NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1608, 16 April 1879, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

[PEB PBESS AGENCY.] Auckland, April 15. The Flirt from New Caledonia and Huon Island reports matters very unsettled in New Caledonia. The Thames Volunteers returned by train from Waikato this morning, and part returned to the Thames by steamer immediately. The remainder go to-night. The Auckland Goldmining Company to-day confirmed a resolution in favor of winding up. New Plymouth, April 15, At the Police Court this morning Joshua Jones, the Mokau settler, who resides at New Plymouth, charged Robert McMillan with having at Mokau, on Ist April, assaulted him with intent to commit a murder. The case was remanded to Thursday next, McMillan being held to bail in his own recognisances in .£2OO. To Hone Whare and Honi Paka, of Mokau, are subpoenaed as witnesses, Welltngton, April 15. The following tenders were received at the Public Works office, Wellington, for the Springfirld contract of the Malvern Branch Extension Railway Accepted, F.Benham, Christchurch, ■£10,353; declined, C. Watty and Co., Christchurch, .£11,092 ; John Fraser and Co., Christchurch, <£11,753. Bluff, April 15.

A carpenter, named John Clark McKay was arrested to-day by Constable Coffey, charged with having attempted to commit a rape upon a child under five years of age. He was remanded till to-morrow. [from our own correspondent.] Timaru, April 15. John Maher broke his thigh by falling over an embankment near the Loan and Mercantile Agency’s store la?t night. The vacancies in the Geraldine County Council, caused by the resignations of Messrs Macintosh, for Levels riding, and Ostler, for iv ounc Cook, have been filled by Messrs H. T. Sealy and G. F. Clulee respectively. There is every prospect of Waimate County breaking into two, as a great deal of ill feeling exists between the north and south. Cam A ru, April 15. The man John Morrison, who some three years ago was committed for trial for throwing kerosene over Isabella Johnston, a woman with whom he was living, and then setting fire to her, bat who managed to get off on that occasion, was brought up in the Magistrate’s Court this morning on two charges of brutally assaulting the same woman. It will be remembered that in the case mentioned the woman was so seriously injured that sho had to be removed to the hospital for medical treatment Prior to the case coming on in the Supreme Court the woman was spirited away from the hospital. As no trace of her could be found, Morrison escaped. Since then he has on several occa sions ill-treated the woman, but has escaped punishment by getting the prosecutrix eut of the way. On this occasion the police have taken the matter in hand, and have so far succeeded in preventing a return so the old tactics of the prisoner. The unfortunate woman presented a deplorable appearance in the Court to-day. Her face was literally one complete mass of bruises, tho whole of one side of it being as black as coal. Her evidence showed that the prisoner had used a hammer, a small axe, boots, a pole, and his fist in the course of the two assaults complained of, that ho had struck her with these over the head and all parts of the body, drawing blood from her head, eyes, and no=e, and t' at he threatened to cut her head off. When she begged for her life, he said “You are a coward, and are afraid to die.’’ The prisoner was remanded until Thursday. [Press Special Wire.] Auckland, April 15. The evening paper states that the timber trade of Auckland regularly employs three thousand men, and half the vessels that trade on our coast. The protest lodged yesterday by McCable, rider of Loafer, against Uira, on the ground of jostling, was disallowed. Uira therefore remains winner. Arrangements are being made by Messrs Gilchrist, Watt, and Co. to enable passengers by the San Francisco mail to stay at San Francisco, Honolulu, or Auckland till the following trip without forfeiting their passage, as formerly. The following reply from the Premier has been received to the petition for the establish* ment of night classes connected with tho Auckland College and Grammar School:—“ Government Buildings, Wellington, 10th April, 1879. Sir, It was with great pleasure that I received your letter of the 29th ult., covering a petition from a number of young men engaged in commercial pursuits in tho city of Auckland, asking for the establishment of evening classes for instruction in the higher branches of education in connection with Auckland College and Grammar School. I entirely sympathise with your anxious desire for the evening classes, an object for which many years ago, when Governor of New Zealand, I gave a charter to Auckland College and Grammar School, so that evening instruction should be given to persons such as arc described in the petition. If you apply to tho managers of the institution I have every confidence that they will give effect to the provisions of their charter, and will establish in the City of Auckland such classes for instruction as you and the other petitioners wished to see formed. You may rely upon receiving at all times my aid in promoting

the greit object which you have in view. I have, An —G. Gbkt. To Mr W. .T. Napier, Auckland ”

N*\v Plymouth, April 15. Twenty armed constables ave to be placed at Okato. A telegraph station is to bo opened at Stratford, and the telegraph station at Okato at present used exclusively by the Government is to be opened to the public. Nothing has yet been done regarding the Waimato difficulty in the way of coming to a final decision. Messrs Machay and Blake go to Parihaka to-morroW. Me.-era Sheehan, Mackay, Brown, and Parris, have spent a good deal of time in coasu'tation, but the result of their deHberation has not been disclosed. Wellington, April 15.

