TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5329, 13 March 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

.» — [By Cable*] [special to The press Association.] LONDON, March 11. The Turkish troops attacked the Greek baud who recently destroyed a village in Thessaly j only a" few of the Greeks escaped. Ross defeated Emmett in the Thames sculling match. The British corvette Thetis was burned at Plymouth. SYDNEY, March 12. Hicken and a considerable body of roughs embarked in the Aldinga for some island for a prize fight, but the authorities refused to clear the steamer. [retjter's telegrams.! PARIS, March 10. The French Chamber of Deputies will probably reject the motion for the impeachment of the Broglie Ministry, because Marshal MacMahon demands that ho shall be included in the impe.achm.ent, if the motion is carried. ALEXANDRIA, March 11. A new Egyptian Ministry has been formed under the presidency of Prince Tewfik (the hereditary Prince of Egypt). The portfolios of Finance and Works are unchanged. CONSTANTINOPLE, March 11. The British ironclad squadron returns to Besika Bay in a few days. The Turkish troops have re-occupied Adrianople. LONDON, March 10. According to the latest |Cape news, the general situation in Natal is unchanged. Colonel Pearson has repulsed an attack by a large number of Zulus on his position at Ethowe. The enemy were defeated with enormous loss. The hostile attitude of the native tribes in the Transvaal causes great anxiety. March 11. In the House of Commons this evening the Chancellor of the Exchequer, replying to a question, said that the Indian Government was on the eve of an active exchange of communications with Yakoob Khan, if they had not already commenced. The Polytechnic Institution was only partially destroyed by the late fire. Numerous British manufacturers are applying for space in the Melbourne Exhibition. The Belgian, Dutch, and French Governments are also preparing to be represented there. ST. PETERSBURG, March 11. A Russian official statement has been published, stating that the plague has disappeared from Astrachan. (Received at 2.30 this morning.) [reuter's telegrams.] LONDON, March 12. The Brindisi mail was delivered on the 10th inst. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council have dismissed the appeal, Bathurst versus Macpherson, with costs. MELBOURNE, March 12. The associated banks have written a letter to the Treasurer, stating that the assertion of Mr Paterson, that the banks endeavor to depreciate the credit of the colony is untrue. [by special wire.] ( AUCKLAND, March 12. Dr. Francis O'Flaherty, surgeon at the Thames Hospital, died of consumption this morning. The funeral of Mr Hppcrof t, late editor of the Thames Evening Star, was a very large one ; 300 Masons attended it. The Waihato Times thus refers to the way the Government Insurance business is conducted: — "The insurance department of the New Zealand Government has been looked to as affording every possible security to insurers, and on this assumption the Government was allowed to create a monopoly which leaves tho field of life assurance in New Zealand open only to itself and one competing institution, tho Australma Mutual Provident. If, however, the public are not guaranteed this promised security, then the establishment of this Government department becomes something else than an unmixed blessing. A caso has been brought before our notice, which calls for public attention. As long back as the 24th September last, Charles Thompson, a settlor liviug on the "VVaipa river, in attempting to cross that stream in a canoe was drowned. The body was recovered, and an inqxiest being held upon it a verdict of death by accidental drowning was returned. . It appears that Thompson's life was insured in the New Zealand Government Insurance Department for £500, and though repeated applications have been made by his widow, the money had not, up to a few days ago been paid; nay, we are informed that no replies have been vouchsafed to her repeated applications. It may bo that tho unfortunate woman, in her ignorance, has not complied with i some prescribed form ; but if so, her neglect should have been pointed out to her by tho department, instead of leaving her month after month without payment of money, justly due. Nothing can tend more to make I an insurance company, whether a private one or an institution of the Government,

