ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1552, 8 February 1879, Page 3

ENGLISH AND FOREIGN.

[BY SUBMARINE CABLE.]

[REUTER’S telegrams TO PRESS'AGKNCT.I London, February 5. The President has sent a message to the French Chamber, which expresses his devotion to parliamentary affairs. February 6, In consequence of the plague, three weeks’ quarantine is ordered at Malta against arrivals from Southern Russia. There is increasing vigour against the plague on the frontiers of Germany, in Austria, the Turkish principal!* ties, and Italian ports. The ambassador at St. Petersburg has been recalled. Lord Dufferin succeeds. [special to “globe.” 1 London, February 6. Lord Loftus is appointedwGovernor of New South Wales. AUSTRALIA. [{ebuteb’s telegrams to the press AGENCY.] Sydney, February 7. Arrived—Hero. The Englishmen in their first innings made 267. New South Wales have lost two wickets for 53, Our fielding was bad. The English batting was splendid. [special to the press agency.] Melbourne, February 7. Terrible bush fires occurred at Oolac. Four persons were burnt to death. Two others are not expected to recover. There are fires all over the country. Quotations for brandy, kerosene, tobacco and rice are unchanged. No New Zealand wheat or oats are in the market. Arrived—Hero, from Auckland. Adelaide, February 7. Quotations for wheat and flour are unchanged. Cooktown, February 7. The blacks are proving troublesome. They speared Captain Skyos. His companion Hartley succeeded in escaping to the boats pursued by the blacks. Brisbane, February 7. Heavy rains have fallen throughout the colony, At a banquet in connection with the Warwick Agricultural Show, Governor Kennedy spoke strongly in favour of agricultural education. He also condemned Protection, saying that he considered it the means of robbing the many for the benefit of the few. Ministers in recent speeches have promised to offer the available land for sale at fair prices. HEW ZEALAND TELEGRAMS. [prom our own correspondent.] Auckland, February 7. At a meeting of the Mining Association today, on the motion of Mr Morrin, a resolution was passed th .t the Borough Council and County Councils, Prospecting Associations, and all parties concerned to be convened for Thursday next, to consider means for con tinning to work the big pump. Mr Morrin expressed his opinion vigorously: retrenchment was necessary, though the mine had been better managed lately. A vote of thanks was passed to Mr Black, manager. At the Police Court to-day, a man was brought up for the eleventh time on suspicion of being a deserter from the Dido. He has been in custody since November 14th, and repeatedly remanded. Mr Laishley appeared for him. The Court had detained prisoner under the IN aval War Act. Mr Laishley demanded the production of the warrant, which the Court refused, though holding that it had power to repeatedly remand. Mr Laishley contended that the Court had no power under the Naval Discipline Act to remand, but only to lund over to man-of-war, and pointed oat that in Judge Johnston’s list of Imperial Statutes, and Mr Currin’s book, the Naval Discipline Act, 10 and 11 Victoria, were not mentioned as in force in this colony. The Court held that it had general powers under the Mutiny Act. Mr Laishley replied that the only power of remand was under sections -45 and 18 of the Justices of the Peace Act, applying to indictable offences and summary convictions, and when the Court itself had powpr of ultimate trial. The Judge took till Monday to consider. Bluff, February 7. Paterson, arrested the other day for getting in front of a train and into the sea in a state of nudity, turns out to have been sub-editor of the Melbourne “Argus.” He was shipped by his people from Melbourne, knowing him to be insane. The attention of the New Zealand Government will be drawn to the subject. [Press Special Wire.] Auckland, February 7. Mr Dempsey, contractor, has received notice from the Government that his tender of .£32,800 for the reclamation of the new station on Queen street Wharf had been accepted. The latest pigeon message to the “Star” from the race between the schooners Transit and Torea, says the Transit was leading. The race is not expected to be finished till to-morrow morning. At the Chamber of Commerce to-day the chairman stated that owing to the stoppage of the big pump at the Thames, the water would probably soon be up to the sea level in the Caledonian and Moanatairi mines. It has deprived 3,000 persons of the means of living. The committee appointed to act with the colonial Exhibition Commission are arranging exhibits for the Sydney exhibition. Napier, February 7. A coroner’s inquest was commenced this afternoon on the Konini Hotel fire. The evidence of John O’Brien, Dennis O’Brien, and a shepherd named McDonald was taken. Nothing of consequence was elicited from the two brothers, and McDonald, on whom the police depended to give direct evidence, disappointed them, his memory failing him when in the witness box, although two hours previously he made a confe-sion which, if brought out in evidence, would have tended to show that the fire was an act of incendiarism. The inquest, at the request of the police, was postponed till four o’clock on Monday

The Native chiefs here are much annoyed at Mr Sheehan not revisiting the district, as he promised when on his way from Auckland. Karaitiana, member for the East Coast, still continues ill, and very little hope is entertained of his ultimate recovery

Dunedin, February 7. At a meeting of citizens this afternoon, a large and influential committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements for the suitable reception of His Excellency when passing through Dunedin. A half-holiday will be proclaimed, and an address presented by the Mayor and t ity Council.

