TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5765, 20 September 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

(PER PRESS AGENCY.) Auckland, Friday. 'l'he branch railway line to Hamilton will be completed at the end of the week. The leadin" settlers give a complimentary dinner to Mr. Briton, the contractor, on Monday. At the monthly inspection last night of a battery of the .Artillery Volunteers, Lieut. Payne was elected captain. Albert 35. Ward Glover and Thomas Way til Gudgeon, bankrupts, received their discharge at creditors’ meetings to-day. At the Police Court to-day, .John Skinner, charged on remand with illegally removing three guns from Gisborne to Auckland, was further remanded. Captain George Henry Trayte, Thomas Henry Payne, and John Smith were charged with breaking and entering the store of Henry ICnmmer and stealing two boxes of tobacco, but this charge was withdrawn. There was also a charge of evading the Customs duties laid against them. Mr. Mesketh, who appeared for the defence, pleaded guilty on behalf of Captain Trayte and Smith, and said Captain Trayte was shifting from one vessel to another, and had sent the tobacco up to Smith’s simply for safe custody until his other vessel was ready. The tobacco found in Smith’s possession was given to him by Payne, of the ship. It was all done in open daylight, and there was nothing to show that there was any dishonesty on the part of the captain, who delivered his manifest. It was tobacco, originally purchased here, belonging to the ship, and upon which no duty had been paid. The Court held that defendants should know the law, and fined Trayte £IOO and costs, and Smith £SO and costs. The charge against Payne was withdrawn.

At the Board of Education to-day the inspector reported respecting Dr. Richardson's work on Alcohol, that he was not of opinion that it would be necessary in schools as a text book, but it would he useful as a work of reference in the school libraries. Tire Mayor spoke on the importance of the work, and moved that the Board sanction the use of Dr. Richardson’s bonk in the schools, supplementary to “ Laws of Health.” Mr. Dargaville said if the Board was going to take up the position of partisans, and advocate teetotalisra, the book might be accepted as suggested. He preferred an open course instead of going to extremes. He would move that the report be adopted, viz.: That those committees that wish to use the work might do so. The report was adopted. Christchurch, Friday. At the banco sittings to-day Judge Johnson road the judgment of Judge Williams and himself in the case of Connor v. Mackay and others, allowing the demurrer, with costs. Sir. De Lias has repainted and redecorated the Gaiety Theatre for the Loftus Troupe season, which opens to-morrow night. The benefit of Miss Beatrice and Mr. Ogden to-night was a great success. The house was crowded.

The Selwyn County Council to-day passed a resolution instructing the chairman to inquire of the Government why the Council had not received their subsidy, as the municipal one had been paid to the Christchurch City Council. The Council also carried a resolution urging the Government to proceed with the construction of the West Coast Railway from Amberley at as early a date as possible. A child named Evans was recently badly burned at Addington, through some children with whom she was playing setting fire to some gorse. The sufferer lies in a critical condition.

A meeting of the Selwyn County Council was held this morning, at which the question of the Malvern W ater-racc was taken into consideration. Mr. Kilso was appointed resident engineer at a salary of £IOO a year. Messrs. Dobson and Sou act as supervising engineers. Rc the unemployed, the Mayor of Christchurch has received the following telegram from the Premier to-day:—-“Directions have been given so that unemployed men may obtain employment immediately on the railway works.”

A deputation bearing a petition with 120 signatures upon it waited upon the Mayor of Lyttelton this morning, and presented it on behalf of the unemployed. Mr. Allwright said he would attend to the matter personally, when he got to Wellington in a few days, and meanwhile would wire to the Government with a view of getting employment at once. The Globe, of this evening, says :—“ It is reported in some quarters that the next Volunteer demonstration will be held in Timaru. We have, however, authority for stating that the general wish of the Volunteers all over New Zealand is in favor of having the demonstration in Christchurch. It would not reflect credit on this city were it not to take its part in fostering the Volunteer movement.” Henry Robertson, charged with passing valueless cheques at Ashburton, was dismissed, on the ground that he had expected some money owed to be paid to his credit. A number of members of the Assembly leave for Wellington by the s.s. Hawea to-morrow evening. An alarm of fire this evening was caused by a gorse hedge being fired on the north belt. Timarc, Friday.

