LATEST TELEGRAMS.

Kumara Times, Issue 1146, 1 June 1880, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAMS.

[united press association.] Dunedin, May 31. An inquest was held to-day on the body of Martha Lockhart, who died under suspicious circumstances on Friday night. The evidence showed that her husband was in the habit of illusing her, and had struck her the night before her death. A verdict of manslaughter against the husband was returned, and he was committed for trial. A point of considerable importance in connection with the working of the Land Tax, was determined by Mr Simpson, R.M., to day. Last week R, Mi Martin, Sub-Deputy Land Tax Commissioner, sued the Hon. W. H. Reynolds for the amount of the Tax claimed viz, ,£l3 Is 3d. . The land taxed comprises ten, lots in all, situated in Port Chalmers, one in West Gore, one in Dunedin, one in Montebello,•' three in Oamaru, one in Clarence, to the value of £13,017. Mr Reynolds having parted with the fee simple, served a notice on the Deputy Commissioner in terms of section 39, requiring his name to be removed from the register ; but Mr Martin, not deeming the information sufficiently specific, refused to do so. Mr Simpson held that as Mr Reynolds had failed to comply with section 41, in moving the Supreme Court to issue a summons to the Deputy Commissioner to show cause, he had no alternative but to give judgment for the Deputy Commissioner, with costs. A telegram received to-day from Riverton states that Printz’s claim, Longwood, yielded 600 ozs of amalgam for 60 hours crushing with a 5 head battery, Timaru, May 31. The news which reached here to the effect that Mr Blackett, Engineer-in-Chief, had advised the Government to blow irp the breakwater owing to its causing damage to the railway line, took everyone by surprise, and created great indignation. The facts are that the breakwater, which has now been carried out nearly 800 feet at a large expense, has protected the railway line by retaining the shingle in the bay to the northward, where Blackett says the damage has been done, whereas to the southward the beach is entirely bare of shingle, and is being rapidly encroached on by the sea. A public meeting will be held immediately to protest against Blackett’s report, and to forward conclusive evidence against his statement. So far Sir John Coocle’s opinions as to the effect of solid work from stone has proved quite erroneous. Invercargill, May 31. It is understood that Dr Grace will move the Address in Reply to-morrow in the Legislative Council. The schooner Colleen Bawn, which left here for Havelock on the Ist inst, is missing, and it is supposed she is lost. She was under, the command of Captain Pyke, and is owned by Mr

Bishop, of this place. Her hull is insured for .£l5O in Smith British, New Plymouth, May 31. The road parlies have passed a dreadful time during the past owing to wet weather and being under canvass. Notwithstanding the mud they are again at road work. The road party and the A.C.’s had cleared to within a few chains of the main Parihaka road. They intend to push ou from there as far as they can, and then to shift camp to Waitaki, which is about live mile distance from lien.*. The party will work, backwards and forwards. Major G'orr'uig’s camp is only five miles distant from Waitaki, so that between the two miles there will be only two miles and a half required to be done to connect the road with the two camps. Te Whiti has given strict orders that the people are to treat the A.C.’s and the public works volunteers with every civility.