NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume XXXVI, Issue 5083, 22 December 1881, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

[PBB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUCKLAND, December 21. Fifty-four boys and thirty-eight girls have entered M candidates from the public schools for the sixteen scholarships of the Board of Education. A movemeDfc has been commenced for lighting Cambridge, Waikato, with gas. Mr J. M. Clark, Mayor, was installed today for the second term. Hβ gave a banquet in the evening to the members of the Council and officials of the Corporation. Te Ngakau, Tawbaio'e private secretary, paid a visit to the Hon. F. WhiUker this morning in company with Mr Sheeharu A long conversation took place, in whioh Te Ngakau declared plainly that in a *hort time matters between the Maoris and Europeans would be as they were thirty years ago, that they would be as one people. After the interview the JDngifce dignitary drove round the town with Mr Sheehan, and expristed pleasure at the prosperity and advancement everywhere evident. He leaves town h a couple of days. In connection with his vieh it is stated to be quite on the cards that Kawhia Harbor will be opened shortly. Libeller is soratohed for all his engagements at the Auckland meeting. The Hen. F. Whitaker and Mr Sheehan have left fur the Thames, it is presnmed to complete cettain Upper Thames Native land purchases. PATE A, December 21. The Collector of Customs at. W&nganui prosecuted herein three eases under the Beer Duty Act yesterday. William James Gibbons, brewer, was fined £20 and oosts for not using a stamp, the magistrate holding that the penalty imposed was a fixed one, but re oommended a rebate. ' Francis Muller and James O'Sullivan, publicans, were caoh fined 20s and posts for using wrong stamps. WELLINGTON, December 21. It is feared that the orops in a portion of the Wairarapa district will seffer from the heavy winds whioh prevailed here during the present month. in response to a requisition, the Mayor has convened a publio meeting to disouss the question of the recent oonviotion of China* men for playing fan ten. The flood in the Hutt river has subsided, and no serious damage is reported. The steamers Jane Douglas, S'ormbird, and Manawatu, belonging to the Wellington and Wanganui line of steamers were sold by auction to-day. The prices obtained were :— Jane Douglas, £3000; Stormbird, £500 j and Manawatu, £250. A reply has been received through the United States Legation and Foreign Office to the address of the House of Representatives of New Zealand on the death of President Garfield. Mr Lowell, addressing Lord Granville, says he has been directed to request his lordship "to transmit to the Parliament of New Zealand the heartfelt acknowledgments of the bereaved family of the Jate President Garfleld, and of the American people, for a telegram of tender sympathy received from that distant colony, which is especially appreciated in this hour of grief." The oeses under the Gaming and L tteriei Act will be heard before the Besident Magistrate and a full Bench of Justices. Over thirty circulars have been sent to Justices of the Peace, requesting their attendance on the Bench. O AMARU, December 21. A little girl, named Jeseie Ferguson, was drowned through falling into the Waitaki river on Tuesday. It ia proposed to increase the capital of the Oamaru Woollen Factory to £50,000, and to place a number of shares on the Victorian market, from which place promises of support have been received. DUNEDIN, December 21. The Union Company received a cablegram to-day that their new steamer Manipouri, was successfully launched at Dumbarton yesterday. Mary Ann Weston alias Smith was arrested by the police for drunkenness. Thpy found her in the streets at a late hour wif h a dead child in her arms. She was remanded pending an i> quest A serious gas explosion occurred to-night in Spedding's auction stores, Princess street south. It is believed to have occurred frem rate having gnawed the eas pipe*, and the effect was that a sheet of fl.*me burst out.Two windows in the first floor were blown out, and the pannelled ceiling on the ground fl ior was shattered to ribbons, whilst a table containing a quantity of fancy goods was thrown down. Two of the employee were knocked down but not hurt, and one carrying a case had it sent spinning ent of his bands to a distance of ten feet. The flames were quickly got under. One or two burglaries have occurred in Bond street warehouses lately. The offenders are not yet ought. INVEBOARGILL, December 21. The Nightcsps Coal Company have received an order from the Government to supply from thirty to forty tons per week for the vie of the locomotives. ("FROM OTJB COBBBrPOKDBST.J WELLINGTON, December 2L It if practically certain that Parliament will not be called together before May. No

yalid reason exists for inconveniencing the country by an earlier meeting, and the precedents laid down by May and other authorities are conclusively against the premature assembling of Parliament after a general election, especially when no political question is at issue or submitted to the country. A telegram has been received by the Government from Mr Wray, Commissioner of | Crown Lands at Patea, to the effect that sixty-one applications were received yesterday, ! nineteen at £1 15i. twenty-two at £2, and I twenty at £2 ss. Every section was applied for yesterday except section 30, b.oek 14, which was applied for tc-day. There were only fourteen sections opened on deferred payments, tor which there were sixtytwo applications. The upset pricss of the deferred payments lands ranged from £1 15s to £2 5s per acre. It will be remembered that it was found impossible to legislate for the extradition of certain offenders between the various Australian colonies without an Imperial Act being passed empowering such course, which, in the absence of thet authorisation, would have been ultra vires, and therefore void. However, the Government has now received from the Secretary of Btate a copy of the Fugitive Offenders Act, passed by the Imperial Parliament last session. This Aot removes the difficulty hitherto existing in the way of the extradition of offenders, as between the various Australian colonies, by enabling their respective Lsgislatures to authorise such extradition, I hear that a communication has been received from|_tbe trustees of the Gilchrist Scholarship, to tbe efffctthat tbe next examination will be held in June, 1882, and thenceforward every two years. It is also intimated that the examinations must not be under the management of the New Zealand University or any publio body of the kind, as it will be recollected was proposed to be arranged, but that the examinatiun must be under the supervision of some independeat person appointed by tbe Governor.