TELEGRAPHIC.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4395, 14 December 1875, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC.

[from our own correspondents.] Thames, Monday. The Crown Princess cleans up to-morrow for a fair average. A dividend of 6d per share in tho Messenger's Gold Mining Company is payable this day. Shars Market. —Sales: Cure, 9s 9<?.. Sellers : Caledonian, 62s 6d ; City of Londo., 26s 6d. Buyers : Cure, 9s Gd. The funeral of the late Mr. O'Haire was attended by 250 of our townspeople, representing every clas3. Corosiandel, Monday. At the Union Beach good crushing stuff is being obtained from the drives. The Lalla Rookh will be here this evening with the company"s boiler, and will leave for Auckland to-morrow at 10 o'clock. [PRKSS AGENCY.] Alexandra, Monday. The floods have committed great havoc among the Kiugite settlements. A large amount of cultivation has been destroyed, as well as whares and personal property. The owners were absent at Tawhiao's meeting at Uikurangi. The meeting is over. Messengers leave for all parts with instructtions as to the new religion. No political questions wore discussed. Spirits are forbidden in future. All Kingites arc to be Good Templars. The flood is now subsiding. The Waipa bridge has been carried away. Wellington, Monday. The Wellington races have been definitely postponed till next Thursday and Friday. The following arc the entrances for the third day's racing:— Flying Handicap.—Hercules, Pungawerewere, Daniel O'Korke. Princess Mary, Flora McDonald, Phoenix, Tattler, Fishhook, Voltairine, Banker, Firtail, Ter.ipleton, Guy JTawkes, Haphazard, Korari, Cocksure. Provincial Handicap.—Flora McDonald, Princess Mary, Phcenix, Voltaire, Premier. Mr. Fitzherbert issues to-morrow morning a lengthy address to the Hutt constituency, in which he refers to his twenty years Parliamentary career, most of the time as member for the Hutt. He does not appeal to their sympathies as against their judgment, but rather as one whose interests are identical with theirs. Last session he belonged to a small minority, who successfully defeated the Government in their proposal to impose fundamental changes without first ■appealing to the people. Had he been a strong Centralist; he would have voted against the proposal to subvert the Constitution until an appeal to the people had been made, because he wouldhave desired to secure the stability of such measure of change, and also because he would have sought to avoid establishing the dangerous precedent of making Constitutional changes in haste, or in a pet, or in too fickle a mood of public mind, because, in short, lie would have desired to see the change worked out as ■the product of calm deliberation, and not as the effect of a sudden aim of a coup d'etat. The practical question now is, in what ought the rights of the people to be exercised ? The question appeared to be mostly regarded as a foregone conclusion. The Opposition have been criticised because they have not published any definite proposals, but the Government having simply proposed to destroy, and failed to propose any definite scheme of reconstruction, it is unreasonable to expect counter proposals from the Opposition. He does not, however, believe in the manufacture of Constitutions to order. A Constitution should grow by and with the people. Therefore, they should take the opportunity now afforded them of talking over amongst themselves and thinking out how they would desire to be governed. His own individual opinion ■was that Provincial Institutions might have been reformed aad not abolished, and made at once more simple and more efficient. He has, however, received little encouragement to pres3 these views, and if not received more favourably, he will be prepared to go to the utmost to obtain the reality of self-govern-ment in some other shape. He would be prepared to insist on —first, election of Local Executive officers by the people ; second, on the endowment ot Local Boards with district revenues, independent of the caprice or the needs of Parliament; and third, on the right of local authorities to appropriate their own revenues without the interference or patronage of the Central Government. He would oppose to the utmost all attempts to impose on New Zealand anything like the centralised system of administration which had prevailed in France. He referred to the Hon. Mr. Richardson's remark at Christchurch, that the main point of the Ministerial policy was to preserve the unity of the colony. He said that these were brave v> ords, but what did Sir Julius Vogel say to that ? He for many years tried to split the colony into two, and was aided by the Hon. Mr. Reynolds, also, to remove the seat of Government from Wellington. He desired most to see the colony one nation ; but to become so it must be a united people, and a real union could not be made lasting by a mere Act of Parliament. It must be based on the consent of the component parts, even though some may be for a moment in the minority in voting powers. He warned the people of Wellington not to assist in fomenting animosity, discontent, and disunion through the distant parts of the colony by refusing to bestow a fair, deliberate, and indulgent consideration to their claims and wishes ; and as the form and extent of local government, they might claim through a majority of their representatives. He concluded as follows :—" I shall regard it aa my duty to loyally support the Constitution which may be ultimately, after due deliberation fixed upon, for nothing can be more disastrous, or more damaging to the public credit, than the feeling of insecurity and instability which attaches to a country which allows itself to drift with facile indifference into the habit of periodically revolutionising its Constitution." Christchtjech, Monday. Mr. E. J. Wakefield addressed the electors on Saturday night. It appeared that he had great difficulty in obtaining some one to take the chair. The Mayor and all the ex-Mayors excused themselves, giving various reasons. He entered into personal explanations regarding the vote of censure which had been passed upon his conduct during the session toy his constituents. He announced himself a strong supporter of Abolition. He said the question of runs should be referred to a Commission, to be dealt with as the Commi?":'ners might recommend. A vote of tha..:. ■- • the chairman closed the proceedings. A house iu oiurse of erection was totally destroyed by fire last night. It was insured in the Standard office for £250. It is said to be worth £290. The fire originated in a lean-to, the outer door of which had not been put up. The origin is not known. Timaru, Monday. In the Supreme Court to-day the Grand Jury threw out a bill against H. D. Vincent, for shooting a cow, on the ground of justification. In the case of Catherine Drake, for murder of a child, the jury found the woman to be insane, and ordered her to be kept in custody at the disposal of the Colonial Secretary. George Parker, with, a number of aliasee and previous convictions, was seatenced to ei|jht years' penal servitude, and his accomplice, David Gray, to nine months' imprisonment. The case of Thomas Bickeratafjf, charged with arson, occupied the Court all Saturday. Mr. Robert Stout was specially retained for the prosecution, and humorously ■defended the prisoner. A verdict of guilty was returned after 20 minutes' deliberation. The Judge spoke very severely to the prisoner, and sentenced him to ten years' penal servitude. The Grand Jury made strong presentments on the necessity _ of erecting a. Court building, a3 the Mechanics' Institute unfit for the purpose. On Friday the rain was very heavy. The rain poured in everywhere. The Judge Bat wrapped up in a rug. He could not hear his •wn voice. The atmosphere was suffocating. A meeting ha 3 been called at Waimate re Timaru Breakwater. Public feeling is rising

daily aa_ to the neglect of the Provincial authorities to take steps for beginning the work. Dunedin, Monday. In all probability the following will be nominated for the City on Thursday:— Messrs. T. Dick, W. Langlangs, H. S. Fish, Hooper, J. P. Armstrong, Macassey, Reynolds, and Larnach. Messrs. B. Cargill and C. S. Reeves decline to stand. Mr. G. E. Barton had intended standing for the city, but an insuperable obstacle was, that his name does not appear on the rolls. Mr. John Roberts, M.P.C., will stand for Caversham. Bluff, Monday. The Tairoa has just sailed for Dunedin, having been temporarily repaired. Lloyds' agents having granted a certificate, the Customs allowed her to sail. An enquiry was held this afternoon, re the stranding, at which it was decided that an official enquiry should be held when the vessel arrives in Dunedin. Captains Lsgan and Sinclair, and the Dunedin Harbourmaster, are passengers by her.