TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 852, 8 January 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(rER PRESS ASSOCIATION)

WELLINGTON.

January 7. The Premier returned per Hinemoa this morning. The Chronicle thinks the question re secular education should be made a party question next session. The Government are making careful enquiries regarding the feeling throughout the Colony on this question. They will support secularism, and the Chronicle thinks the Opposition •will take up denominationalism. Three of the recent New Guinea party intend returning there. Messrs. Levin and Co. have received a telegram dated London, Ist January, that the Chimborazo arrived at Plymouth on the 30th December, and the Garonne sailed thence on the 31st, with 407 passengers and a full cargo. In the Supreme Court to-day, Chas. Schmidt, formerly night watchman at the Empire Hotel, was convicted of stealing L2OO from Robt. Cooper, a lodger. Sentence was deferred.

In the Police Court, E. Holroyd Beere, a, well-known surveyor, appeared to answer a summons for embezzling L 133, the property of his brother and Henry Czaruontsa, and two 'other surveyors. Mr. Ollivier, for the prosecution, stated that Mr. Brissenden was an important witness, and although subposncd he had not attended. He would be an unwilling witness. The case was adjourned for a fortnight, with the intimation that if Brissenden was not in attendance that a warrant would be issued.

An impudent robbery from the offices of the Anchor Line of steamers, on Custom House Quay, was committed last night, ■when bank notes to the value of L 265 were carried off by the. thief or thieves. It appears that yesterday afternoon Mr. Brind, the purser of the s.s. Murray, brought into the office a sum of L2GS in bank notes, which he had received on various occasions during the round trip of the steamer. Mr. Brind requested Mr. Clouston, who was in charge of the office, to lock up the money in the safe. Mr. Clouston promised to do so, and instructed the clerk accordingly. The notes were wrapped up in a piece of white paper (one of the steamer's shipping forms), and during the office hours were placed on the top of the safe, by the side of the cashbox, where the roll remained until the office was closed, shortly before six o'clock. At that time it was supposed to have-been put into the safe with the cash-box. The safe was locked up, and everybody left the office, the door of which, however, was not locked, wliile it -was also easily accessible by the window, which was unfastened. Mr. Clouston and the clerk returned to the office at 8 p.m., and remained at work until ten, when they left, closing for the night. This morning, on opening the safe, no sign of the money was visible, and then the clerk suddenly recollected that he had forgotten to put the roll of notes into the safe when he shut up the cash-box, its appearance with the white paper round it being so much like other parcels lying about that it did not attract his attention or prompt his memory. Many people were in and out of the office during the day, and could have seen the money lying there, while no one could have found the least difficulty in effecting an entrance and abstracting the notes, either between (> and 8 p.m. or after 10 p.m. The affair has been placed in the hands of the police, but as the numbers of the notes are not known, serious difficulty is apprehended in tracing the robbers.

January 8. At fi:o Supreme Court, Kate Davis, who attempted suicide, was released on her own recognisances. Charles Schmidt (robbery), three years. The jury in Sweet's ease (for forgery) were locked up all night, and discharged this morning, being unable to agree. He will be tried again. DUNEDIN. January 7.

There are a heavy lot of cases for tlie civil sitting of the Supreme Court on Monday, including the Otago Harbor Board v. Proudfoot.

Tlie business at the Resident Magistrate's Court is increasing. No less than eighty-live eases are on the list for tomorrow.

At the Supreme Court criminal sessions to-day, Eli Coolen, for housebreaking, was acquitted ; Margaret Scott, for manslaughter of her infant female child, was acquitted. The Court adjourned till next day. Tlie Age to-night says —"We regret our inability to compliment Dr. Lemon and some of his subordinates on the energy and promptitude which they are displaying in connection with the special wire and Press Association experiment. The Chinaman suffering from leprosy, who was confined in the lazar-house at Tuapeka Flat, and made off therefrom, hung himself at Waitaliuna yesterday. A correspondent of the Star says that Mr. Blair, Engineer in ' Charge of the Middle Island, accompanied by Mi-. Wsshcr, Resident Engineer, to-day inspected the railway, contract from Balclutha to Clinton. Thej r found the line generally in good order, and I understand from them that it will be opened after some minor works are completed, but the exact date of opening is not yet fixed. January S.

Mr. Bright, the free-thinker, and Mr. Green, the evangelist, have resolved to hold a public discussion the week after next, on the following proposition: — " The Divine origin of Christianity," accepting the following definition of terms : (1) By " Divine origin " it is understood to be of Divine origin in the sense in which no other religion is ; (2) In the term " CJiristianity " it is understood that there are included the deity of Jesus and his death as an atonement for man's sin.

