NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1632, 14 May 1879, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

[PEE PEESS AGENCY.] WELLINGTON, May 13. Mrs Caroline Phillips, who had been residing in tho house burnt at Kaiwarra on Sunday last, has been arrested charged with setting it on fire. She was brought up this afternoon and remanded for a week, bail being allowed in two sureties of £IOO each. Reported Ministerial Programme. WELLINGTON, May 14. The “New Zealander ” says a determined attempt will be made by the Government to impose an Income Tax, in the shape of similar proposals made in Victoria by the McCullough Ministry, in which all deriving incomes under £SOO were not included. It adds, “the collection would not involve the costly machinery necessitated in carrying oat the Land Tax.” The Anderson-Easby CaseA cross action for violent assault, in which Anderson, of the “Chronicle,” and Easby, a blind maker, are tho principals, occupied the Court all morning, and, as the evidence for Easby is not quite all taken, the case may not finish to-day. WELLINGTON, May 14. James Martin, barman at the P. and 0. Hotel, pleaded guilty to stealing certain small sums of money from tho till. He was remanded in consequence of there being other charges. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TIMAEU, April 13. The half-yearly session of the Grand Orange Lodge of the Middle Island of New Zealand will be held at Timaru on Thursday. A very painful accident, likely to terminate fatally, occurred this afternoon. A man named Payne, employed by the George street landing service, whs holding the rope of a skid on the beach between two boats, one of which was being launched. By some cause the moving boat swerved and jammed Payne against the other one, crushing his chest terribly and causing blood to spurt out of his mouth. lie was picked up in an unconscious state and conveyed home, where he now lies in a precarious state. He has a wife, but no children. News was received to day of the sudden death in Mackenzie country on Sunday last of Mr W. H. Ostler, owner of the Ben Ohau station. The supposed (cause is heart disease. He was one of the earliest settlers in Canterbury, and was very highly respected. The Levels Road Board were to-day obliged to return all tenders and refuse applications for new works owing to want of funds. The Borough Council are considering the propriety of giving their engineer notice for a similar reason. The waterworks engineer (Mr Wrigg) is seriously ill. [Press Special Wire.] AUCKLAND, May 13. A Maori named llawira shot his wife at Wairoa, near Whangape, in a fit of jealousy. The bullet entered her right side, and lodged in the body. The woman is still alive. The man cleared into the bush, aud is armed with a gun and supply of ammunition. Tho Uinemoa will leave for Russell tomorrow', and will probably return to Wellington with Sir G. Grey, on Friday or Saturday. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 13. Mr Shaw, the newly-appointed Magistrate, took his seat on the bench to-day. At a special meeting of tho Borough Council Mr Donkin was appointed Borough surveyor. A largo number of Natives passed through here this morning en route to Parihaka, where a meeting takes place on the ISih. WELLINGTON, May 13. The “Post” circulates a rumor that Mr Hutcheson has decided not to contest tho coming election for t,he Mayoralty. The Court of Appeal sat again to-day. In Picker v Wren, plaintiff petitioned for leave to appeal against a decision of tho Supreme Court at Auckland. The petition was dismissed with costs. The case R -gina v Reed is now on. It is an appeal against a decision of the Supremo Court at Christchurch, in which one Reed, now a prisoner of the Crown, was convicted of perjury. In the case of Calcutt v Binney their Honors reserved judgment. It was an appeal from Dunedin, and tho plaintiff sought to recover the sum of £337, the amount of a dishonored promissory note and interest thereon, at the rate of 8 per cent since July, 187?.

The “Chronicle” to-night has an article headed “The Insolvency Epidemic.” It ays : —“ Manylyears ago there prevailed on the West Coast of the Sout h Island just such an epidemic of insolvency as now exists in Wellington. Judge Ward treated the disease in such a thoro gh and searching manner that it was virtually stamped out, and the name of Chas. Dudley Ward became a terror to dishonest insolvents. Surely there might be found some judge in Wellington who would treat this insolvency plague as effectually as did Judge Ward on the West Coast.” Attention is being called to the unusual press of business in the Magistrate’s Court lately. The second wife of Cowan, the bigamist, has left for Adelaide.

Every captain who has arrived during the last few days reports a tremendous eea running along the East Coast. In a fire at Castle Point Manguson’s hotel was burnt down. The insurances are stated to bo £9OO in the South British, £IOO on the stables, and £3OO in the Union on the stock and furniture. The cause is unknown.

Roberts and Rignold’a Temperance Hotel, at Featherston, was also destroyed It was insured in the Victoria Company’s Office for £4OO, and the furniture in the Colonial for £2OO.

The following meetings of creditors were held to-day ;—J. Back, tobacconist, Manners street; Henry Evans, hotel keeper, Carterton; James Martin, Wellington, grocer; Thomas Morgan, Wellington, dining-room proprietor. The estate of Eddie and Jack, wine merchants, was shown to be perfectly solvent, and that the debtors wero doing a business to the extent of £27,0G0 a year. The creditors resolved to carry on under the supervision of Messrs Nathan and Capper. A desire is being expressed that the Queen’s birthday should bo celebrated on Monday, The Reform Football Club are arranging to play a match by electric light, Mr Proudfoot, of Dunedin, having consented to lend two of his lights for tbe occasion. A phonograph, the only instrument of the kind in the colony, is to be exhibited at the Athenamm shortly. FOXTON, May 13 The canvass for the shares in ti e SansonFoxton railway is progressing favorably. Only about 1500 remain to bo disposed of. The necessary plans and books of reference have been deposited with the County Council. Probably tenders will be called in two months for the formation. The County Council struck Is rate for this year. Last year thoro was a sixpenny rate. The principal reason given for the increase is to obtain larger subsidies from the Government in view of the probability of subsidies ceasing next year. The County Council will contribute £3OO to the new Wanganui Hospital. The Council resolved to ask the Government to place £12,000 on the estimates for the inland road —Foxton to Waikanae. The other Councils interested are asked to cooperate. The work from hero to Otaki is being pushed on vigourously. The Government having undertaken several expensive works in this county without consulting the Council, and deducted the cost from subsidy and land fund, the Council yesterday passed a strong protest, and declared such action an in'ringement of its privileges. DUNEDIN, May 13. The immigration barracks are empty, all immigrants having found employment. Peter Dey’s tender for the Bollgrovo section of the Foxhill Railway, for £8159, has been accepted. The Choral Society’s annual meeting was held to-night. The committee, in their annual report, congratulates the society upon a successful year from a musical point of view. The year just closed commence with a deficiency of £9O, which has been paid off, leaving £ls to the good. Of 3000 acre? of land opened for application to-day, only 230 wero taken up. Surveys of the Strath Taieri Railway, through Taieri Gorge, are turning out much better than had been expected. There will be heavy rock cuttings, but no tunnels.