TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 844, 28 December 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

DUXKDIX. December 27. The criminal calandar for the next sittings of the Supreme Court comprises thirteen cases, of which one is for child murder, two for forgery, two for perjury, the remainder being of minor character. The southern trunk railway will not be open before January 7th, ami probably not then. At a meeting of the Walton Park Coal Company to-day, a report rec-mimeudingthe payment of a dividend of rifteen per cent, was adopted. ♦ CHRISTCH URCII. December 27. In consequence of the strong south-wester, and the heavy rain that fell last night, the railway traffic as usual is interrupted. The south pier of north .Rangitata bridge being crrried away, so that all goods traffic is suspended. 'I ho Waimakariri is also rising, and accounts from the Boaley describe the weather there as awful. December 28. The gale has abated, but no rain has yet fallen. The south express train was an hour late last night, and will be so every night till the Rangitata Bndg.e is repaired. The Stewarts are doing a splendid business. Hundreds have been unable to gain admission for the last two nights.

Again there are complaints of the shortness of trucks at Lyttglton. The vessels now in port could employ 300 trucks daily. Mr. Conyers, in a letter to the Harbor Board, said that the railway authorities were doing everything possible to meet the demand.

Captain A. D. Sterols has been appointed assistant harbor master. At a meeting of the Selwyn County Council yesterday it was resolved to recommend another conference on the subject of hospital and charitable aid management. The railway employes will have a monster pic-nic in the first week in February. The place is not decided upon, but probably it will be at the racecourse. A letter was read at the County Council meeting yesterday in which the Commissioner of Railways declined to gfant free passes to members. BALCLUTHA. December 28. A very strong gale has been blowing since yesterday afternoon. The ri%"er 'is at high flood, and is rising very slowly. The protective works in progress are proving thoroughly eflVictive, and but for tin's the township would have again been flooded, but there is not the slightest danger at present. A considerably larger body of water is flowing over into the Clutha to-day. ♦ OTAKT. December 2S. Owing to the unfavorable state of wind and tide last night, the < llenelg did not make, the attempt to tow oil' the Hydrahad, as arranged to be done at about midnight last night, and tin.! steamer is still standing off and on awaiting a fovorabln opportunity. A stiff' westerly breeze is blowing, and there is a heavy surf rrJJiug in on the beach. Consequently there is not much likelihood of anvthing being done towards getting the vessel otl'to-da'v.