TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5468, 5 October 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(EliOM A COIiUESrONDIiNT.I •s Gisborne, Friday. "■'■■lie Native Minister’s telegrams to Waiapu, to settle disturbance quietly, I have it on the best possible authority that ono of the contending parties said the Native Minister had nothing to do with them, and they would not waste time in answering him. The quarrel was their own, and they would not in anywise submit to his dictation as to whether they should settle it peaceably or otherwise. (PEII 'PRESS AGENCY.) New Plymouth, Friday. The Taranaki Herald says :—With reference to the Maori scare reported in yesterday's issue? wo are informed that two men, who came into New: Plymouth from Hawera last night, say that when at the Paten Paver they saw the natives, who were armed with guns and tomahawks; that were reported to have stopped Stewart and the boy. Upon entering into conversation with the natives, the white men learned that they were in search of Hiroki. The natives then tied up their horses and proceeded up the river. The two white men subsequently saw Stewart, and: from what they learned, it: appears that the whole affair was a misunderstanding, arising from Stewart’s iguor-

ance of the Maori language, he having taken a friendly warning to beware of Hiroki to be words of hostility. Mr. Soy, solicitor, of Hawera, who went from here on Thursday by the Mountain-road, has telegraphed to a friend, saying he arrived safely, and that the report respecting the hostile natives stopping Europeans is without foundation, Alexandra, Friday. There is a large native meeting assembling at Kopua to-day, called by Tawhiao. All the Ngatimaniopotos in the district will be present, with the chief To Waihanui. The purpose is to. consider the present state of affairs, and the result of the meeting, &c. Major Mair left here this morning en route for Wellington. Auckland, Friday. The petition favorable to the division of the city into wards represents half the exercisable votes on the burgess roll. The criminal calendar includes one case of malicious injury to property, one of attempted murder, three of forgery and uttering, one of perjury, two of stealing from the person, one of fraudulent bankruptcy, one of manslaughter, one of larceny as a bailee, one of maliciously killing a calf, one of rape, and one of hoi’sestealfag. Graiiamstown, Friday. A fall of earth in the Moanataiari mine today killed a workman named Thomas Pugh, a respectable young man only twelve months married, and leaving an infant. An inquest was held, and a verdict of accidental death returned. No blame is attributable to anyone. The earth killed him instantly. Napier, Friday. At the adjourned inquest this afternoon on the Spit fire the 'jury returned a verdict that the cause of the fire was unknown. Evidence was given showing that a man named Grigley, on whom suspicions had been cast, was in Napier when the fire broke out at the Spit, and that he was seen to go to the fire after the fire-hell rang. Timaru, Friday. A testimonial, consisting of a silver teapot and a purse containing 160 sovereigns, was presented to-day to Mr. Wooloombe (late R.M.), at the Grosvenor Hotel. About fifty gentlemen were present. The testimonial was handed to Mr. Wooloombe by Captain Cain, the oldest settler here, with the exception of the recipient and Mr. Samuel Williams. Captain Cain contrasted Timaru of the present. with Timaru of the past in a humorous speech, interspersed with anecdotes illustrating experiences of the early settlers in the district. The health of Mr. Wooloombe was drunk in bumpers of champagne. Mr. Wooloombe made a suitable reply, thanking the donors. The nominated emigration list of the outgoing rhail comprises l 3l4 adults. News to hand from the McKenzie country shows that the floods there recently have been higher than were ever known since the district was discovered 20 years ago. Tekapo Lake was so high on Monday last that Richmond’s station house on the east side was submerged, and Cowan’s on the Peninsula suffered serious damage, and had to be abandoned. At the ferry there was a stream of water 4ft. deep running through the woolshed, and the ferryman’s boat was carried away by it. The water here is at least 12ft. higher than was ever known before. The Pukaka rose 15ft., and having burst its banks formed a wide river bed. The stream worked round the moorings and anchor poles at the ferry, carrying them and two boats away. The floods in the Ohau District were very considerable, but no definite accounts have as yet been received. - ‘ Christchurch, Friday. At a meeting of the Harbor Board to-day it was stated that the trial trip of the new tug Lyttelton, which has just been built at Home for the Board, was of a highly satisfactory character, the rate of speed averaging twelve knots. She was to leave England about the middle of August. Mr. D. G. Chaplin finishes a highly successful season in the Theatre Royal to-morrow. Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Bates open on Monday in the comedy of “ The Pink Dominoes.” . Sir Craoroft Wilson has promised to give the Rifle Association a range, on his estate at Cashmere. Dunedin, Friday. During the course of an argument at the Supreme Court to-day Judge Johnston said some magistrates’ clerks deserved to be “ woke up ” for their neglect of duty. He considered that it would be necessary to give them an exemplary caution on account of the slovenly manner in which they forwarded papers to the Supreme Court. Unquestionably the Courts had never had power to inflict fines for such carelessness. , The City Council to-day endorsed the action of the Mayor at the recent meeting of the suburban water supply conference., - Invercargill, Friday. At the Waste Lands Board yesterday the consideration of Butterworth and Co.’s application for 5230 acres at the Centre Hill District was resumed. The decision of the Board had been reserved at the last meeting in order to ascertain whether the land which was marked as a reserve on the map was really reserved. The opinion of Mr. T. M. Macdonald, the Board's solicitor, was road' to the effect that from the papers it appeared that the land was not reserved, but had been merely colored on the map by the Waste Lands Board or one of its officers. A long discussion ensued, and finally Mr. Butterwortb’s application was granted.