TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1005, 9 July 1879, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(I>ER PRESS ASSOCIATION".) WELLINGTON. July 8. A poytion of the wreckage found at the Heads consisting of a figurehead, was brought to town this evening, but it is not known what vessel it belongs to. It is supposed to be that belonging to the barque Swallow, recently wrecked off Tory Channel. Pilot Holmes has been out searching the beach with the view of ascertaining the name of the vessel, but has not yet returned. The captains of vessels calling at Kaikoura constantly complain of the bad state of the moorings in use there. The Saucy Lass, which arrived here from Kaikoura, narrow escape of going on the rocks, owing to the moorings carrying away. Only a short time back the schooner Shepherdess stranded there, which was attributed to the defectiveness of the moorings. The Wellington Trust and Loan Company has declared a dividend at the rate of 12 per cent, per annum for the half-year ending 30th ult. The Maori prisoners are not to be tried at the present sessions. The Crown Prosecutor stated to-day that he found it would be impossible to prefer the indictment on Monday, and Dr. Buller, who is retained for the defence, was also anxious to have the trial postponed. True bills have been found against Cooper and Brodie for breach of the Arms Act.

The Ringarooma took to Melbourne, yesterday, 12,227 ounces of gold. The largest meeting ever known at Manawatu was held last night, to express sympathy with Mr. G. Snelson, who is committed for trial for breach of the Arms Act. The weather was most tempestous, but still a number of settlers from Atangi, Stoney Creek, Jackey Town, Kareri, and Douglas settlement came down to take part in the proceedings. The chair was occupied by Henry M'Neil, one of the magistrates who committed Mr. Snelson. Various resolutions which were moved were received with vociferous applause. It was decided to have a petition signed and presented to the AttorneyGeneral, asking him to put the 50th clause of the Arms Act into operation. July 9. The wreckage found at the Heads proves to have belonged to the barque Swallow, recently wrecked off Tory Channel. Parliament will be opened by commission on Friday, so as to allow the Speaker to be elected. The speech will not be delivered until Tuesday next. DUNEDIN. July 8. The Star to-night says: "We hear it stated on pretty good authority that it is proposed to abolish the office of paymasters for the Middle Island railways at Dunedin and Invercargill, and that in future all payments for the railway service of the Middle Island will be made from the head office at Christchurch. We had heard the Junior before, but declined to pay attention to it. Now, however, that we know that the services of the paymaster at Dunedin have been dispensed with, we can't- help believing there is something in it." At a meeting of the secular party today, re the city election, it was resolved to take steps to secure Captain Baldwin's return. Mr.- C. S. Reeves is announced as a candidate. Mr. Macassey has withdrawn from the contest for Dunedin City. At the Supreme Court to-day, Julius Eastwood, a man of color and a Timaru volunteer, charged with riot, was found guilty. He had already been in gaol three months, and was sentenced to 24 hours' imprisonment, and bound over in the sum of LSO to keep the peace for six months. July 9. An aggregate meeting of Catholics was held at the Temperance Hall, list night, for the purpose of considering the Education Question. Bishop Moran presided, and the hall was nearly filled, among those present being delegates from various parts of the colony. No less than eight resolutions were passed. Two of these condemned a national system of purely secular education as being contrary to the conscientious convictions of Catholics; also un-Christian and anti-Christian, and

