TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 5870, 24 January 1880, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

(UNITED press association.) ; Christchurch, Friday. Subscriptions are coming in for the Irish Relief Fund. An arrangement has been made with the Opera Company to give a benefit in the Theatre Royal on Monday week, and a monster fete is spoken of, after the manner of the Kaitangata fete. Captain Craig, of the Christchurch Artillery, has posted challenges to all the batteries in New Zealand who competed in tho recent contest to fire a match during the first week in February. . The Qlendore station, belonging to Mr. J. C. Aitken, containing 2500 acres of freehold, has been sold tor £15,000. Nelson, Friday. Tho Reception Committee, in connection with the Rifle Association, comprises some sixty enthusiastic citizens. A cordial reception will be accorded to representatives, Thomas Bray, a lad of 13, received one month’s imprisonment for breaking into the Foxbill railway station, and stealing therefrom £5 in silver. The boy pleaded guilty, and the • r: mia'anoes showed great cunning on his |>a I. ! !e gained access to the office through the window. Tiuaro, Friday. The Mormons are holding meetings every Sunday in private houses at Sandytown, out-

side of Timaru. Converts are rolling up right and left. The exodus to Utah takes place in ii April, Last evening six converts, including t some married women, were conducted by a t coaldealer, who has joined the Mormons, to p Salt Water Creek, and were there stripped to t their night dresses and baptized. t The ratepayers of Timaru decided on Wed- f nesday, by 303 votes to 61, to raise a ii 60,000 i loan for waterworks. Grahamstown, Friday. 1 It is expected that £l5O will be subscribed here towards the distress in Ireland. The salary of the Native Assessor, W. H. Taipara, has been reduced from £259 per annum to £IOO, and several assessors and ' native policemen have been dismissed from pay. A messenger, at £7B per annum, has been dispensed with, and further reductions are contemplated. No alterations have been made in the Land Purchase Department yet, but they are expected. Auckland, Friday. At the Supreme Court to-day. Judge Gillies said that for the future ha would not grant discharges to bankrupts whose assets were nil, as that was not contemplated by the Act, and appeared to him to be a solemn farce. He refused discharges to several debtors, and commented very severely upon trustees’ reports. Mr. John London has addressed the Bay of Islands electors at Kawakawa. In reply to a question as to the reason why he proposed that £IO,OOO should be expended upon public works in Hokianga County, and only £6OOO in the Bay of Islands, Mr. Lundon replied that the Bay of Islands had already got some money from the previous Government for the Kawakawa line of railway, but perhaps there was another reason, namely, that in Hokianga he had received 100 votes, while at Kawakawa he had only received 22. He had not the same influence with Mr. Hall’s Government that he would have had had the late Government remained in office. It is rumored that Mr. Hamlin, M.H.E. for Franklyn, intends resigning and proceeding to Napier to settle. Mr. Hobbs will probably come forward for the district. At the quarterly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. J. O. Clark, the chairman, announced that the Hon. Saul Samuel was expected from New South Wales shortly, in order to confer with the New Zealand authorities upon the best means of shortening the time of communication with Great Britain by the San Francisco mail route. Dunedin, Friday. The Presbyterian Synod was brought to a close on Wednesday night, when the Rev. J. Christie, of Waikouaiti, was elected Moderator tor 1880. A committee, consisting of Professors Mason and Hodgson, of the E linburgh University ; Sheriff Campbell, of Edinburgh ; Professor Morley, of London University ; and Drabbot, Principal of the City of London School, was appointed to advertise for and select a suitable person to fill the new chair of English Literature at the Otago University. The Rev. Dr. Stuart was appointed Commissioner to the Pan-Presbyterian Council to be held at Philadelphia in July next. The Keys. J. K. Cley, W. A. Young, and M. A. Keine, are to represent the Synod at the next meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church at Auckland, and the Revs. W. Bannermau and W. Neill are to attend the Presbyterian Conference in Melbourne in November next. A case of an unusual, nature occurred at yesterday's sittings of the District Court, the jury serving on it positively declining to bring in a verdict in accordance with the Judge’s ruling. The case was that of Maurice Laundel v. New Zealand Insurance Company, claim £2OO on a policy of insurance. The Judge directed the jury to find for the defendant, but they found for the plaintiff for the amount claimed. There is now accommodation for 5000 children in the Dunedin schools. The retiring School Committee recommend their successors to bring the compulsory clauses into force in March next. The city valuation is £289,176 for 18S0, against £281,400 fer 1879. At the City Court yesterday Matthew Pearson, carter, was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment for haviug an “ under and over seven” board at the Blueskin Show. A telegram from Mauritius states that sugars have further advanced 20s per ton. Subscriptions to the Irish Relief Fund are coming in freely. In the Supreme Court, in the case rc D. 1 Calder’s will, the jury, after five minutes’deliberation, awarded the issues in favor of plaintiff, declaring that the testator was of sound mind when he made the will, and that no coercion had been used. -