LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 869, 14 July 1879, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[press agency.]

Wellington, July 12. It is reported in the lobbies of the House, and partially verified, that there will do six candidates for the Chairmanship of Commitees.—Messrs Bryce, Kelly, Seymour, Thomson, Hamlin, and Bunny. The Government will display no preference for any candidate excepting Bryce, who will decline to stand on account of ill health. It is considered that Messrs Seymour and Thomson have the best chance of election ; but the support promised to Mr Bunny is so considdrable that there is tear that the votes may be so split up between Seymour and Thomson that Bunny may slip in ; and so the friends of both candidates are now discussing the propriety of draving lots for one or the other to retire, so as to concentrate strength and defeat Mr Bunny. Ministerialists will strongly support Thomson. Neither Thomson nor Oliver will accept office in the Ministry. The Government will be vigorously attacked on their Native policy on the Address in Beply.

[NEW ZEALAND PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Auckland, July If. At the criminal ses.-hm a Native naniet! Hoepa, charged with cattle stealing, was discharged. Native aiiairs and (lovernment land purchases came to an abrupt, conclusion owing to the Natives having to much beer. July 12. A fire broke out in a building at tlie corner of tiohsou and Victoria streets. I tie block ot buildings was owned bv Mrs Hobson, and rented by W. Long, a laborer. The con&isus of twelve rooms. Mrs Long can ied on business

fis u millinor, ;uul occupied fur weeks the whale front part of the building. F,,r weeks the back rooms of Long’s house have been without a tenant, and in those empty rooms the fire began. The family went to bed at 10 o’clock, and were awakened by a sound of breaking glass. On ge'tting up and looking thtough a glass door in the passage it was discovered that the back part of the building was a mass of flame, and with difficulty escaped with six children in their night dresses. The stock and furniture were insured fa- .£IOO in the Colonial Insurance Company. The house at the rear of the burned bulletin"—Bucks, fisherman had a narrow escape, and had not been for the exertions of Constables M'Gillan and M'Donald, who carried him out, he would have been suffocated, if not burned. All the furniture, as well as dresses, clothes, .fee,, Mrs Long had in the shop were destroyed. The adjoining shop at the corner of Victoria street, occupied by W. 11. Dam pier, was also burned, and the upper part gutted. The st ck was insured for £Boo—-£SOO in the Standard, half reinsured ; .£3OO in the Union. The policy expires in a few days. In the course of 20 minutes the fire was fairly under control. A. large part of Dampier’s stock was saved, but some of it was damaged by water.

July 13. The Orangemen held a commemoration service of the Battle of the Boyne in the Choral Hall, this afternoon. Eight hundred persons were present. District Grand Master Barton presided. Addresses were delivered by the Kev. W. Morley (Wesleyan), the. T. W Dunn (Presbyterian), and J. Long (Primitive Methodist). They march in px'ocession to-morrow through the principal throughfares of the citv, and thence to the Choral Hall, were the usual annual soiree takes place. Wellington, July 12. In the Supreme Court at 2.30 this morning, the jury in the case of arson against Sarah Phillips returned a verdict of not guilty. The Chief Justice, in summing up the case, expressed his disapproval of the aetion of insurance companies offering a standing reward for the conviction of incendiaries where it was supposed to be the work of incendiary. It was, perhaps, advisable to offer a reward, but the effect of a standing reward must, to a certain extent, have a demoralising effect. He did not mean to impute any mercenary motives to the witnesses in the present case, but thought it would be well to discountenance a practice calculated to be subsersive of the ends of justice. A nolle prosequi was entered against Alphonsus Rush, the brother of Mrs Phillips, who had been committed on a charge of perjury in having, in the R. M. Court, sworn to an alibi in Mrs Phillip’s case. A nolle prosequi has been entered against Mr G. M. Snclson of Palmerston North, committed for trial for a breach of the Arms Act in selling a gun at auction

The Fairlie engines were tried on the Hntt line yesterday by Commissioners Conyers and Lawson, and successfully underwent the most severe tests.

Mr O’Rorke, accompanied by Sir Geo. Grey and Major Atkinson, to-day waited on his Excellency the governor, who intimated his approval of Mr O’ Rorke’s election as Speaker. Nelson, July 12.

A fire broke out last evening at Scott’s Plaining Mills, which contain very extensive and complete machinery. The members of the brigade and others got hose on the spot with great speed, and the fire was speedily extinguished, the only damage done being one wall burnt through.. The supposed cause was a spark from the engine which had smouldered till night. Had the fire occurred later the v, hole works would probably have been destroyed.