[Press Special Wire.]

Press, Volume XXXI, Issue 4205, 20 January 1879, Page 3

[Press Special Wire.]

Auckland, January 18. _ The We ; leyan Conference continued its sittings to-day. Ths following were present The Revs. W. Morley (president), J. Crump. Buddie. Warren. Wallis, Kirk, Beid, Bavin! lsitt, McNicol. Lee, Bichardson, Brown, Bull,' Gittos, Scbnacke-b.r«r, Law, Worker, H H Lawry. and Whewell, together with the College students. The stationing committee brought forward their first draft of stations, which was aa follows :—Auckland College, Rev. T. Buddie; Auckland circuit, Rev. Morley and G. Bond ; Thames, Rev. W. J. Watkins; Hokianga, Rev Mr Hammond ; Pukekohe, Bey. Joseph Buttle; Waikato, Rev. Mr Thomas; Manukau, Rev. J. Law; Taranaki, Rev. McNicel; Wanganui, Rev. Mr Lee; Rangitikei, Rev. H. Lawry; Wellington, Revs. Kirk and Williams ; Napier, Rev. W. Oliver; Nelson, Rev. Bavin and Rouse; HoKtika, Bey. J. Bmith; Christchnreh, Revs. Reid and Baumcer; St. Albans, Rev. Mr Bichardson; Colombo road, Rev. Mr Emalley ; Bangiora, Beys. ConneD. and EBis; Kaiapoi, Rev Mr Armitage; Dunedin, Rev. J. Crump; Morning-ton. Bey. J. J. Lewis; InvercarKi-1, Bey. B. S. Dunn.

Referring to the telegram from London that the German man-of-war was directed to exact satisfaprtion from Samoa, the " Star" to-roght says :—The Taimua and Faigula in August last refused to fulfil, or to state a time when they would fulfil, article 4 of an agreement, or rather a'distinct promise, made on the 3rd of July, 1877, guaranteeing perfect equality of rights to the Imperial German Government. The German shrjFof war Ariadne left port on the 15th August, pro-ceding to Saluafata for the purpose of attaching that harbor and vicinity as security for tho faithful fulfilment of the said obligation by the Taimua and Faigula, or until further orders were received from the German Government. The Ariadne left Apia on the 15th, and on the following morning proclaimed tho attachment of faluafata for the above-named reasons. She proceeded to CaleaGti, and on tbe morning of the 17th that ha-bor was attached in the same maimer as _alu_i_ta.

January 19. A party of four men who have been prospecting the island of Waiheke for several months yesterday brought to Auckland a quantity of specimens containing very heavy metal, supposed to be platinum. They also report that fine gold specimens are said to have been found near the manganese mine. At a gathering of Wesleyan Sunday schools to-day the Theatre Royal was crammed. There were supposed to be 2000 present. Addresses were delivered by various members of the Conference now in Auckland.

A man -named Pat. Murphy was arrested today on warrant, charged with stealing articles of the value of .£2B from a dwelling house in Hobson street.

A swindle of a somewhat unusual nature has just been brought to light, and the matter is now iv the hands of the police. A man named Parker, formerly in business as a tailor, for some time past has bean iv the habit of going r-und the city getting goats for the purpose of cleaning them. In all cases he told a pitiable tale, representin? himself to be starving and unable to get work, although he was an excellent cleaner, dyer, and presser of clothes. Ho so far prevailed upon many of the leading merchants and tradesmen that tbey consented to give him crats to clean. No sooner, however, had he got them into his possession that he sold them at an old clothes shop and expended the money in drink. On Saturday one of the customers of the coat cleaner and dyer observed his swallow tail exposed for sale. Naitbb, January 18. PA messenger just arrived from Longlands brought intelligence of the sudden.death of Mr James Watt, late of Watt Bro _, Napier, and well-known in ep-prting circles throughout New Zealand. He appeared quite well when in town yesterday

Wanganui, January 18.

At the Police Court this morning- before a full .Bench, Sergeant Donnelly and Constable Buchanan were charged by Sub-inspector Goodall with having usei insulting language.and behaviour towards each other in "a public place, calculated to provoke a breach of the peace. The charge against Buchanan was dismissed, that I against Donnelly was sustained, the Bench imposing the mitigated penalty of forty shillings and costs on the ground that the latter defendant was at the. time laboring under a strong feeling of provocation which, however, the Bench did consider justified. WEMjnsaTON, January 18. A footrace took place to-day between Delaney aud Webber, for .820; distance, 100, 150, and 200 yards. Webber won the first event hy abont half a yard. He also .won the second event hy about two yards.

The Primitive Methodist {conference continned its sitting yesterday and to-day. Reports wen presented from the various churches in the colony of a satisfactory character. A resolution was passed advocating the formation of an Australian conference. The Beys. Clover and Guy were ordained. Dunedin, January 19.

A -tore and dwelling belonging t. Peter Rutherford, of Caver-ham, was destroyed by fire last night, through the upsetting of a kerosene can. The New Zealand Insurance ofiice is interested to the extent of £2000, and the South British .£2OO.

Messrs P.. Oftrer, M.H.R., and W. H. Reynolds, have been appointed Governors of the H-gh School. A new club is to be established in Dunedin. The prem<ses elected by the promoters are those of the Occidental Hotel, High street. James Owen, the cook of the steamer Antrim, Qaeenstown, took strychnine this morning. He is a single man, and his act is attributed to jealousy. Medical assistance was obtained, and he may recover. *• Invbbcabgill, January 19. The men at Nugget and Cornish's reef at the Upper Bhotover have struck work. They had been promised £4 per week, £1 in cash and the remainder out of the gold. As the tunnel has now been pierced for nearly 400 feet, and no gold found, they refuse to work any longer. A meeting of shareholders is to be held at Dunedin on the 24th instant to decide the question. Business at Arrow-own 'and Qaeenstown is now beginning to recover, and the effects of the late flood aro passing away. The body of a man named John Morrison was found in the Otamite, near Wantwood, on Friday. He had been drinking, and when last seen alive appeared to be suffering from delirium tremens.