NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 5729, 29 March 1880, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENTS.] 11U3SELL, Saturday. The Northern Luminary of to-day advocates the closiug of the oyster-beds about the Bay of Islands for two j-ears, the editor having discovered abundance of oysters in ports to the northward— beds unknown to tho general public. [UNITED ritESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Saturday. Some wreckage, reported by the Maori as being in Barnes' Bay, is identified by the Marine Department as part of the Mabel •lane, wrecked at West Wanganui in 187 S. The Governor has received a cable message from the Governor o£ New South Wales, stating that Her Majesty's Ambassador at Paris has been instructed to urge the French Government to prohibit assistance being given to the liberated conviets in migrating from New Caledonia to tho Australasian colonies. A telegram from Adelaide state 3 thai William Clark, hydraulic and drainage engineer, died suddenly fr.>m jaundice. Lancaster's Blaughter-yard and boilingdown premises, at Ashburton Kiver, were burned down on Friday, when several sheef aud dogs were roasted alive, and damage tc the value of £200 was done. The premises ' were insured for £150. The origin of th< fire is unknown.

Bishop Redwood, prior to his departure for Rome, via San Francisco, wa3 presented with a complimentary address from the Koman Catholics in Wellington. In his reply he expressed the li'ipe of his speedy return wi'.li additional priests for the diocese.

The Governor promised to attend the Draide'yWe at the Hutt on Monday.

At tne request ot a uuiuuer 01 men, the Mayor has called a public meeting for Wcdn sday, to cinsider the question ol constructing the West Coast railway by a land settlement scheme. The following arc the principal proposals : —"1. That the Government survey settlements alongside the line of rail as near aa possible ten miles apart; settlements to be subdivided into twenty-five acre sections, more or less, according to soil, &c ; to be paid for by the balance of wages, or failing that, to run ten years before tha final payment is demanded. 2. That the price of the land be £2 per acre. 3. That the rate of wage 3be fixed at 7s and [Ss per day. 4. That the Government provide rations at Is 3J per head, each man to decide whether he will accept full rations for each member of his family or not. 5. That in addition to rations each man receive 10s a week. 6. That any ten or twelve men shall have the option of selecting sections contiguous to one another." BLENHEIM, Saturday. News has been received that the schooner Susannah Hose, of Dunedin, went ashore near Flaxbourne, last Saturday. She had all canvas blown away on Friday night. She struck at 3.30 en Saturday morning, near the mouth of the Ure Kiver, and six miles from the Flaxbourne station. The captain and six meu juirped overboard, and reached the land through the surf. Four readied the station on Sunday morning, and, with the aid of the station hands, returned in search of their mates. Two were found on the Monday morning, and the captain's tracks followed three miles up the river side, when he was found lying in shallow water amongst the boulders in the middle of the river. After a hard struggle to get across the intervening deep water, he was reached, and found almost dead from exposure, (in recovering he stated that he endeavoured to cross the river, but was swept away by the current. He managed to seize hold of a large boulder, and kicked off his heavy sea boots, and was afterwards swept into the shallow, where he was found. He ha I been fifty hours without nourishment, and was so weak that he was unable to call to his rescuers when he saw them. Great credit ia due to tho station hands for their conduct. WESTPORT, Saturday. Two trucks of the Western Colliery Company's coal wero brought to town on Thursday ; more will come shortly. CHHISTCHURCH, Sunday. The following are the final acceptances for the Free Handicap :—Le Loup, Tera, On Dit. Ctiampioo Stakes : Sir Modred, The Governor, Lnre, Virginia Water, and Romea. Epsom Stakes : Fishhook, Le Loup, Foul Play, Mata. The Chrigtchurch men won the Artillery competition yesterday. In the cricket match to-day, the Christchurch Wanderers made seventy-seven in the first innings, and the Dunedin men scored 128 with the losa of nine wickets when the stumps were drawn. Of 24 horses in the Free Handicap, only Le Loup, Chancellor, Tera, and On Dit accepted on Thursday. On that evening a notice was posted at the Commercial Hotel tbat Grip was scratched for all his engagements at the autumn meeting. Eight hundred and fifty-five trucks have arrived from the country, bringing down over two thousands tons of produce. Fiftsen stacks of wheat, oats, and barley have been destroyed by fire at Mount

Thomas. They belonged to Major Jarvis. The stacks were in a three hundred acre paddock. The fire is supposed to be the ■work of an incendiary. The stacks are said to be fully insured in the London and Liverpool offices. The schooner Saxon still lies in the same position on the Waimakariri bar. There "was considerable sensation in town yesterday at tho arrival of the Volunteers. The streets were crowded with spectators. Eleven hundred Volunteers have arrived. The Hi oemoa brought IGO from Nelson, and 159 from Wellington. All companies paraded at batallion drill this morning. A number of sections of the township of ; Opawa were auctioned at from £52 to £120 1 per quarter acre. One of two acres realised £254 per acre. The Berwicke estate sections were sold on Tuesday, and averaged £53$ per acre. The town is very lively to-day with tho Volunteers. Bands are playing in a!l directions. Various companies paraded in three battalions, under Majors Vitt«, Watts, and Lean. The Artillery paraded ander Major Hill Jack. Captain McKersie, of the Stella, speaks h'ghly of the assistance given by the Wellington Nava's during a long, stormy ptsfaje. They took watch and watch and kept the deck like professional seamen. The principal hoises, except Fraser's. which are training on a private ground, will be at work this morning. Up to Friday evening 60,000 bags of grain were carried during the week on the Christchurch section brauches. ASHBORTON, Saturday. There is great excitement regarding the conduct of sixty or seventy Southern Volun. teers who were passing through here. They rushed a poor woman's store, stealing the fruit, biscuits, tobacco, cigars, matches, &c , to the value of £'S or £10.