TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4595, 11 December 1875, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(per press agency.) Auckland, Friday. Scarlet fever is very prevalent at Coromandel. Many schools are shut. J. S. Macfarlane, Thomas Henderson, \V. G. Hurst, and Dr. Lee are announced for Waitemata. Von der Heyde retires in Henderson’s favor. A heavy rain storm last night. Floods reported from various districts. The schooner Brandon, from Apia, reports that a European named Keyes was murdered in cold Uluoa Tjy a native at Apia, for refusing to give him a bottle of scented hair oil in his possession. Sir G. Grey will not visit the Maori King. When the invitation was sent to him by a special messenger some time ago to act as mediator, he referred them to the Native Minister, declining to go unless Tawhiao would put in writing his desire for mediation. The Kingites expressed reluctance to place on record any account showing that they had made first overtures ; they also declined to communicate with the Government. The floods washed away half a chain of the Mercer railway formation, near Buckland’s station. The passengers had to return to town. The Superintendent granted a prospector's license yesterday for the Kaiwa ranges, Tauranga district. Napier, Friday. The nomination for the Napier district is fixed for the 20th inst., and the poll for the 30th inst. The Clive nomination for the 22nd inst., and the poll for the 7th of January. Tanner has just purchased Purvis Russell's property at Pukahu, of 1800 acres. This will increase the value of the Mount Erin rim by making it one compact solid block. Last evening a meeting of the Horticultural . Society resolved that the autumn show be held on Tuesday, the 29th of February. The Hadke's Bay Herald this morning urges Sir D. McLean’s friends to support him, as, if they do not, he will possibly lose his seat for Napier. The Herald says “ At the present conjuncture, his defeat would be a serious loss to the province.” A strong feeling exists against him. The popular men are Maney and Stewart. Dunedin, Friday. Henry Driver has stated Kis intention to stand for Roslyn. It is believed McGlashan has retired, and that J. Green, the third candidate, and a member of the Provincial Executive, will contest the Waikouaiti, now that Sir Dillon Bell has withdrawn. Sir John Richardson has given a lengthy reply to the requisitionists asking him to stand for Dunedin city. He reviews very fully his connection with political life since 1861. He states that unexpected constitutional changes of a fundamental character are always to be deprecated, as they deprive the people of a right which it is at once their duty and priviledge to exercise. He concludes by stating that if there is one consolation amid the Uncertainties and complications of the present crisis he can find it in the fact that the people themselves will have to decide the question, and through the instrumentality of the ballot-box, free and uninfluenced. After thanking them for the compliments paid he declined the preferred honor. Two more cases of scarlet fever are reported to-day, in a locality where it will be difficult to isolate the houses, six of them being divided by thin wooden partitions. This has at last roused up the Board of Health to action, and at a meeting to-day the following resolution was passed;—“That the health officers at the Bluff and Port Chalmers be directed to make an inspection of all vessels arriving from Melbourne, in terms of section 61 of the Public Health Act, and that the authorities of Westland be requested to co-operate by giving similar instructions to the health officer at Hokitika." Had this been done before as suggested by the Times no fresh cases would have broken out. A fever hospital is also to be built. Bluff, Friday, 9 a.m. A steamer is on shore close to Dog Island. She was signalled as the Taiaroa from Glasgow, for Otago,' and belongs to the Union Steam Shipping Company. No particulars are yet to hand. The steamer Express has gone to ascertain the position of the vessels She is about 400 tons register. 10 a.m. The Taiaroa has got off, and the Express taken her in tow. They are making for the Bluff. Noon. The Taiaroa is now being beached in the harbor. Her middle compartment is

full of water. The captain died two days before reaching Mauritius. The vessel was brought out in charge of the mate, who, not knowing the coast, touched on a reef off Dog Island. 