INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1349, 16 January 1879, Page 2

INTERPROVIN CIAL.

[Per "Tijiaru Hebald" Special Wire.] Auckland, Jan. 15. Moanatiri shares were at 18s this morning. In the forenoon the Company struck rich gold m their Point Russell ground. Shares are now at 453, and still rising.

A narrow escape from a seii'.u3 catastrophe occurred m ihe harbor to-night at liaif-pastll o'clock. The paddle steiiner Annie Millbank, irom Maliuran^i, was coming up the harbor when a yacht was observed a short distance ahead, and before tlie vessel's course could be altered she struck the yacht amidships. The smaller vessel had her starboard side partly stove m, and her other side considerably dam iged. The ste;imer passed, and the occupants of the yacht (six la -s) headed their boit for the shore. The boat filled Kapidly, but the shore was reached befure she sank. The injured vessel was a fishing yacht, named the Zouiac, and she showed no lights at the time. The Annie Milibank's bows were somewhat damaged. New Plymouth, Jan. 15. Complaints are made through the papers of the mails not being sorted on Sundays when steamers arrive, or until the Monday after the the anival of the mail by coach. The staff consists only of the Postmaster, a cadet and a messenger, which the Herald says is not sufficient, and advises the public to agitate till the grievauce is rectified. The discharge of coal vessels at the Waitara is greatly delayed by the want of railway trucks. The .Herald publishes the following from Te Awamutu : — " It is correct that Rewi starts for Taupo on the 18th, to gather the Natives, and it is his intention to go across the boundary lines and form a new settlement on the disputed lands. His own tribe are turning against him. Tuimii, who accompanied him to Waitara, has also turned against him, and gone back to the King's old place." Wanganui, Jan. 15. A charge against Sergeant Donnelly aud Constable Buchanan, lor committing a breach of the peace by fighting m the streets, will be heard to-morrow. Wellington, Jan. 15. The New Zealandcr has along leader m this morning's issue, justifying the conduct of the Ministry m commuting Welsh's sentence. It says : "It appears that Ministers are not satisfied that the prisoner was m a reasonable state of mind when he committed his fatal crime. Of course, when a doubt once invaded the Cabinet, it might safely be inferred that the culprit would not be consigned to the scaffold. From what we know of the case,|we'should say that most men would be likely to decide that if capital punishment is to be retained at all, few cases could present stronger reasons for the sentence to be carried out. But after all, that is only saying that the unhappy wretch would have met with a sterner measure of the vengeance of the law if he had happened to full into other hands than those of the existing Cabinet. The humane syuipa.th.us of the Premier will be the target; at which reproaches will be hurled by those whose temper disposes them to be adverse to the judgment of the Cabinet. It is not the first time that Sir George Grey lias been content to encounter a storm of dissatisfaction for preserving a fellow-creature from the ignominious doom of a murderer. The case of Tricker, whomasubseqiientGovernor of the colony restored to tho liberty which he now enjoys, is not yet excised from li is memory." The Governor, it appears, asked Ministers to give hhn the Hinem.ua to take him to Melbourne and bring Governor Robinson back, but they replied, regretting that the steamer could not be spared from New Zealand waters. Mr. Dignan is to be at once called to the Legislative Council. The conduct of the College Governors m discussing the reorganisation of the staff with closed doors is severely condemned. They are understood to have resolved to retain the services of the present principal, Mr. Wilson. S. J. Hill, who was recently m gaol for contempt of Court, m persecuting his wife contrary to the injunction of the Court, is again m trouble, having been remanded on a charge of threatening language towards his wife's shopman. The question of penny banks has been considered by the Education Department and the system will be introduced when the schools reassemble. Books have been prepared by the Postal Department which will render the account-keeping a very simple matter. It will rest with the local School Committees toappointtrnsteesand treasurers, and m many cases the master will probably undertake the duty of cashier. Any scholar having saved 53. will be able at once to transfer his account to the Post Office Savings Bank without expense as the two banks will be connected. The seventh New Zealand district meeting of the Primitive Methodist Convention is being held m Wellington this week. A large number of delegates from all parts of the Colony have arrived m tie city, and it is anticipated that the proceedings will be of an important and interesting nature. Tlie opening sermon wiis preached last eveningby the Rev. B. J. Westbrook, at the Sydney-street