Mr Cooper, Under-Secretary in the Colonial Office, has,had t* turn for the better to night* A very large number of tickets have a'rerldy been sold for the Governor’s ball.

The Stad Haarlem is expected here on Thursday morning, and the Immigration Barracks are being put in order to receive her contingent of immigrants. After discharging what cargo she has for this port she will go back to Lyttelton to land cargo for that port and Dunedin and load np for the homeward voyage. The poll of ratepayers regarding the loan will be taken on the 22nd.

The establishment of a gymnasium is being advocated. The last Wellington gymnasium, which was well appointed in every way, was allowed latterly to go almost unused, and was at length converted into an engine house. It appears that a number of Maoris in the Hawera and Waimate districts, instead of opposing the railway works there which run over confiscated territory, are anxious to obtain employment on the works. There are about twenty Natives at work on one of the subcontracts.

William Harris, charged with neglecting his wife, was brought before the Resident Magistrate, who in the course of the inquiry, finding that the prisoner had been in the habit of brutally beating his wife while in delicate health, caused an information to bo laid against him for the same, and then sentenced him to eight weeks’ imprisonment. Mrs Harris was not desirous of so prosecuting her husband, but the R.M. said she must.

George Gibbons, another wife-beator, got fourteen daj s’ hard labour. Dunedin, April 15.

At a meeting of the Harbor Board to-day a letter was received from the harbormaster, reporting the fact that the Stad Haarlem had gone on to lyttelton in consequence of the state of the Otago bar. The Chairman (Mr Ters'ey) ■aid that it seemed to him to be a question of getting a good dredge. Mr Ramsay said that it was a serious thing for the Board that the steamer had been unable to come inside the neads. For his own part, he thought the steamer should have waited till this morning when he believed it could have quite safely got over the bar. It seemed to him extraordinary that any gentleman occupying the position of Mr Selwyn Smith, the General Manager for the New Zealand Shipping Company, should ask a formal guarantee from the harbor master that the steamer could have been got into the harbor safely. Captain Thomson was quite right in not giving a guarantee such as that asked for, and he (Mr Ramsay) urged that Mr Smith had not shown that consideration for this part of the island which be should have done. [Mr Fish—Hear, hear. | He should have instructed the captain of the steamer to stand off for another day at least. This matter would prove much more serious to Port Chalmers than to Dunedin. It would be the means of preventing steamers of the class of the Stad Haarlem from coming to Port Chalmers. He concluded by suggesting that a dredge should be procured without delay. The chairman said that the difficulty was not with the Government, but with a certain member of the Government, Mr Macandrew, who had been an enemy to the Board since its creation. Port Chalmers was being “ had ”by that member of the Government, who knew that : n case of being ousted elsewhere he could always fall back on Port Chalme*s. This he had ifelt for some time, but had kept it bottled up. That member had been the lete noir of the Board, but had not the courage to fight above board. He had used an unseen influence. Sometimes he felt heartily sick of this warfare which the Board had to fight. The public little knew what a fight the Board had had with an unseen enemy. He was getting weary of the uphill work and the constant fight. Had he seen his way he would have retired long since. Dunedin was being sacrificed for that little place, Port Chalmers, the people of which ought to be heartily ashamed of themselves. The matter was referred to the works committee to report. The annual meeting of the Otago Educational Institute was opened to-day. Office-bearers for the ensuing year were elected, and an address in connection with the Educational Exhibition was delivered by Mr Fitzgerald, teacher of the Normal school. This evening a on education written by the Attorney-General, will be read, but not by himself, as he has not sufficiently recovered to leave his room.

The lists to hand for the Kaitangata relief fund show a total of .£6BOO, but this does not include Auckland, where .£IOOO has been subscribed, nor several other places. The money already received, with the exception of an amount necessary to meet pressing demands, has been placed as a six months’ deposit in the Colonial Bank.

A disorderly scene occurred in Princes and Stuatt streets shortly after eleven o’clock tonight. It seems that one of the Northern Volunteers was robbed of five pounds in a brothel in Stuart street, and was also beaten with a slung shot. On this being made known to bis comrades they rushed down Stuart street, to the number of about 150, to demand satisfaction and get the money back. Exact particulars are not obtainable just now, but it is said the money was returned. Four policemen were soon on the scene, and no violence was offered to the inmates or to the building.