LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 618, 29 April 1871, Page 2

LA TEST TELEGRAM S.

[Per Ctueyit.lb's Telegram Company, Reuter's Agents.] Dunedin, Friday, 3.55 p.m. Fiji advices state that on the morning of JMarch 31st, Bailey, late member for Castlemaine, was murdered with a tomahawk by his partner Scott. The latter got off with a large amount of property. The dock was pumped out yesterday. An upheaval, alleged to bo caused by an earthquake, was discovered. It will take a couple of days to repair tho damage, which is not serious. The North Star has arrived with 240 Chinese. Hokitika, Friday, 1.40 p.m. Arrived — Zephyr from Melbourne. Nelson, Friday, 2 p.m. The Taranaki, jnst arrived from Auckland, brings news that Ropata has killed twenty-five of Te Kooti's followers, and took a number of prisoners. The news requires confirmation. The Uirwera followers of Te Kooti are about to leave liim. Tho women have abandoned liim and have surrendered. Ropata has returned with thirty prisoners. The schooner Twilight, trading to Kaiapara, was lost m the recent gales. Capt. Meiklcjohn and two seamen were washed overboard. The captain wan saved, but the two seamen, Peterson and Lewis, were drowned. George Webster, of Hokitika, wellknown m Auckland commercial circles, died suddenly of apoplexy. Arrangements are being made for giving a grand luncheon to the officers of the Nevada. The Governor is expected to be present. The Caledonian lodged 12G90z. for the week ending 25th instant, and then 25cwtof specimens were taken out. Tlie Inverness claim is crushing 2oz. to the ton. The share market on the whole is quiet. Caledonian liave sold at £105 ; Alburnia, at £2 5s ; Waitemata, at 15s ; Cure, at 12s, Otago, at 2Gs ; Moanatairi, at 455. News has been, received at Sydney of a fearful hurricane m the Fiji Islands. Great damage has been done m Levuka, and to shipping. The new theatre and other houses wore blown down. The total damage m the town is estimated at £2,000. Tlie Zephyr, Kestrel, Black Eagle, and other schooners, were driven ashore. The steamer Wainui was slightly damaged by a collision. Bailey, foimerly a stockbroker at Melbourne, and at one time the representative of Castlemaine, has been murdered by his partner Henry Scott. Spit, Napier, Friday, 10.20 a.m. The remains of Captain St. George, wliich were buried eight months ago at the place where he fell at Porutu, have been removed to Napier and were buried m tlie cemetery yesterday afternoon, with military honors. Tliere was a great public funeral. The places of business were closed all the afternoon. Tho ceremony began at one o'clock and lasted till after dark. Tliere was a magnificent meteor seen here at ten o'clock last night. JDJIS IIOIN'OB TUB SupEKINTKNDENT. — Mr Rolleston will probably pay a visit to Timaru next week. Thk Incoming English Mail. — If the Nevada keeps to her advertised time wo shull have tho English mail telegraphic summary on Wednesday or Thursday next. Pehmanknt Builuing Society*. — At a meeting of the Directors of tho abovo Society, wbich took place on Thursday evening last at ' the Society's offices, it was decided to alter the office liours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. as heretofore to 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily. PAHisnioNEßs' Meeting.— The adjourned meeting of members of tho Church of England will bo held on Monday next, at the Masonic Hall. As questions of considerable importance will be laid beforo the meeting a largo attendance is looked for. Waitohi Flat. — A tea meeting, to celobrato thc opening of tho now Wesleyan church iv tho above locality, will be hold on Thursday evening next. A public meeting will also bo hold, at which addresses will be delivered by the Rovds. J. Preston, Bavin, and Marten, and otlier gentlemen. Tkmuka. — A requisition is m course of signature by thc Justices of the Peace residing m the district to havo the townships of Wallingford and Arowhonua proclaimed under tho Police Ordinance. The requisition will piobably be forwarded to Uis Honor the Superintendent by next post. TnE Panouama, — The proprietors of this Panorama intend exhibiting it again on Tuesday next m Timaru, prior to continuing their journey to tbo southward. On this occasion a considerable amount of patronage bus been promised, and wo can safely suy that thoso who tako this lust opportunity of seeing the panorama will not be disappointed wilh it, but on the coutrary, will, as far as we can judge, carry away with them a good idea of what is to be soen on the Pacific mail routo,