Church. To-night ordination service will be held at the same church, when the Rev. Jas. Guy, who arrived from England m July, and has since been assisting the Rev. J. Ward, at Dunedin, where he has achieved a considerable amount of popularity, will be fully admitted to the Ministry. Several more of the Hermione'a immigrants will probably be released from quarantine this week. A novel affair occurred m the Supreme Court this morning, The plaintiffs solicitor (Mr. Ollivier)challenged a special juryman, and His Honor said the man's name should have been struck off at the proper time. He had no power to take notice of the objection now. Mr. Ollivier said he must then resort to the challenge " For cause." As this right has only been once before exercised m the Colony, His Honor and the counsel on both sides were engag-d for more than an hour m settling it by diving into law books to find the proper course of procedure. Ultimately, hw Honor said Mr. Ollivier must m that case state h's objection to Mr. Capper, and the Judge could then decide the validity of the objection, or order it to be tried by the jurymen already sworn, but the latter course need not be resorted to if a jury could be got without Mr. Capper. Mr. Ollivier stated his objections, which were that Messrs. Turnbull and Co., for whom Mr. Capper was manager, were largely interested m the case. He asked bis Honer to decide the question. Mr. Travers wished it to go to a jury. About this time the whole proceedings were found to be informal, Mr. Ollivier having taken his objection at the wrong time. The jury were then called, and took their seats, and they were sworn separately. When it came to Mr. Capper's turn, Mr. Ollivier took his objeciion, nnd proceeded to question Mr. Capper, who was sworn as a witness against himself, Mr. Ollivier saying that though he objectpd to Mr. Capper as a jury man, he had sufficient confidence m him to take his evidence. About half the examination had been concluded, when it was recollected that a jury had not been sworn. After some difficulty as to the firm of oath to be administered, Messrs. Boardman and Warburton were sworn as the jury. Mr. Capper's examination was then cwmmenced again ; but when he had got to about the same point m his evidence, it was discovered that he had been sworn on the wrong form of oath. This was made right, and once more he was examined. He admitted his intimate connection with the firm of Turnbull and Co., and that they were largely interested m the bankrupt estate of M'Lean. Counsel then argued the point as to whether Mr. Capper was disqualified, and at last

the jury decided thnt lie was interested,, at the same saying that they did not wish to cast any imputation upon Mr. Capper. CuiUSTcnuRCH, Jan. 15. The rainfall on Monday and Tuesday registered at Christchurch was 2*14 inches. The rain was particularly heavy early on Tuesday morning. The opening of the line to Invercargill ha 3 been definitely fixt-d for Wednesday next. The invited guests from Christchurch will leive on Tuesday and remain at Dunedin that night. A special will leave Dunedin at 10 a.m. nest day. Mr. Conyers returned to-day, after a month's absence inspecting the Westland and Nelson lines. The Lyttelton Times has compiled a table showing that during the year ending June 30th, 1878, 145,614 tons of grain were carried on the Christchurch section of the railway, which then extended as far a3 Palmerston (North of Dunedin). There were shipped at Lyttelton 87,399 tons ; at Timaru, 13,376 ; and at Oamaru, 44,839. The case of Cleave v. King and others resulted m a verdict for the plaintiff on all the issues, subject to several questions of law. The damages, other than special, were assessed by the Jury at £150, and the special damages will be settled by the Court above, from the notes taken by the Judge and the evidence taken at Invercargill. The casa of Henderson v. The Napier H.irbor Board begins to-morrow, and is expected to occupy a week. Mr. Macassey and Mr. Harper appear for the plaintiff, and the Attorney-General and Mr. W. L. Rees, M.H.R., for the others. J. F. Gr. ham's benefit to-night was well attended. Oamaru, Jan. 15. For the North Otayo Coursing Club's Derby, for puppie3, to be run on the 13th May, the following entries were received last ni-jht :— Mr T. McAuly's Shylock and Wildrake ; Mr. A. Turnbull's Cornet; Mr. J. F. Reid's Malice and Talisman ; Mr. Honour's Blondin ; Mr. M. Taylor's Colonel ; Mr. McOorkindale's Wasp ; Mr. R. Smart's Tam-o-Shanter and Rose ; Mr. W. Hay's Waireka and Totara ; Mr. S. G. Smith's Shoo Fly ; Mr. T. G. Duncan's Minnie ; Mr. W. W. Mitchell's Fly ; Mr. R. Stewart's Skating Girl ; Mr. Smart's Veno ; Mr. M. Grant's Roving Robin ; Mr. T. Prydon's Brenda ; Mr. A. Riddle's Blue Bell ; Mr. J. S. Cnverliill's Hinemoa, Juliet, and Chevy Chase ; Mr. \V. H. Ronayn»'s Kathleen ; Mr. Holmes' Van Yean ; Mr. B. Thomson's Kakanui ; Mr. A. McLaren's Sly, Peri, and Rose ; Mr. J. D. Kett's Morning Star and Shooting Star ; Mr. J. C. Biinnatyne's Snowy, Blue Bell, and