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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 12, 24 May 1872, Page 2

The Dog-tax in Otago realised £2775 last year. The Melbourne Opera Season has opened brilliantly. In Victoria, meetings have been held in various parts of the country in support of the Ministerial policy. The Provincial Council of Otago has voted an eudowment of 50,000 acres for common schools in the Province. At Otago, the motion for tbe repeal of the 40fch clause of the Educational Ordinance, providing for the reading of the Bible, was negatived by 16 to 11. Importing Grouse into the Colony should be a paying speculation, if the price (£100) recently - asked for a pair in Canterbury is anything like their market value. A Long Debate has taken place in the Canterbury Provincial Council respecting the reduction of Police pay. A motion was carried rendering the reduction only applicable to men who have joined the force since Ist January. The Wairarapa correspondent of the Evening Post writes : — " Tenders, I understand, will shortly be invited for the erection of the largest woolshed of any that have as yet been builr in the North Island. The quantity of timber that will be required is something enormous, as it - is proposed to make shearing sheds large enough. to hold 12,000 sheep at once.' 1 We {Westport Times) hear that the lessee's of the Ngakawao coalmine are erecting a substantial wharf for the shipment of coals, and that the work will be completed with all possible expedition ; tbe getting out of coal from the mine j being for the present suspended. The 1 depth of water at the new wharf will be j some six fathoms ; so that steamers will i be enabled to moor there at all times i without difficulty. ' ( Mr. Dobson, the District Engineer, \ has commendably taken the promptest t measures to have the road through the J Sevenmile Bush completed as speedily as ( possible. He has cancelled Mr. Courtney's I contract, owing. to the slow rate of pro- £ gross which has been attained, and as the greater part of the bush clearing has been (, done, a large number of men can be im- S mediately employed. Three hundred men * aro advertised for in this evening's Star, and we are informed by Mr. Dobson that £ the Government have, given instructions j£ to have the work completed with the £ greatest possible despatch. Should the E weather be favorable, a few- weeks, it is expected, will see the work completed. — ; C Greymouth Star. , £ The Convict Cyrus Haley. — The (. Post gives the following account of the fc career of this notorious convict : — Haley >• was formerly a sergeant in tbe Engineers in India, and conceived a violent hatred £ to the adjutant of the regiment; he. robbed £ the military chest, burnt it, and then at- £ tempted to throw suspicion on the < adjutant, but failed. For this crime he. ■*■ was sentenced to four years' imprisonment,, and was sent to Portland gaol in ? England., Part of his sentence was reinitted upon the condition that, he would h 3how where the contents of the military, shest were c6n6ealed. He performed the k jonditioh, and' 20,066 rupees were re-;' p_ covered. He then entered the service of '< ihe Bombay and, Baroda Railway Com3any. He soon had 20,000 rupees to his Q iredit, aud it was, supposed that he had q cept back part of the chest after wards ijj he P= eceiyed from the company 545 rupees a nonth, and filled several responsible £j iffices. He lost money and went to Eng T ' j^ and, where his last feat was that of forciug C i gentleman to sign a document by holding .loaded, pistol at his head. He then left' : or NeW Zealand, and in Auckland was barged .with shooting with intent to kill - y firing into Mr. Thomas Ru^Beli'sihoh'se,,, nd with firing his hayricks ;' and also . nth. setting firentoVthe Music Hall and <» ■■ ther buildings in Auckland, was tried at { „_

Auckland recently before tbe Chief Justice and found guilty. Haley was sentenced to imprisonment for life. After conviction, he admitted his guilt. He handed eight certificates of character to Judge Arney, none of which were dated later than 1865. His real name is John Cyrus Haley. For remainder of news see fourth page.