LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 434, 15 February 1878, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[press agency. I Nelson, February 14. The first case under “ The Destitute Persons’ Act, 1877,” was heard to-day, when a widow sought to compel her deceased husband’s father to contribute to the maintenance of her children. Mr Lowther Broad, R.M., ruled that children living with a parent not incapacitated from working for them were not destitute under the new Act, and that such parent could not compel any other relative to contribute towards their support. He also expressed a strong doubt whether, upon the proper construction of the Act, looked at as a whole, infant children could under apy circumstances be held to be destitute persons. Wellington, February 14. A Gazette just published gives Dr. Hector’s report on the gold reefs at Queen Charlotte’s Sound and- the Phoenix mine, Collingwood, One sample in the former yielded 14oz 22dwt per ton ; another, 3oz 16dwt. Specimens from the latter yielded 220 z 7dwt per ton. It is stated that Ministers have at length decided to pay to all the Civil servants in a lump sum the increases to their salaries, which were passed in the last estimates, but which have been withheld by the Government. The increase counts from Ist July last. Sir George Grey addresses the Wellington electors to-night. He will be driven to the place of meeting in a coach-aud-four, with a band of music preceding, The place is all decorated with flags. LATEST UNPUBLISHED. THE MINISTERIAL POLICY. Wellington, February 15. Sir George Grey addressed an immense meeting of electors last night; fully 2000 were present. He spoke for an hour and a quarter, explaining the intention of the Government next session. He dwelt on the equality of he representation of the Colony; he held that each male adult should have a vote, and the representatives should be in exact proportion to the population. There should be no favoured or governing class. He would sweep away a lot of rotten boroughs. He strongly approved of borrowing for public works, and always did so. He instanced many great roads he had constructed in the early days, under very great difficulties. He believed each man in the State should contribute towards its burthens iu proportion to the benefit he received from it. People here paid Is 5d in the £ in taxes, whilst the highest tax in England was only Is 3d; and then people complained. The Customs duties should be revised, so as to press Jess heavily on the working classes. The land should be taxed, and if a man wanted more than 320 acres, he shotild pay propoi'tionately. Resolutions of thanks to Sir George Grey, and approving of the programme shadowed forth, were passed unanimously. There was immense enthusiasm throughout tbe whole meeting. Christchurch, -February-15. John Grunser, tobacconist, hanged himself on his own premises, last evening. H is wife committed suicide four years ago in the same way. Sir Cracroft Wilson liberated 300 young salmon m the river Hurunui on

Tuesday. Only six were lost in the operation. ' Henry Richardson has been apprehended in Timaru for passing several forged cheques on the Christchurch shopkeepers}