TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5342, 28 March 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[By Cable,]

fREUTER'S TELEGRAMS.!

SYDNEY, March 27

Tho current opinion here is that the recent murders in New Guinea were due in some measure to the conduct of the white missionaries.

Baron Mac Ley, tho Russian scientist, returns to New Guinea to-morrow.

LONDON, March 25. Beef tallow is Is lower, and mutton tallow 6d lower.

After a long debate in the House of Commons on the Zulu affairs, the vote of want of confidence in the Government was defeated by 155 against 61. In the House, of Lords the Premier made a statement concerning the British policy in South Africa. He said that confederation, and not annexation, was desirable. Sir Bartle Frere was the right man in the right place, and was not to be blamed because he assumed supreme power in making the declaration of war. The Queen has started for Italy. Mandalay is quiet. The King of Burmah is willing to make any concession. Negotiations continue with Yakoob Khan. An unsuccessful attempt was made to assassinate the chief of tho gendarmes at St. Petersburg. The assassin escaped. ADELAIDE, March 27. The strike of workmen at Gowler Town has terminated. MELBOURNE, March 27. The Suez mail brings advices of the following English departures for New Zealand ports between the Ist and 14th February : — Cela3no, for Napier ; Columbus, Dunnobal, Stad Haarlem, and Westland, for Otago ; Glondeny, for Wellington; Red Gauntlet, for Canterbury; Weymouth, for Auckland. [SPECIAL TO THE PRESS ASSOCIATION.] SYDNEY, March 27. A disastrous fire has occurred at Newcastle. MELBOURNE, March 27. A Volunteer fractured a boy's skull with the butt of his rifio. A warrant has been issued against the principals in tho recent prize fight. BRISBANE, March 27. Tho Courier blames the missionaries for exposing the colored teachers to being murdered in New Guinea, when they (the missionaries) did not share the risk. | FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT. |" WAIROA, March 27^ Respecting the Turiroa-road a special meeting of the County Council will be held on Saturday to confirm tho rate. A petition will be presented from the ratepayers of the Clyde riding, praying tho Council to. construct tho dray road at once out of tho rovonuo for tho curront year. Nine-tenths of the ratepayers here signed the petition, though at the last meeting Mr Burton asserted that nine-tenths of the people were opposed to it. Popular feeling runs high on this matter, as only two councillors, Messrs Burton and Shaw, are really opposed to the work, and their opposition . cannot be accounted for ; the one is pledged to exert himself for the good of the riding, and the other has no interest in the riding, beyond that which he possesses in common with all the councillors. The road is very much wanted by the people of the riding, and yet the Council will not sanction its construction. An inclination meeting is talked of. [By Special Wire.] AUCKLAND, March 27. Many complaints are being made by tho Waikato settlers of the great destruction of cattle caused by the Waikato railway line. It is unfenced, and scarcely a day passes without one or more cattle or horses being killed along some parts of tho line. , A serious accident occurred the other day to a young man named Edward Bunting, in the employment of Mr Snowdon, a bush contractor in Kaipara. He was fearfully cut by an axe on tho small of his back, just below his bolt. The cut is six inches in length by threo inches in depth. Had ho not been a most powerful young man the accident might have proved fatal on the spot. As it is, Dr Turton hopes he will soon recover with great care. Ho still remains ia the bush, not being sufficiently strong to be removed. The accident occurred through his mate's axe slipping off a log when making a bloAv. No blame whatever is attached to anyone,

'• \Sjk' George Grey still remains at Kfi^au. -^Do-day a large number of telegrams relating to tho Waimate embrogHo Svej^S trarianiitted by wire to Warkvvdrth. theftce tdTbe cdnveye'd td S'uf Gedrgd's residence by boat. The news would have been sent to him yesterday, but he was expected in town in the evening. No reply has yet been received from the Premier since the telegrams were sent to him. CHRISTGJHURdH; March 27: At a meeting bf the Agricultural and Pastoral Society to-day a .general opipion was expressed that fdr this year atjeast there is nd dliance oi starting the Royal Agricultural Association. Under the circumstances, it was thought, the society should not move further in the matter, beyond securing members for j the National Association, whenever occasion served.

