TELEGRAPHIC BRIEFS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1942, 7 February 1889, Page 15

TELEGRAPHIC BRIEFS.

A despatch from the Colonial Office states that the Chinese Immigration Act of 1888 is left in operation. The Auckland branch of the New Zealand Alliance have secured the Premier as chairman at one of their meetings, and friends of prohibition are naturally jubilant. Sir H. Atkinson has consented to preside at a public meeting in connection with the alliance, when reports will be submitted by the New Zealand representatives' at the recent International Temperance Convention at Melbourne. Recently the Auckland Schools Committee instituted a series of prosecutions against persons who neglected to comply with the provisions of the Education Act by sending their children to the public schools. Among the persons fined was a widow named Bridget M'Garry. In default of payment a warrant of distress was issued, and for want of goods on which distress could be levied a warrant of commitment was obtained, and the widow was arrested this afternoon and sent to Mount Eden Gaol for seven days, with hard labour. Kirn Sing, a Chinaman, was drowned while fording the Ahaura river, and very nearly dragged his companion with him. A man named Nolan walked off the wharf At Wanganui, owing to the want of proper lights, but was rescued. The immigration and emigration returns for last year show the arrivals to have been 13,606 and departures 22,781, showing an excess of emigration of 9175 persons. The prinoipal arrivals were:— From the United Kingdom, 5138; Vlotorla, 4565; New South Wales, 3777. The departures were:— To United Kingdom, 1964; Victoria, 11,550; New South Wales, 7611. The Chinese arrivals during thejyear were 308, and the departures 211. At the annual meeting of the Christchurch Prison Gate Mission the report stated that since August 1783 meals have been provided, and 594 nights' lodgings given. Out of 56 persons discharged from gaol, 14 were received into the home, £193 was received in contributions, &c, including £41 in hand at the beginning of the year, and £183 was expended. At a meeting at Nelson it was decided to open seasons for shooting stags and fallow bucks on the 16th February and close on 31st March. Fallow deer are said to be especially numerous in Aniseed Valley district. Captain Sproule, of the steam launch Hinemoa, trading on Lake Taupo, was found in a fainting condition in a bath near Haka Falls, Taupo, on the 30th ult. When discovered he said he had injured hi 3 back when taking a plunge iv the river, and he then relapsed into unconsciousness. Captain Sproule had been missed since yesterday afternoon, having then started down the Waikato river, and search parties were organised, as it was feared he had gone over the Haka Falls. William Henry Neale, a shoemaker at Devonport, Auckland, attempted to commit fc suicide by cutting his throat on Friday. He had been suffering, from mental depression, and took a quantity of laudanum, from the effects of which he recovered. The wound, inflicted by a knife, is deep and several inches long, but the artery was not severed. At the meeting of the Auckland Charitable Aid Board there were 28 cases brought under review, 12 of which were of women whose husbands had cleared out and left their families to be maintained by the board. A third of the whole number of cases arose from habits of intemperance on the part of either the husband or wife. Thursday's Wanganui News stated that a man working on the railway as a platelayer at Turakina waa missing. He left his work in the morning to go and get some kortfmiko, having a bad attack of dysentery, but did not return. A search was made for him, and he was traced to the creek, but then all signa were lost. He, however, turned up on Friday night at his home. He cannot recollect what occutred from the time he left his work to get some koromiko. It is supposed he bad an attack of sunstroke and beoame insensible. ■ Mr Shannon, customs expert, states that in addition to the pianos recently seized in Auckland a quantity of fancy goods have yet to be sold from the same consignment. He is now engaged in ferrettiug out some malpractices which have been reported from Wellington. Between 12 and 1 a.m. on Friday a fire occurred at the Wallsend-Brunncrton mine Sis huts, Robinson's boarding house, and a touroomed building occupied by Mr Hardy were burnt down. But for the energy of the inhabitants and a plentiful water supply, all Wallseml would have been destroyed. The fire started in one of the old huts, occupied by one Armstrong, employed oh the night shift at the bridge Robinson was insured in the New Zealand office for £200. The Southland Education Board find they have been too stringent in retrenchment, as they have a credit balauce of £1400— a state of things unprecedented in the district j The board resolved to promote Mr H.e&-

