INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 3287, 10 April 1885, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

(By Telegraph.) Auckland, April 9. " The turning of the first sod of the North Island Trunk Railway takeß place on the 15th met., the Governor performing the ceremony at Marton, and Tawhaio at Te Awamutu, where the Hon. Mr Stout will be present. The Crown Prince of Tonga is dead. The Premier has been persuaded to go overland from Whangarei to Kaipam, and then to pass through to Auckland, visiting the settlements en route. The Bank of New Zealand shipped by the Rotomahana four boxes containing 37870zs of gold, to be transhipped at Wellington for London. Thames, April 9. The Thames Municipal muddle was advanced another stage to-night. In deciding the recent action m the Supreme Court, Judge Gillies declared that all transactions during the exclusion of members for Parawai Ward were illegal, but m interim several meetings wore held and Minnie's seat as Councillor for the Middle Ward was declared vacant and another person elected m his stead. At a special meeting held to-night for the purpose of ratifying or otherwise the business lately transacted, Minnie presented himself and claimed tho right of CouncUlorship. Tho Mayor declined to recognise him as other than a ratepayer and a long discussion ensued. Eventually it was decided to obtain tho opinion of Sir Frederick Whittaker on the subject, and a sub-Committee was appointed to state the case for his consideration. Three tons of quartz from the Wilberforee reef, Canterbury, were recently crushed here, and though the result has not transpired is understood to have been satisfactory. The gold obtained was worth £3 IBs per ounce. ■ Wellington, April 9. The Gazette notifies that the sittings at the Oamaru District Court of the Tiraaru and Oamaru District shall be held as follows : — From and after the Ist May next, m lieu of those previously fixed and appointed at the Resident Magistrate's Courthouse, Oamaru, for the despatch of civil and criminal business, on the Ist of June and the Ist of December, and for civil business only on the Ist March, and the Ist of September m each year. Captain F. W. Garner, of the F Battery Artillery, has been appointed to the command of the Napier Volunteer district, and Captain W. B. Scandrett, of the Invercargill Rifles, has been promoted to. the rank of Major on the unattaohed list. A notice giving authority for taking land for the North Island Main Trunk Railway appears m the Oaxette. The sitting of the Appeal Court is fixed for May 11th next. Tho appointment of Lieut. Arthur Percy Douglas, K.N., as Naval Staff Officer to the Government » gtzettad. '

A notice appears m the Gazette to-day revoking all commissions m the Now Zealand Militia, and includes the officers of'gucli Militia under the rank of major, with the exception of those holding appointments on the permanent staff of tho Volunteer force and these serving m the A.O. Mr H. Smith is gazetted Audit Inspector. The resignation of Captain Morris, of Tauranga, and Mr S. E. Shrimski, of Oamaru, of their seats m Parliament were gazetted to. day. It is understoodthatthefirstsodof theNortli Island main trunk railway will be laid on the 15th inst. at Te Awauiutu, and . that the ceremony will be performed by the wellSTrt f It 8 W ?, hßnui . Hewi and Taonui, and that they will be assisted by the Hon! fhL -h i. 1 * 1B not conß^ered likely that there will be any ceremony at the Marton The police have received instructions from tho Defence Minister to prepare a first-class militia roll, and are now enrolling all male aS\L » (except tho3e "empted under the ■ Sy eea the a S es of seventeen and •innn V^ *?• * de P utalio ° waited upon lim, asking the terms upon which a torpert. . rpa would be accepted, Mr Balance Bal d the want of funds would prevent the Government from increasing the Volun. te '; ol ?». ">d no more Volunteer cora could be accepted unices they consented^ forego the capitation allowance. hT led tut dentation to believe that if the corps could maintain itself, proper appliances would be supplied. The Governor has received a letter statin* that the lamb sent Home by the Gear Com", pany to the Duko of Cambridge arrived m capital condition, and was served up at two parties. The flavor of the lamb proved to be excellent. M. de Harven has au offer of 10,000 acres at Eltham, Opunake road, subject to certain conditions as to settlement and improvement, for the purpose of a Belgian settlement. The' land is bush land of fine quality. CHHISTCHDBCH. April 9. Sir Julius Yogel has arranged for the Government to purchase the Bakaia and Ashburton Forks Railway subject to ratification by the Cabinet, Parliament and the shareholders. About 1000 people arrived by the excursion train from the South this morning. A deputation of 16 ladies waited on Sir Julius Yogel to day to ask him to procure legislation providing that women should be allowed to vote on all questions under the Licensing Act. Sir Julius replied that he was m favor of the general franchise being extended to women, but not m this particular direction alone. Dtjnedik, April 9. A difference has arisen between the Chairman and the Engineer of the Harbor Board over the question whether the works m the upper harbor are being carried on m accordance with Sir John Coode's plan or not. The feeling of the Board to-day was that the present relations could not last, and the Works Committee has been deputed to enquire into the whole matter. Mi- William Hutchison contests the Oamaru seat. An accident occured at the Kaitangata coal mine this morning, by which a young man named George Carr was killed. While the men were working at an early hour m the incline of the new drive, two of them accidentally let a box run away, and this caught the deceased, who was working at the bottom of the incline, and crushed him against another box. His injuries were bo serious that he died at 8 o'clock. The Mosgiel Woollen Factory Company' has declared an interim dividend at the rate of 10 per cent. A girl seven years old, named Kate Martin, was drowned at Waikouaiti on Monday last. She was crossing a deep ditch on a plank, and fell m.