TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4440, 12 June 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(from our own correspondent.) Bunedin, Friday. It is reported outside to-day that in the Provincial Council last night one lion, member called another a d d liar. - It is also reported that the Superintendent is so disgusted with the way the Council business is being carried on that he has declared his intention of going over to the Centralist party when the Assembly meets. The weather is still cold and frosty. The proceedings in Council are something like those of a bear garden. (per press aoenoy.) Auckland, Friday. The General Government have paid a sum into the Provincial Treasury as an advance to meet emergencies. This will carry the Government on for some time to come. It appears that the advance made by the General Government to the province is not a special advance, but -is merely the payment of the £6OOO over which Sir George Grey and Br. Pollen held extended telegraphic correspondence, Sir George Grey contending that it was due on the 31st March last. , A Maori was committed tor trial to-day, on a charge of breaking into the house of Mcßonald, a.settler at Mahuraugi, at night, during the absence of the owner, with ! intention to commit an indecent assaub , i the settler’s wife. '

The Race Club inquiry into the scandal arising out of the match between Baybreak and Maori Weed, resulted in the disqualification of Baron, the trainer, and Kelly, the rider, of Maori Weed. Isaacs, the owner of Baybreak, was called on to give an explanation or retire from the club. A writ for libel, £SOO damages, has been served upon the Cross, at the suit of Cecilia Alice Young, the girl who was some time ago charged with arson but acquitted. The case arises out of the expression, in a notice of the case, that such as she should be “ chloroformed out of existence,” and which caused some notice to be taken of it in several colonial journals at the time. Captain Casey has abandoned his threatened libel action against the Star. Gbahamstown, Friday. The Manukau produced 450 ounces from three weeks’ crushing. A trial lot from the new rush at Ohinemuri was brought down, but the result is not known. The hearing of, objections to the Tairua prospectors’ licenses comes on on Tuesday next. The Star to-night says it has been informed that Neaves, the discoverer, was promised full protection by the General Government, and a grant of ground. His claim has been jumped by half a dozen different parties, and the prospectors will be put to great expense. It is reported that Br. Pollen wished to secure the prospectors by taking the ground out of the goldfield, but Sir George Grey declined. Napier, Friday. The Provincial Council opened to-day. Mr. Ormond was re-elected Superintendent unopposed ; Mr. Adeane, Speaker; Mr. Fannin. Clerk. The Superintendent thanked the Council for his re-election, and accepted it on the understanding that he should be at liberty to resign before the expiration of the term for which the Council was elected. He alluded to the unusual amount of sickness in Napier, but did not attribute it to local causes. The receipts of the Paki Paki railway, per month, are larger than those of any other line in the North Island. The progress of settlement at Fortymile Bush was going on satisfactorily. The question of importance for consideration is the Napier harbor improvements. 2457 immigrants had been introduced into the province during the past twelve months. He suggested that the cost of education should be provided out of the revenue as heretofore, to obviate the necessity of calling into operation certain clauses of the Act. The first block of land had been taken up on deferred payments by bond fide settlers, and another block was about to be occupied. There was an excess of expenditure over vote at the reclamation works, but it enhances the value of the property. The votes of last session for public works had been carried out so far as was practicable, but some had not been proceeded with in consequence of the conditions under which votes had been given not being complied with. These were the bridges at Spit, and Holmwood Swamp reclamation. The revenue estimated to accrue during the year had not been fully realised. The ordinary revenue exceeded the estimate, but the territorial had fallen off. After providing for all expenditure, there will be a balance in hand of £13,000. There was only one Bill of importance to introduce —a Bill to take advantage of the Provincial Fencing Laws Empowering Act, 1874, and to enable the provisions of the Hawke’s Bay Fencing Act to be given effect to. The abolition of the provinces throughout the colony would lead to a more efficient and economical administration of local affairs. The Supreme Court sittings will probably close to-morrow. The Chief Justice, Mr Travers, and Mr. Izard return to Wellington to-morrow. Westport, Friday. The election for the Nelson Provincial Council, to fill the vacancy for Westport, caused a lively contest. Humphrey, ex-Mayor, obtained 185 votes ; Ings, editor of the Westport Times, 137. Humphrey commanded the votes of the railway hands. Christchurch, Friday. Mr. Jebson has given notice of motion in the Provincial Council—“ That in the opinion of this Council it is inexpedient and unconstitutional to entertain and carry into effect any proposal to abolish the provincial form of Government in the province of Canterbury until a majority of the people of the province have clearly and unmistakeably expressed a desire for such change.” The report of the Royal Commission on the Rakaia