dry to a fall inspectorship at £350 per annum and actual travelling expenses, and invite applications for an assistant inspector at £275 and similar expenses. Ifc was pointed out that Mr Hendry was inspecting 103 schools as against 182 in Ofcago district, which has three inspectors. The Invercargill Land Board have granted applications for a tramway, jetty, tail races, and water rights on Port Pegasus tinfield.' Several were held over owing to the topographical data of the district in the Suivey department being incomplete. Carl J. Petersen, a Paroa (West Coast) resident, was found drowned in the lagoon where he bad been fishing. Having been missed for several days, a search party was formed and discovered his body. * At Christchurch a bailiff named Robert M'Lelland, while distraining the goods of a fish hawker named Beardsley for rent, was set upon by Beardsley, his wife, and a boy, and received severe cuts on ths head. The N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency have received cable advices from their London office to the effect that their annual meeting on Monday passed off satisfactorily, and that a dividend and bonus at 15 per cent, per annum was declared. Sir George Russell joins the board of directors. A man, Edmond Lewis, a cooper by trade, has been committed for trial at Wellington on a charge of attempted indecent assault on the Ist inst. on a girl of 12 years of age. Accused is 85 years of age. It is estimated by the Defence department that there are 154,000 males in the colony be* tween the ages of 15 and 55. Making ample allowance for invalids and youths it is considered that there are more than 100,000 persons capable of bearing arms in case of necessity. The number of volunteers in the colony is about 10,000. The Brunnerton correspondent of the Grey River Argus writes on Monday :—": —" It, ia reported here that the Grey Valley and Westport Coal Company have disposed of their mines to an English company, but I am unable to say if it is true. However, a number of mechanics employed in the Brunner, Coalpit Heath, and WalJsend mines have received notice that their services will be dispensed with after February 16." Baldwin's balloon ascent and parachute drop were safely accomplish at Auckland on Monday. The aeronant ascended from the Tramways Company's grounds, Epsom, to a height of over 2000 ft, and descended to a spot about 600 yards from where he left the earth. A great concourse witnessed thefeafc, and large crowds were assembled on Mount Eden and Mount Hobson, and the other points of vantage. Reports from the Wellington country districts state that the crops are in capital condition, and the yield is expected to be considerably over the average. In the Supreme Oourfc, Chmtchuroh, Mr Leonard Harper, owner of the Elam estate, applied for an order to restrain William Mardon, flax dresser, from defiling a creek flowiug through Elam, and to grant him relief. The defence submitted that the water was not damaged or defiled by flax dressing. After hearing evidence Judge Ward deoided that as he was sitting as a jury it would be more satisfactory if he saw the place for himself, which he would, and he adjourned the case till Wednesday. A man named William Elder was found dead on Saturday afternoon, on the toad between the Maerewhenua diggings and Duntroon. Elder was returning from Maerewhenua, driving a horse and buggy, and had been thrown out and dragged some distance, having became entangled in the reins. The body was taken to Duntroon, where an inquest was held on Monday night and a verdict of accidental death returned. The weather in the Oamaru district is fine for the harvest. The showers last week did a lot of good to the potato crop. Harvesting will be general at the end of this week.

To Ovbbcomb Weakness.—Pepper's Quinine and Iron Tonio gives New Life, Appetite, Health, Strength, and Energy. Cures Nervous Debility, Neuralgia, Indigestion.—-Half-crown bottles. Everywhere. Insist on having Pepper's. We have received Mr J. Q. 8. Grant's pamphlet; on Bishop Selwyn—" The First Illustrious Bishop of New Zenland." The author concludes his biographical review thus*.—"The two most illustrious colonists of New Zealand are unquestionably Bishop Selwyn and Sir George (.aey. Ttoth have been signal benefactors to New Zealand, and both have been animated by noble, disinterested, and highminded principles, aspirations, and motives of action."