TELEGRAMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5267, 6 January 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

[Per Press Association Special Wire..

. Auckland, January 4th. iho criminal sessions commence on Monday. The calendar contains 15 coses, but none are of a serious character.

Mr Watt's horses, Lady Elizabeth and Repudiator, have been shipped to Napier. A telegram haa been received from Melbourne, stating that Messrs M'Lear. and Co.'s entire horse Mnskot has arrived there in good condition, per Kent. He is to be sent on' to Auckland by the steamer Hero. Mrs Alley's store and dwelling-house at Wangarei Heads was totally destroyed by fire on New Year's night. Mr*. Alley ia a widow with five children, and is at present on a visit to Auckland. From various, settlements the news comes that the harvesting machines aro working well, and giving every satisfaction to owners of crops. Should the present highly favourable weather continue for a fortnight longer the greater portion of wheat in the Auckland dis- - trict will be secured in first-rate condition. The districts of Mangare and Otahuhu do not present, just now, a very encouraging spectacle. It is anticipated that -the average yield of wheat will not be more than from 23 to 25 bushels to the acre, or less than last season. The wheat in many cases is reported too thin. The Hon. Mr Sheehan, the Native Minister, proceeded to the Waikato to-day to visit Rewi, and will afterwards go across to Ohinemuri to have an interview with Tukino respecting .the land and road question in the Thames district.' The Hon.' Mr Sheehan will remain two days at Grahamstown, and will probably be banqueted by the leading residents. He will also probably visit Warkworth before returning to Wellington. . During the month ending" December, 1878, there were 22 deaths registered within the city .of Auckland. The number during corresponding month, 1877, were 18 deaths. There were nine deaths in the hospital in the month of December, 1878. ; TheWarokaraka pumps at the Thames stop work to-day. The Queen of Beauty mine win consequently cease work and a large number of men will be at once paid off, in consequence of the mine being flooded out. Messrs Stewart and Burt, engineers, are now at the Thames laying off sections of the Thames and Waikato Railway. Various local authorities are working hard with Maoris and others to secure land free. Mr Moss, M.H.R., returned to Auckland last night from Rotorua. The Maoris whom he accompanied succeeded in reopening the old" track, which runs through the - Kohera Bubd. direct to Otapa, and would effect considerable saving in distance between the Lake District and Cambridge. ,The track is one that has only been ÜBed by Maoris, but Bishop Selwyn and Sir George Grey both travelled over portion of it on their journey to Rotorua many years ago. The :road would bo ', for 10 miles of much the same character as tha part now finished, but the country then be- .'- ---comes much easier, and ia practically level for - remainder of the distance. The road would open at Owhau, and cuts Tauranga Road to Ohinemutu at that point,from whichitisnearly.., level. The track is now quite practicable for footmen, who could go through in a day, as ifc has been cleared o, vines and undergrowth; but it is still impracticable to horsemen. Mr Moss is of opinion that no time should be lost in undertaking a survey of this track, as it is of great importance to improve the present deficient means of communication between the valuable Lake District and Auckland. New Pltjiooth, January sth. The following tenders were sent from here for: the Stratford railway contract: —Berry and Newman, L 16.446 ; M'Gonagh, L 18.475 ; Glendining, L 18.462 ; and D. Wilkie, L18.87L A new township called Vogeltown, adjoining New Plymouth on the south, ia to be sold in quarter-acre sections on Wednesday, and is expected to realise a large price. A standing crop of grass has been sold at L 7 . per acre, and 10s to 12s a day is being paid to mowers. Cobb's coach, the first wheeled vehicle wl—oh has ever passed behind Mount Egmont by the road, ha 3 reach Inglewood, driven by Chevannes. Napier, January sth. *"" -, At Kopua this afternoon a boy eight years old, named Small, fell into a well 36 feet deep, in which there were four feet of water. He was in'ten-minutes before being'rescued, and though every possible means were used to restore life," he was not.resuscitated. Wellington, January-'4th. " The West Coast railway route, surveyed by Climie, and which is likely to be adopted by the Government, branches from the Hutt line ■ at Kaiwarra, The gradient nowhere exceeds one in fifty, and there are no sharp curves. The - estimated cost is L6OOO per mile. ■ ■ The RoyalCommissionon Higher Eduoation —^.o-j_-»i«iogarn_ K,ob«. M!r ajn,i jv^„ Rev.. W. J. Habens, Inspector - General