LATEST.

Cromwell Argus, Volume XVII, Issue 831, 17 March 1885, Page 2

LATEST.

The Government have arranged, in view of the present war scare, to have the cable and all principal telegraph offices open all night. Mr Larnach left Wellington this afternoon to make a tour of Otago Goldfields. The gale in Dunedin on Saturday blew down three of the pinnacles on the spire of the First Church. The damage is about £SO. A fatal fire occurred in Auckland on Saturday. Mr Gamp's hotel at Tamahere was burned down, and two of his sons, Edward and Albert, aged four and eleven, were burnt to death. Harry, an elder brother, who made a brave attempt to save them, was badly injured and lies in a precarious condition. Later news from Auckland about the gale states that the steamer Thomas Russell was wrecked at the Bay of Plenty during its continuance on Saturday. She was almost a new steamer, built of steel and was insured for £BOOO. She is a total wreck, but her crew are all safe. At the Rifle Association meeting Flyger of Wanganui is now leading for the Rifle Belt, with Lucas second and Purnell third. There is only one more match to fire.

Mr A. M. Mackay has been appointed acting captain of the Arrow School Cadets, in room of Mr E. Gruber, whose commission has been cancelled for absence without leave. The following are the weights for the St. Patrick's Handicap to be run at the Clyde meeting to-day :—Don Jos(s, 9st 31b ; Haricot, 7st 91b ; Resartus, 7st 71b ; Magician, 7st 31b ; Statesman, 7st. Many of his old friends will be pleased to learn that Mr James Adams, long connected with the local branch of the Bank of New South Wales, has been appointed to the management of the Thames bank. The hon. 0. J. Pharazyn has resigned his seat in the Legislative Council. It is understood nothing will be done towards filling the vacancy until the return of the Governor, and. probably it will not be filled then. The official statistics give the total yield of wheat in Victoria during last season as 10,350,000 bushels, or an average of 9.49 bushels per acre. The yield of oats and potatoes shows a decrease compared with last year. A couple of errors occurred in the programme of Hawea races, which take place to-day. Instead of £3, the Maiden Plate should have been given as £8 ; and the amount for Hawea Handicap is £lO, not £ls, as advertised. Mr Warden Stratford, at present acting R.M. at Naseby, has been appointed P.M. and coroner for the Wairarapa district vice Mr Wardell, who has been appointed P.M. for Wellington city. Mr Warden Wood, at present on leave of absence, will relieve Warden Stratford at Naseby. Two actions for libel have been entered against the Tirmru Herald, the damages being laid at £4,500 and £1,500 respectively. The plaintiffs are medical men, and the grounds of action certain remarks made by the Herald relative to the conduct of Timaru doctors with regard to cases of puerperal fever. The Argus intended to have despatched " The Vagabond" (Mr Julian Thomas) as its representative with the New South Wales Soudan contingent, but the New South Wales Government refused permission to correspondents other than those accredited by the Sydney papers. Mr J. W. Lambie (of the Sydney Morning Herald) will jointly represent that paper and the Argus in the Soudan. The dread "Kingof Terrors" has removed from our midst another familiar face in the person of Mrs James Dawkins, a lady \ esteemed by a very wide circle of friends. She had been in indifferent health for some time back, but so sudden a termination of life was not looked for. The lady's remains were interred in the Cromwell cemetery on Sunday, the funeral being large and representative of all parts of the district. In regard to the question of local Government, Sir Julius Vogel, in his speech at the Christchurch banquet on Thursday evening, said tne Government had so thoroughly discussed the subject in Cabinet, and so entirely made up their minds as to the course to be pursued, that they were prepared to go before Parliament with very determined views on the matter. Thefollowing appears in the last number of the Gazette:—" The Government desires to publicly notify that it has received numerous offers for active service in the Soudan at the present juncture, and to express its gratification at the patriotic spirit displayed by those Volunteers and others who have so generously offered themselves. At the same time" the Government has to intimate that, however desirous it might be to form a body of New Zealand troops to assist her Majesty's forces in the locality in question, it can take no steps towards that effect without the sanction of Parliament.—Robert Stout, Premier." Everything points to the prospect of a very pleasant and successful gathering at the opening meeting of the Cromwell District Caledonian Society, which takes place to-day. The management have put forth every effort to make the inauguration of the Society a worthy one, and doubtless they will be gratified with the reresult. The programme has attracted more than local notice, and it is therefore likely the number of competitors for the various events will be satisfactory. The outcome of to-day's gathering, we predict, will be that the Society will take a long stride towards making the Caledonian games at Cromwell a leading line in the outdoor sports in Central Otago, A correspondent supplies our Clyde contemporary with the following report on the prospects of White's Reef, in which a number of local residents are interested:—" White'j Company is turning out a lot of stone, the whole of which looks fully equal to, if not better, than the sample already crushed, and that, it has to be remembered, yielded nearly two ounces to the ton. I cannot venture to guess as to the quantity of stone already to grass, but the weekly output is somewhat, about 30 tons, and, as there has been constant work since the New Year, there should be a good heap by this time. A good deal of dissatisfaction is expressed at the company not erecting a battery; it was generally understood that one situated somewhere on the Bendigo reefs had been purchased, and local shareholders and non-shareholders alike are getting tired waiting some definite information." Mr G. P. Hilton, late of the Thames, has accepted the management of the new Cromwell Company's mine, and reached Cromwell yesterday. The Advertiser, in noticing his departure from the Thames district, described him as "a capable mining and mechanical engineer, who has been engaged in some of the most important works carried out within the Thames Goldfield. For many years he was connected with the Big Pump and Moanataiari battery, and the Piako battery and Moanataiari Extended were indebted to his engineering skill. Mr Hilton is one of those men of scientific attainments whom a gold-mining district can ill afford to lose, and will be a useful member of society wherever his lot may be cast." The Cromwell Co. directory would therefore seem to have secured the services of a thoroughly qualified man, who is likely to test the mine in a practical, and it is to be hoped, profitable manner. We understand that Mr Hilton comes empowered with full discretion as to the best mode to be adopted in opening out the claim, and will during the current week make a complete survey of the workings preparatory to a renewal of operations. Intelligence of the death of Mr M. J. M'Ginnis on Wednesday evening last was received with profound surprise and sincerest regret by his many friends and acquaintances in this district. The demise of Mr M'Ginnis was all the more startling from the fact that to all outward appearance he was one of the most stalwart and robust-looking men in the Dunstan district, and to use a common expression, a " lease of his life " might have been taken for the next 30 or 40 years. Death overtook him with fearful suddenness, and the shock to his wife and family must have been a paralyzing one. For little more than a week before the evening of his death, Mr M'Ginnis had been suffering from a sore throat, but beyond the irritation and depression usually accompanying this ailment, there was no symptom to cause the slightest alarm; On Wednesday afternoon he left home at Earnscleugh Flat for the Dunstan Hospital to consult Dr Lewis. He '.had been in the institution scarcely an hour when he fell back dead. An official enquiry into the cause of death was made on Friday, when the medical evidence went to show that Mr M'Ginnis fell a victim to heart disease. The deceased gentleman had on previous occasions suffered slightly from an affection of the heart, but not in any degree to cause anxiety to himself or friends. Mr M'Ginnis was in the prime of life, in his 38th year, and has left a wife and large family to mourn the loss of a loving husband and father. During the past six or seven years he had taken an active part in local golitics as a member of Vincent County buncil, and was a prominent figure in the troublous times of that body. He took a broad and intelligent view, and was a forcible and outspoken advocate in behalf of, the more important matters dealt with by the Council, and his presence will be much missed by his colleagues. Mr M'Ginnis was for a time chairman of the Council, and at his death held the position of hon. Treasurer.

