NEW ZEALAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LVI, Issue 6497, 23 December 1881, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND.

[Pan Fubm AmocutiojlJ iicKMND, Dsc. 28. Twelve infomiHooe have been laid by the Collector of Customs against publicans and storekeepers in the city and suburbs for breaches of the User Duty Act. These proseentiomi art the result of seisurcs of unstamped beer and cigars made hist Saturd«. A bicycle club baa beta formed, Mr e. Js. M'Domhi, E.M., President. Sixteen have At^Onshuaga screral prosecutions have been Instituted under the compulsory clauses of the Education Act, and the offenders were fined. At the trial trip of the new ferry steamer Victoria to-day, she averaged over the twelve miles an hour guaranteed by Mr Ilayley, her b °AttbeHtw Zealand University matriculation examination, 14 student# presented themselves.

mW PLYMOUTH, Due. 22. The Mayor"* banquet tot night wa* togely attended, over 100 penon* being present Mr Biyco w«e eapeeted, but we* prevented by buainese engagement from ombibc. At Ureoui on Deo. 17 the Native* kept op the day with a feast, &«* obierring To WblU’s coelom. PONOABKHU, Dec. 22. The weather for the tot few day* toe been too wet for anything to be done. Iho tele* graph Hne ie finished through to Parihaka, aiiO operating toe begun. HaWIEEA, Die. 22. Al the bad Court to-day, 69 appUcalione were iwrived tor 14 tlom. The prfew averaged from » to* w #4lo# mt the «P»et I s ”** 8 W*? ! r ? £ £*£ if -» * hm \ tod * StolSwihrtmd.

ment land offered in tho newly surveyed block, including some 7000 acres of hush land, •old at good price*, from the upset price of gOe per acre at the lowest, up to £3 Is per acre, tho average being about 10« per aero above the upset price all round. The suburban Motions near Mania averaged about 810 per acre tor nearly 100 acre*. A few sections of buih land in Ngario block, about 600 acres in all, which had been passed at a previous sale, were sold at the upset price. The sale was a very successful one on the whole, and bidding was brisk.

WANGANUI, Duo 22. There is ft very heavy fresh in the river. It rose suddenly in the night, and carried away a punt containing a now steam crane iuit made for use to connect with tho dredge hi crane was seen going over tho bar, and to day was found ashore at Kattoko. Tho machinery was wrenched off the punt by tho action of the sea. Tho punt lies on the shore, stove In, and the crane Is out in the surf. It not raised during the next few days it will bo irrecoverable, as it will bo embedded in mud. This would bo a serious loss to tho Harbour Board. Several small boats wore carried away, the boat-houso staging was broken up, end other damage done.

WELLINGTON, Dbo. 22. An inquest will be held on tho body of Mre Anthony to-morrow morning. A heavy N.W. wind is still blowing. The preliminary rules under “ The Election Fell ions Act, 1880,” which are required to be sanctioned by three judges of the Supreme Court, will appear in this evening’s Oatette , end a copy of them will bo posted to-night by tho Clerk of Writs to each ReturningOfficer.

GRBTMOCTH, Dec. 22. The amount of sold to be shipped from this port by the Alhambra when the arrives on Saturday, is 701 ounces.

TIMARU, Dec. 22. At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to-day, the following resolution was passed : —“That this Chamber fully endorses the action being taken by tho various New Zealand Chambers in the matter of representation to the American Congress, urging the great importance of tho duty being removed from wool imported to America 5 and this Chamber is farther of opinion that tho matter of representation should bo left in the hands of Sir Henry Parkes." The annual export of wool from this district is about 16,000 baler, one-half being long wool and ons-half merino.

DUNEDIN, Dio. 22. A public meeting, to consider the rune question, is convened for to-morrow. Two four-roomed bouses in South Dunedin, were burned down this morning, and a third wvs partially destroyed. The insurances are—£Boo in the Northern, £IOO in the New Zealand, £2OO in the Standard, £l6O in the National and £2OO in the Victorian office. Dunedin is to be represented at the Lyttelton Begatta, by a crew consisting of Lindsay (2), Binnio and Mercer. The following fire brigades have intimated their intention of sending delegates to the Association conference to be bold at Timaru m February, via Ashburton, 2 ; Christchurch, 8 ; Invercargill, 2 ; Eoiepoi, 1 ; Lyttelton, 1 j Napier, 1 j Nateby, I; Bangiora, 1 j Spit, Napier, 2 ; and Waimato, 1. The Hon Mr Chapman, formerly Judge, has been seriously ill during the week, but ho was rather better yesterday afternoon.

