INTERPROVINCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1418, 25 January 1879, Page 17

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland, January 17th. By news 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 in Melbourne, and will reach Auckland by the s.f. 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. Me 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, one half of the cost of continuing the working of the pumps to the 400 ft. level, and that the companies interested contribute the other half. January 21st. The valuation of the cifcv of Auckland for 1878 was L 148.00 0; for 1879, L 155.000. But for the exemptions created by the Act of last session, the increase would have been larger. At the Wesleyan Conference to day, the lay representatives were associated with the ministers. The following are the amounts received for 1878 for the Home Mission and Church Extension Funds :— Auckland, L 294 6s sd : Taranaki, L 137 18s ; Wellington, LIBB Is lOd ; Nelson, Lll2 16s 2d ; Canterbury, L 586 3s 4^ ; Otago, Ll4l 6-? 9.1. Connectional-rents, L 45 316 5; donations, L 73. Shares in the Moauatairi and Kurunui GoldMining Companies are rapidly rising, each day's crushing apparently improving. They may rise to a high figure if a rich deposit is coino upon. Yesterday a number of Southern capitalists inspected both mines with a view to investing. A metallic discovery of importance has heen made at the island of Waibeki, a few miles down the harbour. For a long time mauganeso has been known to exist there, and it is now stated that rich gold or platinum ore has been found. The discoverers are reticent as to particulars and exact place. January 22>id. The soiree in aid of the Wesleyan Home Mission was largely attended last night. Ad dresses were given by the Rev. Mr Lee, Wanganui ; Rev. Mr M'Nicoll, Otago ; Rev. Mr Reid, Wellington ; and Rev. Mr Crump, Canterbury. The collection at the afternoon Conference and meeting yielded LIBO. The standing debt is LC6O, and the deficiency on the year L 252. At the Wesleyan Conference to-day, it was determined to remove the deficiency in the Home Mission Fund— L66o— at once. At the Conference Ll2O was subscribed. The following sums were allocated to the various districts :— Auckland, Ll3O ; Taranaki, LOO ; Wellington, L 75 ; Nelson, L 35 ; Canterbury, L 19 0; Otago, L7O. < This will remove the Church Extonsion iebit. In the Supreme Court to-day, Judge Gillies ordered the discharge of Thomas Rennell, charged with the murder of Captain Moeller at Gilbert Group, on the ground that there was no jurisdiction. About 7 o'clock this evening, a child named George Jones, 20 months old, was playing in a yard, and stepped on the cover of the well, which having been broken, gave way, and the child was drowned. The well is 40 feet in depth. Wellington, January 17th. The Royal Commission to inquire into the Jackson's Bay special settlement leave here in the Stella on the 28th. It is understood the New Zealand Shipping Co. will declare a 10 per cent, dividend. The Government have received a petition in favour of Welsb, and also a certificate from a doctor that Welsh is, and has been, suffering from mania. A commission of three other medical men is appointed to examine and report on him, January 18th. The Public Works Department are now seriously obliged to face the sleeper difficulty. Large quantities are required, and advertising for tenders is almost useless, none being received ia reply. The practice of obtaining hardwood sleepers from Tasmania was some time since discontinued, but owing to the impossibility of getting any in New Zealand, and as the only means of preventing delay in works now m progress, it is feared the Government will be obliged to send large orders out of tho Colony. Offers for supplying a million sleepers from Tasmania have been received, and aa a temporary measure to prevent absolute stoppage of one or two works approaching completion, fifty thousand have been orderad from thence. A short time since, a tradesman here prosecuted his managing clerk for alleged forgery ; the clerk was acquitted, He brought an action for slander against his employer, and the Jury, last night, gave him a veriict for L 250. Joseph Nathan, a leading merchant, let his house and turniture to a man named M'Donald, who became insolvent. His creditors tried to seiza the furniture, but Nathan prevented them, aud sold it himself. The trustees yesterday got a verdict in the District Court for L2OO against Nathan, on tho ground that M'Donald obtained credit through the supposition that the furniture belonged to him, and that Nathan had not registered & Hen over

