TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

West Coast Times, Issue 7300, 22 January 1889, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS

,1 % 'I')'! \QSIWEV JPQESS ASIIHOOUTION.] INT^RP^OVI^C|AL. GBlTtfOflip, Jan. 21.

Tenders for the south breakwater completion contract were dealt with to-night. Hungerford and M/Kay, contractors for north harbor works, lowest tender, £5860 10s Bd. Five tenders were received, all local men, the lowest tender being £1900 over Hungerfords. The only outside tenderer was D. K. Greendon, Danedin, with £15,712 15s. Hungerford'sjtender was accepted. Wellington, Jan. 21. Mr J. E. Denniston, of Dunedin, has been offered »nd accepted the judgship, Government receiving intimation of acceptance this afternoon. The proposal to raise £10,000 for water and drainage purposes as submitted to the ratepayers by the Petone Borough Conncil has been rejected. Mr Alfred Glass, solicitor's clerk, died suddenly laat night of apoplexy. Five tram-car drivers and bus drivers were fined 2s 6d each for obstructing a street in front of the Opera House owing to rivalry and the narrowness of the street. The cars created great obstruction when waiting the conclusion of the entertainments and the police have taken action to prevent a recurrence. In the Supreme Court, civil side, the libel action, damages £3000, Larnach yj proprietors of New Zealand Herald, com* mervced this morning. Plaintiff says that on 19th July 1888, defendants falsely and maliciously published articles commeating on the departure of plaintiff from the Colooy when Parliament was in session, to enter into business in Melbourne, having first asked leave of absence on the plea of illness in his family and continuing to draw honorarium, wherefore be claims £3000 damages. Defendants admit publication; but deny malice, and Bay that the subject matter of the alleged libels became and was a matter of public interest, and thereupon they published the commeata set out in plaintiff's statement bona fide for the public good and without sinister or malicious motives. They also deny that the said publications are libellous. Sir Robert Stout, instructed by Messrs Buckley and Stafford for plaintiff. Mr iSe& fourth pqge.)

