TELEGRAPHIC HEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5563, 27 January 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC HEWS.

t (from A CORRESPONDENT.) j New Plymouth, Saturday. j He reinforcements at Waihi and Opunake | stations the Hawcra correspondent of the exes | says the reinforcements arriving from time to time to give no cause for alarm; it is hut a nose precaution. The only mistake made was in not sending them prior to the commencement of survey operations upon the plain. The men stationed at Waihi were but a mere handful, whilst now, although the force is by no means large, it is sufficient to at least hold the fort. Prevention is better than cure, and the knowledge that there is a force of some j strength at these two posts may deter any ' troublesome natives from commencing a row. (PER PItESS AGENCY.) Feilr-ino, Saturday. The new township of Cheltenham, Kiwitea district, eight miles from Feilding, was sold by auction to-day, and realised £l2O per acre for land which was purchased three years ago for £1 per acre. Auckland, Saturday. - A msn this morning enticed a little girl of five years old, named Annie Cameron, into the train at Auckland, and took her up the line. His intention was discovered, and on his arrival at Drury the child was taken possession of by a settler, the traffic manager meantime wiring to the police. The Hannah Broomfield, from Wellington, arrived at Hokianga to-day. The final competition for the choice of representatives at the Volunteer meeting at Nelson, in March next,'took place this afternoon. The highest scorers were;—Rifles— Cooper, 87 ; Allen, 87 ; Fairs, 82. Carbines —Bowden, 91 ; Woolley, 90. Some dissatisfaction is expressed with the management of the Auckland College Grammar School. Instead of the examiners’ report being published, they have been referred to the head master, so that he may dispose of any accusations of negligence or shortcomings. The Board also neglected to comply with the terms of the Act, by forwarding a full and accurate report of receipts and disbursements, assets and liabilities, and engagements, to the Minister of Education. The annual receipts from fees amount to £I6OO, paid by two hundred pupils at eight guineas each. No exhibitions or scholarships provided. There were only nine undergraduates for Auckland last year, while Otago produced twenty-nine, Canterbury twenty, and Wellington fourteen. The Board now proposes to build a palatial college, costing nine thousand pounds, bat only five thousand is available, which was voted by Parliament. It is proposed to raise the balance on interest, pledging current receipts. At the Conference to-day the ex-president moved, and the Rev. Mr. McNiool seconded, that the Rev. Mr. Tinsley supply Dunedin pro tern. A letter having beeeu read from the secretary of the Total Abstinence Society, asking the Conference to arrange for a public meeting to advocate the subject of temperance, the following resolution was passed ; —That while sympathising fully with the temperance movement the letter has come too late to be entertained. Resolved—That Mr. Salter having received his appointment to Gisborne on the 21st January last, his status be that of first year’s probationer. The Board of Examiners for the ensuing year are to be Rev. A. Reid on Hebrew, Maori, and English Bible; Rev. J. Crump on Randle Pope ; Broadus Taylor on Green’s Handbook, &o.; Simmouds on French; Wescott on Latin ; Bull on Greek text and History of Greek text ; Oliver on Wesley, Fletcher, and Paley ; McNicol on Watson, Jackson, and Henry; Richardson on Symons and Fernly lectures. That the Revs. J. J. Lewis and W. J. Williams shall prepare students’ examination papers, and Rev. R. Bavin and J. G. Carr those of the candidates; Rev. Smalley to examine Scandinavian probationers. It was decided that the secretary and assistant secretary should revise probationers’ book list. Rev. Buddie drew up and submitted a motion of sympathy to be addressed to the Melbourne Conference, regarding the death of the Rev. J. Eggleston. Rev. Richardson read pastoral address, which was adopted. Rev. Wallis, Lawry, Gittos, and Buddie were appointed a committee to examine all Maori probationers on English subjects. N aimer, Saturday. Ronini Hotel, situated twenty miles inland, was burnt down, with the stables and outbuildings. A quantity of oats and wheat was destroyed. The fire broke out in a room in the upper part of the house; nothing was saved. O’Brien, the landlord, with his family, was in Napier at the time of the accident. The hotel was insured in the Standard office for £IOOO, who re-insured in the Union £SOO. New Plymouth, Saturday. At a meeting of the Harbor Board to-day, the report of the committee exonerating Kelly and Weston from the charges brought against them was adopted, on the motion of F. A. Carrington and G. Curtis, Standish dissenting. Grahamstown, Saturday. The directors of the Big Pump Association met the local bodies this morning re keeping the pumps going, but the local bodies refused unless the pumps were kept going for prospecting the deep levels. The pumps are to stop at the end of the month. Gore, Sunday. A very material improvement in Mr. Conyers has taken place since last night. This morning he recognised all in the room and any who spoke to him. Although the weather was most unfavorable all day, being very warm, he remains the same as this morning. The weather is now changing more favorably. Mr. Conyers speaks irrationally at times, but Dr. Maoaffer says there is every probability of a recovery as speedily as can be expected. The turning of the first sod of the Waimate Plains railway in Canterbury takes place to-morrow. The Hon. Mr. Ballance and Mr. Bastings, M.H.R., will be present. Dunedin, Saturday.