it, though it really was his and was let with the house. January 20th. Edgar Bastings wa3 remanded to Christchurch to-day on the charge of forgery. The ship War wk k, the last im migrant-ship of the season, sailed from Plymouth on 30th November, for Nelson and Wellington, with 200 souls, equal to 171 adults, for all parts of the Colony. At the annual Primitive Methodist District Meeting, a resolution was passed advocating the formation of an Australian Conference. The examiners, the Rev. D. Dutton, F.R.S.A., and the Rev. J. Dumbell, reported the result of the recent examinations to have been as follows:— Third year: Rev, W. S. Potter, 82; Rev. P. W. Jones, 89. Fourth year: Rev. Mr Jeynes, 90 ; Rev. J. Guy, 96. The maximum number of marks obtainable waa 100, and the average— B9^— is highly creditable to the candidates. A meeting of the Committee of the New Zealand Rifle Association to-night fixed the date of firing at Nelson for Monday, 3rd March. Subscriptions received after 18 th February will not be taken into considerition in fixing the prizes. Archdeacon Thorpe preached a sensational sermon on Sunday, charging the Banks with leading their officers to embezzle funds by paying wholly insufficient salaries, and expecting them to keep up a good position. He also hit hard at opponents of the drapers' earlyclosing movement, and exhorted the public to take the matter up and compel tradesmen to do justice to employe's. He asserted the question was quite in the hands of the customers of the drapers. The banks here are in the habit of making their clerks work many hours after closing, aud the Archdeacon exhorted the public to do away with this crying injustice. He said young men when overworked took to stimulants to revive their drooping energies, and afterwards became habitual drunkards. January 21st. Mr Luckie has assumed office as Commissioner of Annuities. The immigrants to arrive per Warwick are all nominated, and are for all parts of the Colony. Wellington receives 77 ; Canterbury, 53; Auckland, 23; Westland, 16; Marlborough, 12 ; Nelson, 9 ; Taranaki, 8 ; Hawke's Bay, 2; and_ Dunedin, 1. At a meeting of the Higher Education Commission, held yesterday, reports were received from the Committee appointed to consider and advise a3 to the best method of inquiry in regard to university education and technical education respectively. The reports were adopted, and it was resolved to request the Chancellor and Registrar of the New Zealand University to'attend and give evidence on Is 6 February. Dr Buller, the Hon. R. Stout, and Professor Kirk have been elected governors of the New Zealand Institute. Detective Farrell is to be removed to Auckland. January 22nd. A man named W. H. Parnell was arrested last night for sticking a common table fork in his wife's nose. The woman i 3 seriously injured. The fifth session of the United Methodist Free Churches was opened yesterday. All the circuits sent one or more representatives. The Rev. E. Macfarlane wag re-elected chairman, and the Rev. G. White secretary. The Government's annual consignment of American tree seeds arrived by the mail in excellent order, and will shortly be ready for distribution. Mr H. T. Cox, assistant geologist, has left for Tuapeka to report on the best means to test the auriferous cement deposits. Gtsborne, January 17th. At the sale of the late Captain Read's pro* perty, a suburban allotment facing Gladstone road fetched LSO an acre. This is lower than, the price ruling some months ago. Lot No. 1, near lludd's Quay, fetched L 140 0; Makauri, 650 acres, LGSOO ; Willows, L 3500. Lot 11 brought LIBSO. Mr Roes gave notice that the Natives intended to dispute the title. - January 22nd. Captain Morris addressed his constituents last night. The Mayor was iv the chair, and 300 persons were present. Captain Morris reviewed the session, and strongly condemned the Ministry, but eulogised the Hon. Mr Shee« han, though he thought be was overawed by Sir George Grey's prestige, and was pursuing' a policy he did not believe in. Four million acre 1 * on this coast had been closed up through the proclamation of the Government. He believed in freetrade in Native Lands, to induce _ capital to come. The land tax was sufficient to prevent too large estates being acquired. He spoke bitterly of the Hon. Me Ballance, and sneered at Sir George Grey. A vote of confidence was proposed, and negatived by 