The Commissioner of Railways and the Resident Engineer arrived to-day to settle matters rc the new railway station. Several Southern members passed through Timaru to-day en route to Wellington. Mr. Wak-o'- M and Mr. Turnbull leave on Mon* dav.

Oakaed, Friday. I i.c Li. i raddery Estate, the property of the late Dr. Webster, consisting of 13,000 acres freehold, aud 800 acres leasehold, with 11,000 sheep, has been privately sold to Mr. John Reid, of Ellerslie.

At a meeting of the Harbor Board to-day it

was resolved to purchase a dredge fn»m Kincaid and McQueen, of Dunedin, capable of deepening the harbor to a depth of 24 feet. Messrs. J. and T. Meek have purchased the Crown Flour Mills, the largest and most complete milling property in New Zealand, and recently erected by J. S. Evans and Co. The new propr et are now making extensive attention* and improvements, and they expect to have the milliu full swing next ra uith. Ashburton. Friday. Henry IV-bertson, the panorama IrcturtT and newspaper reporter, vr.s charged or. remand to-day with passing t\r.» valutlc-s cheque-, hut ah hough the t-vidence of fraud was strong, the Bench, out of consideration for hi* former p.-iti*>n, gave him the benefit of the doubt, and discharged him with a caution. George Franklin, a railway navvy on the Bakaia line, was sentenced to three month/ imprLomnent for stealing a watch and several other articles from his mates.

The Town Hall Company have decided to borrow £'3oo in order to pay off their debts and tn improve the hall by building shops, and converting the hall utto a billiard room.

Some of the first-class gentlemen passengers by the express from Dunedin were greatly disgusted at tlu ir trap* being unceremoniously removed into another carriage at Oamaru, aval their compartments taken exclusive po-se-d on of by a newly elected Southland member and his family. Dunedin, Friday. Five small insolvencies were filed this \vvok, the largest being James Gray, publican, Kaitangata ; liabilities, £llOO. A walking' match 'against time was commenced in the Garrison Hall this evening, Clayton undertaking to walk 100 miles in 24 hours. It is rumored that Mr. Finn’s return fur Wakatipu will be petitioned against. The prises gained by the boys attending the class in cimiu cthm with the Caledonian Society were distributed at the Atheurcum Hall this evening. A creditors’ petition has been filed against C. G. Moore and James Lees Booth, of Oaraurn, millers. The unemployed are taking advantage of the oppmtumties to obtain work given them by the Council and the Public Works Department. Some of the men taken on by the Corporation started work this morning on public works desired by people eager for work, upwards of 130 obtaining free passes to Mullocky , Gully. In the Supreme Court to-day, a case—the New Zealand Land Company r. McGregor, was heard, and at the conclusion of the argument Mr. Justice Williams reserved judgment. This was an application to enforce specific performance of a contract. Mr. James Smith and Mr. Haggitt appeared for plaintiff, and Mr. Muc.issey and Mr, Hoskings for the defendants, John McGregor and the Bank of New Zealand, but no question arises as to the bank. The plaintiffs, by paragraph 1 of their declaration, allege that on October 2G, 187 S, they agreed with the defendant (McGregor) to sell to him the Hakateremea station, in the Canterbury district, with the sheep and stock depasturing thereon, to be delivered after shearing, for the sum of £12,000, on the following terms :—One-fourth cash, one fourth in one year, one-fourth in two years, one-fourth in three or four years. The plaintiffs claim that certain runs were included in the memorandum of agreement by mistake, and certain leases were wrongly disturbed through mutual error, and the plaintiffs ask to have the agreement amended, and defendant then ordered to carry out the contract.