INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIV, Issue 84, 8 April 1879, Page 2

INTERPROVIN CI AL.

fPRESS AOENOT..I Wellington, Monday night. The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened this morning. There are fourteen cases, involving 17 persons, but the cases are not of a very serious character. This is the largest calendar but one that there has been here for years. There was nothing in the Judge's charge of general interest save hig remark that there seemed to be a decrease in crimes of a violent character, especially of assaults upon females. The Pott to-night calls attention to the number of entirely new offices lately created in the Civil Service, and enumerates the following:—A Railway Commissioner for each island, Secretary for Railways, Commissioner for each island, Secretary for Railways in the Middle Island, Under-Secretary for Railways, Assistant Under-Secretary for Railways, Assistant Under-Secretary for Public Works, Assistant Under Secretary for Immigration and Crown Lands, Assistant UnderSecretary for Goldfields, Under-Secretary for Native Lands Purchases, Commissioner of Lfind Tax, Under-Secretary for Defence, Under-Secretary for Marine Department, and Deputy Auditor General, and it says that it has not exhausted the list. No further information of a definite character has been received by the Government from the Waimate Plains. Te Whiti, as a proof of his friendly intentions, has sent two of his relatives, and leaves himself for New Plymouth to-morrow to personally arrange matters. His absence will be only for a few days. A telegram is said to have been received by the Government which would lead to the belief of a satisfactory settlement being the result of the coming meeting. Mr Bowden was excused to-day from serving on the Grand Jury because he was a schoolmaster. A man charged with begging was sentenced to a week in gaol, and told that he would get six months next time. _ Tuesday. Mr A. T. Maginnity hitherto chief clerk has been appointed Assistant Secretary to the Telegraph Department. At the Supreme Court, Ernest Wagner's sentence was further deferred until such time as the second charge against him is heard. Peter Regan was sentenced to twelve months' hard labor for attempted suicide The prisoner pleaded that he might be exempt from hard labor, but the Judge pointed out that the gaol authorities could regulate that if they found him unfit for hard labor. W. H. Parnell, for cutting and wounding, was acquitted and discharged. Charles Mills, an old man in an advanced stage of consumption, was sentenced to l* months for forging and uttering. John '• Henry, a very elderly man, charge* with attempted suicide, was this morning bound over to good behavior, himself in .£IOO and one surety in £100. ' ' Mr Mackay has proceeded North of Waitara as far as Urenui, 19 miles from New Plymouth, for the purpose of interviewing a number of Natives there who are said to be strong supporters of Te Whiti. In is said that within the past fesv days Te Whiti has prevented some friends of Titoko Waru from committing acts of violence. The Waikato chiefs are said to have expressed themselves as follows on the Waimate difficulty-—" Te Whiti will act for himself, and Waikato for themselves." The boy Bacon, who pleaded guilty to stealing money from the Anchor Line will be shortly. The case of the boy Jones for the manslaughter of the cook of the Loch Fergus is now going on. Ernest Wagner on two charges of obtaining money on false pretences was found guilty on both and sentenced to 12 months on each, the sentences to run concurrently In the case of John P. Jones who killed the cook of the Loch Fergus in self-defence, the Judge after carefully reviewing the facts of the whole case, pointed out that Jones did not pick up the capstan bar until the cook was approaching him with an iroa bar and told the jury if they believed that Jones considered his life to be in danger by the cook being armed with an iron bar then they must acquit the prisoner. The jury after a short retirement, returned a verdict of not guilty, and accused was discharged. .. „. , . pi-tJNAKE, Tuesday. The Hmemoa landed 39 armed constabulary and a quantity of gtores here this morning. „,, . . Auckland, Monday night. Ihe criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened to-day. The Judge congratulated the jury on the lightness of the calendar, there being no offences of an aggravated character. There were twentythree prisoners charged with 24 offences b.x of these were old offenders, and ten were Maoris. All the prisoners except three Maoris were able to read and write. There were three offences against the person, one being of mdecent assault, and the remainder were offences against property. One [case was that of a lodger in an hotel who entered the bed or a married woman. Another was that oi burning stacks, but there were some doubts as to the sanity of the accused Eraser and Tinue have declined the contract for raising the Taupo, and the tender of D. Gouk for £5600 was accepted. Grahamstown, Monday night A small tribe of hatives proceeded on hoard the snagging punts at the Waikoi River this morning and took forcible possession of the gear, &c, leaving the crew ;unmolested. The County authorities are determined to put a stop to this kind of thine and will ask permission of Mr Sheehan to prosecute the offenders. ■n Chkistchubch, Tuesday John Burns, late an assistant shunter on the railway, was brought up this morning at the Resident Magistrates Court, charged with neglecting to adjust the points on the north line of the railway at Ashburton He was remanded to Ashburton. Alexander Fitzgerald charged with having in conjunction with J. McArdell, stolen £6 from Terry was acquitted. McArdell pleaded guilty. Blenheim, Tuesday. A meeting of the D'Urville Island Copper Company resolved, by a large majority, to remove the head office from Blenheim to Wellington ; and also resolved to issue the remaining 17,000 shares as may seem fit • providing 3000 shares be retained for distribution pro rata amongst holders of shares in New Zealand. a j j v,. Hokiti ka. Tuesday. A crowded public meeting was held in the Town Hall- last night re the Hokitika and Greymouth railway, the Mayor in the Chair. Resolutions were carried unanimously to the following effect : — Remonstrating with the Government regarding the apathy shown in the construction of the railway; regretting that the Government had not seen fit to expend the money voted last session by pushing on the work at both ends; and urging the Government to immediately expend a portion thereof on the Hokitika end of the line, the plan 3 and specifications having been . ready for two years past. A request from the Mayor of Cbristchurch to co-operate in the movement to procure tbe holding of the next session of Parliament at Chrjstchurch was negatived unanimously. .., Arrived : Brigantine Eliza Firth from Melbourne.