BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3716, 20 January 1875, Page 2

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

m vir , Wellington, January 19. lire eslcyan Conference to-day discussed the question whether the Hokitika and Greymouth Circuits should be transferred from the Nelsou to the Canterbury District, but decided not to alter the present arrangement, me. ' January 20. dSntemf from te Pcr TararUf b consisted of ()% letters and 377 newspapers. The q mad, per Wellington, takes q.pQy letters and 2,700 newspapers. On the occasion of the soiree on board the ImS&S&Sr *r> m Jr?** {From our own Cor respondents .) mmif ' They^nt & UppTn^J^’ A mysterious death'has hem j finding the skeleton of tlm girl JWw'JpT » y van m the' bush, on the 0 ®olliPuhoi. Several months a , creelc at home to go to her uncle's I * l6 girl leffc her and was seen a short distLi 8 ?’ not , far off,

parties went out. The discovery of the skeleton satisfactorily proves that the girl lost her way iu the bush, and miserably perished of hunger within a very short distance from her home. Pout Chalmers, January 20. A ship has just (3.45 p.m.) beeu signalled from the Heads, but her number is not iu the book. She reports “all well.” 5 p.m. The ship at the Heads is the Wild Deer from Glasgow, with 302 immigrants. She is now being towed up.

THE LYTTELTON MURDER,

(From our own Correspondent.) Christchurch. January 20. At the inquest yesterday Dr Powell swore to the stains on the prisoner’s coat and comforter being blood.—Allen, mate of the schooner Canterbury, saw the accused with Isabella Thomson at ten minutes past five on the Saturday, and next saw him just before six at the railway station. He noticed them particularly. The girl stopped and looked him in the face.—John D’Arcy, cook of the Cleopatra, said the accused came on board on Sunday and changed his clothes. Witness saw the articles of clothing produced floating near the schooner, and believed them to be prisoner’s, and there was no tide to bring other articles close to the vessel.—John Skeet swore to seeing the prisoner coming from the parsonage garden, about three yards from where the body was found, and saw blood on his face.—Russell, a carpenter, said he was in the same railway carriage with the deceased, who had two scratches on his nose, and his hands were bloody. He told him he ought to wash his hands, when accused said he had been killing sheep.—Annie Rouse, a girl, and a widow named Toomey both swore to seeing the prisoner coming away from the Rev. Mr Pemher’s garden on the Saturday evening. Sergt. O'Grady gave evidence of the arrest and the distances from the places mentioned in the evidence to the scene of the murder.—The evidence given at the former proceedings was read o/erat the request of the foreman, and the jury, after a retirement of six minutes, found a verdict of “ Wilful murder.” The prisoner’s counsel, Mr T. Joynt, having been detained in Christchurch, could not be present. There was no demonstration on the part of the public, though there was a very lai-ge attendance. In the Supreme Court, in Chambers, his Honor "ave judgment in the case of Henty v. Holt. He allowed the demurrer, with costs. Leave to appeal was given.

SMUGGLING AT AUCKLAND,

{From our own Correspondent.) Auckland, January 19. A smuggling case occupied the Police Court to-day. John Harrison, captain of the schooner Dauntless, was charged with landing a cwt. of tobacco on which duty had not been paid. The chief officer was the principal witness for the prosecution. He deposed that before the vessel arrived a biscuit case was filled with tobacco and lowered into the hold, and on arrival at Auckland was larded in a boat shortly before one o’clock in the morning, at the end of Albert street. The captain was convicted on three counts, and fined LIOO for unloading the tobacco, L 25 for dealing in contraband goods, and LIOO for making a false entry at the Customs. He will be imprisoned till the fines are paid. During the examination, the magistrates ordered the Crown prosecution to lay an information for perjury against one Herman, a seaman, who denied all knowledge of the tobacco, but was flatly contradicted by the other witnesses. Herman was arrested before leaving the Court on a charge of perjury. [Sent 12.50 p.m., received 6.50 p.m,] The seizure of the schooner Dauntless, in consequence of the conviction of her captain for smuggling, is considered a great hardship to Mr Conroy, the owner, who it seems was in no way connected with the illegal act. Captain Harrison purchased the smuggled tobacco in Rouma on his own account. The Government brand was put on the schooner to-day, but she will probably be given up to her owner after rigid investigation and reference of tire case to the Government.