TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 848, 3 January 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION). AUCKLAND. January 3. Mr. G. M. Reed, immigration agent, has visited the Katikati Settlement, and was highly pleased with its prospects. Over 20 persons have been drowned in the Northern Wairoa within 12 months. TIMARU. January 2. On Saturday last sparks from a railway engine set fire to several private premises in Timaru, and burnt a valuable property. An inquest is to be held regarding the origin of the fire on Friday, and legal proceedings will probably be taken. L3OOO worth of damage has been done by this cause lately. CHRISTCHURCH. January 2. Mr. Varley, the well-known evangelist preacher, is expected by the Wakatipu on Tuesday. He will give an address at the Theatre Royal on the following Sunday. Francis Hopkins Valpy, of the Accountant's Department of the New Zealand Railways, and Secretary to the Railway Employ 6s' Sick Fund Association, was this morning committed for trial on eight cases of embezzlement of the funds of the Association. Bail was accepted—himself in L4OO and two sureties of L2OO each. Yesterday 7484 adults were hooked at the Christchurch railway station for the Lyttelton Regatta. The total number of passengers last year was under 7000. No accident has yet been reported as having occurred, although owing to the floods the traffic was worked with eighteen carriages less than were in use last year. It is expected that the ordinary through traffic to Dunedin will be resumed on Monday next, and the opening of the through line to Invercargill will take place in a fortnight. One of the workmen on the Rangitata bridge was blown off that structure on Wednesday, and carried some distance down the river by the force of the stream. He was ultimately rescued by one of his fellow workmen.

The Canterbury portion of the Suez mail will be brought up from the South tomorrow. DUNEDIN. January 2. On New Year's Eve the streets of Dunedin were crowded, and at midnight a riot on a small scale took place, certain houses of ill-fame, near the Octagon, being sacked, and a Chinese toy shop in the Arcade laid in ruins. A seaman, who carried off a musical box from the Chinese wreck, received a month's imprisonment, and some more of the rioters will be presented this afternoon. The Caledonian Games were patronised by ten thousand spectators. The weather was cloudy but fine, and the sports were very successful. William Claxton, a dark horse among our pedestrians, who got a long start at the three-mile walking match, astonished everyone by doubling his distance, and running away from the crack walkers, winning with the utmost ease in 25J minutes. D. Scott won the aggregate in the Caledonian Handicap, Henderson being second. Allen won the prize for wrestling by lightweights. The other match has been narrowed down to Thomas (the Victorian champion), Ogg, and Campbell. The One Mile Handicap was won by Burke in 4 mins. 39 sees., the quickest time ever made in Dunedin. Large numbers travelled out of town by the railways. January 3. Mr. R. H. Leary, ex Mayor, has been elected unopposed for the representation of High Ward in the City Council. At the Police Court this morning Henry Lion Metz was committed for trial on a charge of forging a bill of exchange for L 33. The father of the prisoner stated that the prosecutor had pledged not to prosecute his son, but the Bench said there was no alternative but to commit Metz, who is respectably related amongst the Jewish fraternity.