TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5530, 17 December 1878, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Monday. Dr. Pollen stays in Auckland about one month. Cases of sunstroke are numerous. Great preparations are being made for tbe forthcoming races, which are expected to be tbe best ever held in Auckland. The licensed victuallers have presented a sum of money to tbe charitable institutions of the city. Mr. J. S. Maofarlane, M.H.K.* writes a strong letter to the Herald t in reply to criticisms of the Dunedin Times on his speech. He pronounces the statements in the Times to be grossly insulting insinuations again-t the people of Auckland. He goes on to sav “To my mind the evil genius of the' Ministry Is Mr. Ballance, whose political antecedents alone should have excluded him from any decent Cabinet. A reference to a Wanganui newspaper of which he was proprietor and editor during his career as a supporter* of the Vogel and Atkinson Ministries, will convince the most sceptical as to his unfitness as a man to associate with Ministers. His description of Sir George Grey as a poor old imbecile, tolerated by the House only on account of his age, and that ho had only one follower, the fool Kees, is a fair specimen of bis ill-bred impertinence and assurance ; and in the House in committee his frequent reflections on the merchants of New Zealand in reference to fraudulent invoices for duty at the Custom House ; and again, his words as applied to all the people of New Zealand in relation to the property tax the inducement to make fraudulent declarations—thoroughly stamp the man as a fit companion of fools and none else ; and it is to bis evil counsel that I attribute many of the greivous errors of which the Government have been guilty during the last month. It 5* to be hoped that the editor of the Dunedin Times is not of the character of his brother editor, Mr. Ballance, who can slander and traduce one day and flatter with fulsome adulation the next, and that his incorrect remarks on my humble doings may have been made in simple ignorance.” GbaHAMSTOWN, Monday, The Thames Borough Council have had a splendid site given them for an Orphan Home, and having taken over the charge of the destitute children and old men and women, intend to erect a building and advertise for masters. and matrons, to commence in <7anuary. Alexandra, Monday. Major Mair, who returned here on Wednesday last, has been cordially welcomed by the natives and by a number of chiefs, including Te Heuheu, Taipihana, and others. Mr. W. H. Grace is also kept continuously busy with visitors. Napier, Monday. The Herald this morning commented on the case of the Maori, Werelpa, sentenced on the 6th instant to one month’s imprisonment on his pleading guilty to being in the bedroom of the Criterion Hotel with 1 a felonious intent, when it was well known he had no such intent. To-day Mr. Cotterill, the Crown Prosecutor, and Mr. Bees telegraphed tbo circumstances of the case to the Minister of Justice, asking him to have tho conviction quashed. In tho Supreme Court to-day, in the special jury case Douglas versus Bichardson ard Walker, a verdict was given for plaintiff ; damages, £l6O. The case was one of contract for the delivery of timber. Westport, Monday. The Government works commenced up the Bailer Biver this morning. It is intended to cut a new channel above Snag Falls, to divert the main current from encroaching on the Oawaiti stop bank. Tho work will engage 120 men for two months, and will absorb most of tho available casual labor here. Nelson, Monday. Colonel Whitmore on Saturday last a long interview with the Mayor and C/hairman of the Waimea County Council and Hospital Committee re charitable aid and hospital management, but nothing definite was arrived at. Twenty-nine candidates have gone up to-day for the Civil Service examinations, eight being for the senior examination. Hokitika, Monday. The Board of Education are driven to an extreme course for want of funds. The banks will not grant an overdraft unless guaranteed by the Government, consequently creditors have been threatening to sue the Board, and tbe members meet to-morrow with tbe object of considering the advisability of resigning. The overdraft asked for is £4OOO, to carry the Board over tho financial year, but the banks are unwilling to make advances, as money is long overdue by the Board. Port Chalmers, Monday. Five fishermen were convicted to-day of taking fish under tho authorised size, and fined Is. each, with costs. It is their intention to request the Government to repeal the Act so far as regards the size of the fish, which they urge should be measured from snout to tip of tail. T ~ , Baloldtha, Monday, The section of railway next to Balclutha, which is carried out by day not behindhand, and will cause no delay in opening tho line. By, to-morrow a train can pass over it. Fascines of scrub and other material have been got ready for the past few dayss to check the encroachment of tho river behind tho township, and will be placed to-morrow, when the effect will be soon,

