TELEGRAMS.

Southland Times, Issue 9163, 11 March 1886, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(PEE PBESS ASSOCIATION.) AUCKLAND, Wednesday. MrT. J. Moss, M.H.R., addressed the electors of Parnell to-night. He said the imperative neod of the colony was to reduce the cost of. first step towards that was to fed ace the number of members of the Assembly by one-half. A vote of thanks and confidence was unanimously accorded him. ••■_ Mr- W. . T.. liaes addressed ■ a—especial - meeting of the Chamber of Commerce' today on the immigration scheme, relative to which he proceeds to England. A committee of the Chamber was appointed to examine as to its feasibility and merits. An enquiry into the management of the Old Men's Refuge is going on. Some extraordinary charges are made. WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The petition agaiuat the election of Mr Fisher for the Te Aro Licensing Committee was dismissed. It was proved that he was a shareholder in the United Importers' Company at tLe late election, but Mr Wardell, R M., dismissed the case on the ground that the petition did not satisfy the Act. At the time of the licensing elections it was known that an effort would be made to prevent the sale of liquor at the Hutt racecourse, and the publicans canvassed vigorously, but forgot to enquire in what licensing district the course was situated. They triumphantly returned their men for the Hutt district, only to Bee five staunch teetotallers elected for^the Epuni district, in which the Wellington Racing Club's course lies. Petitions have also been lodged against the whole of this Committee on varijus grounds of irregularity, and as it is understood that the right to sell driak on tho racecourse is in serious jeopardy considerable interest is felt in the result. A Gazette Extraordinary issued to-night notifies tfiat Parliament is further prorogued until March 31st. Following is Major Boddam's report on the Auckland-made cartridges :— I forward j herewith results of the firing with Auckland snider ball ammunition. As compared with u»ark Ix, made at the Royal Laboratory, the figure made by the R.L. ammunition is very superior, aad penetrates at 50 yards three«quaiters of an inch more than the Aucklaod cartridges. The powder in tbe Auckland ammunition is good, and appears equal to rifle-shooting gunpowder in every point excopt glaziag. This would not affect the shooting. The metal of the oases i* goo^j and the construction ia good. The brass should, however, ba tucked into tbe bottom groove of the bullet instead of the top, and by a proper machine. The bullet is six grains too light. There are no proper wads, and the bullets have been carelessly bandied, and are much dented. The ammunition is not all one gauge, being of all lengths. This would affect the shooting considerably. Tbe cartridges should be lined if they are not required for immediate use. Sir G. Whitmore, asCommidsioner of tbo Armed Constabulary, has written to Sir Wm. Fox asking him to fu'fil a promise oontaiaed ia a letter published in the Times yesterday, to furnish the police with the name o£ the hotel referred to in tho letter as a gambling hell, and the licensee as a card and dice eharptr, HAWERA, Wednesday. Florence Evangelino Mumby, wife of Richard Mumby, of Hawera, died this afternoon whilst under chloroform, ad ministered to allow of four teeth being extracted. Two doctors were present. NAPIER, Wednesday, Tho Fire Brigade Demonstration Committee wound up tho affair last night. The lata demonstration balance-sheut showed the total receipts to be L 1216, and the expenditure Lllß6 ; balance, L 29, of which L2O was, voted to the secretary, Mr Bjyle, and L9 to the turncock and assistant. HOKITIKA. Wednesday. The manager of the Ross United Company reports that they have found the washdirt in Njs. 2 and 3 Monkey shafts, distant 30 and 210 feet from the No. 1. Tho directors are now pushing on the iruin drive on the seventh level in. order to work the ground proved. v CHRiSTOHURCH, Wednesday. Messrs C. Wbiteford, W. White, and 6. L. Lee, the comrnissionera appointed to try the appeal by the Amuri County Council against the Hospital and Charita- ! ble Aid rate, have decided that the rateable | value of the property was the proper basiß on which to strike the rate, and that the Conaty Council mast pay the amount demanded. Large grass fires are burning in the northern districts. One of thorn, on Moore's Glenmark estate originated on Monday in the Waikari Valley, just after a threshing party had passed. The extent of tho damage is unknown. Another, now