3 p.m. The Taiaroa was beached close to thewharf. Water is in the three compartments. The actual damage is not yet known. She struck on Old Man’s Rock, north-west of Dog Island. Called at Hobarton to coal on 30th November. Captain Gilpin, late master, died on 3rd November of paralysis, off Algoa Bay* His wife and three children are on board. Four packages of mails were landed safely. Invercargill, Friday. The ninth annual show of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association came off on Thursday, and proved a great success. The weather was beautifully fine; three thousand people were present. Last year the number of exhibits was 248 ; this year there were 415. Amongst the horses, the strength lay in draughts ; amongst cattle, in shorthorns and Ayrshire ; amongst sheep, in the long-wool classes. The winner of the first prize amongst shorthorn buUs belonged to McDonald, of Inchclutha. Keid and of Dunedin, in agricultural implements, carried away many of the honors. Altogether, the show was one of the best of the land ever held in Southland. In the District Court to-day, Judge Ward sentenced Thomas McMath, to six months* hard labor for an assault on a man named Grant at Grove Bush on the 16th October last. MR. REEVES AT SELWYN. Mr. Reeves addressed the electors of the Selwyn district last night. He gave a lengthened account of his action in the Assembly respecting the Abolition BUI and the grounds on which he had so strenuously opposed it; he said three distinct policies for the future had been sketched out by candidates for the Assembly, The first was a purely central form of government; the second, insular separation with a federal government at Wellington ; and the third, a middle course for the simplification of existing institutions to meet the altered circumstances of the colony. He was a strong supporter of the middle course ; he held it would be infinitely better to modify and simplify existing institutions than to sweep them away, to replace them by no one knows what. The chief thing to be desired was to clearly define the subject upon which Provincial Councils should legislate, and then simplify the machinery of the Government. This, he believed, would meet all the requirements of the case. From the experience he had had of the Assembly, he was sure that body would not be able to cope with the mass of minor legislation required in this colony. He thought it would be admitted on all hands that the time had come when the farce of government by party in the provinces should be done away with, and the system of paid executive officers be abolished, and business done by the Executives should be done by the Superintendents, with the advice of unpaid members of the Provincial Councils. Log rolliug in the Assembly had been freely laid to the charge of provincial institutions, but log rolling was not peculiar to them, it was inherent to human nature itself. He believed that during the next session the real battle ground upon which the question of local government would be fought was centralism as against decentralisation, and he would invariably be found on the side of those who favored the latter. He explained his objections against centralism at considerable length. Mr. Richardson had said that it was the intention of the Government to decentralise administration as tar as possible, and if the Government were sincere in this, which he doubted very much, they would have his support. He expressed himself favorable to a free State secular education similar to what was being so successfully worked out in Canterbury, and he would make it compulsory in towns and other localities where it could be carried out. H education were conducted on this basis, the funds should be provided out of the consolidated revenue of the colony. In reference to runs, he was in favor of having them assessed by independent persons, and on the expiration of the present agreement have them offered to the existing holders at the increased rental To offer them by auction would be to create rings, corruption, and injustice to the existing tenants. He was in favor of triennial Parliaments. H® thought it not improbable in the course of a year or two it would be necessary to increase taxation, and if so, he would favor a property tax, as he considered such would be fairer than any other. He would continue to support the duty on grain until he received a very distinct expression from his constituents averse to it. In reply to questions, he said he believed there was a growing feeling in England of the necessity for something like our provincial system of government in order to relieve the Imperial Parliament. He was in favor of local boards of education, and he thought school committees a necessary part of the educational machinery. He Was favorable to an elective Upper House for a comparatively long term. He preferred a property tax to an income tax, as it would be collected far more easily and at much less expense. He thought it would be well that there should be a pause, both in public works and immigration, to see how the colony would stand without the abnormal expenditure which had been going on for the past few years. If abolition were carried, he would strenuously oppose any system of nominated boards. The Native Department was such a mystery it was impossible for any member of the Assembly to say what was the necessary expenditure of that department, but he considered the expenditure was beyond what it ought to be. The volunteers of the Middle Island were, in his opinion, not required. A motion was proposed pledging support to Reeves; and an amendment thanking Reeves, but declining to support'him, was then moved. The amendment was negatived by 42 to 21, and the resolution was carried by 50 to 21. After cheers for Vogel, Grey, and Reeves, the meeting separated.