Two lads in tho employ of a man named Robert Ray Were oharged at the Police Cdurt t-day with stealing; a bag of grain-, valued 10s., It appeared that the bag had fallen off a frock on the, raUway line, and tlie boys iiad been told by Mr Ray to bring it on, ii; was no use leaving it where ho was. His Worship refused to hoar the case against the lads any further, and dismissed tlieni, saying that Ray ought td be in the dock instead. Inspector Hickson said it was possible ho might bring a charge against Ray. Tlie following telegram was forwarded this morning by his Worship the Mayor to tho Borough Councils, of Dunedin, Invercargill, Oamaru;, , Tiniaru, Ashburton; Akaroa, Lyttelton, Rangiora, Miltonj . Palmerston; Port Ohalmei's, Roslyn, Daversiiam, St. Kelda, Laurence, Queenstown, Waikoaiti, Hokitika and Greymouth, and also to the various County Councils in the Middle Island : — " Will bo glad if you will co-operato with the Christchurch City Council in urging tho Government to havo the next sitting of Parliament held at Christchurch, in obedience to a resolution of tho HoUse of Representatives last session. The extra expense wiU be smaU, and every facUity wUI be given by the people bf Christchurch. Please reply early. C. T. Ike, Mayor." A lady nanied Taylor'; while walking On the rocks at Sumner ye'sfei'day, fell and fractured her left shoulder.

An appeal case of the Queen v. Harnian, in which the defendant had entered into a bond as administrator of the estate of Lord Lyttelton to pay stamp duties, which bond it was sought to. enforce, the defendant contended that the duties did not apply to properties of a residuary legatee when not domiciled in tho colonies. The Judges, however, held differently, and dismissed tho appeal. An order by agreement was made today to havo the argument on the new trial rule in Henderson and Napier Harbor Board, heard in Dunedin.

A meeting was called last night ' at a public house of persons interested in forming a new Masonic Lodge on Good Templar principles. The affair was a hoax, but a few members of the Craft were looking about the. premises for the author.

DUNEDIN, March 27.

The Dunedin Age has been purchased by Mr, Geo. Capstick, of Tokoinairiro, on behalf of a company!

It is stated the local insurance companies do not intend to pay any risk taken by them until after the expiry of 60 daysfrom the lodgement of the claims.

The Harbor Board have received a letter from Captain Fairchild through the Marine Department, Wellington, stating that when the Hinemoa Was Crossing out over the Otago bar on the sth instant the vessel touched once; that the leading beacons wore just in a line when the vessel grounded ; that there was very little sea on at the time ; that the Hinemoa's draught was only 12 feet 4 inches ; and that it was just about low water when she crossed the bar. The secretary of tho Harbor Board replied to the Marine Department, Wellington, by instructions from tho chairman of the board, that as vessels of- much greater draught of water than the Hinemoa are constantly being taken in and out of the port of Otago (both with or without a pilot), without touching when crossing the bar, there is no special reason apart from the guiding or steering of the vessel why she should touch, and that the board would respeotfully suggest that the Government issue instructions to Captain Fairchild to avail himself of the services of a' pilot on his visits to the port of Otago, when it will be seen that the Hinemoa, even under the most unfavorable circumstances, will be navigated in and out without touching. Chas. Benson, a man of color, who described himself as a cook, was sent to gaol for a week to-day for vagrancy. The evidence shewed that he had been loitering about the streets at night, and last evening he was arrested while kneeling over a drunken seaman, whom he had mistaken for the captain. The chairman of the Tuapeka County Council has appealed to the Education Board for a library for the Lawrence gaol. He states that the prisoners have no means of profitably disposing of their leisure time.

HOKITIKA, March 27.

Last night a number of tho citizens met at the Empire Hotel to bid good-bye to Mr R. C. Reid on his departure for Wellington by tho Claud Hamilton. Mr Bonar was in tho chair. After the usual loyal toasts, the healths of Mr Reid and of Mr Ings, late editor of the West Coast Times, were cordially drunk. The only othor toast was "Prosperity to the Neto Zealander," which paper has just been purchased by Mr Reid. A very pleasant evening was spent, and Messrs Reid and Ings were escorted to tho wharf by a considerable number of friends , who gave them three hearty cheers.

NEW PLYMOUTH, March 27.

The Hawera correspondent of the Herald writes : — " Te White seems from tlie first to have invited Mr Sheehan simply to beard and insult him before the whole Maori population of the Coast, and thus gain for himself more prestige for having done so. The Maoris say that the Native Minister spoke like a child, and that Te Whiti advised him to go and play with children. When the natives attempted to remove the surveyors, some of them showed fight, but were soon overpowered by numbers, and had to submit, much to their disgust. The Maoris are having a grand field-day today, pulling up all the survey pegs in a skirmishing order, but I fancy they will find that no easy task, as most of the pegs are driven well home in the earth. The natives openly say that there is to be no fighting over the matter, but it is to be a war of words. The only thing to be feared at present is that some of the young Maori men may be led away by excitement to do some rash act. If such a thing happened I would not answer for the settlers, as they are too much disgusted Avith the Government's action with regard to Hiroki to hope for any immediate support from them.

OMARTJ, March 27

A fatal accident occurred to-day at Mahcno to a man named Geo. O'Brien. The deceased was working with several othor laborers at an excavation near the Maheno railway station, where a large mass of earth fell upon him, completely burying him. Ho was taken out alive, and brought into Oamaru, and conveyed to the hospital, but he died about half an hour after his admission. The injuries he sustained were fracture of the right thigh, left leg, and left arm. The deceased was an elderly man and unmarried.

