NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5995, 3 February 1881, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

[FBO-M OtfE OWTST CORRESPONDENT.] DUNEDIN, Wednesday. Is an article on the Minister's visit to the South, the Star says : —"The Ministry have done right in pursuing the even tenor of their way in accordance -with their duty to Parliament and to' the country, undeterred by the present unpopularity and the chance of unpopularity rendering their tenure of office precarious. What they have effected during the last few months can never be undone, for what Ministry would dare to revive the ring of extravagance, the consequences of which are now distinctly feared by every taxpayer? Reforming and retrenching Ministers not unfrequently fall by their own policy, which is very ' gall and bitterness' to the professional politicians in and out of Parliament who, unfortunately, in the colonies,, have an influence on many votes, but the policy survives, and being understood and approved of by the people, cannot lightly be superseded. The present Ministry have had a most laborious and unpleasant work in applying the strict rule of economy to an ordinary expenditure which had become profligate, and to an expenditure out of loans which seemed to presume the amount of borrowed money to'be inexhaustible. If their task should prove a thankless one, so far as Parliament is concerned, they can retire from office with the consolatory reflection that they have indeed done the State good service."

[united pkess association.] NAPIER, Wednesday. Advices have been received from the Melbourne Show that Mr. R. P. Williams, of I Hawke's Bay, received first award for a bale of scoured longwool, instead of a second, as telegraphed. This made one first and two second awards to Hawke's Bay runholders. • The wool was both grown and scoured by Mr. Williams. Gollon's merino wool, which obtained second honours, showed.the highest value per sheep, according to the judges' valuation, of any exhibited in that class. A party of prospectors leave to-day for the Ruahine. A piece of quartz brought by the surveyors from the Norsewood District some time since was accidentally broken on Monday, showing rich gold. The quartz was in possession of an old miner, but he never suspected it to be auriferous. The Customs return for January amounted to £3065 5s Bd, against £2576 18s od collected in the corresponding month of last year. An unoccupied house at Ormondville was burned to the ground. There appears to be no doubt that the fire was the act of an incendiary. The police are making inquiries into the matter, It was uninsured. •

,' The Governor "was received at Woodville to-day with an address of welcome. -- HAWERA, Wednesday.., I have-just returned from the uew camp. ■ There are 170 men, under the command of Major Goring and Captains Newall and Fortenue. It is aboμt five miles from Pungarehu, raid not far from'the old camp-at rukehmau. ' The men will be employed m road-making between' Pungarehu and Upotlkl. The fence at the Opunafce side is .not a recent 1 -' erection; it h;is been there bve or six months, and encloses one to two acres of-potatoes. - The road is "impassable, as it was merely scratched, not formed, last year. The fencing at Waitaki has no Significance. There are sonic old clearings and burial places in the vicinity. It is nSt improbable that some reserves niav be made there. The ringleaders, although recently returned-from'prison,-have openly stated that the pakeha will not again <;et"a chance of putting them in ■ Lyttelton The natives appear anxious for the subdivision of their holdings, and Sir W. Pox is likely to have a busy tiineof it. The tire at Pariiiaka was a, very small affair, and little damage done. • WELLINGTON, "Wednesday. The steamer Go-Ahead shipped a fresh crew and sailed this evening. A number of seamen belonging to the local steauiars have beeu arrested for leaving their vessels. Hasclmayer, under Carej's management, opened here to a crowded house.

The P.M. s.s. Zealaiidia, with the London mails of the 30th December, left San Francisco for Auckland on Tuesday, the ISth ultimo, three days later than time-table date. The City of Sydney, with the January colonial mails, arrived at San Francisco .on the 29th ultimo, two days later than timetable date. NELSON, Wednesday. Last night a most destructive fire happened in Shelbourn-street. The whole town had been holiday-keeping, and, just as the inhabitants were being shaken into order, after the romping during' the day, a glare appeared in the very heart oi'the city, and a simultaneous cry of fire. The {Irebells were behind about twenty minutes. There was a general rush, and the Fire Brigade was soon upon the spot, but not before one house -«as destroyed. The men worked well, and the splendid pressure of water saved nearly-a dozen houses. The second dwelling was destroyed, but the flames were completely checked in the confusion. It Wtis rumoured that two children were burnt to death, but fortunately this was unfounded. The children were just rescued, and.no more. Tbe buildings were insured in the Norwich Union, the Standard, and Sun offices. The amounts cannot be well ascertained. The residents have lost almost everything. CHEISTCHUItCH, Wednesday. The -RakaJa' Plains water-supply was opened on Monday. It has been most successful. It was thought that the supply of water would not reach the end of the race on account of the shingly nature of the land through which a large portion of it ran. By 10 to-day the water had reached the ond, a distance of some 32 miles. The benefit to the farmers is almost incalculable. OAMAIIU, Wednesday. The amount of Customs revenue collected at the port'of Oamaru during the month of January was £1350 11s Sd. ■ Three young men were fined by the Collector of Customs on Tuesday three times the value of some tobacco they had brought ashore from a vessel lying in the roadstead. A lenient view was taken of the matter, as there was no evident intention to smuggle. The weather is fine • for the harvest—she best experienced here for a number of years. DUNEDIN, Wednesday. A fire at Opoho this morning destroyed three cottages, belonging to Harlaud, Greenfield, and Colmore. The two latter were uninsured. Harland's was covered by insurance in the Victoria Company.