Chbwtohuboh, Monday. To-day is the anniverary of the settlement of the pr ivince of Canterbury. The weather is glorious. The celebration commenced by a special service in the Cathedral, to welcome the return of the Bishop from England. An address was presented to the Bishop, and full choral service held. A grand banquet is to he given to the visiting members of the volunteer fire brigades from Dunedin, Port Chalmers, Wa'mate, Mornington, Kaiapoi, Timaru, Rangiora, and Lyttelton. The anniversary sports at Hagley were a great success ; 14,000 people were on the ground. The tug of war against the visiting brigades was won in every instance by Christchurch. To-night there is to be a torchlight procession and a grand pyrotechnic display. There was a large attendance yesterday at the Volunteer ire Brigade Church parade. The men attended the Presbyterian Church, and comprised the Dunedin, Port Chalmers, Mornington, Waimate, Oamaru, Timaru, Lyttun, and Christchurch brigades. A man named Sheppard, a recent arrival, was found dead in his bed at the White Hart Hotel on Saturday. He was in the last stage of consumption, and no inquest will be held. Pinfiro, Ramarama, Everaley, Fiction, Wheaka, and Agent went North in the Hawea on Saturday, to attend the races at Blenheim and Auckland. In the match Eleven v. Sixteen on Saturday the display of cricket was by no means good. It was the first time the Eleven had been in the field together, bat they promise to m-.ke a good working team. The Sixteen scored 118 in their first innings, and the Eleven had two out for 22. William Wilson, the well-known merchant and City Councillor, has been b mnd over to keep the peace towards his wife in the sum of £SOO and two sureties of £250 each. Invescaecill, Monday. The Supreme Court has been occupied with the libel ease of] Jeffreys v. Kerr, before a special jury. The facts were that Jeffreys was barman for several years at the Club Hotel during the proprietorship of Louis Hume ; that subsequently Hume sold out to the present proprietor, Stevens, and that another bar-keeper was then engaged. Meeting Hume last February, Kerr, who was manager of the Union Bank of Australia, said : "lam glad to see that Stevens got rid of Jeffreys. Don’t you know that at the bar he made a great deal more than you have done.” From this it was inferred that plaintiff bad been dishonest, and hence the action. Mr. McDonald appeared for defendant, and Messrs. Finn and Harvey for plaintiff. Hume, on being examined, said be was quite satisfied with Jeffreys’ services ; had no occasion to suspect him ; and that Kerr had made the remarks as stated in the indictment. He (Hume) replied that he was not aware of the fact, and that as he was not in the habit of speaking of his private business, he was at a loss to account upon what authority such a remark could have been made. Kerr then said the person who ought to be the first to hear was often the last. Kerr, when examined, admitted having remarked that Stevens had done well iu getting rid of Jeffreys and engaging a barmaid ; he did not remember saying the words imputed to him, and believed he did not use them. He did not call witnesses. The jury at first could not agree, hut subsequently found for plaintiff; damages £39. The foreman of the jury called the attention of the Judge to the inadequacy of the accommodation of the jury's retiring room—it was too open. The Judge said he was aware of it, and had represented it to the Government, and would again do so, Dunedin', Monday. In St. Paul's Church last night. Archdeacon Edwards announced that a special effort would shortly be made to raise £IOOO, to supplement the incomes of the poorly-paid clergy. Mr. R. H. Leary, the retiring Mayor, was to-day presented with a silver cradle, bao insa he had a child born to him during his term ot office. Mr. Stout has postponed addressing his constituents till the beginning of next month, in consequence of the absence of Mr, Macandrew, who is to be present on the occasion. O AMARU, Monday. An inquest was held 'to-day on Mrs. Moloney, who was killed at Awamoko Junction on Saturday night by a train passing over her. A verdict of accidental death was returned.