INTER-PROVINCIAL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume X, Issue 86, 10 April 1875, Page 2

INTER-PROVINCIAL

Wellington', Friday. The first whaler fitted out iv Wellington for many yoarß will rut to sea to-morrow. The vessel is a briirantine rarced the Isabella' She ii 8S tons atid canies a crtw of fourteen •men, and thiee wbale boats, and possesses many ingenious contrivances, invented by the owner, Captain Toms, an experienced wi:aler. Shooting o« quails and tuis in this Provirjee has been prohibited. Christchtjuch, Friday. At the Supreme Court this morning, John Mercer was arraigned for the murder of Isabella ') hnmpson, at Lyttelton. The prisoner was brousht up by the nine o'clock train, from Lyttelton, and wav conveyed fiorn the railw«y station to the Courthouse in a bus together with other prisoners, and a number of wanders. On his arraignment he appeared to be most thoroughly self-possessed and gaz< d »rou 'd the Court with a degree of sangfroid that was quite at variHnce with the Berious nature of the charge on which he 'was indicted. There was a rush to cntch aglimpee of the prisoner on his beinp placed in the dock but he made no effort whatever to Cfcape the scrutinising glances that were directed towards him. Jn general p.ppearanee he looks like one belonging to the artizan class and yphsiogoroists must inds-ed have wonderful powers of discrimination who could singe him out from a number of other peop'e and induce the belief that he of all the rest was calculated to commie such a hideous tragedy as that for which he now stands upon his trial. When the indictment was read over to him by the 1 arned registrar, and he waa asked to plead, he uttered the j words " not guilty " with a clear and audible arti u-ation, anil subsequently scrutinised the members of the jury as the result of the ballot called them to take their seats in the jury box.' iight witnesses have been examined; all the evidence is very s'rong against the prisoner. Mr T. I. Joint is prisoner's counsel. Napier, Friday. Messrs Boutledge, Kennedy & Co. sold at Hastings. 2<-00 merino ewes, at 4a 6d; 684 fctore ditto, Ss 6d to 4s; 300 f-it merico wethers, 7s 6d; 535 do 4s. Auckland, Friday. A singular omission has been discovered in Ihp Proteofion of Animals Act, 1872, in a clause intended to empower land owners to shoot on' their own land without licenses. The sentence "ou own property " is omitted bo that the clau?e reads that a^y person in bona fide occupation of limd or any person authorised by him may shoot without a license. In the game season now approaching it if considered that a d fflculty will arise from the faulty construction of the Act. The nomination for the election to the Assembly in the place of Mr Williamson was held to-day at noou. Mr Dignan and Mr Dargaville were proposed. Mr Dargavilie declared himself, in favor of the abolition of provinces throughout the colony as the only means of getting hold of the laud revenue. In other matters he would support Sir George Grey. Mr Dignan made bo promists; he came forward as a supporter of Sir GeorgeGrey. The show of hands was ior Dijinan 65, for Dargaville 47. The poll will take place on Wednesday next.