TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5555, 17 January 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Foxton, Thursday. The County Council met yesterday. All were present with the exception of Mr. Loudon. Mr. Rockstrow has given notice to rescind Mr. Halcombe’s resolution relative to Mr. Loudon, but asked leave to withdraw the notice. Permission was granted, with only one dissentient. All the others expressed an opinion that the resolution should stand on the books. Auckland, Thursday. The Taiaroa, with the Southern mails, left Manakau at noon. A person named James Littlechild was drowned at Eiverhead yesterday. The City of Sydney will be detained here at least ten days, as a new crank pier is to be cast at Sydney, and will be brought down by the Hero on the 25th. It is considered it would be dangerous for the City of Sydney to proceed in her present condition. John Penman, proprietor of the Te Ari sawmill, was killled while working by a blow from a plank. He died in half an hour after the accident. Grahamstown, Thursday. The natives have promised Mr. Sheehan that they will allow the railway to be taken through their land without compensation, and have appointed a strong committee to act with the Government in the matter. New Plymouth, Thursday. Mr. Parris, at the request of the Native Minister, leaves to-day for Wanganui, for the purpose of investigating the allegations of Parama Turaahaki and Kariatete Kopua, of Wanganui, in their petition, presented to the House in 1877, in reference to two sections at Okutuku. Matters are quiet at Parihaka. Major Brown goes there to-day. Mr. W. Carrington has been put on pay, to assist in making friendly calls on the prophet Te Whiti, at Parihaka. Masterton, Thursday. The valuation for Masterton Borough this year is £23,403 ; last year, £19,958. Harvesting operations are in full swing again after three days suspension from bad weather. Napier, Thursday. Mr. Hoskins and Miss Colville left for the South to-day per Rangatira, accompanied by Mr. Geddes, the manager. Since Hoskins joined the company they have had good houses; prior to that the theatre was not patronised. The consequence is that Geddes, manager of the company, has to depart, leaving behind half his company, who are in a sad plight for want of funds to follow the manager, several of them having families depending on them living in the South. Mr. Mackay was a passenger by the Hawea to Wellington to-day. It is reported that he has been offered by the Native Minister the appointment of Chief Laud Commissioner ; but it is thought Grey will not resuscitate the office for Mackay’s benefit. The Telegraph to-night says: “ There is a report, which has been carefully kept out of the papers, that the survey of the Waimate Plains has been stopped by the natives, a mob of women having been employed in seizing the surveyor’s instruments. Major Brown, we hear, was then deputed to remonstrate with the Maoris, and he, proceeding to the ground, was met by the same party of amazons, who dragged him off his horse and stripped him. It would now appear that the murder of the cook of the surveyors had more of political significance than was at first supposed, which accounts for the safe refuge Hiroki has found amongst his countrymen.” Balclutha, Thursday.

At a meeting of the Borough Council the Mayor reported that he had arranged with the i Government for the use of an engine, trucks, and plant to fill the holes in the street caused by the floods. The work is to commence next week. Temporary protection works at the river bank, behind the township, are completed and are proving thoroughly effective. A conference of deputations from the Clutha and Bruce County and Borough Counci's will be held this afternoon, to consider the best means of providing for the re-erection of the bridge over the Clutha River. A conference was held here to-day about reerecting the Balclutha bridge. Present— Clerk, Wayne, and Petrie, representing Bruce County Council ; Jowitt and Brydon, from Clutha County ; and the Mayor, Mason, and Dunne, Balclutha Council. The Mayor was in the chair. Jowitt read a report from Higginson, 0.E., upon the bridge, explaining the style of structure he would recommend; estimated cost, £9910. The delegates from Clutha explained that the Council were willing to bear a share of the expense of the bridge. Those from Bruce said they had obtained a legal opinion to the effect that they could not legally expend the county funds beyond the county boundary. A long discussion ensued, and it appeared the boundaries of the counties and borough were so mixed that it could not be decided whether the bridge was on the boundary between the two counties or within the borough of Balclutha. It was ultimately resolved o to ask the Colonial Secretary to obtain the opinion of the Attorney General as to which body or bodies could legally expend their funds in the erection of the bridge. In course of discussion the new Mayor expressed a strong opinion that all the main roads through the borough should be in the hands of the counties. An information was lodged with the police here of a serious charge against a youth named Stewart, lately a clerk in the National Bank. Stewart has left the district. The police are making enquiries.

