TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5318, 12 April 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PER .PRESS AGENCY.) Wanganui, Thursday. - . Mr.’--Lowes, of ’ Wellington, has ‘ purchased Thompson’s property of 1.700 acres at Nukumara for £VZ an acre. -..n; New Plymouth, .Thursday. • Messrs. Barr and Olliver, of Dunedin, have been appointed engineers for the Borough of New Plymouth for making surveys and' preparing plans .and :Specifications,for the water works. ; -j,. ;, -' ... ... , ' , , A meeting is to be held to-night to, appoint a deputation to-wait-on -the chairman and managerofthe Union Steam-Ship'.Company, to represent - the great iucinvenience the public are subjected to by steamers calling on Sunday...;’-- V I it A meeting of the Taranaki Agricultural Society was held last night, when it was decided to bring it under the Act passed last session, and become incorporated. 1 ' : 'Adckla-nd, Thursday.,

The censusre turns for thecity and suburbs are as follows Auckland ' Borough, City East; : 4262 ; City West, 1 ' 9470"; shipping, 833. Total population within borough'boundaries and shipping,Males, 7737 ;. females, 6828 ; total, 14,565. J Suburbs—market, arid Bemuera, .4633 ; Grafton,'47s4 ; Newton, 3512 ; Epsom, 1698. Total for city, and suburbs—Males, 14,936 ; females, 14,226. Grand total, 21,162. Onehunga Borough, 2143.' The increase in, Auckland and suburbs,, compared with the,census ofTß74,'is 4052. In addressing the settlers, at Hamilton, Sir George Grey said it was the intention of the Government next session to introduce, a" Bill to' tax land ocdoi-ding to' value,- fpr Which, purpose it will be divided" into three classes, first, second, and third class.

. Sir George Grey was entertained at a banquet at Te Awamutu. . ' ~ The King has sent two more invitations for a meeting with the Premier; but owing to the difficulty of obtaining sufficient food' for , the gathering of natives that will assemble to meet Sir George and the ■ Native ’ Minister, the meeting has been postponed until the 30th instant.

Gratiamstown, Thursday. Wheu the, Native Minister was last here, he heard of a letter ‘sent to the Te Aroha natives signed “ You know: who,” cautioning them against, the Native ..Minister's visit and the sale of lands. Ten.days were spent by an agent of the Government in getting the letter. A licensed native interpreter admitted through the Press being the author, but said he did it .at .theJ.request,.of a native landholder. It is expected tbat.his license will'be cancelled.

Napier, Thursday. ■ > There- is a- good ■ 'deal iof activity .in laud transactions here.- -Manybf the sections; in the Wahstead Block,' which 'were lately sold at auction here, have been changing hands at enhanced prices;;; in some, instances, double the original price, and in some still, more than that having been paid.., .Sonie of the settlers are already on their land on the block, and are beginning to make improvements. Nelson, Thursday.

At the 1 Supreme Court to-day, Samuel Austin Green, aged seventeen, a Post Office clerk at. Eeefton, charged with stealing a letter containing money from the Post. Office, pleaded guilty. .Sentence was deferred till Saturday—*■ John Murray, charged with .the. manslaughter of John Horan at the Upper Buller,-was acquitted. ".i: ■'< CrißiSTCnoEcn, Thursday. Sir John Goode will bo here on Monday 'next.'" 1 ‘‘ ; r ' f '

The Canterbury railways have already- com. vcyed this season over-46,000 tons of grain. The Government, in a letter to'the 'City Council; intimate that-they will gladly adopt the principles embodied in a resolution passed at a recentI’!conference, 1 ’ ! conference, -viz.:—^“That” the proper nianagement and supportof hospitals, .charitable'institutions,' and Charitable aid'will be best provided' for by districts being defined, comprising'counties or groups of counties, with contiguous ones, including municipalities which are likely to avail themselves of the

[Same'charitable institutions ; that within such districts. pubUo charitable institutions should fle admipistered, ami charitable aid distributed,, .fly a board representing the Government and the /several municipal bodies and county c ouncils included therein ; that such portion of .the cost of these institutions and of charitable aid as is required to be provided by local should be coutributed by the several municipalities! and? counties’; interested in' pffii portion to their population.”. The Goyernnient, however, do not desire lo be, represented on these boards. They will take into careful consideration the question of endowments fertile above institutions, -as suggested by the : conference, and Government undertake to contribute an equivalent to - any sums raised by voluntary subscriptions or contributions whichlocal bodies may make out of tlieir funds, and will make-no deductious 'frbm the subsidies payable - under the Financial Arrangements Act, 1376, to municipalities, etc. Government will discontinue the present? system of distributing charitable .aid on'June 30.

Invercargill, Thursday. The census returns, which have just been completed for the electoral district, are as follows : —Olutha (portion only)—08 males,49,; females.;; Rivefton—237s males,. 1819 females. Wallace—l74o males 720 females. Waikaka—l37l>nia}es, 701 females. Mataflra —4190 males, 338| females. Invercargill—--1912 males, 1841 .females. The;.gross total population of, the .five electoral districts is 20,167,-and, the total number of. dwellings, 4390. ■ . , ■ '