TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5143, 17 September 1877, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Auckland, Saturday. Arrived—Bell Brandon, from Savage Island, and Active, from Tonga and Samoa. The latter brings very little additional war news. The fighting has entirely stopped, but great damage has been done to the cocoa-nut and breadfruit trees. It is estimated that 85,000 trees have been wantonly destroyed. Sunday. The Coronet, from Tahiti, brings a valuable car"o of cotton, limejuice, and copra. Captain Bose reports that the iron ship Ada Iredale, which left Ardrossan with coals for San Brancisco on June 15, 1876, was abandoned in flames, the crew suffering great hardships for twenty-six days. The ship was towed into Papeete Harbor, Tahiti, on June 20, 1877, still burning, after eight months tossing about, during which she had drifted -600 miles. She was picked up close to land by tho French frigate Seignely. Napier, Saturday. The Working Men’s Club is now fairly launched. A largely attended meeting was held last night to inaugurate the affair. A committee was appointed to draw up rules and select temporary premises, pending the erection of suitable buildings. It is not decided yet whether liquors will be sold; that question, however, will not affect the establishment of the club, which may be said to be already a success. There are ninety ordinary members ' and twenty-six honorary, besides some hw life members. It is being pushed on with great spirit. Dunedin, Sunday. At a meeting of the Dunedin School Committee last night the following resolutions were carried: —Ist, “That this committee believes the interests of education will be promoted by the introduction of more than has hitherto obtained of boy pupil-teachers into our schools; that head-masters be required to co-operate with the committee with a view to further their introduction by recommending boys as pupil teachers, in such proportions as will equalise the numbers of each sex so employed;

that the terms of their engagements and salaries attached he advertised in the newspapers, and the head masters be asked to notify from time to time the conditions on which the pupilteachers are engaged in their respective schools.” ■ _ At a meeting of the Forhury Park Company last night it transpired that there is every likelihood' of the whole of the company s property being leased' for five years to the Dunedin’Jockey Club. During the meeting it was suggested that the Government or City Council should purchase the Forhury Park for sport and recreation purposes, as otherwise the time would come when it would be so valuable that shareholders would not be content with the revenue they will he receiving from the property. _ , , 1 . Chuistchokch, Saturday. The Press this morning has an article on Needham’s case, replying to a letter which appeared in the same paper reflecting strongly on the action of the K.M. The article first points out that it is doubtful whether a conviction would have been obtained in the Supremo Court, and then argues that there should be two classes of punishment, the deterrent ami the purely expiatory. The article concludes as follows: “We imagine some such argument must have occurred to lawyers engaged as well as to magistrates, for they all agreed to the course decided on. Mr. Mellish acted quite right, and we are only sorry that so much publicity should have been given to the case. The prurient curiosity fostered-is not unlikely to become extremely mischievous, and it is to be earnestly desired that nothing further should he heard of the business.” A letter in the Times condemns the action of Mr. Melli-m, and says the Minister of Justice should take action in the matter. There is a strong feeling among the genei*al public as to the inadequacy of the sentence. Oamauu, Saturday.

Mrs. Oayney, the wife of a stationer, whilst walking up Thoms-street at seven o’clock last night, was assaulted and knocked down by a man named Thomas Desmond. She screamed, and the m-n ran away. The crowd gave chase and followed him into the Criterion hoardinghouse, where he was arrested, and was brought before the Resident Magistrate this morning. He was sentenced to six mouths’ imprisonment. Gbahamstows, Saturday. The annual football match between the Thames and Auckland teams took place to-day, and after being hardly contested, the match was won by Auckland by five tries to nothing. Two men were hurt. Burgess, the Thames man, received a nasty wound in the hand from a kick, and shortly afterwards his brother, one of the Auckland team, was violently thrown, and had to be carried off the field. A doctor was sent for, but .the extent of the injuries is not known. He is believed to he hurt internally, but not seriously. The Thames men were heavier than their opponents, but have had but little practice, and the Auckland team comprised a dozen players who recently contested with the Dunedin team. Mr, Stanley Paul captained the Thames team and played brilliantly.