Telegraphic News.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 473, 5 March 1881, Page 8

Telegraphic News.

(tJNiTED BRESS ASSOCIATION.) Palmerston North, February 24. The laud sale to-day was a great success, as far as Palmerston and Kairanga is concerned, but the offer of the land at Fitzherbert was a failure on account of there being no roads therej and no guarantee of repairs to the bridge. Very few sections at Palmerston passed, and but Very few at Fitzherbert were disposed of. The total amount of cash sales is £10,237 17s. 6d. The eleven contested deferred payment sections realised £99S 14s. 6d. above the upset price. The thirty-nine cash sections realised £B6O 2s. The agent has not made up the accounts sufficiently to tell the total amount received on deferred payments. Auckland, February 24. The gate money at the cricket match amounted to £286. Ivens, of the Civil Service Club} won the bat presented by Mitchell d-allagher to the highest scorer in the Auckland team in the Intercolonial Cricket Match. A native} named Himi Mitana, recently discharged at Auckland on a charge of lunacy, on return tc Monganui got locked up for larceny, and fired the Police Station, which was destroyed,and the Maori escaped. He has since been captured, brought up before the local bench, and remanded to Auckland. The murderous assault committed by the native Pariki, lately from Wellington, on a half-caste named Wallace, arose out of a dispute about money. The latter was badly injured. Pariki has been arrested. February 25. Edward Hart Jagger, charged at the Police Court with forging a promissory note, uttered in the case of Purcell, a bankrupt, has been remanded. Jamest Fawst Bell, stationmaster at Otaupo, charged at the Auckland Court with embezzling £B3 of Government money, has also been remanded. Mr. Buchanan’s dwelling-house at Panmure has been burned. There is a probability of the natives arranging with the Government respecting'Patetere, and it is now understood that the Patetere Association are willing to pay half of the £12,000 claimed by the Government. William Smyth, night nurse at the hospital, was found dead in bed. Cause of death, heart disease. Re the Grammar School enquiry, the evidence of Dr. Purchase and his three sons have been taken. The Doctor desires a Royal Commission enquiry, and goes back in his charges to 1874. Forty witnesses are to be examined. The Education Board and City School Committees are in collision re appointment of teachers. The committees demand to be consulted. Tsbruary 26. Garrard,'the unemployed agitator, charged his wife, at the Police Court to-day, with illusing and threatening to poison him. Mrs. Garrard said her husband was a loafer, and would talk, but not work. The Magistrate dismissed the case, advising them to settle their domestic differences amicably. Mr. Rochefort, barrister, has advised Taiaroa that he is still a member of the Legislative Council and therefore ineligible to hold a seat, if elected, for the Maori Electoral District in the House of Representatives. At the opening of the Lands Court at Cambridge to-day, Mangakakia said the accounts of the Government had been shown to him, but they were only in pencil and he declined to accept them. It is said that he particularly objects to items of £3600 paid to Mr.Brissenden and £2070 to Mr. Mackay, and wants details which are not forthcoming. Mr. Mackay, to-day, admitted there was disagreement between him and Mangakakia regarding some accounts, and asked a further adjournment till Monday, which was granted, on the understanding that if the parties had not arrived at an understanding the cases will be proceeded with on their merits. The native Hemi Natsna, who fired the Mongonui Police Station, has been committed for trial on a charge of arson. The native Te Pana liawiri has been committed for trial on a charge of iorgery and Uttering a valueless cheque. Dr. Purchas desires a Royal Commission on the Grammar School affairs, and has requested the Board of Governors to get the Government to appoint a Commission to hold an enquiry, and to summon and enforce attendance of witnesses ; also to take evidence on the matter. The board has passed a resolution in conformity with the request. The sailing yacht match, Madge v. Hattie May, was won by the latter. February 28. The Cambridge Land Court to-day consented to another adjournment of the Patetere case, Mangakakia and the association having given Judge Syironds an assurance that there was a probability of settling their differences. Mackay protested against the adjournment, andjsaid he was ready to go on. The City of Sydney left San Francisco with the inward mails on the 14fch, two days late. It may be expected on Tuesday or Wednesday week. Pipikiki has been committed for trial for a murderous assault on a half-caste at Cambridge. He was a sort of Maori missionary, and was very jealous. John Roiedon, teacher at the Lucas Creek Public School, has been thrown from his horse, and is suffering from concussion of the spine. It is feared the case may terminate fatally. James Ferguson, of Waiufcu, dropped dead from his chair to-day. Benjamin Bennett has been arrested for robbing Ayers’s jewellers’ shop in the open day, and stealing therefrom six watches. At the annual meeting of the Scripture Gift Association, the report showed that only three ministers in the city of Auckland had responded to the Association’s request, and visited the public schools to impart religious instruction, and in the country only three public schools were regularly visited by clergymen. The Thames Gas Company, at the halfyearly meeting, declared a dividend of Is. 6d. per share.

