CABLE MESSAGES.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 303, 13 March 1878, Page 3

CABLE MESSAGES.

[Reuter’s Telegrams to Tress Agency.]

O : -LONDON. -March 7. The war indemnily has Been fixed ; s£t fourteen hundred and ten million-roubles. •It is expected -that a European peace ■Congress will bo hold at -Berlin, presided •over by iVince Bismarck,-instead of a coeTerencc at -Baden Baden. March 8. Lord Derby, ih replying to a question, 'confirmed the announcement of a European 'Conference to be held at Berlin, for the of which Austria opened negotiations on the basis proposed by England, .lie added that -the British Government asked that the whole treaty of peace ■between Russia and Turkey be submitted -to the Congress. In the course of a long debate in the House of -Lords, Earl Derby, said .that •although the treaties of 18bG and 187-2 Lad now virtually ecascd to exist, they must'be held binding - until Europe sanctioned a substitute. He hoped the Conference would effect a European and not a Russian settlement of the question. The latter would involve dilHculties the issue, ■of which was uncertain.

TARANAKI COUNCIL AND THE MOUNTAIN ROAD. Tine following is from the Herald's report of proceedings of Taranaki County Council, held on the Tib Msfrch•; M’ss.-'s Humphrii'S, Robinson, and Skinner were in attendance to give professional opinion as to the merits or demerits of the deviation of the mountain Road as proposed by the Patea County Council. Mu Kelly said he saw by the newspapers that the Patea County Council was going to deviate the Mountain Road from its old route, and that by doing this it would have to bo taken through private property, which, of course, meant compensation l ; besides which, standing bush would ’have to bo passed through. Pie would ask Mr Humphries for his opinion as to which of these routes was the bettor one.

Mr Humphries said that to his mind there was no question but that the existing Mountain Road was the proper route to take. Instead of bush they had a large number of native clearings, whilst from Normanby to the Tawhili a person could ride at a gallop, the road was so good. Messrs Robinson and Skinner quite agreed with the opinion of Mr Humphries in the matter. Mr Courtney said it was suicidal forth o Patea Council to take the course they had taken; they must have some motive,'of Which the Taranaki Council were not aware, to have made the deviation.

The Chairman said, in reference to this matter, ho ought to state to the

Council what had happened to his own knowledge. Some time back lie had communicated with the Hawera people with reference to the Mountain Road. Last Thursday ho had received a telegram from .Hawera stating that the Patea Council had determined to make the deviation, that such deviation would cause a delay of two years, and that the Council would meet on the morrow. He telegraphed at once to the effect that ’no deprecated any departure from the original route as conducive to delay, and that the -Hawera people ought to interview their Council at its meeting, but that ho believed any outside interference would bo resented. The Chairman said lie saw by certain articles that appeared in the Patea Maid of a somewhat impertinent character, with reference to Ids own action ; and he know from experience that anything done outside 'the Patea County would be resented by the Council. There was a foolish-notion at Patea that hy detaining the road for two years they would have communiealirn with Carlyle itself or with Wanganui by railroad, and with new harbour works at Patea. All

the people in the colony were going wild over harbour works ! The majority of the people of the County lived at the Carlyle end and towards Wanganui, and the question was if the people of Carlyle would be strong enough to get the road started at once.

Mr Kelly said they ought to* express their opinion on the subject to the General Government. He, fur one, was not satisfied to see money wasted without making some protest against it, and it was to his mind wasting money to take the road through standing bush and across private land. Ho would therefore move, ‘yThat Messrs Robinson, Humphries, andßkiuncr, be requested

to draw up a.joint report as to the best route for the Mountain Road, and that the Chairman forward such report, with his opinion thereon, to the General Government, and a copy To the Patea County Council.”

Mr-Brown, after seconding the motion, remarked that it was patent to anyone who had been any number of years in the Colony, that a road through clearings which had been made five years, could bo made fur half the money that it took to make a road'through standing bash.

Mr F. A. Carrington, M.H.R., who was present, and requested to give Ids opinion to the Council, and said : Me had come down to advocate what had been advocated on all sides by the mem-bers-present, with the exception of one of them. He had not been over the road himself, hut his brother admitted to him that the proposed deviat ion from the line was the best, the grades being much better - but inasmuch as there were three miles and a-half of bush to fall, it would, of course-, be for the authorities to decide which lines they would now adopt. For his own part he would strongly recommend the adoption of the line as it now existed. A very good road could he obtained, as the bush had been fallen-, and thereby a large expense already incurred, if they adopted the other lino, there would be Si miles of bush to fall, which would bo very costly , and lie was satisfied that it Would delay the road not only for two-or three years, but for three or four. There would possibly be a difficulty in getting the money revoted for the Mountain Road, if the contracts wore not entered into at once. The motion was then put to the Council and carried.

stock of every description .of drapery goods, imported direct —and from the best colonial houses ; which, being bought on the most advantageous terms, and having thorough knowledge of the busim-ss, enables him to offer goods of sterling quality at prices that cannot bo improved on by any other house in New Z.-aland. Every article is marked in plain figures, from which there is no deviation ; so that inexperienced people arc as well served as the .best judges, the terms being net cash, without rebate or abatement of any kind. Note the address—ll. A. Adams; Cardigan House, nearly opposite Town Hall, Carlyle.—aovt .