TELEGRAMS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 150, 23 May 1884, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.) Dunediv, May 21. The first of a series of meetings intended to be held under the auspices of the Otago Trades and Labor Council m the city and .suburbs, will take place to-morrow evening at South Dunedin. The object of these meetings will be— rrfirsfe, to place every man on th« roll who is duly qualified, 1 and, second, to extend the power and usefulness of the council. Mr J. McKenzie, M.H.R., resigned the chairmnnship of the Waihemo County Council to-day. A letter wa* received from the county solioitor which Mr McKenzie wished returned, but the councillors disagreed with him, and the chairman at ouce wrote out his resignation, eensideration of which was deferred. An inquest has been hold at the Tuapeka hospital touching the death of Win. La lies, -a patient. He was ordered a certain prescription. He took three doses at regular intervals, and then swallowed the remainder at one dose to ease his pain, He said the doctors gave him an emetic. The man died four or five days afterwards. The medical evidence was to the effect that he died from softening of the stomach, and that a patient had been known to take three times the quantity of the same mixture without experiencing an}' ill effect. The jury found a verdict of death from natural causes.

The Land Board to-day received a let- er from Mr Grorday, solicitor, of Lawrence, acting on behalf of a number of petitioners, asking that an inquiry should be held with regard to the bona fides of the purchasers of a number of deferred payment sections m Waitahuna West, who, it is alleged are engaged m the iuterest of Mr James Smith, of Greenfield Station. Consideration of the petition was defeired. Two hoys named Russell and Dohey, one thirteen, and the other eight years old, were found guilty, at the Police Court to day, of stealing fancy goods from St. Paul's Church school room, and were sent to the Industrial School. Archdeacon Edwards, m his evidence about the character of the boys, spoke strongly of the need of a reformatory m such cases. The same boys will be charged to-morrow with stealing £5 worth of grapes from a private vinery. Christchurcii, May 21. Early this morning a house occupiod by the Rev. Samuel Slocombe was destroyed by fire, and the church adjoining had a nau*ow escape. The origin of the fire is unknown. In ■• suran' es on the building, ,£400 ; on the furniture £200. Messrs Scott Brothers, ironfounders, of Christchurch, write to the Kaiapoi Borough Council that it is incumhont upon them to vindicate their character m a Court oi law. This is m consequence of the council refusing to allow the Scotts to sublet to an ex-councillor, and allegingas the reason of refusal that they had arranged matters »virh the ex-council-lor before his resignation. The New Zealand Shipping* Company have received a cable that the British Queen left Plymouth on May 15 for Port Chalmers, Lyttelton, and Wellington. The Doric sailed from the Cape of Good Hope ou May 19. Inyercargill, May 11. The Woodlands Preserving Company being about to start work again advertised that rabbits would 1 c received. The farmers were anxious to begin poisoning, and last night met to decide the question. Ultimately it was agreee to postpone poisoning till the middle of July, so as to allow the company to preserve rabbits m the meantime. Blenheim, May 21. A petition signed by 350 Roman Catholics, praying for amendment of the Education Act, was handed m today to Mr Dodson, M.H.R., for presentation. Timaru, May 21. The following resolution was passed at a meeting of the Geraldine County Council to-day :— " That, m order to give county councils greater facilities for carrying out water supply or irrigation works, it is desirable that the Government should advance money on similar conditions to those under which advances are now made under the Koad and Bridges Con struction Act for district road and river works, viz., the whole of the advance to be made repayable by yearly instalments secured by special rate on the district to be benen'tted, to amend the Roads and Bridges Construction Acfc m the direction indicated by this resolution." The chairman was of opinion that the time for repayment should l>e twenty year* instead of fifteen years. The council to-day resolved, after the matter had been discussed for months, to take over the maintenance of all bridges or main lines of road. Nkw Plymouth, May 21. The Harbor Board has decided that after the Ist of July next all vessels will have lo discharge at the breakwater. A violent south-easterly wind was blowing all through the night and during to-day. A few chimneys ere blown down, and a man was blown off his horse on the Barrett road. AncKLAin), May 21. Among the passengers by the Urusader were Lovegrove, the victimised claimant to the Derwentwater estates, and his family. The Hon. E. Mitchelson has definitely decided to stand for re-election for Marsden against all comers. He received two deputations from Whangarei to-day, urging him to this course. To-morrow evening Sir G-eorge. Grey addresses the City East constituency. It is understood that a considerable portion of the address will be devoted to the criticism of Major A'kinson's speech. The Premier and the Minister of Public Worbs left by the Hinemoa for Wellington to-day. Edward A. Prury, formerly connected with the Press, has been fined 40s or a month's imprisonment for being drunk and disorderly at the Salvation Army Barracks. To-day a deputation from the directors and engineer of the Rotorua Railway Company waited upon the Premier and asked for assistance m having the railway pushed on as rapidly as possible. Major Atkinson promised to look into the matter, and to facilitate as far as the Government could all the arrangements necessary to the construction of the line. He also said the Government were anxious to see the line completed. The deputation of the directors of the Rotorua Railway also waited on the Minister for Public Works to-day. The Chairman introduced the subject of endowment of railway companies by natives m view of the rating powers provided by the Railways Construction and Laud Act which the company will enforce on the land through which the second section of the line passes, it being native land. After hearing the views of various members of the deputation, Mr Mitchelson expressed his warm sympathy with the objects of the company, and promised on his arrival at Wellington to do all m his power to carry out the wish of the* deputation. If he saw no legal difficulties on his return to Wellington, he would advise the chairman and take immediate step-% so that the company could enter into contracts for the completion of the lino.