LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Southland Times, Issue 2143, 30 June 1875, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Dunedin, Monday. The Times publishes a translation of a paragraph showing the business transacted at the last Maori meeting at the Heads. It was decided that collections should be made to test the validity of the purchase deeds of 1844, 1817, and 1853 ; that one or mere Maoris and a lawyer be sent home to petition the Queen and Parliament for justice ; that fa've thousand pounds be collected, and when that is gone another five thousand pounds ; that the Maoris who goto England be paid one guinea a day in New Zealand, and two pounds three shillings a day in England. The passage of lawyers and Maoris to be paid by the tribe. Mr J. B. Bradshaw, member for Waikaia, addressed bis constituents at Roxburgh, on Thursday. lie stated that he Jwas in favor of abolition as a whole, but not in part. Wellington, Tuesday. It is understood that the Minister of Justice has prepared, and will introduce early next session, a Bill for the consolidation and amendment oi tbe present Stamp Duties Acts, although it is not expected that the amount of revenue derired from stamps will be either increased or diminished by the new measure. It is believed it will simplify the process {

of the collection of duties,- aivl tien^raliy facilitate tho transaction of busi ness. It is understood that the several Banks in the Colony have entered into an arrangement which binds them to adopt uniform rates of interest, discount, &e. The followin g is a copy of a tele gram received by the Government from Mr Thos. Russell : — * London, June 18. Dr Pollen, Wellington. San Francisco service. The Sydney Government is responsible for the delay. We now have satisfactory tenders, £90,000. Your service second in printed conditions sent you, under which all vessels to San Francisco sail from Port Chalmers, and vessels from San Francisco sail to Sydney connecting at Fijis. We hope to make the contract in a few days ; speed eleven knots. Kussell." In the printed conditions referred to the route will be from San Francisco to Sydney direct, and from New Zealand te i?an Francisco direct, the mails to New Zealand being transhipped at and forwarded from Kandavau, and the mails from Sydney being forwarded to and transhipped at Kandavau. The Governor laid the foundation stone this afternoon of the new Presbyterian Church, Willis street. Nelson, Tuesday Arrived — Albion, from Greymouth. Capt Underwood attempted to bring her in without a pilot, when she grounded on the Boulder Bank, but was got off ia half an hour, uninjured. Duninore, from London, 111 days out. Sailed— Otago, for Melbourne. ♦