TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5479, 18 October 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(from a correspondent). Gisborne, Thursday. ' A large and influential public meeting was held in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday night. Condemnatory resolutions of the Maori dual vote were passed unanimously. Mr. Gannon’s amendment in support for duality met with a storm of indignation. (PROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.) Gisborne, Thursday. A very full meeting was hold last night to discuss the Bill proposing to give the Maoris a dual vote. Several good speeches were made. Mr. M. J. Gannon was the only one who supported the Bill. Several excellent speeches, were made against the Bill. The meeting was evidently much interested, and was very quiet and orderly from first to last. A motion was passed, —That this meeting considers the addition to the Electoral Bill, introduced by' the Government, by which a vote at , ordinary elections of members of the House is proposed to be extended to all Maoris who have a legal or equitable interest in laud of the value of twenty-five pounds, almost tantamount to conferring manhood suffrage on the Maoris, is most unjust and prejudicial to Europeans. Mr. Gannon proposed an amendment, that this meeting approves of section 18 in this Bill, affording additional electoral _ privileges to Maoris. On a show of hands being called for, only Mr. Gannon and the seconder ■ voted for the amendment. The whole meeting was unanimous for the motion, and were evidently opposed to the extension of the Maori electoral privileges. Mr. E. W. Crawford, Mayor, occupied the chair. About three hundred persons were present. (PER PRESS AGENCY.) Feuding, Thursday, • A foreigner threw himself in front of the train shortly after leaving Palmerston this morning. The train was going twelve miles an hour when the cow-catcher brushed the prostrate man to one side. The train stopped, and took the man on to Feilding, and he is now at Rowe's Denbigh Hotel. His injuries are not serious. Nelson, Thursday. At a meeting held yesterday evening it was resolved —“That this meeting cordially approves of the determination of the Nelson members to use every form of the House in opposing the Railways Construction Bill, unless the Nelson and West Coast section of the main trunk line is included, and an appropriation made.” Wanganui, Thursday. A dwelling-house belonging to Mr. Harrison Gibson was totally destroyed by fire last evening. The building was insured in the National for £2OO. The furniture was all saved. Greymodth, Thursday. Dr. Hector has examined Dangdou's line of reefs, and has full confidence that the discovery will lead to the opening out of an extensive reefing district, as the slate formation is continuous for sixteen miles in a straight line from Langdon's Creek to Canoe Creek. Five distinct lines of reef have been already discovered, and it is reported that some extraordinarily rich specimens have been sent to town from the head of the Ten Mile Creek. Christchurch, Thursday. Mr. Bills, the well-known ornithologist, arrived from Australia per s.s. Arawata. He proceeds to England on behalf of the Canterbury Acclimatisation Society for the purpose of selecting £2OO worth of birds. The railway authorities hope to bo able to run through traius to Dunedin to-morrow. Twenty-four fishing licenses have been taken out for the season, which commenced yesterday. A chess match with Wellington Clubs has been arranged, to commence on Saturday evening. A raid was made upon the bakers yesterday for the purpose of obtaining analyses of their bread. Of twelve samples ten were found very good, one was indifferent, and one very bad. -Steps will be taken against the maker of the last, which was also of very short weight. He will be proceeded against under the Adulteration of Goods Act. At a meeting of the Board of Education to-day a number of letters were read from school committees, threatening to resign unless a more liberal allowance wore made for incidentals, The Board passed a resolution which is to be forwarded to the Minister of Education, asking the Government to allow the Board to fix the incidental scale according to the necessities of the various schools under the old system. Preparations are being made for the approaching Mayoral election; it is expected that Councillor Ick, the senior Councillor, will be elected. . . Mr. Cassidy, the coach proprietor, who returned from the West Coast to-day, brings some magnificent quarts specimens from tne newly discovered reef at Taipo. _ , Newlook and the Government Inspector of Roads left Christchurch to-day with _ a gang of men to place certain roads between hero and tha Bealey in repair.

It is feared that a heavy rain, which has been falling since 1 o'clock, will cause the rivers to rise again. , Drake, the bookmaker, in a race with another bookmaker yesterday, was capsized in a river, and narrowly escaped drowning. Charleston, Thursday. The schooner Wild Wave this morning parted all her chains, tore, out the hawsepipes and stanchions to fore rigging, and was driven on to the beach. She is thumping heavily, and is likely to be a total wreck. Hawera, Thursday. Great dissatisfaction has been expressed at Normanby owing to the action of the Government in accepting Messrs. Thompson and McGuire’s offer of site for a telegraph and railway station. A much better site offered has been totally overlooked. The Turakina mistake over again, and the wishes of the people ignored. Geahamstown, Thursday. _ A miner named Andrews was severely, if not fatally, injured to-day in the Moanataiari mine. He was working in the pass, when at least two tons of stone broke loose, burying him up to the shoulders. Lyttelton, Thursday. The prisoner Hoff, who was sentenced to death at the last session of the Supreme Court for the murder of his wife at Oxford, has been reprieved ; his sentence being commuted to imprisonment for life. , Auckland, Thursday. The City Council passed another resolution condemning the Harbor Board for filling up the vacancy in the city representation caused by the rejection of a candidate in the late city election. A house at the North Shore, belonging to Mr. A. Beetham, has been destroyed by fire. It was insured in the South British for £3OO,