TELEGRAMS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5276, 18 January 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(Per Press Association.)

Auckland, January 17th. The Hon. Mr Sheehan proceeded to Warkworth last night in the s.s. Lily, which had been specially chartered for the occasion. Ha will probably address hia Rodney constituents. By newß received by the mail from London, it is stated that Mr Russell has been offered LSOO on his bargain to return the horse Musket to England, but has refused. Musket is inMelbourne, and will reach Auckland by tha s.s. Hero.

At the opening of the first lodge of the Order of Loyal United _ Friends under the New Zealand Constitution, the _ mysteries of the Order were explained, showing how much good has been done in England since its foundation in 1829.

Be Thames pumps difficulty, the Chamber of Commerce Committee see no other possible solution but for the Thames County Council to contribute, for the gold duty received, onehalf of tbe cost of continuing the working of the pumps to the 4()0f fc. level, and that tha companies interested contribute the other half. The Wesleyan Conference opened this morning. At the Police Court to day, Delmorah Hood, of the hotel at Ngaruawahia, was charged with travelling on the railway without a ticket, and fined L 3, and costs.

A similar charge against Alice Tell and Cook was withdrawn. The evidence showed great laxity on the part of certain railway officials.

The body of the man Littlechild, who wasr drowned at Riverhead, waa recovered yesterday. At the inquest held, a verdict of accidental death was returned. The deceased was a native of England, 35 years old, and was remarkably steady. He leaves a wife and two children.

A man named Warr met with a seriouß accident yesterday at Hamilton, Waikato, while working at a cutting on Cambridge road. About two tons of earth fell, nearly burying him. One of his thighs waa broken, the other knee and one arm were dislocated, and the spine wasseriously injured. DrWaddingtonhappened to be passing at the time, and temporarily setting the limbs, sent him home in a dray, and afterwards visited him. He ia too bad to-day to be sent to the Hospital at Auckland as waa intended. It ia doubtful whether he will recover.

Gisborne, January 17th.

At the sale of the late Captain Read's property, a suburban allotment facing Gladstone road fetched LSO an acre. This is lower than the price ruling some mouths ago. Lot No. 1» near Rudd's Quay, fetched LI4OO ; Makaruri, 650 acrea, L 6500; Willows, L 3500. Lot 11 brought LIBSO. Mr Reea gave notice that the Nativea intended to diapute the title. 7 '

Wellington, January 17th, Mr G. M. O'Rorke haa been elected Chairman oi the Commission on Higher Education. Rignold had a magnificent house on his last appearance last night. The leading members of the company were all called before, the curtain, and Rignold made a speech", promising to revisit Wellington. Darrell, Rigcold, and Co. leave for Chri3tchuroh to-day. The season has been the mo_t attractive and successful one ever known hero. •

Tho City Council last night, after a warm debate, negatived the motion to appoint Mr Climie drainage engineer. The minority then, in order to secure an adjournment, began to talk against time, and kept it up till near daylight without any result. The general eiittiea received for the regatta last night were satisfactory.

To-day a deputation from the City Council waited upon the Minister of Public Works to urge the immediate construction of the RailwayWharf. The Hon. Mr Macandrew said that Mr Blackett had already prepared plans, and that tenders would be called for as soon as the specification had been prepared—that would be within 10 days or a fortnight. There were materials on the ground to the value of L 7009 or LBOOO, and there waß nothing to hinder tha work being proceeded with as soon as the specificationa were out; still that would be not sufficient for the rapidly-growing wants of the city, and the Corporation should not relax their efforts to lind still further accommodation. The Government had been fully alive to the position of the town and the neceaaity for the Railway Wharf, and it was only extreme pressure of work which had prevented the plana from being prepared before. The Hon. Mr Macandrew laid on the table the plan of the new wharf. It is to be directly opposite the Government Buildings, with a small triangular reclamation for turn-tables, &c. , from which the wharf will be carried out to a distance of Gsoft, the width being rather leas than that of the present wharf. It is to run almost at right angles to the existing wharf, in nearly the same direction as the cross T's, and has provision, for arms running out like the fork of a tree, with inner branches ; but this extension is not to be carried out at once.

The Royal Commission to inquire into the Jaskson's Bay special settlement leave here in the Stella on the 28th.

