LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS, PER OTAGO.

Marlborough Express, Volume X, Issue 698, 3 April 1875, Page 5

LATEST AUSTRALIAN NEWS, PER OTAGO.

Bluff, April 2. The Otago arrived this morning, but brings no later cable news. Melbourne, March 27. Notwithstanding all the apparent .■ precautions, and the new and rigorous system, twenty leading Communists, headed by Dr Rastane, have managed to escape from New ■■ Caledonia, m a boat of their own building. They are still at large, all search being unavailing. All hopes of hearing further of the Gothenburg survivors are abandoned. The Melbourne and Adelaide Gothenburg I Fund amount to a iVstal of £7000. | In the breadstufis market there is a better tone, wheat, 4s 9|d. Sydnfa'. A vote of £5000 ir passed for the Philadelphia Exhibition. The Brisbane Government has awarded Malligan £1000 for the discovery of the Palmer goldfields. Auckland, April 2. The s.s. Star of the South, from Fiji, reports a fearful mortality from measles amongst the Natives. The Natives are paralysed, and refuse to assist each other. All the head chiefs are dead. 300 died m the Island of Ovalau alone, and m the other islands a greater number. The disease is always followed by dysentery, and has assumed the form of a plague. Several Native towns were depopulated at once ; the bodies lay for days uncovered, and were mangled by the pigs. The Natives only buried the bodies a few inches below the surface ; the late rains washed the soil off, and the smell was fearful. In the Island of Ngau a great many Natives are reported to be lying dead, as no one will bury them. Trade is at a standstill. The Star of the South returned with very little cargo, there being no one about to take it out of the store or put it on board. The Rum and Sugar Company are erecting machinery. Messrs Brodijack and Evans have been committed for trial for manslaughter, some Natives having died through their neglect. A missionary scandal is occupying attention here. Napier, April 2. Routledge, Kennedy, and Co. have sold 1000 three-quarter bred rams at from Gs 9d to 7s 3d. Eleven thousand acres m the Wairoa confiscated block has been granted to military settlers under the regulations of March, 1874, and the balance is to be put up by auction. A life-boat for this port was landed from the Southern Cross to-day. Auckland, March 31. Judge Amey took leave of the Bench and Bar this afternoon. Mr Whitaker, on behalf of himself and colleagues made a short speech, m which he expatiated upon the patient and impartial consideration which his Honor had always bestowed upon the cases brought before him, and the courtesy he had always extended to the legal profession. They were sincerely sorry to lose him, at the same time they trusted he would enjoy m his retirement that ease which he had so well earned and so well merited. His Honor responded m a speech replete with feeling. He thanked the Bar for their kind expressions of good-will, and said that time and failing years rendered it impossible for him to discharge his duties satisfactorily. He spoke encouragingly to the young members of the Bar, and said that the time would come when the Bar would be a power m the land. "Sailed— Hero, for Sydney, with 1747 ozs of gold from Nelson, 534 ozs from Westland, and 35030zs from Auckland. April 1. Tommy Kanaka, a native, was fined £100 for smuggling lOlbs of tobacco. There has been fearful mortality m the province during the last month, The deaths

