AUCKLAND NEWS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4935, 9 June 1887, Page 3

AUCKLAND NEWS.

[special to daily telegraph.]

[OWN CORRESPONDENT —BY TELEGRAPH.]

Auckland, Last night. THE SPECIAL SETTLEMENT

SCANDAL.

Mr John Luudon advertises as follows : —"As unfounded attacks have been made in the Houso of Representatives on special settlements and my connection with them, I hereby call a public meeting to be held in the Temperance Hall to-morrow (Thursday) night, with a view of vindicating the scheme, and to put the public in full possession of tho facts." The Star, in noticing the debate in the House, says : —" The failure of Mr G. F. Richardson to obtain support for his motion censuring the Minister of Lands for the large amount of liabilities he has incurred in connection with the scheme, proves th.tt the Opposition :decm it inexpedient to make the settlement a party cry during the elections. No doubt the system is on trial, but it is an experiment well worth making-, and considering, tho large sums the colony has spent in bringing- people from abroad to settle upon the laud, it will not be very i disastrous if £100,000 is expended in trying to locate our own people on the soil in time of distress, should it be only partially reproductive." THE "HARDING-STREET MYSTERY," as the strange discovery of the newly-born child by Mr Corlett on Sunday evening last' may wellbe called, still continues unravelled. Detectives Tuohy and Bernard, who have the matter in hand, have Scoured tho city and made enquiries in every conceivable quarter, and have not obtained the slightest; clue that would lead to the discovery of the mother of the deserted babe. The place at which it is thought the accouchement took, place;'is a passage between two houses in. iSolson-street. In this right-of-way there were found a quantity of old rags and disused clothing, from which it is evident the; coverings' of .the infant had been taken. The distance between this right-of-way and tho Elaco where the child was found is several .undred yards, and it is difficultto believe: that the mother, in her : weak condition, could have, unassisted, traversed that distance. A theory has' been advanced which it is just possible may prove to be true— that the mother, after giving birth to the child, horrified at her condition, threw herself into the harbor. Be thus as it may, elucidation of the mystery has bafflled two of our most astute police officiers, and the public will be on the tenterhooks of curiosity uutil a;solution has been found to the difficult problem. . . STRANGE LICENSING PROCEED- . INGS. •'• The . Newmarket Licensing Committee have granted a license for the proposed jubilee hotel, which .only exists on paper as yet. Tho matter caused great excitement in the district, and a petition against the license was largely signed. The local option poll was carried by a fluke in favor of an increase. The local brewery having watched the poll, and finding that only seven teetotal voters turned up, ran in nine of his own supporters and carried the poll by two votes. Messrs Button and O'Meagher, who appeared for tho objectors to the license opposed the granting, on the ground that the committee could not grant a license to a non-existent house, but the committee decided to instruct the clerk to make out and hand over the license certificate when the house is completed, which will be in three months. It is stated, upon good authority, that Mr Button will move for a prohibition order and injunction at the next sitting of the Supreme Court Chambers, on behalf of the ratepayers of Newmarket, against the promoters of the Jubilee Hotel.