NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1609, 17 April 1879, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

[PBB PRESS AGENCY.] Auckland, April 16. Mr Tunney, the provincial analyst, has reported favorably on three samples from the western springs water supply. The cutter Start went ashore at Ngnngnm. The crow are safe. She is insured in the South British for .£4OO. The general purposes committee of the City Council recommend the appointment of a subcommittee to consider the question of taking over the Mechanics’ Institute. At a meeting of creditors of Thompson, a clerk, to day, the statement showed—-Liabilities, .£l9l : assets, nil. New Plymouth, April 16. Mr Sheehan left for Wellington, in the Hinemoa, this morning at ten o’clock. A largo number of well dressed Maoris are on their way to Parihaka. It is considered remarkable that there are no women among them. The meeting at Parihaka takes pla:e on the 18th. ["from our own correspondent.] Timaru, April 16. At the Board of Education to-day Messrs Edward Wakefield and G. P. Lovegrovo were elected to fill the vacant seats on the Board. At the Police Court James McGill, contractor, of Christchurch, was committed for trial on two more charges of obtaining money by false pretences. Ho again protested that at the time of issuing the valueless cheques he was too drunk to know what he was doing. The Borough Council last night resolved to assst the Christchurch City Council in getting the seat of Government there.

Reports having been spread abroad that the heavy sea on Sunday and Monday last did enormous damage at Timaru, they have received an unqualified denial, The only damage done was the washing away of loose earth, and undermining one side of the lately erected cement shed, causing six barrels of cement to be lost. No damage whatever was done to the Government landing service, while the Breakwater, although the outer portion had only just been put down, stood the terrific seas splendidly. [Press Special Wire.]

Auckland, April‘6

The working men’s baths having proved a great success, it is now proposed to add a swimming bath 60ft. by 40ft. King won the hundred yards handicap at Cambridge. Patrick Fennell, charged with stealing from the person, was found guilty, and sentenced to nine months’ hard labor. A Government land sale was held at the Waste Lands Office to-day. A considerable number of lots in the towns of Tanranga, Kamo, Tanpiri, Ohipi, Weymouth, Opoliki, and Waiomeo, Bay of islands, were sold.

Grahamstown, April 16.

The following telegram was received by Major Murray to-day from the Colonial Secretary and Defence Minister, in roi ly to a report from him on the efficiency and good behaviour of the men who went to the Waikato :—“ Wellington, April IGth. Major Murray, Thames. I congratulate you on the success of the Volunteer demonstration and upon the order and efficiency displayed by the Thames Volunteers. It is very gratifying to be able to rely upon the assistance of so large and well trained a body as the contingent you took with you to the Waikato. The Thames Volunteers seem to have been worthily supported by the Waikato Cavalry. Please accept my personal thanks for your own personal action in bringing about this result.— G. S. Whitmore.” Patea, April 16. The Chief Tauroa, who lives with his people about three miles up the Patea river, having heard that the Waimate Plains land has been withdrawn from sale with the object of its being returned to Tito Kowaru and other prominent actors, has for several days past been talking quite freely of claiming Patea if Tito gets the plains. Tauroa says he himself was compelled by Tito Kowaru to fight or be killed, and that this was the only alternative left him during the late war. He is much excited at the report, but is not altogether displeased, because hecon-iders that if the Natives belonging to the plains, who started and forced the fighting, are entitled to such large compensation in land, his own claim to Patea and to land formerly held by him (but which has been confiscated and sold to Europeans) will be undisputed. He expresses his determination to use every endeavor to secure its return to the young men of the tribe. His land has been taken and he has had to suffer imprisonment at Dunedin with his people. Tito Kowaru has always been free, and is now being better treated than himself, who suffered so much by the war. Wellington, April 16.

