INTERPROVINCIAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1374, 30 March 1878, Page 15

INTERPROVINCIAL ITEMS.

Auckland, March 21st. Samual Atkins, of Fiji, writes cautioning people against going to Fiji, where the labour market is overstocked. He says artisans and mechanics are frequently unemployed ; wages, 16s for good tradesmen, but some as low as 8s to 10s. Rent is four times that of Auckland. Meat, lOd to Is per lb ; and bread 8d the 3lb loaf.

A meeting of the creditors of Lewis Bros, was held to-day. Liabilities in Auckland unsecured, L 5452 ; England, L 29.70 2; total securities held by creditors, L 30,00 0; of which the National Bank holds L 24.649. The estate is expected to yield 7a 6d in the £. The Blanche brings news, from Rarotonga of a dreadful hurricane at Paumoto. Five hundred lives were lost, and many vessels wrecked. A correspondent from Rarotonga on March sth, says : — " One of the Society's vessels which has recently arrived from Tahiti reports that Anan, one of the Paumoto Lagoon Islands, has been completely swept by » hurricane and tidal wave. Houses, trees, stores, and inhabitants were all gone. Mr Bode, trading agent for Messrs Branders, of Tahiti, escaped with a few others. The greater portion of the group is devastated, and 400 or 500 lives lost, besides several vessels." An eye-witness at Paupeke writes :— " The water rose overland, sweeping avray everything, and we retreated to the highest poiut— about 20 feet above the sea-leveC Fortunately, the cyclone abated when the water was within two feet of us. The Tahiti Government sent a man- of- war to our aid. The island of Kaukiru suffered most, losing 117 people and all its houses and boats. Messrs Branders lost three schooners, one cutter, and 12 boats, beaide the whole establishment at Anan. The cyclone continued from the 7th February to the Bth." Auckland, March 25th. Owing to excitement amongst Auckland Catholics affected by Father Hennebery's statements re mixed marriages, Father O'Dwyer delivered an address on the subject on Sunday at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He said according to a decree of the Council of Trent marriages between Catholics and Protestants, except solemnised by a Catholic priest, were null and void, and parties residing [ together under such a contract were living in uncleanness. The decree, however, in force in places where it wa3 proclaimed —as France, Spain, Italy, part of Germany, and Ireland — had not been promulgated in Australia, and therefore all marriages, whether celebrated before a Protestant clergyman or the Registrar^ were strictly valid and binding in these Colonies. Still Catholics who became a party to such a contract committed a mortal sin, in violating the precepts of the Church. Auckland, March 22nd. With reference to Father Hennebery and mixed marriages the Star publishes the followlowing telegraphic letter :—": — " Kumara.— Sir — The Hokitika Evening Star and ol.her West Coast papers after it, have made statements that I condemned at my Hokitika mission the marriage of Catholics to non-Catholics as no marriage at all, and that those who have engaged in such marriages are living in a state of prostitution. The protest published by Father Martin, pastor, backed by the unanimous voices of his parishioners, b.ands those newspaper statements as mendacious and slanderous. My own teachings, which are those of the Catholic Church, on the subject of mixed marriages, also stamp those Frees assertions as atrocious falsehoods. Any one , of the Catholic clergy of Auckland can tell without my telegraphing what my teachings are on the subject, for their doctrines and mine on the subject harmonise. We are in the same boat and will always fearlessly teach what the Church teaches. What has perhaps given occasion to the scandal and newspaper criminations in the matter is the ver7 strong language I have used, and which I hereby emphasise, in condemning the tendencies of the Catholics of New Zealand to mixed marriages against the laws and teachings of the Church. Such marriages are generally connected with pernicious reeults to Catholics, especially when they are" engaged in without dispensation before anyone but priests of the Church. With great respect, yours, &c., P. Hennebert, missionary." Auckland, March 27th. There are eleven^ prisoners for trial at the Supreme Court sessions, principally for forgery, larceny, and horse-stealing. At a meeting of the creditors in the estate of William Wilson, draper, Shortland, the liabilities were stated at L 12,176, and the assets at L 14,350. There are large book debts. The tender of the National Bank for L 25,000 of the Auckland Waterworks Loan at L9B net wai accepted. ________ Gbahajistown, March 21st. The Governor's reception was most brilliant. The whole community, Native and European, is holiday-making. The Natives made a grand turn-out. The new County road opened by the Governor was decorated at intervals with criumphal arches. Business was entirely suspended The Governor and suite and local governing bodies were entertained at luncheon by the County Council, and the Governor held a levee at four. There was an inspection of Volunteers by Colonel Whitmore at five, and a banquet and ball take place this evening. Wellington, March 25th. A boarding-house in Willis street, occupied by Mrs Mason, was destroyed by fire on Sunday morning, about 4 o'clock. The occupants had barely time to escape as they were, and one man was hurt in leaping from an up-staira window. He jumped right on to another man below, .who *as also hurt. The landlady lost about L6O in hotes, and the lodgers all their effects. The building was insured in the South British Company for L6OO, and the furniture for LI2OO, equally divided between the National and Victoria.