( unpopular with. 1 the public than a want i of promptness in the settlement of claims ■ upon it. For some time past the depart- ; ment has been without anything more j than merely a nominal head, but now^, that Mr Luclde has 5 been appointed, he* \ iddf be' expected, as a journalist, to differ . from the ordinary rule of high class Government officials'/ in possessing both : brains and business capacity. "We may ; therefore expect that such cases as the om Vfe have now in the public interest, and in justice to a Waikato widow, felt called upon to expose/ will be no longer . heard of." ! On Monday evening the p.s. Greelong, I Keoh'e, master, 1 becaame a total wreck on i tlie inner bank of the south-west en- ■ trance to the' Wbangape Heads, a little north of Hokianga. The crew were saved, but three native passengers were drowned. There is an insurance for £1600 on the vessel in some office un--1 known.- Efae owner is Mi- G-. W. Binney, i auctibh'eer; of Auckland. , ! The WMd has the following relative to the doings of mischief-makers in the Waikato :— " We are sorfy to learn from ', the Waikato that strenuous efforts have been lately made to defeat any attempt at peacemaking for the present. -Every possible sfeltetifent that could prejudice the Premier and the' Native Minister in the eyes of the Maoris has* been made without scruple. Newspapers and debates in Parliament have been ransacked for reports that might be supposed to be injurious to theße Ministers, and to show that they intend to act treacherously to the natives. The Maoris have been , told that the Government simply wanted ! their lands, aii'd will not give them more I than Is 6d per acre, for them, and that if , ! they agree to Sir George Grey's proposals, they will all be bewitched. We do not profess to be able to say What effect all this will have on the native mind, or how influence the attitude of Tawhiao and Rewi, but we should think it would have evil and disastrous results. The natives cannot make allowance tor our party Government, and indeed they are so prone to suspicion and distrust in dealing with us, that insinuations of bad faith find ready credence." The Pearl, from the Islands, brings news of the total wreck of Messrs Owen and Graham's schooner Blancae on Panrhyn Island. The crew and passengers were saved. The vessel was insured in New Zealand for £1300. The Dunedin whaler Splendid was off the Chatham Islands last month, with 400 barrels sperm oil since leaving port. No appearance of the mail steamer yet. The Star to-night has an article upon Mr Macandrew's proposal for direct steam service between New L Zealand and London. A well-informed correspondent, writing from Alexandra to-day, sayß, " The great native meeting will be held about the end of the present month. The Kingites have already brought up to Te Kopua about 20 tons of flour and sugar for it, and are busy preparing accommodation for the expected guesta. Sir George Grey and party will be far better housed at Kopua this year" than they were at Hikurangi last year. They will be accomodated in Mr Hughes' new weatherboard house. I notioe that it is stated by the New Zealand Times that the Government agent, Mr Grace, was ordered to return, on his way up to Te Kopua. The facts were these : Mr Grace went to Kopua, and while there he received an anonymous letter to return. The native, who owned afterwards to having written that letter, is celebrated here for objecting to Europeans going over the confiscated boundary. There is no political signification to be attached to it. The natives call him a " porangi," or talkat ye babbler. The leading chiefs say he had no authority for writing the letter. The same native objected recently to Messrs Cheeseman and Adams going up Pirongia Mountain to collect ferns on Government land. Tawhiao's daughter has lately visited Alexandra, and the fact that the King's family are mixing with Europeans proves there is a wonderful change working amongst them. This is the first time she has been at Alexandra since the troops drove the Waikatos back upon Eewi's tribe. If tlie present adininistratian continue their wise native policy, I am of opinion that inside of two years a railway will cross the Punui river, on its course to Taranaki, and then good-bye to the native difficulty." The correspondent who writes the above has had 37 years' experience among the Maoris. CHRISTOHURCH, March 12. At the next meeting of the Lyttelton Harbor Board a resolution will be moved, for cancelling the debentures for £100,000, as no moneys were raised on them, and that a sum of £200,000, iv 2000 debentures of £100 each, be issued instead, for the purpose of constructing harbor works, and dredging and deepening Lyttelton harbor. The National Bank are the agents. A private squabblo has been going on lately at the hospital between the matron, the house steward, the house surgeon, and other officials. The Hospital Committee met privately yesterday to consider the report sent in by each of the aggrieved persons. The particulars will probably be made known at to-morrow's meeting of the Hospital Board. It has lately leaked out that when Mrs Goodyer, who poisoned herself a week ago, with strychnine, was taken to the hospital, the surgeon sent out for the loan of a stomach pump, as the one in the hospital was broken and useless. It is not stated whether the delay lessened the probability of saving the woman's life. This circumstance was not mentioned at the inquest. The City Council have refused the renewal of several cabmen's licenses for driving the inmates of houses of ill fame. Messrs Paul and Bird's private list for the Kaitangata relief fund amounts to £365. Great preparations are being made for Monday's carnival in aid of the fund. DUNEDIN, March 12. Between three and four o'clock this morning a fire broke out in the bnildin» at one time occupied by Messrs Goodby Brothers, brewers, at the corner of Astle and Burke streets. The Fire Brigade were promptly at the spot, but although there was a good supply of water, there was no possibility of saving the building, which was of considerable size and built of wood. The exertions of the brigade were therefore confined to protecting tlie houses and other buildings in the vicinity. In this they were successful after a good deal of hard work. In the meantime the brewery was, with the exception of a brick chimney, reduced to ashes. The building has been unoccupied for the past two years, since the firm retired from business, but it contained all the plant, and some 390 beer casks. The loss will therefore be serious. The insurances amount to" £1500; £500 on the building, and £500 on the plant, in the Northern office ; £250 on the building, and £250 on tlie plant, in the National The premises belonged to the Permanent Building Society of Otago, who employed a watchman to occasionally go over them, and see that all was right. This man went through the building yesterday afternoon, and everything was then as could be wished. There is therefore at present no clue to the cause of the firo ; but' the police have taken the matter in hand, it having been reported to them that two men were last night seen loitering about the premises. Referring to the fire, the Star says :— ■" It may be well to mention that an impression is gaining ground that some of the insurances offices are apt, in their zeal to do business, to take rather dangerous risks. To give an idea of the serious losses which shareholders in some of the local companies have to put up with, we may mention that since January 1 of the present year, or in the short space of six weeks, the New Zealand Company have had to pay £9500 onjinsurances,

! t HOKITIKA, March i&k- ;t A lad', aged l%i named Clarkson, -mm-- #' drowned this morning- while bathinJW: '"T "■ tn6 sea. _j:_ ;.i .• -■■-._ _ • ; The Stella 'has left for Jackson's Bay . with the commisßipners. Tawari, a Maori here, goes to KaiapcS ;to contest the Middle. Island native seat? - ■.rendered vacant by Taiaroa's elevation to | the Council. : Mr A. Learmonth has resigned office as Mayor, £ TAT7RANGA, March 12. . Captain Worsp anticipates raising, the- • Taupo this afternoon. Last* night, as Captains Sellars andf Oromartyand friends were sitting at the i Commercial Hotel, the harbor master (Mr ; Marks) entered, and commenced using i filthy and opprobrous language towards I them. No attention was paid to him for ! some time, but at last one of the party,. roused beyond endurance, stood up, and with small ceremony punched his head and turned him out. WELLINGTON, March 12". A boy named Edwin Jones, aged 8 ' years, who has been missing since the 4th ' . inst., was found drowned in the harbor. . ' to-day.- ,'