TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5430, 22 August 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(EBO3I COIUiISSPONDENTS.) HoiCIANGA, Wednesday. John Lundon, Sir George Grey’s political agent, held a meeting of natives and halfcastes at his public-house on Saturday, 17th August, and urged them to stand up for their rights. Abuse of pakehas in general was freely scattered. The meeting ended in a “ spree." Dunedin, Wednesday. The weekly meeting of. the AVaste Lands Board lapsed for want of a quorum. There is great indignation about this, as people were in from the country, and there was much important business, which had to be indefinitely postponed. The Star imperatively demands tho resignation of Bastings, Thomson, and Green’s seats at the Board, and a reconstitution upon a non-political basis. Ministerial agents here announce a short session, and the possible abandonment of electoral and fiscal reform, and a dissolution next year on a radical policy. (PER PRESS AQENUV.I Carterton, Wednesday. ■ Francis Daniels, a working man, who had been recently employed on Mr. Tanored’s farm at Taratahi Plain, was found dead in a drain last night. Ho is supposed to have had a fit. Wanganui, Wednesday. In tho Resident Magistrate's Court this morning Joseph Jessop, convicted yesterday of having had an illicit still in his possession, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, with hard labor. New Plymouth, Wednesday. A person styling himself Judge Thomas has been distributing printed papers in Maori amongst tho natives. Xlewi has refused to see him. Auckland, Wednesday. In consequence of the resolution passed by the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce about the tax on flour, Mr. Firth read the following letter, addressed to Mr. Stout; —“ Dear Sir, — 1 hope yon will not give way to the representations of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce re. the tax on flour and grain. Government have wisely resolved to abolish both, and I hope they will not ho influenced to withdraw from a resolution at once most statesmanlike and wise.—W. C. Fnm I.” The Chamber received tho following reply to-day :—“ Have replied to the Dunedin Chamber that New Zealand being a great and growing food pro • ducing country does not require Government aid to protect colony against foreign-grown food.— Robert Stout.” Captain McKenzie, of the Hannah Mokau, reports that ho did not see or hear any signals of distress from the steamer Go-Ahead. The captain of. tho Go-Ahead writes : From what I know of Captain McKenzie, he would be the last man to pass a vessel in distress. The Hineraoa, with 200 passengers and 130 tons of baggage belonging to the Katikati immigrants, leaves for Tauraoga at ten to-night, and sails thonce for Wellington direct. The Presbytery to-day initiated measures for establishing a sustentation fund throughout the Auckland district. Hokitika, Wednesday.' Another public meeting on tho railway question was held last evening, the Mayor in the chair. It was resolved unanimously,— That it be earnestly urged on the Government and tho representative-! for Hokitika and Totara that there is a necessity for the construction of the Hokitika and Greymouth railway without delay ; tho work to bo commenced' simultaneously at both euds. , Referring to tho settlers who recently left the Jackson . Bay Settlement, tho resident agent there, in his report to Government, says ;— ■“ Tho departure of thpse adults who have left tho settlement for good will bo no loss to tho settlement, and it would be a gain to the colony if they left it to-morrow.” The report speaks favorably of the ultimate prospects of tho settlement, but complains of the Italian immigrants as totally unfitted for pioneers, owing to climatic influences and their previous habits of life. Tho report continues ; amongst other settlors, but the is very small. The settlement has been heavily handicaped by having such material to work with ; but notwithstanding there is not the least doubt of the ultimate success of the settlement. The operation of the inevitable law of natural selection will no doubt result in the survival of tho fittest,” CIIIUSTCHUnoiI, Wednesday. It is intended that an influential deputation, consisting of the mayors of various boroughs and county councils shall interview the Premier and members of tho General Assembly on thenarrival in Christchurch, on the subject of the extension of the railway from Amborloy to tho West Coast. ~ . , . A man named Henry Cress and his daughter three years old, havo been missing for several days. It is thought that the man was insane, and that harm has befallen him and tho child. , . , Mr. Henry Thomson, the Mayor, intends to give a grand banquet to tho Government and tho members of both Houses, and to his brother mayors of municipalities, on the arrival of the Hinemoa. During his term of office he has not given the usual mayoral banquet, and it is expected that tho approaching dinner will swallow up nearly the whole of his yearly allowance, £3OO, TIHARU, Wednesday. The football match, Christchurch College boys v. Tiraaru, was won by the latter by five touchdowns to nothing.

The trotting match to-day between Williamson’s grey burse and -Tones’ mare, for £SO a-side, distant five miles, was won by the 1 former by nearly half a mile. The Kev, James Preston lias turned up all right. When he left Geraldine he did not Lake Burke’s Pass, but stayed on the road at another place. Dunedin, Wednesday. The Waste Lauds Board to-day lapsed for want of a cpiorum, three members being absent at Wellington in the Assembly. The pull for the vacant seat at the Education Board resulted in the election of Mr. A. C.-Begg. Queenstown, Wednesday. Several portions of the skeleton of a large bird, supposed to be a moa, have been found here. Judging the appearance of the skin and feathers, the bird could not have been dead many years. All those who have seen the exhibit pronounce the bones to be that of a dinomis.