TELEGRAPHIC.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 996, 12 February 1883, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC.

[_PKR PRESS ASSOCIATION.] AUOKLAND, Fob. 9. At llie inquest on George Whin; am! Mary O’Neil!, burned to death at, (ho Wakefield- street fire, a verdict of accidental death was returned.. It is supposed that the cause of the fire was a defectively constructed hearth. Dr Philson was presented by the Mayor, on behalf of the citizens of Auckland, with a gold watch, a purse of 270 sovs, and an address, on his retirement from the Provincial Hospital. A silver card-case was presented to Mrs Philson. The New Zealand timber Company has declared a dividend of 15 per cent. Mr Rolleston, Minister of Lands, has given Mr Douglas a prospecting licence to search for diamonds in the Raglan County. AUCKLAND, Feb. 10. Archibal4 Forbes closed his Auckland season last night. Before proceeding to Australia he goes to Christchurch to spend a fortnight. On his return he will lecture at Taranaki and Wanganui. Dr Philson has given the purse of sovereigns, £270, presented to him, to create the nucleus of a medical library for the use of students at the district hospital. WELLINGTON, Fob. 9.

The Japanese man-of-war Ringio arrived in the - harbour last night, after a passage of 52 days, from Japan. The Ringio is a fine-looking vessel of 1159 tons, with a crew numbering 378, Captain Elo being in command. The steamer came up tho harbour this;morning, and hoisted the English ensign, which she sainted later in the day. This was responded to by the Wellington Artillery. The Ringio will probably stay hero for two or three weeks, and, after, visiting other New Zealand pons, will leave for Pern. Owing to a heavy gale blowing to-day, no communication was held with the vessel. It is understood that her crew is composed of wholly Japanese, She is armed with six 601b muzzle-loaders, two two-centre metre Krnpp guns, and a brass gun, 4£lbs.' The Colonial Secretary has forwarded a communication to the City Council; requesting that the utmost courtesy and atttention may be shown to the visitors during their sojnrn here, and the members of the Council will probably pay a visit to the vessel to-morrow. With reference to the applications for assistance made by local bodies under “ The Roads and Bridges Construction Act, 1882,” it has been announced that about one half of the amounts applied for for main roads will be granted, in respect of those applications that are inform, The Minister will confer with the local bodies with a view of providing for the completion of some portion of the work for which the moneys were applied for, in terms of section 38, for district roads and river works. The whole amounts asked for will be granted where applications arc made in compliance with the Act. The above are subject to tho conditions imposed by the Act being fulfilled. Applications not made in terms of the Act will have to be renewed in time for consideration with the others to arrive on or before the 30th June next. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 8. S The sportsman who races under the name of G. Bate is about to retire from the turf, and bis stud is announced for ; sale. It includes The Poet and Hilda. 1 Considerable interest was excited in town to-day by a'4o-gallon cask of crude petroleum, from the Southern Cross Company’s well at Gisborne, exhibited; in front of Mr W, Wilson’s shop in Cashel-street. A large number of pensons inspected the oil during the day, and many took away samples of it for closer examination. It is of a dark brown colour, has a strong smell, and, ; on being slightly warmed, burns with a‘ clear bright flame, emitting a little smoke. CHRISTCHURCH, Feb 10. A man named Cryer, who arrived at Lyttelton from London in the Firth of Forth, on Monday last, was expected by the Customs officials to have smuggled a number of watches, ashore.-He and his family were followed by the police to Christchurch, where he was traced to the house of a milkman named Briggs, living at Shirely; near town. Here a quantity of watches, chains, and jewellery said to be worth £3OO, were seized on Friday night. DUNEDIN, Feb. 11.

A young man who was bathing at the Ocean Beach this morning was drowned, and his body carried out to sea. A companion got out with great difficulty. A clerk in the New Zealand Insurance Company, named Minter, was arrested last night for einbezzlement. He has been employed for some time in the office at a salary of over £2OO a year, and it is believed escaped detection for some time by falsifying his books. , DUNEDIN, Feb. 9.

Mr Alfred Austin has accepted, on behalf of young Scott, the challenge of Daniel O'Leary to walk anyone in the Australasian Colonies. The great American pedestrian has just arrived in Melbourne, and Mr Austin has written to him backing Scott to walk him a 24hour match for £IOO or £2OO aside, the match to take place in Dunedin. A case was heard in the Supreme Court to-day of importance to patentees. The action was for damages for breach of patent, but the defence pleaded that the plaintiff the patentee, had worked his invention in his own workshop before he applied and obtained the patent for it, and the plaintiff practically admitted the plea was unanswerable by withdrawing his action. In the Resident Magistrate’s Court to-day a publican sued a laborer for £3 on a promissory note for a bottle of brandy and other liquors supplied. The Resident Magistrate gave judgment for defendant, remarking that he had no sympathy whatever for plaintiff, who had allowed a labourer, with a wife and family to support, to incur a debt for drink, which he was not able to pay