INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 37, 12 February 1880, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

[Press Association. ] WAIRAEAPA RACES. The weather is glorious, and 1000 people are on the course. The bookmakers are doing but little business. There is one totalisator ou the course which is ia fair swing. Produce Stakes : Pahana 1, Fly Catcher 2, Volunteer 3. Seven Btarted. Wairarapa Stakes : Lara 1, Romeo 2, Tamatea 3. King Quail also started. Ddnkdin, Wednesday. The Governor has intimated to the Jockey Club his intention of being present at each day of. the meeting. The City Council has decided to reduce the expenditure on day labor, which averages over eight shillings per day, and costs over £20,000 annually. Thursday. Henry Fell, a prisoner undergoing sentence, has been cointnitted for trial for

Petty Officer Morrison and Gunner Black, of the Dunedin Naval Brigade, and Mr J. E. Hutchison, honorary member, have entered for the Nelson meeting, The suicide of a man whose named *is unknown i-j reported. He went over to Vauxhall and cut his throat, and then jumped into the Bay. " Walter Pierce '* was found inscribed on a notebook found on him. Auckland, Wednesday; The Hou. Mr Whitaker and Mr Fenton have induced about 50 natives belonging to a hapu in the King country, lately owning allegiance to Tawhiao, to settle on four thousand acres of land at Onewhero, near Tuakau, virtually detaching them from the King party. Tawhiao told them not to accept the Crown grant, or if they did to throw it into the river, but they ignored his advice and accepted the grant and a plan of the ground from Mr Whitaker. The land is alienable by lease or sale. It is expected that many more natives will follow ttteir example. Captaiu Johnsoni of the Marine Department, Mr Hamerton, of the Stamp Office, and Mr Batkin, of the Treasury, are here on official business. It is stated there is a deficiency in the amount of one of the officials at Tauranga. Wanganui, Thursday. A criminal libel action has been brought against Samuel Johnston of Blenheim by John Calder now residing in Wanganui. The libel is based upon a paragraph in the Mnriborongh Express which stated tbat Calder had been given free quarters by a grateful county for two years for experiments in illicit distilling. It came out in evidence that the paragraph was published inadvertently and a full apology was made after it was published. The Bench, however, ruled that a prima facie case had been made out and committed the accused to ta,ke his trial at Blenheim. His own recognisances of £25 were taken. Wellington, Thursday. The prospectus of a Deaf and Dumb Institution to be established at Sumner, Christcburch, has been, issued. The charge for board, lodgings, and education is fixed at £50 per annum, but under necessitous circumstances the Minister for Education will arrange - for the payment of part of this amount from the public funds. Several drapers have intimated their intention of keeping their shops open until 9 p.m. The Early Closing Association protest against the movement, and are taking measures to prevent it. The police have laid an information against the proprietors of the following hotels:— Empire, Barret's, Star, Metropolitan, and Criterion, for breach of the provisions of "The Employment of Females Act," by allowing barmaids to remain in the bar after 11 p.m. Christchurch, Thursday. H.M.S. Cormorant arrived yesterday, and is to be opened to the public to-day. She will remain here probably for three weeks. Mr M. Nosley is going to reply to Pastor Chiniquy's remarks relative to the cause of the Irish famine in a lecture, to be given at the Odd Fellows Hall on Monday next. The racehorse Foul Play is going back to his old training quarters at Horsely Downs. The Sunnyside Asylum will be lighted with gas to-night for the first time. The rateable value of the Sydenham Borough this }'ear is £47,248, or £6000 over last year's assessment. An Artillery competition took place yesterday with carbines for a silver cup, presented by an ex-gunner of the company. Sergeant Hill was the highest scorer. The cup has to be won twice before becoming private property. From a letter received by the Hospital Board from Dr. Turnbull and read at yesterday's meeting of the Board, it would appear that the Government are going to gazette a number of new members, as the Chairman said, with the intention of swamping the present members of the Board Gisborne, Thursday Mr Clarke, who represents Sydney capitalists, visited the oil springs in this district, and expresses himself much gratified at the splendid indications of oil. After some days of difficult negotiations satisfactory arrangements have been made with all parties, and a company will be immediately formed with a large capital to work the springs. It is the best thing that has happened for the district for a long time. Paul Rotean, an influential chief, died yesterday ; a large tangi is being held.