Tuesday.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XI, Issue 13, 20 July 1883, Page 11

Tuesday.

Wm, Atkinson, who accidentally fell down, the lift at the opening of Firth's granary, Auckland, died of his injuries on Sunday night. During the monthjof June no Chinese arrived in this Colony, "but 19 left. la the half year ended the 30th ult. 19 Chinese arrived in New Zealand, and 110 went away. In June 1210 persons arrived in this Colony, and t)52 left, tha balance in our favour being, therefore, 258. The" r< spective arrivals were as follows : — Auckland, 218 ; Wellington, 445 ; Lyttelton, 4 ; Dunedin, 320 ; Invercargill, 220. The departures were : — From Auckland, 198 ; Wellington, 140 ; Wanganui, 2 ; Lyttelton, 3 ; Dunedin, 313 ; Invercargill, 296. '1 he Christchurch Resident Magistrate held yesterday that Government had no power to charge one fee for a license to shoot pheasants and another to shoot hares, and dismissed with costs an information laid by the Acclimatisation Society. A lad named William Visor was accidentally shot in the am yesterday at Christchurch by another lad, while shooting sparrows with a small revolver. The injury is serious,

Twenty-one eases were brought at Kaiapoi yesterday Against persons who hay? uot sent their children to school. Peremptory orders (or a 10s fine in each case) were given that they should be sent in future. It is reported that a shepherd on a station near Rakaia Gorge picked up a large piece of quartz which, when broken, showed gold very freely ; also that a number of prospectors are fossicking about the district. When the Dunedin express had gone a short distance out of Invercargill yesterday, Charles Lewis, said to bs of unsound mind, threw himself across the track as the train approached. Every effort was- made to stop the engine, but Lewis was caught by the cowcatcher and dragged « considerable distance. He was conveyed to the Hospital, where it was found that he had sustained a contused wound on the back of the head, which is not to be considered dangerous. • The Liberals and Tories will support the nomination of The O'Connor Don for the vacancy at Wexford.— -Won't he get a licking 1 — And the sorrow mend him ! Tamatave has been proclaimed a French town, and the various consuls resident there have been forbiddea to hoist the flag of the country they, represent. The captain of H.M.S. Dryad, .being irritated at the conduct of the French Admiral, is sending a body •? marines ashore to. guard the consulate, and boats to assist the fugitives. The Governor of Mauritius is also sending a steamer to Tamative to bring away any fugitives that may care to leave. Baron De Lesseps threatens that unless some decision is come to with .respect to the second canal across Suez be will appeal to the French to resist further concession. Mr. Childers, Chancellor of the Exchequer, will resign if the agreement is rejected. The, cholera epidemic has appeared at Gizeh, a village, in the suburbs of Cairo. Five persons have been attacked with the disease. The news that Mi. Glads' •!? hid refu3< d to endorse . the action of Queensland in . regard to the annexation of New. Guinea has caused a general feeling of surprise and indignation in some quarters at what is regarded as arbitrary and a somewhat tyrannical exercise of power. In the House of Representatives, yesterday Mr.. Seddon, in moving- the second reading of the Gold Duty Abolition Bill said, that petitions were in course" of Toeing extensively signed in" favour oFthe Bill, and that they would reach Parliament shortly. In the neighbouring Colonies the, tax had been abolished for years. The Hon. Mr. Rolleston said he regretted he was again in the position, pf resisting the Bill. Inconsequence of the 6d remission in the duty made some time. ago. there had been no corresponding rise in the price of gold. The fact was that this further remission,, if given effect to, would simply .operate as it had done before — for the benefit of large speculators. - Mi. Shaw supported the Bill. He knew of' mines in his district whose gold cost as much as £i per ounce for taking it out of the ground, and they ouly got £3 10s, for it. That was the class of cases .upon whicn the tax pressed unfairly, and its effect was to cramp industry and prevent development. Mr. Fish opposed the Bill, contending that in its effect it would be inoperative in bringing about the purpose aimed at. Mining in his mind was a losing industry. If the same number of men could be drafted into any other pursuit it would be beneficial, not only to the individual, but likewise to the State. The House divided, and the second reading was carried by 21 to 17. The Bill was read a second time, and referred to the Goldfields Committee. At the Dunedin Gaol inquiry continued at Wellington yesterday Andrew Cummock, a prisoner, stated that he had seen Warder Cashman ill-treat a Maori prisoner. Mr. Caldwell had told witness he would be asked to give evidence about the matter, and on his (witness) saying he would tell the truth, he was locked up during the inquiry. Five or six months afterwards he was charged with being too quiet, and contemplating escape. He had written a defence for prisoner Strange by order of Warder Duncan, and when he was brought up for this Mr. Caldwell had thrown him from one end of the office to the other, shaken, lifted, and flung him out on to the scraper. Afterwards Mr. Caldwell had talked him over and given him brandy. On another occasion Mr. Caldwell spoke gruffly to his wife, who was crying about the illness of his child. He told Mr, Caldwell he was mistaken as to his being a gentleman. Mr. Caldwell pushed his wife out of the office, seized him by the throat, shook him, and locked him up in No. 7 cell. Mr. Caldwell afterwards sent for him, gave him liquor, and apologi-ed. Warder Cashmen had run him across the yard by the ears, and Mr. Caldwell had shaken him because he refused to "give evidence in a certain case. On witness refusing to put in writing what the Inspector had said to him, Mr. Caldwell h&d assaulted him violently. Witness also complained that he had been compelled to sleep for three nights in the corridor with the windows open, although he was suffering from cold. Wednesday. A general strike among the telegraph operators in America is impending, and serions inconvenience with telegraphic communication is feared. The French troops have looted and destroyed by fire the native quarter of the Queen of Tamatave At a meeting at Southbridge the locale of the alleged goldfield was said to be at Tamatu, near the Ninety -mile Beach. A number of people have gone to prospect, Telegrams to band -from Cairo report that the cholera is now general in that city, and is spreading rapidly in the native quarters. In consequence of the state of affairs in Madagascar, H.M.S. Euryalus, the flagship of Admiral Sir William Hewitt on the East Indian station, and H.M.S. Tourmaline, have been ordered to proceed forthwith to the Mauritius. In the Chamber of Deputies, M. ChallemelLacour, Minister of "Foreign Affairs, has stated; in reply to a question regarding the Anglo-French difficulty at Tamatave, that the French Government • would act with justice, and make due reparation if it was found that ■the -commander "of the French squadron in Madagascar waters had committed an error in dealing with the British authorities at Tama* tive,

