NEW ZEALAND.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8707, 1 February 1894, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

(press association" tklkorams.)

AUCKLAND, January 5L

The Viking was declared the winner of Auckland yacht race. The owners of the Muritai preferred do claim to the Regatta Committee.

At the annual meeting of the New Zealand Accident Insurance Company a dividend of 12£ per cent, for the year just ended was declared.

WELLINGTON, January 31. Mr T. K. MacDocald has been instructed by the Government to visit the block in dispute at Levin and make a valuation of the land offered by Hania to the Natives and alao of the portion he proposes to retain.

Further affidavits as to the circumstances attending the lodging of the petition against the election of air R. Stout and the payment of security have been filed by Mr Jamea, the Returning Officer, and Mr Edwards, the solicitor tor the petitioners. Id was intended to send Dr. Bachone's body to Sydney for transmission to France by a steamer of the Messageries Maritimes line, but it was found that there were difficulties in the way, and it will be kept here, and sent by direct steamer to England, thence to France.

Pians are to be called for the erection of a building for the Pabiic Trust Office.

Rev. W. C. Waters, incumbent of St. Peter's, iu»s been granted three months , leave of absence on account of failing health.

Mr Valentine, the chief dairy expert, will attend the annual show of the Westland Agricultural Society at Hokitika during Easter, with a view to promoting the dairy industry on the West Coast. He and Mb Ritchie, the Secretary for the Agricultural Department, leave for Chmie'iurcli this afternoon, and tour the South island in the interests of the Agricultural Department.

Kuquiries instituted by the Reluming Officer prove that tho dual voting at the recent general election was not of criminal intent-, and with the concurrence of the Crown Prosecutor legal proceedings will not be instituted.

The fines inflicted yesterday in the betting cases hayo been paid, and the defendants have no intention to appeal.

DUNEDIN, January 31. About eighty passengers have booked for the Tarawera's second excursion to the West Coast Sounds. Of these, twenty-four are English tourists, and twenty-seven Australians ; two are from Fiji, and one from Ceylon.

Mr Dymock, on retiring from the management of the National Bauk, was presented by its customers with a gold watch and chain and purse of sovereigns. Owing to the steamer missing the train from Cbristchurch, Mr Maskell, registrar of tfce University of New Zealand, will not arrive till to-night, and the meeting of the University Senate to declare the results of he December examiuations will not be known till to-morrow.

The Temperance party at Mosgiel have decided that as the Alcoholic liquors Bill is surrounded by so many difficulties, «ny effort to carry prohibition would be paralysed, wherefore they have pledged themselves to use their efforts to get the Act amended, so that (1) tho vote be taken at the same time as the general election ; (2) the clause giving the Colonial Secretary power to giant licenses be rescinded, and (3) the clause requiring more than half the voters on the roll to vote be repealed. The boat seen off Sandymouut turns out to belong to the Hinemoa, and was taking stores to the Cape Saunders lighthouse. INVERCARGILL, January 31.

At the Police Court Duncan Stewart, an elderly man, who was at one time in the Lunatic Asylum, was committed for trial for stabbing Win, Collie, an hotel-keeper. John Pinto Weir was remanded till Friday on a charge of rape on a girl about thirteen years old. The accused is a bootmaker at Thorubury, married, with a family, and leader of three local church choirs. Bail was allowed in two sureties of £100 each and accused in £200.