TELEGRAPHIC. (From the Daily Southern Cross.) (Herald Correspondent). Thames, Sunday.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 365, 15 September 1874, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC. (From the Daily Southern Cross.)

(Herald Correspondent). Thames, Sunday.

Tauronga, Saturday. The reported goldfield discovery tliirty-tive miles •south of Tamanga, reported by the Coromandd News, is not credited here. A prospecting party will, however, probably be formed immediately. Town sections are changing owners at high prices. The Government offices are nearly completed. Immigration cottages are in course of erection. Rotorua, Saturday. The Te Wliitu meeting is over. J. C. Young was present, representing the Government. The nathos from the Haulm u settlement have talked ovtr laud purchases and roads. The meeting was favorable to Government's action. Wellington, Saturday. It i.s understood that Mr Walter Kennaway, Provincial Secretary of Canteibury. lias been appointed secretary to the Agent-General, and goes home -very shortly to enter upon his duties. Christchurch, Saturday. Mr Rolleston addressed his constituents of the Avon district last night in a laboured speech of two hours' duration. The principal part was devoted to a resume of the Acts of the General Assembly from 1872 to 1874. He did not enter into the question of the abolition of the provinces so fully as expected. Having re\ iewed the Assembly business from 1872, he said it was much to be regretted that Mr Vogel was about to leave for England at a time when his presence in the colony, considering the vast undertaking the colony had embarked in, was absolutely necessary. (Loud cries of " Hear, hear.') He proceeded to contrast contributions of the North and Middle Islands to the general and Customs revenue to the colony, and pointed out that the contribution of Canterbury and Otago to the Customs revenue was nearly equal to the contributions of the rest of the colony. Pie complained of the threat of dissolution held out last session by Mr Vogel in the event of the House not agreeing with the proposed abolition of the Northern provinces. He maintained that this was a most unconstitutional threat for a Minister of the Crown to make use of, because no doubt it had a very considerable influence on the minds of many hon members, who were perhaps under the impression they did not possess the confidence of their constituents, and that if they went to them for re-election they would be defeated. Respecting the abolition of the Northern provinces he thought such a question was must inopportune ; that people had elected the members of the present Assembly on a totally different platform. For the main part members had been elected by the people to support the Government in its scheme of immigration and public works, and it was unfair to the people of the colony when only one more .session of the Assembly was unexpired to a->lc the House to agree to a proposition which would have the effect of wiping out the institutions of a portion of the colony. He had frequently declared that he (Mr Rolleston) was no ultra provincialist. If the people expressed a desire that there should be a change ; if they expressed it in an unmistakeable manner, he for one would most willingly agree with their desires, and do his best for a now order of things ; but ho maintained that the people of the colony had no opportunity for doing this, and until they had he was clearly of opinion that such a proposal as that made by Mr Vogel last session was most inopportune. At the conclusion of the speech a vote of confidence in Mr Rolleston was unanimously passed.

During the performance of Maggie Night's Troupo, on Saturday niglit, the Academy of Music had a nanow escape from destruction by fire, and probably of fatal consequences resulting to a portion of the audience. Fire was observed from the outside, confined to a room at the top of the gallery, giving access to a balcony- At the moment of the first alarm, Inspector Bullen was at the "corner," and, seeing a reflection ran across the road, followed by George McCaul. Both men rushed upstairs, through the g.illery, and broke into the room. The audience then saw fire, and the alarm was insantly taken, when every person in the gallery made a rush downstairs, where they were met by those coming from the pit. A jam and frightful scene ensued. Strong men were seen to be fighting to get out, and terrified women were screaming. Several of the audience jumped from the gallery to the pit. The panic was, however, promptly allayed by Inspector Bullen and others. Several ladies had their dresses almost torn off their backs, and one was insensible for some time afterwards. Inspector Bullon found the room referred to in a blaze, and mowed the lire down with his umbrella, while McCaul stamped upon it as the blazing paper fell. The Inspector was badly burnt about the hands. Both he and McCaul behaved coolly. Their conduct is deserving of the highest commendation. Another minute later ami the fire would have bi oken tin ough into the gallery. Had this happened no one could then have got near it, owing to the rush of people from the gallery, and the block of magnificent buildings would probably have been destroyed. It is supposed that a kerosene lamp which had been left there a few minutes before had burst,and occasioned the fire. There was only one mode of egress available last night, and that was by the side door, and this is where the pit and gallery audience meet. The front doors were closed.