At the Purchas Enquiry, five masters of the Grammar School have been examined. March 1. The Harbor Board Engineer has reported in favor of the big dock site at Calliope Point, as against Kauri Point. . The meeting of the New Zealand Prudential Assurance Society has been adjourned until the 23rd instant, as the auditor had not completed the audit account. The Purchas Enquiry was continued to-day, and the evidence was taken of Mr, McArthur, principal of training college. The evidence shows a great want of accord between the master and head master as to the interior management of the Grammar School. Gbahamstown, March 1. The enquiry into the murder case was continued this morning, Mr. Pendent, merchant, of Auckland, who was for some time a resident in Russia, acting as interpreter for the accused. Sergeant-Major O’Grady deposed to taking off the boots from accused, and showing them to Dr. Huxtable, who remarked that some spots on them looked like blood. Accused accounted for the stains by saying his nose bled on the floor. Witness saw blood under the nail of one of prisoner’s fingers and in his nostril. Previous to the 15th. ult he had not seen blood on the floor, or about the accused. Gisborne, March 1. An assault on Webb, of the Standard, by Frazer, travelling agent of the Australian Mutual Provident Society, was heard yesterday, before the R.M. Court, when Frazer was fined £2 and costs. It arose from some strictures which had appeared in the Standard, which Frazer accepted as referring to himself. Of course, there was a petticoat in the case. Great inconvenience and annoyance has been caused by the Tararua passing yesterday -without calling for the. San Francisco mails and passengers. Considerable interest has been caused by a case which came up yesterday in the Trust Court, eight principal chiefs being the committee of certain blocks, called Mareteha, Te Kuri, Papawao, and Kopua, came before the committee, and asked an opportunity for making explanation. It appeared they had been induced, last week, to forward a protest to the committee against a deed of sale of certain lands to Woodbine Johnston, and condensing Mr. Rees’conduct of their affairs. They yesterday appeared before the Commissioner} and said they had been mislead as to the affair, which was only the completion of a deed of sale made two years ago, to which they had already given their consent. They were severely examined by Court, and individually withdrew their protests and requested the deed to be confirmed. Representation of the matter has been forwarded to the Government. Cambridge, February 24. In the Land Court yesterday, the Patetere case was called for the first time. A portion of the natives, led by Mr. Mackay, alleged that they had a set-off against the Government advances. After discussion, the case was adjourned to enable a statement ©f the amounts advanced, and to whom given, being produced. February 25. The Land Court sitting, re Patetere, has been adjourned from day to day to afford time to examine statement of disbursement by the Government on account of the block. At today’s sitting, Mr. James Mackay obtained a further adjournment till Monday, he guaranteeing that in the interim he would complete examination, and ask for no further adjournment. A great meeting of natives . is convened for to-morrow morning, in the Constabulary paddock, to consider the accounts. February 28. Saturday’s meeting of Natives re the Government accounts, resulted in nothing but a burlesque. When the Court opened to-day the Court interpreter stated that application had been made privately by representatives of the Natives who sided with the Government, and these most strongly opposed thereto for one day’s further adjournment, alleging that an arrangement was to be come to. The Judge had acceded to the request, and remained away from the Court to prevent discuSslonj Which might have the effect of interfering with the success of these arrangements.