NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6329, 1 March 1882, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

[FROM OUR OWS CORRESPONDENTS.] RUSSELL, Tuesday. The Union Company has kindly detained the s.s. Rotomahana a day to ci'-'e her as flagship to the Regatta Club. The weather has been against the natives arriving for the regatta. The captain of the Glenelg will do his best to ensure a number coming from the North.

CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The following passage occurs in the Health Officer's report for the year :—" The average population of Christchurch, for the year ISSI, being 15.154, and the number for births for thi3 period being 561, it follows that the birth rate amounts to nearly 37 per 1000 of the population. This birth rate is very much lower than for ISSO, when it was nearly 43 per 1000. Doubtless the tide of depression which swept over the colony during the year 1579, caused the number of marriages to fail off, and the births to diminish iu consequence. The death rate for the year is extremely satisfactory, not merely on account of its being very low for this year, but because it has been steadily decreasing. For I§<9 it was 20 - 15 per 1000 of the population, for ISSO it was 17-9S, and for ISSI only 15"26. The improvement for the year extends to all the diseases mentioned in the table, except those occurring among very young children. Infant mortality, however," in this table is calculated not by the proportion of deaths under one year, but the number of births registered. Since writing this report I have ascertained that I misstated tho population of both Christchurch and Sydenham by about 300 and 500 each respectively. The effect of this would be to slightly lower both tue birth and death rate. In the infectious diseases class, the death rate rate has fallen from 5'7 in IS3I to 3'6. Only four deaths were registered from measles, although the epidemic of this disease was very widespread. As the first part of the report shows, dysentery caused only one-half the number of deaths credited to it in the previous year, the number being in the proportion of 14 to 27. Typhoid fever proved fatal only in eight cases, or five less than iu ISSO. In the important class of lung disease there is also a decline, the rate having come down from 4 - l in ISSO to "2S in ISBI. [PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] NAPIER, Tuesday. The branch Land League succeeded last night in getting a. mueting-place for electing ' officers. The principals are colonial born. ■ — The Corporation has received notice to quit their offices, as the rooms are required by the Government. As the Corporation received authority to occupy from the Superintendent of the Province before abolition, they intend to contest the right of the Government to turn them out. Vital statistics of the borough for the month of February shew : —Births, 33 ; marriages, 11; deaths, 9. AVELIXGTON, Tuesday.

The '200 Armed Constabulary a'lio are to be removed from Opunake are being transferred to the Waikato, as it is believed they can be more usefully employed in roadmaking, &e., there than ou the West Coast. The Stella has been ordered to convey them from Opunake to the Manukau with all their equipments. She will have to make two trips, and is expected to leave Opunake to-morrow evening with the first lot. During the present month, S'2 births, '27 deaths, aud 19 marriages were registered in the city. Meenkeen's general store, dwelling-house, and stables, at Clareville, were burned this morning. Mrs. Meenkeen, child, and servant had a narrow escape. Hardly anything was saved. The origin is unknown.

WEST PORT, Tuesday. The steamer Westport was successfully floated early this morning. GREYMOUTH, Tuesday. The Customs duties collected for February amount to £'23SS; for the corresponding month in ISSI the amount was £:U.">U. The gold duty was £571, and the beer duty excise £46.

CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. llr. B. J. S. Harman was elected chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board to-day in place of the Hon. E. llichurdson. The Chamber of Commerce has decided to incorporate itself under the Amended Joint Stock Companies Act. The Chamber to-day passed a resolution in favour of amending the Bankruptcy Act so that a debtor shall not be allowed his discharge till lie has paid a dividend pi not less than 10s in the £1, save in exceptional cases, where a majority of the creditors in niiiiibtj and value should be empowered to secure a discharge. The vital statistics for the month are : — Births, 140 ; marriages, 3S ; deaths, 4s. The figures for the corresponding month last year are :—l.'iO, 35, and 51 respectively. The Hawca was delayed by fog, and arrived so late that the Opera Company could not open to-night. The nominations for the C.J.C. Handicap, to be run in November, are due to-morrow night by S o'clock. At the Chamber of Commerce to-day, the Chairman, in his imarterly report, said: Among other things, having analysed the declarations of insolvency throughout the colony for the last six months, I find that 25 per cent, of the number are by people not in trade, and who consist chiefly of persons described as labourers. It might also be re- • marked here that the colony would perhaps not greatly miss a certain class of legal practitioners, whose special avocation would seem -to pave the way through the Bankruptcy Court for persons for whom its protection could hardly have been inl ended. Payable quarcz reefs have Int' !y been discovered at the head of the Mari;:; on the line of the West Coast Kailway, and a rush is expected to set in. Alfred Simpson and James Wyvilie were committed for trial to-day on a charge of conspiracy to defraud the creditors of the latter of £-200.

At the Magistrate's Court to-day Ah Nim, alia* Tung Ham, was brought up charged with keeping a gambling house. Ah Ching and twelve other Chinamen were charged with playing fan-tan in Ah Xhn"s house. Oi- application of counsel they were remanded till March.

The report re garottiug seems to be unfounded. It evidently originated from several persons being assaulted separately while going home on Saturday night. One man was brutally ill-treated, and is now confined to bed. The cause of the is unknown. DUNEDIN, Tuesday. The Customs revenue collected at Dunedin for February is ,£35,235 For January it was £35,014, and for February last year it was £20,G36. A seven-roomed dwelling-house in Dukestreet, occupied by Arthur Allen, was burnt down yesterday morning. The building was owned by Mr. James Ashcroft. I Every seat for " Patience'' was taken beforehand. The opening performance drew a crowded house. The opera met a most successful reception, seats being booked a week in advance. INVERCARGILL, Tuesday. Volunteer officers here are asked to make suggestions to the Volunteer Commissioners. | They meet to-night. The Rivertou election petition will be heard to-morrow. Messrs. McDermott and T. McDonald are solicitors for the petitioner . ! and Messrs. Stow and Finn for respondents.