Telegrams.

Otago Witness, Issue 1005, 4 March 1871, Page 13

Telegrams.

Wsjllington, March 2nd.

The Provincial Council was opened today. The Superintendent made a very long speech, in the course of which he referred at length to the mission of the New Zealand Commissioners to Europe, saying that it had, in a variety of ways, been productive of very appreciable benefits to the colony. The Imperial guarantee of the one million loan had of itself saved from L 250,000 to L 300,000 on the principal, in addition to the interest. He intimated his appointment as Agent-General for the colony, and stated that he was desirous of leaving for England in ApriL He would not, therefore, initiate any new policy calculated to hamper his successor. He admitted the existence of a strong feeling in favour of the abolition of provincial institutions, but said that he entirely dissented from it, believing, as he did, that their maintenance in their integrity has never been so necessary as now. Of Wellington's financial position he drew a most hopeful picture, saying that the revenue for the present year exceeds the expenditure, and that in future years he saw a prospeot of a surplus of Ll 5,000 a year for district roads. He advocated the province going in for immigration at the rate of 2400 persons yearly, so as to justify the General Government in going on with public works in it. He spoke strongly in favour of the Publio Works and Immigration Act, condemning the narrow-minded Southern jealousy of the .North Island getting railways, and contended that the action of the Middle Island representatives had deprived the North Island of its territorial revenue by the passing of the Native Lands Act and the plunging of the colony into war. The General Government bad advanced L 12,000 to the province, but he held, nevertheless, that the province owe! them nothing, and the balance really was the other way. He strongly condemned Mr M'Lean's interference in the Manawatu question, and, his giving away the land of the province, saying that he had demanded from the General Government payment at the rate of Ll an acre for the land thus given away. The Government had refused to recognise the claim, but he hoped to Bee its justice admitted and the affair adjusted before he left the colony. He concluded by urging the Council to maintain provincialism, saying that under no conceivable circum-

stances would he be -a party to such a great political crime as the surrendering of one partiole or iota of the privileges conferred by the Constitution Act.

Auckland, February 25th, via Taitbanga, February 28th.

Hunia has been sent to Ohinenrari by the King to try and stop the Tooranga mail, it is rumoured that the Maoris will begin the war in March. The Amelia, which has arrived from Tahiti, reports that a German barque laden with grain, a brig in ballast, and a schooner with a general cargo, were there, having been token as prize* by the French war steamer Guichen. < The Caledonian Co's olaim is as rich v ever. Its shares are at L6O. February 23rd. Mr O-. W. Binney reports that wheat is at 5s s£d, barley at 3s 6d, flour at Ll3 to Lls, and bacon JOd. Oats are very scared at 3s Od to 3a 7d. Grass seed is unsaleable.

March Ist. The Hero sailed for Sydney to-day with gold to the value of L 78,000. The Caledonian claim still yields richly. Its shares are selling at L 73. Thames Mining Co. 'a shares are at Ll2 10a.

New Plymouth, February 23rd. via Pate a, February 25th. The engines of the Airedale have been got out of her. The sale of her store* takes place on Friday, and the enquiry into the wreck will be held on Monday. The hull is breaking up.

Napieb, March Ist

The case of Horsfall y. Reid, being a charge of perjury arising trom a rait heard in Auokland, has been dismissed.

A bridge near Havelock has been swept away. Mr Birch, son of Colonel Biroh, was found dead in his bed this morning.

March 2nd.

Mr Tamar has been elected M.F.C. for Havelock, and Colonel Lambert and Mr Adeane for Te Aute. The Napier election resulted as follows : — Colenso, 104 ; Sutton, 100 ; Tiffin, 97 ; Lee, 98 ; Kinross, 80.

QtTEENSTOWtf, February 25th.

Dr Hector and two of the crew of the steamer Antrim arrived here last evening from the head of the Lake. They bring the intelligence that on Friday, the 17th instant, the Clio, with his Excellency the Governor and Commodore Stirling on board, was visiting Bligh Sound, and as she was steaming out to sea about 5 p.m. , when about half way down the Sound, she suddenly struck a sunken rock on the port bow. The rock entered her tide, causing her to leak badly. The lead was being hove from both the starboard and port bows at the same time. The starboard lead gave no bottom, and the port lead gave nine and a half fathoms of water. As the water was gaining seven inohes per hour on the steam and hindpumps, a sail was got round the injured part, and it was expected that there was no immediate danger. The head of the vessel was run on shore, where the tandfliea were very troublesome. A boat's crew, with Dr Hector, was despatched it 11 o'clock the same evening for assistance, but owing to the bad weather, they did not reach Martin's Bay until Sunday Ims at noon. Dr Hector and the two men then proceeded overland to the head of Lake Wakatip, and arrived here last evening at seven o'clock. A telegram was at once despatched to Wellington for H.M.S. Virago to proceed to Ihe scene of the disaster. Dr Hector left in a buggy for Olyde at 6 o'clock this morning, and the men left in the coach.