Bugler ; Mr. J. McDonald's Hawthorn, Calceolaria, Luffra, and Victoria ; Mr. Thomas Lunnan's Rilfeman, Flossy, and Maiirana ; Mr. A. Thomson's Clyde, Marie Stewart, and Othello. Dcjnedin, Jan. 15. Rain fell m torrents, accompanied by a high wind, during the greater part of last night and this morning, The weather is still showery and threatening. This will relieve the anxiety of the city authorities who feared tlie. stoppage of the water supply and had ordered the discontinuance of the Tinics' and Star's water engines. Owing to the prevailing dissatisfaction about the gas supplied, tlio Corporation gave the officers of that department notice recently, that their services would be dispensed with, and appointed an independent inspection of the works to be made by an expert. This report on the causes of the inferior light supplied, confirms the report submitted from time to time by the Corporation engineer, Mr Genever. The blame is chiefly attributed to the plumbers ; snd regulations are about to be adopted prohibiting the erection of bad fittings. It is proposed to take the drainage and sewerage of the city past the Bay, and out to the Ocean Beach by means of a large covered sewers. The cost of the portion of the sewer along the water frontage of the city as far as its southern boundary, is estimated at £30,000. The City Council propose improving and beautifying the Town Belt, by grazing sheep on it. By this meaps, it is believed the ornamental shrubs will be kept m subjection and manual labor will be economised. Seymour, a bookseller's traveller, who was proceeded against by his employer on about half a dozen charges of embezzlement., larceny as a bailee, and forgery, was finally discharged this morning. The accused had been entrusted with books to sell on commission ; but had stuck to the money, disposing of the books m several ways, some of them finding their way to the pawnbrokers. He managed the defence with great adroitness and ingenuity, and to this may be attributed his escape. The Presbyterian Synod resumed its sitting this morning. A notice of motion has been given recommending the establishment of a new Chair of English Literature and Rhetoric at the University with the surplus of the Presbyterian education fund. Another notice suggests that the Presbyterian land tax should be altered, so as to allow of the money being devoted to Bursaries to pupils of the high school entering the University. The Presbyterians have already two University chairs, maintained at a cost of £1200 a year. It is understood to have been definitely fixed that the line from Amberley to the Bluff will be opened for through traffic on Wednesday next, the 22nd inst. Ac express tr<«in will leave Dunedin at 9 a.m., and another will leave Invercargill at 9.30 a.m. The trains will meet at Clinton, arriving at 12.30 p.m., and there a stoppage of 15 minutes will be made for lunch. The express from Dunedin will stop at Balclutha and Milton. At the Waste Lauds Board to-day, it was resolved to offer for sale 370 acres of Hawkesbury Commonage, close to the township, at £10 per acre. The land is said to be worth £20,000. The Board also took into consideration the disposal of 20 runs, the leases of which expire m Maich, 1880. It was resolved that Teschemaker's run No. 98, and Webster's No. 99, m the Kauro district, comprising 9000 acres, should be sold as rural land. It was resolved to re-lease ten other runs, which were all rough country, those carrying over 5000 sheep to be divided into two portions. In the case Smart v. Brogden and others, which is an action for £608 8s 6d, balance due on a contract for railway work at Mosgiel, the jury to-day returned a verdict for £571 Qi, being the amount claimed, less the sum paid into Court. The case occupied three days. All the single women by the ship Oamaru were engaged at from £30 to £40 a year. The University Council has decided to ask the Governor for power to borrow a sum not exceeding £10,000. Should the desired power be granted, the Council intend to endeavor to borrow a portion of the amount from the Benevolent Institutution Committee, out of the £3000 to be received by the latter body from the Savings Bank m accordance with the Act of last session of the Assembly. When the line is opened the journey from Invercargill to Dunedin will occupy six hours and a half. Invebcakgill, Jan. 15. At a meeting of the Bluff Boating Club last night, it was decided to send a crew to compete for the champion four-oared priza at the forthcoming Henley regatta. Burton's Australian Circus is being well patronised. The polling for the Mataura election has resulted as follows : — Waihola : Shanks 204, Kinross 174; Campbelltown: Shanks 14, Kinross 13 ; Gore : Shanks

