INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1423, 21 May 1886, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Auckland, May 20.

Enough is known of the cornua returns to make a tolerably accurate estimate of the total population of the city of Auck laud and suburbs, This is now placed at over (10,000, the checking of the city returns being finished to-day. There are only ihroo cities in the Southern iloiuisphero that now beat Auckland in point of population—Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide. It is just within the bounds of possibility th.t the census returns of the present year may show that Auckland holds third place instead of fourth, “hud in the race for pre eminence has beaten Adelaide, fr >m which latter city there has been a considerable exodus of the

population. At a mooting of the shareholders of the Auckland Tobacco Company, a resolution to wind up the Company was confirmed. At tho annual meeting of the shareholders of the Now Zealand -Sugar Company the balance-shoot showed aLaa of L 3742 9a. Tho sale of 11,100 tone of sugar was, tho Chairman said a roaiilt encouraging in face of the disorganised market. The Company, oxpect tojrecoivo their first sugars from thoir Fiji estates in July. Tho reports respecting tho crops were encouraging. The report and balance sheet were adopted. iSir F. Whitaker was re-elected Director.

Wellington, May 20-

Upwaads of 150 J signatures have been obtained to t he address to bo presented to the Hon. J. Bryce. A nor' west gale with heavy rain, hao been experienced hero -o day. Tiie ollicora of tho Japeneso war ship, Tsukuba, have been entertained at a dinner by the Wellington Club, and tomorrow an at home will be given onboard the ship. In the Court of Appeal, a motion for tlAxromoval of a rule nisi, made la Christin the case of tho National Bank v. Moe, was over ruled without calling upon counsel for respondent (National Bunk) fur argument, and the rule was made absolute. Argument is proceeding in the case of Thompson v. Friodlander (Christchurch), a motion for a new trial. Napier, May 20.

At a meeting of policy-holders in the Government Life Insurance Association, held to night, 59 were present, representing L 32,000 inauied The meeting was addressed by Mr Shannon, who spoke strongly of Sir J. Vogel's action especially with refernco to the purchase of property and the appointment of Mea.rs Diver and Speight. The following resolutions were unanimously carried “That this meetings views with regret thereaulutionpassed by the policy-holders at the Thames to memorialise Rariiameut, playing that the Government should resume the entire control of the Association, and it strongly protests against Mr Dargaville’s action in the House before tho wishes of the policyholders have been ascertained ; that this meeting is of opinion that the interests of the Association can best be served by the amendment of those sections of the Act which led to the constitution of the Board, and that, In place of four |Government officials, three Government nominees, and three elected members, the Board should consist of sever members —four to be elected by thopolicy-holdera, and three non-official gentlemen to be nominated by the Government ; that this meeting respectifuliy requests Mr Fisher, M.H.R ,to Introduce a Bill giving effect to the foregoing resolutions; that this meeting condemns the recent appointment of the highly-paid branch managers at Dunedin and Auckland and would urge upon the Board the advisability of cancelling these appointments.” A fifth resolution expressed onfidieuco in Messrs Shannon and Fisher.

Dunedin, May 20.

The Dunedin Presbytery, at a special meeting held to consider the Premier’s letter on the New Hebrides question, passed a resolution that they could not entertain tho proposal submitted by him, which would jeopardise the interests of

tho Natives, and declared their opinion that tho best means of preventing the importation of couvic a to the South Seas is by not aff'irdiug facilities to France to extend her territory in those regions, and expressed the hope that Government may be able to co-operate with tho Victorian Government in the action which they have taken.