Wellington, January 8th.

Otago Witness, Issue 1155, 17 January 1874, Page 16

Wellington, January 8th.

24 hotel-keepers have agreed,, under penalty, to abstain from selling liquor on Sunday, except to bonafide boarders. They are also endeavouring to secure the compliance of other publicans. The Inspector of Police has taken criminal proceedings against Kawana Hunia and Puke, two of the chief disturbers at Horowhenua, for burning huts and pulling up crops. Private letters from Levuka, dated December 29th, from an officer on board H. M. S. Pearl, states that H. M.S. Blanche proceeds from Levuka to act as senior officer's ship in New Zealand. The Gas Company have reduced the price of gas 20 per cent., or 14s per 1000 ft. A meeting of gentlemen was held to-day in connection with presenting a testimonial to the late Mayor. Two gentlemen have been instructed to canvass the town. They collected £80 during a few hours to-day. January 9th. Market quotations are :— Flour, £12 10s to £13 ; wheat, 5s 6d ; oats, 4s 9d ; maize, 4s 6d ; bran, Is 3d ; barley, 5s to 7s 6d ; chaff, 7s 9d ; oatmeal, 25s ; potatoes (old), £2 10s ; pollard, 6s 6d ; cheese, 7;£d ; eggs, Is 6d ; butter, 8d ; potatoes (new), 9d ; fowls and ducks, 5s a pair ; turkeys, 5s to 7s eacb. January 12th. The ship Electra sails with cargo valued at £50,000. Mr M'Lean is at Horowhenua, and approves of the action taken by the police. Native matters are more quiet. January 13th. I The ship Cissy has arrived from London 100 days out. She brings 14 passengers ; all j well. At Messrs Bethune and Hunter's wool sales to-day, clean-washed realised Is 3jd ; ! | washed, Is Id ; graasy, 9£d to lO^d ; locks and pieces, 6d. January 14th. The Provincial Council was opened today. The chief business was the passing of an Act authorising the construction of certain roada, bridges, and other public works. The Bill was read a first time. A letter was read from Dr Featherston, thanking the Council for the gift of £2500 in recognition of his past services. The session is expected to be over in three days. Mr M'Lean held a meeting at Horowhenua last night with the Natives, who are all quiet. £165 is to be distributed in prizes at the anniversary regatta. Auckland, January Bth. Mr Redwood has purchased from Mr Watt the famous racing stallion Totara, by Dioinedes out of Waimea, for the sum of 500 guineas. Mr Redwood takes the horse to Nelson for stock purposes. A combination also has been effected between these large owners of race-horses, by which Mr Watt purchases half of Mr Redwood's stock, with a 2-year-old by Ravenswortb ; also half the horses in training. This arrangement has been effected, as it is intended to enter horses for the Victorian races. January 9th. The shipwrights have resolved to demand 12s per day. The ketch Wild Duck has been sold for £650. She is to be employed in the Timaru trade. Mr Buckland reports : — Dairy cows, £6 12s to £9 15s ; calves, £1 Ss to £1 13s ; fat cattle, £1 5s to £1 7s 6d per lOOlbs ; sheep, 3d to 3£d. Jan. 10th. The American whaler Abraham Barker, has arrived at Mongouui with 1000 barrels of oil. the result of a ten months' cruise. The Star's special correspondent at Ngaruawahia telegraphs that the turning of the sod of the Waikato Railway extension has not created much excitement. Very few settlers and hardly any natives were in. There was a general expression of regret that so little notification of the event was given. Dr Pollen and Mr Mackay were present. The ceremony commenced at half-past 12 o'clock, when Dr Pollen delivered an address in explanation" of the event, and the method in which the works would bo carried out. The Superintendent also addressed the Europeans and Maoris. Hearty cheers were given for everyone, from the Queeen downwards. The sod was dug by His Honour in the most approved style. The general success of the scheme was drank in bumpers. January 13th. The General Government sale of Waikato lands to-day excited immense interest. High priceß were realised. At the Supreme Court Sittings* William Martin was sentenced to three years' hard labour for cattle stealing. January 14fch. The Hero has arrived from Sydney. She brings no later news. The journeymen sailmakera have resolved to demand 10s per day. The master shipwrights have met and agreed that 12s per day would injure the trade of the port. It was ultimately determined to give 11s per day. Mr Alexander Saunclors reports : — Buyers —South British Insurance Co., £2 ss; National Bank of New Zealand, £3 4s ; National Insurance Co., £1 ; Tookey, £8 10s. Sellers —National Insurance Co., £1 Is ; Tookey, £9. The prospects of the Tookey mine are much improved. Chbistchukcb, January Bth. The Provincial Council have voted £500 for the importation of insectivorous birds. January Oth. At the meeting of the Central Boating

