TELEGRAMS.

Colonist, Volume XVII, Issue 1899, 10 April 1875, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

' "Westpobt, Thursday. At the races to-day, the Trial Stakes was won by Magenta; Sandy,""2; Lilly, 3. Buller Handicap: Tommy Dodd, 1; Yatterina, 2 ; Magenta, 3. Six started. About 5000 people were present. Wellington, Friday. Mr J. H. Wallace, at his monthly sale at; the Hutfc, sold fat steers at £6 to £s 15s; store cattle, a mixed lot of yearlings to three years, at' £2 15a cows, £3 to £6 j horses, £3 5s to £15; two-tooth rams, 20s; a few old ewes, 2s 6d per head; wethers were withdrawn at 8s 6d. Mr Q'Shea reports :—Flour, £10 15s to £11 ; oats, 3s 5d to 3s 9d ; maize, scarce, 6s 9d ; potatoes, £5 to £6 ; cheese scarce,; local, 10d to lid ; baconand haras, Is to Is 3d. The following are the passengers per Phoebe for North:—Mr and Mrs Johns m and family, Mrs Carruthers, Miss Mowar, Messrs Danford, Allen, and Fawkes. The first whaler fitted out in Wellington for many years will put to sea to-morrow. The vessel is a brigantine named the Isabella. She is 83 tons, and carries a crew ot fourteen men, and three whale boats, and possesses many ingenious contrivances invented by the owner, Captain Toms, an experienced whaler. Shooting of quails and tuis in this Province has been prohibited. In a Gazette the Governor revokes the powers delegated under the Goldfields Act, 1866, to Dr Pollen on the 18th of last February. The following sub-leader appears in the New Zealand Times:—Mr Millar F.S.A., has been appointed Provincial purveyor and Eogineer-in-Chiefof kelson. We think that the Province is to be congratulated on the appointment, as Mr. Miljar is not only thoroughly competent, but brings to,the discharge of his duties an energy and; zeal which few men possess in a like degree. It ia understood that Nelson ia about to undertake the building of a dock and harbor imDrovement works, for which purpose a considerable loan has been authorised, and we can conceive no more legitimate undertaking by the provincial authorities of Nelson than the construction of a dock and improvements to their own harbor. The importance of'emplojdng a thoroughly qualified engineer will be apparent when it is remembered that there is no Admiralty supervision as at Home to prevent the construction of" badly designed works, which might in course' of time injure the harbor. Everything must depend on the scientiiic knowledge and practical experience of the engineer, and in the case of .Nelson with its narrow and intricate entrance, any mistake might be fatal to the port. We are pleased, therefore, to think that the JNelson Provincial Government have determined to put their harbor works under the charge of such an admittedly able engineer as Mr Millar, who, by the way, we may remark, has declined very much more lucrative offers by the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Sir A. Clarke one of the, foremost engineers in the Imperial Service. [Mr Millar was selected out of fourteen candidates for his office. The applications came from various parts of Australia and New Zealand.] Christchtjech, Thursday. Last night the Jockey Club considered the action of the Dunedin Jockey Club with reference to M'Kaj's riding of Medora at the late Dunedin races. Resolved: That M'Kay be warned off the Christchurch' course, that no horses ridden by him, his property, nominated or trained by him, or in any way under his care, charge, manage ment, or superintendence, be allowed to run for any race at any meeting where the rule* of racing established by the Canterbury I Jockey Club are in force. CHRiSTCHUitcH:, Friday. At the Supreme Court this morning, John Mercer was arraigned for the murder of Isabella Thompson, at Lyttelton. The Star. makes the following remarks on the case. "As might have been anticipated the interest centred'in this case showed itself in a very uninistakeable manner by the large number of persons who sought admission to the >>upreme Court this morning. Fcr a considerable time prior to the opening of the Court, a large number of persons assembled outside with a view to obtaining the best places that were available immediately on the doors being thrown open. Precautionary measures had been taken by the Sheriff, in order that there Bhould be v,o unseemly scramble for seats, and owing to the e,fiicient way in which his instructions were carried out by jihe police no confusion of any kind occurred. The public gallery was open to everybody, and it may be guessed tljat in a Very few minutes it was closely packed, the

consequence was that many were unable to obtain admission. The precincts of the Court were also crowded by a large number of people who remained there with a view to obtaining a sight of the prisoner, but it was only in a few instances that this morbid curiosity was gratified. It may be noted that amongst the auditory there was a very small sprinkling of females. The prisoner was brought up by the nine o'clock train from Lyttelton, and was conveyed from the railway station to the Courthouse in a 'bus together with other prisoners, and a number of warders. On his arraignment he appeared to be most thoroughly self-possessed and gazed around the Court with a degree of sang froid that waa quite at variance with the serious nature of the charge on which he was indicted. There was a rush to catch a glimpse of the prisoner on his being placed in the dock, but he made no effort whatever to escape the scrutinising glances that were directed towards him. In general appearance he looks like one belonging to the artisan class, and physiognomists must indeed have wonderful powers ot discrimination who could single bim out from a number of other people and induce the belief that he of all the rest was calculated to commit such a hideous tragedy as that for which he now stands upon his trial. When the indictment was read over to him by the learned registrar, and he was asked to plead, he uttered the words " not guilty" with a clear and audible articulation, and subsequently scrutinised the members of the jury as the reuult of the ballot called them to take their* seats in the jury box." Eight witnesses have been examined; all. the evidence is very strong against the prisoner. T. I. Joint is prisoner's counsel. Poet Chalmf.es, Friday. Intelligence has been received by the harbor-master that two Oregon pine beams, 15 feet long, a boat's chock, and some cabin so fa cushions have been picked up on the beach in the Bay. Inyercaeqill, FridayNews has been received from Orepuki of the drowning of seven men who went out in a boat; to search for the body of Memphis, one of a party of three drowned at the sameplace a fortnight ago. .. 0 , ~ ~ Napieb, Friday. .Messrs lioutledge, Kennedy and Co, sold at Has inga, 2000 merino ewes at 4s 6d ; 685 store? ditto, 3s 6d to 4-i; 300 fat merino wethers, 7s 6d; 535 do., 4*. Auckland, Friday. A singular omission has been discovered in the Protection of Animals Act, 1872, in a clause intended to empower land owners to shoot on their own land without licenses. The sentence " on own property" is omitted, so that the clause reads that any person in bona fide occupation of land or any person authorised by him1 may shoot without a license. In the game season now approaching it is considered that a difficulty will arise from the faulty construction of the Act. , ' ' The Health Officer reports a case of scarlatina in the city. A Maketu telegram states that Sir Donald ■ M'Lean proceeds to Wellington overland tonight. The natives express great satisfaction ' with him in his decisions. ' * Mr Dargfvville, at the nomination to-day, declared himself in favor of the/abolition of Provinces throughout the Colony as the only means of getting hold of the land revenue. In other matters 'he would support air Gr. Grey. Mr Dignan made no promises ;he * came forward as a supporter of Sir G-. ,G-rey.; \ Q. W. Binney reports the grain market t, very uusettled. Although flour is quoted by . local millers at £12 10s, they are unable to meet the demand, so they are evidently, trying to prevent Adelaide and Southern j brands coming into market; oats, 8s 6d; t barley, 6s; wheat, 4a; bran, 70s; pollard,' £7 13s; maize, none ; oatmeal, £22; pearl barley, £26: butter,. Is 4d; cheese, none; hatnß and bacon, none. Mr Buckland reports: —Fat cattle, 24s to 27s per lOOlbs; fat sheep, short supply, ' 4|d.