INTERPROVINCIAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume LVIII, Issue 1706, 20 March 1895, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL.

•—_ — ■ » , (By Telegraph.) AUCKLAND,' March 19. The Maori Parliament, now sitting at Rotorua, is at present attended by 1000 natives from different pai'ts of the colony. In consequence of the nonarrival of many of the leading chiefs from the East Coast and the north, very little business has been done. The Charitable Aid Board have struck a rate of 4-25ths of a penny, calculated to yield with subsidy £13,225, being £620 over the sum of last year. Prince .Francis Joseph of Battenburg. arrived from Rotorua, and made a- call at ' Government House to-day, accompanied by Colonel F. Townshend, late 2nd Life Guards, The visitors are stopping at the Northern Club. The Mayor and town clerk paid a visit to the Prince at the Northern Club. A Maori boy has been killed by a'tlray at Tekiuti. At the meeting of the Hospital and Charitable Aid Board no reference was made to the private enquiry at the hospital by. the house committee for the last fortnight. It is not known when the report will be submitted. A large steamer for the steam goods feny between Auckland and North Shore is proposed to be built at a cost of £6000. ; Mr A. Hastwell, quartermaster of the Tasmania, has been presented with a handsome silver medal as a memento of the plucky way he rescued the girl Hilda Stewart, who fell off the Tasmania on the 3rd ihst. The medal wars presented by Mr Stewart. - The captain of the Orlando has writ--1 ten to the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board forwarding information respecting entries of men and boys into Her Majesty's service on the Australasian station. They can be accepted by any officers m command subject to the approval of the Commander-in-Chief. NAPIEE, March 19. At the inquest on the body of McKay, the verdict was that the deceased was drowned by the capsizing of a boat, such capsize being caused by his own act while temporarily insane. NEW PLYMOUTH, March 19. Herbert Wilfred Lawson alias Clapham, alias Howard, alias Cowie, who has been personating throughout the district for the last fortnight as an officer of the Education Department, sent down specially, to examine the school records, was charged at the S.M. Court to-day with vagrancy and imposing upon Mr Russell, hotelkeeper, Mar3den. He was sentenced to four months' imprisonment on two charges with hard labour at Hokitika gaol. The police showed that he had already received about six different sentences from one month to one year for personation, forgery, and petty larceny. He is a tailor by trade, of very good address, apparently educated and well brought up. He imposed on many respectable persons. WELLINGTON, March 19. A party who ascended Ruapehu from Karioi report that the lake m the crater has been blown out, and boiling lava has taken its place, and that the mountain is shaking. Four tenders have been received for the construction of a bridge over the Mataura on the Seaward Bush line. The one accepted is about £9000. Rodrick Mackenzie, who escaped from Point Halswell, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. The police are satisfied that they have secured some of the burglars m the recent haul of vagrants, though the evidence is insufficient to prosecute them on the major charge. Arrangements for working the Mokihinui Coal Company's mine by the Knights of Labour, have practically been completed. The property is to be leased for two years with the right of renewal for a further term of two years, and the company are to receive a royalty of Is on each ton of coal brought out. => Mr Cadman leaves to-morrow on a tour of the South Island on railway and mining business. Mr Thomas Salt, chairman of the Mid- ' ff land Railway Company, Sir Bruce Burnside, arbitrator on behalf of the company, Messrs H. D. Bell, and George Hutchison. M.H.R., counsel engaged m the cane, were passengers by the Tainui, which left for Lyttelton this afterpoo».

Mr Northcroft, S.M., at Auckland, has been appointed by the Government to enquire into the action of the Auckland. Fire Brigade at Avondale Asylum lire, and into matters connected with the fire generally. NELSON, March 19. James Breen. a prisoner serving a short sentence and also awaiting trial at the Supreme^lourt sittings commencing to-morrow, who escaped from gaol at 11 o'clock yesterday morning;" was recaptured at Brightwater to-night. The man, who had kept m hiding during the day, was evidently proceeding along the road towards the West Coast after dark, when he was arrested by a plain clothes constable. DUNEDIN, March 19. Emily Shea, whose husband stands committed for trial for stabbing her, is suing for a judicial separation. The twenty-seventh session of the Grand Lodge of 1.0.0. F. began to-day. Proceedings were commenced with the presentation of *an address by the Dunedin district to Bro. G. M. Burchell and the officers of the Grand Lodge. Bros. Orichton, Wellington, and Aitken, Invercargill, were appointed press secretaries. The treasurer's report stated that the receipts had been £1686 5s sd. The funds, with the exception of the management, were showing substantial progress, the funeral fund having increased by £1264 19s 2d. He suggested with^ drawing sufficient from the funeral fund tojput the management fund m credit and that of the balance of surplus 5 percent, be placed annually to the credit of the management fund. The report was adopted. The grand secretary's report was very lengthy. Two lodges had been opened during the year, making a total of 32. The number of members added was 281, the total gain for the year being 81; making a total on the roll of 1977. Tim aogwo of r.u,M. was conterrea on Bro. T. Cole. A special committee was appointed to consider the question of female lodges, and to draw up a scale of contributions. Thelodge resumes again to-morrow. At the annual meeting of Kempthorne Prosser and Cos. New Zealand Drug Company the report recommending a dividend of 7£ per cent, was adopted. Mr B. Sievwright, the chairman, m reply to a question said that sufficient linseed had been grown during the year to meet requirements. There "was an improvement m the quality and the crops were as heavy, if not heavier, than those m India. Growers were at present satisfied with results. Mr B. Hallenstein and Dr Ogston were re-elected directors, and the retiring auditors were re-appointed. The Benevolent Trustees, held an inquiry to-day to give Mrs Howie an opportunity of bringing forward further evidence than was given m the Police Court m the charge of improper conduct against Inspector Fayell. Mrs Howie only tendered one witness who stated that the inspector never dared in3ult her. The trustees having heard the evidence produced by the inspector were unanimously of opinion that the charges against him of improper behaviour to Mrs Howie and other women have entirely broken down, and are satisfied that he is quite blameless m the whole matter.