TELEGRAPHIC.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1683, 12 July 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

GAEL E_ NEW S. AUSTRALIA. [eeuteb’s telegrams.] MELBOURNE, July 11. Mr Bony, replying to a deputation, deeliuod to repeal the Stock Tax, though favorable to granting some concession. NEW ZEALAND. [PEE PEESS AGENCY.] WELLINGTON, July 12. A heavy fall of snow fell last night on the hills surrounding Wellington. Mrs Ph'llips, charged with arson, has been acquitted. The Crown Prosecutor offered no evidence against Alphonao Rush, charged with perjury, and a nolle prosequi will be entered. The Government has ordered the removal of the stores of ammunition from the East Coast outlying districts to Napier. A private letter from Westport says in the event of a dissolution Dr. Hemy will be opposed by Mr Monro. The Tramway in Difficulty. The Tramway Company is in difficulty, owing to the subsidence of the track. It is impossible to keep the crown on the road without raising the whole track, which would be a very expensive operation. The corporation have called the attention of the company to the matter. The Pairlie Engines. An interesting experimental trip was made yesterday, under the superintendence of Messrs Conyers and Lawson, between Wellington and Featherston, with a new singleboiler Fairlie engine, drawing a heavy train of about eighty tons, consisting of eight fullloaded waggons, up the gradients and round the curves which abound on the lino. A speed of forty five miles an hour was attained, but where the line was pretty straight, and laid with 521 b. rails, the speed was fifty to fifty-two miles an hour. Owing to the rain and the want of sand-boxes the train was stuck up at the steepest pinch of the line, and a couple of waggons had to be detached. The thirty-five miles from the Eemutska summit to Wellington occupied just one hour. AUCKLAND, July 12.

A fire broke out at two o’clock this morning in a twelve-roomed house in Hobson street, owned by Mr Gkcion, a publican, and rented by a laborer named Loeg, whose wife is a milliner and dressmaker. The fire began in empty rooms at the back. All the contents were destroyed. It was insured for £IOO. Dampiers shop adjoining was gutted, but although the burning building was a mass of flames and connected with Dampier’s, the Fire Brigade got such a force of water to play on it that they battered out the fire. Mr Dampier is insured for £SOO in the Standard and £3OO in the Union. The damage done to Dampier’s is only such ns has been done by the removal and the water. Sentenced for Arson. Leseur has been sentenced to seven years for arson and for falsely accusing two other men of burning the Rev. Mr Barton’s bouse in the Waikato.

AUCKLAND, July 11. A remarkable case was heard at the Supreme Court to-day. A man named LeSeur was found guilty of perjury. He had accused two men of having set fire to the house of the Rev. Mr Barton, at Waikato. The men proved beyond question that they could not have done so, and LeSeur was arrested on the charge of being the real perpetrator. Ho was committed for trial for perjury and arson. Evidence was givrnthat he asked several persons whether ho would not get the reward for detecting incendiarism. The Judge, in summing up to-day, said, as to the motives, prisoner know of the £IOO reward offered by the insurance companies and £SOO by the Government, and might have thought he would have the privilege of building up the house, he being the only carpenter in the neighborhood. His Honor deprecated such rewards as leading to perjury in the gull!y“of"per Inurf 1 n urf. re ?S r A. A .° c , used waß . found proceeding. At the Board of Education to-day several applications for votes of money had to be refused, owing to the lack of funds. Mr Durville thought it disgraceful that the Board should have to struggle on in such an impecunious way, while similar bodies in the South had a plenitude of money. If the Government would not vote them sufficient money for carrying out their legitimate functions they should hand in their resignations, and allow the Government to provide for the working of the educational system in the provincial district. It was shameful that out local public bodies should allow themselves to bo sat upon in such a way. No motion was made, and the matter dropped, WELLINGTON, July 11. Mr Brandon addressed his constituents at Pahautanui. Ho pronounced very strongly against the Government, and condemned them on their general policy. Though ho never admired the late Sir Donald McLean, he did not think Sir G. Grey or Mr Sheehan would ever settle the Native difficulty. He condemned the Land Tax Bill as an iniquitous measure. Had he known the sort of men who were going to replace the late Government, he would not have voted as he did. Ho would gladly record his vote agaiuat the Government if a motion of want of confidence was tabled. Mr Buckley applied for a special jury in the case of Cooper and Brodie, for a breach of the Arms Act. The application was refused. The hearing of the case, however,will not be fixed without four clear days’ notice being given. The “ Chronicle ” says :—“ Wo think it is

quite on the cards that the present batch of Maori prisoners may again attempt to escape, and as they are under the influence of a fanatical superstition, it is just possible that they would, if at large, commit a few murders. The Government ought to be very careful in their custody of these prisoners. Indeed, the best plan of all would be to have them brought on for trial at once at a special sitting of the Supreme Court, and then, if found guilty, they could bo sent to the Middle Island to serve their sentences. That plan of sending Maori prisoners to Dunedin gaol was tried some years ago, and worked very well. The Supreme Court lias boon occupied all day over the charge of arson against Mrs Phillips, the case for the Crown having only concluded at seven o’clock. The case for the defence is now going on. In the course of some observations the Chief Justico referred to the fact of the Government offering a reward of £SOO for information that would lead to the conviction of an incendiary, and characterised it as a most objectionable and unheard of proceeding to offer a reward for a crime before it was committed. *