The Governor consented, at the request of the Sydney Exhibition committee, to become president of the commission, and expressed his desire to do all in his power to further the object of the undertaking both by using his influence during his projected visit South to obtain the active cooperation of Canterbury, Otago, and Southland districts, and also by personal attendance at the meetings of the commissioners after his return. To-day Mr Justice Richmond decided that the fact of a man being required at the Resident Magistrate’s Court, whether as witness, plaintiff, or defendant, would not excuse him from seiving on a Supreme Court jury. In consequence of the present tightness in the municipal exchequer, and the consequent pa; ti A suspension of work, it has become necessary to reduce the corporation laboring staff, and thirty men have had to be paid off. The work of extending the Wellington tramway to Newton will be commenced shortly. The yacht Prentice has been missing since Good Friday. An application has been made to erect a new wharf in connection with a deep sea fishery scheme recently got under way. His Excellency received his full commission by last mail, and will be sworn in to-morrow at noon, by Mr Justice Richmond. John O’Connor was arrested this afternoon for obtaining money by representing himself as a detective. He will be brought up to-morrow. The Supreme Court was occupied all day over two larceny cases. The various branches of the volunteer force in the colony have a total strength of 7073 officers and men belonging to 123 companies. This is an increase on the number of volunteers in the previous year of 525, but a decrease of four in number of corp-’. The total of each branch of the force is as follows Cavalry, 11 corps, 551 men ; artillery. 9 corps, 639 men; engineers, 2 corps, 123 men; rifles, 56 corps, 3344 men; naval, 5 corps, 434 men ; cadets, 4 corps, 1982 boys. The total strength of the armed constabulary amounts to 824 men of all ranks, distributed over 183 posts. There are 38 commissioned officers, 145 non-commissioned officers, and 641 rank and file. The total strength of the force in December, 1876, amounted to 610 of all ranks.

During 1877, 648 declarations of insolvency wore filed in the Supreme Court, and 346 in the District Courts, a total of 994, being an increase on the declarations and statements filed in the previous year of 452. Tee aggregate amount of assets, as shown by the statements filed, amounted to ,£381,027, the liabilities having been in excess of the assets by .£245,789. Mr H. D. Bell, appeared as Crown Prosecutor for the first time to day. A child run over this morning by a milk cart and which at the time was thought to be uninjured, died this evening. In the Supremo Court, after being locked up for three hours and a half, the jury returned a verdict of “ Guilty ” against Edward Peel for stealing a number of kegs of nails from Guthrie and Larnach’s premises here. Prisoner will be brought up for sentence to morrow. There is still one criminal case before the Court, and if that should not be decided by half-past eleven the Court will be adjourned for an hour or two, in order to enable Mr Justice Richmond to swear in the Governor. , . . At the Governor’s ball about 400 were present. In the first quadrille the following were partners The Governor and Mayoress Dransfield, Mayor Dransfield and Lady Robinson, Captain Maxwell, of H.M.S. Emerald and Mrs St. John, Hon. J. T. Fisher and Miss Robinson, The following Ministers were present: Hens. A. Whitmore, Fisher and Ballance. The Premier was absent. The supper was quite informal, there being no scats, no toasts, and no speeches whatever. Nelson, April 16, At the Supreme Court to-day, Henry Carter, charged with cattle-stealing near Charleston, was acquitted. Dunedin, April 16. Sir Julius Vogel is to be requested to represent the various chambers of New Zealand at the proposed meeting of delegates in London. A telegraph message boy wat robbed of his watch and chain whilst on his way to deliver a message. The Vincent County expended the sum of *£30,836 on roacla and works last year.

A meeting of the Chamber of Commerce was held to day to consider the radway workshop question. Ihe following resolutions were carried :—‘'That the attention of the Hon. the Minister of Public Works be called to the resolution of Parliament fixing Dunedin as the locality for the chief railway workshops for the Middle Island, and to the promises made by Ministers that the chief management of the island should be conducted in Dunedin as soon as the trunk lines were open throughout, and that he bn respectfully requested to state the instructions of the Government on both these subjects.” “That Messrs E. B. Cargill H. McNeill, R. Oliver, and the mover be appointed a committee of the Chamber to watch over the interests of the community in the matter.” '] he Otago Educational Institute continued its sittings to day, when several papers bearing on the education question wore read. Invercargill, April 16.

A man named Timothy Whelan was charged at the Police Court this morning with having murdered one Thomas Lynch. From the statement of Inspector Fox on opening the case, it app; ars that Lynch and Whelan wore mates on the railway formation contract at the New River. On Tuesday evening they had some quarrel with regard to a clay pipe, which deceased accused prisoner of having taken. Finally they came to blows. On parties interfering they were separated, and Lynch instantlyexpired. The case was remanded till the inquest takes place. A post mortem examination of the body of the deceased will bo made to-morrow morning, and the inquest will be held in the afternoon.