NEWS IN BRIEF

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 52

NEWS IN BRIEF

Tha Daily Telegraph states that upwards of 30 were concerned in the Portuguese plot, which waa intended to wipe, out the whole of the Royalties^ then to kill Senhor Franco and to proclaim a republic Some of the bullets struck Queen Amelie'e hat and 1 bow. Her dress was covered with blood The Daily Mail declares that the Queen's interposition saved Prince Manuel. Tha Times says that King Carlos's courageous snpport of Senhor Franco's drastic methods for restoring purity to Portuguese politics would make the King in a peculiar sense a victim to duty. The immediate resumption of constitutional government would probably assist in the execution of reforms. The three dead regicides are all Portuguese. One- was named Costa, and' was employed at aa ironmonger's.

At his first Council of State, King Manuel was greatly moved. He remarked : "I am without knowledge or experience, -and place myself in your hands, relying on your patriotism and 1 wisdom. Thereupon Senhor Franco and the Headers of the Progressist and Regeneration parties offered their sup- , port in the form of a Monarchist coalition. This was accepted 1 , and Senhor Franco and!, his Cabinet resigned. It Is understood that the coalition will follow a policy of conciliation and reforms. '

Rose Robinson, who personated the Countess of Gottenham, on promising not to repeat the annoyance, was bound over by a London court, to come up for sentence- if called upon. x Mrs Ashton Harbord, accompanied by Mr C. Pollock as pilot, had an exciting balloon journey from London. She travelled 50 miles an hour, and descended safely in Verdun Forest during' the night, after many rapid ascents and descents. The car overturned and ripped up the balloon. The masters of the North-east shipyards (England) notify a lockout of 30,000 men on the 15th inst. unless the shipwrights and joiners' dispute is settled. The new , Gape Cabinet is composed as follows: — Mr J". A. X. Merriman (Premier and Treasurer);, Mr Saver (Public Works)* Mr Mala.no (Agriculture), Mr D. Dewall (Colonial Secretary), and Mr Burton (At-torney-general) . The Immigration Bill, new.a of which was cabled on. the 22nd ult., has been read a. second "time in the British Columbia As- ; sembly. „ Owing to Germany's progress the Cabinet has decided to substantially increase the Naval Estimates for 1908. and a still larger increase is expected in 1908. General Teranchi (Minister of War), speaking in the Diet, declared that Japan's military preparations were not^ directed against any single nation, but against eventualities in the Pacific, where Japan's coast extended from Saghalien to Formosa. He considers the time inopportune to be provocative. Thes-e was vociferous applause in court when. Thaw was acquitted. He bowed smilingly to the jury. Judge Dowling anticipates recurrent attacks of- maniacal suicidal insanity, amd say* that there is no proof of permanent recovery. The Labour Conference at London rejected a proposal to increase the land tax by a. halfpenny in the pound on each £2000 on estates over £2000 in value.

Owing to the. eapßisrag of bis boat, a Brisbane fisherman clung to the bottom for three days, and drifted 40 miles before he got ashore. His. mate, a coloured man, clung with him for two_ days, then dropped in*o the sea.

The police at Terang are investigating a peculiar case in which _ a young woman has received a letter inciting her to kill her child as a preliminary to her marriage with a yemug man. Accompanying the letter was a package containing . strychnine, with full directions how to administer it. There was sufficient .to kill several babies.

The question of Taa-iff Reform jcae very prominent in the South Hereford election. Dr MacNamara, speaking at Camibridge, said that the fiscal issue was put with much cunning- and; in suoh an attractive guise that it deceived many voters. Possibly the country will have to go again through the fires of adversity in order to appreciate the benefits of Freetraide.

At the London wool sales everything is selling well, * and fully at late rates. In «o3Msequence of the report of having aprunig a leak during' hex voyage, the- Union Company's turret steamer Koromiko has been surveyed at Perth. It woe found that the cargo in No. 1 hold, consisting of superphosphates, woe completely destroyed iby^seA water. The Norwegian steamer Tbode Fagelund, which vms •uocessfully refloated on February 1 *nd towed to Sydney, has to have 120 bottom plates renewed. The Melbourne Marine Court suspended the certificate of Captain Holyman, of the Wamtea, which colluded with the Glaucus on November 30.

