LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 700, 26 December 1878, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[press agency,]

Wellington, December 24.

In the Supreme Court, in the case Bayfield v. Gulline and others (Reefton), the Court decided against the plaintiff. - Mackay, manager of a bianch of the Bank of New Zealand at the Upper Hutt, is about to be arrested on a charge of embezzlement. His accounts, it appears, show falsification, and a deficiency of .£I3OO. Some months ago it appears the Hon. Mr Baliance caused a sample of Taranaki sand to be sent to Sir John Coode for experiment. It was then placed in the hands of C, W. Siemens, who, he says he believes to have a greater amount of practical and theoretical knowledge of the properties of iron ore than anyone in England. Mr Siemens gives his opinion'on the sample sent to him, and says it was thought at one time that the large percentage of titanium in the sand would improve the iron made from it, but it does not, and has the disadvantage of producing a thick slag on the furnace, although it produpes a good quality of iron or steel. In conclusion, he says, “It will not pay to carry the ore over to this country (England) ; but if cOal can be obtained at moderate cost near the ore it would pay, under ordinary conditions of the iron trade, to smelt it in the Colony. Auckland, December 24. The Rotorua and Russell arrived yesterday evening. Passengers for Grey mouth, one steerage; for West Coast Sounds: Mr and Mrs Butler, Mr and Mrs Knox, ,E. Pratt, Rev. Father Gallagher. \ LATEST UNPUBLISHED. Grahamstown, December 23. Sir George Grey turned the first sod of the Thames and Waikato Railway on Saturday, amidst great enthusiasm and an immense concourse of people, including all the notables. An address was presented to Sir George Grey by the Mayor.

In the evening Sir George Grey addressed his constituents in the Theatre Royal. There were 800 persons present, the Mayor in the chair, and Sir George was received with a perfect ovation. He spoke at considerable length on the affairs of the session, in the course of which he pointed out the evils of allowing the land tax to be alienated from the mass of the people and landholders to have a plurality of votes as compared with the one vote, which would create a governing class. He complained of the power of Governors to refuse a dissolution till the House was exhausted by trying Ministry after Ministry ; thus no Ministry, could carry any measure with certainty. He deprecated members of the Upper House being paid 200 guineas. No other colony had such an Upper House as this. There were upwards of 50 there now, and if his Ministry wished to obtain a majority there, they would have to put in 55. Governors were appointed in England for party purposes, and any Governor could ruin a Ministry by forming an alliance with a party, and in time cause the Ministry to bo opposed and to fall into dis-

grace. He defended the action of the Government regarding the Electoral Bill, and proposed that a Reform Bill should be brought in this year* doing away with pockets boroughs, probably plural voting, and give them triennial Parliaments, and also an opportunity of appealing to the country. If he remained Premier) he should endeavour to, procure a property tax for the country. If a dissolution were granted this year, people would have an opportunity of saying whether there would be a titled aristocracy or not, such as the “ honorables” conferred lately, and notice of which he refused to insert in the Gazette. He maintained the colony had power to pass an Act by which they could choose their own Governor. He condemned the power possessed by Judges as unlawful. A banquet given to the Premier in the evening was largely attended.