NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8149, 21 April 1887, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

[Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, April 21. Henry Perry, aged 16, was committed for trial at Pukekoe for rape upon a child aged two years and nine months. Mr F. J. Moss, being unable to meet his Parnell constituents before going to Wellington, has issued an address setting forth his views upon the prospects of the session. A novel law suit is on the tapis. Some weeks ago, at the race meeting held at Onehnnga under the auspices of the Auckland Eoyal Dragoons, the proprietor of the totalisator obtained the right of working the machine at the meeting for .£3O. The police prevented the use of the totalisator at the meeting, and now Adams and Perry are suing the Cavalry for the money. The Herald publishes a letter by Captain Daveney, paymaster of the Imperial pensioners, and formerly of the Inniskillen Dragoons, to His Excellency the Governor, containing a proposal for a settlement of pensioners on the line of the Main Trunk railway, the pensioners to be principally discharged soldiers from the Indian service. These men would have pensions ranging from Is Id to 4s 6d per day, and so could never become paupers. At the annual meeting of the Bugby Union to-night, a letter was read from the Wellington Association, suggesting that the latter should reply to the Sydney Bugby Union on behalf of the Colony re the visit of a New Zealand team. It was agreed that if the Sydney Union communicated direct with the Auckland Union y they would reply accordingly. The Union was denounced for mismanagement of the funds last season. An old squabble over umpiring was discussed, and entirely new officers were elected for the coming season. -1 NAPIEE, April 20. The Borough Council to-night appointed a Committee to formulate suggestions as-to the best method of celebrating the Queen’s Jubilee, to be submitted to a public meeting next Wednesday. At the conclusion of a civil case in the B.M. Court, in which a European was plaintiff, and several Maoris defendants, the evidence was so contradictory that the 8.M., who reserved his decision, intimated that he would either committ the plaintiff for perjury or defendant and his witnesses for conspiracy to defraud. WELLINGTON, April 20. Among the Bills printed in readiness for the session is the Land Acquisition measure. It provides for the appropriation of private estates to the-value of £SOOO annually on the basis of the last Property tax. The valuation of the land so acquired

is to be treated on the perpetual lease system through the medium of special settlements. Colonel Brett will move the Address-m-Reply in the Legislative Council, and Mr P. H. Fraser, member for Te Aro, in the House of Representatives, The suggestion of the Imperial Conference re Colonial Defence will be discussed at the next meeting of the Cabinet. WESTPORT, April 19. Thomas Lahy is the name of the man killed by the slip on the Buller road yesterday, and Patrick Dunn is the injured man. They were working with the object of bringing down 30ft of face, when it slipped without warning, entirely covering Lahy and just catching Dunn. Lahy’s body was cut up into small pieces. He leaves a wife and eight children in Dunedin. Dunn died in the Hospital from the effects of his injuries. HOKITIKA, April 20. The General Committee appointed to consider the Jubilee celebration has decided in favour of erecting an Old Men’s Home, and sub-Committees have been appointed to consider the best method of establishing the institution, and also to prepare a programme for the carnival. The Committee has also decided in favour of contributing to the Imperial Institute. Fresh discoveries of payable reefs are reported at Cedar Creek, RoSs, and in the_ William Tell and Swiss Republic leases. Fresh leases have been applied for in the vicinity. A heavy north-westerly gale has set in, and it is raining heavily, accompanied by high wind. The rivers are rising, and the sea is rough. OAMARU, April 21. Three men were arrested this morning on suspicion of being concerned in a number of burglaries and larcenies that have taken place here within the last day or two. It appears that several shops were entered during Tuesday night, and large quantities of goods taken from them. Drapery and clothing had also been taken from shop fronts during the day, and hid in different places about the town. The three men arrested were seen carrying a bundle in the direction of a timber yard, where a number of articles were, and two of the men were also seen to take clothing from the doors of drapers. * The most of the articles stolen have been recovered. The men were slightly under the influence of liquor when arrested. DUNEDIN, April 21. Mr E. S. Hay, a well-known solicitor, committed suicide this afternoon by cutting his throat. The suicide appears to have been most determined. He was living with his sister, who left him in the house, and on returning she found that he had taken a basin to hold the blood, and then hacked away at his throat with a blunt knife, the basin being full of blood. He appears then to have gone to the bathroom, where the bath was found with blood and water mixed. His sister at once procured medical aid, and though, when the doctor arrived. Hay was pulseless, he tore away at the wound with his nails. He died shortly afterwards. He was a single man, and had been indulging rather freely. It is supposed that he committed the rash act while suffering under some strong delusion. The Harbour Board have referred the accounts, which the Comptroller-General refused to pass, to the Finance Committee, and have authorised the Chairman to interview the Comptroller on the subject. A meeting to consider the Jubilee celebration, called by the Mayor, was largely attended. The proposals submitted were the creation of a park, a free public library, or art gallery, or convalescent home. All were negatived, and it was decided to leave the matter open for another meeting, also to consider the advisability of holding a public demonstration on June 21. Mrs A. G. Price, wife of the Clerk of the South Dunedin Council, was to-day publicly presented by the Mayor with a gold Maltese cross, the gift of a number of ladies in Wellington, as a token of their admiration in saving the life of a lady in St Clair baths. At the meeting of the New Zealand Glass Company the report, recommending a dividend of 10 per cent, was adopted. Messrs Mitchell and Curie were re-elected Directors. An inquest was held on the body of Emily Palmer, a prisoner undergoing sentence for vagrancy, when it appeared she was suffering from delirium tremens, and died from syncope. At the City Council meeting this evening a draft of the address to H.M. the Queen, on the Jubilee year of her reign, was agreed to. The address, after expressing loyalty and respect, congratulated Her Majosty on the welfare and progress of the British Nation during the time Her Majesty has governed it. The Mosgiel Woollen Company have declared an interim dividend at the rate of 8 per cent. INVERCARGILL. April 20. The New River Harbour Board’s dredge, built by Kincaid and M‘Queen, of Dunedin, has, after several mishaps, got to work with the sluicing apparatus for the deposit of material direct from the buckets on the spot where it is desired to place it. Tho dredge is constructed to mt 75 tons per hour without the sluicing plant, but a considerable percentage would have to be struck off that quantity for delays, such as shifting punts as filled, sluicing silt away as it comes up, &c. The plant is doing about 60 tons an hour, while the cost of the punts and further handling of the silt are saved. The sluicing apparatus now works well enough, each backet load of silt being passed out of the hopper by the centrifugal pump before the next one falls, and carried away through 200 ft of tube, with a sharp incline, at a low estimate of 30 tons per hour. Working six hours daily for twenty days a month, 3600 tons can be lifted and deposited for about 61d per ton, the total working expenses being about .£IOO a month. Considerable interest has been taken in the sluicing appliance which Kincaid and M'Queen themselves suggested to the Board, and which they designed and supplied on the terms that it is to be taken hack if not approved. The material here is heavy coarse sand, and difficult to sluice away.