The Supreme Court is being occupied to-day with a charge of perjury against Mrs. Jane Reid, of Saddle Hill, in connection with a prosecution for sly-grog selling in the Police Court in July last. At the Police Court a drunkard pleaded as a reason why he should not be sent to gaol that his arm was disabled, and he would be of no use there. GHEISTCHUECH. January 7.

At the Supreme Court sittings to-day, Carl Schultz pleaded guilty to obtaining L 5 under false pretences. Prisoner's counsel pleaded gpod character, and his recent marriage. He intended to replace the money. The prisoner made a statement in broken English, but it was hardly intelligible. The Judge, as it was his first offence, sentenced him to six months'

hard labor. James Keig, convicted of indecent assault, was recommended to mercy as there was an apparant absence of previous design. Sentence was deferred, in consideration of mitigatory circumstances disclosed, to enable prisoner to procure evidence of good character. W. Attack, for indecent assault, was sentenced to 12 months.

';, AUCKLAND. £y. January 8. •;•; Rewi accompanied Mr. Sheehan to the Site of the Orakau Pah, where he pointed ■put places of interest in the engagement, in which he took His visit to ■ Kihikihi is the first to any settlement on confiscated land. Tawhiao is anxious to carry out the agreement made with the Premier.

Fidget, tried yesterday for placing obstructions on the railway, has been an officer in the Royal navy, but is suffering froni aberration from former wounds in his head. He was previously convicted as a vagrant. A meeting of representatives of various trades was held at the Working Men's Club, to consider the advisability of petitioning Parliament to stop Chinese immigration. Mr. Macandrew is arranging for workmen's trains from Onehunga to Auckland.

Six young ladies at the Convent Chapel took the plain veil—Annie Camerford, Mary Redmond, Eliza M'Dermott, Eliza Ryan, Catherine Bolger, Kathleen Annie Curtis. '_■—■""

A meeting of the New Zealand Insurance Company was held to-day. The report saj's that after making provision for all ascertained losses to date, and carrying LSOOO to the reserve fund, which now stands at L 40,000, there remains the sum of L 19.253 Is lid available for division, which the directors propose to appropriate to the payment of dividend at the rate of per cent. L 15,000, and balance carried forward L 4253 Is lid. The total premiums were L 86,100 13s Od, and the loss LG0,147. The retiring directors and auditors were re-elected.

TIMARU. January 7. Tliis morning a most determined attempt to commit suicide was made by a Mr. Chadwick, chemist, at Pleasant Point. It appears that' Chadwick left for the Washdyke early this morning, intending to proceed by the up train to Christchurch. Shortly after alighting from the Point train at Washdyke railway station, he appears to have been seized with fits of despondency and attempted to destroy himself by inflicting twenty-six stabs with some surgical instrument, on his left bi'east. The stationmaster prevented the unfortunate man doing further injury to himself, and immediately telegraphed to the police officer stationed at Timaru. Inspector Pender and Dr. M'lntyre proceeded at once to the scene by special train. Mr. Chad wick's wounds were temporarily dressed, and he was brought into town and conveyed to the hospital, where he was properly attended to. Mr. Chadwick was at one time a resident of Akaroa, and the reasons alleged are the bad terms existing between himself and wife, from whom he is separated, and his failure in perfecting some chemical machine upon which years of labor had been spent ineffectually. This preyed on his mind considerably, and caused him also to drink heavily. On several occasions Chadwick expressed the hope that he would not recover, which hope, we regret to say, is likely to be fulfilled. He now lies in a very precarious state. Harvest operations are rapidly being commenced. The late rains have done much good to the crops.

GKEYMOUTH. January 7. The new steam dredge, built by Messrs. Kincaid and M'Queen, of Dunedin, for deepening the Grey River, commenced work successfully yesterday. TE AWAMUTU. January G.

The Native Minister, accompanied by Mr. Ruskin (Clerk of Parliament of Victoria), Mr. Brodie (Chairman of Thames County Council), Messrs. Lewis (Private Secretary), Gilbert Grace (Native Agent), Bush (R.M.), Stewart and Rees (engineers), arrived at 6 p.m. from Auckland, which place they left by the 7 o'clock train. The Native Minister and party proceeded immediately to Puniu, where Rewi Maniapoto was waiting his arrival. On nearing that place Mr. Sheehan was received in Maori custom, with shouts of welcome and waving of shawls by a large party who had come out to meet him, and who led the way to Mr. Ross' house, where Rewi is staying. Mr. Sheelian was warmly welcomed by Rewi. Rewi said he would to-morrow have something to say to them. Some friendly speeches were made. The Ngatiawa natives invited the Native Minister to meet them at "Whakatane, which he will probably do. The interview then closed for the day.