as being calculated to impair the moral tone of the community, and to render life and property insecure. A third resolution affirmed that under these circumstances it was a grievous injustice to compel Catholics to.-pay taxes for the maintenance of such a system of education, and to pay for the Christian education of their own children. By another it was resolved that a petition praying for such an alteration in the Education Act as would place Catholic schools " on a footing of equality with public schools," be forwarded to Parliament, the petition to be presented in the Legislative Council by the Hon. Dr. Grace, and in the House of Representatives by Mr. J. C. Brown, M.H.R. forTuapeka. In the Supreme Court, this morning, Mr. Justice 'Williams announced that he was prepared to let Cummock out on bail in his own recognisance of L3OO, and two sureties of Ll5O each. At the inquest to-day on the body of Charles M'Kay, who committed suicide last evening by taking laudanum, a verdict was returned of temporary insanity. The deceased was over thirty years of age, and arrived in the Colony only three weeks ago in the ship Otago. Since then he has been drinking hard. He was a partner in the firm of M'Kay and Cunningham, of Duke-street, Edinburgh, who failed a few months ago for L 68,000. He learned yesterday of his wife being divorced from him, and this was the immediate cause of his committing suicide. AUCKLAND. July 9. It is stated that notwithstanding Dr. Skae's opposition, the Government has accepted Dr. Young as Superintendent of the Lunatic Asylum. It is contemplated to form the various Auckland Volunteers into an administrative battalion. The Hons. James Williamson, Patterson, Pollen, and Chamberlain, M.L.C.'s, Captain Thomas, Messrs. M'Minn, Tole, Swanson, Moss, Hamlin, and the Hon. Honi Nahe, M.H.R.'sJare passengers by the Hinemoa. Sergeant (now Sub-Inspector) Gordon, brother to the late Major Gordon, left for Taranaki to-day. There are great complaints in Waikato re his promotion—he being a second-class sergeant of short service—over eight seniors. PORT CHALMERS. . July 9. Arrived Albion, from the Bluff; Ringarooma, from Lyttelton ; Seagull, Eliza and Maria, from Kaipara ; Waitaki, from Oamaru. CHRISTCHUE.CH. July 8. The first gorse hedge-cutting machine ever tried in the colony was exhibited at work, to-day, by Messrs. Miles, Hassal, and Co. The maker is Hornsby. It worked exceedingly well. A most inhuman and savage assault was made this evening by a laborer named William Henry Strange, upon members of his family. He is stated to have been drinking heavily, and was very much the worse for drink at the time he committed the assault. He first caught his wife by the throat, and threw her down heavily. He then picked up the' youngest of his children, a boy about two years old, and dashed its head against the door post. Strange was promptly arrested. The child is not expected to live. Strange is now in gaol.

INVERCARGILL. July 8. The Chamber of Commerce has passed a resolution requesting Mr. George M'Lean, M.H.R., to bring in a Bill embodying certain reforms in the Bankruptcy Act. July 9. At a meeting of the Chamber of Commerce yesterday, it was stated that the Government did not intend to bring down a Bill to amend the Bankruptcy Act. A petition to Parliament was adopted setting forth—first, that the provisions of the present Act are unsatisfactory, and detrimental to trade and commerce, and tend to encourage reckless trading, dishonesty, and fraud ; secondly, that the alarming number of small debtors who have taken the benefit of the Act, whose assets are nil, or whose assets do not pay any dividend, conclusively indicate the expediency of bankruptcy law reform ; and third, that a Bill should be introduced to remedy the evils.

ASIIBURTON. July 9. The Borough Council's loan of L 15,000 for a water supply scheme and drainage lias been sanctioned by the ratepayers at a meeting held last night. A poll will be taken 011 Thursday, 17th July. TIMARU. July 8. A man named W. C. Graham was charged at the Waimate Police Court yesterday with violently assaulting Thomas Martin by striking him on the head with an axe. The wounded man is in a very dangerous state, several pieces of bone having had to be extracted from his skull. Accused was remanded. C. W. Cowburn has refused to take up his tender for the new Post Office 011 the ground of the conditions being too stringent. It is not known what steps the Government will take in the matter. This morning the wind suddenly changed from a bitterly cold south-wester to a warm north-wester, which latter continued nearly all day. The Evening Telegraph has been purchased by Mr. R. Williamson, late of the Otago Daily Times, Mr. Fisher, one of the late proprietors, has bought the Waitangi Tribune.