TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5386, 2 July 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(FEOJI ODK OWN COEEE3PONDENT.) Pokangahau, Monday. The little church built by Mr. Hunter was opened yesterday evening. The Rev. F. E. Sinoox read prayers and preached. There was a large congregation present. (PEB PEE 33 AGENOV.) Dunedin, Monday. The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court commenced to-day. The Grand Jury found true bills in the following cases :—Alfred Brown, larceny ; James Fare, false pretences ; George Murdoch, larceny ; Henry Sutherland Aids and John Kingsley, larceay ; Thomas George Smith, incendiarism; Henry James South, larceny ; William Russell, larceny ; Robert Gardiner, stealing from the person. No bills were found against Charles Moneur for unnatural offence and JohnEddingrove for rape. George Murdoch, for larceny, was found guilty, and sentenced to two years. Alfred Brown, charged with larceny, was acquitted. The Dunedin election resulted in a majority for Oliver of 111, the voting being—Oliver, 769; Reeves, 658. Oliver’s party worked very hard, and scarcely any effort was made on behalf of Reeves.

In the Police Court to-day Andrew Ryan was charged with having broken into St. Peter's Church, Queenstown, in April last, with intent to rob. He was remanded to Queenstown. During the twelve months ending 30th June last there were registered 902 births, 232 deaths, aud 214 marriages. Cheistohubch, Monday.

The [Mayor of Christchurch has received a a telegram from the Colonial Secretary accepting the suggestions made as to the administration of charitable aid, and appointing a board consisting of the Mayors of Christchurch and Sydenham, the Chairman of the Seivvyn County Council, and Messrs. Montgomery and J. B. Brown to administer the same. The hospital is also to be placed under their supervision. At a conference this afternoon it was resolved to accept this arrangement if the Government provides the amount required for charitable aid. The arrangement is ,to be temporary, pending legislative action on the matter, and the chief of the hospital staff is to hare a seat on the board.

The criminal sessions of the Supreme Court opened to-day. Judge Johnston, in his charge, congratulated the jury on the continued prosperity of the colony, but said the state of this district in regard to crime was not satisfactory. He did not think there was any reason for apprehending that there had been any serious influx of criminals from other countries ; but taking the whole of the Southern districts, he could not help regretting there was an amount of crime which, so far as his experience went, was in disproportion to the population. It was crime of tho nature not to be attributed to want, but to temptation, and it was their duty to endeavor to repress it as much as they could. John Crawley, convicted of larceny, was sentenced to three years. GbeymoUTH, Monday.

The Customs returns for the financial year ending Saturday last were as follows :—Customs receipts, £39,276, as against £40,438 last year ; imports, £155,950, as against £150,092 ; exports, £188,807, as against £165,244 ; gold exported, 80,060 ounces, as against 78,560; coal shipped, 25,948 tons, aud 430 tons coke. Names, Monday.

' Yesterday afternoon Napier was put into a state of alarm by an occurrence which was not without its ridiculous side. An infuriated bullock, which was being driven from Clive to the slaughter-house, chased its drover into Napier. He came furiously galloping into town with the maddened animal at his heels. Entering the outskirts of the town the drover observed two children on the footpath, and very pluckily, though the bullock was close upon him, he dismounted and placed the children in safety within a fence, then remounted, barely escaping attack from the animal. On the beach two shots were fired at it ineffectually. It then made its way into Hastingsstreet, making a crowd of people fly in all directions. It was then killed by a well aimed shot from a rifle.

At the adjourned meeting of the Licensing Court to-day a license was granted to Henry Gollop for the Commercial Hotel at the Spit. The matter had been adjourned, pending an inquiry into statements made against Mr. Gollop by Inspector Atcheson, of Wellington. These were characterised; in strong terms by Goliop’s solicitor, who stated that for years Gollop has been persecuted by Mr. Atcheson. One thing that had been stated by Mr. Atcheson was that . Gollop had been implicated in a robbery at the Pier Hotel, for which a man named Scott was afterwards convicted. The Education Board have bought out for £650 the lessee’s interest in the education reserve, upon which they intend to erect a large school for Napier. The site is centrally situated at the corner of Olive-square and Milton-road. Auckland, Monday. At a monster meeting in the Mechanics’ Institute, to consider the question of a central railway station (the Mayor in the chair), after a discussion of an hour and a half the following resolution was carried,—That this meeting stands adjourned until such time as the surveyor’s report is received, and there is a determination come to as to the most suitable site for a railway station ; and that the present committee remain in office to carry out such work until dissolved by a further public meeting.—Seconded by Dr. Purchas. Hotel property here is rapidly rising ! in value. At the Supreme Court, Thomas Richards, convicted of horso stealing and breaking into a dwelling-house and stealing sundry articles therefrom, was sentenced to three years’ hard labor for each, offence, the sentences to run concurrently. Walter John Norfolk, found guilty of horse stealing, was sentenced to two years’ hard labor. Heni Honiara, a native, for stealing from a store, one year. Henry Devoy, for horse stealing, seven years. There was a previous conviction recorded against him of seven years. The Grand Jury threw out the bill against John Brodie Ruaseli, late clerk in the Railway Department, charged with em- '