TELEGRAPHIC.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7145, 24 April 1885, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC.

[PEB UNITED PKEBS ASSOCIATION.! Auckland, Thursday. The Arawata, which arrived from Fiji to-day, brings intelligence of a crowded public meeting having been held at Levuka on March 29th. A resolution was carried favorable to the annexation of Fiji by New Zealand, and it was decided to prepare a petition to the New Zealand Legislature prayiDg for the endorsement of the resolution. The defence authorities are in treaty for the purchase of small steamers here to be converted into torpedo boats. The guns on the Auckland defences will be ready for action next week. The Hinemoa leaves for Russell and Wangarei to-night and returns to town on Saturday, and then leaves for Napier. -"* Seven tenders were received for the completion of contract No. 1 of the Thames Valley and Rotorua railway. The lowest tender was that of Daniel Fallon for £2745. There wa3 no decision made. A meeting of the Auckland Native Lands Colonisation Company was held to-day. The resolution recently passed for winding-up the company was confirmed. Heavy freshes in the Whangaroa river brought 5000 logs to tho mills, equal to five million feet of timber. At an inquest held to-day on the body of James Bragelin, laborer, who died from fracture of the skull, occasioned by falling on the stone steps of the Clarendon Hotel while coming out of it in liquor, a verdict of accidental death was returned. No blame was attached to anybody. Thames, Thursday. The differences which have agitated the Thames Borough Council since December last in reference to the Parawai Ward 4^ have at length been satisfactorily settled. fr At a special meeting of the Council held to-night the business transacted during the last four months was reviewed and confirmed. A resolution was then passed giving the happy despatch to the Parawai Ward by merging it in the South Ward, after which its members gracefully withdrew. Wanganui, Thursday. Robert Coswell Middletoa was charged to-day with delivering a fraudulent marriage notice to the Wanganui Herald. He stated that the notice had been given to him by another party, but when put on oath refused to name the party. The Magistrate sentenced him to seven days' imprisonment for contempt of Court, unless he choose sooner to give the name, and adjourned the case for a week. The Premier and party are expected down tho Wanganui river on Saturday night. He will leave for Wellington as soon as possible after his arrival here. Wellington, Thursday. Mr Wratt's racehorse Hinemoa, which arrived here from Nelson this morning to take part in the forthcoming race meeting, received a severe knocking about on the v passage, and it is more than likely will hot face the starter. The writs for the Oamaru and Tauranga seats in the House of Representatives will be issued on Friday, and tho election will take place within six weeks from that - date. At the inquest to-day on the remains of Squire Barlow a verdict was returned to the effect that tho deceased met his death by burning in the fire at Te Aro House. T The members of the Government have .been in Cabinet almost all day. Nothing, however, of any importance has transpired, the business in the main being a discussion of the measures to be presented to Parliament. The operation of tho Arms Act, 1880, has been suspended in the Middle Island. Mr 1 G. B. Davy is gazetted District Judge for the Wairarapa, and Mr 0. E. Pawson District Judge for Wanganui,

Christohuroh, Thursday. The Plumpton Park Coursing Club meeting commenced to-day in delightful weather. The first rounds of several events were run, but nothing is yet decided. The Hon. W. J. M. Larnach, Minister of Mines, returned to Christchurch tonight from his vidt to the Malvern and Wilberforce districts, where he has during the past week personally inspected the coal mines and gold-bearing reefs. He leaves for Duuedin by express tomorrow morning, but hopes to return to Christchurch in a few days. Timaru, Thursday. At the R.M. Court to-day Fred. Lucas was charged with intent to murder his wirY, at Sauditown, on April 8. The evidence was to the effect that some hours after his wife's confinement the accused repeatedly exclaimed that the infant was a b Chinaman, and seizing a penknife, after vainly searching for a razor, he stabbed her in the neck. She managed to get away, and ran in a fearful state to the house of a neighbor. The charge was fully sustained, and the accused was committed for trial, bail being refused. Dunedin, Thursday. Mr Btickland received a unanimous vote of confidence at Waikouaiti last night. He hoped tho Government wouLl not press the West Coast railway if a company failed to get the work taken up. He thought highly of Sir Julius Vogol's local government proponals, but he opposed tho cheap money bill, which, he said, would not help the class it was intended to do ; the proposal really meant for Canterbury only. He would do all he could to get for Otago similar railway rates to those in Canterbury. At Balclutha Mr Thomson, in reply to questions about his action in tho early part of the session, said it was a great honor to turn out a Government, and he might turn out another Government before long. An amendment to Bimply thank him for hia address was negatived by a large majority, and a vote of confidence was carried. Invercargill, Thursday. At the meeting of the Waste Lands Board to-day Alfred Tapper, sawmiller, was ordered to pay £113 43 9d, being the amount of royalty in excess of that paid by him during th 6 last twenty months. He was also mulcted in £30 for the expense of the investigation held in the railway returns. Mr Tapper was allowed a week to look into the matter and bring evidence that he had paid for all he had cut. He stated that he had given no instructions to his men to falsify the returns, and was so much engaged in other business that he had not been able to give personal attention to the mills for months past. At a meeting of the Invercargill Borough Council (as Harbor Board) to-night it was resolved to introduce a bill in tho next session of Parliament for power to borrow £50,000 for harbor improvements and reclamation. In the Supreme Court to-day the civil case of the Bank of Australasia v. M'lntyre was concluded, and a verdict for defendant was given. The claim was one of £1000 on a, promissory note signed by defendant as one of the committee of the defunct Farmers Co-operative Society. The defence was that the note was signed only on condition that each member of the committee signed a similar document, which two refused to do. Richard Burke was again put on his trial on the charge of concealing moneyfromthe Official Assignee in bankruptcy. The ]ury found him guilty with a recommendation to mercy on account of his previous good conduct. His Honor, in passing sentence of one year's imprisonment with hard labor, said that the jury had practically found that he had hidden the sum of 2G5 sovereigns in gold, and it was not in the power of the Court to commute the sentence. If the accused divulged what he had done with the money his Honor would make a representation to the Crown on prisoner's behalf. The Invercargill races were poorly attended, only about 300 persons being present. The racing was of no general interest, only district horses being engaged in them.