TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume VI, Issue 309, 13 October 1875, Page 5

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

fFEOM OtTR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

DUNE DIN.

Tuesday, 7.55 p.m. PARLIAMENTARY NEWS. Mr Bridges, general manager of the National Bank, and formerly manager of Hhe Bank of New Zealand, Wellington, in his evidence given before the Public Accounts Committee on the banking arrangements of the Colony, made very grave charges against public men, and among other statements said, referring to the purchase of i;he Port Chalmers Railway, that it would not have been made at the price paid but through pressure put by the Bank on the ■Government, the Bank being largely interested in it. He finally declined answering •questions put by the Committee, stating that he might lay himself open to actions for libel. On the Committee's report being brought up in the Bouse, on the motion of Major Atkinson, Mr Bridges was ordered to appear before the bar of the House in order that'the enquiry might be continued. Yesterday he appeared before the bar of the House, attended by Travers as counsel. Before lie entered the flouse, Macandrew : said it was due to members of the House for him to state that if any pressure had been brought to bear upon the Government in •making purchase of the Dnnedin and Poit Chalmers Railway he was the person responsible for bearing that pressure, which Hie denied. Pressure was brought to hear not only on the Colonial Government but ?upon the proprietors of the railway to sell, but it had all been done in the interests of the public. It had been currently reported by the " man in the street" that the Superintendent of Otago had an interest in that -hence the pressure on the Provincial Government. It was but right to say the report had not the slightest foundation -and was absolutely false. Bridges had got hold of a mare's nest. In regard to members 'of the Colonial Executive, he was prepared i;o show that the purchase was urged upon the Provincial Government and himself in particular purely in the interests of the public. The purchase was a very good one, and no pressure had been brought to bear by the Bank of New Zealand : they knew nothing about the matter. Richardson corroborated Macandrew'a statement. After some •other members had spoken—some arguing that after Macandrew'a explanation it was unnecessary to examine Bridges—-the Speaker nut it to the House whether Bridges should be called to the bar of the House and examined on oath, when the Ayes had it, and accordingly Bridges was placed at the bar. The Speaker then examined Bridges, who "refused to answer certain questions unless fully indemnified by the House against legal proceedings in which he might possibly be involved. He subsequently made a statement to the effect that in consequence of information received after his examination by the Committee on Public Accounts that the opinions expressed by him regarding pressure having been put by the Bank on the Government respecting the railway purchase were formed on erroneous and incorrect grounds, wherefore he desired to retract. Major Atkinson said the matter was too serious to be allowed to drop. Grave charges had been made against public men of the Colony, and they should be probed to the bottom. After other members had urged similar counsel, it was decided that an indemnity bill should be passed and Bridges required to attend before a Committee and give all the evidence he possessed. The statements made by Bridges have excited very great interest throughout the Colony, and especially in Duncdin.

The Californian service arrangements are being debated in the House, and the Opposition are resolved to resist to the utmost the expenditure of the large sum in excess of

the amount voted, which Russell has involved the Colony in. ARRIVAL OF SAN FRANCISCO MAIL. The Cyphrenes arrived at Auckland on Saturday with the English and American

mails. The following are the most important extracts from Cablegrams. The Emperor William will visit Italy in October. All the country between Servia and Mont-

enegro is in revolt. Fully ten thousand insurgents have taken the field. The towns have been sacked and all the Turkish villages burnt, the men being massacred. The

Christian inhabitants have taken refuge in the mountains.

The Emperor Ferdinand of Austria has left by his will £1,200,000 to the Pope. The amount is being paid. At the annual meeting of the Directors of the National Bank of New Zealand, held on August 19th, the Chairman, in moving adoption of the report, said Mr Bridges had worked advantageously for the Bank. The Queen was a witness from the deck of the Alberta of the running down of the yacht Mistleto, and was deeply agitated, wringing her hands, and evidently in a state of dreadful suspense while efforts were being made to rescue the unfortunate sufferers.

It is proposed to present a testimonial of £20,000 to the Prince of Wales. Among American items is an account of a frightful negro slaughter at Clinton, Mass., early in September. There was a great riot first, in which the blacks suffered heavily and were driven off. On Saturday, 4th September, 500 armed whites arrived from Edwards and Bolton, and occupied Clinton. On Sunday they commenced slaughtering negroes, and killed in cold blood all they could find. Five hundred were killed in the city and country. The authorities were utterly powerless to stop the attrocities, which were repeated for days afterwards. There was a reign of terror over the county. The yield from gold and silver mines in California is immense and increasing.