(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS PER PRESS AGENCY.)

Southland Times, Issue 3361, 29 March 1879, Page 2

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS PER PRESS AGENCY.)

: r -, :' :h ':: :: \ AUCKLAND, FeidAy. Sir G. Grey, since bis arrival in Auckland, has been in constant telegraphic communication with, ftte members of the GoVernment upon the. Waiinate squabble. -It: is understood .tiat^ is indisposed to; taldng any. steps which may lead to a breaking of peace. 'He is expected to leave for Wellington tomorrow. GREYMOUTH, Fbiday. : The jury at the.iuquesfc to-day on W. L. Miller, accountant of the Bank af .New .South ,; Wales, returned a verdict of "temporary insanity." ... . . j The inquest : on ;the fire at the Union Bank commences to-morrow. , ; Mr Blair, engineer, for the, Middle Island, • arrived last night arid has been largely interviewed torday. In a reply to the unemployed he promised to telegraph to Mr Macandrew, for perxnission to employ men on the escension.of the Brunei ton line to Ambeiiy, on piece work, at once. HOKITIKA, Feeday. The Hon. Mr Gisborrie, addressed' his constituents "at Woodstock this evening: ' ' . CHRISTOHUROH, FeiCAY. The four big guns were landed at Lytteltori. ■ ' • ••• ■-;•; ■. ■ ■- ' • ■•'■■ : '. . ■■' • : - A strong B.W. gale blew hearty this morninp. It was felt very severely at Addirigtori, : the strain on thenew Government workshops " there was very great; A report was circu-' latedthis morning that the whole building had been carried away, but only a small^part of the gable has been blown out, and an expenditure of about iLS willplace everything on the old footing. - ' The Amberly and Cook's ; Strait extension: of the Railway has-been commenced. The ; first sod was turned;by Mrs ?H. McLean, who in a neat speech referred to the importance of this connecting link, in f the New Zealand Railways, and hoped it would add 16 the prosperity of the colony. > A case of champagne was opened by the cbntractois Messrs Peters and McGrath, and a number of toasts -were" ! 7given. .;.■■ \ :

The origin of the fire this morning is veiy | doubtful. Several accounts are given of its | origin, and a young man stated to the police < that he saw a man in shirt' sieves jump over I the gate leading to the premises just as the I fire broke out, who returned no answer to a | challenge, but bolted in a suspicious manner. ' i The proprietor of a grocery store in front of I th'e coffee- works in which the fire apparently i began, was ou bis premise .at' half-past one' | this morning, aad says that he smelt fire them, but ' after waiting about' an hour de- | tected nothing and went home. Gillespie i was insured in the South British "for £500, I estimated loss £1500 j Langdown & Co. were i insured in the New Zealand for £1500,- esti- I mated loss between £2000 and £3000. Most of Gillespie's machinery was saved, but "that in the timber factory was ruined. Goodmaj, , grocer, lost £30 or £40 worth by removal. He was insured for £700 in the Standard and Manchester Unity. OAMARU, Friday. About LSOO has now been collected herefor Kaitangata f und. ...>.../ The man Madda, for assault and robbery, was brought up at the R. M;T Court to-day, and remanded. DUNEDIN, Friday. The Times, in an article on the Waimea Plains Survey, says: — " There is one view of the matter, that we in the South have a right to take, and that is the question of expense. We are not prepared to join once more in paying for a costly war, and should one unfortunately break out 'a ciy for .separation from the North Island would very soon be raised. Sricli a cry may hot be very magnanimous when the North is in danger, but it will' be a certain result of another outbreak of hostilities. - This consideration will necessarily fetter the Government to some extent in the action they' may take^but there is still goqd reason to hope that while taking measures for the defence of the settlements, and showing a "good front to the recalcitrant Maoris, they may be ' able to -avoid any^acf which woidd lead to a shot being fired."

A three roomed cottage at Kensington, owned and occupied by Mr E. Osborne, was burnt down yesterday afternoon. A cottage in the occupation of Mr Griffith Jones, at Mansford Bay, was also burnt down . at an early hour this morning. . The 'floods, caused j- by the heavy rain last' ' night and early this morning, did great damage, and the Corporation' is blamed for -. not providing sufficient means "for canying. 1 ofi the storm water," ( The following is a rough

estimate of the damage :— Rattray street — R. K. Murray, L700; A. Mercer, L300; B. Isaac, L100." High street — Sargood, Son, and Ewari, LIO,OOO. George street — Esther and Low, L1000 ; J. Woral, L400 ; A. Palmer, LIOO. Great damage was also done to a large number of other business places, including the Empire Hotel, City Butchery, Coomb's Tannery, Shamrock Hotel, Pritchard's blacksmith's shop, Court's Hotel, and Hayman and Co.'s and A. Solomon's premises.