NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1739, 16 September 1879, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND.

PEE PRESS AQENOT. WELLINGTON, September 16. The Wellington Choral Society held its sixteenth annual meeting last night. The report showed a falling off in working members, and the balance sheet f«r the year, a loss of £3B.

HASTINGS, September 16,

On Important Native Land Case.

The Native Land Court is sitting here today for the purpose of hearing the Otamakapua case. Judge Heale presided. Dr. Boiler appeared as counsel for the Crown. The claim is an important one, as it comprises 12,000 acres for which the Government have agreed to pay £60,000 on completion of the title. Upwards of one hundred claimant’, have come across from Rangitikei, and Renata has made great preparations at Omahu, to which place tho Court has now adjourned.

[PEOM OT7E OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

The Dunedin Fire dence.

DUNEDIN, September 16.

The Octagon fire inquiry has taken a very unexpected turn. One witness swore positively that Waters threatened to fire the building if ho got it insured. The witness Hall thought him in earnest and quite capable of doing it. “Why?” asked the Coroner. “Because,” he replied, “the man who would run away with his brother’s wife and child is capable of doing anything, especially after saying so, and on account of his previous career.” George Ritchie, steward of the Cafe, identified the parcel of rags produced, which smelt of and appeared to have been strongly saturated with kerosene. They were dresses used on the Cafe stage. After the fire Waters accused him of saturating these dresses with kerosene, but he denied most positively that he had done so. It now turns out that Waters, whose proper name is Clair, was convicted in Victoria of burglary and perjury. Waters was arrested, bail being refused. Later. Waters was brought up in tho Police Court this morning, formally charged with arson, and remanded till Monday. Mr Denniston defends. The inquiry has been resumed. The police have leading evidence to show that several local offices refused to take a risk on the Cafe, tho back and contents of which were not worth £l5O.

WELLINGTON, September 15. The Working Men’s Rights League propose to agitate tho land settlement question, and ascertain the state of and facilities now existing for land settlement, and if possible a number will subscribe themselves as being willing to co-operate in forming a new settlement. Already there ore several who are willing to sell their little properties in Wellington, and settle on a piece of new country, provided it is put within their reach. In order to show that there is a genuine demand for suitable land, it is proposed to obtain the names of about 100 men who, having some little means, are ready to form a settlement, to discuss the various plans within their reach, and then by deputation to lay the matter before tho Government.

Mr Olimie, 0.E., has reported to the Minister for Public Works that a line of railway can be got from Wellington by way of Johnsonvillo with no gradient steeper than 1 in 53, and from Porirua with no gradient steeper than 1 in 65. Between fifty and sixty of the laborers employed on the Wadestone section of the West Coast railway were discharged at the end of last week.

_ The Naval Brigade continues to take practice cruises whenever opportunity offers, and there is some probability of the Brigade becoming owners of a small craft suitable for practising seamanship. _ Some forty members have joined the association formed to prevent the employment of Chinese in hotels.

DUNEDIN, September 15. A meeting of the unemployed was held today at the Princess Theatre ; six resolutions were passed. Their tenor was the encouragement of local industry, expulsion of Chinese, and restriction of prison labor. The meeting was orderly. At the close the new members for the city addressed the men, promising to to do their best to get them work.