40, Kinross 12 ; Mat aura Bridge: Shanks 43, Kinross 3 : Woodlauds : Shanks nil, Kinross 31 ; Wyndham : Shanks 52, Kinross 3 ; ■which gives a tot*l of 233 for Mr S .inks, and 249 for Mr Kinross. One return has yet to come m, but it will m all probability only augment Mr Shanks' majority. ♦ [Press Agency.] Auckland, Jan. 15. The Star says tlx-re appears to be a gang of skilful scoundrels at work m Auckland watching evvry opportunity to rob the coffers of tradesmen and hotelkeepers. Forty-two sovereigns were iib.itrac+ed from a b»x m a bedroom of one cif tlie hotels, but no clue lias been found to lead to the conviction of the offenders. A mystery still hangs over the more extensive robbery from Mr. Warren, no trace whatever of the guilty party having been discovered. Other robberies of a similar n ituro nre repotted. The Waikato passenger train ran off the line just after leaving Mercer for Auckland. Through some oversight the points were not quite turned on, and the engine and two coal trucks ran on the main line, while the passenger cars turned ofi into the siding. The fore-part of the train was thus rnnning on one line of rails and the hinder part on a different line. The engine was going at a good speed, and could not bo brought up quickly. The passengers were much alarmed, and on a cry being raised to ''jump," all of them scrambled to the doors and jumped out. A first and se-cond-class car was thrown off the rails before the engine \va3 stopped. A crowd nf pei>plu came down from Mercer ; and as the Auckland train had just before got into Mercer, the engine was obtained from it to pull the car 3 out nf the way as the engine attached to the first-mentioned train could not get back. After an hour's work the second-class car was got back ou the rails. There were 40 or 50 people on the train. The rails were twisted, and will have to be replaced with new ones. New Plymouth, Jan. 15. Tho valuation of the Borough of New Plymouth for the current year shows £27,000 ; being an increase of £2000 over that of last year. Wanganui, Jan. 15. In tho match this morning between Wanganui and Taranaki rifle teams; 8 men on each side, firing on their own ground, Taranaki scored 535. and Wanganui 539, the latter thus winning by fnnr points. Between one and two thousand persons assembled on the bank of the river this afternoon t j see Professor ScoU walk over the river on a wire rope. The wind was rather strong and the rope slack, and the attempt consequently was an utter failure. Wellington, Jan. 15. The New Zealand Times has a paragraph to the effect that the appointment of Mr. Dignan to a seat m the Legislative Council will be made under the strong disapproval of tho Governor, on the ground that the present number oi members of the Council, m proportion to the population, exceeds that of any other Upper Chamber m the Australian Colonies. Inquiries having been made as to tho cause of Major Gordon, the Inspector of Volunteers, not having paid a visit of inspection to the south lately, it appears he has been very seriously ill for the last five months. Dunedin, Jan. 15. A private letter received from England states that the Prince of Wales m tends to send his eldest son to the Australian naval station ; and also that the Prince himself would be glad to visit Australia if asked by the colonists to do so. An a:rest entitling two members of the police force to some mark of credit, was effected last night. A fatmer from up country reported to Constable Gilbert, at Mosgiel, at 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, that he had been robbed of a purse containing £128, and giving a description of the suspected person. The authorities m town were at once acquainted with the circumstances, and Detective Henderson was told off to enquire into the case. Several places of business m the city were visited m the course of half an hour, and it was found that a man answering to the description furnished by Constable Gilbert, had changed a £5 note m one shop after purchasing some minor articles. By the night train Constable Gilbert arrived m town, and went out m company with Detective Henderson m search of their man, who was arrested an hour later. On his person was found £113 odd, and as goods purchased by him of the value of £10 7s Cd, were secured all the money with the exception of £5 has been accounted for. The name of the thief is William Wallace. He was brought before the City Police Court this morning and committed for trial. A telegram from Tapanui states that the continued delay m opening the CluthClintou line is causing great inconvenience there. A large quantity of goods ordered at Dunedin, m anticipation of the opening of the line on the 7th, are still m town, and buyers are at their wits-end. Wool, and other produce, have been kept there for weeks, and now have to be forwarded to Invercargill and the Bluff. From a report read at the Synod tonight, it appeared the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland has 91 schools, 6891 scholars, 664 teachers, and 9745 volumes m its libraries. Invercargill, Jan. 15. The educational statistics of the Southland District, for the quarter ending 31st December, show the attendance at the beginning of the quarter to have been 2796; at the end of the quarter, 2976 ; average number on the roll, 2900 ; strict average 2466 ; working average, 2507.