TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 103, 16 March 1880, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

[renter’s telegrams.] LONDON, March 10. Three per cent, consols, 98. At the wool sale to-day 6200 bales were offered. The market remained firm. Lord Hartington his issued a manifesto, in the course of which he states that he attributes the loyalty of the colonies to the autonomy granted to them by the Liberal party when in power. He goes on to say tha’ ho is opposed to the principles of . B 'me Rule, and promises reforms in :he franchise, in local overnment, an .in the land laws. r i e Liberals, Lore' Hartington adds, will uphold the power and integrity of the British Empire, and will avoid a policy likely to cause disquiet, or one directed towards needless annexation of territory. Sir Stafford Northcote. Chancellor of the Exchequer, has wr n a letter in which he expresses a hope that the attention of the new Parliament will he almost wholly devoted to legislation on domestic affairs. [FROM OUR WELLINGTON CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. March Iff. Captain Stack, Major A.C., died at Nelson on Saturday. Young Scott leaves for Wanganui tqt morrow, where he will give his next exhibition of pedestrianisrn. Caroline Gordon, charged with setting fire to an outhouse adjoining a dwellinghouse has been remanded until Wednesday for the production of further evidence. NELSON. Monday. Major Stack will be buried this afternoon with military honors. CHRISTCHURCH. Monday. Some excitement was caused on Saturday night in High street by a report that the Empire Hotel was on fire. Smoke was seen issuing from the bvilding, which lent confirmation to the rumor. On further investigation it was found that an ignited piece of coal had fallen onto a heap of sawdust in one of the back rooma. No damage was done. , On Thursday last two stacks of wheat contain g 900 bushels of corn were totally burnt at Prcbblo’s farm Prebbleton. The fire org inated in a spark from a threshing eindncL The loss is estimated at L2< >. ASHBURTON. Monday. The hearing of the charge of libel against M r Ivess, proprietor of the Ashburton Mail concluded on Saturday. Defendant was committed for trial, but admitted to bail on his his own recognisance. TIMARU. Monday. A numerously and influentially signed petition has been forwarded to His Excellency the Governor in favor ef the release of A. Sims, a merchant, who at the last session of the District Court was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment without hard labor for larceny of goods belonging to the National Bank. In this case the jury twice returned a verdict of guilty, bu

with no fraudulent intent The third time they returned a verdict ol guilty.

HAWERA. Monday. TheLincolnshire farmers delegates arrived here last night. Grant is laid up at Patea and Foster is now on the Plains, and goes to New Plymouth to-day. A great many Maoris passed through here last week. A very large meeting will he held this time at Pariliaka. It is expected to he the last one of the sort, as Te Whiti must either give his adhesion to Government measures, or declare open resistance and, the latter course is not at all likely to be adopted.

DUNEDIN. Monday. One of the most horrible tragedies that has ever occurred here happened this morning, in Cumberland street, when James Murray Dewar, alias Grant, a butcher in the employ of Downwall, George street, was found dead, his wife injured almost beyond hope of recovery, her child suffocated, and the bedroom on fire, a lighted candle havbeen placed under the bed. The deceased man is aged thirty years, and has been in the Colony nearly twenty-two years. Between 5 and 0 o’clock this morning the milkman who supplied the family, on makhis customary visit to the house, was startled by seeing smoke issuing from one of the front windows. He thereupon knocked loudly at the front door, and receiving no reply, he raised an alarm, which brought some neighbors to the scene, and subsequently some members of the Fire Brigade, .Sergeant Dean, and a constable. On the house being entered, they discovered lying on the floor Mrs Grant in her night dress, with blood issuing from her head, quite unconscious. The bedroom, next visited, was found full of smoke, and on the bed lay Grant, with a severe blow on his head, evidently inflicted by an axe, which lay at hand, and which bore marks of blood on it. The infant was slso in bed, apparently suffocated, the lower part of the mattiass having been set fire to by the lighted candle, which was found alongside it, Mrs Grant was lifted off the floor, and carried into the sitting room. Dr Niven, who was sent for, on seeing her condition, ordered her removal to the Hospital. There is every reason to believe that yesterday’s tradgedy was the result of a brutal murder ; that the sleeping and unconscious man was killed by one stroke ; and that an attampt was made to conceal the evidence of the crime by burning down the bouse in which the deed was done. The wife must also have had wounds inflicted while in bed, as her nightdress was also burned. The baby had no wounds upon it, hut was underneath the bed. After the blows had been struck a lighted candle had probably been placed in the bed and the clothes partly burned. The mattrass was burned very neartly through, and a hole was burned in the floor. It is astrange thing that the neighbors heard no noise. All the papers urged the Government to offer a large reward for the apprehension of the murderer. The woman died early this morning,

NEW PLYMOUTH, March 14

The Royal Commission still continues its sitting. A good deal of work was got through yesterday when Mr Whitcombe, Commissioner of Crown Lands was examined at great length on the matter of theWaimato Plains survey about the time Government advertised the land for sale in Australia and throughout New Zealand. It appears the sale was authorised and advertised only a day or so before the surveyors were turned off, and this was immediately followed by the withdrawal of the notice of sale. It also appears that people along the Coast quite expected that Government fully considered the step they were taking, and had made up their mind to hack it up. Some of the evidence given wonld go to show that Government either did not know their own mind, or that very responsible action was taken without the concurrence of all the Cabinet. Further evidence will be taken on Monday, and probably Tuesday also. It is expected the Commission will leave here some day about the middle of next week, but where the next sitting will be held is uncertain. Besides the public sittings, a good deal of other business in connexion with the work of the Commission is being done by Sir Win. Fox and Sir Dillon Bell. Monday. A number of Europeans who are now here contemplate starting to-morrow for Pariliaka to attend the Maori meeting, they being anxious to witness such an unusual gathering of natives and to hear what the Prophet has to say this time. The attendance is expected to be unusually large. Some of the natives who are not unquestioning believers in Tc Whiti’s powers are desirous of hearing something more definite from him than he has yet vouchsafed to communicate. Indeed, the idea prevalent with the natives is the hope of receiving hack all their lands in some mysterious way. The cultivations around Pariliaka arc something immense for a Maori village, lmt the mystery and .seclusion of the place and the people must soon pass away. The Constabulary a”c now engaged upon the road which will go within half a mile of the village, and as soon as that is done, big men will make their appearance and trade in rum and colored calicoes and thus liiush Tc Whiti off hand. One hatch of the Wellington imeniploynd will commence in a day or two to make the road from .Stratford to Opunakc, a distance of 20 miles, the greater part being through bush.