MAIL SUMMARY FOR Europe and America.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 190, 10 August 1904, Page 6

MAIL SUMMARY FOR Europe and America.

OUR HOME LETTER. AUCKLAND, August 9. Parliament has Ijcl-ii oe.upicd throughout the past three weeks with the debate on the Financial Statement, but the discussion has been on the whole dull and comparauvely unimportant. The Legislative Council rejected by 19 votes to 8 a bill introduced by a private member with the object of making the law more strict against tied hotels. Replying to a no-lice:ise deputation the Premier said it was the duty of the Government to ascertain the wishes of the people and to give effect to them, and as far as he could he would endeavour to do so. He suggested that the wishes of the people should be ascertained with regard to the '"no-licer.se no-liquor clause" of last year's bill. This was no party question, but a bill would be introduced which would render impossible a recurrence of the trouble that arose in the Newtown and Bruce no-license polls at the last election, and the Government would do their best to pass it. The election of a member of the House of Representatives for Pahiatua to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mr. O'Meara was held on July 28, and resulted in the return of 'Mr Hawkins (Independent Liberal and Prohibitionist), who polled 1418 votes, the other candidates polling as follows: Buick (Government) 1323, Bolton (Opposition) 476, Crewe (Independent Liberal) 138, Mimro (Opposition) 14. A protest has been lodged against Mr. Hawkins' election on the ground, of alleged irregularity in the polling.

The colony was visited by a rather severe earthquake on Tuesday last, extending from Gisborne to Christchurch, but the damage done was comparatively slight. In Wellington some of the brick buildings were shaken, and there was a good deal of destruction of chimneys botb north and south, but no person sustained any injury. The 'quake was felt so slightly hi Auckland that it was not recorded by the instrument, and it was not felt at all in Rotorua. the centre of thermal activity in this province. Football has been eventful during the last few weeks. The British Rugby team, having completed the first portion of its victorious Australian tour, has arrived in New Zealand, and last Saturday (August 3) played the first game against a New Zealand team at Christchurch. Under adverse conditions tbey defeated Canterbury by five points to three, but the match is not regarded as providing any true index of the respective form of the rival teams, the ground being very sloppy, and the ball too greasy for accurate passing. The Auckland representative team has commenced playing its annual "fixtures. It secured a win of 15 points to nil against the Combined Goldfields, and a runaway victory by -12 points to nil against Thames. Wellington beat the local men by six points to three at Auckland. The New South Wales Association team completed a tour of New Zealand on July 30. Of th_ eight matches played, four were won, two drawn, and two lost. They were beaten by Wellington province by a goal 'o nil. and by'Otngo, four coals to two; ) vt crpnernlly speaking they had the bet'•v of thing's, scoring 25 goals, while tboir opponents secured 12. The people of Hokitika have decided to make a presentation of a piece of gold plate to Mr Seddon ou September 20, when the Premier will have represented the district In Parliament for a quarter of a century. Mr Seddon is expected to visit the Coast on this occasion, and he will be suitably entertained.