- Mr. James Mackay bitterly complained against the course pursued, alleging that he ought to have been consulted before the application was made, and that it was'disrespectful to the Court for the agents and counsel for the Crpwn to be absent on that occasion. The interpreter, in reply, said good grounds had been shown for the adjournment, and that it was granted on the distinct understanding that no further proposal for delay would be listened to. The Court then adjourned till to-morrow. New Plymouth, February 24. The native youth who was taken prisoner at Te Ngutu o te Manu in 1868, and afterwards adopted by Sir William Fox, and articled to Dr. Buller, has been converted by Te Whiti, and become a follower of that chief. It is said he has abandoned European clothes and customs, adopting those of the natives. William Barton, charged with assaulting his wife by beating, kicking, and jumping on her, was committed for trial to-day. February 24. It is reported here that Barry, the gold prospector, has gone on to Tongapoutu, with the view of crossing at the head of Mokau River. The natives are very enraged at his going on after they had warned him back, and an armed party has gone up the Mokau River to stop him, and bring him back with force. A meeting of creditors in the estate of Pugh and Siuter, tailors, was held to-day. ■ The assets were set down at £1425 6s. 3d., liabilities at £1373 19s. lOd. An examination of the accounts showed that the estate would probably realise 7s. 6d. in the £. Mr. C. Rennell has been appointed trustee. March 1. A meeting of the creditors of George Thrush, late of Wellington and Christchurch, was held yesterday afternoon. The assets were estimated at £24 4s. 6d., and the liabilities at £IBO 10s. 3d. At the termination of an exciting meeting, a resolution was proposed to the effect that Mr. Samuel be retained for the purpose of opposing the debtor’s discharge by every possible means, and the wife of one of the creditors came forward with her child in her arms and addressed the debtor as follows : “ Come out into the road, you vagabond ; I have not done with you yet.” She then Bifid he was one of the unemployed who.came from Wellington, and he had £l6 in hia pocket when he came here.

While a boy was riding a horse down a steep hill to-day, the horse fell and rolled over the boy, nearly killing him, the boy receiving concussion of the brain. . The Herald complains of the length of time in sending telegrams, four hours being occupied in the transmission of one from Auckland,; and three hours from the rifle camp at Nelson, -.. . : . - ; ■■ r'iir.ut o ■ Hawera, March 1. Wilkinson’s case is still Mr. Holdsworth states that -the total deficiencies amount to £482. There were books forwarded from the Treasury, but not a single entry had been made. Everything appeared to be carelessly done. Wilkinson received only £135 a year, and over £26,000 of Government money passed through his hands in a very short time. The deferred payment bush land sold well yesterday. Four sections, unapplied for on Saturday, had sixteen applicants yesterday. Only fourteen applications were received at Carlyle ; all the others at Hawera. - The cash land realised £3275. Greymouth, February 28. Mr, Bowman, sharebroker, Reefton, reports as follows : —The Golden Fleece Company (Reefton) put through 136 tons of quartz for the week, and obtained 214 ounces of amalgam. The United Alpine (Lyell) from 168 tons of quartz got 223 ounces of amalgam. The Keep it Dark (Reefton) from 210 tons of quartz got 154 ounces lOdwts. of amalgam. The latest selling prices are—Alpine, £1 11s.; Keep it Dark, 135.; Energetic, £115a.; Golden Fleece, 10s. ; Hopeful, 2s. 6d.; Result, Is. 3d.; Oriental, 3s. 6d.; Wealth of Nations, 15s. ; Fiery Cross, 2s. 6d.; Phoenix, 7s. ; Homeward Bound, 65.; Welcome, £5. Christchurch, February 24. The New Zealand Shipping Company have received advices of the arrival of the Opawaat London, from Lyttelton, 79 days out. It appears that the, construction of the Sumner Railway is not all Bettled, and it is uncertain whether it will be gone on with. Messrs. Anderson have undertaken to do it for £12,000, but as interest must be guaranteed under the. District Railways Act, there is a feeling of insecurity at present about' the probable profit. Moreover, a tramway will be laid half the distance by another road, and altogether the carrying but of the project, is problematical. , ; ,/,/’I \ ; :• At the inquest on the body of the girl Moore, a verdict was recorded of found drowned} without marks of