INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1649, 20 October 1887, Page 4

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

The foundation stone of the now Roman Ofttholic Church of St. Benedict, to bo erected upon the site of tho first St. Benedict Church, recently destroyed by fire at Auckland, was laid on Sunday by Bishop Luck. Tho was » crowded attendance present. r, The formal opening of tho North New Zealand Woollen Company’s Mills at Onehunga took place onSaturday, A number of Auckland gentlemen connected with mercantile interests "have set on foot a petition lb the Hbuse of- Representatives praying that, the Slratford route of the North Island Trunk Railway may be adopted. The petition is being largely signed, and subscriptions are being received to provide funds in connection with the movement. A glove fight, Laing v. Richardson, for £SO a-side, came off at Wellington on Thursday night, resulting in the referee giving the win to Laing. The Hon. J. Martin is about to try an experiment in tho cultivation of sugarbeet on his estate at Wairarapa. The torpedo, which was loat during the practice on Saturday at Wellington has not yet been found. The value of the machine is about £2OO, but the department feels confident that it will be recovered, and also without any injury to itself. Should the torpedo strike the rocks surrounding the harbor it will only cause a dent, .which cans easily be, repaired, . The Hon. Mr Wi Tako is in a critical condition, and but alight hopes are entertained of his recovery. The subseripliooslo the presentation to Bishop Mnran have exceeded expectations, and over £IOOO is now expected. It was to have.been.made.-nsxt Wednesday, .-but the Bishop did not arrive.by- the Mararoa as expected. He will come, by the next Melbourne boat,‘however. A man named Patrick O’Mengher was felling bush on Monday at Tauraoga (Jreek when the axe he was using slipped and cut his head. He was afterwards found unconscious and died on Tuesday morning. Professor Thomas on Tuesday at Auckland examined a small quantity of stuff brought from Waifcoa, and unhesitatingly declared the specks of, gold, which were found on washing, tci’be filings.' It is said that the »tuff examined by Professor Thomas was a portion from Waitoa by Durward, and which i.s to be forwarded to Chriilchtirchi; but Durward states that the dirt brought by him from the field has remained under his carqi in!fact, *' nco h® brought it away, and that noire of it has been taken to be tested. Mr Montgomery, of the School of Mines at the Thames, has made seventeen assays from s mplea of the gold depoait recaived from Smith’s Waitoa property and different other place* in the district, and in all of them ha only finds a trace of gold, and says they are worthless, A private telegram received in Wellington from Bristol, England, is as: follows, dated Oct. 15th Galvanised Iror?— Market very strong, with upward tendency ; present price of 26 gauge £l4 f.o.b, in London.”

A deputation of Maori members waited on the Native Minister at Wellington on Tuesday urging that certain clauses in the Native Land Administration Act, referring to the renewal of leases of Native lands to European?, :shou!d be simplified. The Minister replied that it w/is the intention of Government to introduce a short Bill, giving eff-ct to their suggestions, and also that the Government intend to bring <n a Bill repealing the Crown and Native Lands Rating Act. Mr Pratt urged alterations in those clauses of the Stamp Act relating to leases of Native lands. He suggested that the fee for suck leasee shou'd either be abolished, an arrangement made so that each fee should be paid by yearly inets'mentH during the currency ef the lease instoad of on the execution of the deed. The Minister said that the request appeared a reasonable one, and he would consider the matter. The Catholics of Wellington are about to f.etitioo Parliament re the Education Act. The petition pets forth th 4 Cithoiics are required by thoir faith to hold, and do reasonably and conscientiously hold, that their children should be taught in school religion and morality along with secular Vnowleige ; that consequently the present pnrely secular system, as estnblighod under the Education Act of 1877, is utterly repupnant to their conscientious convictions; that while they aio compelled to eontribu'e and maintain a system of Stito edactttion from which they d -rive no adequate advantage, they receive no State aid for highly organised and most efficient schools which ihcy approve, and which they have erected and maintain at great cost and sacrifica, affording thereby sound education with careful moral training to thousands of children, thus practically saving nnuually for the S'a'e many thougmds of pounds ; that this grievance would be <-ffectual!y.redressed, and tho finances of the cdo.iy greatly relieved, by Stato grants in <-il to denominational schools for secular knowledge, only up to the required standard under Government inspection. At the B.M, Court, Christchurch, on Tuesdny, a number of lads and one man were charged with unlawfully disturbing Geo, Bairett, at the Opawa, on the 21st September, on the occaeion of his marriage. In the evening a little before eight o'clock the boys with others collected in front of the complainant's house, and made a hideous noise for nearly two hours, using keroß3ne tins as their chief instruments. The front gate was broken ig* its hinges and placed against the b ick door, «H wag a'sp a spring trap belonging to one of the company inside. Stones were also thrown upon the roof. The bj'( a were severely cautioned and fined 5?, and the man 10s.