INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 5, 6 January 1879, Page 2

INTERPRO VIN CIAL.

fPRHSS AGENCY.] Wellington, Saturday. A tailor named McKlwafn who was out on bail for arson, and who was to appear at the criminal sittings of the Supreme Court on Monday uext was found dead in his bed about midday to-day. For the last few days he was observed to be strange in his manner and bid good bye to several of his friends a day or two ago. The doctors refused to grunt the usual certificate of death from natural causes, the body when found being swelled to twice its natural size. An inquest is to be held on Monday. It is supposed that deceased committed suicide by poison. Some samples of Mokau coal, analysed at the Colonial Laboratory, resulted in giving 87 per cent of combustible matter and a little over two per cent of ash. The evaporative power is that lib of coal will convert 71bs of water into steam.— There are only four cases for hearing at the next civil sessions.— The X. Z. Rifle Association have resolved that the Secretary shall at once proceed to Nelson to make the necessary arrrangements for the meeting next mouth. —Mr Hunter's farm in close vicinity to Wellington, recently purchased by Jacob Joseph Moeller, and Young and Saunders, will be laid out in a new township to be called Brighton, and £4000 is to be expended to place it in tramway communication with Wellington. About 180 acres were valued at £100 per acre for level land, and some 200 acres hilly at £30 per acre. The remainder of the land being rough is valued at £2 per acre.— There is a strong difference of opinion between the Government and the deputation representing the mercantile community respecting the railway station, one thinking the proposed site suitable, and the other not.— A good deal of dissatisfaction is manifested with regard to the alterations in the tariff of fees in the R.M. Court, the increase in some instances being 100 per cent. It is understood that some hitch has occurred regarding the railway free passes for the Press of the colony. Mr Macandrew positively refuses to authorise the :issue of them until such time as the matter is brought before a Cabinet meeting. It is understood that the Government are organising a Detective Department for the whole colony. It is probable that Inspector Thomson of Auckland will be Chief Inspector, and that there will be three detectives in each of the principal towns, and that the Government will endeavor to their identity being known to the public. Monday. The Customs revenue for the four principal ports of the colony for the year were as follows:— For 1877-78: Dunedin, £371,876Lyttelton, £240,363; Auckland, £204,987; Wellington, £201,100. The increase shown as compared with 1877 is, for Dunedin, £19,653 ; Lyttelton, £39,506 ; Auckland, £28,7G5 ; Wellington, £24, 1 61. The Customs revenue for the December quarter was, Dunedin, £84,863; Lyttelton, £56,247; Auckland, £53,746; Wellington, £48,165. Mr James Gilligan, well-known in Christchurch in connection with horse selling, and for many years a resident in the Wellington district, died between nine and ten this morning after a very short illness. The Supreme Court criminal sittings opened at 10 a.m. The remarks of the Chief Justice were confined purely to the cases on the calendar which is light. Mr Barton M H.R., denies the statement that he proposes practising in Auckland, and adds that be intends to remain in Wellington to pursue the quarrel between himself and the Supreme Court Judges until a settlement in accordance with what he and those who think with him believe to be just shall have been arrived at, and then he will resume practice in Welliogton. The oat crops on the East Coast have been almost destroyed by high winds, the grain being biown out of the ears. The New ZealanJer suggests that in consequence of the high rates of rent in the City some allowance should be made to married members of the police force. The Fern Glen arrived yesterday. The Hon John Martin has purchased the Hon G. M. Waterhouse's station at Waihenga, Wairarapa, seven miles from Featherston, with the stock and improvements, for £85,000. The estate contains about 34,300 acres of freehold. £30,000 of the purchase money is to be paid in cash to day, Ixvehcargill, Saturday. It is stated that the Government have decided to order that the last sentence of the law be carried out on the convict Welsh. Judge Williams has advised the Government that there was no reason why he should not suffer capital punishment. Auckland, Saturday. The barque Lebu sailed for London today. Her cargo consists of 2000 cases of pum, 1000 bales of wool, 104 tons of copra. 200 tons of manganese, and 26 bales of cotton. Chrtstchurch, Saturday. Through traffic with Dunedin was resumed to-day, a small shunting engine being employed to cross the Rangitata bridge. Mr Bills, from Australia, leaves ifor England on the 9th to procure birds for the Canterbury Acclimatization Society. The sume Society has only about 1000 trout left, half of which will be set free ia the Ashburton tributaries. Experiments are about being made for supplying Christchurch with water from the Waimakariri, Monday. There was a perfect deluge of rain throughout the northern districts on Saturday. — Contracts amounting to £36,000 are going on in Lyttelton Harbor.— The Waimakariri protective works are being proceeded with as fast as possible. They are expected to cost £12,000. — Edward Dudley, for many years connected with the hotel business in Christchurch, dropped down dead in a fit yesterday morning. Grahamstown, Saturday. Preparations are being made for the first section of the Thames Valley railway and the local authorities have been communicated.

with re the acquisition of the land for the line, the greater portion of which is expected to be given. Marton, Saturday night. Had it not been for a fortunate change of wind yesterday, the Post office must have been burned. As it was all the books papers and documents had to be removed. Wanganui, Monday. An unusually sharp and long-continued earthquake was felt at half-pasf eight yesterday morning. No damage was done. *