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New Zealand Mail, Issue 996, 3 April 1891, Page 19

The next civil sittings of the Supreme Court will not be held until the Ist Juue. Edward Jerningham Mclntosh, plumber, of the Lower Hutt, was adjudicated a bankrupt on Wednesday. A meeting of his creditors will be held next Wednesday. At tho Court on Wednesday, before Mr Graham, B. M., Thomas Benjamin Nordisoh was fined 10s, or in default sentenced to 48 hours’ imprisonment, for drunkenness. There was a previous offence proved against him. David Drake was fined 5s and costs (7s) for being the owner of an unregistered dog. The Registrar of Dogs proved the offence. Miss Evans, travelling teacher of the Education Board, will visit the following schools during the month :—Clyde quay, April Ist and 2nd; Newtown, 2nd and 3rd; Fcatherston, 6ch and 7th ; Greytown, 8-h ; Carterton, 9th; Clareville, 10th; Masterton, 13th and 14th ; Maaterton Infants’, loth and 16th ; Fernridge, 18th ; liketahuna, 20th and 21st ; Pahiatua, 22nd ; Mangatainoko, 23rd; returning to Wellington on the 24th.

The t eer daty received last month amounted to £5417 19s 2d, as against £5374 Is 2d for March of last year, and £4667 19s 3d for February of this year. The principal contributions received last month , were as follows Dunedin, £1237 2s 8d ; Auckland, Lillßo 6ssd; Christchurch, £lOl3 3s lOd ; Wellington, £578 13s 6d. The total amount received for the financial year was £58,030 7s 9d, which, compared with the estimate for that period, Bhows a surplus of £4030 7s 9d.

The Times, commenting on the change of Government in-this Colony in its issue of February 6 last, says :—“The new Cabinet of New Zealand has declared its policy to be specially devoted to the agricultural and mineral resources of the -islands. The late elections have resulted in a triumph of the party supported by the labour vote, which, in consequence of the reduction of the members of the Legislative Assembly from 90 to 70, has obtained a majority, not only considerable in fact, but much more considerable in proportion than was anticipated by previous calculations on either a'de. Poor man’s politics in New Zealand do not, however, mean necessarily dangerous or revolutionary measures. The party is under moderate and able leading, and its principal aims will probably be iu the direction of lessening taxation and facilitating the settlement of the land. Already there are in New Zealand some seven millions of acres in cultivation, and soma with English grasses. Three or four hundred thousand acres of new land are brought into cultiva. tion every year, and the result is shown in the very satisfactory increase in the exports of the Colony, and especially the frozen meat trade. This trade has more than doubled itself in the last four years, while the number of sheep in the islands continues stoadily to augment. With a population of 110,000 adult males the total value of the exports of the Colony amounted last year to ten millions. ”

An inquest was held by the Distrcti Coroner at the Hospital on Wednesday on the body of the young man Otto Campen, who died at the institution on Wednesday from tho effects of injuries sustained through a quantity of earth falling upon him at Porirua on Monday last. Mr E. F. Jones was foreman of the jury. Dr Ewart, medical superintendent of the Hospital, stated that the deceased was brought to the Hospital on Monday night suffering from, a severe shock, and he complained of pains in tho back and abdomen. Next morning, after a consultation of the Hospital staff, an operation was performed, and an iutestine found to be ruptared was stitched up. The deceased gradually sank and died about 2.30 p.m. A post mortem examination was t made, and it . .was found that in addition to the injury to the intestine, the pelvis was fractured, and the bladder ruptured. Carl Stamp deposed that the deoeased and a man named Reid had a sub-contraot for carrying out some excavations at the site of the new Asylum at Porirua. They had prepared a •' fall ” on Monday, and while the deoeased was chopping away some of the props, a quantity of earth came down and buried him np to the neck. He was Bpeedily extricated, and was afterward brought to town. Witness had warned the deceased to be oareful. Tho deceased was a native of Brisbane, and Was about 20 years of age. He was unmarried. His parents were not alive, and witness bad adopted him siuce be was six years of age. William Reid stated that on the way to town the deceased said that ho had to cut the prop away, and was trying to cut a little more, so as to make tho “fall” better, when tho earth came down. One of tho contractors (Mr Trevor) had told them to bo careful. The contractors had in no way hurried them. The jury returned a verdict of ” accidental death,”

The half-yearly Bitting of the Appeal Court will be held on the 27th inst.

