NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 691, 29 May 1885, Page 17

NEWS IN BRIEF.

A long meeting of the Cabinet was held at Sir Julius Vogel’s house on Sunday. An Auckland telegram reports a discovery of gold-bearing quartz at the Bay of Dlands. Mr J. Terry is appointed Receiver of Gold Revenue and Mining Registrar, Lyell. Messrs G. Norfchcroft and T. Patterson are appointed, members of the Westland Land Board.

Mr Joseph Frederick Ward has been recognised as Consular Agent for the United States at Christchurch.

A number of Order3-in-Oouncil have been issued, extending the time for preparing couuty rolls in several parts of the Colony. The resignation of Mr R. H. F. Reeves, of Nelson, as a Justice of the Peace, has been accepted. The Court Charleston, A.Q.F., Nelson, has been registered under the Friendly Societies Act, 1885. About 900 people went to the Hutt Monday by train, and about 200 arrived in town from the Wairarapa. The Phrenological Magazine for March contains a number of interesting articles aDd three chapters of a serial tale. The steamer Manaia made an excursion on the harbor on Monday, and was well patronised.

A trout weighing over 401 b has been found dead at the head of Lake Wakafcipu. Fungus disease was the cause of its death.

The original purpose of a reserve of Timaru is, by proclamation, altered to enable it to be converted into a recreation ground.

The resignation of Hori Kerei Taiaroa, E3q, of his seat in the House of Representative’s for the Northern Maori District is gazetted.

The following subscriber has been added to the Telephone Exchange :—No. 230, Mr D. M. Luckie (private residence), Hawker-street.

A number of sections in the Wairoa and Omahine Districts are set aside for sale on deferred payments. Sections in Otago and Southland are also set apart. The tender of Mr C. Mclntyre, Tory-street, has been accepted for the supply of bread to the Lunatic Asylum up to the end of the -year. A proclamation notifies that a number of Streams in the Provincial District of Auckland may be used under license for the purposes of the Timber Floating Act, 1884. The tender of Messrs Johnson and 00., of Wellington, has been accepted for the supply of cement for the Napier Harbor Board, the price being £3 19s lid per ton. Mr C. F. W. Blucher is appointed a member of the Weiti Licensing Committee, and Mr James Linton of that of Palmerston North.

The case Ryan v. Ryan, for judicial separa? tion, a cross-suit involving the custody of children, will be tried before the Supreme Court.

Amongst those whe were nominated for the office of City Auditor on Saturday was Mr William Hester, formerly Town Cleric to the Wellington Ci r y Council. Six working bullocks out of a team of twelve were killed in the buffi at Feilding the other day by the fall in a wrong direction of a tree.

Dr Chilton wishes to acknowledge, with thanks, a cheque for £lO 10s, given by the B branch of the Federated Seamen’s Union of New Zealand, in aid of the recreation fund of the Hospital. The Australasian Insurance and Banking Record for May 13 is, as is usual with this valuable periodical, full of information on all important commercial matters relating to the Colonies.

Sir Julius Vogel has received a message by cable from the loan agents in London, informing him.that they are prepared at once to put the £1,500,000 loan on the market. Sir Julius Vogel has approved of this course. We have received a copy of Aickin’s Annual, a domestic medical guide, and can speak highly of it as a sofirce of very useful reference. Mr Aickin is well-known as a leading chemist in Auckland and Napier.

Under the Animals Protection Act, 1880, the Governor vests eight deer turned loose at Tauranga and their progeny in the Chairman of the local Acclimatisation Society for three years. The Governor has confirmed the report of the Court of Inquiry into the wreck of the s.s. Thomas Russell, and the sentence of suspension of the. master’s certificate for six months.

Particulars respecting perpetual leases of land on the East Coast, for which tenders are invited, are gazetted. There are also particulars concerning land to be sold on deferred payments.

The following are gazetted as officiating ministers under the Mardage Act :—The Rev J. C. M. Wilson, Church of England, and the Rev. W. J. T. Closs, Congregational Independent. Mr and Mrs W. Turcbull and two sons, Mr and Mrs H. D, Bell, and Mr Joseph Joseph, w*ll leave for England by the s.s. Arawa, which sails from Lyttelton to-mor-row week.

Messrs Gully and 3kerrett have received instructions to proceed against the late Directors of the New Zealand Leather Company for fraudulent mis-statements contained in the balance-sheet issued for 1883.

Messrs Arthur Warburton and Co. report that the Ross United Gold Mining Company has washed up with 131 oz of gold for three weeks, and that the Humphreys Gully Company are now actively sluicing. Weareiuformed that the reason whytheships Halcione and Lyttelton did riot fly bunting on the occasion of the Queen’s birthday, was that the flags had been lent to private individuals at the time.

The Taranaki Herald says that the late fire seems to have decided many persons who were wavering in matters of insurance, for we leara that there has been an unusual amount of business transacted by the local agents since its occurrence.

The Exhibition choir had another very successful rehearsal at St George’s Hall Tuesday evening under the directorship of Messrs Hautrie West and R. Parker. There weie about 200 performers present, and Handel’s oratorio “Elijah ” was practised. Ostrich farming in South Africa has advanced with such strides that the number of tame birds there is estimated to have increased from 80 in 1865 to at least 70,000 in 1884, producing feathers for export of the value of about 3,000,000d01s per annum.