Phillips, for stealing from a dwelling, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. New Plymouth, October 8. Major Atkinson left for Wellington yes terday. ■Christchurch, October 8. At the Criminal Sittings of the iSupreme Court to-day, Henry Exon, for larceny, was sentenced to a months' imprisonment ; Alexander Walter Mackenzie, for bestiality, to 10 years' penal servitude ; Charles O'Kean Thomson, for forgery, to 13 years' panal servitude ; Henry Hecc, for bigamy, to four years' penal servitude ; Harry Master, for receiving stolen goods, to 12 months' im prisonment. The Exhibition of Colonial Produce is fixed to open en December 16' th. Hokitika, Oct. 11. The Tararua arrived here at 10 o'clock last night. Cargo for Hokitika, 100 tons ; 12 passengers. Melbourne, Oct. 5. The Education Rebate is still proceeding, aud the Government is likely to have a majority in the Assembly. The Legislative Council has rejected the Permissive and Labor Bills, and' struck' out the ' main prin ciples of the Mining on Private Property Bill. The attention of the Government has been called to the rejection of these mea sures, and they acknowledged the responsi bility of tho matter, and promised to adopt necessary measures. The miners are returning from Charters Towers in numbers. Tenders have been, accepted for 35 miles of railway construction from Newstead to Maryborough, and from Burrnmbeet to Beaufort— the former at the rate of L 2,700, the latter at LSI 64 per mile. " '" Alexander and James Govan have been committed for trial on a charge of conspiring to defraud. The ' Australian Alliance Insurance Com*. pany has declared a dividend of 10 per cent.,' with L 32,000 carried to the reserve fund. The racehorses are arriving from Sydney. Mr De Haga, formerly of the Lyster Opera Company, blew out his brains yesterday. Weecburcb, the convict, who was recently respited for' a murderous attack on the In spector-General of Prisons, attempted to commit suicide' by opening a rein in his arm. A Ballarat firm has accepted a tender to construct fifteen locomotives to cost over L 50.000. Commercial.— Sales bf over 12,000 bushels of New Zealand wheat have been' made up to 6s l^d, mostly for shipment. Oats are dull, and only a moderate' business is doing in the import markets. Bank stocks are in demand for investment. The revenue returns for the year show an increase of L212.4G4. 