It is understood that Mr W. H. Levin intends paying a visit to the Old Country next month, and will leave by the R. M.S. lonic.

The steamer Jubilee, which arrived from Sydney on Wednesday, brought 90 passengers for New Zealand. Her cargo consisted of 651 tons aoal and 40 tons of general cargo.

The draft of the new electric lighting contract has been forwarded to Mr De Castro, representative of the Gulcher Company, at Dunedin. A reply as to whether he approves of it is expected daily.

MoEsrs W. and G. Turnbull and Jo., local agents for tho R.M.S. Arawa, have received advice that the steamer left Rio on Saturday morniog for London, with her cargo of moat In good condition.

The Hon the Premier contradicts the allegation of the Woodville Examiner tha it is tho intention of the Ministry to appoint a committee to enquire into the workiog of tho Government Insurance Department. The report of changes being contemplated in the senior officers of the Department is also contradicted, the only alterations under consideration being small matters of detail.

A serious accident occurrod on Wednesday afternoon at Polhill Gaily, where a slip occurred on Hayes’ contract and buried four men. A rescue party was soon on the spot and the men dug out, when it was found that ono, Patrick O’Connor, had got his right leg badly broken, the other three being lucky enough to escape with severe bodily bruises. O’Connor was taken to the Hospital, where the broken limb was set, and it is hoped he will soon recover. The four principal prizes in connection with the Druid’s art union have been drawn by the following persons :—Mr F. C. Hardwick, St Mary street, first prize ; Mr Dunn, Tory street, second prize ; Mr J. Houghton, Donald McLean street. Newtown, third prize; and Mr E. Barton,' Palmerston North, fourth prize. The Committee met on Wednesday, and amongst other matters considered was the protest entered against Jarretfc, the winner of the Easter Handicap. Tho protest was disallowed.

The following are the Customs returns for the port of Wellington for the month of March, 1890 : —Spirits ia bulk, £2206 93 6d ; do in case, £iß62 93; do perfumed, £4l Ss 3d ; cigars, snuff, &c., £407 14s ; tobacco, £2492° 14s; wine, sparkling, £33 4s; do Australian, £l5O 14s ; do, other kinds, £309 7s 5J ; ale and beer, £5Ol 18s ; tea, £1385 2s 3d ; coffee, cocoa, &0., £174 Is ; sugar and treacle, £7OB 8a lOd ; glucose, £9 6s 8d ; opium, £100; goods by weight, £3091 la lOd ; do ad valorem, £BBOB 195..; otherj.dutieß not specified, £1506 17s lid ; total, £23,789 153 81. The total for the month of February was £26,883 16s sd.

The financial year of 1890-91 having closed on Tuesday, the Government officials are hard at work making up the different departmental accounts. From information to band it is already ascertained that the balance-sheet for the past year is in every way satisfactory. It is expected that the revenue has exceeded the expenditure by upwards of £50,000. Tho unauthorised expenditure is unusually large, the limit of £IOO,OOO having been reached, this amount including a sum of £29,000 for the Railway Department alone to meet expenses unprovided for by the late Government.

The police received information on Wednes day of a suspicious discovery iu connection with the fire that occurred in Courtenay place onTueeday morning. Whilst the men engaged iu repairing the damage done by the fire were taking up the flooring, they came upon an old shirt and a bundle of newspapers, which, on being examined, were found to be saturated with kerosene, and had, apparently, been placed under the flooring through a bole between the pathway and the baseboard in front of the building. The bundle had been in part consumed by fire, and it ia thought that the circumstances point to a case of attempted incendiarism, so the police are enquiring into tho matter. The Customs Departmental returns for the past year are complete, the totals having been received by wire from thß collectors throughout the Colony. Tho total revenue for the year i 3 £1,527,233 15s 7d, the estimate in the last Financial Statement having been £1,480,000 ; the receipts therefore show a surplus of £47,233 153 7d. When the estimate was made the primage duty was in force, but was discontinued at the expiration of the half year. Estimating tho half-year’s primage at £27,500 the net estimate in the Financial Statement referred to was £1,452,500, and the departmental surplus £64,733. La«t month the collections amounted to £122,713 10s 6d as against £123,607 18s 2d for the corresponding month of last year. The sum received iu the previous month of the present year (February) was £146,501 5s 9d. The four principal ports contributed as follow last month : —Auckland, £29,258 Is 9d ; Dunedin, £25,715 13s 8d; Christohuroh, £20,825 2s 9d ; Wellington, £23,840 2s.