of. Schools, will be secretary, and Mr Drake, of the Hansard staff, shorthand writer to the Commission. All the Provincial districts will .be visited, also Wanganui. Judge Williams advises the Governor that he sees no reason for interfering with the execution of the capital sentence on the murderer ■ Walsh. The Executive have not yet decided on his fate. The Hon. J. Macandrew, aftwr what took place in the House, declines all responsibility as to the issuing of railway passes to the Press without the consent of the full Cabinet, but says he is personally favourable. ; The Bite recommended by the deputation yesterday has bean found unsuitable for ■ a railway station. The station will therefore be put up immediately at the rear of the Government Buildings. ', Mr G. E. Barton denies having published a statement of his intention to leave Wellington for Auckland. Mr E. Stafford, Assistant Law Officer, is about to resign his position, in order to join the legal arm of Messrs Hart and Buckley, from which the Hon. R. Hart retires. An analysis of some samples of the newly discovered Mokau coal brought to the Colonial Laboratory, has given 87.1 per cent, of combustible matter and 2.5 per cent, of ash. The evaporative power is such, that lib of coal will convert into steam 71bs"*of- water. A man named Arthur L, Sweete was today committed for trial for uttering valueless ' cheques... E." H. M'llwain, who waß under committal for arson, but out on bail, died suddenly.to. day. He was out walking yesterday. Since his committal be has been drinking heavily, and death is supposed to have'resulted from, inflammation of the bowels produced by excessive drinking. There will be ai inquest. TheGovernorattended Rignold'a performance of " Heniy V." for the second time last night. There are crowded houses nightly. ; "The following isa complete list of prisoners - committed for trial at the criminal sittings of, the Supreme Court, which commence on Moi> * day :—Kate Dawes, attempted suicide ; Chas. Schmidt, stealing from a dwelling-house; James Murphy, indecent assault'; William Murtagh, ; assault and wounding; William Watson, alias • Sutton, Btealing from a dwelling-house ; Arthur Falloon, assault and wounding; Edward Henry M'llwain, arson ; George Webb, alias Smith, forgery; James Allen Mackie, forgery and ' stealing ; Arthur L. Streets, forgery. .The Chronicle complains that the new tariff of fees in Magistrates' Courts involves an in«. crease of, in many cases, 100 percent, to suitors over the scale hitherto in force. . '. Miss S. A Jones, late matron of Wellington College, has commenced a civil prosecution against Mr Wilson, principal of the College, arising out of the late "trouble" at the College. It is understood that a reorganisation of the detective branch of the police force is about to take place. A separate head for it will pro* # bftbly be appointed. J The Hoi?. G. M. Waterhouse is reported to have sold his Wairarapa estate, comprising 30,000 acres freehold, with stock, to the Hon, John Martin for L 60.000. Mr and Mrs Travers, and two ladie<*7met with a trap accident while driving on the Hutt -Road yesterday, aud were all severely bruised. Hokitika, January 4th. Tho hull aod o.trgo of the Mabel Jane, stranded at Wangonui Bluff, 20 miles south of Ross, was sold at auction to day by Messrs Loariuonth and Co. The hull fetched L 55 and tho cargo L 220. Mr F. Lttfontaiue was the puroha*?cr. It is believed the Wnipara will br chartered to take up the cargo if possible. It is reported that Mr Duncau, the manager of the L'nion Bank here, has resigned, owing to tbo liinpfotiT now visiting hero calling in a. great in my advances. CnmsTCHUiscH, January 4th. The Lyttelton Times was published a3 an eight jmgo piper this morning, and the pro. prietoiM auuouuce this arrangement to be permanent. The regatta prizes wore distributed at the Mitre, Lyttelton, last iii.^ht. Tho aiii:.t.r?urs aro making good progress with the opera of "Martha." The box plan is already taken up for the first night—Thursday. In consequence of the scarcity of grass, milk is raised to fivepenco per quart. The Ashley Council yesterday appointed members to represent the Counoil on the Plantation aud Charitable Aid Boards, the formation of which was lately proposed by the Government, The Supreme Court annual sessions commence on Monday. There are fourteen oases', comprising forgery (three charges), embezzlement, false pretences, manslaughter, and burgl^y. The deflection of the Rangitata bridge was less than was supposed, and the bridge haa been repaired. A tram of 12 goods-trucks went over : it. Daring the laat fortnight 30 new waggons have been turned out of the railway workshops, and are now in use in the general traffic The Lyttelton Times Sick Fund, recently established, has now 91 members. The City Council Wafer Supply Copwittff

