SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XII, Issue 3237, 6 February 1879, Page 3

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS.

■;■;..■• ,'■•!>■ (,-(.. ..■.-., ' (FBOMcpUE OWN COBBESFONDENI). • ~-~ -i ■» Auckland, Wednesday. The dead body of Frederiok Combes (of the firm of Combes and Daldy) was discovered -in a--well at the baok of the office. It js- supposed he committed suioide, haying previously been rescued from the'same well. It is said that latterly he* has been drinking heavily. He left the office at half-past 5 last night, and seemed in good spirits. He stated before leaving the office that the key <jf 7 the front door was missing, and this concerned him much. He said something about staying on the premises all night, but notwithstanding this he went to his home in Moore-street, between Hobson and Albert-streets.. He left his home again at 9 o'clook, and nothing was heard of him from that time until he was discovered in the well this morning. Mr Thomson (Superintendent of Police) met him in Queen-street last night, and while conversing with: him happened to inquire if he felt any inconvenience from his previous fall down the well. He said he did not, and expressed astonishment as to how he managed to fall down the well on that occasion. It is stated that Mr J. M, Clarke will not contest City West, but the Mayor's name is mentioned among the probable candidates. A memorial is in course of signature for further railway extension north of Auckland. Awaiter named JoseptyGrose, employed at Waters!, confeotioner, fell from an upstairs _ window through a thick glass window in the verandah roof, coming with great violence on to the pjvemenfc, His forehead is much bruised and bis legs severely cut, but the injuries are not considered serious.

At the Auokland Presbytery to-day, the Bev. Mr Sommerville was elected Moderator. The Presbytery adopted a memorial to the General Assembly favourable to abolishing the public collection for the Assembly expenses, and to substitute instead a levy of one per cent, on the funds paid by the congregations for stipend or otherwise. Communications were received from various districts relative to the inauguration of the sustentation fund established by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. The Bev. MacNicol thought the reasons given by the New Plymouth Church ought to have been more clearly stated. He would move that the benefits of the sustentation fund be not extended to New Plymouth. —The Bev. T. Macky moved an amendment, that those congregations which are not in a position to raise £200 to enable them to have the benefit of the sustentation fund remain for the present under the church extension fund. The fiev. MacNicol withdrew in favour of this, and seconded the Bev. Macky's motion. The Bev. D. Bruce said that the report he had submitted was the agreement of the committees in different districts. The motion was carried.

There is great interest in the race between the schooners 'Transit' and ' Torea' to-morrow for the one hundred and fifty pounds, _ There were thirty-two deaths in the city during the month, chiefly infants, from whooping cough and diarrhraa. _ Thomas Law, a farmer at Ararimu, died suddenly at Papakura. The g.B. 'Wellington' sailed for the South this morning. Passengers :—For New Plymouth: Mr and Mrs Gibbons, Misses Wyllie (2), Messrs Ooomes, Davis, Phillips, Walters, Blackhall, Gribble, fiuaHell and oompany (3), For

Wellington: Messrs Eobinson, Pompeii, MoLeod, Tencie, Waddell, Miss Sherry. For Lyttelton: Mr and Mrs Schulze, Mr Gilbert. For Dunedin: Messrs French aud Mulgan.