The controversy between Messrs. Green andTJright was brought to a conclusion last night. Steps are now being taken to form a united temperance alliance for the whole of New Zealand. The matter was first mooted at the recent conference in Wellington.

In response to the request of a deputation, Ministers on Saturday resolved to advance £2500, without interest, to repair the damage done to the banks of the Balclutha River by floods.

The election of the Dunedin school committee, which takes place to-morrow evening, attracts attention, and a stiff fight is anticipated between the Bible readers and secularists.

The foundation stone of the new Roman Catholic Cathedral was laid this afternoon in the presence of a great crowd of persons. Bishop Redwood and all the clergy of the Dunedin Diocese were present. The ceremony was very imposing, and about £IOOO was laid upon the foundation stone. Invercargill, Sunday,

Yesterday was the hottest day of the season. The thermometer stood at 86 in the shade. A hot wind blew. There is a change to-day, the wind going round to the S.W., and rain threatening. The Western Monarch immigrants are giving some trouble by demanding exorbitant wages. Many employers left the barracks in disgust. An offer of temporary employment by the Corporation at ss. a day, wet or dry, was indignantly refused. Drs. Skae and Kemp, two of the examiners in Walsh’s case, left for the North by express train yesterday. The remanded case of James Gray, a tailor, charged with stealing £ls from Sorenson, at Mataura bridge, came before the Court yesterday. Sergeant Tuhoy said the missing “ swag ” supposed to contain money had not been found, and asked for a further remand. The Bench said the circumstances were suspicious, and granted a remand. Nelson, Saturday.

Mr. Acton Adams, one of the candidates for the city in the House of Representatives, addressed a crowded meeting of electors last night. He made a bold and determined attack on Mr. Curtis’ Education Bill, and spoke strongly in favor of secular education. He was loudly applauded in the course of his remarks. He argued that the State could not afford to weaken its educational power by subsidising denominational schools, by which means it would increase the number of educational establishments, and in proportion detract from their efficiency. He pointed out, as another evil of the system, that it would remove the control of the teachers and schools from the State which paid them to the sectarians, who used them for their own purposes. He concluded by appealing to the Protestants to rally round the standard of National Secular Education, and to resist the attempts of the Catholics to force -upon them the system which they specially patronised. It is evident this will be a crucial point at the election, and the contest will be very severe, if not bitter. Mr. Adams spoke strongly on the question of including Nelson in the railway system, and pointed out that the land opened up would pay for the construction of the line, which in the matter of gradients would prove far more efficient for coal carrying purposes than over the

ranges and to Lyttelton. He expressed his determination of not ceasing in his endeavors to obtain this work of colonial importance until his object was attained. Mr. Pitt, the other candidate, addresses the electors on Tuesday.