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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1202, 20 December 1871, Page 2

The Attorney-General (Mr Prendergast), arrjved here last night by the Luna, from Wellington, and will conduct the case against; Kereopa, whose trial commences in the Supreme Court to-morrow morning. Capt. Levy, of Nelson, who, it will be remembered, traded very frequently in the neighbor hood of Opotiki at the time of the Rev. Mr Volkner's murder, was also a passenger by the Luna, and will give evidence against Kereopa. Capt. Levy is now, it is stated, the only European witness of the murder in New Zealand, and his evidence will, it is anticipated, prove very strong and conclusive. It will be seen by advertisement thut sealed tenders, receivable up to Friday, the 29th inst., are called for the erection of a United Methodist Free Church at Waipawa. As stated in our shipping column, the Luna steamed for the East Coast last night. She will, we believe, on arrival at Whakatane, receive on board a detachment of the Ngaliporou tribe, who have till now been on service and pay, but who are to be taken by the Luna to their several homes.

M'Meckan, Blackwood and Co.'s s.s, Albion is advertised in the Wellington papers to leave that port for Napier and Auckland on or about the 26th inst.

An amended " Permissive Bill " has been passed by the Auckland Provincial Council, and by a recent division the clause empowering only adult males to sign memorials under the Act was {■truck out. Females can now exercise their voices in regard to the licensing of public houses. At a silting of the Supreme Court at Dunedin on the 6th inst. Mr Smithies applied to have his petition heard, and it was placed on the list. The death of Sergeant-Major Murdock, of the Volunteer Staff, Dunedin, is reported as haying taken phice on the 12th inst.

The Evening Post mentions that Capfc. Sellars, of the ship Electra, will take home with him a few logs of New Zealand timber, in order that its suitability for manufacturing purposes ma} 7 be tested and become known in the English market. Kauri, totara, red pine, and white pine are among the kinds he is taking. The Wanganui papers publish a letter written by the hon. W. Gisborne, under date of 7th December, to Lieut.Colonel M'Donnell and others, in answer to a petition praying for a remission of the unexpired portion of the sentence of the piisoner Francis Innes, convicted some time ago of embezzlment. Jt says that after communicating with his Honor the Chief Justice on the subject, he is unable to advise his Excellency to comply with the prayer of the petition. The railway from Cbristckurch to Kaiapoi is expected tQ be ready for opening in February. In a recent speech at Auckland. Colonel Haultain urged the formation of an Anti shouting Society there. Evans, the person accused of stealing certain papers from the office of Mr Roberts, at Wanganui, has been discharged by the magistrate, Major Edwards, who remarked that he had never heard of such an extraordinary case in all his ten years' experience. There was not anything in the evidence to make out even a prima facie case. We notice that screened coal is now selling at Newcastle, N.S.W., at 7s Gd per ton, 4- bill for reducing the salary of future Governors has been read a first time in the New South Wales Legislature. According to a report presented to the Auckland Provincial Council by the Public Vaccinator only twenty-seven children were submitted to him during five months. The harvest prospects in Tasmania are excellent.