Telegraphic.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8379, 3 June 1889, Page 2

Telegraphic.

(PER UNITED TRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Auckland, Saturday. The whole of the Masonic Lodges in this district have expressed their opinion on the Grand Lodge question, the voting being— in favor of the proposal, 6 ; against, 2 ; to postpone the question, 1. The Rev. R. M'Kinney, Presbyterian clergyman, has written to the Irish delegates 1 reception committee accepting an invitation to co-operate, approving heartily of Home Rule, and expressing his firm conviction in Mr Farnell's innocence.

Woodvilljß, Saturday. At the annual meeting of the licensing committee all renewals were granted, but an application for a new hotel built by Mr CJ. Ellis at the railway station was refused.

Mastkrton, Saturday. ' An elderly woman named Chittenden fell into the fire last night in a tit, and had one arm and one thigh badly burnt. Wellington, Saturday. Married women who are living apart from their husbands and are holders of licenses for hotels, have received noiice from the clerk of the licensing committee that the police intend to oppose the renewal of .their licenses at the next meeting of the Bench. The action of the police will affect three houses in town.

It is stated that negotiations are almost completed for t lie amalgamation of Messrs M'Carthy's and Staples' breweries, which are the two largest in town. At an early hour this morning a trial was made with our of tbo dynamos to be used in lighting the city. The result was most satisfactory. The ordinary type of v newspaper could be read in the centre ut the roadway in its widest part. Sir Somers Vine had a long interview with the Government this morning re the Imperial Institute. No important questions were discussed.

The date for receiving tenders for the mail contract by the direct steamers to London closed yesterday. ' Only one tender was received, that being a joint one from the Mew Zealand and the Shaw, bavill, aud Albion Companies. The .Railway Coninnssibners have reported in favor of the extension otthe railway to Te Aro. The matter is now under the consideration of the Govern, ment. . , ' ■

The Customs revenue for May is not yet complete, the revenue officer at Kaipara having neglected to forward two retarns. So far the receipts show that last month £110,032 was collected, as against £116,045 for the preceding month and £143,815 for May, 1888. Lastmonth the amount collected at the principal centres was -Auckland £19,990, We\hngton. £16,510, Lyttelton and Christohuwh £21,275, Dunedin £30,921. For the two months of the financial year; which haveipassed: the returns' show a ..deficiency q{ £28,080 on the Colonial

treacuWr's estimate for, that period. Thfc-. , „ ._£•; beer duty last monih was £4147, as*" •? „ against £4029' it0 April and, £3924 in May, 1880. Of the first-mentioned amountw „• Auckland contributed £004, Wellington- .; £416, Christchnrch £843, Dunedin £99R - ; In each instance tbe abiHfngs and 1 pence > are omitted. >nakyi . A large boarding-house rf {n *J ed ' ak:l ' : Pipitea Point, occupied by Ufa f™™»r. was burnt down shortly after 5 Pf**. this evening. -The insurances and men . xorigin of the fire are unknown. J The stores and offices of Messrs John' ston and Co., merchants, at tne corner of Featherston and Panama streets, had a narrow escape of destruction by fire this morning. A portion of the i nrso floor and the upper story of the building are occupied as offices by Messrs Ben, Gully, and Izard, solicitors. About + .7 o'clock this morning smoke was seen issuing from the windem of the commonlaw clerk's room. An alarm WS3 K» ye "» and the fire brigade were quickly <?.n tne spot. The fire had then a good holo. «J the room mentioned, and quickly sp*e^ up the studs and made its way throngs the roof. Here, however, its progress; was stayed, but considerable damage was done to two rooms, and the flooring anal ceiling were considerably charred- A> ; tremendous quantity of water was poured! into the building, and such papers aswere not destroyed by fire were saturated. The water found its way down to thcr basement, and a large quantity of Messrs Johnston and Co.'s stock was injured. Messrs Bell, Gully, and Tzard have lost ft large number of valuable papers and law reports, besides a number of books being ' damaged. Nothing is known as to how 5 the fire originated. The law books, '„ furniture, and effects in Messrs 8011, Gully, and lzard's aro covered by a policy r for £700 in the Colonial office. Messrs ' Johnston and Co. are insured as follows s —Stock, £3500 ; buildings, £4000. Offices ■ ' interested— On the stock, Colonial £1500, South British £500, Phoenix £750, North German £250, Sun £500 ; on the buildings, Smith British£2so, London and Lancashire - I £500, London Liverpool and Globe £1000* ° North British £590, Imperial £1000, '' National £750.

Hokitika, Sunday. At Kelly's Terrace the tributers washed yesterday for six days' work, twelve men, * 430z, valued at £165, giving £13 7s * man. The dirt was richer than last week, bat owing to the bottom rising not so much was taken out.

Christchurch, Saturday. Yesterday afternoon a convict named Tillet escaped from the sang at work on the batteries, Sumner-road, Lyttelton. He got away from the works unobserved, but the sentry caught sight of him while making his way through the flax bushes below the road. The warder gave chase, and captured him a quarter of a mile from the battery.

A trial of Whitney's and Eley's ammttnition took place at Bromley range today in the presence of Colonel' Lean and several Volunteer officers. The result was satisfactory, the general opinion being that there is practically no differ^ , ence between the two kinds. At 200 Ayards the average for five shots was 191$ ■- points for Eley's, and 1734 for Whitney's. At 500 yards the average was Eley s UTS points and Whitney's 131*3 points. Dunedin, Saturday. Henry Criest, of the New Zealand Express Forwarding Company, was fined a, nominal penalty tor consigning cartridges by rail without marking the package containing them " Dangerous." It is thought this is the first case of the kind heard in the colony. The department intimated that all similar ease&would be prosecuted. James Millar, guard of the south train, fell out at the Cavershain tunnnel, but escaped unhurt.