champion races^iQaj be rowed with or without a coxswain! ' The prizes have not yet been fixed for all the events, but they will be on a liberal scale. Three Canterbury boats . will probably contend for the big event \ The grain market is unsettled. Buyers j arehere offering 4s for new wheat, and2s 3d to 5 2s 6d for oats, of which very little is now offering. Cheese is quoted- -at 5d to 6d ; [ butter, 6£d to 7d. Hams and bacon, B£d, f.o.b. The ship Pleiades has arrived from London, 97 days out, with 11 passengers. January 10th At the representative competition to-day, , three men qualified as cavalry reprgsentatives, who were — S. Huntley, 71 points ; Judge, 65 j Seger, 63. , January 13th. It is intended to get up a monster tea picnic during the session of the New Zealand Wesleyan Conference, which meets at Christchurch this month. Sixty-five . pure-bred Lincoln sheep of a high pedigree have been landed from the Pleiades. The ship St. Leonards has sailed for London with 4338 bales wool, 23 do skins, 87 do phormium, 2266 sacks of wheat, 717 bags of flour, and 20 casks of tallow. Mr De Bourbel reports : — Good demand for National Bank of New Zealand and National Insurance Co.'s shares. Sellers : National Bank of New Zealand, £3 5s ; National Insurance, £1 3s ; .South British Insurance, £2 5s ; Shipping Co, 13s ; Gas Co. (third issue), £3 ; Spinning and Weaving Co., £1 10s. Buyers : National Bank of New Zealand, £3 4s ; National Insurance Co., £1 2s ; South British Insurance Co., £2 2s 6d ; Shipping Co., 12s; Gas Co. (third issue), £2 10s. January 14th. In the Provincial Council last night, Mr | Beswick, lafce Provincial Treasurer, who has been severely criticised by the local journals during the session, moved: ''That the reports of the proceedings of the Council in the Lyttelton Times and Press have been partial and incorrect." He said the reports were garbled to suit the views of certain members of the House, under whose influence the papers were. Mr Kennaway, late Provincial Secretary, seconded the motion, speaking in a similar strain, but no other member supported it. Mr Montgomery, the President of the Executive, and Mr Joynt, Provincial Solicitor, strongly opposed the motion, and denied the statements of the mover and seconder. They pointed out that, though assertions had been made that the reports were garbled, not a single instance could be advanced to prove them. Mr Beswick asked leave to withdraw the motion, but this was refused on the voices. The motion was put, and negatived on the voices, only two members supporting it. Nelson", January 9th. The races have been postponed to the end of April. The programme has been enlarged ; the principal event being a handicap of 150 soys., with a sweepstake of 10 soys. added. January 10th. In the case Hokitika Tramway Company v. Westland County Council, the AttorneyGeneral moved for a rule nisi in arrest of judgment on several grounds. The Judge granted the rule, and considering the magnitude of interests involved, recommended its being argued in tne Court of Appeal. Napier, January Bth. Mr William Blakey was killed at Waipukurau while driving a team of horses, which were frightened by a Native riding past, and bolted. January 9th. The following members of the Hawke's Bay Cavalry are qualified as representatives for the Colonial Prize Firing : — Britten, 65 ; Giblin, 64 ; Chambers, 64 j Dransfield, 63. Invercaegill, January 13th. There was a large attendance at the sale of Crown lands to-day, the different lots being eagerly competed for. 81 quarter-acre allotments realised £1435. Bluff, January Bth. The Surat is still in the same position. Her sails are all unbent, and the topgallant yards lowered. The weather is very favourable, and. the sea quite smooth. January 12th. The Alhambra left Melbourne at 5 p.m., on the 3rd inst., and arrived at Milford Sound at 6 p.m. on the Bth. She left at 6 p.m. on the 10th, and arrived at the Bluff at 7 p.m. on the following day. She brings 55 saloon and 40 steerage passengers ; also, 200 tons of cargo for all ports. She sails for Dunedin at 3 p.m. to-day. Saloon Passengers :— Messrs Hodgson, Cunningham, Dunk, Steave, Simmond, McDougall, Coates, Arkell, Petrie, Babington, Smith, Douglas, Lawrie, Rose, Bernard, Brotherton, Hayaen, McDonald, Coates, Henley, Murphy ; Mesdaines Dunk, McDougall, Coates, Gillies and family (5), Coombe and two children, Hunting ; Misses Brotherton, Babington, Dunn, Simmond, Hunting ; Masters Steave, Thomson (2) ; Revd. A. W. Webb, Professor Sale, 30 in the steerage, and 110 tons of cargo. Hokittka, January 9th. The following is the official declaration of the poll for the Superintendency election to-day:— Bonar, 534j Kennedy, 383; White, 223 ; Hoos, 60. January 14th. The Tararua, Captain Clark, arrived at 8 p.m. yesterday, but was not tendered till this morning. She left on the Bth, and brings 29 saloon and 41 steerage passengers, together with 233 tons of cargo for all port*. She toiled for the Fovtlj »fc 9 o'clock

Alexandra, January i4th. The Natives are busy harvesting, and their crops are turning out well. They will have a large quantity of wheat for sale. Tauranoa, January 14th. A large meeting of Kingites will shortly be held at Te Kuiti. Native matters are quiet. A Good Templar Lodge is being opened. New Plymouth, January 14th. Harvesting has commenced here. There is not so much wheat as in previousjyears. Wbstport, January Bth. The Marina claim, at Lyell, for the first crushing, has yielded 1364 ounces of gold from 300 tons of stone. TiMARtx, January 12th. The foundation stone of the Primitive Methodist Chapel was laid to-faf by the Mayor. Over 500 persons were present. January 13th. The soiree of the Primitive Methodists in connection with the laying of the foundation stone, was an unprecedented suocess. Over 300 persons sat down. Several ministers of other denominations were present. Balclutha, January Bth. The result pf the Provincial Counoil eleo. tion for Clutha is as follows :— Henderson. Thomson. Balclutha SO ... 20 Inch Clutha ... 20 ... 0 Waitepeka 8 ... 5 Warepa 3 ... 17 South Molyneux ... 20 ... 8 Kaihiku 9 ... 11 Waiwera 1 ... H Clinton 1 ... 7 92 ... 88 Giving a majority of 4 votes in favour of Mr Henderson.