violence, and nothing toßhow how or by what means she came to her end., i 7,“; //. Mr. Ellinan, accountant in Messrs. Garrick and Cowlishaw’s (solicitors) office, met withan accident to-day. He was in the act of taking a parcel from the guard on the tram car, and in stepping back he was knocked down by a passing trap, and had three ribs broken. February 25. A threshing machine, the property of Mr. W. Judaon, of Woodend, was burnt consider? ably, all the riddles being spoiled, on Thursday evening. The men had retired for the night, and had seen all safe, but at 11 o’clock they found a lot of straw burning in the interior of the machine. It was insured for £2OO in the South British. The feeder of the machine,, a Norwegian, named Henry Jackson, has been arrested on suspicion of incendiarism. •; ; x 7 . February - 26. A cottage belonging to Mr. C. Lipsham, painter, at Papanui, near Christchurch, was burned down at 4 o’clock this morning. It was insured for £2OO in the Victoria Office. Origin of fire unknown. - February 28. A mill is to be Btarted at Amberley to prepare flax for pulp, for exportation to Australia. A petition for opening the public library on Sundays has been very largely signed by leading citizens and others. T. S. Weston, of Christchurch, Allan and Holmes, of Dunedin, have been appointed examiners in law of candidates for admission to the Bar of New .Zealand. The first examination will be at, the end of March. One of the building societies, here has determined to resist the demand for Property Tax, on the 'monthly subscriptions on investment shares. They also intend stir up, the' other societies to agitate for a reform of the law in this respect. ; • ; , • Only eight members of the' Board of Governors were present at the meeting to-day, and they .were equally divided on. the subject of opening the Public Library on Sundays. The minority , were, consequently, able to defeat the project for the present, by leaving the room when the motion was to be put, and the matter stands adjourned till the next meeting. A petition, signed by many well-known and influential business men—lawyers, merchants, and others—has been presented in favor of the opening of the library. . The total births for February, in the Christchurch District, were 130 ; marriages, thirtyfive ; deaths, fifty-one. The births have decreased twenty, and deaths no less than forty, while marriages have. increased six compared with last year. Fairbank’s chemist’s shop in High-street was forcibly entered on Saturday or yesterday, and the cash-box carried off. An attempt was also made to enter a tailor’s shop next, door,. but unsuccessfully. The cash-box stolen was locked up in a cupboard, and concealed under papers. The Cathedral building has progressed so far that gas is now being laid on. A carrier, named Wood, has been seriously hurt by being jammed between the wheels of his van. He was taken to the hospital badly hurt internally, but to what extent is unknown. Two new rules have been adopted by the Corn Exchange, and which are expected to have a very beneficial effect, The roprris are to be open for the receipt of samples and transaction of business every working day, and Wednesdays and Saturdays are to be specially set apart for the disposal of grain and other products. To further this end buyers will be allowed to set up desks in the rooms, and circulars are being sent to the grain merchants, inviting them to take advantage of this. It is hoped that these invitations will have the effect of making the days named regular market-days for grain sales, and farmers who use the rooms will not have the trouble of hunting- about town for purchasers; with the attendant delays and loss of time. A number of gentlemen held a meeting today, to confer with the Hon. Mr. Richardson, upon the East and West Coast Railway scheme. In the course of his remarks, Mr. Richardson said the real question and issue was not the