Gully, md with him, Mr Nttwtt, for defendants. Mr Laroach's evidence Was short. He detailed his movements during the session, and explained he was called to Dunedin by an argent message from the doctor attending his daughter. He was cross-examined to show that it was the com* inon impreision te was about to leave for Melbourne. He stated that he had given a banquet to the civil servants, and replied to a gentleman who spoke on the matter that he was going to leavs the colony. Had received an apology by telegram from defendant, but did not deem it sufficient. The only evidence called for the defence was that of G. M. Reed, who|wrote the first article complained of, and W. Berry, editor of New Zealand Herald, who wrote the second. They deposed they wrote without malice in the public interest on what they supposed to be the true facts of the case. An apology had been published in the paper and also tendered privately by te legram to Mr Larnach when it was ascertained the facts were wrong. Mr Gully asked his Honor to direct the jury that the | articles were justified on the circumstances the writers had before them, but Justice Eichmond eaid the latter were bound to assure themselves if facts were correct be. fore commenting on them. Counsel having addressed the jury briefly, his Honor summed up, pointing out that the facts which comment was passed by public writers must be established on reasonable evidence. He quoted several cases, including Bryce v. Ruiden, to show the state of the law, and Bald it had been admitted there was an error in the facts. The jury, after retiring for fifty minutes, returned and asked what sum would carry costs* His Honor said costs were now at the dis" cretion of the Judge. The jury then gave a verdict for plaintiff for damages, £500. Coats were allowed on the middle scale. The idea of sending a cricket team to Christchurch is abandoned, some of the best players cannot go, Westport, Jan. 21. A lamentable accident oeourred on the Westport Coal Company's incline on Saturday. Mr C. Biley, manager in charge of the Company's machinery, was walking down an inoline when by some miechance he was caught by a truck and received such injuries that be is not expected to recover, Auckland, Jan. 21. The German gun-boat Eber reports a destructive fire at Apia on January 4. Nine large houses, residences and stores* of Europeans, and fifteen small one 3 w ere destroyed. The meo>of«war sent parties ashore bat could do little, The cause was a lamp upsetting. Mr F. Larkworthy, late managing director in London of the Bank of New Zealand, stated, in reply to questions by a reporter, that the recent steps taken to rehabilitate the bank have been most successful and are likely to have a most beneficial effect on the future of the institution. The bank's |business is imcreasing in Australia. In his opinion the shareholders are fortunate in having Mr Buokly as Chairman, The statements made in a cablegram from Washington alleging that the German wardships at Samoa burned the American flags, imprisoned American subjects and fired at the Captain and Lieut of a British man-of-war were read to an officer of tbe Eber to-day and were characterised as absolute untruth*. The officer pointed out that tbe Eber left Samoa on the 12tb. That it was im* possible that later news could be received at San Francisco. ' He said that the officers of the various war ships were the best of friendp, and the only boat they fired on was, a Kanaka boat carry ing ammunition, and she had no flag. Dunedin, Jan. 21. Mr Pyke's constituents intend giving Mm a testimonial in recognition, of his services to the Otago Central Railway. Professor Baldwin made a auocessful balloon ascent and a parachute descent this evening. Although only a gentle breeze was blowing, he was carried about a quarter of a mile from the starting point. For a few seconds, when he came away from the balloon, before the parachute waa opened, were most exoiting, and the suspense caused many to almost faint. The height ascended was from 800 to 1000 ft. At the statutory meeting of the Harbor Board, a conversational discussion took place regarding the statements in tbe London Economist from its Wellington correspondent. The statement started off by saying that it was rumored that the Otago Board was not be able to meet its liabilities in January, after which came a fullsome belauding of Wellington Harbor and its supposed advantages. It was pointed oat that before the article ap« peared in print a draft for interest was on its way to London. Accoants showed there was not the slightest foundation far tbe statement, and it was remarked that however damaging such absurd statements might be towards the debentures and the colony, those who framed them should remember it was the < debenture holders who were prejudiced and the loss from depreciation fell, not on the Board, but upon those who owned debentures. It was resolved to communicate with the Economist on the subject. Cbbistchitboh, Jan. 21. In the Supreme Court to«day a libel action was brought by J. R. Rosewaine, claiming £500 damages from ten other butchers on account of statements in an advertisement in the Lyttelton Times stating they were not selling the frozen mutton caved from the Belfast fire which Hosewaine had purchased, The advertisement described the meat as unattractive and filthy. It appeared tbat the butchers agreed to publish a disclaimer tbat they had nooe of the meat, leaving the precise wording to Mr Aherne, reporter, who framed twosensationally worded advertisements, The defence is that the advertisements were not what the butchers intended, and that the statements therein were true. <-*~ The Sydenham Borough Council to-,

night approved of a scheme providing that the Council should become insurers over property In the borough against fire, and decided to petition Parliament for an act to give them the necessary power. Gi3BOB£E Jan, 21. i Dr Storer, an Australian mining expert of some note, who has been sent to tbis district to report on the oil industry and indications, by capitalists of Sydney, has returned. He notifies that the report would be most favorab'e. Mr Brabant, at present Resident Magistrate at Tauranga, is to receive the appointment as Resident Magistrate and District Judge. A man named Thomson was fencing at Tologa Bay wben be wis suddenly stricken with paralysis on the whole of the left side of tbe body ; he was brought to G isbor do and is lying in the hospital having received other strokes since removal. Wanganui, Jan. 21. A woman named EobiDson died suddenly yesterday morning from, it is supposed* : heart disease, She leaves a family of eleven, mostly young, and in destitute circumstances. At the inquest held to-day, a verdict of death from natural causes was returned. The barquentine it. Kilda left on Saturday night with a full cargo of gram and flour. The woo) export tbis seaion is unusually large, some 4000 bales being shipped within tbe last four weeks. Harvest operations have commenced in this district. Barley and wheat crops are looking well ; oats also promise a large yield.