INTERPROVINCIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 131, 3 June 1881, Page 2

INTERPROVINCIAL.

Auckland, Friday. A petition signed by 230 ratepayers asking that the free library may be opened on Sunday is to be presented to the Council this evening. A singular rnafcriago took place this week A long engaged pair were to be united in the bonds of wedlock on Tuesday but when the swain came to be looked for it was' found tbat he had just married his fiancee' '$ sister, a girl of 1 6 yearS ot age. The other girl had her outfit prepared and is now overwhelmed with grief. V. and J. C. Bindon, who were afcrested on ; a charge of setting fire to their premises last night, were brought up at the Police Court to-day. A remand for a week was granted on the application of the prisoner's counsel. The cutter Teazer waa wrecked on the voyage to Wade. No lives were lost. She was owned by McKawan. of Auckland. The City Council have arranged for a citizens ball in honor of the visit of the detached squadron. Addresses and other usual tokens ot welcome were also decided upon. Christopher Green way, a wealthy property owner, was committed to prison for seven days for refusing point blank to answer a i question put to him as witness in an embezzlement case against a man employed by the city night soil contractor. ' WbLtitidTON, Friday. The Government have decided to release all the Maori prisoners, and instructions have been sent to that effect to Dunedin, Lyttelton, and Hokitika. The Hinemoa conveys , tho3e confined in tha south to Taranaki, and the Stella takes the remainder from Hokitika. The whole returns of ths shire lists of West Coast Railway Company (North Island) have not yet been received, but it is believed that tbc £50,000 has been subscribed. A meeting of the provisional directors will be held on Monday to arrange for tbe allotment of shares. Sir W. Fox addressed bis constituents last night. He denied the claim of the Grey party to tbe title of Liberals and referred io terms of great praise to the Civil Service and Railway Commissions. He said the colony was on the verge of bankruptcy when the present Govemmeht took office, and only a few hours further delay in providing for the interest would bave involved financial ruin. Major Atkinson bad not exaggerated the gravity of the situation by half a farthing. Referring to the waste of time by Sir G Grey's no-confidence motion, he advocated introducing rules like those recently adopted in the House of Commons to prevent waste of time. He accused tbe Grey Government of having utterly revetted thb bfttive lands policy wbich they proposed when in opposition, and having no clear views on the subject at all. He doubted whether auy native land legislation was possible in the fag end of a Parliament. He defended tbe action of the Government about Patetere. He did not think it desirable to meddle with tbe Education Act yet, but soon something would have to be done to reduce the expense which now really came out of the property tax. It was .ridiculotiSj however, to say that tbe colony Could not afford this when every man who drank a glass of beer a di.y threw ten timea his share 'o*? the tak into the pockets of the publicans and merchants. He thought the syßtem of educafion should be made more thorough and a better class of teachers for the Dormal schools be gradually provided. Ho regretted that Counties wetc established Larger Highway Districts with larger powers only Were required. The question of providing funds for local works was a difficult one, but the country must be opened up. He did not think tbe Government would move in tbe matter next session, but it was sure to crop up and he would give it his best atten tion. A Vote or thanks and confidence was passed. The New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency report under date London, June 1: — In wool the competition is inoreaEing, and [ quotations are on an average to ld per lb : better than at the opening tales, excepting for combing washed and secured, combing fine greasy, fine -washed, and fine scoured cross breds, which remain Unchanged. Up to date 1 66,000 bales have been ;sold, 95,000 of which have been taken for export. At tbe Appeal Court in the case of the Queen v. Moritzon (Dunedin) the conviction was affirmed, and judgment ordered to be given at the next circuit sittings of the Supreme Court in Dunedin, In Mercer v. the Queen the demurrer was overruled, and. leave given to plead within 2§ days on payment of costs, in Murphy v. the Queen (Christchurch) judgment " waa reserved, there being a manifest error in tbe first and second Courts of tbe indictment, and that the second be remitted to the Court below in order that it raay be pronounced a proper judgment thereupon. In the Kilburnie ratepayers v. Hutt County Council, the Court held that the plaintiffs had good cause of action, and that the demurrer ought to be overruled with costs. Dunkdin, Friday. Mr Oliver addressed the electors last night. Ho claimed for himself and party tbe title of true Liberals, and pointed out how they had carried through the Liberal measures of which others had only insincerely talked. He advocated Hare's system of representation, and expressed his own warm approval of Mr Hall's proposed Upper House reform. He gave Mr Bryce credit for native reforms and averting war, wbicb at one time appeared imminent. Had the mode of retrenchment been left to the Government they would have saved as much, with less injury to the Service, ag the indiscriminate ten per cent reduction, which the House had insisted on amounted to. He referred to the reforms he had effected in tbe railways; having diminished the unprofitable train mileage by 170,000 miles in the year, and substituted one efficient Commissioner's and accountants' department for two inefficient ones. He had also introduced tbe system of promotion, had reduced the number of men employed, and revised the traffics. Wben he left he was considering what would be a benefit to society, namely, a system of Colonial parcels delivery, and was also making enquiries about the American system of checking luggage, of reducing tbe passenger rates, and of establishing a night train between Dunedin and Christohurch His successor would have to deal with these matters. His retirement was entirely in consequence of the death of hit business manager making his personal attention to his private affairs necessary. A vote of confidence was carried. The opening of the Industrial Exhibition is postponed until the 14th.It has been decided to telegraph to the Premier asking if the Ministry are prepared to assist, if the promoters forward an invitation to all the membera of both Houses of Parliament to be present at the opening* ceremony or shortly afterwards. Christcht-BCH, Friday. A number of gentlemen in Cbristchurch are now in communication with the patentee of Edison's electric light with a -view to the formation of a Company to supply Christchurch and New Zealand generally with tbe electrio light, '