The Auckland yacht Contrabandiere has just been overhauled by Messrs Coffee and Dixon and supplied with a false keel, in preparation for the regatta. H.M.S. Nympheis likely to leave for England to-morrow.

The Hon. Mr Ballance leavea for Dunedin to morrow.

It ia understood the New Zealand Shipping Co. will decluro a 10 per cent, dividend.

The National Bank has declared an interim dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum, for half-year euding 30th September. In the District Court to-day, the case of ths Trustees of M'Donald v. J. E. Nathan was tried. It waa an action to recover L2OO for the wrongful conversion of the furniture of a boarding-house, in the terrace kuown as Yorkhouse. A verdict for the plaintiffs for the full amount was given.

_ The boy Bacon has made a written confession of the Author Office robbery, and is further remanded.

In the special jury case, M'Lean v. Nicholls, an action for defamation and assault, a verdict for plaintiff for L 250 on the defamation count, and for the defendant on others, was given. The Hons. J. Ballance and J. Macandrew leave in the Hinemoa for Dunedin direct to morrowevening. The Hon. Mr Ballance will accompany the Hon. Mr Stout on a tour through Otago.

The Government have received a petition in favour of Welab, and also a certificate froaa a doctor that Welsh ia, and h„s been, suffering from, mania. A commission of - three other medical men ia appointed to examine and report on him.

Christchurch, January 17th. Mr Jardiue, sublibrarian ol the Public Library, has resigned. The Stewart Family left yesterday for WeU