have ordered from J. Anderson, Canterbury Foundry, a cylinder 25 feet long, three feet in diameter, and three-quarter-inch thick, to sinlc in the island in Waimakaiiri for testiDg the scheme of water supply. The comparative returns of goods traffic on tho Christchurch-Dunedin section of the railway show a revenue from those sections for tho four weeks ending November Kithi of L 37.936, against L2G.554 for the corresponding period of the previous year. A Churchmen's Club is proposed here, me idea seems only to include the provision ot a well-stocked reading-room. The Christchurch Star came out this evening in an enlarged form—eight columns per A* Bticking-up case is reported from the north. A Mr Blackett had been collecting money, and waa riding home with a large sum in his possession, when a man jumped across a fence and made for him. Mr Blackett galloped off, and a milo further on met another man, who was about to attack him, when ne became frightened and bolted. It was known that Blackett carried the money. The night was dark and drizzling, aud no clue is likely to bo found to the would-be highwaymen. Oamaru, January sth. On Saturday one of Messra Reid and Gray's new reapers and binders was tried in a heavy crop of greeii oats. The trial was very successful. A slight defect waa perceived in the tying, which however can be remedied. Another trial is arranged for the 7th inst. With the present weather, it is expected that harvesting operations will commence in many parts of the district in about a week. Lawrence, January 4th. Ann Blair Austin, 45 years old, and George Goodwin, 16, were to-day committed for trial at the Lawrence sittings of Supreme Court, on 17th March, for setting fire to a stable belonging to Mrs Joseph Williams, widow, living at Lawrence. Invercargill, January 4th. Not much interest iB taken in the Mataura election. Two candidates are in the field. Mr Kinross addressed the electors here last night, and Mr Shanks did the same at Mataura. Both had tolerably good meetings, announced themselves Greyitea, and received votes of confidence. The other Bide is silent as ye.t. The nomination takes place on Monday. For the year ending December 31st, 1878, there were registered in the district of Invercargill 467 births, 105 marriage 3, and 101 deaths. , , . . , The Eoyal Marionettes conclude a fairly BUCceflßiul season here to-night. They have been playing for a fortnight. The company is now piloted by Mr Harry Stoneham. Welsh, the Waikawa murderer, preserves the utmost indifference to his position. Up till today the date for the execution has not been fixed. January sth. The nomination of candidates to represent Mataura in the House of Representatives takes place to-morrow. It is generally expected that Messrs Shanks and Kinross will contest the election. Originally the moderate party intended to bring Mr Thomas Denniston forward in their interest, but owing to the extreme moderation of Mr Shanks' addresses they have decided to support that gentleman. Mr Kinross, the other candidate, is an ultra-Greyite, and they (tha moderate party) would regard it as a great calamity did he succeed, through any splitting of votes as between Shanks and Denniston, in obtaining the seat. Both Shanks and Kinross are working hard, and are addressing the electors in the various centres of population, .generally receiving unanimous votes of confidence ; while the friends of both parties are confident of success. Glorious weather is prevailing in Invercargill at present. Young Morris, the New Zealand Blondin, gave a successful performance on Saturday «vening. [Per Press Agency.] Wellington, January 4th. It is estimated that the new line discovered for the Foxton railway by Mr Olimie, C.E., will cost only about L6OOO per mile, including permanent way, rolling-stock, and stations. The previous estimates had been LIO.OOO per mile, with steep gradients. The Wellington land tax valuators have commenced their duties. The Anni.-ersary Regatta Committee will apply to the Colonial Secretary to have Anniversary Day proclaimed a public holiday. Varley, the Revivalist,:,wbo has been lecturing here lately, will deliver his farewell lecture to-morrow at the Opera House, and leave for Christchurch on Monday. In the R.M. Court to-day Mr Gordon Allan called attention to the practice of shipmasters in refusing to pay counsels' fees out of the seamen's money they held in hand. 'The Government are about to offer a substantial reward for such evidence as will lead to the conviction of the persons who set fire to the Government Buildings at Blenheim in "iT-u-r-o.—!