A Sydney- message advisee that Sir H. Bawson'e term as Governor of New South Wales has' been extended for 12 months. The annual meeting of the Wellington, Ga» Company was neldf yesterday. The usual dividend of 10 per cent, was agreed to, amd £10,000 was placed towards the extension and reserve fuade, wixila £11,798 was .carried forward. Tike cihaipman stated that the net profits exceeded fcbese of the previous year by £7609, The company had purchased 14 acres ol land at Mir&mar, at' £89G3, to extend their business. New works would b» erected than during the next thxee yeai*. Tie compftny, in view of the intended heavy expenadtare, did not prapoß» to redaoe bh« price of gas below the preeenit r«to of 5s 5d thoueawi fee\

The Gasette pnibMshe» * copy of the register of unclaimed moneys held by the Bank of New Zealand. The following Otago names appear in it : — William Townley, Dunedin, £3 14s 6d ; John H. A. M - .Phee, Dunedin, 5s 7d; John Hay, Dunedin, £9 12s; William Hastie, Dunedin, £12 2s 6d ; Halfway House Dredging Company, Dunedin, £1 16s 56 ; John Scott, Ophir, £1 10s; Blue Spur and Gabriel's Gully Sluicing Company, Lawrence, £105 19s 8d ; reoaiver and manager New Zealand Ob-operative and Agency Company, Dunedin, £3 4s sd. At the Auckland Supreme Court on Tuesday morning, before Mr Justice Edwards, a frail-looking, youth named 1 James Henry Sergeant was found guilty of stealing a horse, saddle, and bridle, breaking aqd entering, theft, and attempted breaking and entering, and was sentenced to six years. Asked why sentence should not be passed, prisoner replied': "I am only 21 ygarn tit age, although, as Mr Tole (Crown Prosecutor) says, I have served a sentence of seven years on 13 charges of arson. lam penniless, characterless, and bankrupt in health. I can only throw myself upon the mercy of the court. I _ have certainly nothing to urge in extenuation, but at the same time the sentence I have just served in gaol has done nothing for the good of society or for myself. I fail to see how a long sentence on this occasion will do good either to myself or to society." His Honor expressed the opinion that. the sentence had done a great deal of good to society, which must be protected. It was absolutely necessary to put prisoner where society would not be troubled. Throughout the proceedings the prisoner conducted his own case with great, ooolness, and addressed the jury* fluently at great, length. Cross-examined by the- Crow«.__the. prisoner evinced much pride in, his previous achievements, and explained to the court that he did not pose as a model of virtue. At a- meeting, of the Wellington. Harbour Board, held on Moday afternoon, Mr Fletcher moved— "That in view of the altered position due to the adoption of the Evans Bay reclamation scheme and to the intended purchase of the Patent Slip property, the board, hereby resolve to rescind the resolution authorising the construction of the dock at' Clyde Quay, and to have the necessary steps taken forthwith to secure a more advantageous site in close proximity to the Patent Slip in Evans Bay." Mr Wilford moved as an amendment — "That the secretary be instructed to ascertain, from the contractors for the dock and report to the board whether they are willing to cancel their present contract, and upon what terms." As the Chairman, the Hon. T. K. Macdonald, ruled that neither motion could be put, Mk. Wilford gave notice to move his motion again at next meeting. The subject of the O'Sullivan scholarship and Sir Robert Stout's attitude in regard to the bequest was referred *o by Bishop Lenihan at St. Patrick's Cathedral on -Sunday. His lordship said: "During the week we were informed that a bequest had been made by Mr C Sullivan, of Timaru, to enable Catholic students to win renown at the New Zealand University: 'this news was most gratifying to us, and if any «uch "bequests are made to any other denomination they will also be interesting as an assistance to the cause of education. Subsequently, however. Sir Robert Stout took it upon himfielf to adversely criticise the wisdom of the Senate when_ they accepted the bequest, and in so doing posed as the adviser of Catholics. If Sir Robert Stout would or could leave every such matter relating to Catholics severely alone it would be better for us *wd- better for the general goodwill and peace of this Dominion, which we all so earnestly desire." At