INTERPROVINCIAL.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 340, 15 July 1875, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL.

AUCKLAND. The Thames correspondent of the Herald of the 7th, gives the following account of the recent gale at the Thames:—“The weather on Sunday was ominous, wind blowing strong from the north-east, veering round to the north-west, which caused an unusual swell of water as the tide made ; and it became evident that a loss would be sustained. This was verified ; for the full force of the gale, becoming more westerly, accompanied by fitful falls of rain, drove the accumulated water of the spring tide upon the wharves, crafts, buildings, fences, and roadways with an unmitigated relentlessness. In the lower part of Grahamstown, from eight to ten o’clock, the streets were covered with water, bringing to grief many a Sunday-going suit of clothes, as their owners attempted to reach their various habitations, after appearing in public worship. * The night being dark, screened the ‘ troubled ’ ones from general observation. The morning revealed the injury. Cuitis’s wharf, at Grahamstown, had a piece taken out of it about 50 feet near the shore end; several small boats were sunk, and the harbour boat, which had been on the gridiron for repainting, was thought to be secure, being firmly lashed, but the strength of the wind and weight of water as the waves broke across the wharf tore the stern clean out and sent the other portion adrift. The Tramway Company’s shed suffered from the retaining sea-wall giving way, causing the building to heel over, one half parting from the other, and the locomotives were placed in great jeopardy. Thompson’s wharf receiving the debris of Curtis’s, was not proof against such odds, and gave way for upwards of 100 feet, scattering timber and firewood along the beach, while the fences in the neighbourhood were mostly prostrated. Tararu wharf has also fallen a victim, displaying two chasms in its length of not less than 350 feet. The destruction to this erection is mainly attributed to the lifting force of the waves, the platform serving as a fulcrum to aid the strength of the briny leveller. Several places on the Tararu road have been rendered dangerous. Some of the storekeepers in Albert street have suffered severely, the water covering their floor for several inches. Cheap sales of damaged goods are now being notified. Fortunately no fatality has been recorded in connection with this burst. The shipping were just able to hold on and weather the storm. The loss, however, is considerable, and will greatly inconvenience our commercial men. The new goods wharf is all right, and the Grahamstown wharf will be so in a short time, Mr Curtis, with his accustomed energy, having placed a gang of. men to collect his missing property, and called for carpenters to repair the structure at once. At a public meeting, held at the Thames Academy of Music, on July sth, the following petition was adopted unanimously : “ To the lion the members of the House of Representatives of New Zealand iu session assembled. The humble petition of the undersigned on behalf of the inhabitants of the Thames electoral districts : Sheweth that the population of the district by the last census return was 12,239, and has increased since the opening of the Ohinemuri and Tairua goldfields to over 13,000. That the extent of the district is 1800 square miles. That the value of the gold which has paid duty up to 31st March, 1875, is £ . That the annual amount of duty paid on goods consumed within the district amounts, by careful computation of the Collector of Customs, to £BO,OOO, That within the last three years the value of the gum, flax, and timber obtained in the district amounted to £250,000. That the district, from its close relation to native territory and in consequence of the industries peculiar to it, possesses special and independent interests requiring attention in the General Assembly. That, taking the great basis of representation, viz, population, wealth, and extent of territory, the district is entitled to at least four members. That in view of the foregoing facts, we, the undersigned, on behalf the inhabitants of the Thames district, ask that your honorable House will take the premises into your faovrable consideration and accord to this district snoh additional representation as herein suggested, and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.” The Herald says :—Two and a quarter tons of quartz taken from the reefs in the Tairua Gold Mining Company’s ground, which is situate on the goldfield lately opened at Tairua, has been taken to the Thames and crushed at the Moanatairi Company’s battery, for a yield of 88 ozs of gold, or at the rate of nearly 39 ozs per ton. This stone was not what is usually called “ picked specimens,” but was taken indiscriminately from the shaft and elsewhere, and affords another indication of the marvellous richness of our auriferous deposits. It will be remembered that a period of most depressing stagnation preceded the discovery of gold on the Thames, which had been hidden within our reach for years, and how our commercial life was then stirred and resuscitated by the wonderful yield from the Caledonian and others ; and now, when the Thames is in the shade, another El Dorado is discovered, the Tairua bidding fair to take a prominent place as a gold producer, and to revive the desponding hopes of commercial men. Already forms well known on ’Change

in the days of prosperity gone by are seen once again, ready, no doubt, to take part in the coming excitement.