Licensing Meeting. — The annual licensing | meeting will be held before a full Bench ou \ Tuesday next, at 11 a.m. Mechanics' Institute, Temuka. — A public meeting is to be held at the Royal Hotel on Monday evening next, at seven "ip'clock, at which Mr J. Hiiyhurst will preside, for the purposo of discussing the best method of establishing a Mechanics' Institute "m the township, and of erecting a suitablo building for tbo same. It is to be hoped thero will bo a large attendance, and that the neighbourhood generally will assist m carrying out so desirable un object. From the patronage already promised tliere is every prospect of complete success. A New Thade.— A new trade has lately sprung up antagonistic, wu should say, to the interests of tho butchers. An enterprising storekeeper at Akaroa iuteuds, we hear, sending by every steamer one or more carcases of beef for sale by public auction m Tiniaru. The trade has ouly just opened, but the auctioneers, Messrs Stubbs and Co., are, we hear, well satisfied with the results. 3d per pound, after paying all expenses, is, we should say, a very fair return. Temuka Rifle Volunteebs.— On the 24th of Mny, the anniversary of Her Majesty's birthday, a bazaar will bo held at the Assembly Rooms, Temuku, tho proci-eds of which will go to augment tho funds of the übove corps, chiefly to help m the erection of a drillshed. A meeting of the ladies residing m lhe neighbourhood Ims been lield, and considerable support promised towards the proposed bazaar. Mr Mcudelson, we hear, bus been offered, and nccupted the post of treusurcr, and Mr Rennet- tlmt of secretary. The Late Tragedy. — A discovery has been made which may throw some light on the fate of tho late mate of the Ottawa by the finding of wbat is supposed to bo a portion of tho trousers worn by Nielson on the duy of the late boat accident. A few duys ago Mr West saw a piece of cloth lying on the beach near Mr TurnbuH's residence ; on Thursday ho mentioned the fact to the police, and m company with Sergeant Willis, searched for and found thc piece of cloth m question. Yesterday Sergeant Willis went off to the Ottawa, and it was identified as resembling the material of what the trousers, worn by the mate on the day he left the ship, were made ; it was also ascertained that that particular pair of trousers was not on board the vessel among tlie lute mate's clothing. Tho piece of cloth is the waistband aud a small portion of the upper part of a pair of tweed trousers. Australian News.— By the Omeo, which arrived at the BluiF on Wednesday, we have the following items :— A cabinet meetiug was held m Melbourne wheu the recommendation of the Federal Commission was considered, also the question whether Parliament should pass a Bill enabling the colony to combine with any other, or that tbe Imperial Parlimcut should be asked to pass a general Enabling Act. A grand art uuion m connection with the Sandhurst Easter Fair, consisting of 3,200 tickets, was drawn ■yerterday. The drawing commenced at eight o'clock m the morning, and did not terminate till four m the afternoon. From Sydney we learu that the diggers are all returning from New Caledonia, and report the ground unpayable. Robertson, teller of the Bank ufNew South Wales, Tamworth, has been committed for trial for embezzlement. The schooner Helen lias been wrecked ou the bar of Richmond River. The Australasian Company intend to alter the steamer City of Adelaide for the Califoruiau live at once. Timauu Municipality and the JBoaud or Works. — At a recent meeting of the Borough Council, a resolution was passed that a petition should be forwarded lo the Board of Works, praying for a grant towards keeping m repair the main roads of the town. On fair consideration there is much to be snid iii favour of the petition. Generully speaking, though, the expenditure iv towns should be derived solely from the pockets of tho ratepayers within their precincts, but tliero are conditious where this rule should be i-plaxed, and the town of Timaru is a place where an exception should be made. The principle on which is based thc general rule that towns should look entirely to themselves, is that tho inhabitants derive considerable advantages from the trade of the country, and that being so, it is solely for the interests of their inhabitants to encourage, by means of good roads, &c, the trado to liow through their streets. A colonial town cannot exist without tho country, but tho country can exist without the town. In a young colony, however, the advaulages thc one derives from tho other are moro reciprocal, perhaps, thau iv older communities. Tho colonial town has rarely manufactories tending to creato support for a large number of its inhabitants. Besides the small trade which necessarily follows ou | the aggregation of individuals, there is nothing else to support a town, aud were ii uot ior the country trade, our towns would present a sorry aspect. Again, ou.tho other hand, the country districts derive 1 certain benefits from a town m their proximity — benefits, which, m the shape of competition, would be sadly missed, and acutely felt by our country friends, if, soy, for instance Tiniaru as a town ceased to exist, and trade was relegated into the hands of one or two storekeepers, as m the curly duys. The more scattered a towu is the moro is it justified to look for assistance outside its own borders. It is hard that because Government has arbitrarily fixed as the northern boundary Whales Creek, and for the southern boundary a road half a mile distant from the town proper, that the inhabitants living within thut area should bo inexorably bound lo keep this large stretch of road north and south of thc town m repair ontiroly out of thoir own pockets. The two. pieces of road combined would muke more than a milo of road, alongside wliich tlio inhabitants are ns few and fur between us m any country district, and it must be recollected that along tliis roud pours Die concentrated traffic of tho wholo of the districts surrounding Timaru. Tho Bourd of Works bus recognised this fact, and has equitably nmde grants of money " from time to time as a subsidy from the outlying districts. Looking al returns beforo us we must acknowledge thut tho inhabitants of the town huve puid a very fair quota towards the carrying out out of road making m Tmaru. Since September, 1868, to the present time no less thon £1,893 lis have come out of the pockets ofthe burgesses for this purpose, and during the like period tho following grants havo beon mado by the Board of Works : — ln 1868, £149} m 1869, £150 j iv 1870, rent from lessee

ofthe Government lauding shed, £G8 lis ; m < addition to this there has been a sum of £40 ■ received from the Board for rent of offices, J but this latter amount cannot be looked upon | m the liglit of a grant. For the £1,893 lis 1 contributed by the town, this districts have ( granted £207 lis, or about 14 per cent. As long as tho north and south entrances to the . town remain virtually district roads, it is 1 only but fair that the distriots should con- ( tribute something towards their maintenance, and as we before pointed out, tho north j traffic concentrating at Whales' Creek, the 1 wear and tear on the road from thence into ' town is very heavy ; anil m this light the petition of the Borough Council will probably , bo regarded by the Board of Works. At Whales' Creek, at the extreme boundary, the road should bo widened to its full extent, as it is somewhat dangerous to traffic meetiug at that place.