In the Legislative Council yesterday the Tenant's Fixtures Bill was read a second time.— ln the House of Representatives the Hon. Mr. Bryce made an explanation of the Rusden scandal, and said he had decided on taking civil proceedings in the matter.— Replying to questions, Ministers said that Government would not be unfavourable to the granting of reasonable assistance toward? testing the ground at Naseby for deep leads of gold, and that until the sludge-channel at Kumara was worked on improved principles, and its capabilities f onnd to be defective, Government did not intend to enlarge its carrying capacity. — In moving, the second reading of the Land Act Amendment Bill, the Hon. Mr. Rolleston said that the Acts he had had the honour of introducing had had for their object the giving increased facilities for obtaining land from the State for lonafide occupation. The great object was to prevent the land being acquired, in the first instance, in large estates, the breaking up of which would in after years be a work of great difficulty. The land revenue last year had been as large as it was in previous years. The reason of this was that several large blocks of land had been withdrawn for railway purposes, and no effort had been made to force sale. There was also another cause — viz., a tightness in -the money market. Settlement generally, had not decreased. Three hundred and sixty homesteads had been planted on the Waimate Plains, and in. Otago there was more settlement going on than had ever been the case before. Since 1870, not less than ten thousand people had been settled on 1,000,090 acres of land under the deferred-payment system, and many of them had since obtained the freehold. - He had great faith in the perpetual leasing system, and if he had his own way, he would not alienate another piece of pastoral country. Mr. Batbgate supported the Bill as a further step in the right direction. He bore testimony to the success of the leasing system. It was one which would mainly contribute to the settlement of Crown lands by an industrious population. Mr. Joyce said that if they could have listened to a speech like that delivered by Mr. Rolleston 20 years ago, it would have been well for the Colony. Now, it was like locking the stable door after the steed had been stolen. The Bill was read a second time. — The following local bills passed through Committee, were reported, read a third time and passed i:— Timaru Racecourse Reserve, Dunedin Southern Market Reserve Leasing.