extinguished, broke out near L^ithflelJ, and destroyed a few telegraph poles. The cause is unknown. The Mayor received the following telegram this morning (signed J. B. Russell), from Napier:— •' Labour here very dear and scarce. Sand hundreds." He attempted to read it to a gathering of the unemployed in Cathedral Square, but Billcliff, the principal agitator, refused permission to do so till he himself had finished epeakiflg. Several men, however, interposed, asking the Mayor to read it, which he did. He has telrtgrhplipd to the Mayor of Nipier for conSrmation of the statements. Later. Ia reference to the unemployed difficulty the Mayor of Chriatchurch has received the following^telegram in reply from the Mayor of Napier:— " Rusbhll, agent for Scott contractor drainage at Hastings. Dolge to obtain cheap labour. Good men here out of work, if contractor would pay ordinary wages, cay 7s. Do not send men on any account." Sir Qeorge Grey, who went south by the epacial train which took the 'Frisco anil, will return to Dunedin in time to speak in that city on Saturday night, and probably come back to Cirischurch on Monday. He purposes to Bj.end about a W6ek here, and during that time will deliver an addreaa in the city and al<o speak once or twice in the country districts. Ho will, it ia sai-J, deal irncpd'y with the land question in his dis o irs s. Accounts from the \Ta knri to-day state that tho tussock fire &■ ar Amberly has destroyed all the Road Boarj'u bridges in the Omil.i Valley and swept over 50,000 acres behind Mr G H. MoorVs house, aDd is said to have destroyed 10,000 of his Bheep in one paddock aloce. By the sa. Taupo, which sailed for Adelaide yesterday, Messrs Wood, Sinclair and Co. sent a hrgo narcel of s<?«d wh*at. Tho Bhipraent ia ihe first of the kind tent thence from this colony. Its despatch was suggested by the fact that tbe South Australian harvest had partially failed, and it was thought that the introduction of a new- class of seed would prove acceptable to the farmers there. Should the shipment prove successful, a new outlet for producers may result, The ooly drawback is that there is an ad valorem duty of 10 per cent, levied at Adelaide on imported wheat. Messrs Wood, Sinclair and Co. endeavoured to obtnjn a rebate of duty in their favour, but with oat success. DUNEDIN, Wednesday. At Ihe inquot-t on -Alexander McCrey, fisherman, found drowned ia the harbour, the evidence went to show that deceased probably fell into the water while trying to reach his boat at night, bis mate being IS foe host waiting for hjm, g$ yas. net

in liquor at the time. A verdict 62 " accidental death" was given, 'the jury adding a rider that accommodation lor fishermen .landing should be provided* and lights placed on the wharf. ** c At tbe" Land Board^ todayVone oftbe; witnesses who could not be discovered M the time of the dummyism enquiry put in an appearance to claim a surplus due to 'hirn i after the land Bad been released. He stated that at the time of enquiry he was in Newcastle. The Board postponed consideration to enable him to prove this and his identity. The Board resolved , to give two month's time to those deferred payment settlers who had capitalised, but were now falling in arrear with their interest. At a meeting of the University Counci', a report by the committee that the Council decline to give its assent to Dr Salmoad's appointment as Professor of Mental Science, until legislation is pnssed placing the professors under the control of the Council, was carried by five to' four. At a farmers' meeting at Henley last night the following resolution was carried: — " Whilst deploring the difficulties that made it necessary for Stato tenants to appeal to the Government for relief, the meeting respectfully and strenuously protests against any partial legislation in favour of a particular class, and claims, in justice and in right, a fair and equitable readjustment by the State of rents, interests, and other burChens on lands as the only effectual means of relieving the present deepening and growing depression, and averting the ruin of the agricultural and pastoral community." A committee was formed to co-operate with the Farmers' Leagues throughout Otago. The annual report of tho Kempthorne, Prossor and Co. N.Z. Drug Company states that the net profit for tho year amounted to L 10,067, After providing for the dividend declared, and writing off for depreciation L 3385, there remains, with the balance from last year, L 12,154. The directors recommend out of this ,a dividend of 7 per cent, on the paid-up capital, carrying forward L 9231.