INTERCOLONIAL.

Southland Times, Issue 1559, 2 April 1872, Page 3

INTERCOLONIAL.

The s.s. Rangitoto arrived at Hokitika on the 26th ult. The following telegrams of the news received by her appear in the Otago Daily Times : — Melbourne, March 20. Mr Webb has left for Sydney. The case of breach of promise of marriage, in which Miss Maunsell, daughter of a Melbourne solicitor, sued Michael Cassius, a New Zealand mine owner, for £5000, has been concluded. The jury awarded £350 damages. A Ministerial banquet takes place tonight at Castlemaine, when the Government programme will be submitted, and it is believed Mr Yogel will be present The Theatre Royal has been totally destroyed by fire, and a large amount of damage done to the surrounding properties. Mr Vale has promised further concessions as to the drawbacks, in order to facilitate the intercolonial trade. Mr Dunne has been sworn in as a Judge. Hewitt, the pedestrian, beat the boy Bedford easily in the five-mile race. Davis, a gardener at Brighton, has preferred a charge against his wife of an attempt to poison him. The house of Mr Leslie Moodie, Inspector of Distilleries, has been burned down. The fire was caused through one of the inmates reading in bed. A charge of cruelty ta a child from the Industrial School has been preferred against the Rev. Mr Abrahams, of the Anglican Church, Emerald Hill, and his wife. The observance of St. Patrick's Day was marred by heavy weather. No clue has been obtained to the origin of the fire by which the Theatre Royal was destroyed. St. George's Hall had a narrow escape from being burned also. Flour is at £12 15s, and wheat at 5s sd. Of New Zealand oats, a fine sample ex St. Kilda, a portion was auctioned at 33 3d; the rest was held for an advance in price. Maize is at 3s 6d. In Tookey's shares no sales are recorded ; they are asked for at £5, Sydney. The police traced the murdered man, Bridges, wardroom steward of theßosario, whose body was lately found floating in the harbor with the skull smashed in, from the time of his leaving the ship till he took a situation near Parramatta, near where his body was found. The police have apprehended a butcher named Nichols, and a iad named Lester, who is only nineteen years of age. Both of them had previously been in gaol. Lester had in his possession a watch belonging to a man named Walker, who has been missing for some time, and whose body was subsequently found. It is believed that a regular Bystem of murders has been discovered. Nichols exhibits bravado, but Lester is terror stricken, and will probably turn approver. Eight more survivors of the New Guinea expedition have been discovered alive. It appears that two rafts left the Maria. One of them, containing thirteen men, when near the shore, capsized, and five of the men were drowned. Those who escaped were hospitably treated by the natives. Further north the second raft was found, together with several bodies strewed about. Some of the men had apparently been drowned, and others killed by the natives. The search for the Burvivors is still being continued. A steam hammer quartz crusher has been patented. Adelaide. Government bonds to the amount of £11,000, bearing 6 per cent, interest, and redeemable in 1910, have been taken up by the Savings Bank at £14 10a premium. The preliminary works of the Glenelg railway are progressing. A cargo of Mauritius sugars, ex Sarah, has been sold, the rates obtained generally sustaining the market. There is a strong enquiry for wheat at from 5s 5d to 5s 6d. Laxtwceston. It has been decided by the Roman Catholics to institute a convent, and they are accordingly raising money for that purpose. I