NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXV, Issue 7864, 20 May 1886, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND.

[Peb Press Association.]

AUCKLAND, Mat 19. A bushman named James Billing, employed by M'Beth and McDonald, bush' contractors, Kekerangi, left his whare on Sunday, and has not since been heard of. He is supposed to have been lost in thebush. A party has started in search of the missing man. A verdict of .£250 and costs has been awarded by the jury against the Auckland 4 Tramway Company, in the case of Mrs James Brewen, who hurt her knee in. tripping right into a trench of the line in? course of construction.' ;

At a meeting of Justices of the Peace at Auckland, re compulsory attendance of Justices m rotation, a resolution was passed in favour of appointing stipendiary magistrates.

The estimated loss up to date by the bootmakers' strike is £IO,OOO.

The Ministers’ Association have passed a resolution endorsing the action of thePresbyterian Church on the New Hebrides question. , _ ; Bishop Cowie is convening a meeting of Anglican Churchmen for to-morrow, with a similar object.

THAMES, Mat 19, ' At a meeting of policy-holders in Government Life Assurance Association; held last night, it was resolved to forward a memorial to Parliament praying that Government should, without delay, resume entire control of the department, and that postmasters be the district agents of the Government in matters relating to insurance. r ‘ ‘ini'ii 11 1 iiii. iniii mi f The Eesident Magistrate ‘delivered to-day in the case brought by s ’the Town Clerk against J. P. Watt, » j brewer, for selling bottled beer without [taking out a wholesale license under the Licensing Act, 1881. The defence had been that a brewer’s license under the Beer Duty Act, 1880, was sufficient. Mr Ward, E.M., did not consider that this was a license which entitled a brewer to sell beer otherwise than in duty stamped ; casks or hogsheads. He based his judgement on the decision given by Mr Justice tEjchmond in the Napier appeal case. A phe of 10s was inflicted, the Magistrate Considering that defendant had some colour jior his action, as the Customs officers were Satisfied he was right. young men who had created a disturbance at the Salvation Army Barracks; Boisterous weather has again set in, this time from a north-westerly direction. In the Appeal Court the cases of Ell v. Harper and National Bank v. Mee have been partly argued and adjourned. In the case against the owners of » steamer, brought by a seaman, the Magistrate allowed the wages due, and disallowed the amount claimed for work done under alleged compulsion. HOKITIKA, Mat 19. At the Land Board meeting to-day, three fresh mineral leases for working nickel deposits at the gorge river were granted. There is great confidence expressed in thesuccess of mining in that district. The rumour of gold-finds in the Landsborough river, a branch of the Haast, have not yet been confirmed. DUNEDIN, Mat 19. The Union Company have purchased the steamer Australian for their coastal trade. INVBECAEGELL, Mat 19. A meeting of the Government Insurance policy-holders is to be held on Friday night, to secure united action rc the election of, Directors, and to discuss the proposals to ! obtain increased representation _on the 1 directorate, or hand the Association back to the Central Government. A large number of unemployed workmen . met the Mayor to-day. It was stated that there were fully sixty men out of work. One urged that work should be provided at once, as several only had one meal a day, and had to walk the streets at night unless sheltered by charity. The Seaward line would suit best as the place to work, as the men would then avoid keeping up two homes. It was resolved that the Mayor urge the Minister of Public Works as to the need of providing employment for about sixty men near town, or on the Sea--ward Bush railway.