were 87, 44 being from measles and 18 from diarrhoea or dysenteiy. On the day the San Francisco mail left England there was a statement published that two more survivors of the Cospatrick had arrived. The following appears m the Glasgow Herald of February Bth: — "A Brixham j)ilot named Salisbury, who landed yesterday at Brixham, reports having spoken on Saturday evening, off Forbay, the fullrigged ship Coldstream, belonging to Leith and Smith, Fenchurch-street, London. The captain of the Coldstream informed Salisbury that he had come from St Helena, and that he had on board two of the crew of the Cospatrick who had been taken to St Helena by an outward-bound vessel. The Coldstream is believed to be bound for London, and is reported as having passed Plymouth yesterday at 5 p.m." At the second days inquiry by the Board of Trade, respecting the burning of the Cospatrick, Mr Smith, despatching officer to the New Zealand Government, stated he was quite satisfied respecting the cargo of the Cospatrick and its stowage. He attributed the origin of the fire to an attempt to get either at the beer or the spirits. Wellington, March 31. Mr W. S. Reed, formerly Assistant Law Officer, has been appointed Solicitor General. A good deal of bill drafting for next session is being done outside of the Government offices. April 1. The new Chief Justice took the necessary judicial oaths to-day at Government House, before his Excellency the Governor, the Minister of Justice and the Commissioner of Customs being present, representing the Executive Council. His Honor leaves for Dunedin by the Easby to-morrow. Nelson, April 1. Two dead bodies have been found on the Sandspit, on which an inquiry will be held by Mr Davidson, J.P. Several portions of wreck, some articles of clothing, and the body of a large black and white l'etriever dog have also been found, It is quite possible these are portions of the same wreck reported from West Wanganui on the 20th ult., but the lighthouse-keeper on the Spit thinks the vessel to which they belonged must have been from 200 to 300 tons, while the wreck at West Wanganui f-was estimated as not exceeding 100 tons. On the morning of March 19 the lighthouse-keeper saw one barque and two brigantines standing towards the North, and one barque hull down standing up Blind Bay. The barque standing North was painted black with a wide red streak. Chrlstohurch, March 31. JudgeGresson sat for the last time as Judge of the Supreme Court this morning ; Judge Williams and twenty-two members of the Bar were present. Mr Duncan, Crown Prosecutor and President of the Canterbury Law Society, presented a farewell address to Judge Gresson, speaking very eulogistically of his Honor's conduct on the Bench and the urbanity which he ever displayed towards members of the bar practising before him. His Honor, who was very much affected, replied at some length, detailing the circumstances leading to his retirement. He remarked that it was not compatible with the independence of the Jiidges of the Supreme Court, for them to be subject to removal by the Ministry when and as often as such Ministry pleased. A fire occurred m the stables of the Devonshire Arms yesterday afternoon. Fortunately it was calm weather, and the smartness of the fire brigade prevented the flames spreading. The damage is estimated at £1,000. The insurance is £400 m the South British. A valuable cart stallion and two mares imported by Mr James Watts, have arrived from Scotland. The Acclimatisation Society have received advices of a shipment, per Tintern Abbey, of ten insectivorous birds and 500 leeches. April 1. The Clydesdale colt imported by Mr Watts cost £750, and one of the mares £350 m Scotland. Mr Watts was offered £1,200 for the former m Melbourne. Another valuable consignment of imported Lincoln and Leicester sheep arrived via Melbourne, m the Omeo, yesterday. Mr W. H. Webbe, M.H.R, for Lyttelton, addressed his constituents last night. Referring to the abolition of the provinces, he said he would vote for a bill based on the resolutions of last session, and he would hold himself open to vote for its application to the whole colony, if he thought such was desirable ; but he would oppose its application to Canterbury, unless the land fund and the local control of local affairs were preserved intact. Hokitika, April 1. The first day's races commenced on Tuesday. There were 1,600 people on the ground and the weather was beautiful. The Westland Cup was won by Guy Fawkes ; Yatterina second ; four started, The Borough Handicap was also won by Guy Fawkes, Kingfisher second ; only two started, The Hurdle Race fell through, there being only two entries. There was a large attendance on the second day of the races. For the Racing Club Handicap two started — Guy Fawkes, 7st 71b ; Yatteriga, 7st. The race was won by the latter by two lengths, after a well-contested race ; Betting even. In the Hurdle Handicap, Tommy Dodd beat Magenta easily: two to one was offered on Tommy. Ifoi

l the Stewards Handicap, Guy Fawkes an< Yatterina started. It was a' splendid rac i throughont, Yatterina winning a very fas I race, betting even at starting. Yatterinj carried Bst lib, and Guy Fawkes 7st 21b. Dtjnedin, March 31. [ Judge Chapman took his farewell fron L the Bench this morning. About 32 mem . bers of the Bar were present, i April 1. . At the meeting of the City Council las • night, it appeared that the cost of the pro ; posed gas works would be probably fron , £28,000 to £30,000. The crops at Mount Benger have turnet L out heavier than any previous year, tin i fields of oats yielding as high as 70 bushel to the acre, and m some instances a litth over 80 bushels. Nearly every week cases come before tin Waste Lands Board of departmental mis takes m connection with land sales ; and i appears that a great deal of matter goes intc the Gazette, including important proclama tions, without a revise being furnished b;j the printers, because copy is sent m late.