A well-known character named John Madden was arrested to-day ou a charge of robbery with violence. Early on Sunday morniug, in the heart of the town, about two o'clock, loud cries were heard, and the police proceeding to the spot found a man named Collins, who

stated that he, had been ill-treated' ! and. robbod by Madden, who had made off. The police left Collins and went. in search af the rogue, but failed ttf find him, and returned to the Scene of the robbery only to find that CoUW had disappeared. Some difficulty has "been experienced in finding out the whereabouts of Collins, who has not yet been found, but it is hoped the police may yet be successful in their search. A man named Macalister^ who was charged "With setting fire to his house atNgapiri while his wife was inside, was to-dcty -discharged,- the magistrate basing his decision on the case Rex v. Marsh, in which' it is laid down that to constitute 1 the offence of arson it is necessary to prove that there was intent to defraud or injure a third person. At the meeting of the Municipal Council to-night, the rate for the ensuing year was fixed at Is 6d in the pound on the ratable value. The present vahiatioxt of the town is set down at £53,990,- the appeals lodged by tbe Council against the assessment having resulted in the amount being increased by £6460. The expenses connected with the appeals anidtirit to' £85 lis. PALMERSTON NORTII, March 27. . The land sale at Feilding yesterday was a grand success. There wore fully 300 persons present. The amount of the sales Cash payments was £12, 1,37 19s 6d, and on deferred payments, £18,170 7s lOd, making a total of £30550 7s 4d* Tho average price of rural land waß £4 7s lOd per acre; average price of suburban £7. ..There was keen competition for rural land, but not much request for the town seotions in Ashurst. They will no doubt be put' lip on & future day, and command high rates, as notwithstanding yesterday's experience, it is a magnificent site for a township, and must yet prove a splendid investment.

TAURANGA, March 27

A crowded public meeting Avas held here last night, for the purpose of advocating the Construction of a district railAvay. Mr Gellibrand moved the first resolution, viz., " That in tho opinion of this meeting the time has arrived Avhen Ohinemutu, Tauranga, and Katikati should be provided with railway communication with Auckland, via the Thames Or Waikato." The speaker urged the meeting to be tirfauimous. They no longer wanted to be isolated, but to have direct communication Avith other centres, and more especially Avith the hot lakes, Avhich ought to be the sanitorium of the .Ayorld. Mr Redmond opposed the resolution. He considered that a railway to the Thames Avould send aAvay all the country trade, and leave tho place a desert. He moved as an amendment, "That this meeting is of opinion that a railway from Tauranga to the Thames would be detrimental to the former by sending its country trade direct to the and Auckland, and recommends instead one from Tauranga to Ohinemutu." Mr Vesey Stewart, after advocating the Ohinemutu line, and ouologisihg Mr MacandreAV, who would, he was sure, help the project, said that in order there might be Unanimity he would move, "That it be represented io, the Government that it would be advisable to constnict that portion of the line between Ohinemutu and Tauranga in the first place." Mr Redmond withdrew his amendment in favor of Mr Stewart's. The first resoulution was then about to pass when Mr A. E. Whitaker moved, " That in the opinion of this meeting a railway passing through Te Puke and other Government blocks is of the first importance to the Tauranga district, and that it would be unwise and impolitic to urge the Government to take steps for the inauguration of any work until this all-important object shall have been obtained." This Avas carried by acclamation, though Mr SteAvart begged them not to go before the country divided. Mr R. Gordon then proposed, " That a committee be formed to represent the wishes of the community to the Government, and to further by all possible means the Tauranga-Rotorua railway, such committee to consist of the member of the district, the chairmen of the various district boards, and Mr Whitaker, with poAver to add to their number." This .Avas carried and the meeting separated. WELLINGTON, March 27.

Mr J, N. Brassey will be appointed Coroner at the Thames, vice Mr Macdonald, who has left the district for Napier

The Chronicle to-night contains a violent article, accusing the Premier of shirking his duty, and paralysing the action of his colleagues in regard to the policy to be adopted in reference to the Waimate Plains matter. This is exaggerated, lAt it is generally believed that the Premier hesitates to assent to the deoided steps Avhich the Ministers here consider necessary to the pubhc safety should be taken in the matter. A letter received here says that the A.S.N. Company have no intention of entering the New Zealand trade. The inquest on Banks has been adjourned. Orders, it is understood, have been given for the concentration of a large force of the Constabulary at Opunake and Waihi, and any demonstration of force on the part of the natives will be met in the same Avay. Hiroki' s surrender Avill probably be insisted on and onforced against Te Whiti.