bridge is published. It reflects strongly on the conduct of both General Government engineers and provincial engineers. The whole conduct of the former is said to have been of the loosest description, but the Provincial Engineer is pronounced the chief offender. The Commissioners say he is the man to whom blame attaches all through. It seems that the contractor, White, was permitted to alter the original design in many particulars, and to carry out the work much as he liked. The Commissioners state the total cost of the bridge was £36,196, and that of this there has been overpaid or wasted on it £6987, added to which the whole bridge has now to be re-planked, owing to the timber originally used for planking being worthless. The Press, remarking on the matter this morning, says, “ For all this waste of money the province is indebted to Mr. Thornton, Provincial Engineer.” At a conference between the City Council and the Chairmen of suburban Road Boards yesterday, resolutions were passed favorable to the establishment of a Board of Brainage Commissioners for city and suburbs, with' power to borrow money and levy rates. The Provincial Council is expected to be prorogued on Wednesday next. Mr. Stansoll, meteorological observer, reports that the rainfall during the storm on Saturday last was 3'87 inches, and the mean velocity of wind 63 miles per hour. The land sales this week have realised £IO,OOO, which is £IOOO more than the Government estimate. The receipts tor the first ten weeks of the financial year have amounted to £65,000, and the Government estimate for the whole year was only £12,000 (?). In the Provincial Council this afternoon, the Education Bill was recommitted with the view of making alterations in some of its clauses. Considerable discussion took place with respect to the proportion of cost of school buildings to be contributed by school districts, but the original proposal of Government to increase the proportion from one-sixth to one-half, was agreed to. Tisiaru, Friday. In the Supreme Court yesterday the following cases were disposed of: —Boucher, forgery, sentenced to eighteen months; Luoker, horse stealing, four years, and for escaping from custody, one month ; Shannon, larceny, twelve months; James Wilson, larceny, nine months. The extraordinary case of Margaret Baxter Bodds, governess, charged with arson on two counts, is now proceeding. The Court sat in the Mechanics’ Institute, a miserable wooden shanty. It freezed hard all day, yet there were no fires. Judge Johnston suffered much. He was confident if he sat in the present room for the next few days he would be unable to discharge public duties to the country. There is a strong feeling about the neglect of the Government to build a courthouse. The Grand Jury made a piesentment on the subject in January hast, but no steps were taken. The witnesses and others stand in the street all day. Thermometer 28. Bunedin, Friday. The Guardian's giving up Mr. James Smith’s name has excited great surprise. The general opinion here is, that having determined .on publishing the letter, it should have stood by the writer, though the latter made no secret of it. The letter was printed the morning after the Times published an exaggerated list of awards, and went on to say“ The editor must have know the information was prematurely and dishonestly divulged. This flagrant breach of decency in journalism is in keeping with what was done in the notorious WardChapman case, in which the same journal did not scruple to publish what purported to be private telegrams sent by Mr. Ward to Mr. Vogel—a garbled statement, which, as it afterwards turned out, has been obtained u discreditable manner by a certain member of the legal fraternity, who was also subsequently discovered to have de-

soended to the consummate baseness of having spies to dog the footsteps of Mr. Ward in private life. It is bad enough that there should be such persons in our midst as the individual whom Mr. Hawkins felicitiously described as ‘the Judas Iscariot among arbitrators,’ the legal gentleman above referred to, but it is worse still that one of our leading journals should pander to prurient curiosity by becoming the vehicle of publications involving gross and manifest breaches of good faith.” Mr. Macassey has sent letters to the Judges, and to every member of the legal body. Probably an effort will be made to get the Ward-Chapman Committee evidence published. The City Bench yesterday sent Haley’s wife to the Refuge. Two new arrivals, named Welsh, were sentenced to a month’s imprisonment for broaching cargo, on the passage to Invercargill. The Provincial Council has voted £IOOO for prospecting for deep leads, and £SOO as a reward for the discovery of goldfields in the south-west part of the province. The funeral of Stewart Hawthorne took place to-day. One hundred pupils of the High School attended. The pall-bearers were six of the oldest pupils of the school. Bishop Neville performed service. The members of the Executive and Provincial Council were present, the Council having adjourned to allow of their attendance. Port Chalmers, Friday. The Hawea brings eighteen passengers, four of whom are for Wellington, and is under the command of Captain Wheeler, formerly of the Taranaki. She is fitted within in a most superb manner, and is calculated to carry about seventy cabin and twenty-two second cabin passengers. The works in connection with the Port Chalmers and Moeraki railway have been suddenly stopped, and the workmen thrown on the streets. A bailiff is in possession of the plant. Monetary difficulties are the alleged cause of stoppage.