INTERPROVINCIAL.

Evening Star, Issue 11675, 6 February 1902, Page 4

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Pkb United Paras Assocsaixocl

AUCKLAND, February 6. At tie Supreme Court to-day a Maori named Roha was sentenced to five yean* imprisonment for assaulting a native woman who had been living with him as his wife. He bit the top off one of her fingers, and inflicted a severe wound on her head. WELLINGTON, February 6. At the Supreme Court to-day sentences were passed as follow:—John CPQrady, for indecent assault, six months; Edward C Ferris, for indecent assault, two and a-balf years; Michael Rich, indecent assault, two yeans; Bertie Granville, theft of a bicycle, twelve months' probation. At the Chambers of Commerce Conference to-day the Committee on the question of the federation of Chambers reported that they had not had time to go into the main question, but if the Conference considered it desirable to federate, the lines of the General Council of the Federated Chamber of Australia with slight alterations would prove suitable here. A resolution was passed in favor of forming a federation union on the lines of the Australian Association, and it was resolvedthat the Auckland Chamber be asked to take steps to give effect to the resolution. A motion by Mr Cobbe (Feilding) in favor of State fire insurance will be discussed this evening. The Minister of Lands will leave for Lyttelton to-morrow, and after the send-off to the Southern battalion of the Eighth the Hon. Mr Duncan will go on to Central g °* WOODVTLLE, February 6. On Monday the Railway Department will try the experiment of running » train from here to Napier and back the same day. The Woodville people have been agitating for this concession for years.

HOKITIKA, February 6. At a meeting of the Premier's constituents last night it was resolved to tender him an official welcome on the occasion of his visit to this district and to entertain him at a banquet on the 17th inst. Mr Barron, of the Land Purchase Board, is now in the district in connection with the proposed purchase of Mr Diedrich's estate at Kokatahi.

HAWERA, February 6. In the District Court the second trial of William Holmes for indecent assault ended in his acquittal. In the libel case of Morrissey v. Qum the jury found for the defendant with costs against the plaintiff. Defendant and his friends had for some months at frequent intervals received anonymous letters of a filthy character, and he eventually wrote to the plaintiff accusing her of being their author, following this up with a letter toner father. In the witness box plaintiff denied all knowledge of the anonymous letters. The publication, of the libel, was admitted, but the jury found that defendant had written the letter, which the Judge held to be privileged, to plaintiff's father honestly and bona fide.