the Christchurch wool sales yesterday 7700 bales were offered, ' The demand was exceedingly weak, not more than 20 per cent, of the wool offered being sold. Halfbreds showed an all-round decline -of from id to lid, and the fall in orossbreds equalled Id per 1b- Merino wool also showed a decline of about Id per lb. The following is the range of prices; — Super merino, 9id to 10£ d; medium to good. B±d to 9id; inferior, 7d to 8d; super halfbred 9d to 10|d ; medium to good, 7d to BJd; inferior, s£d* to 6jd; super three-quarter-bred, 7d to 8d; medium to good, 6d to 6id; inferior, s£d io s|d; crossbred, medium to good, 6d to 7Jd ; inferior, 4£d to 5Jd ; long- wool, s^d to 6|d ; super Down wool, 9|d to lid: medium to good and inferior, 7|d to 9id; Cbrriedale, to 9id ; Shropshire, to 82d : pieces — half-bred 4±d to B|d, crossbred 4£d to Sd, merino 6|d to 9id; looks, 2£d tos|d; tellies, 3d to 7d. After a few moments' deliberation, the jury returned a verdict that 'Joseph Robson, who was killed by a railway train at Ra-vensbourne . ou Monday, met his death by "accidentally falling from the train while suffering from an epileptic fit. Thirty young able-bodied men were sent yesterday morning to the Catlins. railway works. A few are also to be sent to. the Gore-Waikaka railway, where there are still vacancies for further hands. . Six young men were before the Duaedin. Police* Court yesterday morning charged with playing "two up ".near the Railway Station. Five ol the six charged were fined £3 each and costs, while the sixth man was discharged. At the meetinp of the Auckland Gas Company it was decided that, the price of gas be reduced by 3d per 1000 cubic feet. A dividend for the half-year of 8s 6d per share, representing £1531, waa authorised. The quantity o£ flax graded at Auckland during January. 1908, was 3635 r bales, or 627' tons, of tfhe approximate value of £14-,500. This represents an increase of 25 tons on the output of last year. A resident of Belokrtha, his wife, and three of a family, suddenly took ill on Thursday morning (says the Leader), *nd the doctor, who was called in, described the symptoms as ptomaine poisoning. They Aad eaten some potted meat for breakfast, and it is surmised that they were poisoned by this. They hare recovered. When passing Carey Bay at 7.30 yesterday morning on his way to work, Alfred Larking noticed % human body lying on the beach among some bits- of scrub, where it had been left by the receding tide. Tie head and arms were- missing, and the body was considerably decomposed, the bones being visible in places., It appeared to have been in the water for a long time. The only dotfiing consisted of a pair of lace-up boots and grey knitted socks. The body waa subsequently identified by.William Sutherland a» that of his father, Robert Sutherland, who was drowned at the Heads on th» 15th of last Jape. A. quarryman named Robert Butters was tamping a dhfrrge of gelignite j*aterd*y afternoon, preparatory to Wasting out rock, Xt a quarry situated between Port Ghaimers

and Mihiwalca, when the charge accidentally blew out. Two fingers of his right hand were injured so severely that Dr Borrie found it necessary to_ amputate both fingers. There were also minor injuries to 'the left wrist. A Wellington message 3tates that a boy named Bertie Watkins. residing at Mitchelitown, died rather suddenly. He returned from school on Monday, and complained of feeling unwell. Severe attacks of vomiting followed, and a doctor was called, ~but the lad died the following morning. I At Tuesday's fitting of the Wellington Supreme Court John Moffett and Charles Mack were charged with breaking and entering and theft. Both were sentenced' to two years' imprisonment, md declared to be habitual criminals. The Tima.ru criminal 'sessions opened on Tuesday morning before Mr Justice Denniston, who aid the district was to be congratulated on its romparative freedom from ■ crime* There were only three cases for trial, all from >uitside Timaxu. Henry Cox, a youth of 19, was sentenced to three ' months* imprisonment for a breach of the ' Probation Act. Albert Sims, for attempted -ape near Ashburton. was sentenced tp .seven years' hard labour, his Honor remaj;Virig thai it was " not safe to 1 allow such. a a ni«n to joix with society, Ac- • cueed is only 21 years of age, and ia 1904 ho was convicted at .Wellington for assault- , ing a young girl.