INTERPROVINCIAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1584, 1 April 1882, Page 14

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland, March 29th.

Patrick Gleeson, of Gleeson's Hotel, was fined £20 and costs for a breach of the Beer Duty Act by withdrawing beer without defacing the stamp. > • The City of Sydney had 137 saloon and 102 steerage passengers on board, 65 saloon and 60 'steerage being from Sydney, and 52 saloon and .41.steerage from this Colony. Government, in the reply to be sent to Tawhiao, inviting them to attend his meeting, will leave open the question of the Native 'Minister being able or unable to attend. Owing to the proximity; of the date of the opening of Parliament, it is improbable Mr Bryce will be able to be present ; but in case he can, it was thought desirable to leave the question open. The form of the reply was settled by Ministers yesterday.

Wellington, March 29th.

Lawrence Hayes, who in October last was convicted at the Auckland Supreme Court on a charge of committing rape on a woman at Hamilton and sontenced to five years' penaK servitude, has now been pardoned. From the first a large number of residents at Hamilton were of opinion that the evidence was nof^of a character to warrant conviction, and sftrce that time they have taken steps to have him released. His Excellency, on the recommendation of Ministers, has agreed to pardon Hayes, and he will be set at liberty without delay.

Ashburton, March 29th.

The Registrar of Electors has laid an information ■ against Joseph Ivess charging him under the Corrupt Practices Act with having in November last affixed the signature^ of an elector to an application for enrolment without haviug written authority for so doing. The case comes on for hearing to-morrow afternoon.

Hokittka, March 29th. At the Woodstock rush to-day another aim was bottomed seven claims away from ac prospectors', or. about a quarter of a mile turther to the south- west; The prospect gave lOgr to four dishes. ' There is considerable excitement on tho ground between piuiieb pugging out buwuusu sites/

Invercakgill, March 29th. A mild case of sticking up is reported from Gore. A man named Sim, of Balclutha, forcibly relieved an old man named Munro of his watch, and on being pursued by some Gore residents kept them at bay by flourishing knives. Ultimately he swam the Mataura River, and and made tracks in the direction of Croydon bush. Since Monday nothing has been seen of him. He is reported to be of weak intellect. On Tuesday a threshing mill and two stacks of wheat on the farm of Messrs Cochranc Brothers, Spar Bush, were destroyed by fire. Tho owner of the mill, Mr Nicholson, was fully insured ; the Messrs Cochrane were uninsured. The borough of North Invercargill has decided against the issue of new liquor licenses during the next three years. The Invorcargill Coifee Palaco Company lias boon successfully floated, upwards of 3500 shares having beon already subscribed.