LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 711, 9 January 1879, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[NEW ZEALAND PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Christchurch, January 8. A man named Roberts whilst excavating a cutting at Oxford yesterday was buried with earth, but he is doing well. Threshing oats is in full swing in the Ashley district. The reaper and binder contest is fixed for January 16. There are 11 entries in all. The Mayor has initiated a practice to-day by attending the Council Chamber from 9 to 11 in the morning for the purpose of. interviewing citizens wanting to see him on public business. Three men brought up for horsestealing were dismissed with a caution, as they had taken the horse without any felonious intent and whilst in a dru!ik«'n frolic.

Some fishermen, licenced by the Collector of Customs to fish in the Avon river, are known to have caught three salmon and sold them in the market. The Acclimatisation Society intend appea'ing to Government about it.

: Tn the Supreme Court it took nearly all day to consider the case of Cowan, charged with a<son at Clirisfchurch in October last, the prisoner was acquitted.

Casey was convicted yesterday of larceny and sentenced to six months. K"ig was convicted fur indecent assault ; under extenuating circumstances, he was sentenced to three months.

Oamaru, Januaiy S. j Sailed—Wallabi, s.s., for Wanganui. , The waterworks contract having been i abandoned by Mr J. H enderson, it will be completed by the Municipal Council, ! who are calling for tenders for ihe ' works in small portions. Several actions for non-payment of wages are : pending against Henderson. j ProfessorTJlrich and Messrs Shrimski ! and Reeves, M.H.Ks, left to-day to in-' spectthe Marewhenna gold fields. The harvest prospects are good, and reaping will commence in a few days. Wellington, January 8. | Mackie, late Manager of the Bank of, New Zealand at the Hutt has been con- i victed of forgery, but recommended to j mercy by the jury, on account of his j youth and the apparent negligence of j the Bank authorities in inspection and j insufficiency of salary to maiutain his | position. Sentence postponed. j The Land .revenue of the Colony for Dec mber amounted to £24,717. ] Dan-ell's seasons of " Henry V." are closed. The business done is reported to be the largest ever done in this colony.

Dunedin, Januaiy 8. At the Hon. R. Stout's meeting at the Qneeu's Theatre, to take placn on Frid.ij, the whole of the dress ciile has been reserved for the ladies, and gentleme i with ladies. "^ The criminal sittings of the'Supreme Cunt concluded to-day. Jane lleil, for perjury, was found jjniltv. Sentence deferred, pending t'<e decision on soiiih. law points raise.! by the defence. 11. J. Fowler, of the Telegraph. Department was transferred to Grey month yesterday. He was presented with a testimonial by his brother officers. The Ma>or teceived a comuumioiti n by the Suez mail from Mr William Cu'litis, Lord Provost of Glasgow, and Chairman of the Glasgow Bade Relief Fund Committee, asking for assistance to provide relief tor tiiose deprived of means, in consequence cf calls made.

Arrived—Rotorua, from the Sounds; Arawata, from Melbourne. SuUd Arawata, for Lytteltoi,. iNVEitCARGILL, January 8.

Labor generally is scarce and the arrival of the ship Western Monarch

with immigrants, is anxionsly looked forward to. She has nearly four hundred souls on board. Interest in the Matura election is increasing. It is generally thought Shanks, the moderate candidate, will be returned. Tiie Times, this morning, emphatically supports Shanks' candidature.

A rumor was current in town to-day that Welsh, the Waikato murderer, had been executed in the morning, but the rumor is unfounded and Welsh preserves the utmost indifference to his approaching doom. The Rev. Mr luglis, Scottish lecturer, is drawing crowded houses here. Auckland, January 8. A meeting of trade representatives to petition Parliament to stop Chinese immigration took place to-day. A meeting of the New Zealand Insurance Company was held to-day. The report says after making provision for all ascertained losses to date, and carrying £SOO to reserve fund, which now stands at £40,000, there remains £19,283 available for division, which the directors propose to appropriate to payment of a dividend at the rate of 15 per cent, £15,000, and the balance to be carried forward is £4283. The total premiums were £86,100; losses, £60,147. The retiring directors were re-elected.

