NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5407, 25 January 1883, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

[per press association.] AUCKLAND, January 24. A house, insured for .£IOO in the New , Zealand, was burned at Otahuhu yesternight. A daughter of Vincent Folkop, of Puhoi, seven years old, was hurt in the bush, and j died of her injuries. ; The Wesleyan Conference received a 1 message of fraternal greeting to-day from 1 the United Methodist Free Church district meeting, and a suitable reply was sent. The reports of the jprobationers' examination were highly satisfactory, the average marks gained being 76 per cent. Mr Isitt is at the head of the list of the fourth year men with 89 per cent, Mr Dukes first in third year, Mr Slade in second year, and Mr Jones in the first year. Twelve probationers passed with credit. The appointment of a minister to advocate the proposed loan fund was agreed to. The Hamilton case continues. The evidence for the defence is concluded, with exception of the evidence of Miss Annie Neilson, the sister of Mrs Hamilton, and as she is ailing, the Court adjourned till tomorrow. No evidence waa called by counsel for Mrs Hamilton. The gallery of the Court was crowded by well-dressed women daily. TAURANGA, January 24. The " Bay of Plenty Times " has changed hands. The imprint now bear the name of H. H. Deßourbel. PATEA, January 24 Harvesting is now general throughout the district, and reports are coming in from all quarters of the splendid condition of the grain crops. There is a considerably larger area in grain this year than last, and the yield is expected to be heavy. The longcontinued drought, although favorable to the above, has seriously affected stock breeders, feed having become so scarce that in some places the cattle are being fed on the hay intended for winter use. WANGANUI, January 24. Rain fell this afternoon in pleasant showers, with slight thunder and lightning. It was the first rain since Christinas week. The harvest prospects are good all over the district, but the country is parched. WELLINGTON, January 24. The Stella is expected to leave here for Kawhia on Wednesday next. Mr Bryce proceeds as far as New Plymouth overland, and Mr Rolleston will probably accompany the steamer. A narrow escape—from fire occurred aboard the steamer Tui early this morning. Several hands went to their berths shortly after midnight, and were awakened by the sensation of stifling.. After a short search it was ascertained that some cottcn waste, which had been placed in the bottom of a locker near the bow of the vessel, was alight. It was extinguished before damage was done. The following tenders have been received for the Lake Forsyth contract of the Little River and Akaroa railway:—Accepted—J. Coates, Palmerston, .£3480. Declined— Stocks and Wallace, Christchurch, -33911; P. O'Malley, -63983; J. Scanlan, -34166; G. Ware and Co., -34258; W. M. O'Gilvee, Sydenham, -34947; T. Guckley, Little River, -36046; Matheson Bros., Dunedin, -36570; P. Dey, Mosgiel, -67962. A young woman named Mary Douglas was to-day committed for trial on a cLarge of having broken into a house of a resident at Petone. The accused is supposed to have entered through a window during the absence of the occupants, and a quantity of wearing apparel is missing. It has been decided to hold a small race meeting at Island Bay on the day following the Wellington Summer Meeting. The only horses nominated for any of the Wellington events which are at present at the Hutt are Mr Bates' pair, The Poet and Minerva. These are quartered at McNab's, and do little more than take walking exercise in the neighborhood. A course has been ploughed, but the work has been too recently done to be of use, and the course ! [ itself is far too hard for other than walking ; ! exercise. There is little or no betting; on the Cup, Bundoora remains firm at even , money. < All the papers in connection with the i Longhurst case are now ready, and the , whole question will be. considered by the . Government on the return of Major Atkinson and Mr Rolleston to Wellington. The appointment of a commission to in- ! quire into the best route for a railway from ' the East to the West Coast of the South < Island will be deferred until the other com- < mission has reported on the main trunk i line. i An unoccupied cottage near Featherston ' was destroyed by fire on Sunday. Its origin ; is attributed to a bush fire. A resolution passed in the City Council ' some months ago, appointing a committee to take the necessary steps te obtain information respecting the construction of a dock for Wellington, has been revoked. It is understood that a Petone crew will accept the challenge issued by Heara and others; the amount of the stakes to be mutually arranged. While out rabbit shootingat Kaikoura on Monday last Drill Instructor Hyde of Wellington, had his left hand injured by the 1 bursting of a gun, necessitating the am- -i nutation of one finger. i P WESTPOBT, January 24. < A man named Patrick Walsh fell through _ an undecked railway bridge at Waimangaroa this afternoon, and was picked up dead. r It is supposed he had been drinking. : The steamer Kawatero, the first of the ] colliers expressly built to tha order of the • « Wesport Coal Company for the trade of thi, i