/•_, iOTO, JD^l—li-.... JR^nurn ,bjS,fl ."boo-. there for several weeks making inquiries, and is said to have obtained important information. The Union Steamship Company are about to establish a separate agency in Wellington under a local manager—probably Mr David Mills. The rumour that it is intended to remove the head-quarters to Wellington is declared to be unfounded. The correspondent of the New Zealand Times at Auckland telegraphs as follows :— " Rewi haa come to grief with his people for having' brought a Government officer (Dr Hector) with him from Mokau. Thia haa been added to the number of hia sins, Tupatahi snd others rated the old chief soundly for his sayings and doings at Taranaki. Rewi denies that he made a promise about the railway to Waikato. Sir George Grey said to him ones i 'Manga, let me make tho railway from Waitara, and yon shall have the management and all the receipts.' Rewi answered: ' Tho time has not come for such talk.' Mr Sheehan wanted him to go to England to see the Queen, but he refused; he wanted to see Lord Normanby, but Sir George Grey would not consent. Major Te Whero has come back from his bootless errand to Tawhiao. The king's children are not coming to school at present, as the weather is not fine enough. Mr Sheehan is expected up soon. At Kopua the people are determined to be preaent at any meeting with Rewi. No more gammon. They say official lies are very dangerous when found out, aa they are sure to be against the Maoris, who keep no secrets. The lying from firat to last appears to have been profound and solid." It ia understood that the Government are organising a Detective Department for the whole Colony. It is probable that Inspector ■ Thomson, of Auckland, will be Chief Inspector, and that there will be three detectives in each of the principal towns, and that the Government will endeavour to prevent their identity being known to the public. It is understood that some hitch has occurred regarding the railway free passes for the Press of the Colony. The Hon. J.Macandrewpositively refuses to authorise the issue of them until such time as the matter is brought before the Cabinet. There are four cases for hearing at the next civil sessions. The New Zealand Rifle Association resolved that the Secretary should at once proceed to Nelson to make the necessary arrangements for the meeting next month. Hunter's farm, in close vicinity to Wellington, and recently purchased by Jacob Joseph, Moller, Young, and Saunders, will be laid out in anew township called Brighton, and L4OOO ia to be expended to place it in tramway communication with Wellington. About 180 acres were valued at LIOO per acre, level land; some 20 acres, hilly, at L3O per acre, and the remainder of the land, being very rough, valued at L 2 per acre. . . There is a strong difference of opinion between the Government and the deputation representing the mercantile community respecting the railway station, one thinking the proposed site suitable, and the other not. Marion,' January 4th. Had it not been for the fortunate change of wind yesterday, the Post Office mußt have been burnt down. As it was, all books and documents had to be removed. Nelson, January 4th. The resignation of Mr Sharp, M.H.R., who has left for England, was posted to-day, Christchurch, January 4th, At the Ashley County Council yesterday, when speaking of the stoppage of railway passes, one of the members said ho had refused to give up bis, and bad travelled on it that very day. The Chairman said it would be better to lake the travailing expenses out of a special fund of the Council. The matter then dropped, A man named Christopher Reynolds died suddenly yesterday. At tho inquest, it was shown that, ho had partaken cf a vc-ry heavy supper just before going to bed. Tho postmortem examination, by Dr Frankish, showed that he hud died of apoplexy, aud a verdict to that effect was returned. It is intended to re-lay a great portion of the rails from Cnristchurch to Dunedin with 521b. steel rails, equal to Glib, iron. This haa been found necessary in consequence'of the wear arid tear caused to the li^h't rails by- the heavy traffic. The change will begin at Selwyn on Monday. It has been raining heavily since five o'clock, and there Beems every likelihood of its lasting. , The improvements DOW going on at the Wainoakariri, with a view to preventing the floods doing damage to the railways in the future, are estimated to cost L 12.000. Very elaborate plans have been drawn up in the Public Works Office here for the new men's wing to the Sunnyside Lunatic Asylum. The Bum of LIOOO was placed on the Estimates for earring out the same. The tenders are now in, and bave beoa forwarded to the Public Works Office, Dunedin. Although the amounts have not been made public it is understood tbat the lowest tender in L3OOO, consequently only a portion of the work can be gone on with for the present, or else less elaborate plans will have to bo prepared. Two jhen narar-d WUliarti Hegry Ijjo'b and

Joseph Hall, charged with stealing a dog, were discharged this morning without the slightest imputation on their character.