"Sington, after a moat successful season. They -promise to return about the middle of March. M'Crtlltuu, the jeweller, has given a gold medal, to be fired for in connection with the ••representative firing of the New Zealand Rifle .Association. Two I'its of superior ewes nnd rams, lent condition, imported from Tasmania, ar- . rived yesterday in the Ringarooma. The same vessel brought 11 handsome specimens of short■horned cattle. They are a valuable lot. The reaper and binder contest took place yesterday. Tho weather was delightful. The ..prizes offered were—L2s by the Association, -■and L 5 for the best baud binding. _ The commissioners appointed for tho machines were— .Engineers'. Mesars W. Conyers, Allison, and .'Smith. Practical farmers :J. Lemiie, J. Goff, T. Black, W. M. Ross, and W. E. Ivey, of the Model Farm. The machines started exactly at 7.10 o'clock. Each had to cut four acres, which were marked out. Tho points for competition were strength, simplicity of construction, lightnesa of draught, quantity of ground gww over, time occupied, and quality of work. At the close the result waa announced, M'Cormick, .'lst; Oaborne, highly commended. The judges • considered the hand-binders had not completed their work, and no prizes were awarded them. The announcement of the reault waa received ■ with general satisfaction. During the day Mr ■ John Anderson exhibited one of Aiding Porter's traction-engines, and it went about the field rapidly, making sharp turns, and wa3 steered easily. In utilising it ill the hardest field, a specially constructed reaper ia required, making a width cut of 12 feet, and accomplishing about 20 acres per day of 10 hours. About -'500 persona were present. A parcel of 25 Marine Insurance shares waa diaposed of by auction yesterday at 4s per share. Some persona who have taken out licensee for -..rout-.4rib.ing complain that a few holders of licenses aro fishing with ground and adulterated bait. A meeting will be held to induce the Acclimate .ation Society to place conditions on ■ licenses next year against thia practice. The Commissioner of Railways, Mr Con•yere, baa ordered from America, for the South . .island, six goods engines, more powerful than ■any here. The order went by last mail. Basiugtbwaite, lately a publican and storekeeper at Rangiora, was charged with fraudulent insolvency at the 11. M. Court this morning, and evidence having been taken, he wasre■manded for a week. The bail accepted wa3 two - sureties for LSOO each, and accused on hia own recognisance for LIOOO. Messrs Ford aud Co. sold Gilligan'j horaea— Xaertea and Javelin—to-day. The former, which ia entered for the Wellington Cup, Napier Handicap, and Dunedin Publicans' Handicap, after a spirited competition waa 'knocked down to P. Butler for 450 guineas. -Javelin was sold to Mr Delamain for 300 guineal-. Jangler, the property of Mr Williama, waa also offered, but pasaed in at 450 guineas. Mr John Grigg, of Long Beach, has bought one of tie heifers imported by Mr Simpson from Victoria for 400 guineas. The heifer was ■ calved on July 25th, 187S, and is by Oxford Cherry Duke (32016, Eng. Herdbook)—dam . Moas Rose. Four cases of typhcid fever have been reported from Papanui, a suburb of Christchurch. ' Twenty-nine cases of infectious diseaae were reported during last quarter of 1878—fifteen of typhoid, eight of scarlatina, and .six of diphtheria. The cases of typhoid were mostly mild, and six of the patients were immigrants by the Hydaspes. The Health Officer reports 'that " the health of Christchurch . has been on tbe whole very satisfactory during the past year. The mortality has been "low, and the cases of zymotic diaeaae : few and sporadic. The vary dry summer has been followed, aa might be expected, by much diarrhcea, especially amongst children." The amount of typhoid fever seems so far to _be small. It ia, however, during tho autumn that this disease is most prevalent. Basingthwaite, the alleged fraudulent debtor of . Sangiora, was remanded till Wednesday, bail being allowed, himself in LIOOO, and two sure- - -ties of LSOO each. The remand was granted to ■.. give time for some important evidence in favour of the accused to be adduced. It was stated that L 2500 waa the amount missing, of which ."two-fifths had been recovered. By tbe San Francisco mail Mr Conyers sent over to tlie Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, for s:x powerful goods engines and .-tenders, known as the " Consolidated" engines. 'Tbey aro elesigned to draw enormous loads on ; light rails at a low rate of speed, and are far more ppworful than the Yankee engines at present in u?e on theae linea; in fact, in the* photo- . grapha . f them, they look too big for our railways altogether. Tbey have five low wheela - aaide, and the tenders four. They are to be used between here and Dunedin. Some cattle were put on board the train at . Addington to-day for Lyttelton, and aa thore were no proper waggona, the wretched animala were mostly huddled up in closely-covered trucka, When they reached Lyttelton five were fourd dead in ono waggon, and others were dragged out of the waggons at the last gasp. All were in the most pitiable condition, •and the stench waa unbearable. Nearly all • would have been dead had the journey lasted much longer: the cattle had been in the trucks ■ ever since 4 a.m. A deputation waited on the Hon. Mr Stout to-day re site for municipal offices. The Council wißb to bo allowed to use the market re- . serve, and the Hon. Mr Stout said he did not think there waa much difficulty in the way. They would get an answer in February, and, if it were favourable, the change could be made by proclamation without waiting for the assem- ■■' bling of Parliament. The bowling match between Cbristchurch -and Dnnedin to-day resulted in a defeat for the former by S4 points to 32. They were com- a pletely overmatched. ' The Ht-a'th Officer ia of opinion that the .prevalence of disease on board immigrant ships is due to defective sanitary arrangements. _ He is to prepare a special report on the subject, -which will then be brought under the notice of •the Government. Ther.; are over a thousand cesspits in Christchurch, to which, and the porous nature of the soil, nio.t of the zymotic diaeaae is attri- -' buted. Timaru, January 17 th. The valuation of tbe Borough of Timaru for .1879 amounts to L 45,800, being an iucreaae of L 10.300 on last year. The schooner Alert sailed for Wellington to- ■ .day, to take part in the regatta there. A marked improvem.rthas taken placo in tbe crops during the laat fortnight or three weeks, . and on the higher grounda some splendid paddocka are now noticeable. It ia believed that the .yield on the wholo, partly owing to increased area sown, will be fully equal to laat season. Oamaru, January 17th. The town valuation thia year amounts*to only L 42.000, just L 166 more than last_year. At a meeting of the Municipal Council laat night great dissatisfaction was expressed at the smallneaa of tho amount, and a special meeting was called for to-night, to make the necessary arrangements for appealing again.t the whole valuation. There ia great stagnation in the grain mar7ket. Quotations aro merely nominal, and re main as last given. The immigrants ex-ship Oamaru have all received employment. The married people have secured engagements at the higheat wagea ruling. There wero 17 single girls, out of which nine have found horaea with their friend.-, and the remaining eight, who were only rapable of filling situations on farms, have bean well placed at wages ranging from . L3O to L4O per year. Immediate employment on long t«r/is was easily secured for the single men at Loo to L6O per annum (six and 12 months' agroemsnt) with premiums for harvest work. Invercargill, January 17th. The Railway Demonstration Committee yes--terday considered the knotty question regarding the accommodation of visitors by the opening train. It was ultimately decided to tell off certain committee-men to do all they can. It iB expected there will be a fearful strain on the .hotel ticcummodation through people coming from the country, and visitors will have to put up with tshkke-downs of tbe roughest style, and will b.) noiiii tho worse for providing themselves liberally with travelling rugs. The valuator last night submitted a valuation of L 47.518, aa against L 38.420 laat year The action of the Ministry in pardoning the murderer Walsh receivea general condemnation. Al the official declaration of the Mataura poll, -at 12 o'clock, Mr Shanks wa3 declared elected. Both candidates made speeches, the successful one contradicting Mr Kinross' statement that he waa sailing under false colours. He aaserted himself a thorough supporter of the Grej party. The Rev. Mr Byng, of Dunedin, lectured in ■-the new theatre to-night,on " The Archives oi the Universe." The lecture was a success. An inquest waa held at Otaiti to day on the hody ot a man named Hayes, who had beer killed by a dray paaaing over him. A verdicl -of Accidental Death waa returned. Lawrence, January 17th. A boy 13 years old, named William Lloyd •convicted of petty larceny from a dwelling a' Wetherstonea, waa committed to-day, b] Mr Carew, R.M., to tho Industrial School fo: "12 months. Mr Duans liberated 1200 trout in theTuapeki streams to-day. The Committee ot the County Council ap ■pointed to arrange with Mr "Kitching for th purchase of the Beaumont punt, succeeded i: ■ doing so at L 660, on condition that the bridg goeß to arbitration. The delay in arbitratio Aaa been caused by Mr Kitching uot having a*, au arbitrator, » (Per Press Agency.) Nelson, January 17th. Excellent specimens of argentiferous galeru •evidently from a large lode, have been brougl in from Wangapeka. Profeasional miners thin very highly of them. The writ for the city election is issued. Tt ."oomitnt.' ion ia fixed for the 30th inßt, and tl .polling for February sth. Mr Pitt and Mr Adan -are likely to be the only candidates.

