INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4246, 29 October 1874, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

NORTH ISLAND. HAWKE'S BAY. The new Court-house at Napier, says the Daily Telegraph of the 23rd inst., will bs finished in two or three days, and though the building in its external architectural design is certainly not an ornament to the town, internally it is commodious, and will be a very great boon to every one interested in the administration of justice. The Court-house is the fiivst building in the province* that is finished inside throughout with lath and plaster. The original plan has been slightly altered ; a fire-proof deed room has been built in the place of one of the apartments, and the gallery over the-Court-room has been for the present, at least, dispensed with. The Herald says :—" It is probable that a very large number of persons will visit the Taupo district this summer, and that many of them will make Napier the starting point of the inland journey. Mr. James Johnstone, proprietor of the Ferry Hotel on the Western Spit, has extended his accommodation. Travellers crossing the ferry the night before the coach starts can always depend on being comfortably breakfasted before commencing their journey next morning. With a passable road, good coach accommodation, and comfortable hotels along the line of route, the trip to the Lakes via Napier will soon become a popular one." The progress which Napier is making with respect to new buildings, either for residence or business, is very considerable, and were the supply of timber equal to the demand, there would be still more done in that direction. We see new buildings springing up in all directions, and at the same time hear of the difficulty people find in procuring house accommodation. The Hick's Bay hakara, says the Poverty Bay Standard, terminated on the Gth instant —the proceedings from the commencement being happily characterised by order and decorum. The Hon. the Native Minister, Sir Donald McLean, wa3 unable to attend, owing, it is presumed, to unforseen circumstances. The latter days of the. feast were principally devoted to the discussion of matters of local interest, including the desirability of disposing of the scabby sheep in the district to the Government, the propriety of obtaining additional police protection, and the amicable settlement of land disputes. The speechifying, upon the whole, is said to have been somewhat inferior to what might have been expected on such an occasion ; but the good feeling that prevailed

made up any defect in this respect. Major Eopata made the heat speech, find was repeatedly applauded during its delivery. The .Major is evidently well liked, being a leading man amongst the natives, and unquestionably solicitous of promoting their welfare in every possible way. The Poverty Bay Herald is responsible for the following :-Somc few months since we chronicled the murder of an old man named Pohipi by two natives of the same, hapu, merely on the suspicion that ho was a disciple of "the black art. Another case of murder on the same grounds, though infinitely more farfetched in detail, occurred a few days since at Te Kaha a place on the coast some forty miles from Opotiki. It appears that Morgan paid a visit to this place, amongst others on the coast, and shortly after his departure a young girl died. The natives at once gave Morgan the credit of having caused her death by witchcraft, but as by this time he was beyond their reach, it was considered that everything would be satisfactorily arranged by killing the nearest relative of Morgan who happened to be at hand. This was accordingly carried into effect ; one of Morgan's grandson's, a young fellow named Patara, was selected as the victim, and shot in the place of Morgan. These murders, for there is no other name for them, occur periodically. The Maoris appear to think that it is all right, and the Government take no notice, but we consider they are strongly suggestive of the advisability of stationing police in such lawless' neighborhoods. TARANAKI. The death of an old settler, Mr. Robert Gollop, at the age of eighty-seven, is announced. . Extra facilities have lately been provided at New^Biya^italgrtt||a"t antl »"S °* g°°^ s im - Boswell and Co. have to their plant, by which "ifSnroats, on reaching the shore, are drawn up high and dry, so that the carta can easily back to° them and load and- unload much quicker than formerly. The steam-wiueh of the ■wrecked steamer Paterson is doing the work.

MIDDLE ISLAND. OTAGO. That must have beeu a very interesting gathering at East Taieri last, week when the family of Mrs. John Allan, sen., met under that lady’s roof. The family, comprising children, granchildren, and one groat grandchild, to the number of seventy-two in all, sat down to dinner, and in the evening were met by their- friends. Nearly all the agricultural laborers and shepherds by the Invercargill were hired at the immigration barracks on the 19th inst. The rates of wages were—Farm servants, £45 to £52 per annum, and shepherds at from £52 to £55. The' demand is good, and it is expected 'Hat the whole of the passengers will, if the continues fine, be engaged in the course of a few days. One or two rather daring, although not very extensive, robberies from dwelling-houses which have occurred recently, show unmistakeably, remarks the Southland News, that the “golden an-e ” is passing away, and that it will no longer be'judicious to go to bed leaving the street door unlocked. It is satisfactory to be able to add that the marauders—they might feel offended if we were to say burglars—are not likely to escape the consequences of their “rosy little game.”

A party of fishermen have, we are glad to learn, " broken ground " at the Bluff, and are likely, weather permitting, to keep Invercargill regularly supplied with fish. One- of their first hauls made, yesterday included a goodsized specimen of the skate, a rare fish in these watere. CANTERBTJBY. The last of the plant for the Lyttelton gasworks has arrived in that port .by the ship Endymion. NELSON. The second session of the ninth synod of the diocese of Nelson ha 3 been held. It was presided over by the Bishop of Nelson. No coach communication has been possible lately between Westport and Charleston-, in consequence of the impassable state of the River Totara. WESTLAND. Messrs. Butler and Co., contractors for the Mawhera-quay wharf, hare succeeded in procuring, at Newcastle, N.S.W., the quantity and quality of timber required for this work, and it is now being shipped for Greymouth. At a meeting of the directors of the Greymouth Coal Company held on the 18th inst., it was agreed that an offer from Mr. We'llam for making 600,000 fire and common bricks should be accepted. A large of the above will be required for the _ company's coke oven 3 and lining the main pit shaft, and the remainder will be placed in the market. Advices from Okarito state that the bar at that river is fast closing, and that considerable apprehensions are entertaned by the inhabitants of the township, of a repetition of the floods which occurred some five months ago, cmserment upon the damming up of tjie river. has been appointed to inquire into the subject of water-supply, and the steps necessary to be taken to have the town of Hokitika properly supplied. The committee will report to the Borough Council. The chief work of the committee will be to ascertain ho%v much proper works of water supply will co3t, and how the money can best be raised. '"'• Negotiations have so far been concluded between the General 'Government arid Mr. Hungerford for the pnreliase-of the Hungerford bridge, at the upper crossing of the Arahura. The price has not yet been fixed, but both have agreed to leave the matter to the arbitration of Mr. Giesow, the District Engineer. The necessary documents have been prepared and signed. _i Considerable interest is being taken in-Hoki-tika in a new patent nozzle-sluicing apparatus which a well-known mining resident of the Coast, Mr. P. Connisky, has just brought over from America, where he saw it in operation. The Hohoua Water-race Company are about to give it a practical trial, and the result will be looked forward to'with much interest, as likely to solve an interesting and important problem. The survey of the Haast Pass, which was arranged between the Superintendents of Canterbury, Otago.and Westland, has been left to the Superintendent of Otago to carry out. According to Mr. C'ollyer's account of a stirvey party having already reached the ranges, and -returned, leaving their instruments there, it would seem that the work has already been taken in hand, but had to be temporarily abandoned until the weather became more settled. The party is under the charge of Mr. MacKellar, whose name is well known in connection with the Otago Survey Department. Messrs. D. McLean and Co., Greymouth, have disposed of their business to Messrs. D. Girdwood and Co.