Oamaru, Thursday. A little child named Bissett drank half a bottle of brandy this morning early, and died in consequence, it being too late to apply remedies when discovered. The Harbor Board difficulties still continue. The bank has refused to pay any more cheques. The Board has asked the Government to hand over the foreshore, on which it can borrow, but no reply has been received. The Board has received applications for nine allotments on the foreshore in the vicinity of the proposed railway terminus. Dunedin, Thursday. A telegram has been received by the police intimating that a man named Robert Macgregor was killed last evening at Manngataua, near Outram, by the upsetting of his dray in a cutting. At a meeting of the Presbyterian Synod today the chairman of the professorial board of tho Otago University forwarded a series of resolutions agreed to by the Board, and which were previously published. The resolutions pointed out that meral philosophy and political economy were already taught in the University, and it would be undesirable that an ecclesiastical body should endow a chair of moral philosophy, as it would give rise to the suppositiou that it was intended to subserve sectarian and ecclesiastical purposes. The Board pointed out that the chairs required were physical science and English language and literature. The resolution of the University Council, which was enclosed, expressed its gratification at the prospect of a new chair, and also its opinion that a chair of English language and literature, and history of the same, together with constitutional history, in the present circumstances of the University would be of the greatest service to ' the higher education. Three propositions were then submitted by members of the Synod, and a long discussion ensued, in the course of which one member of the Synod said the professorial board’s resolutions were marked by the grossest materialism. The debate was adjourned until the evening sitting. Messrs. M. Fraser and K. Ramsay have been nominated as members of the Education Board. A watchmaker, carrying on business in Rattray-street, was properly victimised last evening by a man who had stolen a nugget of brass, and who succeeded in disposing of it to Mr. Bailey, the gentleman referred to, for £3. The prosecutor said that although the nugget turned out to be pure brass when tested it was such a beautiful deception that very few judges would have thought of testing it, an opinion shared in by all who saw the specimen. Christchurch, Thursday. The case of Cleves v. King and another was brought to a close yesterday, when the jury gave a verdict for plaintiff for £l5O, with leave to move the Court above for £llOO. The case of the Napier Harbor Board is fixed for to-day. The annual meeting of the Canterbury Coursing Club was held yesterday, when the balance-sheet showed that the receipts during the season had been £464, of which, after paying all expenses, there is a small balance in hand. It was resolved to recommend the committee to comply with the request of the North Otago Coursing Club to send delegates to a general meeting to consider the question of a Waterloo Cup for New Zealand. The opening of the through line from Christchurch to Invercargill will take place this day week. Graham's benefit last night was largely attended. Graham played a short comedy of his own, with Miss Tilly Andrews, entitled “Love’s Young Dream.” He afterwards gave an imitation of favorite New Zealand actors. The weather is beautiful. There was a large attendance at the reapers and binders’ contest. The rainfall on Monday was 2T5 inches in Christchurch. Last season the total amount of grain despatched from the different districts of Canterbury amounted to 145,614. Madamo Charbonnet announces her intention of giving two farewell concerts at the close of the month. The case of Henderson v. the Napier Harbor Board commenced to-day, and will, it is said, last for a week. Messrs. Macassey, of Dunedin, and Harper, of Christchurch, appear for the plaintiff; and for the defendants, the At-torney-General and Mr. Rees, of Napier. The first meeting of the Board of Education since the holidays was held to-day. A complaint was made by a certain up-country school committee that the wife of their schoolmaster was in the habit of coming into the sohoolhouse and interfering with the female pupil teacher, of whom it appeared she was jealous. The Board resolved that the master, in question must either assume the control of his wife and keep her from the school, or else that he himself must leave. There is a strong public feeling against the site selected by the City Council for a Town Hall and Corporation offices. A public meeting will probably be held on the subject, to protest against the action of the committee. The ratable value of the city properties is this year put at £215,000. “ Martha” is being repeated at the theatre this evening with Alias Amy Sherwin in the leading part. Mr. Hoskins’ company concluded their season in Napier last night, and left to-day by the steamer Hawea for Christchurch. Their Northern trip has been a dead failure. At the trial of reapers and binders to-day, McCormick took the first prize ; Osborne was highly commended. Invercargill, Thursday.

A milkman was arraigned in Court this morning for selling milk without a license. The Corporation solicitor prosecuted under clause 3of the 44th by-law of towns. Mr. Eenn, for the defence, contended that the by-law contemplated a public market where produce of all kinds might be sold, and also that his client did not sell in the ordinary sense of the term, but merely supplied customers. Mr. Connell, for the prosecution, urged that defendant should have had his license. The Court thought the question important, and reserved its decision, to consider the points raised throughout. _ . The full returns for the Mataura election show—Shanks, 309 ; Kinross, 250. A railway employe named Jas. Atkinson died suddenly at Oreti yesterday afternoon. He was loading a truck, and suddenly fell down, and died in a few minutes ; it is supposed of heart disease.