INTER-COLONIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4125, 2 February 1875, Page 3

INTER-COLONIAL.

S.S. ' OTACO,' AT THE BLUFF.] INTENSE HEAT IN VICTORIA.—MANY DEATHS. LARGE AND DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRES. ARRIVAL OF THE TORRES STRAITS MAIL BOAT. MELBOURNE, January -7. j The principal topic of the week has been j the weather. For live consecutive days the I most inteuse heat was endured, the ther- ! mometer during that period ranging between 100 deg. to 110 deg. iu the shade, with a . burning and scorching wind. The water supply ] ii :ially gave out, and | some privations were endured. i Numerous deaths have occurred from the i effects of the heat, including two or threecases of sunstroke. | Bush tires in the country created great i devastation amongst the settlers' holdings, : and all the trees in the reserve present an autumnal appearance. The weather is now quite cool. The Ministry returned this evening from their Tasmanian trip. Several railway stations on t'.ie Government line nave been destroyed by lire in the North of Sanilridgc, which also destroyed sever;.'- v, ocden houses. ! Nelsons', drapers (Sandhurst men), burned out: insured for £4500 in several ollices. The Rev. l'hillip Caillyache has been elected as the Rev. Charles Clark's successor. 1 George Stewart, arrested in New Zealand, : who escaped on the arrival of the steamer at ■ Sandridge, is stil! at 1.-rge. A man has been arrested for sweating , sovereigns. A large number of light coins have lately been put in circulation. The steamship Somersetshire arrived in .">7 days. The Torres Straits mail steamer Brisbane i arrived at Townsville yesterday. O'Ferrall, the Lands Office defaulter, is on : board. i A conference of the various transit of Venus j parties is to be held in Melbourne next month. ! The certiticate of Captain Anderson of the | bria' Oberlin has ' ecu suspended for the loss of his vessel on L'ogau's Group. j A fire at Emeial.l Hill early this morning I destroyed Justin Bros.' coach-building manu- ■ factory, and adjoining premises. } The Panama in.,.1 steamer Japan was burned on the passage from San Francisco to Hongkong. Out of 45.1 passengers on board 117 only have been saved. The steamer Xingpo is a total wreck. The Japanese Troops have withdrawn from Formosa. Other items by the Torres Straits mail arc unimportant. SYDNEY, January 27. Parliament opens to-day after the general elections. The opposition will submit, as a test | motion, the question of the Governor's | minute relative to Gardiuer's release ; both j I sides anticipate a victory. I Two men, Stringer and Mitchell, quarrelled near Wagga, and Stringer shot ' Mitchell ! dead. Buchanai has been appointed Inspector of j Post-otiiees. Forbes succeeds Francis a3 District Judge. ! INTER-PROVINCIAL. ! WELLINGTON, Monday. j The Tini'.-i comments upon Mr. O'Rorke's , published speech, and says, if he was aware , of facts not generally known nor patent to j the country, that lie could disclose without ; a breach of Cabinet secrets, he ought to have I done so. No time is so proper for the dis- | eussion of " impending crisis as the one he himself had chosen. It says the personal quarrel between himseli and the Premier, according to what Mr. O'Rorke says, has a j decidedly ugly look. CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. j In conscquenee of a rumour in the city that the cabmen intended to rush fences which the City Council had erected on the cab stand, and destroy them, forty special constables were sworn in on Saturday evening, anil 100 more this morning, as it is feared that such conduct by the cabmen would lead to a riot. Great excitement in the city on 1 hursday night and to day, but everything has passed oil'quietly. The cabmen arrested on Friday, for removing the lirst fence erected around the cab stand, were brought up on Saturday, and reman led till Wednesday . It is p r iposed to celebrate the anniversary on St. Patrick's Day, by a monster picnic. [FItOM A. l OItUKsroNDKNT.] DUNEDIN, Monday. ' Morris, accountant of the Bank of Nov ! Zealand here, joins the Colonial Bank, and j will be transferred to Chiistcliurch. I Robertson accepts the challenge of Tyson ' to wrestle for large stakes. j Wiltshire again offers to walk 1000 miles j in 1000 hours. Adams, who died yesterday in a gingerbeer manufactory at Invercargill, was brought up a clergyman, and came out here not long ago with considerable means, and very recently received £1500 from home. Wilson losing the belt has caused great disapjiointment here, as from his previous steady thooting he was being largely backed.

PROVINCIAL. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT*.] THAMES, Monday. The'function returns (tribute) —110 020. 17 dwts. of retorted gold from eighteen tons. The Alburnia have cut the specimen leader. It shews gold freely. They clean up tomorrow, and expect 200 ozs. COROMANDEL, Monday. The Three Brothers had a stormy meeting of shareholders on Saturday. Resolutions were passu 1 to sell the claim in consequence of its not being worked properly. The brothers McNeill own KU shares (Tut of the 12. The Native Chief contractors have sued the manager for wages. There are 110 funds iu hand, ami the mine will probably be sold to liquidate the claim. No specimen stone was broken out of the Royal Oak to day. The manager is opening out. About TOOlbs. specimens and picked stone have been crushed. The yield is likely to be very good. Retorting takes place tomorrow. The l : ni(jrt- Beaeli shaft sinking is going ahead. The country is good. Xo other work on at present. Whangapoiia. — I learn that a large rait of lo_!S was got down last week. The month's yield of melted gold is about 563 ounces. A severe accident this morning occurred to a man ill a claim. It appears he fell from tlie end of the tramway into t'le paddock bolow. He is now iu the hospital. [FROM A I'OKHKsroSIiKN'T.] TA URANGA, -Monday. There was a grand Maori demonstratior. yesterday in the Temperance Hall, when the discussion 011 temperance questions was represented by chiefs of every section. Eloquent and impressive speeches were delivered, with resolutions denouncing liquor trailic, concluding with an urgent request for establishing Maori Templar Lodges. Til'.' proceedings were enlivened by religious and temperance melodies, sustained by a few vocalists assisted by O. Davis. Brother T. C. Young presided. ROTORUA, Monday. A large meeting of the Arawa and t'riwera is being held at Galatea. Mr. -Mitchell and Captain Mair, mi behalf of the Government;, having reconciled eonilicting interests of the tribes ami having completed the purchase for the Crown of !iO,OOU acres of Lower Kang.itea country 011 satisfactory terms, the extensive lands lying well up into the Uriwera are now engaging the attention of the meeting. Twelve months' lease of the Queen's Wharf bonded stores and steam hoists, sold l>y auction to-day in two lots. The wharf brought £.">soo, and the lot ,fSIOO ; being £-1000 more than the rent paid last year. The purchase has been made by the present lessees, Messrs. Jackson and Graham.