TELEGRAMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1220, 15 March 1880, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.) "WELLINGTON. March 13. The yacht race between the Pet and Red Jacket was -won easily by the former. The latter never came to the winning poat. Mr. Turnbnll, of Wellington, gained the first premium for the new Post and Telegraph Office. All the members of the Civil Service Commission met to-day at 11 a.m. Mr. Saunders was unanimously elected Chairman. The Colonial Treasurer attended, and conferred with the Commissioners. After some preliminary, enquiry from the heads of departments in Wellington, the Commission will proceed south. Mr. Gray, Under-Secretary of the Postal Department, was confidentially examined. v ' March 15.

A letter from the Commissioner of the Government Insurance Department states that the delay in the payment pi the amount of the policy of insurance on the life of James Boyle, killed at Auckland, was owing to necessary documents for settlement not being received.. The original probate was only received gn the Bth March,-and on the 10th a cheque was forwarded to the widow.

Young Scott continued steady on his 24 hours' walking match, and on Saturday at 8 p.. if}, had finished 100 miles. He then freshened up, but was unable to complete the distance, dpipg J. 09 miles in four minutes within the appointed hojir. A large crowd attended, and Scott, was loudly cheered at the conclusion.

, DUNEDIN. March 13. Mr. Justice Johnston will take the Waimate bush fire cases, th§ trial of which will commence on Monday inorning. A meeting of about 500 of the unemployed to-day resolved not to accept less than seven shillings per day, and decided to forward a petition to the Government expressing unwillingness to accept the terms offered. March 15. All the papers urge upon the Government to offer a large reward for the apprehension of the murderers. The Undoubted Company, at Tinkers, have pp 1300 ounces, as the result of eight months' work for eight wen. They expect 500 more. The grpund js very rich, giving a dwt. to the shoyelful.

AUCKLAND. March 13. Mrs. Boyle, widow of the late James Boyle, who was killed at Fort Britomart, CORiplains in the local papers that though her" husband's life was insured in the Government Insurance Department, and the premiums were ail pajd up, she has not received the money. Boyie's d,ea.pj} occurred three months ago. Mr. Maginnity, Secretary of the Telegraph Department, while visiting Kihikihi on Thursday last, called upon Rewi at his residence &t Punui. The great chief expressed much plaasyrg at the visit, and presented the visitor with a very some greenstone pendant. An engine driver named Montgomery has been arrested at Russell for alleged indecent assault on a native woman.

&£ajor Jackson, Waikato, has telegraphed to Major Murray, of the Thames, that 150 Waikato Cavalry will probably visit the Thames at Easter, bg take part in the review. Major Jackson abo inquires respecting quarters for men and horses.

The Hon. the Premier and the Attor-ney-General reached Auckland by to-day's train. The Premier appears surprised at the extent of good land in the Waikato available for settlement.

An inquegfc was held on the body of Thomas Birch, who clied. on board the Penguin. The evidence showed that deceased had been ailing on the passage up, and that after leaving Gisborne he got worse, and then tool?: fits and died in five rainutes. He had pbt&ned apme chloror dvne at Napief, which was the oply me,dicin ehe took on the voyage. The pjedical evidence showed that death resulted from aneurism of the heart, and the wonder is that he had lived so long. A verdict of death from natural causes wa3 returned. The sum of LI 6s was found on the body, and while the inquest was going on, the purser discovered L 96 in bank notes in his underclothing.

CHRISTCHURCH. March 13. About 200 men attended at the Public "Works Pffice this morning, and placed their names on the list of applicants for employment. As the Government had only forwarded a limited number of passes, the Engineer was not .enabled tp issue more than eighty to.-day, but the necessary number will bp received g.t the beginning of the week, Opportunity will be given to erect whares for their families, and temporary work will be provided until the return of the Government Engineer from Dunedin, whither he proceeds to arrange a scale of wages for these public works, which are to be uniform throughout the Colony. A few of those who received passes went to Waikari today. The rest will go on Monday morning. The Kaiapoi jParjjiprJ?' Club hold a grain, root, and foajt show abput the Bth of April. March 15.