practicability of, Messrs. Thornton and Parson’s route, but, whether it was actually the beßt procurable. If Mr. Thornton’s line were, de facto, the best, he could not see how the .colony could refuse to sanction the scheme. Ultimately, the , meeting agreed to take no further steps in the formation of the company, pending the report of the Government Engineer’s survey. It was also determined to collect subscriptions to complete the survey from the head of Cannibal Gorge to the head of Maruia Plains, to connect with existing Government surveys. / ... i }„ - r . - '< V March, 1. . 7 The Board of Governors of the Canterbury College have requested the Agricultural, School Committee to consider the question of the establishment of seri-culture in the school, with the object of introducing silkworm rearing as a colonial industry. ; , , - Natator and , On Dit left for WaDganui yesterday. , . *7, ' ; . The Mayor of Lyttelton has received intimation that the Governor will visit here next week,, on his way South. The exact date is not yekfixed. \‘ J ,<f v „ A man named Littlecot was brought down from Wellington, last week, charged with stealing a ring from a man named Palmer. Littlecat; proved that he was in the Akaroa Hospital when the theft took place, and the Magistrate discharged him. Defendant then urged, as his case was one of great hardship, that he shonld be allowed expenses. The Bench considered accused had been hardly dealt with, and said that an order would be made, if he chose, for payment of expenses of his deportation to Wellington. Mr. Desborough, of Southbridge, has sent Home a shipment of butter, prepared with the Aylesbury Company’s preservative, and two month’s ago a package was made up, which will be opened by the. Agricultural and Pastoral Association in June. The result of the experiment is awaited with interest. At the annual meeting of the Gas'Company, a dividend of 9 per cent, was declared. A proposal to divide a portion of the reserved . fund among the shareholders, by way of bonus, was negatived. The price of'gas was reduced by allowing a further discount of lOd. per 1000 feet. This is equivalent to making tbe price for cash 11s. Bd. per 1000 feet; j ; " Ashburton, March 1. " Arrangements are far advanced for the Industrial Exhibition, to be held on a grand scale in Ashburton, on the 16tb, 17th, and 18th instant,.. The large Town Hall, which can accommodate 1000 people, is to be made use of, besides a large marquee adjoining, 190 ft square. Some.soooft of table space'have been’ already applied for, and exhibits of every class in art and manufacture will be shown. It is calculated that the exhibition will be of great magnitude, and more than ordinary interest. There is a great amount of sickness in town and district, and deaths are alarmingly numerous. Dysentry has been very fatal, and there have also been several fatal cases of cholera morbus. The, local medical men have their hands full. The illness is attributed to hot weather, and the underground water supply being fouled. ; ; i; -‘ ' ; The grain season has fairly commenced, and harvest operations and threshing -machines are' at j work everywhere/ There is an excellent yield, and the harvest is in every way satisfac- : j: ' 1 . . •" " "■] : /i! ii : Timaru, February 25. .' ' - A clerk named Holthouse, while practising with a pistol in -a back yard last evening, struck a little boy named Geo. Healy over the ’ region of the heart with a bullet. The injury is serious, but' not likely to be fatal. Holthouse has been arrested and remanded. J Robert Boys, aged 12, was ordered to be i whipped and sent to the Industrial School for a: monthi to-day, for stealing £2 worth 5 of dressed timber. ' 1 February 28; The old Accommodation House at the Te . Kapo Ferry, was destroyed by fire early on , Sunday morning. Nothing was saved of the contents. It belonged to the Mount Cook Read Board, and was insured for £250 in the New Zealand Office. '■ . n/'. - miJ xu ; , The dwelling of Mr. D. Mackenzie, an old settler, at Geraldine, was burned on . Sunday night. The inmates had barely time to escape. It is not known? whether the - property - was insured. : donl-w-voL'isrii. odl ol- | -ioJir.Y/ ml . Dunedin,: February 28. A four-roomed-brick house in Dnndas-street, owned by Paul Sbarley, and occupied by Fred S, Nicholls, journalist, was totally destroyed by fire to-night. Sharley is insured for £250 with National, and Nicholls for £l5O with .- South British; but the loss is consideraly over those amounts. The fire is ; supposed to have arisen from an ash-bucket. 