On opening the Evening Argus office this mornipg- a determined attempt at incendiarism was discovered to have been made since the office was shutup on Saturday night. Entrance had been obtained to the manager's room by bursting open a, door and a window. Further investigation showed a number of matohes scattered about, and that three files of bills, &c, which hung under the counter, were black and charred, evidently having been ignited, and having burned till the air could not penetrate to the interior of the masses of paper, the fire died of inanition. Continuing the examination it was found that the gas had been turned on at all tho burners, and also at the auxiliary meter by which the gas is admitted to the office in question. The incendiary evidently was not aware that it was necessary also to turn on the main meter, which is in tho front office, and which of course had been turned off on Saturday night. Thus no gas came through tha pipes, and the intended disaster was averted. So determined was the miscreant to effect his fell purpose that he even bad torn off one of the gaa-hurners and broken the pipe to ensure free discharge of the gas, while in order that the expected Blaze might be

fanned by an ample draught, he opened every window and door in the building, to do which he had to break open the door leading into the editorial chamber, through a trap-door to the upper storey. His idea obviously was that aa soon as a sufficient discharge of gas had taken place it would be ignited by the burning papers, and then, assisted by the scattered matches, the flames would at once seize on the whole of the woodwork, while the strong draught blowing through all the open doors and windows would fan the blaze into an inextinguishable conflagration, which probably in that case would have embraced the whole of that valuable block of buildings along the east side of Willis street. Happily this infamous attempt has proved abortive, and the matter is now in the hands of the police, who are making every effort to discover the perpetrator of this outrage. The insurance companies are offering; a reward of LIOO for his apprehension. The origin of the fire which occurred in Willis street on Sunday morning is unknown. Wellington, March 27th. It is stated there will shortly be the retirement of several leading officials from the Engineering Department of the General Government. Mr Barton will on Friday bring on a motion in Banco to quash the order for his commitment for contempt of Court. A meeting of under-secretaries was held yesterday to consider the Otago Daily Times Civil Service articles. The proceedings were strictly private, and nothing about them has been allowed to transpire. Chbistohurch, March 22nd. Haldon Station, South Canterbury, comprising 50,000 acres of land, 40,000 sheep, was sold yesterday to Mr Pringle, of Timaru, for £22,500. Hokitika, March 22nd. John Howe Homer, late agent of the Bank of New Zealand at Rosa, was committed at the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day to the Supieme Court on three charges of embezzlement of tho Bank's funds. The total amount discovered short is a little over LIOOO. The defalcations commenced last month, and took place at various times since. Homer granted fixed receipts, not entering the amount in his cashbook. Amounts were entered in customers' pass - books and initialled, but never went through the books of the Bank. Out of the nine informations against Homer there were eight committals. Bail was allowed in two sureties of LSOO each and the prisoner in LIOO. There are said to be other defalcations, but the amounts are not stated. Hokitika, March 27th. The b.b. Alhambra, which has sailed for Melbourne, takes for the Union Bank 26360z5. of gold. A great many leases for gold mining have been applied for under the Mines Act owing to new quartz discoveries in the Kanieri and Taipo districts. Kuhara, March 21st. Father Hennebery, through an agent, opened a shop in the main street for the sale of candles, rosaries, &c, and was required by the police to take out a business license, which was done. Blenheih, March 23rd. The correspondent of the Express telegraphs from Havelock, that considerable excitement is manifested there over the opening of the new terrace at Wakamarina. The prospectors obtained an ounce to the tub of Bieving. The ground is deep, and another week will be required before it can be properly tested. Blenheim, Ma.rch 26tb. A special reporter to the Express gays two other payable terraces have been opened at Wakamarina, between Deep Creak and the Forks. The prospect obtained as previously reported from the terrace should be an ounce to each set of timber put in, not per tub. Cromwell, March 25th. Agricultural leases for over 7000 acres of land in the Cromwell district were, granted on Saturday, premiums up to L 77 being given at the Registrar's auction sale. The demand far exceeds the supply. The land revenue thereon amounted to LSOO. Mr Finn, solicitor at Queenstown, was committed for contempt by Warden Stratford. He has brought an action for LIOOO for false im prisonment. The case is creating considerable excitement. Oamaru, March 27th. The circus aud show were very largely attended last night. The receipts are stated to have been LI2OO, and the audience must therefore have numbered not less than 6000. The show has remained here over today, and afternoon and evening performances have taken plaae It moves on to Waimate tomorrow.