SPECIAL TELEGRAPHIC.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XII, Issue 588, 15 February 1881, Page 5

SPECIAL TELEGRAPHIC.

(from our own correspondent.)

DUNEDIN, Monday Evening, 7.30 p.m. The weather is very sultry here. The harvest on all sides is turning out most successful.

Public feeling here is strongly aroused regarding the decision by 1. N. Watt, police magistrate, in the case of a number of boys brought before him for robbing orchards. One pleaded guilty, but he was discharged. The others, sons of respectable people, were imprisoned for six hours and ordered to receive a flogging and then to be committed to the Industrial School six years. Parents in Court protested vigorously, and one was removed by the police. The Daily Timas took the matter up warmly and despite Watt’s explanation that the boys could be hired out by their parents at any time, states plainly that he should retire from the Bench. Such is the feeling that a public meeting is to be called to obtain Watt’s retirement.

The Hon. Mr Oliver, with Roberts, chairman of Taieri County and engineers, inspected the Strathtaieri line on Friday and Saturday. Mr Pyke is in town, and writes the Daily Times this morning to say that he is satisfied with continuance in the meantime of the line to Strathtaieri. It is the general belief here that Parliament will see its way next session to proceed with the work.

During Saturday night a couple of fires occurred in Dunedin. One'was a four-roomed cottage, the other Hudson’s bakery and the Masonic Hall adjoining the City hotel and coffee palace. Hudson’s premises were pretty well destroyed, as also Masonic Hall, also Masons’ regalia. The manager of the coffee palace with his wife and servant had to come down by ladders and fire escapes. The insurances are full and divided between most offices.

Lawrence School Committee voted for Shand, Stanford, and Robin for the Education Board; Balclu.tha, for Shand, Robin, and Begg; OamarU, for Begg, Shand, and Elder. The last three are considered sure of election.

Larnach was elected a member of the Harbor Board to-day by the Chamber of Commerce, and Fish and. Ross by the City Council.

Mr R. Williams, late Mayor of Lawrence, is confined to bed with serious paralysis. The public feeling is strong in Tuapeka district as regards the action of the Land Board in offering to re-lease Smith’s run. It contains excellent wheat growing land sure to be taken up. A strong protest is to be made.

Balclutha and Invercargill have passed resolutions in favor of starting farmers’ cooperative societies to arrange and control the export of all kinds of agricultural produce. There were 15 vessels at Greymouth loading coal on Saturday. The Australians were beaten by 10 wickets at Wanganui. Murdoch was the highest scorer with 33. Brown, a local man, made 44.

The Star to-night says it hears that a small steamer is to bo placed on Lake Wanaka. TV K. Bonn, the representative of the Melbourne Leader, arrived in Dunedin today. He says he is much pleased with the look of the country from Invercargill to the lakes, Tapanni, Balclutha, &c. He visits Shand’s farm at Taieri to-morrow.

It is proposed to open a Dunedin Industrial Exhibition in the Garrison Hall on June Ist for four or six weeks.

By the Albion from Melbourne 12 yearlings (including a Lnrline colt and a half-brother to Progress) arrived. From Te Aroha, Thames, comes intelligence of the diabolical murder of a Maori named Simon, holding a good position, by a Russian named John Procozky, a miner, who has been arrested. There were blood stains on his clothes. The throat of the murdered man was cut from ear to ear.

The superintendent of the Wellington lunatic asylum has been charged with striking and ill-treating a female patient. A mob prevented Mormons from holding an open-air service in Christchurch on Sunday night. The Mormons had to go to the police for protection. Fox, recently inspector of police at Invercargill, was to-day presented with a purse of sovereigns.

Young Mr Spurgeon preached to immense congregations at Invercargill yesterday. Bishop Moran states that a convent will shortly be erected at Invercargill. LATEST BY CABLE. London, February 11. In the House of Commons to-day the Irish Coercion Bill was under consideration in committee. An amendment was proposed that affidavits should bo necessary to justify

arrest of suspected persons. The motion was debated at some length and finally rejected by the committee. The police have received information which leads to the belief that a Fenian plot is on foot to blow up Windsor Castle. The return of her Majesty to Windsor is consequently delayed. The marriage of Baroness Burdett-Coutts with Ashmead Barlett took place to-day. Capetown, February 10. Intelligence has been received that the Basutos suffered defeat with heavy loss at the hands of Cape forces on sth inst. February 11. Telegrams to hand to-day from Naval report that the force under Sir George Colley is now completely isolated between Newcastle and Ingogo and no communication with it is possible. Detachments and reinforcements are proceeding. The following items appear in late Melbourne papers ; , London, Feb. 1. A disastrous flood has occurred in California. Damage to the extent of a million dollars has been done at Sacramento. A number of Fenian proclamations have been posted in England and Ireland, causing considerable uneasiness to the authorities. Dillon was expelled from the House of Commons for interrupting Mr Gladstone, and Parnell and Finnegan were expelled individually for persisting in proposing that Mr Gladstone be not heard. Twenty-eight Home Rule members were then expelled together for refusing to leave their seats to go into the lobby during division. Five others were expelled for individually interrupting Mr Gladstone. The members did not follow the example of Parnell and Dillon by offering forcible resistance, but all withdrew from the chamber upon being touched by the Sergeant-at-arms. INTERCOLONIAL. Melbourne, February 12. Telegrams are to hand announcing that the steamship Ridge Park, 1200 tons, has been wrecked while on the voyage from Adelaide to Sydney. All lives have been saved.