(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2048, 28 August 1868, Page 2

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

(prom our own correspondents.) Melbourne (via Hokitika), August 21st. COMMERCIAL. Flour is firmer. There are but few transactions. Holders ask lAi 103 for quantity, LlB for trade lots. Wheat is in demand. Offers of 8a are refused! New Zealand oats, 3s lOd. Tasmauian flour is in small - demand. Maize dull, 3s lid. 5000 bushels of bran sold at Is Bd. Sugars :—White Crystals, L 34 Teas are inquired for. Sales have been made from Is 3d to Is 6d. ; 600 cases of Downer's kerosene realised Is lOd ; Machen's stout, 9s 4|d.

Sales of candles were made at 9Jd, in bond ; Tennant's ale, 30s.

Mr M'Culloch's General Financial Statement shows a deficiency of L 61,000. In December it will be L 68,060. The Estimates for 1868 have been passed. ; Mi* Nixon, glass manufacturer, is dead. Mr Mooaey, an old squatter, died penniless in the Hospital. • Mr Moffatj a squatter, apologised to the Hey. Mr Kaye for defaming his character. He pays L 1250 damages and law costs. j Chinese exchange is rising. Chinese goods are held for money. The Southern Insurance Company declared a dividend of 10 per cent. Messrs' Be3s and Randall have commenced actions against Mr Jones, for libel.

The Melbourne and Suburban Municipalities propose buying up the Van-Yean Water Wovks,.and offer LBOO,OOO. The Government ask Ll, 000,000. The non-acceptors of the Melbourne

Gup are Italian, Melbourne^Sir^ Hercules, Blair, £ Abkworth, Crusader, Eip Van Winkle,; Rrbnds^ Token, Privateer, Mariner's Daughter, and Jamaica. Fifty-six horses have accepted. 7.,■;':, lireat dissatisfaction is felt-among the School Teachers at the New ''"■Regulations" of the Board of Education. ; Mr, Scott's Hotel, Collins street; sold for L27,000r •' ' : ' The1 P*eV. Mr Menzies was inductsd into.the charge of the Scotch, Church, Collins street, last night. Sydney,.August 21st. "A: strong gale has been blowing during the last 24 hours. ; -The' Shipping is damaged. A small scho^ef was 'wrecked.near Port Mac-' quarHe. ' '/','' ■"■•/..■ :.'.' ; .■ ■>. The; Hydra, Wallaroo; and Sir William Wallace were' damaged by- the gale; the Prince Patrick was towed into Newcastle dismantled. > ~. The Wool Sales were well attended. Scoured,. sold at 18d to 20d ■ per - lb.. Sheepskins, one farthing" advance. Sugiir sold;, at auction : ]?ine crystals,.'.' LlO t6 L4Olosi counters, L3O to'.£#B j, Java coffee,~Bd;maize; 2s lt>di Cali-* forniai flour, Ll6. ■ ** jh&y.-?M ,\ Count Yon Attem^-% "distinguished visitor, who obtained large sums from the Banks] has disappeared, and" is supposed toiave bailed in liis yacht'for New'Z^a- j 'ImxU:'! }^V~''\'-'^"'^'/y vjV-'^' '■■'*'■•■'■'', • "G'enjeral Chute has sailed for Brisbane; The-Gas Company declared a dividend of 12^;per cent. _ . ../. . ... V '.".. , ThejAdelaide';Assembly are discussing; an ; Amendment Act ;for' the Northern 'Teyit6ry;;:';','/'..":. :: , \['"['.':'..'/. :V; , s Attempts are being' made to establish a' Sailor's Home at the Port. The subsoriptibn exceeds L23QQ. The <Go-" yernment; promise a subsidy equal to the amojdrit collected. The-corn market is firm, with but few transactions.' A parcel of inferior iwheat sold at 6s 9d. . ; i : . Almando Silver .Mine, shares have sold, atL2s.'i:';'J .': ;," '.'■''■ ': ' ■; ': '•• ■'-■'■ " '"' [Communication with Wellington was resumed yesterday, after having beep interrupted since the morning of the 25th inst.] : .... .;.-.... -. ■...' .. ;, .■■ : .'•'■ i ■'(.')"■■ : WELLrNGTOK, Tuesday. Mr Stafford- succeeded in inducing the CQmmittee of the Club to refuse the use" of the Whist Room for Mr Fox's meeting, which.1 was consequently postponed to elsewnfere'to-morrow.iJi: ::? •• ■<.'<> ■ •The 'Country Party's proposition ia run-' derstood tp.bejan adjuatment of Provincial Loaiis according^ to population. 'The deficiency in' the amount ' per head borrowed by"some Provinces to be made up by New Loans for /Public Works purposes. 'The principal- and interest to be payable by the—General Government, who are 7to take the,,whole of theConsolidated^SteVenue^ Gaol's^: Police, &c. ! ; The Provincial Councils are•'to be made Administrative. Boards for public works, Counties .receiving a share of the Terri-^ toriai Revenue. , r Only one of the party voting for Mr Fox's policy resolution has yet-openly joined the Country party. ; '■' The Government isTeported to lie con?sidering how much of this policy it "can adopt. ;-'-■• ••■•-■• . • -A-petitionfor forming Wanganui into & County has been presented. ~ Colonel Haultain stated that from personal inspection, he could give the most unqualified denial to the reported disorganisation in the West Coast Forces. He everywhere found the discipline and regularity of the Camp such as would be creditable to any portion of Her Majesty's Troops. Agricultural Statistics are to be taken as usual.* ' .' ; ; : In the Distillation Bill an 8s a gallon duty on Colonial spirits was negatived by 30 to 22. Mr Richmond proposed, as a compromise, that the duty should be 8s if distilled from sugar, and 6s from grain. No decision was arrived at. The question was postponed to Tuesday. Thursday. Last night, Mr Haughtcn's motion for a reduction of the Gold Duty was negatived by 23 to 21. There was a long debate on the second reading of the Dunedin Water Works Guarantee Bill, which was finally adjourued, by 31 to 18. The Lowry Bay Estate is to be sold. Mr Reynolds moved this afternoon for the introduction, of a Ballot Bill, which was carried by 28 to 23. Mr Hall being ill, the Budget is postponed from Friday to Tuesday. There is to be a.soiree at the Scotch Church to-night, to welcome the Rev. Mr Patterson, and to present 100 guineas to tlis Rev. Mr Hall, who has teen supplying for the last twelve months, but is now going to Hokitika.

Mr Fox's meeting took place to-day. Mr Bell was the Chairman, and the resolutions passed were in substance as follows :—Tiiat this meeting having heard from Mr Fox an exposition of his views, and deeming there is common ground of agreement in reference to the Constitutional relations between the General and Provincial Governments, Finance, and Native questions, sufficient to require them to form themselves into an organised party, they resolve hereby to form a " Constitutional party," and to request

Mr Fox to take the office and responsibility ortheir leader. ; . ' ; The resolution was unanimously adopted by the 215 present, and shortly afterwards it was signed by several others. . Mr. Stafford denounced- it -this evening. The Diocesan Synod met yesterday. Tenders for raising the Taranaki on the "no cure no pay" principle, are advertisedfor for Saturday. Dr Hector's paper, read at the Philo-, sophical Society last night, stated that' a convulsion of unusual magnitude must' have have produced the late earthquake- ; -waves, It has-beenjvery much greater" than that in Japan, in 1854