INTERPROVINCIAL TELEGRAMS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 53, 19 January 1877, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL TELEGRAMS.

[From the Press Agency]. Auckland, January 16. Messrs F. H. Lewison and Samuel Wells, jewellers, charged with being beneficially interested in a lottery, got up for the disposal of jewellery, were fined 20s _ and costs. Three other charges were dismissed on payment of fees. Albyn Roberts was placed in the dock charged with deserting his wife at Timaru. The accused was arrested on board the Rotorua as it was about to sail for Sydney, the arrest being made on the strength of a telegram to the police. Mr Rees defended him, and demanded the release of accused on pain of an action for false imprisonment against the police, who had no business to arrest on a telegram, unless for felony. There was a great scene in Court. Mr. Barstow, Resident Magistrate, said he had no power to remand him to Timaru. _ Inspector Broham said, and maintained, that the accused was properly arrested. Mr. Rees told accused to walk out of the Court. He did so, and was pounced upon by three constables, and brought back. Rees and Broham then had a regular set-to. The former accused the latter of gross ignorance of law, and threatened to bring his conduct before the Government. Broham pooh-poohed the threats and described them as idle and windy. He had heard them often during the last ten years, and they were worse since Rees had got into the House. Mr. Barstow ordered the release of accused. Wellington, Jauuary 16. The Bates and Howard management of the Theatre Royal during the past twelve months concluded last night, with a benefit to Mr. Bates, who was presented with a handsomely illuminated address. He and Mrs. Bates leave for Sydney. The Lingards, Emmet, and others are engaged for the new season. Howard is the lessee. There have been 32 deaths during the last 16 days in Wellington. Nelson, January 16. Messrs. Curtis and Sharp addressed their constituents last night. Therewas a very poor attendance, owing to boating matters attracting so much attention. Mr. Curtis spoke in strong terms of the waste of time last session by unnecessary talk, and thought the House should take steps to stop it in future. Regarding Sir Gγ. Grey, he said, though he was overviolent and persistent in bringing groundless charges against ministers, and was often very injudicious, still he regarded his presence in the House as a great advantage, and as having had the effect of checking abuses, and promoting economy. He strongly condemned the outcry against Sir J. Vogel for resigning. He considered he was perfectly justified in doing so, on the grounds stated by him, namely, failing health and private affairs. He thought the House should have voted his travelling expenses, as the colony was perfectly well aware of his extiavagant habits when they placed him in power, and had no right to complain of him afterwards. He spoke dispassionately, not as a supporter of Sir J. Vogel, as he thought the colony would have done far better if it had never placed him in charge of its affairs. Votes of confidence in Messrs Curtis and Sharp were passed unanimously. Geeymouth, January 16.

The Coal Pit Heath Company are 70 feet through the main seam. The coal is splendid, being bright and hard. Dunedin, January 16.

An enquiry was held yesterday afternoon concerning the circumstances attending the , fire which occurred last week in the house of Mr. Wishart, in Rattray-street. The furniture was supposed to be much overinsured, but this was not borne out by the evidence, and the jury returned an open verdict. Mr. R. C. Bagot, Secretary to the Victorian Racing Club, is now in Dunedin, having come over on the invitation of the Jockey Club to make arrangements for the erection of a new grand stand on Forbury Park Racecourse. The new stand will probably be the same kind as that at Geelong, and will be completed before the March meeting. Mrs Scott-Siddons opened at the Princess Theatre last night to one of the largest audiences ever seen in Dunedin. She was enthusiastically received, and her performance was one of the best ever seen here.

The Guardian of this morning contains a reply from Mr. Reid to a letter which appeared in that paper from Mr. Stout. The land revenue for the Provincial district of Otago for the quarter ending December 13, was £63,788, of which amount £28,754 was for assessment on stock. The City Council has accepted Mr. D. Proudfoot's tender for the construction of tramways in Dunedin.

At the Enniskillen Petty Sessions, before the . Earl of Belmore and other magistrate's, William Smyth of County Tyrone, was charged with having answered certain questions falsely to secure his marriage with his present wife, Catherine, who had been his mother's brother's wife. Mr. Graham appeared for the Crown, and produced evidence to show that the late Alexander Woods, Smyth's uncle, died, leaving a widow and two children ; that the defendant sought to get married to her in Fivemiletown, but the clergyman could not perform the ceremony, and that subsequently Smyth came to Enniskillen, and in order to be married, told the Registrar of Marriages that Catherine Woods was a spinster. In the ordinary course of time after the notice the nephew and aunt were married, and the Crown now prosecuted the defendant for falsely stating his wife was a spinster. The defendant is a fine-looking young man of about 30, and his wife is about 40 years of age. The Court remanded the case to the Assizes, bail being accepted for the defendant.

A miraculous escape from being struck by lightning occurred during the progress of a thunderstorm across, the eastern end of Geelong. The Advertiser says :—Mrs. Bignell, a lady who resides near the Botanical Gardens, was standing in the doorway of her house watching the vivid flashes of lightning, when all of a sudden a ball of fire passed within a foot of where she was standing, went through the house by the back door, which wag open at the time, and exploded just over the house with a terrific crash. Mrs. Bignell was forced on to a chair, but not hurt, and although she had her senses, she was powerless to speak for nearly an hour and a half. The ball of fire is described when it appeared to bust to be composed of all the colors of the rainbow.