DUNEDIN.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3039, 23 March 1881, Page 3

DUNEDIN.

March 23

After an Executive Council meeting last night Mr Oliver, Minister for Public Works, left for the North, the Premier returning with the Governor to-day.

A Coroner's inquest was held at Port Chalmers yesterday touching the suspicious fire at Mansford Bay on the sth instant. A next door neighbor of Pearce, the owner of the house swore that on the evening of the fire he heard noises in his house as of people jumping off a form of or table and saw a light in the parlor where the fire broke out. Other witnesses swore that Martin McMahan declared to them that Pearce offered him £10 to fire the house. McMahan was somewhat intoxicated at the time. George Moir, in his evidence, on February 21st, said while on the beer, he was with McMahan, who was drunk. McMahan wanted him to go mates, as he had been offered £10 to burn down a house, but he intended to try and get £15. He gathered that the house was Pearce's, but thought tbat was only the beer talking. He told the sergeant while in the hospital that he would burn any house down in these hard times for £10, and so he would. M'Mahan, in his evidence, said he mide the statement when drunk. He was very sorry, hut knew nothing of the fire. The Coroner: You have wilfully perjured yourself or endeavored to set up that which is very inrrobable, that you were so drunk as to be under an hallucination, and you quite fail to clear Pearce. You are one of tbe worst and most discreditable witnesses that ever came into a Court. Two witnesses swore tbat M'Mahan was not under the influence of drink when he made the statement. Pearce denied ever having a conversation with M'Mahan, and he and his family were away from tbe house on the night of the fire. The jury returned a verdict that the house was wilfully fired by some persons unknown. Tbe evidence of M'Mahan and Moir was exceedingly unsatisfactory.

Fully 4000 people were present at the Caledonian sports in honor of the Governor to-day. The weather is glorious.

A deputation of volunteer officers waited on the Premier to-day and brought under his notice the injustice done the corps by the sudden stoppage ot the capitation allowance. Mr Hall replied that he would consider tbe matter, but refused to pledge himself as to what the Government would do.