TELEGRAMS.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1980, 16 October 1875, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

Wellington, October 14. | A brilliant ball was given last night by the members |. of the Assembly. About 400 peraons were present, i including his Excellency the Governor, Lady Nor- I rnanby, and Captain Digby, of H.M.S. Sappho. It '. was held in the large building just erected as an ; addition to the Museum, and the rooms were decorated with flags of. all nations. There was an excellent band, and every arrangement was perfect. New Plymouth, October 14. ; The Waitara and New Plymouth Railway was | opened to-day. Miss Carrington christened the ] engine " The Fox," and thu first train started at 9"15 ( taking about 115 passengers. On its arrival at ] Waitara the Dputy-Superinteudent declared the line ! open, and spoke eloquently on the benefit to be - derived from tho Public Works Policy initiated by ' Sir Julius Vogel. The train then took forty ( passengej'B back to town. The day waß proclaimed a ' public holiday, and trains run free during the day. The first free train took 400 to Waitara. Messrs Brogden give a ball this evening to which a large number are invited. All the public offices are closed except the Post and Telegraph, offices. . ( October 15. ( A man named. Brady fell down dead at his own i door this morning. i Brogden's ball was a great success last night. The j train of nine carriages crowded with people was j running all day yesterday between Waitara and New Plymouth. j Dunedin, October 15. The following are the produce quotations : —Flour, \ £10 10s ; oatmeal, £15 : pearl barley, £26 ; bran, £4 10s; pollard, £6 ; chaff, £4 10s; hay, £4 5s j ( potatoes, £4; carrots, £3; wheat, 3s 6d to 4s 3d j ] barley, ss; oats, 2s 6d to 2s9d; butter, Is 3d to | Is 6d; cheese, lid to Is. j Hokitika, October 15. At the sale yards, to-day, beef averaged 40s to 45s < per lOOlbs; sheep, merinoes, 14s 6d ; half-breds, 20s. ; Auckland, October 15. i Mr Binney reports :—Mour: Ohristohurch, £11; ( Dunedin, £1110s; Oamaru, £13 ; bran, £5 ; pollard, ] £7; oatmeal, £16; pearl barley, £26 ; wheat, 4i9d ; i oat?, 2s lOd : cheese, lOd ; bams and bacon, lid to < Is; maize, 4s; hops, (Nelson) Is lid.; potatoes, £3. \ The market in all kinds of produce is completely glutted, and ifc is a matter of impossibility to quit, j except retail parcels. Yesterday a few shipments of | maiza amounting to three]hundred bags arrived from i Fiji. i Mr Buckland reports:—Beef, 30s to 37s 6d per t lOOlbs. Sheep: Last week's advance in prioe was ] sustained; fat sheep ia wool, 4£d ; shorn, 3Jd, per ( pound. . i The Kaiapara railway is completed and only awaits c Mr Passmora'i arrival to open. j Wellington, October 14. i The House met at 2*30 p.m. c In reply to Mr Swanson, the Native Minister said t that Mr Brissenden's dismissal from the Land Pur- i chase Department had nothing to do with his land t purchases, which had always been perfectly regular, f and entirely satisfactory. Mr Brissenden had written i asking to terminate his contract with the Govern- c mtnt. . ■. ■■ 8 Several bills were passed through their third read- i ings, including the Lodgers' Enfranchisement Bill. t For a considerable portion of the afternoon the c House was occupied in discussing the fifth clause of \ the Representation Bill, but no progress waa.made up ( to 530, when the House rose. October 15. \ The House resumed in Committee on the Repro- t sentation Bill, and sat until 340 a.m. ; 1 Mr W. Kelly's amendment for making a new electoral district of, the Southern East Coast, and J giving it one member was negatived by 45 to 22, and i Napier having another member was agreed to. Mr Pyke proposed that all new electorates be a eliminated except the Thames and Dunedin which r should each have another member, and was carried a by 44 to 22. ] Mr Bryce moved that another member be given to i: Wanganui. The Minister of Justice opposed it. t Ayes, 29 ; Noes, 25. c Amendments were proposed to give the Waikato, Mataura, the Buller, the Bay of Islands and Mongonui, i Newton, and Wakatip each an additional member, a were lost on division. c Mr Waleß moved that three extra members be given f to Dunedin, and Mr Pyke two extra. Both were lost - by 40 to 13. Sir George Grey proposed that the extra member \ for Timaru be struck out. Lost by 46 to 6. r An amendment by Mr Dignan, that there should ] still be two electoral districts ia the City of Auckland \ was accepted by Government. \ Mr Ballance's amendment providing for the repre-" gentadon of minorities was withdrawn. ,■ j Serorftl attempts were made to report progreas, but I i

were negatived. Clause sas amended was pasted, and the Bill now stands at Clause 6. . The House met at 2*30 to-day. The report of the Piaka swamp sale was read. It considered the sale a good one, and the road made through the swamp was of public utility. . At the same time it expressed regret that the regulations had not been in force before the sale was effected. The Representation Bill is to be re-committed when Mr Jackson moves for another member for Waikato. Mr Tairoa asked whether the Government intended to restore any of the confiscated lands in the Waikato, to Tawhio and others. Sir Donald M'Leansaid they would adhere to the law in the matter. Mr Richmond made an effort to obtain for evening papers five hundred words during the day at evening rates, but the Hon. Mr Reynolds refund, saying it would cauae serious loss to the department, and that by choking the wires in business hours n'ith Press work would interfere with and delay the transmission of private messages which paid a very higk rate, and it would produce much dissatisfaction among the publio. The thing had been tried in England and exactly those results followed. Mr Pyke strongly urged the Commissioner of Customs to re-consider his decision. ; There was other business not of general interest. Major Atkinson gave notice of his intention to introduce a bill to regulate the payment of honorarium to members. ' The report of the Committee upon the Westport colliery reserve has been brought up aud read. It recommended the appointment of a special committee to enquire into the matter. In reply to a question the Hon Mr Richardson said that was the course the Government had intended to adopt when the proper time arrived. ;