Ap-' peal Court or not.' Every . objeotbr,' will; receive due notice as' to.^liat has b6en

done in his particular case. ..... ■ No vessels were able to , leave, Welling r; ton on Saturday owing' to the severity ( 6f.. the gale. The steamer Wanganuii from Lyttelton to Wellington, experienced a i terrific gale which, carried, away the iore^ yard and blew.. the* foresail, to"' ribbons. The sea at Wellington ( Beads was the heaviest that lias been l ekperienced for twelve .nipnthSi /, About 'yard-off the sea-wall of the Wellington and, Hutt railway was,washed away, 1 biifciia .'dani&ge: was idone on' shore. '." : . ■ . :-,'. ._«? . •■*{■-■. -n^l '■ After the review of the^* Waikatb? Cavalry .a 'Series of -horse rstces itobk' place, ifr'wiiiolV the 'ti*6oj>ers r arid ! some Maoris C(smpetßd. "■■'' ;,.;,• ( ,"' ' : '., a J ' ! The^Hine'nib'^ ; was to : leave AuoWakd last; night with 1 Mr Sheehan, for Pialco, hn -xpute > the j/East^ Coast,. ,lThe= Governor: awaits/;! for 1 despatches. '"" \ : . < : _. .■"■',';.'. ?;.. -,t.-i