INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 97, 23 April 1880, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIA L .

Wellington, Thursday nighfc. The imports last years amounted to £8,374,585 as compared -with £9,755,667 dur- , ing'the previous twelve months, and the exports to £5,473,126, as compared with £6,016,700 in 1878, the decreases are thus:— Imports £381,082, exports £542,574. The following cablegram has been received by Messrs Murray, Roberts, & Co:— " Loudon, 29th April. Large attendauqe of foreign buyers, wbo are the principal operators. Merino wool has opened at ten per cent to 12£ per cent above closing rates of last series; there is no change in P.P. fleeces, and crossbred descriptions show only a slight advance. 400,000 bales are catalogued." At a meeting of the Naval Brigade Capt. Johnston announced that he had through the Colonial Government sent a request to the Imperial authorities to allow the Brigade the use of tbe man-of-war frora England. . The annual report of the Australian Mutual Provident Society shows that 6 135 proposals, assuring £2,102,625, and yielding new premiuns to tbe amount of £74.355 were , accepted and completed iast year. £142,832, including £20,832 bonus additions, -was paid in settlement of 279 claims. The annual revenue of the Society ■ reaches a total of £694,282, and the accumulated fund stands at £2,933,797. . The tramway case is not likely to conclude until Saturday. A youth named Alfred Brown, has heen , arrested, for. stabbing another lad named Alfred Lindley. The injuries inflicted 1 are \not of a serious nature. . '<■•'," Friday. ;At a, meeting of * the' City Council last night, the Eire Brigade's Committee reported :— That in future there shall be only one principal Eire Brigade, and .that the Council advertise for a duly qualified superintendent, at a salary of £100 per annum, to organise and take command of such Eire Brigade, to be formed 1 somewhat' bn the following basis :— 1 superintendent at £100 ; 2 foremen, £25 each ; 5 branchmen; £10 ; 25 firemen, £5 each ; 1 nightwatchtnan, £100 ; 2 station-keepers, at 30s per week each*, £100 ; ihonthly practice, 25 men at 2s each and 5 men at 3s each, £40 ; expenditure at fires, say £150 ; contingencies, £100 ; total, £Bs per annum. A destructive fire occurred at Bef hampoor yesterday afternoon, by which a. house belonging to E. E. Wright was totally destroyed. The furniture,; which belonged to a man named Davies, who occupied the house, was also consumed. The origin of the fire is unknown. The house is believed to be insured. The steamer Manawatu, bound from Wanganui to Wellington, broke down between Kapiti and Mana Island. It is believed the boiler Jiurst, aud it is stated that the circumstances ~3etna-t.d a. strict inquiry. The passengers of the Manawatu _}yere brought on by the Jane Douglas, and the'ihjirred^teamer returned to Kapiti. The Rangatira leavesIhis afternoon to tow the Manawatu to Wel" lington. . Intebcarculi,, Thursday night. At the annual meeting of the Acclimatisation Society, it was resolved to increase the bonus for killing shags from threepence to one shilling ; to petition Parliament for a general shooting license in the colony ; and to impose a gun tax of ten shillings ; also, on account of the rabbit pest, to recommend and encourage the introduction of weasels, foxes, and stoats. The last resolution to be' fully ventilated by the Committee before given effect to it. : - Auckland, Thursday. ' The thirty-seventh half-yearly meeting of the Bank of New Zealand was held" to-day at noon. The Directors. report as follows: — The net profit to the 3lst March, after fully . providing for all bad or doubtful dependencies, and for the usual reduction in Bank premises and furniture accounts, |amount to £74,101 17s 4d, to which has to be added the premium obtained on the sale of the balance of new shares, £1719 3s. The balance from the half-year ended 30th September, 1879, was £5890 6s sd, making a total available for division of £17,185 3s 9d, which is now recommended to be appropriated as follows: — Payment of dividend at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, £5000; bonus ot 5s per share, equal to 5 per cent per annum, £2500; balance carried to profit and loss new account, £22,185. The dividend and bonus will be payable at the bead office, Auckland, on Saturday, 24th April, and at the branches on receipt of advice. The aggregate balance sheet showed the liabilities to be £11,116,808, of which £7,629,811 are deposits and other liabilities ; bills payable in and circulation, £1,337,451. The assets are coin and cash balance at Banks, £2,114,667; money on short call, London, £875,436; calls receivable and securities at London, £1,081,433; bills discounted and other debts