NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7224, 25 April 1884, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

[Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, April 24. The To Anau brought £115,000 in gold for the Union Bank. Tho Rotorua leases came up before Judge Gillies yesterday in Banco on appeal from the decision of Judge Smith, of the District Court, which was advised to Government. Sir Frederick Whitaker appeared for appellant, the Crown Lands Commissioner; and Mr Hesketh for respondent. After lengthy argument. Judge Gillies reserved decision.

A movement has been started by influential citizens to create homoeopathic wards in the District Hospital for both sexes. The steamer Rowena and the scow Kauri came into collision off Port Charles past midnight on Monday. The Rowena was damaged to the extent of .£150; the hull was uninjured. The only damage to the scow was the breaking of her bowsprit. Endeavours are being made to form an Auckland Marine Association. Mr Mitchelson assures the Cambridge settlers that the district railway will be completed in four or five months. His departure has been postponed till Sunday. His Excellency the Governor opened the Society of Arts Exhibition to-night, and delivered an address. There was a large attendance. He also presented the medals and certificates to the successful competitors. Herr Schmidt gave a handsome silver medal for the best musical composition, won by Thomas Wood, son of Mr Reader Wood; second, Frank Edgar; third, “ Delta,” name unknown. Judge Fenton and Professor Tendall, of Christchurch, made the awards. The painting, as to quality, shows a decided improvement on last year’s. GISBORNE, April 24. Three skeletons, one with a bullet-hole in the skull, have been found at Tologa Bay, supposed to be Maoris killed in Te Kooti’s raid. A large Native College is to be built here at a cost of .£I4OO. Major Bopata has written to Government, declining to receive the reduced pension of £IOO a-year. It is reported that Te Kooti has written to the Natives, announcing his intention to visit this district shortly. The Europeans here object to his doing so. NAPIER, April 24. A decision of some importance was delivered by Judge Brookfield in the Native Land Court to-day. Some Native grantees of the Kaikoro block applied to the Court under the Act of 1869 to determine - the value of their shares. The Court held that the Act of 1886,-constituting anew Land Court, practically displaced the Act of 1869, and that the Court could only undertake to take evidence in such cases when directed to do so by order of the Supreme Court. The first brown trout taken in Hawke’s Bay was exhibited in town to-day. NELSON, April 24. Mr George Hooper, of tbe firm of Hooper and Dodson, brewers, died this morning, aged 78 years. He arrived in Nelson in the ship William Harrison, in 1842, and a year later started business as a brewer, from which time till death he has been actively engaged. Deceased was_ seized with a fit on Tuesday, from which he never recovered. OAMARU, April 24. A meeting of farmers was held in Oamaru to-day to discuss the bag question and other matters affecting the welfare of farmers. There was a large attendance, and the bag question was fully discussed. It was pointed out that the compact entered into between Dunedin merchants and dealers only to purchase grain with bags included had fallen through, and the following resolution was carried: —“ That .this meeting resolves to adhere to the system previously followed of selling grain with bags extra.” .The question of establishing a Com Exchange, after considerable discussion, was postponed till a future meeting. A stack of oats, valued at £6O, was destroyed by fire this morning at Totara. It was not insured, and the cause of the fire is unknown. DUNEDIN, April 24. Mr J. C. Mackay, of Sydney, has challenged Mr Robert Boswell, of Christchurch, to, a match at draughts for £SO or £IOO a-side. If the match is played in Sydney Mr Boswell’s expenses will be paid, or vice vend.

At the Police Court to-day John Keast was fined £3 10s 6d and costs for assalting C. E, Hutchinson. Prosecutor had written a letter to a newspaper accusing defendant of cruelty whilst driving a horse, and defendant, in assaulting him, said he would teach him to write to the papers, A deputation from the Trades and Labour Council, introduced by Mr Bracken, M.H.E., waited on Major Atkinson to-day to ask that city constituencies should be amalgamated, and that local industry should be encouraged. Major Atkinson pointed out that he had announced the amalgamation of city constituencies as part of the Government policy in his recent speech. As regarded local industries, he concurred with ihe deputation regarding tho advisability of getting everything done locally that they could get done, properly and well. It was, however, impossible to get locomotives built here. If tenders were called for them they would only be imported and made up in the shops here by tho local firms. The Government were doing all they could in the manufacture of rolling stock in the Colony. He believed everything should he got here that could be got, even if the cost were ten per cent above the imported article. In the case of Prescott the jury returned a verdict of “ Determined suicide whilst temporarily insane,” It transpired that the deceased was short in his accounts. The jury added a rider censuring Dornwell, his employer, for his lax manner in keeping his accounts.