TELEGRAPHIC.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1520, 19 February 1886, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

(from our own correspondent.)

Dcxkdix, this day, 1.40 p.m. The steamship Waihora, while on her voyage from Hobart to Melbourne, struck on a rock near Eddvstone Island on the north-east coast of Tasmania, and after some time had to be beached at £wan Island, where passengers were landed without mishap. G'apfc. M 'Gee and his crew stuck to the steamer, which there is not much difficulty in getting off. The vessel bad on board some 200 passengers, of which number some 111 were from New Zealand. The vessel is insured, the Company holding a little more than one-third of the risk in their own hand.

In accordance with a resolution recently passed by ministers in conference, a number of clergymen waited on the Premier yesterday, to urge that the example set elsewhere of raising the age of protection to young girls should be followed here. Mr Stout sympathised with the deputation in their object. Although, he said, he was quite sure that it would be advisable to raise the age to 16 he thought that if the criminal code was not passed, legislation in the direction sought might be secured in another measure.

The Natives who been obstructing prospecting operations in the King country have finally given way. They took the prospector to Wahatnui and he settled the difficulty. The obstructionists are now acting as guides, and prospecting proceeds without hindran?e. A discovery that promises to be of importance has just been made in Ohinemurie country, about seven miles from Whangamata on the East Coast. About twenty men are on the ground, and they state that a well-defined reef producing 2oz. to the ton, has been proved. ' Mr Ballance spoke at Lawrence yesterday evening. He advocated Protection, a graduated lan<) tax, further borrowing and abolition of all exemptions in the property tax.