BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

Evening Star, Issue 3692, 22 December 1874, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH

Wellington, December 21. At the meeting of tlie Board of Governors of tne iNcw Zciliind Institute —tlie Mipnuis of Normanby presiding—the following gentlemen were elected honorary members Professor Wynlle Ihomson, F.R.S., Professor Alfred Newton, I K S., Cambridge University, and Robert M‘Lachlan*, F.R.S. J At a meeting of the Jockey Club last night i t u w^ r ff°r 1 / e , dto hold an autumn meeting on the Hutt Park course, consisting of four races a Grand stand {stakes of 60 so vs., an Autumn Handicap of 75 sovs. a Flying stakes of ( 40 sovs and a Hack Race. The races are to come off in about ten days after the Canter, bury Autumn meeting. The sale of 150,000 acres tfth?Fielding Block zs going ou. It consists of town, suburban, and country sections. ’ I here is considerable competition amongst the buyers, especially of people from a distance ; the biddings being double the upset pi ice in a great many instances. .. ~ „ . Kelson, December 21. At the faring for representatives Tomlinson and Barnes only have qualified, the scores being ( J7 and 85 respectively. Giuhamston, December 22. Ihe Native meeting broke up suddenly last night, a message having been sent to Te Hira that Haiiuona Ngaroua was dying. It is reported to day that after the public meeting Te Hira and Te Moauanui met. Sir Donald Al‘Lean and withdrew all opposition, so that the country is virtually open Mr Mackay’n side were si.id to be annoyed at this, and say now that they will give iqi the land as well as the gold. X .he chief liaiinoiu Ngaroua is dead, and tangi over his body is going on to-day. (From our own Correspondents,) n" „ t m , , , , Napiek, December 21. P.i\ i le i?S ra P h . the following rc Mr shin e^W tßai,lJO i? tmeut to the Chief Justiceme! t of rh T + r° f ° pi ?-, lon that tke “PPointn uit of the Attorney-General' to the Chief Justioeshiji of the Coiony cannot hut be retreseid^r ° f th j « luvest mistakes of the J resent Ministry, and as on© that cfcfc ecJatcfely

fail to produce a feeling of irritation in the minds of those g< ntlemen who have so long and so ably upheld the honor of the New Zealand Bench. No Bench could possihl" be mce reputable than that of this Colony, but when the highest in the power of the Ministry is awarded to the legal adviser of the Crown, a, gentleman who, however able and talented ho may be. is in-a sense a political friend of the Government of the day, and judges of the highest reputation are passed over, we fenr the time must come when the Bench will be degem rated from its piesent proud position. The gentleman who appointed to succeed Mr Prendergast will, wter such a precedent, naturally consider the Attorney-Generalship a stepping-stone to the highest judicial post in the Colony. A consequence that may be expected will be the resignation of the judges, and from amongst the JNew Zealand Bar it may ba presumed that supporters of Mr Vogel will be drawn to fill up the vacancies of the Bench.” • _ Naseby, December 22. A tremendous rain storm or waterspout hurst over the town on Saturday night. If it had continued more than an hour the town would have been flooded, and there would have been great loss to property. Tay street is completely destroyed. The main bridge over the Hogburn Creek was swept away. The horses had to bo taken out of Packman’s stables and the Victoria Hotel, and several other buildings were flooded, A number of races suffered considerably, particularly the Extended Company, whose race • is silted up for several miles. The sludge channel was severely tested. The damage is estimated at near LI, 000. While I forward this the . ram is pouring down, and the town is again under flood. t Queenstown, December 21. Ihe trip up the Lake by the Venus party lasted two days. The weather was splendid, and the affair a great success. The photographers have now taken over two hundred views of the district and scenery. They leave here on the 20th for the Bluff. Mr Malaghan’s resignation of the captaincy ° . j Volunteers has been received with regret. It is due to business engagements. Judge Gray opened a "heavy sitting of the District Court to-day. Some good washings up are being made known. Auckland, December 21. Thompson, charged with embezzlement from Mr Quick, has been committed for trial. Another information has been laid against a I publican, the landlord of the Greyhound being summoned for employing a barmaid after hours'! The magistrate said it was a queer law that allowed a man to work his wife and daughter to death out not a barmaid. The case has been remanded. A letter has been published at the Thames from Moffatt, the only white man allowed to live at Kuiti with the Maori king. Moffatt writes to a friend at iShortland strongly denying ever making powder, and says“ it seems that the Government is making powder and repairing guns for Maories. It is all gammon. I am repairing ploughs, cart wheels, mills, and doing other blacksmith’s work. Two GovernMaories came to arrest me, and said, We like you to make this public, and let the people see how the money is spent." This action is on account of laud at Rotorua that I blocked them getting. The Government are now making a road over the boundary in the Native country without purchasing any right. Theie wall be a row about it in January. I will send papers to publish showing how the money is spent in bribes instead of purchasing land. ’ The letter contains strong statements about the Native Minister, too strong for publication. Moffat is a relative of Dr Moffat, the African missionary, is an engineer by trade, and came out to the Colony, when young, with his parents. He has been amongst the Maoris many years, was imprisoned, and after release received protection by the King. Opposition is still raised to the payment of the 20s education tax, and summonses have been taken out against several people. A meeting is called to subscribe to defray the expenses of defending the summonses.