The Cross of the 7th gives the following account of the alleged case of arson men* tioned in recent telegrams : —“ Yesterday evening, shortly before nine o’clock, the house of James Conley, in Official Bay, was discovered to be on fire. Mr Fernandez, the proprietor of the Railway Terminus Hotel, was one of the first to observe the' fire, and immediately despatched a messenger to give the alarm, while he, assisted by some of his customers, who were fortunately in the house, endeavored with buckets of water to extinguish the flames. lu this the party were successful. At the time of discovery of the fire the only occupants of the house was a little girl who was staying with the family, the rest being away in various parts of the town. Inspector Brohaxn, who was promptly on the spot, made an examination of the premises, which convinced him that the cause of the fire was not accident. In questioning the little girl, it appears that contradicting statements were made—the child at one time stating that a bushman had entered the house and set fire to it. Other facts transpiring, Inspector Broham deemed it his duty to cause the arrest of Mrs Susan Conley, her son James Conley, and the little girl in question, upon the grave charge of having set fire to the house with intent to defraud the New Zealand Insurance Company, in which office the premises are insured. The house belongs to James Conley, the waterman, who has had the misfortune to have lately undergone an incarceration at Mount Eden for six months for having some tobacco found in his house, proved to have been smuggled from H.M.S. Rosario. WELLINGTON. We extract the following items from our Wellington exchanges : At a meeting of the Jockey Club, held at the Empire Hotel, after certain preliminaries, it was resolved to make further improvements on the course, especially on the runin, which will be considerably increased, the trustees of the Hutt park having purchased several acres of ground from Mr Freethy, which will enable the stewards to make the necessary improvements. Other alterations are in contemplation prior to the spring meeting, which, when completed, will make the Hutt course one of the best in the colonies. The Rev Mr Patterson has been nominated by the Superintendent one of the Governors of the Wellington College, in room of Mr Pearce, resigned. Three resignations took place lately, namely, those of Mr Walter Johnson, Mr Gisborne, and Mr Pearce. Their places are now supplied by Mr Buckley, Mr Jackson, and Mr Paterson. The resignation of the three gentlemen we have named was caused by what they considered the improper interference of the Provincial Secretary with their duties as Governors. It may be remembered that the Provincial Council, during last session, voted a grant in aid of master’s salaries of £3OO. The Council did not fix in what manner this sum should be divided among the masters, and the Governors naturally supposed that they were the proper parties to decide this point, but Mr Bunny chose to save them any trouble in the matter, by fixing the particular sum to each master himself. The three gentlemen did not chose to abnegate their functions to Mr Bunny, aid finding that friendly remonstrance was unavailing, they retired from office.

A case of more than ordinary importance came before the Resident Magistrate’s Court the other day, viz, that of Martin v Landstain, It seemed, says the New Zealand Times, from the evidence given that defendant had purchased land at auction in Christchurch. He lived at Christchurch in July, 1869, and the land was situate in Canterbury: but plaintiff, the vendor, resided in Wellington; and so also did his solicitor, Mr Travers, who had drawn up the deed. The purchase money was not paid, and the question then arose, in which province ought proceedings to recover be taken 7 Mr Travers selected Wellington, and when the case came on for hearing yesterday, Messrs Brandon and Hart appeared as witnesses, and, as experts, gave evidence that Mr Traver’s law was correct. Mr Izard, who appeared for defendant, argued strenuously that the Wellington Coart had no jurisdiction in the matter. The Act was very explicit, and set forth, in the most nnmistakeable terms, that cases should be tried in the province in which the causeof action arose, and clearly—argued the learned gentleman—the cause of action must have arisen where the unfulfilled contract to purchase was made—at Christchurch. Therefore, the Wellington Court had no jurisdiction. In replication, Mr Travers argued that according to all usages the purchase money was payable in the province in which the vendor resided, and where the office of the solicitor for the vendor who drew the deeds up was situated. The action had arisen because the money was not paid, and Wellington being the place where the money was payable as a necessary following, the cause of action must have arisen in Wellington. His Worship decided to take time to consider his judgment. We may add that a special feature in the case is the fact that, if the decision be adverse to plaintiff it will probably upset his claim altogether. The present action was commenced just before the beginuing of July, in order to bar the plea of the Statute of Limitations; but if the case is taken into a Canterbury Court, the statute may be effectually pleaded.