BY ELEOTRIC TELEGRAPH

Evening Star, Issue 3755, 6 March 1875, Page 2

BY ELEOTRIC TELEGRAPH

Grahamstown, March 5. Mr James Mackay has resigned his office as Agent for the General Government at Ohinemuri. Various reasons are alleged by the newspapers. Major Palmer, Mr Knowles, the Under Secretary, and other tourists from Australia, arrived here overland from Tauranga. Considerable litigation is impending, and a number of retaining fees have been paid on cases to come before the Wardens’ Court. There is a great deal of sickness prevalent amongst children. The death rate for February is unusually high—22 deaths were registered for the district, 19 being children under one year. The causes are dysentery, convulsions, diarrhoea. Auckland, March 5. A circular has been received from the General Government liy the Highway Boards thoughput the Province. It is supposed to be either in connection with the proposed Constitutional changes, or as the basis of a property tax. March 6. The Inspector of Sheep announces that no case of scab exists within thirty miles of Auckland. The New Zealand Insurance Company received a telegram stating that the cost of repairs to and recovery of the s.s. Pretty Jane will not exceed LI,BOO. A meeting of citizens to consider a Williamson memorial passed resolutions first acquiescing in the late Mr Williamson’s services to the Colony, and especially to the Province; and second that the most suitable means of giving effect to the foregoing resolution will be the purchase of an annuity for Mrs Williamson. A committee was appointed. Sir Geo. Grey has published an expression of his views, in which he promises to follow popular sentiments in relation to the abolition of Provincialism; but contends for expounding the system which it is proposed to oubstitute for application ot principle to the whole Colony, and that any amendment to constitution will be first submitted to constituencies. The address is considered moat liberal, likely meets with general approval, and removes objections hitherto entertained. Christchurch, March 6. The first prize in the first set of distric' prizes has been won by Private Cameron, o? the Woodend Rifles, an old representative oi tiie Colonial prize-firing; and that of the second set by Gunner Hill, Christchurch Artillery, with a score of ninety two points. The * Times ’ says a legal action is likely to arise out of the late scene at the City Council. It is rumored that Councillor Hart has instructed his legal adviser to proceed against Councillor Raphael for saying he was drunk and a sot. The City Council this morning decided to grant licenses to all cabmen whose characters and capabilities were satisfactory; and the cabmen intimated they had withdrawn their guaranteefrom their legal adviser, so no more litigation is likely to take place, for this means a full acceptance of the new bye-laws and City Council scale.

Wellington, March 6. Amongst the notifications in to-day’s Gazette are the appointments of Messrs T. B, Gillies and J. S. Williams as Judges of the Supreme Court, and orders in Council assigning the district of Westland to the jurisdiction of Mr Justice Johnston, and the Nelson district to Mr Justice Gillies. March 6. The Council of the New Zealand University has been sitting this week. Mr fl. J. Tancred has been elected chancellor of the University for five years, and Mr Hugh Carleton vicechancellor for a similar period. A series of resolutions, relating to certain endowments of laud in the Waikato and Opotiki districts, has been drawn up, and the vice-chancellor has been

Instructed to transmit a copy of them to the Colonial Secretary, with a view of preventing the alienation of this land. Another resolution asked the Senate to urge the Colonial Govern* ment to take immediate steps to secure other blocks of land (20,000 acres} in the Tauranga district, for educational purposes, under the New Zealand University Act, 1874. The following resolution was ordered to be embodied in the regulations : —That the final examination, as provided for by the Otago University, of certain students who are about to complete their course in that University who matriculated previous to the affiliation cf the said University, be taken as the examination for B. A. degree, to be granted by the New Zealand University on passing of such examination—anything in statute and regulations of the New Zealand University to contrary notwithstanding—and that for this purpose the examiners be appointed by the Chancellor on tho recomuaen dation of the Otago Uuiver-ity. A curious complication has arisen in the case of Somerville v. Groves. Immediately after the verdict on Thursday, Mr Travers, for Somerville, applied under the sixteenth section "f the Real Estate Aet to have judgment issued out of the Supreme Court, and upon this he has made execution. Mr Hutcheson, for Groves, to-day, in Resident the Magistrate’s Court, moved for leave to appeal under the hundredth section of the Resident Magistrate’s Act, 1867, which gives three days within which motion for appeal can be made, and the three days do not expire till Monday. (From our otm Gorrwpondcvte.)

Auckland, March 5. r iji news states that gales have destroyed a large number of bread fruit, cottou, and other trees. It is now the hurricane season, and one of these unwelcome visitors is daily looked for. v Solomon Islander, laboring under fever and delirium, cut down with a tomahawk a fellow passenger by the schooner Daphne. A Good Templar Lodge has been established at Levuka. Steps have been taken to have Fiji represented at the New South Wales Exhibition. Ohinemun news states tiiat most of the men who have pegged out claims are very sanguine of the auriferous nature of their claims. J.lie Shipwrights’ Society celebrated their anniversary by a monster pic nic. Mr Passmore put them in high dudgeon by refusing to allow a special tram to run, which they had arranged for with the traffic manager The Oraki Maoris are busy at the wharf toP ac^ln S large numbers of boxes of dried sharks sent as a present to the King, supposed to be on Government account. A hundred ounces of alluvial gold was brought into Coromandel from Mercury Bay, but previous explorations of the district lead to the conclusion that any deposits must be of small extent. , Christchurch, March 5. There was an important case in the Magistrate s Court yesterday. The proprietors of the Lyttelton Times ’ sued John Macfarlano for the sum of Lls odd shillings, the amount due to the company for advertising and printiug incurred in connection with the Northern Blew cry Company at Kaiapoi, Evidence was given for the plaintiffs that the work had been done unuer instructions from Hutchinson, secretary at the time the company was floated, and a written authority was handed in from that gentleman for a portion of the work, and it was stated that repeated applications had been made to him for payment. When those applications were made he admitted his liability by saying there were funds in the Bank to the credit of the company, and he would see Mr and get him jointly to sign a cheque for the amount. There had been no communication with the defendant when the liability incurred; but as his name was first on the list of provisional directors, it was sought to try his responsibility. After hearing counsel for the defence and the examination of Hutchinson, his Worship (Captain Hellish, R. M.) said it had been shown that there had been no meeting of provisional directors or shareholders, and the secretary and solicitor had thus been appointed by themselves. He could not-, therefore, under the authorities quoted, hold the defendant liable, and plaintiffs must be nonsuited, with costs.

The Rev, Charles Clark opens at the Odd* fellows’ Hall on Monday next. Edward Hayton, living at Addington, went to a well last night for the purpose of drawing water, and fell in and was drowned. W ELLINGTON, March 6. Ihe Rev. C, Clark gave his farewell lecture here last night to a crowded audience. The ‘Times’ this morning says he could lecture another night with equal success. He leaves for Christchurch to-day.