NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1575, 7 March 1879, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

[pee PEEBB AGENCY.] Wellington, March 6 The girl Grace Nichols, who was so severely injured in a buygy accident at Horokiwi Valley, having had a portion of the skull and brain removed, is getting well rapidly. Important additions ore being mode to the old hospital.

The Manawatu County Council are urging the Govcrnm nt to throw open for settlement on deferred payment a block «f land near Palmerston North. At the half-yeai’ly meeting of the volunteer fire police it was stated that the only subscriptions which that body received during the past financial year, was ,£25 from the corporation. The Mayor thinks Wellington should contribute at least ,£IOOO towards the Kaitangata rel ef fund, and intends communicating wth the heals of different denominations, with a view of securing a more general canvass of the community.

JL'he butchers’ employes are agitating for a half-holiday on Wednesday afternoons. J Ley urge that for five days a week they w irk from six till seven, and till half-past tea on Saturdays. Over seventv persons have given in their names as members of the proposed volunteer naval brigade. Ihe late Alfred Lu'llam’s estate of thi ty-five acres at the Hutt, with duelling and a number of outhouses, was sold to-day for .£6600. Since the commencement of the year to the present there have been 492 civil cases, and 230 criminal, with 64 judgment summonses, making a total of 786 heard in the local courts. The Mayor has consented to call a public meeting of burgesses in connection with Clark’s drainage scheme, but he declines to stultify his own action in the City Council by taking the chair at the meeting. A settler at Horokiwi, named Brim, was struck by a falling branch while felling timber, and killed.

Hokitika, March 6

Karnbach, of Diedrich and Karnbach, butchers, at Ross, has been missing in the bush for three days. He was in search of cattle. Gbeymouth, March 6. 8,376 ozs. gold was shipped this morning for Melbourne.

Westport, March 6.

The search after the body of the alleged murdered Costello has proved fruitless. The woman Sibree’s statement is not corroborated in any particular. The girl who, she said, witnessed the murder denies all knowledge of it.

[PBOM OUB OWN COEBEBPONDENT.] Timabu, March 6

A man, named Moss, fell off a dray near Temuka on Tuesday, and the wheel passed ovee hia head, almost scalping him. He is, how, ever, likely to recover. At the Harbor Board to-day it was resolved to remove all port dues at Timaru, and make it a free port. The fixed deposits, amounting to nearly .£ 100,000, were replaced equally in tho National and Union Banks until money is required, At present they are not likely to be broken into, till the main contract is let. The Rev. J. Inglis gives his farewell lecture to-night. The new grand stand at the racecourse is now completed, it has, with other improvements, cost about .£ISOO, It will seat 450 people, and is provided with stewards’, jockeys’, weighing luncheon, and ladies’ rooms, a kitchen and two capacious bars. In front is a terrace, aud a 100foot square lawn sloping towards the coarse. The acceptances for the rates close on Saturday evening. The deaths in Temuka district last month were within one of the births.

[Press Special Wire.]

Auckland, March G,

Mr Whitaker, the member for Waikato, will address his constituents at Cambridge to-morrow afternoon.

Tenders are now being called for the second contract for the Waikato railway, to cost between and J620,0u0.

Mr Goldie, the newly elected member for City West, received the following telegram from Mr Acton Adams, recently elected at Nelson: — “Congratulate you as brother in arms for national secular ed cation —Acton Adams.”

At Papakura the low-lying districts are being flooded by the immense downfall of rain this morning A settler drove into Papakura valley to get Fitzgerald and another settler out of their house. He found the house surrounded by a -beet of water, which had risen to the top of the fence. The upper portion only of the house was visible, and it was impossible to get near to it. Fears are entertained for the safety of Mr and Mrs Fitzgerald, who are elderly people living by themselves, and are about seventv-five years old. Messengers were sent to ascertain their safety. An influential meeting was held to-day, to ■consider the best means of bringing under the notice of Government the disastrous i fleets of the abolition of the timber and gram duties. Several resolutions were passed, and a committee appointed to carry them out. Wellington, March 6.

The City Council was occupied all the evemug in an animated debate over the allocation of the <£loo,ooo loan amongst the different wards of the city. Many of the Councillors take great objection to the schedule as brought down. The Hon. Q. M. Waterhouse informs the Corporation that the City Council overdraft is in excess of the amount authorised by law, and that each individual member of the council is responsible, and that, as a burgess of the city, ho wil’. feel it his duty to commence proceedings against the council as a body unless the overdraft is at once reduced to the legal limit

Napier, March 6.

A man named J. Whelan is in custody on a charge of arson. Some time ago Whelan was charged with forcible entry of a cottage at Taradale, in possession of Wm. Hawker. On the morning of 25th February, while the charge was being investigated at the R.M. Court Napier, the co tage was burnt to the ground Yesterday an inquest was held, and evidence weut to show that Whelan had t et fire to the place prior to his leavi'g Taradale, on the morning of February 25th, to attend the Court at Napier. A verdict to that effect was returned, and Whelan was arrested on the Coroner’s warrant. The cai-e was brought before the R M. Court this morning, and remanded till Wednesday Owing to want of rain the Porangahau river is dried up, and settlers are in consequence placed in great straits, having to take cattle and sheep two miles to water. Mr Sheehan met the natives at Pokawhai to discuss native matters.

It is understood that Wi Pere, a Gisborne chief, will contest the East Coast Maori election on behalf of the Government. He will be strongly supported by the hapus which are the action taken by Mr Rees in regard to native laud disputes. Dunedin, March 6.

The Senate of the New Zealand University were in committee all day on the Chancellor's report, A committee wag appointed to report on the subject of a uniform matriculation examination for the whole of New Zealand, and on the question of assimilating the Matriculation and Civil Service examinations. A committee was also appointed to revise and to suggest amendments in the regulations for the law degrees. _ , The Otago University Calendar, just issued notifies that a School of Mines has been organised and that lectures will be delivered in mining, geology, mineralogy, and petrography. Mr Bird, manager of the Fern Hill Club, was to-day fined j 625 for having in his possession a salmon trout, contrary to the provisions of the Act.

Several informations have been laid by the police, for the purpose of testing the legality of monster sweeps, and of tho Calcutta sweeps which proceed on the days of races. Invercargill, March 6.

The Ministerial appointment of Messrs Pratt and Dalrymplo to be trustees of the Invercargill Municipal Sinking Fund is in direct opposition to the Town Council, who recommended Messrs Dalgleish and Hall. It has caused much dissatisfaction, and more is likely to be heard of it