NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LIII, Issue 5919, 14 February 1880, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

[Times’ Spboial Wise,] AUCKLAND, Feb. 13. Sir George Grey, when invited to attend a Masonic ceremony at the Thames, earn it wa*

foloig since he attended a Masonic • Lodge that he bad almost forgotten all .about the Freemasons. He has also received an invitation fromTukukino to talk over Thames difficulties, but he advised him to moot the Wishes of the Government.

Gudgeon's second volume of the war, narrating the doings of the Imperial forces, will shortly be issued. | A letter has been received by John Lamb, a prominent temperance man here, from John Bae, of the England Temperance League, in whioh ho soys that there is not much, proSect of Mr Gough coming to the antipodes, is health is not good, but if he recovers he will re-visit Europe. The passengers by the British Empire, in quarantine, have organised themselves by appointment into constables. They relieve the monotony with rabbit shooting, picnics and games. Fresh claims are being preferred against the Municipal Corporation for damages to property through the recent streets improvements. , Stephen Hughes, who was charged with attempted rape on Mary Saxton, was committed for trial. Bail was rUowed, himself in £-110 and two sureties each of £2OO. Elizabeth M‘Kay, aged 12, was criminally assaulted at a lonely place on the Whau Block House road by a young man. From the description given by the girl the police arrested a young roan named Michael Brien, a stockdriver. He was brought up on a charge of attempted rape, and remanded to Wednesday. GBAHAMSTOWN, Feb. 13. Sir George Grey has been requested to call a meeting of the Auckland members of the House of Eepiesentatives. Overtures have been made by Messrs Swanson, Hurst, and the other rats to join the party again, but the disposition is not to receive them. The child of a Native chief at Parawai, aged three years, was drowned while playing beside a creek. A Native in a rtade manner tried to restore it, but failed. A tangi is now being held. The Besident Magistrate ruled in Court today that bakers suing for bread should state the weight, and not the number of loaves. A number of the Upper Thames settlers are here firing a rifle match and playing cricket with the Thames residents. A public ball will be given to them. NEW PLYMOUTH, Feb. 13. The detachment of A.O. which arrived yesterday from Wellington, left this morning by the 7 o’clock train for the White Cliffs. The Harbour Board met this afternoon to consider some correspondence received from Mr Bees, their engineer, who was sent Home to consult Sir John Coode. Mr Bees states that Sir J. Coode had adopted the modification suggested, and has prepared a. concrete section. He stated he had also received tenders for plant to the amount of £IB,CDO, which the Board gave him authority to accept. It was stated in town to-day by a person who was on the Plains yesterday and saw the Natives digging potatoes, that they were complaining of the mbn at the camp stealing the potatoes, and that was why they were digging them up before they were ripe. HAWBEA, Feb. 13. The telegraph wire was cut near the Mohi stream, on the Waimate plains, yesterday evening. The natives are engaged in digging potatoes near the spot, although it is reported the potatoes are not ripe. They commenced digging them yesterday, and they are suspected of having cut the wire. WELLINGTON, Feb. 13. The new cable was joined last night, and the Kangaroo came on to Nelson. She left again for Wellington at 6 this morning. At the Police Court this morning, Captain Dempsey, of the schooner Darcy Pratt, was summoned by the Collector of Customs for carrying seamen who were not on the ship’s articles. This being a first offence, he was fined 10s and coats. Seven members of the Naval Brigade have entered for the prize firing meeting at Nelson. The Union Steamship Company will carry the members of the New Zealand Rifle Association from the various porta to Nelson and back at single fares. The cup given by the Company has.arrivedJiere and is being now engraved; —Tlieinedats are also boing struck off, and will be ready for presentation at the meeting at Nelson. The ribbon, which is the reverse to that attached to the New Zealand ir ar medal, has been made by Mr Greenshield of Auckland. The Secretary reports that the entries are coming in freely. J. P. Davis, charged with stealing a cashbox from the house of William Clydesdale, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. NELSON, Feb. 13. A very handsome sword was presented to Major Pitt last night by the H Battery of Artillery. The Bishop of Nelson, chaplain to the corps, made the presentation in a suitable speech, and a large attendance was present.

OAMAHU, Feb, 13. At the Magistrate’s Court to-day, Daniel Toohey, a draper, was fined £5 for keeping his dressmakers at work after 2 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon. The Lincolnshire farmers’ delegates arrived in Oamarii this evening, and will make a tour of the district to-morrow. The privilege of using the totalisator at the coming race meeting has been granted to Lyons and Hart for the sum of £-0. DUNEDIN, Feb. 13. Petty officer Monson has entered for the Nelson prize meeting. Some Chinese working at Mace town obtained a patch weighing five pounds of gold. There have been four small insolvencies filed this week. Water is very scarce in the Cromwell district, and mining is almost at a standstill. In Banco this morning, the Judge granted a rule nisi for a new trial in the case of M'Eehzie v. Smith, and suggested that ■it should bo taken direct to the Court of Appeal, on account of the importance of the points involved. J. Boid and a miner, labourers on the railway works near Hindon, were injured seriously yesterday by blasting powder. They had inserted a charge of powder into some rock, but the charge not going off they endeavoured to draw it, and whilst so engaged it exploded. Both men had their right arms fractured, and were injured in the face and greatly scorched about the hands. They were forwarded to the hospital at Dunedin by rail this afternoon. The ship Wanganui cleared for London today with a cargo valued at £103,904, including 5035 bales wool and skins, 350 sacks wheat, 72 casks tallow, 38 casks oil, and 42 bales leather. The ship Auckland cleared for London with a cargo valued at £lll,lßO, including 5346 bales of wool. INVBEOAKGILL, Feb. 13, Sketchley’s (Mrs Brown’s) two entertainments here were a great success, and intensely amusing. The Secretary of the Bluff Harbour Board, Mr Searle, in a letter to this morning’s paper, says regarding Mr Livingston, the Provincial Auditor, who recently reported on his accounts, that Mr Livingston either cannot write Queen’s English or ho is an awful perverterof the truth. He compares Mr Livingston unfavourably with Mr M'Cullooh, the local Auditor, and with Mr Ollivior, the Canterbury Auditor. The scarcity of water, consequent on the long continued dry weather is severely felt. Amor-g the items of Danish progress, one of the most remarkable is the rapid increase of her shipping, and particularly in the building of steamers. The following shows the increase of four years, from 1873 to 1876; 197 259 ; 1874—number of vessels, 2846; tonnage, 212,600 ; 1875—number of vessels, 3200 j tonnage, 250,643; 1876—number of vessels, 3263; tonnage, 260,180. During the Paine period 69 steamers were built and 454 sailing vessels, the total number of the former reaching 180„o£ 43,720 tonnage, and 12,340 horse power.