port, arrived from Glasgow this morning. She left en October 28th, but bad weather >] compelled her to take refuge at Queens- c town for twelve days. She also touched at . St. Vincent for coals. She brings a quantity of Imachinery, which is to be used in making improvements in the incline of the J rftilw&y The coal export from Westport for last 1 year was 47,482 tons. ( y GREYMOUTH, January 24. , An official enquiry ha? been held at the Custom-house, before the Collector, Mr Woon, into the cause of the late accident . !to the steamer St. Kildal The evidence of the captain, the chief engineer, the second ! engineer, and Mr Milne, the chief engineer > of the tug-boat Dispatch, was taken. It i went to snow that the collapse of the St. Kilda's boiler was caused by want of water. The whole of the evidence will be forwarded to Wellington. TIMARU, January 24. The creditors in the estate of Patrick Ryan have presented Detective Kirby with a cheque for- -325 in consideration ef his services in arresting Byan in Melbourne. OAMARU, January 24. A man named Thomas Mouat, while riding home from Ngapara on Sunday night, fell from his horse and received such I injuries that bis life is despaired of. Within the last two months the County Council has paid for over 62,000 small birds'

eggs. DUNEDIN, January 24. At the City Council last night Mr Ross | stated that there was now 21ft of water on the bar at the Heads. , James Baxter, ex Sergeant of Police, was thrown from his horse last night, and reL mained unconscious till this morning. Mr Larnach was thrown out of his buggy when returning home last night, and seriously injured. Mr Larnach's injuries are not so severe j as anticipated. He was able to be present at the official declaration of tho poll for the T Peninsula, the numbers for which are as 1 previously announced. t The report of the Directors of the Colonial Bank to be presented at the meetP ing on January 31st shows the net profits r for the hall-year to be .£20,234, and the _ amount available for division to be .£21,500, which they recommend to be thus applied— 9 Add to reserve fund, -25000-, payment of dividend at 7 per cent, per annum, -314,000 balance carried forward .£2500.

At the public meeting on Monday night for the election of a School Committee for Dnnedin 696 persons voted, and nine votes were rejected: as informal; 252 voted for one candidate, 140 for two, 141 for three, 81 for four, 30 for five, 9 for six, and 34 for seven. It is asserted that persons only on a visit to Dunedin voted, and also that one person got as many as four voting papers, and gave his candidate twenty-eight votes in all.

At the meeting of the Land Board to-day the following motion by Mr Stout was carried—"That, in the opinion of the Board, the Chief Commissioner shonld obtain and submit to the Board a report on the various agricultural and pastoral deferred payment holdings, so that the Board may ascertain whether it be true that dummyism exists, and that some holders are non-resident on their holdings." A distance swimming match took place in the harbor this morning between B. Phelan and G. Caton. They started from the Rattray street jetty. Both men kept together until they came to Ravensbourne, when Caton gave up. Phelan kept on until half a mile past Burkes, a distance ef four miles and a half, when he had to give upon account of the coldness of the water. Phelan's time was 2b. 15min ssec.

INVERCARGILL, January 24. A meeting of the creditors of Caleb Froggatt, grocer and grain speculator, was held to-day. The bankrupt started in a small business eighteen months ago, and has failed for -33200, in addition to which friends had paid off .£2300. The assets are stated to be worth -31200. The bankrupt was subjected to a close examination. He asserted that he had been advised in his speculations and money matters by Mr Bateman, Secretary of the Farmers' Cooperative Society. By reason of that gentleman's glowing accounts he had speculated to the extent of .£II,OOO in grain to ship to Melbourne, and made losses by the speculation. The Registrar in Bankruptcy informed the meeting that from what he knew officially, the bankrupt should be closely examined re his transactions with Mr Bateman. This was done, and it appeared that the bankrupt had been guided by Mr Bateman, who advised him to keep two banking accounts. When he opened ] an account at the National Bank, certain persons were his guarantors for an over- , draft, and it was arranged that the proceeds of his speculations should go to the credit of the overdraft. Mr Bateman did not hint that by opening a second account he (the bankrupt) would be able to dupe his guarantors. In the first case he bought flour for Bateman, and got the money from him to pay for it. His brother had paid -31000 for him, and R. D. Yule had paid -31300 on a joint speculation in grain. A motion for a searching inquiry into the bankrupt's dealings with. Messrs Yule and Bateman was carried unanimously. A meeting to consider the prospects of a woollen factory iv this district was held tonight. There wa3 a moderate attendance, and the remarks of the speakers were brief. A Committee was appointed to canvass for support, and to report to another meeting. The capital spoken of was _85,000.