WEEKLY EPITOME.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 51, 18 April 1874, Page 7

WEEKLY EPITOME.

Thbee candidates were nominated on the 13th imt., for the re.presentation of Dunedm in the General Assembly — viz., Mr G. E. Barton, Mr N.Y. A Wales, and Mr J. G. S. Grant. The show of hands was largely in favour of Mr Grant, and a poll was demanded on behalf of Mr Barton. The election excites very little interest It is proposed to iiivite Mr Vogel to a public dinner in Wellington. Mb Stewart, the representative of a colonizing band from the North of Ireland, bus returned to Tauranga from Kati Kati and reports favorably of the laud, soil, and the position. He complains that several stctions of the best land have been given to the Natives by the Government, otherwise he would decide upon settling Kati Kati at once. The population of Wellington Province is about 30,000. The increase since 1871 is 25 per cent, on the last census return. The ' Thames Advertiser' gives the month's gold returns of the field, as 11,6260z., being an increase of 33850z., over last month. These have been heavy floods on the West Coast. At Reefton the Buller Kiver rose 30 feet in 12 hours, but no damage waß done of any importance. At Greymouth, the stone protection work stood tome severe tests, and saved the town from utter destruction. It was the highest flood yet known in Greymouth. A TJjiiEafiAM has been received from the Agent-General, dated April 2 d, announcing 83 despatched for the Colony during March the following vessels;, with immigrants : — The Buckingham, Hiudostan, Caroline, and Carlsruhe, for Otago, with 1500 souls ; the Northampton, City of Dunedin, and Stonehouse, for Lyttelton, with 1320 aouls ; the Peeress (name of place not decipherable, but supposed to be Timaru) , with 260 souls ; the Wishart and Queen of Nations, for Auckland, with 630 souls ; the Wailato, for Wellington, with 370 souls ; and the Halcione, for Napier, with 340 souls. It is etated that tbo General Government intend to lend £50,000 at 6 per cent., to the 1 Lames Companies, to tee>fc the deep levels of that goldfiekt. £6000 is now available. At the annual meeting of the South Britieh Insurance Company held lately at Auckland, the accounts bbowed :i dioposable balance of J822,509, which was appropriated as follows :— £lo,ooo Wa9 added to the reserve fund ; 2* 6d per share to capital, absorbing £4687 ; carried forward to uexi half-year, £7822. Tho Morven Hills Station has again changed handi, Colonel Whitmore having sold it to Mr Jamea Cogle, of Tasmania, for £130,000. A movement has been going on for some time amongst the flrood Templare of Wellington to get a number of public-houses closed. Severa. petitions were hawked round, and numerously signed. The

time for lodging them expired on the night of the 13th inst, and they were presented at the Magistrate's Court on the following morning, but refused as being too late. The Conference between the Council of the New Zealand University and the deputations from the Otago University and Canterbury College has agreed that a new University Act should be drafted by the Council, embodying the terms and conditions upon which the affiliation of tbe Southern Colleges should be carried out. The Old Whau Company, Thames, hare declared a dividend of £3 per share. 3000 shares are held by Thames residents. 237 nominations for immigrants were sent from Inveicargill by the Suez Mail this month Since the 20th of October last, when free nominations commenced, 2558 nominations have been sent from the Invercargill office. The Sydney 'Morning Herald' of the 28th March, writing respecting the escape of the French Communists from New Caledonia, remarks : — "The arrival of these prisoners will justify the apprehension which has already been expressed, that the Australian colonies have something to fear from the establishment of a large penal settlement in such close neighbourhood." The ' Wakatip Mail ' says : — " The miners here, at least, do not seem to value the opportunity offered them of forwarding gold to the Melbourne mint, as none was forwarded per last escort." The ' Dunstan Times ' complains of the little local assistance given to mining enterprise there, but says that so far as assisting cooperative labor the capitalists of Dunedin have been very liberal, and that there is no reason to complain of want of support from them. The Ship William Pavie has arrived at the Bluff, all well : 85 days out from London. She brings 289 immigrants, and reports the deaths of nine infants on the voyage. The following is late news by telegram : — A deputation of the Irish members of Parliament waited upon the Premier, asking for the release of the Fenian prisoners. Mr Disraeli declined to grant the request. — The German Parliament has passed a new Press Law. — Thirty-two Austrian Bishops havo denounced theEcclesiastioal laws as tyrannical. — The Archbishop of Cologne has beenarrested. The escape of Eochcfort and others has caused great surprise in France, and consternation in New Caledonia. Thomas Manning, the owner of the Berdan Retorting Furnace, Grahamstown, has been fined £200, with the alternative of three months' imprisonment, for a bieach of the Quartz Crushing Regulation and Inspection Act. The case was got up by the Police. A detective was employed as informer to carry stone to the defendant, who neglected to make the requisite entry in the register book, hence the prosecution. The magistrate commented severely ou the action of the Police in entrapping a man into the commission of a crime. " Thb Life, Character, and Work of tne Rev. John Wesley, M.A., founder of the Methodist Society," formed the subject of a lecture by the Rev. Mr Roseby of the Congregational Church, Dunedin, a few evenings ago. Messrs Hallenstein & Co.'s New Zealand Clothing Factory was visited last week by the Right Rev. Dr Moran, and the representatives of the Dunedin Press. The party was shows round the premises by the mauaging partner, Mr Anderson, and the manager, Mr Fox. Before leaving the factory Dr Moran expressed to his cicerones his gratification at the respectable appearance of the operatives, and the evident order and regularity which pervaded all, and remarked on the great importance to the plare of a flourishing industry which gave profitable employment to bo many. The Catholics of Akaroa have to congratulate themselves en the monetary succets of the bazaar held in the Akaroa Town Hall on the 6th and 7th instants ; the purpose being the raising of sufficient funds for the proper completion of the Presbytery, now in course of erection adjoining the church in Pompallier street. The different stalls were presided over by the Misses De Malmanche, Mrs Rodrigues, the Misses Witely, Mrs Hahn, Miss Waeekerle, and others ; and certainly the trade done was in the superlative degree of the class called " roaring." The gross receipts during the two days exceeded £150, a very large amount to be expended in so small a community as Akaroa. The following is the Auditors' Peport of the H.A.CB.S. Grahamstown Branch, No. 35, for the Quarter ending 2nd March, 1874. Amount to credit of Sick Fund, £407 15s Id; lucidental Fund, £52 18s 6d ; Funeral Fund, not remitted, £16 8s Od : Total, £477 Is 7d. Increaso during Quarter : Siik Fund, £20 9s 2d ; Funeral Fund, £8 8s 2d : Total, £28 17s 4d. Number of Members : F iuancial, 110 ; Unfinancial, 38 : Total, 148.