LAST NIGHT'S WIRES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1369, 16 October 1883, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S WIRES.

(PROM OPR OWN CORRKSPONDBNT). WELLINGTON.

His Honor, Chief Justice Prendergast, has obtained 12 months leave of absence. He intends visiting England after the sittings of the Appeal Court next month. Major Atkinson will return on Wednesday, and Messrs Dick and Oliver on Tuesday, | Chief Justice Prendergast has obtained ' leave of absence for twelve months, and he > intends visiting England after the sittings of the Appeal Court next month WANGANUI.

Mr Rochfort has received final instructions from Mr Bryce, Native Minister, and leaves on Sunday for the interior to resume the Central Railway survey. He will not go directly to the district where he wai •topped by Taumatu and his party, but will proceed by another route to the beyond, which is under the rule of TopU, whose assistance Mr RoOhfort is instructed to obtain. Taumata’s district is a borderland, sixteen miles through, and lies between Kemp’s and Topia’s districts. Mr Rochefort, with Topiae help, will work back to® wards this borderland, He is instructed to exhaust every pacific measure, and In ths meantime Mr Bryce does not think it necessary to interview the obstructionists himself, or send an armed force to the scene of 3 action. ' AUCKLAND. Dr. Richardson has imparted the sight to a girl aged 18, named Fowler, the daughter of a schoolmaster at Maungatauro, who had been blind from birth. In the case of assault on Mr Wickham, proprietor of the Free Lanoe, by Dr Harri•on, Mrs Dr Pott’s associate, defendant was fined 10s, and Aspinall, (Mrs Potts’ and James Millett were discharged. No new facts came out in the evidence. Auguste Baffin has been committed for trial on a charge of fraudulent bankruptcy, bail being allowed himself in £2OO, and two sureties of £lOO each. In the gale at Hokianga, two men were capsized in a boat. James Dovenee, an engineer, was drowned, and the other Cochrane, swain ashore. The resolution by the Rev. Mr Gould in - the Diocesan Synod, relative to rtdigious £ instruction in common schools, was with- ( drawn, owing to the opposition, and the close of the session, DUNEDIN. At the Police Court, Wm. Lockie, a young man, was charged with rape on Isabella Richardson, a girl of 15. Prosecutrix waa serving in accused father’s house, and alleged that prisoner had accomplished his purpose by violence. Mrs Lockie, accused's mother, however, deposed that she found the two in the bedroom, and prosecutrix was laughing. Witness struck her, and ordered her away. The Bench reserved judgment. In the case of Hornsby v. Warren libel action, Judge Williams to-day refused a new trial with costs, The Kaifadaata Coal Company has declared a dividend and bonuses amounting to 20 per cent. The output of coal is now over 40.005 \ tons yearly, having doubled during the last four years. Over £32,000 is carried forward. A good deal of destruction has been ® wrought amongst the lambs by the severe weather up country. The Scott and Edwards, 48 hours walking match terminated at 10 o'clock on Saturday night. Scott winning by one mile and three quarters, all but a lap. Both men walkdW almost continuously for the first 16 homW Edwards retired at 11.20 on Friday night to have a short sleep, hisrecord then stood at 115 miles, and Scott was 13 laps ahead Scott kept going till 11 30 p,m., when he was two miles ahead, and he then went to get some sleep, At 4 o’clock on Saturday the record stood, Scott 166 miles and 20 laps j Edwards 164 miles and 12 laps; at 9 p.m. Edwards gained a little, and reduced Scotts lead to two miles, and at 9,30 he was only one mile behind. Edwards here upon began to spurt and ;often passed young Scott who in his turn spurted and seemingly resolved to maintain his lead. Edwards at length up attempting to reduce the lead, and a little before 10 o’clock retired, having completed 191 miles, Scott walked out the time, and | covered 192 miles 16 laps, amidst enthusiastic cheers. In previous 48 hours matches, Edwards’ best record was a little over 182 miles. It will thus be seen on this occasion that Edwards walked 10 miles further in the time than he ever did before, and there can be no doubt but that he was beaten on his merits. A number of gentlemen have set about collecting a sum of money to make ■Scott n presentation of a belt. There was a very large attendance to see the finish NAPIER. Captain Aitkins, a very old colonist who traded between New South iVales and New Zealand, as early us 1328, died in tho hospital on Saturday, agod 90. Nominations for H.B. Guineas (1885) close to-morrow (Tuesday) evening. The nomi® natiuDd for the PeLauo Cup exose on Wednesday night. A carter named Joseph Rands was killed near Petane through the dray capsizing down a cutting, and falling on him. GREYMOUTH. The Fiery Cross obtained from its last crushing, 385 ozs. of retorted gold. The Keep it Dark Company obtained for a fortnights work, 220 ozs. of gold. CHRISTCHURCH. V. An inquest on the body of Stroi 1, the wrestler, has been held, and a verdict of suicide while in a despondent state of mind was returned. The New Zealand Electric Light Company are going to make another attempt, it is said, to light Lyttelton wharf, employing 32 arc lights instead of 16 as at present. The Hon the Colonial Secretary received a deputation from the Hospital Board on Saturday. He told them that £9OO or £lOOO at most was all that was available for the Christchurch Hospital from the £5OOO grant.

A lecture was delivered last night at the Good Templars* Hall, by the Rev W. Cocks, in aid of the Blue Ribbm movement. The attendance was good, the room being crowded to excess. The Bishop of Waiapu was voted to the chair, and in a few preliminary remarks introduced the lecturer. In opening he said, as the subject of the lecture was on Australia, he would first o& all give a geographical description of it, which he did in a very able manner. He 1 said in his opinion Australia had once been a portion of the Asiatic Continent, and thoroughly explained its position. He then went on further, pointing out the good and bad qualities of the continent generally., The great defect about it was that it had no supply of water in the form of riaers, and W this was owing to its level surface, there being no mountains. This was most detrimental, 1 because the result generally was that there were droughts, and if not droughts, floods. With regard to products, Australia could compete with almost any other continent on ■ the globe. He had known the most tropical plants thrive in Queensland aud New South fl Wales, such as sugar, cotton, Ac. The c-hmale ■ was most healthy. He had resided in a H about 700 miles west of Sydney, and his much further inland than that, and there very little s’ckness or mortality wm experienced. The lecturer then preceded still A further in describing Australia from the J time of its discovery up to the prssent.. ■