TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5376, 20 June 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(per press agency.) Auckland, Wednesday. It is rumored that a strong candidate will contest Waipa with Mr, IT. A. Whitaker, in the Grey interest. A memorial will be made to Government on the opening of next Parliament on behalf of married policemen, in point of house accommodation, in order that they may be placed on an equal footing with single men of the force. A house is provided for single men, with a library, besides other conveniences ; but married men are compelled to find their own homes, often in the worst parts of the city, it_ being necessary for them to live within easy distance of the station-house. ... . A movement is on foot to establish a temperance hotel. The Masonic lodges of Auckland have received instructions not to acknowledge a member of the Grand Orient of Prance and Egypt, on the ground of atheism. Councillor James Morton is dead. Ihe Mayor and City Council attended the funeral, besides all the principal residents. Xhe Central Bailway Station Committee met to-day, and appointed a sub-committee to interview Messrs, Lawson and Conyers.

Alexandra, Wednesday. _ At a sale of land at the Ohaupo township yesterday the lots realised at the rate of £52 per acre. New Plymouth, Wednesday. Te Wetere was at Waitara to-day, and said that Rewi might be expected to-morrow. A requisition, signed by Archdeacon Govett and Messrs. W. Halse, T. A. King, Gledhill, O. W. Govett, F. A. Carrington, W. Courtney, T. Bayly, and J. Jones, has been forwarded to the Mayor, asking him to call a meeting tonight to decide how Sir George Grey, the Native Minister, and the chief natives shall be entertained at the Waitara meeting. The Mayor has called a meeting for 7 o’clock. It is reported that a Masonic ball will be given to Sir George Grey whilst he is here. Waitaba, Wednesday. The contractor for the buildings for the native meeting completed his job this morning. Rewi comes to Waitara to-morrow with 200 followers. A great number are on their way from Mokau. Two pakeha Maoris are with Wetere parading the streets. Hokitika, Wednesday. The Bank of New Zealand shipped 66780a5, of gold per the Albion from here to-day, and 63S6ozs. from Greymouth this week, maldng a total value of £52,250. This shipment goes to Port Chalmers, en route for London. Mr. Andrew Camming has retired from the contest for the General Assembly. Christchurch, Wednesday. Great dissatisfaction exists regarding the Government’s withholding a portion of the land fund, said to amount to £300,000. Steps are being taken to hold a conference of road boards on the matter. Lyttelton, Wednesday. A prisoner named Patrick Cassidy, undergoing four years’ penal servitude in Lyttelton gaol, attempted to make his escape while out at work to-day. He was recaptured after running about two miles. Thiaru, Wednesday. A meeting of the South Canterbury Board of Education was held, to-day. Mr. H. W. Hammond, the Inspector of Schools under the old Act for Canterbury,was appointed Xnpector of Schools for South Canterbury and also Secretary to the Board. The National Bank of New Zealand has been appointed the bank to the Board. Dunedin, Wednesday. The sale of twenty-one years’ lease of the Harbor Boards endowment was held to-day, A telegram was received from Government withdrawing all opposition to the sale. In Highstreet the price realised was £5 6s. per foot. The buyers were Messrs. Docherty, Guthrie, Bradshaw, Proudfoot, and Elliott. Thirty sections, averaging about £2' 17s. per foot, in Grawford-street block, will realise an annual revenue of £3500, and with the St. Andrew’s block, £4OOO. The alleged libel case, Macassey v, Reid, has been adjourned till Thursday week. The return of land revenue for Otago, exclusive of Southland, for the month of May, is £10,642. At the Waste Lauds Board- to-day Mr. Bastings, M.H.R., stated that thousands of pounds could be put in the Government chest by setting aside land for township sites. A public meeting will be held at Palmerston South to-morrow, to consider the formation of the railway line from Palmerston to Waitemo. About thirty members of the Dunedin Bar met at the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, and, through Mr. James Smith, congratulated Mr. Mansford on his appointment as District Judge at Wellington. A number of complimentary speeches were made. Mary Pring, an inmate of the Lunatic Asylum, has committed suicide by hanging herself from her cell door with a staylace. At the Police Court to-day Macassey and Reed’s libel cases were adjourned until tomorrow week, but it is understood that they are virtually settled. Mr. Donald Reid has been asked by the City Council to report generally upon the rural and suburban estates of the Corporation, The nomination for Dunedin takes place on the 26bh ins't., and the poll on the Ist July. Riverton, Wednesday. A large and influential meeting was held last evening to urge the Government to complete the Orepuke and Otautau Railway. An immense amount of money is lying idle through the non-completion of these lines, which were commenced four years ago under the Otago Provincial Government, but the works of which have been discontinued over two years. Resolutions requesting the Government to complete their construction were unanimously carried, and a permanent railway committee was appointed to see the work carried on. Great interest is manifested in the result of the discovery expected to be made when the prospectors at Longwood bottom this week. Work is now vigorously proceeding in large numbers of the claims, and a private company will be formed to procure a crushing battery. " 1 "