INTERPROVINCIAL.

Ashburton Herald, Volume I, Issue 238, 4 January 1879, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

From the New Zealand Press Association to the “Echo.”

Auckland, Friday.

The amount of gold sold from the Thames district last-year was 61,607 ozs, being 5192 ozs less than the quantity raised last year. During the month, of December -2532 'tons of quartz were crushed, yielding 44050zs 6dwts 12grs of melted gold. A •“New Plymouth, Friday. The Southern mails by the coast route, with Wellington dates to Dec. 21 and 24, only reached here to-day. Steamers fre- - quently bring mails four or five days before the previous overland one reaches here. -vP ' V ■ j ' -u Timaru,' Friday. The nominations of Mr. Buckingham, as, against Mr John Studholme, at Waimate yesterday for Gladstone seat in the General Assembly, was a great surprise. He has since retired in favor of Mr. Studholme, who is now duly elected. u The latter is a strong opponent of the present Government, and favors denominational education. ? t The, interruption • of. goods t traffic by damage to the Rangitata railway bridge • i 3 causing very great inconvenience in Timaru, a 3 large quantities of wool, grain, stone and other products ' are accumulating. : Wellington, Friday. J. A. Mackay, late manager of the Bank of New Zealand at the Hutt, was committed for trial for forgery. A customer of the .bank named Tlios. Mahey .gave. . him a cheque signed in blank to draw out a balance of £Bl from Patea. The inspection coming on, Mackay filled this up for £I3OO and passed it as cash. An unexpected audit a few days after disclosed the fraud. Mackay was also committed on a charge of larceny of £l3lO from the bank. •' There . were landed from the Otaki yesterday 1700 rounds Armstrong shot and shell for guns already in the ’ Colony. The second prize of £4OO in Hughes’ sweep was drawn by Mrs Harry Bennet, of the Commercial Hotel. . Mr Vai’ley, the lecturer, sails South on Monday. ' . - , , S. J. Hill, who has for some time been in gaol for contempt in disobeying ah order of the Supreme Court not to molest his wife, there being a deed of separation, was released to-day. A “ Gazette” issued to-day contains an Order in Council making a change in the Telegraph Regulations, so as to legalise special wire arrangements, and give evening papers 1500 words per day at evening rates. Marton, Friday. A serious fire broke out during this afternoon in the new' Temperance Hotel ; ; and destroyed it and Russell's house. The Temperance Hotel was insured in the , Victoria for £6OO and in the Nutional for ; £IOO. The insurances, if any, on Russell’s are not known. ' ’ ■■ - - A / Invercargill, Friday. Mr. Andrew Kinross, one. oftheeandidates for Matura in the place of Mr. W. Wood, addressed a meeting of electors tonight. Mr. Crisp occupied the'chair, Mr. Kinross, in the course of liis adddresa declared himself as most decidedly in favor of the Grey party on all general questions. . He approved the deferred payment system regarding the Crown lands, arid claimed credit for-having suggested such a system in the Provincial Council when he was a rpember of that body. He would support a reduction, in the price of deferred payment land, and the extension of time, so that at the_end of three years duminies could not hand over their - holdings to capitalists. _He lauded the Hon. Robert Stout as Minister of Lands. Speaking on the franchise hg : advocated manhood suffrage, with ono year’s colonial and short local - residence. The numbers should, in his opinion, b@ * eliminated from the backs of Ballot papers, He believed in an elective Legislative Council, but the power to elect should be ■ vested in the proper parties—not capitalists. He agreed with .the principle of the land-tax, and thought it desirable that subsequently there should be an income-

tax. He would support the Ministry in any measures they might ad. pt to restrict Chinese immigration. At the conclusion of his speech a unanimous vote of confidence was adopted.