BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3707, 9 January 1875, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Wellington, January 9. The Excelsior Lodge of Good Templars has received information from Auckland that the Hon. L. D. Hastings has arrived from America, and institutes a Grand Lodge for the whole North Island on the 26th inst.

Ihe Marquis of Noruiauby was sworn in as Governor at noon to-day by Judge Johnston, ou the verandah of Government House. Mr Goring, clerk to the Executive Council, then lead the commission, and the Artillery tired a salute.

Grahamstown, January 9. At a public meeting convened by the Mayor, an influential committee was formed to make arrangements for the reception and entertainment of the Volunteer representatives. It is proposed to give them a, banquet and ball.

Napier, January 9. At the fire yesterday a blacksmith’s shop worth L3OO and uninsured was destroyed : also tlm private dwelling of Mr Clarke valued at L7o which was not insured, Nagle’s furniture was saved, but the whole of the stock was con* sumed. The stock was valued at L 1,500, and the building at L 450. There was a policy for LI,OOO in the Victoria but the company re-in-sured half the risk in the Standard office. The fire started amongst the goods in the upper storey of Nagle’s premises. An inquest will likely be held.

(From our own Correspondent.)

Auckland, January 8. Newton, the Maori, has been sentenced to death. The Natives had declared that if the Pa kehas would not hang him they would. He seems perfectly callous, and informed the gaoler before the trial that he expected he would be hung. Before the inquiry into the murder he had so far humbugged the Natives into the belief that death was from a visitation by God, or heart disease j that they were going to bury the girl without investigation, but one old Chief observing blood issue from her mouth insisted on an examination by the Pakeha doctors, which resulted iu showing that the spinal column of the neck had been broken, which was not visible to the Natives. The girl’s nose was quite flattened on her face—evidently done while breaking her neck across the villain’s knee. The captain of the steamer Hero made a •acond annual excursion in aid of the local charities, conveying charity school children free, and charging other excursionists ss, to be devoted to the funds of the charities. The charity, however, was made profitable for all things, for a large number of complimentary tickets were issued to friends of shippers by the Hero, whose 5s would have been very acceptable to the ohariti®*, There was an unaccountable decline in insurance shares to-day—South British seld at 48s ; National sellers, 275. This js attributed to a general want of speculation and a desire hy business men to invest their spare cash ip ordinary lines of trade instead of allowing it to lie hi shares. Miffing speculation is stagnant. The Hon. L, D. Hastings, a member of the United States Congress and one of the great leaders of the Good Templars in America, who arrived by the Maogregor, is delegated by the bead of the order to visit the Colonies. He was enthusiastically received by the representatives from the leading centres of the Province. In his address he expressed the utmost conticlencc m future of the order, and glowingly described the work it had already accomplished He will probably visit the South. 1 The schooner purchased by Bouman and Co., of Dunedin, for LI,BOO, is to be launched at the end of the present month from Niooll’s building yards at the North Shore. . . T . . ' January 9. Captain Logan, of the Hero, was to-day fined HSI) for carrying more passengers on the trip before last than he was entitled to. The Customs authorities prosecuted at the request, it is understood, of the Marquis of Normanby who was a passenger by that trip.