j [TOOK OUB OWH OOBSBBFOimBHXS.] FDNOABEHU, Dsc. 22. The surveyors on the Stoney Eiver block report that pegs lately put in have been taken away by the Natives. This block is the tribal property of Mota and his people, of whom your special correspondent has written to much. The land was returned by Sir D. M’Lean, and a special confirmatory recommendation was made by the Royal Com•ninwm. m uwtnnls nt tha continued of the owners. Mr Farm is hue official who has placed the surveyors on itWELLINGTON, Dec. 22, The actions under tho Gaming and Lotteries Act will bo commenced in the Magistrate’s Court to-morrow, and great interest is manifested in the issue. Of Government news there is nothing worthy of record, beyond the fact that Ministers have recently been in communication with the Agent-General on the question of direct steam communication between Great Britain and New Zealand, and that Sir Dillon Bell is consulting with English and Scottish shipping firms, and is expected shortly to furnish the Government with a full report. Tho recent handcuffing and imprisonment of a number of Ohinese is still exciting attention, and an indignation meeting is convened for to-morrow evening to discuss the subject. A petition has been drafted for presentation to the Governor, and will bo ! submitted for the approval of the meeting. It is expected that a deputation will also be appointed to discuss certain features in the Act with tho Minister for Justice. At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce to-day, it was resolved to assist the Auckland Chamber to obtain from the American Government the remission of dutjp upon wool. It was further resolved to again press on the Government the necessity for introducing a new Bankruptcy Bill nest session.

DDNEDIN, Dio. 22. An examination of the premises in which the gas explosion took place last night does not reveal serious damage to the building. The lower ceiling boards, along which the piping was laid, are blown away at one end tn a tow places, and one of the longitudinal rafters blown down, though it does not appear to have had a very firm Jointing. The heavy cross rafters do not appear injured, though the casing (the same light boards ns the ceiling is composed of), has been loosened. In the upstairs room the damage is mostly to goods, bat this room is not open for inspection till the claim is decided by the Insurance Companies. How the strong smell of gw, which it would seem probable existed, was not detected, is a mystery, as Dunedin gas does not emit the most savoury of odours. , . t A rather extensive fire, and one that narrowly escaped being fatal in its results, occurred at South Dunedin this morning after & o'clock. It destroyed a five-roomed house, owned and occupied by Mr G. M'Bride, a four-roomed noose, owned and occupied by Mr Hail, and partially a fourroomed house occupied by Mr Maslln, and owned by Mr William Mellor. The origin of the fire is a complete mystery, but there can he no doubt as to where it started, vi*., at the rear of Mr M'Bride's bouse. This, however, dose not help the matter, Mr M'Bride being positive that there woe no fire In his kitchen when he went to bed, and almost «ounity as positive that the fire originated oa the outside of his bouse. Mr M'Bride. however (who is Mayor of South Dunedin), has of late received several threatening letters, and to this fact probably may bo ascribed bis strong belief in the fire having started from the outside. At the time it broke out he, with his wife and children were in bed, end the first intimation ho bad of anything wrong was a crackling sound in the kitchen. He immediately Jumped out of bed and found the whole of the back in flames. The opening of the Iroat door couied them to increase, and so rapidly did the/ spread that before he could remove the whole of hie family ho had to come in such dose contact with the flames that the hair on bis face was singed. He and bis family consequently escaped without any attire but their nightdresies. A remarkable incident occurred in connection with the fire Mr M'Bride, whilst looking among the rubbish, found partially burnt, and completely sodden with water, a bundle of bank notes he had placed in a cabinet for safety. The cabinet was burnt to ashes. Ho also found bis gold watch and chain, the■ Wter partially melted. The watch was ticking when routed out cf the rubbish. The police are endeavouring to apply the provisions of the “Employment of f ™£* Act” to workshops as well ae raetortes.

At tho Polios Court to-day a bootmaker was charged with keeping a boy between It and 18 at work at 3.80 on Saturday afternoon. It was admitted that the M was at work, but it was contended (hat the Act did not apply. The police held that (t did not matter whether the workroom was smalt or targe | it was illegal to keep boys after tho hours fixed by the Act, and they brought the case to prove to employers that they wore breaking the law. In view of tho wide scope of tho law if tho contention of tho police was correct, the Bench deferred judgment for a week. If tho Act can he made to apply to such esses it wilt interfere seriously with business, ns in this case the tad was proved to bo employed principally as message boy, and though supposed to learn tho trade, no wae not apprenticed.