COLONIAL ITEMS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 105, 15 November 1873, Page 2

COLONIAL ITEMS.

(FROM THE ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN PRESS AGENCY.)

Napier, November 7. The Herald this morning says the goods forfeited to the Customs by Mr. Jacobs will be restored on payment of £lO, and adds that the authorities were no doubt advised if the case was taken to a higher Court, there would be considerable risk of its being lost owing to the informality of tho entry. The Maoris have leased 180,000 acres in the Wairoa districts to Mr. R. D. Maney. Mr. Hector reports samples Hawke’s Bay limestone sent to him as suitable for the manufacture of hydraulic cement, but not of sufficient good quality to be used in the breakwater. Two new hotels are about to be erected at Waitangi, the first station on the railway line, and the contract for one of them has been taken at £2,000. A contract has also been taken to sink artesian wells at all the four stations—Napier, Hastings, Waitangi, and Pakipaki, for £5OO.

Auckland. The announcement of the new Otago Insurance Company has caused a fall of 7s in the National shares.

It is rumored that Messrs. Reader Wood and Gillies will stand for the Provincial Council.

The splendid new Oddfellows’ Hall has been opened with great ceremony. Mr. J. S. Mac far lane has been fined £5O, and his manager £lO, and costs, for a breach of tho injunction with regard to floating logs at Waikekerei (sic.) The Judge threatened that in future breaches of the orders of the Court, imprisonment will be infleted without the option of a fine.

The employers of girls in factories have neglected to adopt the provisions of the Factory Act. The girls are agitating. New Plymouth, November 8.

Tawhiao has arrived in this district. He was expected to pass through the town to-day. Fifty Waikatos are with him.

Wellington. The following is a copy of a telegram received from Mr. Russell:—

“ London, October 24. “Russell to Vogel.-Preliminary contracts signed for both services. Mackrill preparing full contract. Securities on contractor’s behalf: Paul Forbes, of China house of Russell and Co., and Debuesche, China merchants; good men, large steamship experience. Permanent service according with resolutions. Temporary service will be about 11 knots, beginning with the Macgregor, (going to China,) from Sydney in December; the Tamar, new, from Sydney in January. “ The Mongol, now building, goes from London to Dunedin with immigrants in time to take the February mail from New Zealand to San Francisco. The Macgregor returns from San Francisco to New Zealand.”

The Opposition have defeated the Provincial Government on the Loan Appropriation Bill for Public Works and have thrown out the Bill. There was but a thin attendance of members, tho majority against being three. The Provincial Executive this morning placed their resignations in the hands of the Superintendent, who declined to accept them. The discussion in the Council was cut short by the Superintendent walking in and proroguing the sitting.

Messrs. Brogden’s two tenders for the extension of the Napier railway have been accepted. The following are the amounts for which the works are to be performed : —£9,469 and £26,871. The site originally selected for the erection of Government offices has been changed. The new buildings will be of a very extensive character, and will be erected immediately opposite the Government House, and contain 160 rooms.

Permission has been given to erect stations on behalf of the American Government for observing the transit of Venus, one at the Southern part of New Zealand, and one at Auckland at Campbell’s Island. The instruments of the observers are to be admitted duty free. The bakers have agreed to charge 8d for the 4Jb loaf either sold at the counter or delivered. The Halcione sails the first fair wind, with a cargo of colonial produce, valued at £45,000.

The compositors here are about to take steps to establish a Typographical Association. Wanganui.

In the case of Watt c. Balance, the arbitrators all concur in finding for the plaintiff, with £5O damages and costs. The arbitrators say further, “ We have given damages to the above limited amount because we are aware that the costs will be heavy, and becuse we think that the plaintiff’s character having been vindicated from charges contained in libel, heavy damages need not be given.” In the libel case Worgan r. Duigan, editor of the Chronicle, judgment was given for the defendant on all counts, with costs.