The hon. W. Robinson has scratched all his horses (Vanguard, Liverpool, and Oudeis) for the Great Autumn Handicap. The tender of Messrs Matheson Bros., of Dunedin, for the Hindon contract on the Otago Central Railway has been accepted at £10,700. The following sums have been granted to the various Education Boards as building votes for the current financial year :—Auckland, £10,682 ; Taranaki, £1,342; Wanganui, £2,736; Wellington, £5,907 ; Hawke's Bay, £3,159 ; Marlborough, £1,146; Nelson, £2,707; North Canterbury, £9,439 ; South Canterbury, £2,830; Westland and Grey, £2,574 ; Otago, £11,128 ; Southland, £3,500. - < Mr A. Montgomery, head master of the Dunedin Normal School, died at his residence, Roslyn, on Tuesday. He had been in indifferent health for some time. Mr Montgomery arrived in the Colony about 17 years ago under engagement to the Canterbury Education Board. After occupying the position of teacher of several schools he was in 1874 appointed headmaster of the Albany-street school, Dunedin, and to a similar position in the Normal school when it was opened the next year. Giving away during the next four weeks. Great inducements will be held out to Purchasers of Drapery and Clothing. W. Talboys' Winter Shipment will arrive from Home early in February, and the Summer Stock will have to be sacrificed to make room for it. Trousers and Vests, 12s 6d ; Suits, 255; Hats, 2s, Prints and Hollands, 6d per yard. All Goods sold at less than Wholesale Price. All purchasers will be presented with Xmas Cards, Pictures, and other novelties. Save your money by purchasing from the Importer, W. Talboys, London House, Cromwell.— [Advt.] The criminal returns for the Dunedin district, which extends from Oamaru to the Goldfields, show that in 1883 there were 3,703 offences reported and 3,423 apprehensions, against 3,433 offences reported and 3,l34apprehensionsfor the year ending 31stDecember last—a decrease of 270 in the offences reported r and of 293 in the apprehensions. Of those apprehended in 1883, 56 males and 6 females were committed for trial; 2,458 males and 514, females were summarily convicted ; 332 males and 6 females were discharged. Last year_ 56 males and 18 females were committed for trial; 2,050 males and 516 females were summarily convicted; 428 males and 63 females were discharged. The New Zealand Times retracts the charges made by it against Sir Julius Vogel in the following words :—" Regarding certain remarks and telegrams that appeared 'in' our paper relating to the hon. Treasurer (Sir Julius Vogel's) connection with the Consolidated Telephone Company, we desire to state (1) That our reference to the matter in our summary was inserted by a subordinate member of our staff, contrary to editorial instructions, and was printed through an oversight. (2) As to the remarks and telegrams from time to time published, we find, on reading the two reports of the Investigation Committee, that the questions at issue between Sir Julius Vogel and the Company are in the nature of a private dispute, and do not in any way reflect on hi? character. We have to express our regret that these remarks and telegrams appeared in our columns, founded as they were on misleading and we have to apologise for their appearance."