Some excitement was caused on Saturday night in High-street by a report that the Empire Hotel was on fire. Smoke issuing fr.9m the building lent some confirmation to the rupaor. But it was found that, gome coal Jjad fallen on a heap of sawdust in one pf. the rear r.oopjs, and that no damage had been done. On Thursday two stacks of wheat at Mr. Prebble 3 s farm, Prebleton, containing nine hundred bushels, were totally burnt. The fire originated through the threshing engine. The loss is calculated at L2OO pounds. They were partly insured.

£)n Mr. Overton's farm, at Leeston, a ninfi=-acre paddock of oats has just been threshed, and yielded 104 bushels to the acre.

The hearing of the charge of libel against J, Iye3S, proprietor pf the Ashburton Mail, was concluded on Saturday afternoon, The Bench ruled that there was a prima fwip case, and defendant was committed for trial. Bail was allowed in his own recognisances of LIGO. A large and iufluentially signed petition has been prepared at Timaru asking the Governor to remit.three months' sentence passed on F. A. Sims for larceny.

TIMARU. March 13. A numerously and influentially signed petition has been forwarded to the Governor in favor of the of F. A. Sims, a merchant who, at last session of the District Court, was sentenced to mouths' imprisonment without hard labor for tjae Jarppny of goods belonging to the National JJanfc. In this case, the jury twice returned a verdict of " guilty but with no fraudulent intent." The time the verdict was " guilty.'' March 15. The case of George Orr, yrho wa? charged with larceny, in co»ns#io» wjtfr

the case J. and T. Meek v. Scott and, others/o£ 800 .steep,fia likely-: to .occupyf the Magistrate's . Court all : day. v Mrl* Hamersley is fdr the prosecution,. ]an|i ; Messrs. Hislop and ferry for the accuseds James M'Leish, the piosecutor; declared; that , he bought 1500 sheep .from John Scott, at Waimate, three weeks ago/ and: took them to the Wa'shdyke to be wished and shorn ; that he missed them from the paddock one night, and subsequently found -800 in the of Orr~and several" men. In opening tie,case, Mr., Hamersley ' said that he anticipated that ' Orr would set up a claim. to the sheep, 1 but submitted that he had not taken any legal way of enforcing it, and must now take the consequences of his conduct.

KELSON. March 15. Major Stack, well known throughout the colony as the commanding officer of the volunteers, died here on Saturday evening. He .will be buried this afternoon with military honors.

BLENHEIM,! . I/larch 13. There are ljow atjqpt6o diggers at work upon the newly discovered goldfield at Upper Wairauj and the creek has now almost as many men as it can. carry. The owners of the land contemplate taking proceedings on the ground of trespass, in which case Government will have to take immediate steps to proclaim the district a goldfield. A party of four men obained six and a half ounces in twq \vpgks, £Vnd seem faydr'ably impressed tng prospect/ r Rain" is the greqt. thing; diggers have to "fear, as the slight rain during the week" interfered sadly with next day's worjf. fwo qf three glephe stprpfceppers liaye brftnpfyes on thp groy^d.

NEW PLYMOUTH. , March 15. Owing to the steamer being delayed till Sunday, the arrangements .made for the reception, of Sergfc.. Okey, the winner of the champion belt, were abandoned, bu{; a. Church parade of the Yolunteers was ordered for4o o'clop)i yesterday, snd was well attended, ■ It : was expected that the steamer Wellington would have been here during the morning, but ,she did not show up till 3 o'clock. , The Yolunteers were again mustered'by a bugle call, and were marched to the beach, where £hev were drawn "iip to receive the representing. It} ffrg rj)§antime a deputation went ,qn board s<3 ftni| the Auckland and Thames representatives on shore. The inyitatiop. was apceptec}. On th# boftt rpaphjng the plaee, four of gergeant Qkpy's comrades advanced with a chair,, on which they seated the champion, and then, lifting him on to their shoulders,, carried him through the town to the Oddfellows' Hall, the band playing " See the Conquering Hero Cpmes." &a the .gteapaer, Jpffc %t % the ?isitqrs ha(J only tiifle. to hay? soine slight refreshrnents at the Qddfellows' Hall, whjch had been prepared for them, befprp they hp.4 tfi gfl R n bflapd the steamer again. A public banquet -mil be given this evening tp Sergeant Okey, which bids fair to be. a great success. The public woiks party from Wellington left by train this morning to commence work on the Mountain road.