INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 46, 22 February 1878, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[I'RKSS AGENCY.]

Auckland, Thursday night. Michael Costelli, charged with attempting suicide, has been remanded.

Bishop Cowie has become the patron of the Working Men's Club. The Club is in a fair way to prove a success. Premises have been taken, and will be opened shortly. A lunatic named Edwards escaped from the Whau Lunatic Asylum, and when recaptured he was walking on a dangerous place on the railway line. Mr George Collins, formerly a partner of Mr D. M. Luckie's in the Nelson Colonist, had been suffering some time from paralysis and occasional cougestiou of the brain and sleeplessness. Yesterday he left his school and went into the house, and when his wife returned from school she found him lying on the bed, his eyes glazed and fixed, and his teeth set. His wife and a lady named Petite opened his mouth with a teaspoon, and poured oil down his throat. A doctor was sent for, but all the remedies were ineffectual, and he expired about 7 a.m. He was in the habit of taking doses of hydrate of chloral to induce sleep, but these were generally administered by Mrs Collius. An empty tumbler and a chloral bottle were found on the table by his bedside. He was very shortsighted, and could not distinguish objects close to him, and it is supposed that he took an over-dose by mistake. He was a teacher at the Maori school at Orakei. An inquest will probably be held to-morrow.

The Rev. Gervaise Smith attracted a large Wesleyau congregation last evening. Patea, Thursday night. Patea District Races :—There was a steady rain till nearly two o'clock. There was a fair attendance. Hurdle Race— Te Whetu 1, Bully-for-you 2, Gazelle 3. Brighaui Young and Mira were scratched. All cleared the hurdles well, but Gazelle baulked at the second hurdle and could not fetch up again. Flying Haudicap — Luna 1, Queen of the Vale 2, Flora M'Donald 3. Luna took the lead and won by two lengths amid great excitement. Queen of the Vale was the favorite. Lapland aud Expectation also ran.

Wellington, Thursday night. Four Government clerks have been told off to work up the evidence in the case of Fredrick Whitaker late Attorney General v. George Jones Jun. for libel. All the papers in connection with laud transactions in the Waikato since 1870 are being raked up, aud all original letters iv connection with these transactions will be produced in the Supreme Court by Mr Clark Under Secretary for the Native Department It is said that the case will be opened the first week iv March.

Great efforts are beiug made on the part of the Customs Department, to obtain from the native a suitable site for a lighthouse at Cape Egmont.

Friday. A Gazette issued last night says that the following candidates have passed tho Civil Service examinations, Junior and Senior, in the order of merit iv which their names appear :— Nelson candidates, G. A. Harkuess, K. B. Roy, H. A. Andrews, aud 11. A. It. Farquhar.

In a published report of a conversation between Mr Barton and the Post reporter, held at the gaol, he is reported to have said, " The Judges are a pair of blackguards, and I'll let the world know it."

Dunedin, Thursday night. _At a meeting of the Early Closiug Association, addresses were delivered by a number of the leading citizens, and motions were carried approving the priuciple of shutting the sho^s at six o'clock on Saturday evenings.

Westpokt, Friday. On the Ministerial party re-embarking on Wednesday night, the tender could not lie alongside the iiiuemoa on accouut of the heavy swell. Mr Macandrew, while getting from the open boat up the side of tho steamer, missed his grip and fell into the water. He had a narrow escape from drowning as the sea was very lumpy, and the night somewhat dark.

Clark's Rink Hall was totally destroyed by fire at half past twelve last night. The cause is a mystery. The proprietor was out of town, aud his wife states that no oue was known to have entered the building after eight iv the morning, the doors being theu all locked. No light had been used there for many previous evenings. The adjacent dwellings were saved by the strenuous efforts of the Brigade. It was insured in the New Zealand for £550. The value of the hall and contents was £600.

Greyjiouth, Friday. Sir G. Grey and party visited the coal mines yesterday in a special train, accompanied by 150 ladies and gentlemen. He formally opened the Greymouth Coal Coinpauy's mine, and expressed his surprise at the amount of labor that had been expended, and congratulated them on the brilliant prospects of the Company. He then visited the Urunuer and Coal Pit Heath mines. Last night he was entertained at a banquet, which was crowded. There were no political speeches, as he promised to address a public meeting on Saturday night. He proceeded to Reef ton at seven o'clock this rnornin"-.