23 to 16. A motion^ to the effect that the meeting express no opinion was carried. Nelson, January 17th. Excellent specimens of argentiferous galena, evidently from a large lode, have been brought in from Wangapeka. Professional miners think very highly of them. Kumaea, January 18th. The following houses were destroyed by fire last night in the main street :— Reefton Hotel, Dungan and O'Brien's Hotel, and Beehive Store. The whole street was in danger, but the splendid working of the Fire Brigade confined the fire. The insurances are : Reefton Hotel, LIOO, in the South British ; Dungan and O'Brien's, L4OO, in the South British j Beehive Store, L2OO, office unknown, Chkistchdech, January 17th. M'Callum, the jeweller, has given a gold medal, to be fired for in connection with the representative firing of the New Zealand Rifla Association. A parcel of 25 Marine Insurance shares was disposed of by auction yesterday at 43 per share. Some persons who have taken out licenses for trout-fUhinsf cimplaiu that a few holders of licenses are fishing with ground and adulterate.} bait. A meeting will be held to induce the Acclimatisation Society to place conditions on licenses next year against this practice. Messrs Ford and Co. sold Gilligai's horsesLa9rtes and Javelin — to-day. The former, which is entered for the Wellington Cup, Napier Handicap, and Djnedin Publicans' Handicap, after a spirited competition was knocked down to P. Butler for 450 guineas. Javelin was sold to Me Delamain for 300 guineas. Jangler, the property of Mr Willixtn*, was also offered, but passed iv at 450 guineas. By tbe San Frandhco mail Mr Conyer3 sent over to the Baldwin Locomotive Works, Philadelphia, for six powerful goods 'engines and tenders, known as the '* Consolidated" engines. They are designed to draw enormous loads oa light rails at a low rate of spaed, and are far more^ powerful than the Yankee engines at present iv use on these lines ; in fact, in the photographs of them, they look too big for our railways altogether. They have five low wheels a ide, and the tenders four. They are to h© | used between here and Dunedin. I Tha bowling match between Christchurcfc ' and, Dunediu to-day resulted, in a defeat f«f

the former by 84 points to 32. They were com* pletely overmatched. January 18th. The work of replacing with ateel rails is going on rapidly. During the present week two miles south of Selwyn have been taken up and 521b steel rails laid down. January 20th. Leonidas and Javelin were shipped North on Saturday. The first goes to Tauranga, and the second goes back to Napier. The Hon. B. Richardson was to-day elected Chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board. The present members of the Board retire on 10th February, according to the provisions of the Act. There have been no less than 56 meetings of the Board in the year just pest. The statement of accounts shows that their receipts for eight months ending December 31st were L19,48012a Bd, and expenditure, L 18,003 93 Id. To the latter has to be added the bank overdraft— L99sl l7s 2d— which causes a debit balance of L 8474 13a 7d. The sum of L 8370 53 8d had, however, been paid out of ordinary revenue to the harbour works, when it should havo come out of the loan. The whole of the dredging expenditure also, which is, at the present rate of work, particularly heavy, has been met out of ordinary revenue. The assets of the Board amount to L 317.449, and it has a borrowing power of L 200,000 allowed by the Act. The present liabilities are L 50,232. January 22nd. The valuation for 5 Kaiapox amounts to L 8254, being slightly iv excess of last year's. 1 Bassingthwaite, the fraudulent Rangiora debtor, was committed for trial to-day, bail being allowed— himself in LIOOO, and two approved sureties of LSOO each. Timaeu, January Oth. Bishop Redwood preached here last night, and at the conclusion announced that L 2256 had been subscribed to erect Catholic schools at Timaru, and that Father Chataigner gives a section of land worth L 620, January 22nd. A special meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held to-day to consider the reports brought up on the railway rates, and the alterations to the station, The report showed that, under the new tariff, storage for goods at Timaru would be L 9 odd, while at Lyttelton it would be only 53. The report also contained recommendations in regard to the new railway station, so that they should not clash with harbour works. A copy of the report was ordered to be sent to the Government.