TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5525, 11 December 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(peb mss AGENCY). Auckland, Tuesday. A nine-roomed house, occupied by Frederick King, Symonds-street, was totally destroyed by fire, this morning. Very little furniture was saved. It was insured for £2OO, and was owned by Mr. Guthrie. • At a meeting of grocers’ assistants a report submitted showed that sixty-nine masters had signed in favor of Saturday being a half-holi-day after two o’clock. Father Hennebery has closed his mission. He has collected £llOO for Church purposes. The mail steamer Australia has arrived with the outward mails for San Francisco, after a passage of four days eight hours. , The horses Ariel and Beppo have arrived per Rotorua for the Auckland races. The grocers have agreed to give three months trial to the Saturday afternoon closing. A fire at the Khy her Pass-road destroyed the residence of King, commission agent. The furniture was insured in the Norwich Union for £l5O, and the piano for £6o.j the house in the New Zealand Company for £4OO. Pout Chalmers, Tuesday, The Municipality of Pott Chalmers last night unanimously re-elected Mr. J. Mills their representative to the Harbor Board, .

Napier, Tuesday. Charles Stewart was convicted to-day of misdemeanor, in neglecting to deliver up a post office letter, when the same was demanded of him. He said it had been delivered to him in mistake. He was sentenced to two years* hard labor. Kerihi Keromihi, a native, was sentenced to nine months for horse stealing. Andrew Taylor, for unlawfully pounding at the Western Spit, was acquitted. Thomas James McManus, for larceny of over £SO in bank notes from a drunken man at the Star Hotel, was convicted and sentenced to eighteen months. A witness in this ease named John Robertson, formerly a watchmaker and jeweller in Napier, but now of Christchurch, failed to appear, and hia recognisances were estreated. There is one more criminal case to-morrow. There are three civil cases for trial. Feilding, Tuesday. Mr. Billerbeek’s child, about ten months old, was drowned yesterday in Makino Creek backwater. A young man who saw the child in the water went searching for a constable instead of attempting to rescue the child. Nelson, Tuesday, The Coed Templar Grand Lodge commenced session in the Temperance Hall this morning. Present—G. W. C. Templar Jago (in the chair), W, Carr, I>. Cameron, Rev. Mr, Roseby, and Sister Lamb, from Dunedin; Outhbertson, from the Taieri; Monson, from Port Chalmers ;F. Smith, Otago North-Central; Corrigan and Craig, North Otago; McEachen, Cromwell; Cheyne, Southland ; Webber and King, East Christchurch ; Cleanham, West Christchurch ; Dimond, Lyttelton ; Andrews, Mid-Canterbury ; Evans and Irwin, North Canterbury; Price and Proctor, Timaru; Turner and Barrowman, Hokitika; Boase and Donovan, Grey Valley; Brown, Buller; Rickard, Nelson ; Earll, Marlborough ; Coles and Hudson, Wellington; Harding, Hawke*s Bay; Innis, Queenstown. The lodge has been hitherto engaged in discussing reports of officers, which show, inter alia , that there are 156 lodges of good standing in the district, being an increase of 10 during the year ; also that there are now 1638 juvenile Templars. Gbeymouth, Tuesday. The Bendigo Gas Company of Victoria have accepted the tender of the Brunner Coal Company to supply them with 3000 tons of coal per annum at an advance of 4s. per ton on what Newcastle coal could be delivered at Bendigo for.

Blenheim, Tuesday. The Torea is badly damaged, but is likely to be got off. The cargo is destroyed. At the Supreme Court sittings to-day, before the Chief Justice, Caroline Braund, tried for perjury, was acquitted. In the case of George Stenhouse, for libel, a verdict of no bill was returned. There is only one case left, Eobinsen v. Bush, which will be heard to-morrow. Dunedin, Tuesday. The breach of promise case of Cay ford v. Carruthers was mentioned in chambers to-day before Justice Williams, and it was decided that it should be heard at Dunedin in January next. Miss Sherwin opened in Dunedin last night, and met with a most cardial reception. Christchurch, Tuesday. The people of Akaroa have invited the Hon. John Hall, W. Eobinaon, B. Gray, and Mr. W. Montgomery, M.H.E., to a banquet on the Bth of January, in recognition of their services in connection with the Akaroa railway. A large stone was found on the line near Flaxton lost Saturday, evidently placed there with the intention to wreck the train. Fortunately it was seen and removed in time. The police have the matter in hand. The Canterbury team of riflemen left for Dunedin this morning; Mr. Appleby has been elected captain. At the City Council meeting last night the Mayer said he considered Hospital Sunday a mean way of robbing churches. Notice was given to dispense with the services of the City Solicitor, after a long and acrimonious discussion. Timaeu, Tuesday. At a meeting of the Geraldine County Council at Temuka to-day, Alexander Wilson, senior, was elected chairman. The meeting adjourned till the 31st of December. It is understood that the members are in favor of adopting the vArde of the Counties Act.