It is stated that a conference of insurance agents will be held in Christchurch shortly, to revise the present rates, with a view of making the competition leas keen. A tire broke broke out to-night in the shop of Mrs Kirk, milliner, George street, but was extinguished before v uch damage was done. The stock was insured in the Standard office for .£IOO.

At the Palmerston Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day John Burgess and Fred Hankey were committed for trial for having placed a pair of trolly wheels on the railway line.

In the same Court Mr James Green > chairman of the County < onm-il, was charged oh tuo information of Wru. R .benr.ou for that on December 2nd la-t, art cliainna \ of the Council, he voted uprtn .1 matter in which he was directly interested, to wit, the election of a cha man for the said county, such chairman then deeming himself to be entitled to an allowance or salary of ill 50 per annum, contrary to the 73rd section of the Counties Act, 1876. Mr Fraser appeared for the prosecution, Mr Haggitt for the defence, The county clerk was the only witness to prove the facts, which were as follows’. —Mr Green in the beginning of 1877 was elected chairman at .£l5O. He continued in oflic-, with the exception of his formal resignation and re-appointment, till the fourth Wednesd »y in November, 1878. 'i he meeting to b ve been held that day was adjourned till the 2nd Dec., wheU Messrs Green and McKenzie were nominated for the chairmanship, and Mr Green by his casting vote, sitting as chairman, was himself elected. No vote for the salary had been passed since January, 1877, and Mr Green had since drawn salary at the rate of =£ 150 till Dec. Slat, 1878. Therefore it was contended that he voted in a matter in which he wart pecuniarily interested. Mr Haggitt, for the defence, contended that there was no criminality in Mr Green voting for his own election to the office of chair m .n, and the mere fact that he believed the office to be worth id 150 a year did not make the act of voting criminal. No Council could vote a salary to its chairman beyond its term, and Mr Green, by mistake, had been paid salary beyond that term, namely beyond the fourth Wednesday in November. That did not make illegal what , was in itself legal. He had not voted himself the salary; he only voted himself chairman. After a good deal of legal argument Mr Watt said, even taking the strongest view that Mr Green voted himself chairman solely for the benefit of the £ I 00, his mere act of voting himself chairman was not illegal. That act could not be made criminal because Mr Green had a certain belief of its result. He dismissed the information on this ground. A preliminary investigation will be held tomorrow before the Commissioner of Customs re the death of the lad Taylor, who fell from the mast of the Easterhill. In the captain’s log book, under date January 9th, appears the following entry with reference to the occurrence:—“Wm. Taylor, aop-entice, fell from aloft (about main royal yard), being sent by Mr Mitchell, second officer, to overhaul and stop the main royal buntlines. In his fall he struck the boat, skid end, most heavily, then rebounded to the wa er Life must have been extinct before reaching the water after such contact. Moreover, there was no sign of life whatever after reaching the water. The only part visible was the back and parts of the jacket and trousers, and as they became saturated with water the corpse disappeared close to the ship’s stern, it being perfectly useless to throw a lifebuoy or round the ship to the wind to enable us to get a boat out, as the corpse was disappearing so quickly. We are also of opinion that his body must have been broken in two after such a fall across the skid end.—David Evans, master ; John Martin, first mate ; James Mitchell, second officer; John Thomas, carpenter.” Owing to the small number of prisoners in the gaol for some time past, the staff of warders has been considerable reduced. Invercargill, February 7. At a meeting of the Municipal Council tonight, it was resolved that debentures of iJIoOO each for ,£l00,"00, relative to the water supply loan should be prepared, the debentures to be r interest at 6 per cent., and have a fifty years currency. The town clerk was ordered to prepare an estimate of the probable water revenue. There is great outcry here about the harshness displayed by the Banks in calling in advances on short notice, and that too without fair consideration of the undoubtedly good assets of the majority of customers. The new Theatre will be finished in a week. It is said Mr Darrell will open it. At the Education Board meeting to-day, Mr Monziea tabled a motion that the Government be advised of the urgent necessity of meeting the requirement of the education system of the colony by placing an additional vote on the estimates next session.