Latest Telegraphic

New Zealand Mail, Issue 426, 10 April 1880, Page 15

Latest Telegraphic

riSLKGRAPHIC NKWs

(from oub own correspondent.)

Oeo, April 7.

The Minister of Public Works, accompanied by Mr; Blackett, C.E., visited the camp at Oeo yesterday. The working- parties froin that station are busily employed on the road, having taken up the work at the point they had reached when working frona the late camp at Otakeho. It is reported that the flax and toitoi is to be cleared one and a half chains wide on each side, of the road, n order to guard against surprise. This is a grand idea ! When surprised the troops will have so much further to run in the open under the enemy's tire than they would in a narrow track, where they could immediately find shelter, and be on equal terms with the assailants as regards cover. , >

(united press association.)

New, Plymouth, April 7

Mr. W. Martha, of Waiwakio, had his hop kiln totally destroyed by fire last night. It was insured.

The Minister of Public Works and Mr. Blackett arrived in New Plymouth this afternoon by train from Stratford.i ■ Auckland, April -7.

At the criminal sessions, Walter Kadcliffe, for obtaining a marriage certificate from the registrar under false declaration, was acquitted. Thomas McCarthy, for robbery with violence, was sentenced to six years. The Grand Jury, with the approval pf the Judge, threw out the bill against James Macgregor for arson; he had set fire to his cell while imprisoned. Five bills were returned against J. C. Young, for larceny of public money ; also against Isaac Wilson, publican, for shooting at uhinemutu. A party of Thames visitors to Sir George Grey reached Kawau by the steamer Blanche yesterday afternoor-, and were met by Sir George and Mr. Seymour George, and heartily welcomed. Sir George Grey is in excellent health, and walked for miles over the island. pointing out places of interest, and calling attention to the rare plants and flowers, many seeds of which and plants were given to the visitors ; also a parcel of books for the Thames Public. Library. Sir George stated that it is his intention to leave in a few weeks for Canterbury and Invercargill, having received numerous invitations to address the electors of the Southern constituencies. The party remained all night, passing a very pleasant evening in his library, where old books and manuscripts where shown. At an early hour a tour of the island was made, the old copper mine visited, and the lodes of quartz and manganese lately discovered by Mr. Seymour George, were pointed out. Mr. Phillips, manager of the manganese works at the Bay of Islands, arrived last night, for the purpose of reporting on the lode. The Blanche, with the party of visitors, left at noon for Thames, calling at Waiwera. A public house and store at Minihaha, Russell, in the occupation of William Greenber, was totally destroyed by fire. The store was insured in the South British for £l5O. The Colonial Company have a risk on the stock, but the amount is not known. At the annual meeting of the Auckland Sunday School Union the report submitted showed receipts £lB V 7, leaving a balance over expenditure of £335 ; and assets £1613, showing a balance over receipts of £768. Invercargill, April 7.

At a meeting of the County Council to-day ifc was stated that the ciedit balance at present in the bank was £61,299.

A scene occurred at the Bluff Board meeting to-day. A special committee brought up

a report recommending, it is understood, consi lerable retrenchments, but before reading the report, it was found that one member of the committee had not signed it, and that he refused to do so, not holding with the recommendations, although he had given his assent to them on the previous day. After very warm discussion, the chairman ordered the secretary to read the report minus the signatures, whereupon four members rose abruptly and left the table, leaving the Board without a quorum. Dunedin, April 7. The annual report of the Education Board shows that during the last quarter of 1879 the attendance at schools was 9194 boys and 8500 girls. At the close of 1878 there were 131 schools in operation under the Board, employing on December 31, 161 school masters, 72 school mistresses, 8 teachers of sewing, 32 male pupil teachers, and 61 female pupil teachers. The number of children attending* the public schools for the year shows an increase in the average attendance of 1260 on that of last year. The increase in the number of children who attended at all was 2379.

The Civil Service Commissioners continued their s-itting this morning, and examined MrGrant, general manager of railways, and Mr. Armstrong, locomotive superintendent. This afternoon, the Commissioners, accompanied by Mr. Conyers, went to Hillside, to inspect the railway workshops. '•• A five-roomed wooden house, owned by John Adams, was destroyed by fire; Mr. and Mrs. Adams were out, and only a servant girl on the premises. She cannot give any intelligent account of the origin of the fire, insurance on the house in the Northern, £250; furniture, £3OO in same office.

Napier, April 7.

Messrs. Sutton and Russell addressed the electors at the Theatre Royal to-night. Themeeting was orderly, though Sutton, towards' the end of his speech, particularly when he strongly attacked Sheehan, was Subject to frequent interruptions. Mr. Russell was heard in perfect quietness. The speeches were, inr the main, : mere rehearsals of proceedings daring last session. .Keferring to the telegraph scandal, Sutton said "one of these telegrams contained an off ar to a person of an appointment as officer in the Armed Constabulary, provided he retired from his candidature for the East Coast and supported the Government candidate. (Mr. McDongall r. " Name the person.") Ifc was Captain Foster. (Sensation-.)". Another telegram contained' an offer to a gentle'mtn of a lucrative position in Auckland province if he gave his support to the" Grey Government. One of the telegrams had for its objecfc--to induce the creditors of a candidate to bring : " pressu-e upon him. (Mr. McDougall : "Namewho ifc was sent to, and who was the sender, and expose his felonious conduct.") He would not name who the telegram was sent to, but hewould name the sender. It was the Hon. John Sheehan, and if he challenged it, he(Mr. Sutton) would produce the telegram. When Mr. Sheehan was in Napier, he sent atelegram to Wellington asking the person ifr : was sent to there to bring presraire to bear upon a newspaper. Mr. Sheehan made more fuss about that telegram than about any other.-' He tried to make it appear that it was a privatetelegram, but he failed. At the conclusion* of the meeting, votes of thanks and confidence were canied without opposition. ■ ■ ; ,wr£ Hokitika, April 7. •

The Harbor Works are progresting rapidly,, and the bar is deepening daily. Rain hasfallen after a month's dry weather, and afreshet will aid in deepening the channel.

provincial-

(united press association.) •Invercargill, April 7.

The regulations prohibiting engine drivers: making up for lost time between stations have been revoked. While in force, trains neverarrived to time, which caused much dissatisfaction.

The steamer Ino arrived yesterday with a cargo of Preservation Inlet coal. It is intended to give ifc a trial on the railway. It is* said to be equal to Newcastle coal. Lonis Schomoll was charged at the Police Court to-d»y with discharging a pistol at his wife, Sophia. The pistol burst in his hand but the bullet inflicted a wound on the forehead of the wife, not a dangerous one, however. The action is attributed to jealousy. The prisonerwas remanded for a week.

Four men belonging to the Invercargill Rifles will most likely be expelled from the. Volunteer force for insubordination at the late, review. One never appeared on parade all the; time the corps was in Christchurch. Normanbt, April 7. Mr. Parris and the Chief Surveyor will, arrive by coach to-day, to lay off the reserves on the Waimate Plains awarded to the Maorisby the Commission. They will be mostly along the edge of the bush, and a Maori, cultivation will extend from Mawhiti to Orouiaringi.