LAST NIGHT'S CABLES & TELEGRAMS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 93, 5 May 1903, Page 4

LAST NIGHT'S CABLES & TELEGRAMS.

I GHTTBD FMsr ABBOCUMOM.] CAPETOWN, YesterdayThere is a great scare at Johannesburg, fche deaths of natives being atjfcribtttett to" bubonic plague. Bale are dying in toondredsi , . ' LONDON, Yesterday. . The House of Lords upheld the Scottish Court of Sessions decision that the Scottish Provident Association ougfht to be assessed for income tax oil remitted fr\>m Australia in 1898. The Association contended that the amount consisted of repaid loans, not profit. Lord Halsbury held that the mere cabling of these sums as capital did not make them so, and ,m his opinion they were rightly assessed for income. Mf Charles Guthrie, Sheriff of Ross; is appealing for funds for the benefit of the widow of the late Sir Hector Macdonald and the education of his son. He announces that the War Office has given the maximum allowance possible to the widow and son of an officer of General Macdonald's rank. Mrßrodrick, Secretary of State for War, in. a speech at the Royal Academy, referred to the improved co-ordinatftn of the two services. . He regretted Lord Kitchener's ftbfi6h.ee in India, but it was «?sf«enlial in the interests of the Empire that a man with such a career behind and before him should have experience of the most vulnerable perhaps, but at all events the most onerous sphere, of army activity in the future. Other speakers, included the Prince of Wales, Lord Halsbury, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Sir Edward Poynter, the President. In connection with the check in Somaliland, Captain Plunkett was unable to return on sighting the enemy, $dxL was compelled to fight in the dpeh, when I i&OOO meh belonging to the Mullah's main army unexpectedly appeared. Capt. Plunkett was hit early in the fight, and also received a spear thrust, but fought to the end. He ordered the remnant of his force, chiefly of the Yas tribe, to, cut through, and they succeeded, ttftc'jj further losses and tbe display br magnificent courage maiiy being twice wounded. ROME-, Yesterday. The Kaiser has visited the Pope. The Kaiser and King Enlhianuel in their speeches at the State Binnea renewed the pledge^ of alliance and peace. MELBOURNE, Yesterday. The Colonial Bank of Australasia (not the Bank of Australasia) has declared a dividend of 5 per cent on both ordinary and preferential shaies. SYDNEY, Yesterday. The Homebush sales were firmer in tone. Ciossbred wethers, best, 18s,ld, good, 14s to 15s. Ewes, best, 16s 6d ; good, 14s 6d. Bullocks, b^> Jt\i ios ; good, i>lo l(fe Oows, best, £9 ; good, £H KM B'tist beef realised 33s per 100 pounds. Sailed, at 2 p.m., s.s. Ventura. AUCKLAND, Ytsterday. Inspector Cullen has received a telegram stating that the house of Mr , Patrick Heath, at Waiharaga, has been burned down. The whole contents and the building were destroyed before any attenlpt to save them could be made. It was with difficulty that the family escaped, and when the excitement had died down it was found that two children were missing. All search about the place and inquiry failed to give any trace of the chldren, and on search being made among tha ruins their charred remains were tound. BLENHEIM, Yesterday. ThA3 Teachers' Court of Appeal has been sitting here to hear the appeal of the head master of the Borough school against the Education Board's noMce of dismissal. A large amount of evidence was taken, including tceachers, the Inspector, and bmemers of both Board and School Committee. The Court reserved its decision until Thursday. DUNEDIN, \esterday To-day the Drainage Board decided to adopt the drainage and sewerage scheme of their own engineer, Mr Anderson. Only two members dissented. The scheme was not approved by the|three ocnsulting engineers, who put forward a scheme of their own. Two amendments were rejected, one being to submit Mi Anderson's scheriie; also that of the three consulting engineers, to an engineer oJ the highest repute for his decision. A dividend of ninepence a share foi the half-year ended March 31st has beeri declared by the directors of the National Insurance Company. PALMERSTaON N., Yesterday. Mr. Greenfield, S.M., gave judgment this morning in connection with two charges against William Moore, licensee of the railway refreshment rooms, for selling Liquor to non-travellers on Good Friday. The Court decided, that as the Government Railways Act, 1900, prescribed the hours of opening and closing the room, and it had' been admitted by the prosecution that, the liquor was sold during prescribed hours except that it was Good Friday, no breach of the Licensing Act had been committed The S.M, pointed out that the license was granted under the Government Railways Actj 1900, and that there was no provision in the Act bringing such licenses under the control of the Licensing Acti Consequently he was of opinion that a licensee under the former Act could net be made amenable to the penal clause of the Licensing Act. WELLINGTON, Yesterday. A case has been commenced before the Chief Justice in which Donald Keir, formerly Government Stock Inspector in Otago and Canterbury, claims four years' salary and damages from the Crown for deprivation of office.