due to Bank, £7,443,979. - The report and balance sheet ■were adopted. The Chairman intimated that the Directors would apply to Parliament next session for legislation to solve the doubts on the alteration made in the Deed of Settlement at a former general meeting, by the words "elsewhere in the British .Dominions." Eriday, : The Hon. Mr Bryce arrived at Manukau this morning. Sir George Grey addresses a meeting about Wednes flay next,- if in good health, if*" not, next week; In the Becond charge against j. C. Young, ■late Government Land Purchase Agent, charged with embezzlement of Government, Ithe jury, at 11 p.m. returned a verdict of not i guilty, attaching tbe following presentment :— " That the system of Native Land Purchase expenditure, as disclosed by the evidence, is extremely loose and reprehensible, and affords not sufficient check against , fraud by persons employed as agents." The other charges were to be heard to-day, hut at the opening of the Court the Crown Prosecutor announced their withdrawal. The ■ Judge then discharged Young, and said he had been guilty of gross direliction of duty in tbe payment of monies, and brought the I prosecution on himself, but was satisfied that the prisoner had not attempted to appropriating the monies to his own use. New Plymouth, Thursday night. j Stephen Coad, a lunatic who escaped from the Wellington Asylum about three months ago has been apprehended, but owing to the doctors being unable to come to a decision respecting his case he was remanded for a few days for furtber examination.' W. John Dale, who was discharged at the District Court owing to the Crown Prosecutor having neglected signing the indictment, was again arrested for an indecent assault upon his daughter. That Justices had not power to commit twice for the same offence, the Magistrate said as an indictment had never been in ._ peril.- The, case, was. remanded till to<-mprrowi /the Magistrate saying as the prisoner was ■committed the indictment would be taken in tfye Supreme Court, which opens here on the 3rd May. . * Chbistohuech, Eriday. A tragical affair happened at Little River, Bank's Peninsula, yesterday morning at Mr Buchanan's house: A. married woman with a child five years old,- and a servant named Annetta McCorrie were in one of the bedrooms together, when the latter took up a loaded revolver, which was lying on the table, and presented it at the child saying, " I will shoot you," and thereupon the weapon exploded and. the ball went through the child's head, and atter lingering 'till 7 p.m. the child died, An inquest will be held to-morrow.

NAriEB, Thursday night. At a meeting of the Education Board yesterday a summary of school attendances was received, showing -that for the quarter ending March 31st 1579 males and 1413 females, total 2992, average attendance 2244; fpr the corresponding quarter last year the average attendance was 1687. At the Harbor Board meeting yesterday the following resolution passed : — " That the arrangements made by the pilot for taking off the San Eraneisco mails to the Rotorua on the 24th ult. were faulty, and showed want of forethought and energy, and in future the Postmaster, if an emergency arises for using the life boats, should communicate with the Chairman or Secretary or Secretary of the Harbor Board." Three children aged ten, seven, and five ; respectively were brought before the Resident Magistrate this morning, charged with being neglected children. The father of the children is an o\d< offender, and the mother died while the father was , ih gaol; . The children have been kept by th,e Nuns since,' It was ordered that they be sent to the Nelson Industrial School. : . . | . Friday. "' The Commercial Hotel at the Spit was destroyed byifire at 2 a.m. this morning.- Mf Gallows, the 'proprietor, was absent, beidg at a private party in town; his wife ahd one servant were^alone in the house. They were sleeping, together, and being roused by the unwonted sounds-discovered that the house .was oh fire', which had suoh a hold that they could only sav,e a ' bok or two of clothing. Both the) Spit >nd papier Brigades had- been '" holding their, annual dinner in town, but, in ' spite of having "41 ne 4»" turned out promptly, ' and. succeeded in confining the fire to. the : -hotel.- The adjoining buildings were severely scorched, the weather boards of Messrs Banner and Middle's bonded store being burnt through in places. The insurances on tbe building are £600 iv the South British, and .£4OO in the Victoria ; stock and furniture £600 in, the Transatlantic. At the Fire Brigade dinner last night, Mr Sutton, M.H.R., presided. Mr W. Miller, chief gaoler,, and late superintendent of the Brigade, was presented with a testimonial and a handsome silyer tea and coffee service.