TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5429, 21 August 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PBOJI ODB OWN OOBRB3PONDENT.) Dunedin, Tuesday. The Electoral Bills excite little interest. The Government Bill is considered a mere pretence of liberalism. Mr, Whitaker’s Bill is not clearly understood. The delay iu the decision as to the railway station site is understood to indicate that Mr. Macandrew is determined to have his own way. (PER PRESS AOENOV.) Wanuanui, Tuesday. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court this morning, Joseph Jessop, charged with having had a still, the subject of the recent convictions, iu his possession prior to the men, recently sentenced, was convicted, and will be sentenced to-morrow. The principal evidence against Jessop was a letter found on McDonough ou his arrest. Auckland, Tuesday. Messrs. Baker and Barron, with a company numbering twenty, will arrive by the Rotorua next trip. Mr. Davis, the representative of sorao American railways, who visited the colony in order to promote the overland route, goes back by the steamer Australia, which sailed with the mails at four o’clock to-day. Dr. Somerville gave a farewell service at the theatre to-day. The room was crowded. Three hundred pounds are promised to clear olf the debt on the Young Men’s Christian Association. The graving dock was opened to-day. The lona was floated in. Napieb, Tuesday. Mr. Miller reports the sale of John Gemmell and Co.'s Mangaharuru and other leasehold property, consisting of about 28,500 acres iu the Mohaka district together with 1100 acres free hold and 10,000 sheep, with all the station plant; also the Spriughill estate of same firm, consisting of 670 acres freehold at Port Mohaka—thewholo for £18,500, to Sir Thomas Tanored of Canterbury, TIMABU, Tuesday. A report is current in town to the effect that the Kev. James Preston, curate of St, Mary’s Anglican Church, Geraldine, is missing. He left Geraldine to go to Burke’s Pass a few days ago, and has not been hoard of since. Dunedin, Tuesday. The Mayor to-day received the following telegram from Sir George Urey—“ I fool with you the importance of au early settlement of the railway site question; but it is an entire ipistako to think that the decision rests iu my hands, it is entirely at present with the engi-

neers of the Railway Department. I have authority to do with it only as a member of the Cabinet, and will do ray utmost to press it to a speedy and satisfactory solution.” ' 'lnvercargill. Tueslay. Judge Harvey opened his first District Court in this circuit in Southland to-day. T. \[. McDonald, on behalf of toe Bar, delivered a corapliraeutary address, to which the Judge replied. The case of Finn v. Hamilton was tried. This was an action for damages, laid at £llO, for - assault. Plaintiff is a solicitor's clerk, and repeaentlng a creditor, attended a meeting of the creditors in a bankrupt estate. The defendant, also a creditor, objected to his being present, and ordered him out of the room, and eventually took him by the shoulders and put him nut. A mass of evidence was taken, and the Bench ruled that the plaintiff had a right to be present at the meeting in his capacity of an articled clerk. The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff for £ls and costs, £3 7s. They sat in the Resident Magistrate’s Court-room. CiiuiSTCiiUKCif, Tuesday, It is proposed to give the members of tho Akaroa Trust a public dinner. It snowed heavily in town for a short time this morning early. Arthur Gerald Manning, late clerk of tho Bank of New Zealand, was brought up at the Police Court and remanded. Prisoner said Mr. Coster, manager of the bauk, knew all about the robbery, and had sent him to Auckland to see if he could not arrange the matter. A man named Robert Roberts was brought up at the Court this morning charged with assaulting Mrs. Cheveres, of Cheveres’ Minstrels. It seems he went to the pay-box and put his arm round Mrs. Cheveres’ neck, evidently wanting to kiss her. She at once called to Mr. Martin Simonsen, manager, when Roberts tried to assault both hei and him. Before the magistrate this morning he said be was all in a dream, and did not remember anything about it, as he had been drinking. The magistrate told him it was one of those dreams which had unpleasant awakenings, and fined him £3 and costs. Ahauha, Tuesday. The decision of the Government to retain Mr, Warden Shaw has given general satisfaction. It is considered highly injurious to remove one acquainted w th the resources of the district, and especially with the working of the Land Act and the development of the reefs on the East and West Coasts. The railway by the Amberley route is still in favor. The construction of a main dray road is urged from Ahaura to tho Count’s station, Canterbury. The extension of railway communication by way of Brunnertou and Heefton is vc-y popular. The support of the Canterbury members is regarded as certain.