INTEEPEOVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 284, 7 December 1878, Page 2

INTEEPEOVINCIAL.

[PRESS AOENCr.'I Wellington, Friday. The Colonial Defence Office has issued the following rules for the competition for the Government prizes in 1879. The sum of £800 having been voted by the General Assembly lor prizes, the amount has been divided pro rati amongst the Volunteer corps according to the nominal strength on the 31st October. iß7B,viz;— Auckland, £91; Waiuku, £35 ; Waikato, £16 16s*, Taranaki, £11 ; Wanganui, £25 18s ; Rangitikei, £9 18s ; Wellington, £41s 17s ; Grey town. £5 4s; Napier, £18 3s; Poverty Bay, £13 10s \ Bay of Plenty, £14 I0s 5 Thames", £81 12s; Nelson, £43 ss; Marlborough, £41 10s; Canterbury, £53 is; Oamaru, £30 15s; DuEedia £149 Is; Invercargiil,£42 Gs; Lake, £21 18sWestland, £1S 10s; A.C. Reserve, £15 cstotal, £800. - The week of the Sov.lmainster was sold to-day for £70. If. i s sta t e d that the case of ai.eged mismanagement is being enquired Labor is reported to be very scarce in. Wairarapa. . . ■'Saturday. • A movement arising. out of the Sydney Chinese difficulty has been set on foot here, and a petition is now in course of signa-" ture praying the Government to have an Act passed imposing'a poll tax upon all Chinese arriving in New Zealand as sailors' or labourers, and making captains of vessels responsible for the introduction of Chinese. The mail steamer Zealandia with the London mails of November 7, sailed from San Francisco for Auckland on the 25th ultimo. John Hill, who was recently adjudged guilty of contempt of Court and ordered to be imprisoned, immediately left for the South, but he was brought back this morning in the Rotorua, and. sent to gaol to await the pleasure of the Court. The report that the Marquis of Noraanby : has been offered and has accepted the Governorship of Victoria is confirmed. His Excellency and suite will leave for Melbourne at the latter end of next month. At a meeting of the New Zealand Rifie Association Committee, the fact of the volunteers and. other intending members holding back their support was brought under notice, and the following resolution was passed : — " That, in view of the meeting of the Association being held about the latter end of Febuary, and the intention of the Government to subsidise pro rata to the amount of subscriptions raised by members, 'it is absolutely necessary that officers in command of corps and local Secretaries should immediately communicate with the Secretary the number of members' already joined to enable him to apply for the subsidy, and ascertain what amount o£ funds will be at the disposal of the Committe for the pur- ; pose of forming a range and preparing a programme of the firing, as, uulesa this is ascertained before the 3lst December, the Committee cannot make any arrangements ■whatever." Auckland, Saturday. Mr Buckland reports fat cattle, 27s 6d to 35s per lOOlbs; lambs sold freely at 8s 6d to i Is; fat sheep, good quality, short. The brig Vision sailed for Lyttelton via. the Thames with a cargo of Timber. Share market : Bank of New Zealand, £23 3s; National, 735; Colonial, 52s 6d; Loan and Mercantile, £5 ,15s. Insurance : New Zealand, 82s 6d; South British, 665 ; National, 265; Standard, 21s; Auckland Timber Com-' pany, £6; Guthrie and Larnach, 955. A new two storey house being built to the order oE Captain Elliott in Pitt-street was totally destroyed by fire this morning. The contractor, Wright, held a policy in the Colonial Insurance of £400 ,h,ut his contract amounted to £650 and the work waa nearly all completed' except the "papering and painting. The Brigade arrived promptly but their "exertions were directed to saving the adjoining two storey house, the outer wall of which was almost; destroyed thopgh the remainderwas little injured. The fire was arrested by a plentiful supply of water. It is supposed, to have been caused by a vagrant sleeping in the building. _« . Dunedix, Saturday. The Secretary of the Melbourne Cricket? Club has written to the Secretary of the Otago Cricket Association to state that New Zealand i3 not included in the programme of the English team,' and that he does not see how New Zealand can be visited., . Takbanga, Friday. Ihe result ot the inquiry into the 1 loss of the s.B. Taranaki wtfs that the assessor is of opinion the loss was caused by an error in the compasses and the setting of the tide. The master's and mate's- certificates are not suspended, but the opinion of the Court is that speed should be slackened ana 'soundings taken in foggy weather. No blame is attached to the second, officer and engineer. m . " HokiTXKA, Saturday. Ihe steamer Kennedy when entering, and the steamer Lioness which was leaving the port last night came into collision. It was thought the Kennedy was somewhat injured, but a subsequent examination showed that the damage was confined to one plate, and she will »eave for the North to-morrow. No blame is attached to either steamer as the ; current was running very strongly at the time.