TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5612, 25 March 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

! (PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Monday. A lunatic named Edward Kelly, brought from Huia on ' Sunday, attempted to commit suicide by drowning himself, but he was saved by a fellow worker named Collins. : i ' cGregor’s steamer, the Glenelg, for the Tauranga trade, arrived this morning in company with the Argyle.. The cause of the .breakdown was that the coal ran out. Francis McCormack was charged at the Police Court with a breach of the Licensing Act in allowing gambling in his licensed house, the Queen’s Head Hotel. A material witness did not appear, and a warrant was issued for his apprehension. The case was adjourned till.the 4th April. Two charges of Sunday trading, made against the Richmond and Nevada Hotels, were adjourned. Patea, Monday. .Tiie Hon. J. Sheehan passed through Carlyle early yesterday eu route for Wellington. It is rumored that the natives have determined to remove all the surveyors from the Waimate 1 Plains to Hawefa forthwith. The Civil Commissioner who came along, with Mr. Sheehan is now at Carlyle.’ New Plymouth, Monday. The surveyors have been driven off the Waimate Plains this day by a Maori named Te Manu, who some time ago committed an outrage at Opunake, biting off the finger of Mrs. Bartlett, landlady of the Opunake Hotel. The instruments and camp fixings belonging to Sheets’ party have been brought by Maoris in; drays across the Maingangoro River, and the drays have returneditp bring all'the [other survey, parties off. the plains,, Information of this proceeding was officially received; here this morning.-. Te Whiti is ■ thought to be unconnected with it. Major Brown is expected at Hawera to-morrow, and will, it is hoped, be able to put matters right.. [ GrahAmstown, Monday. ;

Mr. Lawson, Commissioner of Bailways for the North Island, is here bn an unofficial visit, and expresses his astonishment at the appearance of the lands which are soon to be thrown open, and which the railway is to pass through. The Advertiser says that “ about six weeks hence the OhinemurLKatikati-rbad will be passable for vehicles to the boundary of the Thames County, and we would strongly urge our .’KatikatL neighbors to push ahead as quickly as possible a work which must ultimately prove of great benefit to thenf and to ns, more especially when the Government have favorably entertained the question of overland postal communication." i -• a: . ' 81/ENnEISf, Monday.

On Sunday morning, at 6 o'clock, a number of barrels and sacks of ’oats filled up and covered with straw, at-Marlborough town, were discovered on fire. _ The owner is Mr. Bitson. The act is supposed to be one of incendiarism ; there is no insurance. Fully 500 bushels of oats’ were destroyed. / l ’■ Christchurch, Monday.

At the meeting of the Counoil this evening the Mayor stated that he had- been informed by a very influential .member of: the House^ of Eepresentatives that.if Ohistchurch took active steps in the matter'next session, the Assembly would probably be held, in-this city, and the .Mayor was empowered to communicate with other public bodies in the Middle Island to see if such a consummation could be brought -about. A committee was also appointed.to communicate with the Government, asking them’ to place a sum of money on the. Estimates to build the Governor a residence in or near Christchurch. . . A meeting of creditors was held to-day in the! estate of -William Saunders, general merchant. . The meeting , was private, but it transpired that,the .trade liabilities are about £29,000 the' assets are estimated at—stock £4OOO, book debts £6OOO. ' The failure is ascribed to-land speculations. The; estate is very complicated, . and ’it is impossible to; say, what'wiU be’ the cbmpositibn realised.: ;It was decided to assign the estate for the benefit of creditors to C. "W. Turner, A. C..,'Wilson. : (of; Wilson, Sawtell, and Co.), and J. G. Stead; (of Eoyse, Stead, and Co.) All the merchants here are interested. The suspension of Wil-; liani Saunders in no way affects the firm of Saunders Bros., Ashburton, , ; Messrs. Matson and Co. held a sale of city property to-day. The prices realised ranged from £l9 19s. to £25 per foot frentage.' . Creswick opened to-night as,, Virginias. There was a good house and an enthusiastic reception. The impression created was most favorable. ... ■ !! "’ " : ‘ UnkEDHT, Monday. ; A stable, six tons of hay, and a quantity offairm implements, belonging to Mr. Samuel Carey, of Hamilton’s Bay, lower harbor, were destroyed by fire shortly after‘midnight on Saturday. Mr. Carey, who estimates'his'loss at £l5O, was insured in the National office for£so. . . _ ;. The Mayor and City Councillors, accompanied by Mr. Massey, {town clerk), Mr. Mirams (city surveyor), Mr. Campbell (civil engineer), Mr. McKay, and the representatives of the Press, made an excursion to-day as far as Silverstream, with the object of inspecting the works now in progress in connection with the water, supply, r - ~