'Vibrldd i r ' : / j - / r February 25. The bowling match between the Caledonian and Invercargill Clubs was won by the former by twenty-five points. • ' : No hope is entertained of the recovery of Mayo, who was seriously injured by a railway crossing accident the other night. Lloyd is still in a critical condition. > j d Mayo died this morning. Lloyd'is still in a dangerous condition. . . •' February 26, ' A fire has destroyed the shops in the Northeast Valley, occupied .by Henry Miller,, chemist,.and Henry Bloxham, painter. There was a great scarcity of water, and considerable difficulty was experienced in preventing the flames spreading to the Cattle Market Hotel. Bloxham’s stock was insured in the Transatlantic for £125, and the furniture for £125 in the North British, but the estimated loss is £2OO above that. Miller was uninsured; but' . saved all his stock. . . ; . February 28. . A daring robbery was committed at Waters s Prince of Wales Hotel} last night, when £175 in cash was stolen from his bedroom. ’ : At the City Court, to-day, Mr. Watt con- ’ victed Henry Goater of playing the threecard trick at the races ; but,, to give the defendant a chance of appealing, admitted him to bail, to come up for sentence: in a month. - . 7 Thomas Hodgetts, aged 21, for obtaining money by means of a forged cheque, was sentenced to three months’ hard labor. At the sale of the Boorandoora Park yearlings, Messrs. Mason . and. Vallance purchased the Tubal Cain—Topsy colt 225 guineas, a Tubal Cain—Seashell colt for 200 guineas, and a Tubal Cain —Debenture colt for 25 .guineas. Mr., J. Cowan, of ; Cromwell, bought ‘a'Saunterer—Stock Rose filly for 100 guineas,' a Tubal Cain—Argosy filly for 70 guineas. A

Lurliue colt, by Flying Dutchman, and ,a.f . Tubal Cain—Coquette colt passed for ~300 , guineas. visid- uno-i '*«ol •' *. "'••urr.-Vri. A general meeting of shareholders jin Kemp- j,, thorne and Prosser’s New Zealand Drug, Com- .. pany was held to-day... The report showed that the net profit amounted to £3380 115.,; to which, » ; was added the balance of profit and loss from the previous year, £2227'155. Bd. Total, £10,617 6s. Bd. The directors recommended a dividend, :J ; of 10 ,perlcent., absorbing £7IBO ,95., and that . £3.436 17s. Bd. be carried forward.; The re* , port was adopted, and the directors re-elected. The Dunedin Board of Assessors to-day decided it to be incompetent, under the 13th p clause of the Property Assessment Act, to determine the capital of a company for the purpurpose of taxation by the sum total of all its allotted shares, taken at their marketable value. Other boards have held an opposite view. The vital statistics for the District of Dunedin, for February, show—Births, 129 ; , deaths, 36 ; marriages, 46. For the corresponding month of last year, they were—Births, 128 ; deaths, 59 ; marriages, 44. A provisional committee of the Frozen Meat and Produce Company met to-day, and resolved to appoint a sub-committee to wait; on ... .. the large shipping companies, to see how far they are ready to co-operate with the'committee to carry out ..the scheme, and obtain such further information as is necessary re* - garding the cost,of apparatus. . A two-mile-andra-half boat race, between the Otago and Canterbury Rowing Clubs, was held to-day, and resulted in a victory for Canterbury, by.two lengths. '; ',-!. 1 . / | 7 j7y.‘, u ,iofo March i., At the City Council, last night, by a majority of six to- three, it was . determined to, raise the rates to eighteenpeffee in the-£.:;- ~ The Coroner’s inquest, concerning the, death ; of Henry Mayo, was concluded yesterday. The evidence was somewhat conflicting. 'The jury returned ; a yerdiot,of accidental death,. : r. biit added a rider, expressing the r strongest disapprobation of the carelessness of the Railway Department in not providing a signalman , at the Kensington Crossing ,at all hours when, , ; trains are running./ 77-7r.t>-q -.-v ; 7.7 j u -{ 7/ - - K T; Martin Brennan, a cab-driver, was; found, this morning in,the road, near Maori Hill,; in an insensible condition. He stULremains un- ■ conscious. It is supposed that he fell out of ,- ; his cab. i i

Invercargill, ' February 26.The weather is favorable for harvesting, Which is now,in progress. 7./ *”