The Maori prisoners were in a belter humor to-dr>y. The solitary confinement to which the refractory are subjected seems to have had a good effect. All the necessary arrangements for strengthening the place are completed. Barricades are erected across the doors of the rooms in which the other Maoris are confined, in order to prevent a sudden rush being made upon the guard. Mr Mackay, and his coadjutor, Mr E. 11. Power, are also actively employed in carrying out all the necessary sanitary and precautionary measures which the exigencies of the case render necessary.

Mr John Hornby, saw-mill proprietor of Picton, has purchased the schooner Laurel for £IOOO. Ho intends uemg the vessel for the timber trade.

The “ Gazette ” notifies that sections 53 lo 00, inclusive of Reserve 350, Hinds Survey District, containing -122 acres, are reserved f„r the purpose of granting them to the borough of Ashburton. A number of other reserves are also made for various local bodies. The middle lino of the Ellesmere and a portion of the Little River and Akaroa rail-

way is defined. The following persons are appointed on the Tuniuka Park Board : —Messrs L. O. Raynor, M. D , Robt. Wood, Win. - Colman, Alex. Wilson, John Paterson. Tho following Assessment Courts have been unpointed under the Lind Tax Act :—R. M. Courts at Amberley, Oxford, Lecston, Kirwea, to be adjouinel to Selwyn County Council efllces, Christchurch. Mr C. P. Cox is appointed a member of tho Licensing Court for -tsbburlcn. Notifications are gazetted of Mr Eallanoo’s retirement, and tho appointment of Mr Gisborne, and the Premici’s appointment as Treasurer,

TIMARU, July 11. No clue has yet been obtained 60 ,he per* petrators of the outrage on dime and Company's building on Wednesday right. The weather is very wintry. A stiff, southerly gale, accompanied by dr ring snow, has prevailed all day, and the country is one sheet of white. OAMARU, July 11. _ A public mooting was held to-night to consider the conduct of the Government in regard to public works in this district, especially the non-erection of the railway station, court-house, and post office. Several speakers expressed their astonishment and disgust at the manner in which the Government have treated the town. Time after time promises have been made by Ministers that a new railway station would shortly be erected on the site selected by the Commissioner of Riilways. Although several months have elapsed since Mr Macandrew promised that tenders would he called in a few weeks, nothing has yet been done. Resolutions were passed asking the members for the district to urge upon the Government to erect the railway station, new post office, and court bouse. DUNEDIN, July 11. A meeting of the Kaitangata fund subscribers ;was held this evening to consider an amendment of Article 4 of the scheme of investment, to give trustees the power of dealing with the fund. After very considerable debate, Mr Robert Gillies and others succeeded in amending the scheme of investment so as to prevent any diversion of the fund, so long as there remain any claims on it by sufferers by the accident, and then its future appropriation is to he determined by a meeting of subscribers. Mr Fish and others tried hard to obtain an adjournment, with the view of getting an expression of opinion from subscribers generally, but were unsuccessful. The house of William McKandry, bricklayer, situated at Rothesay.Wtsfc harbor, was burned down last night. The house, which is detached, consisted of five rooms and a cellar, was built of wood, and insured for £175 in the Victoria office. A fire occurred on Mr Jas. Sband’s farm, Outram, about seven o’clock last night. The cattle byre, in which some seventy bullocks were stall-feeding, was burned down. The building, which cost £4OOO, was insured in the Union office for £ISOO (half re-insured). Thirty of the bullocks were literally roasted alive. The fire originated in a loft above the cattle shed, and destroyed the woolshed, cattle shed, stable, chaff house, engine, oat crusher, and part of the men’s quarters. It will take £3030 to replace the buildings. All the horses were saved. The origin of the fire is unknown. A number of ladies and several gentlemen met this afternoon in the Temperance Hall, to inaugurate the creche , or infants’ day nursery. The Mayor wag voted to the chair, and the following resolution was passed : “ That the practical utility of the creche and Kindergarten systems having been demonstrated in many places, and the circumstances of cur community being such ss to make it highly probable that a similar institution would be a boon to many struggling families here, this meeting agrees to approve generally of the proposal to inaugurate such an institution in Dunedin, and pledges itself to give the promoters all possible assistance and encouragement.” A committee of ladies and gentlemen was appointed to act. An accident happened on the tram line near the town terminus this morning. When opposite the old railway station a passenger named William Munro, imitating the example of another passenger, jumped off the carriage and fell on his head on some metal. He was picked up insensible, and it wag seme minutes before he recovered, and could be conveyed horn*.