BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 3843, 18 June 1875, Page 3

BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.

Wellington, June 16. It is understood that among the measures to be brought forward next session of Parliament is one for the amendment of the Bankinptcy law. and that Mr Bowen has devoted great care to the framing of the Bill

A well-attended meeting of the tarly settlers was held this afternoon. A resolution was unanimously carried to the effect that pioneer settlers and members of their families, who ar rived prior to June, 1848, are entitled to free grants of land, and that Parliament be moved in the matter. June 18. Messrs Woodward, Pearce, andTerrie, on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce, and Messrs Bunny and Hunter, representing the Provincial Government, will form a local commute re the Philadelphia Exhibition. An attempt to invalidate the city water-rate failed in the R. M. Court this morning. ' The ‘ New Zealand Times ’ urges the abolition of the publication of ‘Hansard’ merely subsiding it to publish daily condensed reports supplie't by the Government reporters. A proclamation in the ‘Gazette* repeals all the former rules for remission of sentences cf prisoners in New Zealand prisons. According to the new rules a prisoner will earn a remission by attaining a certain number of marks, as a' result of industry—good conduct being a sine qua non, though not counting in the same way as actual marks.

. Blenheim, June 17. The Wairau election nominations took place to-day. duly Mr J. Ward and Mr Moorhonse were nominated. The show of hands resulted as followsMoorhouse, 83; Ward, 57. Mr Ward demanded a poll, which will take place on Monday.

Christchurch, June 16. The debate on the Superintendent’s message rt the Education Bill was resumed in the Provincial Council this afternoon. After three hours of speeches it was decided to go in*o Committee to consider the amendments proposed in the Message, but it is evident this Wa | out ot respect to the Superintendent, and it is feared that none of the amendments will be adopted. The Government are determined to maintain the new Bill intact, and they have a majority of the House to support them.

, , June 18. In the Provincial Council last night all the amendments to the Education Bill proposed in the Superintendent’s Message were negatived; and Mr Walker’s original motion, “ That the Superintendent be informed that the Council could not agree with his amendments, and that he be requested to accept the Bill in its present form,” was carried by 22 to 11. During the deoate the members of the Government were repeatedly charged with having broken their promises to the electors on the subject of education made at the last general election. Mr Montgomery, president of the late Executive, indeed went so far as to challenge Sir Cracroft Wilson, president of the present Executive, to resign with him and test the feeling of the electors on the point, but Sir Cracroft declined. Mr Montgomery, who has fought hard against the new Education Bill, and Sir Cracroft are both members for the Heathcote district. Mr Jebson’a motion, “That it is inavoidable to _ entertain any proposal to abolish the Provincial form of Government in Canterbury until the people have clearly and unmistakeably expressed a wish for it, was, after a short discussion, withdrawn as inopportune. £ _ The * Times ’ this morning says :—A delegate from the Dunedin Typographical Society is about to visit Canterbury, with a view of resuscitating the old society which recently died out. The object of the Dunedin Society is to make Canterbury a stronghold of trade unionism.

Jacobsen declines to accept Bowley’a challenge for a walking natch. At the Volnnt«er inspection last night Colonel Packe announced the receipt of a letter from the Defence Office, stating that the new Snider rifles will be shortly served out to all Volunteers here. This will remove a long-stand-ing gnvance wh.ch threatened to completely stop volunteering in this Province. * Tunes’ this morning, commenting upon the telegram that Sir Julius Vogel had stopped free immigration and substituted a system of promissory notes, says this statement must intheabsenceof more authoritative intelligence, be taken as extremely doubtful Neither the Company nor any of the Shipping agencies in town, who have all received intelligence of emigrant vessels loading for New Zealand, have heard anything of this alleged action of Sir Julius Vogel with respect to emigration. Two railway employes at Rolleston, on Wednesday night placed a quantity of live embers of Grey nver coal in an oil tin in tbeir sleeping room to warm it, and next morning both were in a state of insensibility. One recovered slowly when taken into the open air, but the other one had to be conveyed to the Christchurch Hospital _ the annual meeting of the Auxiliary Mile Society last night the report showed its affairs to bi in a flourishing state, and that over double the number of Bibles had been distributed last year compared with the previous *ne.

Two human skeletons and a number of splendid greenstone implements have been found near the beach at Sumner. A challenge for L 25 a side has been received from W. Edwards, Dunedin, who offers to back himself for that amount to walk seven miles while Young Delaney runs ten A reply was forwarded yesterday by telegraph that the challenge would be accepted on the conditions stated, if the race was run in Christchurch. The Fakir of Oolu is playing here to crowded houses. {From our own Correspondents.) Auckland, June 17. A lunatic named John Oast escaped from the Whau Asylum this morning. When the attendant was engaged passing out some articles of wet bedding to dry in the air Oast made a rash at him, and getting past him’ set off at his best speed into the country. He has not yet been captured. Oast was received into the Asylnra on 4th of February, 1874, and is a very dangerous maniac, having once nearly killed a man in the Waikato district. He was bareheaded and barefooted, and is a notorious burglar. James Duunis, who has been some months Paata perpetual annoyance to the inhabitants of the City West and Ponsonby, through his constant acts of pilfering, has been cap- • -foTi y detectives. He was convicted in 1871 on seven clear cases of larceny while liymg at toe Thames. On being confronted by delective, ho presented a revolver at the constable s_ head, but was suddenly prevented from carrying his threat into effect. The man “TS been living by theft. His habit was on dark k unday evenings, when

persons h&d gone to church, to lift the windows and commit his depredations. Several felonious acts have been brought home to him, and a silk shawl, valued at L 5, found in his possession this morning, has been identified by the lady who owns it.

A fearful accident occurred in Chaple street. The horse drawing the cart of Leonard, a milkman, baulked, and the wheel coming into contact with the kerb, the vehicle upset with great violence, the reversion being so complete that the horse remained on his back with his legs kicking in the air, while three lads were thrown into the gutter and partially covered by the cait The head of one lad came into violent collision with the asphalte, which inflicted a terrible wound on his right temple, a pool of blood nearly a foot in diamel er marking the spot where he fell The wheel of the cart also remained right across his thigh, and the struggling of the horse caused the iron tire to graze and bruise the flesh very badly. Fortunately no bones were broken. The other two lads escaped with slight contusions ; one of them getting his face cut in two or three places, and the other his thumb sprained, Balolutha, June 18. At the opening of the Church of England here yesterday adarge number of people were present. Bishop Neville consecrated the building, and afterwards preached an eloquent sermon. A soiree was held in the evening at Barr’s Hall, which was crowded. Tke Bishop and the Revs, Messrs Stanford, Leeson, ana Witbey, and Sir John Richardson addressed the meeting at intervals. Sacred music was also rendered by a choir, large number of people are now leaving the township to witness the turning of the first sod of the Kaitangata Railway by Sir John Richardson.