BY ELECTRIC-TELEGRAPH.

Evening Star, Issue 4136, 30 May 1876, Page 3

BY ELECTRIC-TELEGRAPH.

Auckland, May 29. A telegram has been received .that the umpires have both declared Auckland to be the winner of the chess match.

Five; Chairmen of Suburban Highway. Boarder hive convened a public meeting to protest against the Government delay in re the Kaipara Railway.

Wellington, May 30. The District Officers of the Oddfellows, and Becbabite Societies met last ' night to cohsider the Friendly Societies’ Bui prepared by the Government to submit ttf tbo House in the coming session, and-a deputation representing all three societies win wait upon the Minister of Justice to day with respect to the provisions of the Bill. It is understood .that Mr Fitzgerald has been mmgeddrafting the new local Government Bui. It is stated that the hew Municipal Bill being prepared will, contain provisions; by which the accounts of all bodies adminis-f' tering local government will be subject to an official audit, similar to that existing for. Provincial accounts.''

Cdlonial Architect will, this evening .callfor tenders for the 'erection of a central prison for the Colony at New Plymouth. Tenders to be sent in by 12th July.

Hokitika, May 30. ■ Eortegast’s. brewery, at Ross, was burned to the ground at 2 o’clock this morning. No other property was destroyed. The hydraulic apparatus worked admirably. The building was ihiiircd in the Imperial for L9OO. (JVom our own Correspondent. ) Oamaru, May 30. Noah Page, a navvy working on the •Waireka line, had his leg badly smashed by the ballast waggons yesterday. r i he leg. had■ to be taken off. He is progressing favor-' ably. Another man named John Lindsay met with a serious accident at the Fapakaiq. He was descending, a well when the rope precipit'ated to the bottom, and sustained a severe fracture rendering amputation necessary. He is doing well. A ; serious stabbing ..case is reported to Inspector M'Lusky as having occurred at Hampden. A man named Charles Mains stabbed hia wife in six places, but none are dangerous unless erysipelas sets in. If the Woman is better the case comes on before the, Resident Magistrate at Hampden to/ inprrpw; Maihs was working for Mr Bremher, storekeeper. : ; ’ lV Wellington, May 29. . Referring to ;the grounding of the Australia inTPort,Chalmers, the ‘Post’ to-night remarks on the mischievous almurdity of : the present arrangement, by the fargeopeaq steamers are made to rahj'up apym. the coast to receive and dejiyof, ihe. ; Francisco, mails have receiyed a hew and cogent illustration. When “0: Cargill expressed with reference to his comeutronce of that difficult and dauPort Chalmers. Captain CaxguPir apprehensions were well founded. that^he-Auatrakar-a* might have been expected, ran aground Whue s'endeavoring. otoc thread that narrow, torttiousy ahd intr cafe channel, and had to v , th6'hext tide before abb could be ? ,^bal-

tho vast arc described by the steamer in turning her 400 ft of length-, unhesitatingly expressed the opinion that if she succeeded in entering and leaving .Fort Chalmers without disaster it would be little less than a miracle. She has got in with only comparatively slight mishap, but has" yet to get out in safety. Even if she accomplish this, which is exceedingly problematical, the Coastal Service will not have been carried but this ' month any more than last, S again the mail boat has not been able to at Kapler. The fatuity of risking, with- ' the slightest practical reason, a steamer which cost JL140,000 to build, in these foolish and, useless attempts to visit such an exposed and inconvenient roadstead as Napier and so dangerous and inaccessible a Harbor &s Port Chalmers cannot be denounced in too strong language. Even if the steamers bad to call only at such safe ports as Wellington or even Lyttelton it'’would be ridiculous to make th£m entet more than one New Zealand harbor. The present arrangement is so utterly preposterous that it is hard to understand how it could have been evbr conceived by any sane person, and still harder to com* prohend by what process of reasoning it could, have been made to commend itself to the astute brain of .the Premier.” Messrs Gisborne, Seed, and Knowles are still pursuing their mcuuries at the Provincial offices.Tney require to be furnished with a complete list of the Provincial Government , officers, also with the age, length of service, and rate of salary in each case. The . return will take some time to prepare, ‘as inquiries..will require to be sent to various parts -of the Province. The ages of the officers are wanted as data to base the amount of compensation in case of discharge. The Government have prepared a Bill to amend and consolidate the law relating to Building Societies, which will be brought forward next session. It is an adaptation of the English Act of 1874 to the circumstances of the Colony. Draft copies of the Bill have been sent to the secretaris of the several Building Societies throughout the Colony with a request that suggestions for modifications should be made. A meeting of the directors of the several' Wellington Building Societies wiH shortly be held to take the Bill into consideration.

Referring to recent Jbrutal assaults and outrages by Natives at Patea, the ‘ Post ’ says “It is high time the Natives of the Patea district were ■ taught by a salutary lesson that they will not be permitted to commit deeds of brutal violence with impunity. Instances frequently occur in Which Natives assault a European, thrash and kick and after all either escape punishment altogether or are mulcted in a trifling fine. The knowledge that he will be treated with exceptional lenity has the worst possible effect' upon the Maori. It encourages him to perpetrate further acts of violence and to hold m : contempt both magistrates, liw, and policemen’s baton. There is a resident magistrate (Major Turner at Carlyle), and, in met, the lnoat ample provision the district for maintaing-law and order.” It is stated that a mounted messenger was sent to Major Turner to request the assistance of the constabulary, but the Major replied'that he bad no constable to send; yet it is a fact that the cost of constabulary stationed in the district amounts to many thousand poonds a year, and the men have almost nothing to do, and something is radically wrong. Why should the country pay for the support of a body of men . whose duty it is to maintain the Queen’s authority and protect life and property from lawless violence, when on such occasions their services are not made use of. Above all, how is it that the law is not strictlv enforced against the Native offenders ? Judging by the past, it would not in the least surprise us if the perpetrators of those; brutal assaults were to oe allowed to go altogether unpunished. ”