TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 952, 7 May 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

WELLINGTON. May 6. A man named "Rosomargy, who broke violently into Mr. Ilost s house at Katioki, has been sentenced to three month s imprisonment with hard labor to-day. Relieving Officer Johnston sued two well-off young farmers ill Porirua district for ne_dectin'4 to contribute to the support of their parents. Their father is a cripple, and is nearly blind. He is 72 years of .•v.'c. The mother is a decrepit old woman, li!) years of age. The poor old people had for many years subsisted on charity. Mr. W'hitehouse, grocer, had spent no less titan L3OO on them during the last few years. They had also got assistance from the Benevolent Institution. The defendants coolly told the Resident Magistrate that they did not consider their poor father and mother had-any claim upon them Mr. Mansford properly characterised the case as a scandal and a disgrace to humanity, and ordered the hardhearted voting men to support the parents who reared them. They intimated that thev would not be able to obey the order. The Resident Magistrate said lie would (ittd means to compel fhem to pay (»s fid a week each. In the Supreme Court to-day, Mr. RJ. Duncan's deed of assignment was declared completely executed. The Exhibition Commissioners have rented St. George's Hall as a depot for New Zealand exhibits. DUNEDIN. May 0.

Messrs. Sicvwriyht and Stout on behalf of the following gentlemen.have torwarded notice of their intention to take proceedings against the Corporation for damages caused bv the recent floods : viz., Edward Pritchatd. L 100; Messrs. Heymanson, Low. and fJrahani, L4.'!3 19s lOd : North and Scottllar, L2OO. Messrs. Neil Uros have also forwarded a claim for L 322 K!s Id.

The following telegram was forwarded to-day from the committee of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce to the Hon. tlie Minister for Public Works: •'TlieChamber of Commerce respectfully request that you will instruct Mr. I»lair to report on the comparative merits, for railway communication between Westland and Otago, of the routes lie has recently been examining, anil that via Haast Pass and Cromwell, so unanimously favored by Westland people when they memorialised Parliament last year. The northern passes are reported to be :;000 feet, whilst the Haast Pass is only 1800 feet above the sea level. The country opened by the latter line in \\ estland is'stated to be very valuable.—J. S. Webb, secretary." A reply has been received as follows: "Wellington, Gth Ma v. J. S. Webb, Dunedin.—lt has all along been my desire to have a flying survey of the Line from Lake \\ anaka to Hokitika. with a view to tlie Legislature bttitg able to deal witli the questions in ilne time. How far this can be done satisfactorily this session is doubtful. I am aware "that such a line would connect the east and west coasts at a lower altitude titan any other, while it is supposed to open up the largest extent of country available for settlement. Its merits will. I believe, bear favorable comparison with any other, ami I have no doubt will be a necessary extension of the Otago central railwav." The line at present sanctioned hv the legislature, ami the const ruction of which is enjoined upon the (iovernmritt, is from Ainberly to Hokitika. some portions of which iiavc been already contracted for. and others are about to be tendered for. Signed, J. Macaxdkev." CH.EISTCH U RC'H. May 6. Tit ere are some sixteen cases to be heard in Chambers against Mr. Studholme, of South Canterbury, in each of which he has applied for a special jury. This was one reason of changing the venue of the trial from Timaru to Christchurch, as it was supposed that sufficient special jurymen for the sixteen cases could not "be obtained in the southern town.

The Rakaia correspondent of the Star telegraphs that a tish weighingabout 15lb. was taken about 20 miles from the source of the Rakaia River yesterday. It is said by an old salmon fisher to be .1 veritable salmon, and lias in all probability come from Tasmania. This is the first of the species ever found in New Zealand. The head is in the correspondent's hands, and will most likely be exhibited. The display of fireworks this evening in Cathedral-square. 111 honor of the Governor, was very pleasing. A great crowd withered to see them, and in the street opposite the Oddfellows' Hall, where the bali was t« be held, it was impossible to move. Watt's losses amount to almost L6OOO by the tire at Belfast. He commences work immediately in premises at Templeton, formerly used by the Moat Preserving Company. Lady Robinson holds a reception tomorrow. AUCKLAND. May G. The Edith, schooner, has arrived from the Islands, and reports the wreck of the American schooner Concorila, from San Francisco to New Zealand via Rarotonga, with a cargo valued at 22,000 dols. She was wrecked in March on Scully Island, westward of the Society Group. The crew were 40 days on the island, and suffered terrible hardship. They were picked up by the schooner Caroline, and brought to Tahiti,