Our southern contemporaries, however, have given them full publicity. The Olago Daily Times and the Canterbury Press have it " That Sir George Grey bos lent home hiu resignation on the plea of ill health, and that General Cameron it to be his successor ;" while the Daily Telegraph has some additional in formation about a, decided " split " having occured be tween the Governor and Ministry. This last item of information has been true any time during the last few months, as Sir Geoige Grey and Ministers have been constantly "splitting." — Wellington Independent, August 27. Tat Islands.— We take the following from the Melbourne Argus: — "We learn by a private letter from a settler in the Fiji Islands, dated the 22nd ultimo, that the sovereignty of the islands — refused by Great Britain— had been offered to Prance, through the Governor of New Caledonia. Protection against the Tongese had also been solicited from the same power. The writer proceeds to state that the small flock of sheep lately taken down to the islands by an old Victorian settler, have suffered from eating a poisonous plant. Of €00 ewes just about lambing, 120 died in th.c course of a fortnight, He describes the climate, as delightful, and as ♦ never o6ld and never hot.'" ( " ' A Coppbb Colony.— Our readers might' have recently seen a reported disoovery r of gold near Adelaide. The Soutfi Australian Register says, in reference to this i — "A great and almokt ludicrous mistake' has been made in oonneotion with the reported discovery of a gold-field at Woodside, within twenty ( or thirty miles of Adelaide.' Some golij, Lit v true/wa^found * but the greater number of the' i nuggets aUcbverecl were— oopper ! " {

Yesterday afternoon, at two o'clock, an inquest on the body of Charles Morrison, tailor, was held at the Royal Hotel, Official Bay, before Dr. Philson, ooro ner, and a jury, of whom Mr. J. Flower was foreman. The jury having inspected the body, tho following evidence wan taken :—: — John Conachcr McLeod deposed : lam an inn keeper, and reside in West Qneen-street. My house is called the Albion Hotel. I was acquainted with tho deceased , having known him for about eight mouths. He usually went under the name of French Charley, and he was by trade a tailor. 