In the Supreme Court, William English, for wounding a native at Ohsewai, was sentenced to nine months.

LATEST UNPUBLISHED,

■Wellington, January 9. James Mackie, for forgery and larceny, was this morning sentenced to four years. A member of the Highway Board who has lived in the country 39 years, at its meeting yesterday, declared that laborers never were so scarce as at the present time.

Two hundred and six pounds (out of £265) of the money robbed from the Anchor Line office has been found under the house in which the office boy lives. A new rifle, with ammunition, was als:> found alongside the moiiew. The boy was this morning arrested, and has since o-mfessed. The money ami rifl-i were fou id by sown; small boys who had bvn playing u.-ider the house, which is. on piles. Later. Tlw boy Bicm has mule "a ' further confession of having £4_> [ n a pocket-book.plasifct-d at WWlestown, and- has gone with a duteetivo to show bim win-re it. is. The lad is only a>.<mt H years old, but is smart and bold for his age. This makes up all the money with the exception of about £2O, of which nine guineas was paid for the Martini- Henri rifle. Besides the rifle and ammunition, there was a swag of new colored blankets, tied up with straps, in readiness for the road. The money was rolled up in a copy of a newspaper containing au account of the Kelly gang.

. Napier, Janu uy 9. At a Good Templars meeting last night, the Hon. Mr Fox explained that a member of a working men's club could not become a Good Templar, be. cause every Good Templar was bound to di-courage the use of alcoholic liquor ; and, though he might not drink himself, he became a partner in the sale of drink. It was " holding a candle to the Lord with the right hand, and one to the devil with the left."

THE KUMARA-KAWHAKA WATER-RACE QUESTION. MEETING OF MINERS WITH THE DISTRICT ENGINEER. A deputatio'i of miners interested in the question of the recent proclamation of the Government, which proposed to appropriate certain lands adjoining the Kumara-Kawhaka Water-race, assembled at th.s Public Works Office here on Tuesday eveuing last. Messrs Everett, Agnew, Arthur, Whiiiery, Evans, and Miimihinnet, members of the Miners Executive Committee, formed the deputation, and they were met by the District Engineer, C. Y. O'Connor, I'sq., who invited them to consider and, it possible, amieably arrange, the dispute between the Govern-, ment and the miners concerning this matter. The deputation fully pointed out to Mr O'Connor that it was the wish of the miners interested that the Government should withdraw the proclamati in, and le-ive things as they origiually stood, under the jurisdiction of the Warden. Mr O'Connor replied that if no hing else ciiil-l be done to satisfy the miners, h.j would so inform the Government. The G vernment had been compelled to proclaim it, in accordance with the Public Worka Act.

The deputation then proceeded to point out how it would interfere with their respective chums and workings, and damage their interests in almost every way. Ist, as regards sluicing:— In many instances it would be a matter of impossibility to open out their claims. Although the Government race only requires 13 feet on the average, yet to leave the race secure where the ground is 70 or 80 feet in depth, it would at least require a strip of ground 50 feet wide j so that in a great many instances, where the claims are> small, it would take half of them away, leaving the other portion worthless for sluicm". 2nd, as regards driving claims, it would cause no end of litigation, for its would allow adjoining parties to encroach, without the chanoe of" the original holders interfering with them. Being Government ground, these parties could (we might almost say would) let the race down, and the parties on whose claim the damage is done would be sued by the Government for damage to said race, although they might be in total ignorance of an} of the ground being worked.

Mr O'Connor, after hearing the rea. sons assigned by the deputation, said he felt fully satisfied that it would be best to proclamation, aud he would therefore recommend thafc course to the Government.

The deputation thanked Mr O'Connor, and then'withdrew.