Wanganui, January 17th. The Borough valuation for the present year is L 57.874. For laat year it was L 38,852.

Christchurch, January 16th. Tbe first meetintr of the Board of Education since the holidays waa held to-day. A complaint was made by a certain up-country school committee that the wife of their schoolmaster waa in the habit of coming into tho schoolhouse and interfering with the female pupil teacher, of whom, it appeared, she was jealous. The Board resolved that the master iv question muat either asaume the control of bis wife, and keep her from the school, or else that he himself muat leave.

Wellington, January 17tb,

The Primitive Methodist Conference commenced its sittings in Wellington First Church this morning, nearly 30 delegates beinpr present from various parts of the Colony. The Rev. Daniel Dutton, F.R.A.S., of Auckland, was elected president; Mr Stewart Fraser, of Dunedin, vice; Rev. Joaeph Sharp, of Timaru, was elected secretary ; and the Revs. Jame3 Ciover and Jame3 Grey, assiatants. The case which was brought by Captain Scoular, of the barque Examiner, against of one hia crew, resulted rather unprofitubly for the maater, it being diacloaed in the defence that the man deserted by jumping overboard to save himself from being abused by the skipper, who waa at the time chasing him around tbe deck. The Bench fined the Captain 20a and full costs. C. E. Wagner, the well-known architect, was arrer-tad to-day, charged with issuing a valueless cheque.

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS. (prom odr own correspondents )

Oamaru, January 17th,

A preliminary meeting of those willing to join a fire brigade was held last evening, the result of which will be the formation of a pretty strong brigade ; but whether or not they will obtain the necessary plant and assistance ia open to doubt. There ia nothing of the kind in Oamaru at present, and the insurance companies do not appear particularly apprehensive of aorious fires occurring. The Mail to-night fa 3's tho schoolmaster at Shag Point has not received any salary since the Ist September, the time when the school was brought under the Act, and from which period it was supposed to receive a3ai3tance from tho Education Board.