(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'S SPECIAL WIRE.)

Southland Times, Issue 3300, 17 January 1879, Page 2

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION'S SPECIAL WIRE.)

WELLINGTON, Thursday. H.M.S Nymphe arrived here to-day from Sydney, which place she left on 7th instant. On the voyage the second Captain of the maintop, named Rowse, missed his footing and fell into the sea. He could not be saved. Rignold had a magnificent benefit last night, when he appeared in a new drama entitled " Alone," and as William in " Blackeyed Susan." To-night he makes his last appearance here. Colonel Whitmore returned to-day. Rev. J. M. Glover and J. Guy, of the Primitive Methodist Church, were last night admitted to the ministry. The following are the insurances on the Sehiehallion : — New Zealand £7,700 ; National £6,350 ; South British £1,500; Victoria £300;: and Cornwall £265.: The city valuation this year is £241,808, as against £207,605 last year. The: sale of Hunter's farm property was finally, completed to-day. The; Governor is said to have strongly objected to the. advice to call Mr Dignan to the Council on the ground that no further nominations should be made. to that body.Y The Ministers, however, pressed their advice; and the Governor gave way. DUNEDIN, Thursday. The debate in the Presbyterian Synod on the- establishment of a University Chair was remarkably vigorous, and to a certain degree abusive. The mildest speech was made by the Rev. Mr Bannerman, who accused Mr Stout of being " the most ignorant or most unprincipled of men." The Rev. Mr Ryley prefaced his remarks by expressing the hope that no personalities would be imported into the discussion, and that it would be carried on in a kindly spirit. He then subsequently accused the Professorial Board of forgetting to tell them that a Chair for English language and literature existed, and that their communication was marked by the grossest and most revolting materialism. Dr Stuart took exception to the manner in which the Rev. Mr Ryley 's " kindly spirit " had found expression. He defended the Board, and asserted that the professors' were not propagators of materialism. The discussion will be renewed at the evening ,Synod. - ■■' The annual meeting ■of the Builders' Association have resolved to adopt-for general use the contract agreement drawn up at the conference of architects and "builders. This agreement is based on the one adopted by the Royal Institute of British Architects and the London Builders' Association, altered simply to suit'the local trade, < "(PRESS AGENCY.) ' CHRISTCHURCH, THURSDAY. . Mr H, W. Tancred was elected a member of the Drainage Board to-day by 66 votes to

4 recorded for Mr Jacobsen, the engineer, whowas his opponent. ■■ V : _..-■• ; The . case of - Henderson y. the Napier Harbor Board began to-day. The issue willaffect the .contract for the harbor works at Ahauriri^ Napier.: Mr Henderson, the.-con-tractor,'seeks to recover a sum of over £18,000 on account of. work performed; and material supplied, in addition to what he contracted for, which, he; alleged was necessitated by the Harbor Board having departed from y the plans and specifications on Which the tender wasrbased. ; The Court adjourned afcs.3o. • The first annual meeting of the Kaiapoi .Vybollen: Manufactory Company was held on The report showed a satisfactory state of affairs, and a credit balance of £778. .N^ew machinery, is being erected, also a new dohcrete warehouse. The latter is to" "cost "-; '.yy-.b ■:.,..'- yyyy •-. ' ■ 'Y;;V Harvesting is becoming general, and- the crops show a; fair average, notwithstanding the drought. .'. a./' RALcLUTHA, Thursday. At the conference held here to-day re re-erec-ting the Balclutha bridge, there were present Messrs Clark, Wagner, and Petrie, representing the Bruce -County Council ;. Messrs Jowitt and- Brydone ; from the Cluth-^ Counf cil, and Messrs Mason and Dunne^from ; the.Balelutha Council. -Mr Mason' occupied the chair, and Mr Jowitt read the; report from Mr Higginson'; C.E., upon the bridge, explaining the- style :of structure he would recommend. He estimated the cbst at £9910. The delegates from Clutha explained that the Council were 'willing to share the expense of re-erecting ..'the':jbridge,.,.;--Thp'se' : from Bruce said they had obtained 'a legal opinion to the effect that they could not legally expend the County funds beyond the County boundary. A long discussion ensued, and it appeared the boundaries of '.the- counties .and borough were so mixed that it could not be decided 'whether the bridge was on the boundary be- | tween the two counties or within the borough of Balclutha. It; was ultimately resolved to ask the - Colonial -Secretary to obtain the opinion of the s Attorney-General as to which body or bodies^ could legally expend their f unds onf the. re-erection of the bridge, Iv the coi_se of the discussion, Mr Wagner expressed a strong opinion that all main roads through boroughs should be in the hands of the counti' Si . .... ;,.-.' . ' An information has beeh lodged with the police here of a serious charere' against a ' young man named Stewart, lately a clerk in the National Bank. Stewart has left the district. The police are making inquiries.