TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5293, 13 March 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(per press agency.) , ; Auckland, Tuesday. A banquet: was given by the 1 sons of old colonists to Mr. Sheehan last night at Hamilton. It passed off very successfully. Forty- - five guests, of whom thirty-five were sons of old colonists, were present, including several .leading settlers of Waikato. In. a complimentary speech the chairman stated that the object of the banquet was to do honor to the first native-born colonist of New Zealand who had attained the dignified position of Minister of the Crown in the colony. ’ The clothes of a young man named Russell were found on the beach to-day. It is believed he has bolted, and that placing his clothes on the beach was only to blind his creditors. The Taranaki'is detained untiP to-morrow morning in. the Manukau, and will take the mails South. Mr. Sheehan proceeds ,to Te Aroha tomorrow to' complete: land purchase arrangements there. ■ The test case, City v. owners of allotments on the reclaimed' land, for rates, to-day, went against the,Council, ; New Plymouth, Tuesday.', The following agricultural statistics for the County of Taranaki are published:—Holdings, 682; laud broken up, 1395; acres in wheat, 1586; in oats, 412; barley, 30; grasses, 43,631 :acres; potatoes, 464; other crops, 226; total number acres under crop, 46,349. . Christchurch, Tuesday. Mr. Wynn Williams imported two valuable greyhounds, for coursing, by the ship Pleiades. Samuel Dann, a prisoner, for housebreaking and burglary, escaped' while' working in the hospital grounds yesterday, but was captured in the evening. - Twenty-three city , water supply schemes have been received by the City Council. They propose to obtain water from the following sources :—4 from artesian wells, 7 from river Waituakariri, 7 from Heathoote, 3 from Avon, 1 from Okuru, 1 from Hawkins. The Salsbury Troubadours have finished a very successful season'here. The tramway scheme through Christchurch and suburbs promises to be a success. The suburban municipalities and road boards guarantee the company a 21 years lease, and the City Council are favorable to granting a 14 years lease. ■' ' 1