INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 160, 17 October 1881, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

(from our own correspondents.) NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. The Mayor has proclaimed Thursday a public holiday, on account of the opening of the line to Hawera. A large number from here have gone to the Parihaka meeting.

PATEA, This Day. Mr. Armstrong, late of your town, broke & \Aooii vessel yesterday, aucL Vies ia a critical stake ab "Waverley.

(per united peess association.)

AUCKLAND. October 14.

Mr. Fenton, Chief Judge, of the Native Land Court, has resigned. He has been thirty years in the Colony, and is entitled to a substantial pension. DUNEDIN, This Day. A bush fire occurred on the Peninsula on Friday. It is affirmed by oldest settlers to be the severest known to them. Large areas of bush were burning, and a number of buildings are totally destroyed. Thousands of pounds worth of property is lost. A cheese factory was among the buildings burned. The schooner Owake is missing. BLENHEIM, This Day. Mr. E. T. Connolly is a candidate for Picton.

TIMARU, This Day.

Mr. Wakefield addressed a crowded meeting of the Geraldine electors at Timaru on Thursday. He upheld local government, and believed the people are able to administer it. He urged the GovexnEQEQt to deoeafcr&lise h&mm'isbrabion. Sir George Grey's measure was not one which could be made workable in New Zealand, as it proposed to create a number of petty states. If Ormond's no confidence motion had been carried, the result would have been most serious, as a number of important bills would have been dropped. The Property Tax should be localised and spent by the local bodies, and not go to general funds. He would oppose the restoration of provincialism. Population was the proper basis for representation, and the Ministry deserved credit in the colony for the firm stand they had made against the stonewallers. He spoke against the recommendations of the Local Industries Committee, and the imposition of increased duties on articles of home consumption. As regards native affairs, he said the sooner the Government applied strong measures the better. He favored the Railway Construction Bill. In reply to questions, he said he was not in favor of triennial parliaments, and lowering railway rates. He opposed the licensing bench being elective, and Legislative Councillors being elected for life, but he thought they should hold a long tenure of office. A vote of thanks was carried.