NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 5997, 5 February 1881, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS.

[FKOJI OUR OffX CORRESPONDENTS.] RUSSELL, Friday. The stewards of the Kawakawa Race Committee have fined Mr. Goulton, the owner of a horse in the hack race, £10, and will not allow him to run again at Kawakawa for two years; and Stewart, the jockey, has been disqualified for two years for pulling the horse. CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. The Lyttelton Times, on the appointment of Dr. Frankish to the Coronorship, says : — -i'-J/the Government had held, contrary to alfevuienc^~S'4iJL e c o^ co should be given to a medical mUnTSTJff. we ask, -without deprecating the talents 6r~P. r - Frankish why was the appointment *° hlm? Dr. Turnbull is the senior of the D FPrins is in consulting practice, Dr. J. P., Dr. Midwell has been useful as a officer, but what has Dr. Frankish done, or what are his qualifications? Without expeiuence on the Bench he will have to make his first essays in his own Court without colleagues or help. The initiatory cases may or may not be simple, but simple or not, the office of coroner is not one in which an untried man who has learned rudimentary judicial conduct as to the working of the Act, shows in prescribing that even the deputy shall be aJ. P. We cannot congratulate the Government on twisting the law as they have done in order to appoint their own man, and as premature to congratulate Dr. Frankish. It is a matter of fact that the coronorship into which Dr. Frankish has been pitchforked, is a bare-faced payment for services rendered to election committees, Sir. Stevens, and the ; Hon. John Hall. Suppose Sir George had done this thing ! What white hands would ; have been held up ? What ontraged virtue would have stalked through the streets '. What moralities we should have had in hightoned organs which so abound in New Zealand ? \Ve had an excellent acting coroner in Mr. Lean, whose abilities and experience on the Bench entitle him to rank as one of the best Justices of the Peace. An untried man has been put on for certain reasons, and nobody has said a word." DUNEDIN, Friday. Heavy rain occurred this morning, but the weather has now cleared, aud harvest operations will not be interfered with. Proceedings in the Police Court have been rather heavy latety. Messrs. W. D. Stewart and Townsend MacDennott had a "set-to" iu the Police Court the other day. Yesterday Jndge Williams "eat upon" Mr. W. D. Stewart for urging certain points after judgment had been delivered, and to-day the same Judge came down upon Mr. Duuuiston. There"is plenty of room for improvement here iu the manner of conducting Court business, and His Honor's action is generally approved by the profession. It is stated that the Morning Herald is about to start a threepenny weekly. The Rev. J. U. Davis is about to get up a monster petition to Parliament-, for the suppression of consultation sweeps, lotteries, aud other common forms of gambling. -^ [r/.VITED PRESS ASSOCIATION - . J WELLINGTON, Friday. The number of telegrams forwarded for the quarter ending December, ISSO, wa5.325,556. The revenue received was £17,189 3s 2d. The value of Government telegrams transmitted was £0776 9s 2d. The Australian cricketers arrived this morning. A large crowd assembled on the wharf, and a hearty reception was accorded them. The cricketers attended the races to'ay- CHRISTCHURCH, Friday. An inquest was held this afternoon on Neil MeLeod, found in the harbour. A verdict of "found drowned" was returned. Mr. Davies, late house surgeon, Christchurch hospital, was this evening presented with a handsomely illuminated address aud gold locket by the hospital officials. . i.

The bush fire at Oxford continues- to spread. A large quantity of cut and growing timber lias been destroyed. ■' .Neil McLeod, n sailor on board the schooner Saucy Laws, was found drowned in Lyttelton harbour last night. He complained of being sick, aud about midnieht was seen leaning over the side of the vessel. Being absent thss moraine, the harbour was dragged and the body found. At the annual meeting of subscribers of the Female Refuge yesterday, it .was shown that the institution was in a very satisfactory position, and doing excellent work The weather continued very hot and dry. Crop reports from nil parts of the province are very satisfactory. n DTCfEDOT, Friday. O«- ng to a report that gold had been found in the bed of the Clutha near Balelutha a small rush, of diggers to the locality took place. J ~^ v f n ? I, ' declarations of insolvency were hied during the week.~J he ,T ab ' Ot fo " varJ e<lby the outward mail £3i odd, sent to it in aid of the Pumell defence fund. The Cromwell Company crushed COO tons lor oGoozs. retovte.l gold. The Keep-it-Dark Ruftoa lias a return for Hie month of 102ozs. retorted gold from 42G tons of stone. The weather .luring the past week has been unusually sultry. The insurances on the Opofco fire arc • Harland House, f>2.-., i n tnc Vj ctori;l : furniture, £100 Moysos house, in the National for £22a, and £100 in the Standard : loss estimated at £300. Moritzon's case is further adjourned till Monday.