LAST NIGHT'S WIRES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 26, 25 December 1883, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S WIRES.

|Pfir United Prerh Association.] Wellington, Dec. 24. An action for libel has been commenced in the Supreme Court by Mr \V. T Travers, barrister of this city, against the proprietors of the New Zealand Tinies, Tne alleged libel is contained in an article reflecting upon the plaintiff's conduct in his capacity of a city solicitor, and damages are laid at £lOOO. According to the statement of a man sentenced at the R. M. Court to-day to a month’s imprisonment for stowing himself away on board the British King, things at the Cape do not wear u satisfactory aspect. Hundreds of men are out of employment and every effort is being made by persons in distress to clear out of the Colony. Tn consequence of the scarcity of work, many families have been reduced to the verge of starvation, and the greatest distress prevails amongst tho lower classes. The accused, a mechanic, named Casey, regretted that he and others hud been obliged to secrete themselves on board the steamer, but expressed his opinion that the arrival of so many arti-ians in the Colony would be beneficial to tho community. As a curious commentary, it is alleged that there is a scarcity of employment in ‘ anterbury, nnd it i- stated that no Lwer than 3o men who were working for one contractor, on the Wellington-Mana-watu railway, left him on Batunjay night for Christchurch, to take work in the Canterbury district. Th so men were receiving 8s a day on the Wellington contract. The Premier returned in the Hauroto yesterday.

The British King is at. the wharf, and has landed passengers, all well.

Government to ctay came to the conclusion fo take over the Opiiki Railway cor.tract immed alely beyond Mosterton, the contractor having admitted his inability to carry on the work. The Government Engineer lias accordingly taken possession of the plant, &c., nnd will complete the contract at the risk of the contra.-tor and sureties.

When the British King left. Cape Town two boat-loads of attempted stowaways had to be sent ashore After getting t» sea thirteen more were found aboard. Six were allowed to work I heir passages and the other seven were given into custody on arrival here. They were sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment.

On Sn'urdny night Mr Graham and Mr Baird, the retiring Town Clerk end x it.y Engineer, were entertains I al a banquet by abouc 70 leading ci izens. A passenger namcri Baker died aboird the Bri'ish King on the voyage. He was for Wellington, and leaves a wife anil four children, fur whom the pu-songers raised £25. CiißisTcnuHCK, Deo. 24. Wall’s 9'indridge Hotel, Kydenbam, of 21 rooms, was totally destroyed by fire iliis morning. The building was insa'-ed for L 1.400 in the New Zealand, and the furniture fur £6OO in the Australian Mutual. The correct insurances on the building are Ll5O > in the National, of which £.><>() was reinsured for £6OO in the Austral ibiii Mercantile. At an open-nir meeting of the unemployed a committee was appointed to organise a Working Men’s Protection Society, Very few nt tended. Ashburton, Dec. 24. The dead body of a youth named Hayes, aged 16, was found in the river-bed yesterday afternoon, shot through the head. Deceased was missing frum his homo for a week, but was supposed to have gone to I Dunedin. At the inquest a verdict of found dead was returned.

[Age Specials per Manafoohj at Bluff.] The Marquis nf Lome, late GovernorGeneral of Canada, attended a meeting at the Royal Colonial Institute last »4g «t, and spoke on the subject of the Federation of the whole of the British Empire, and the necessity for n proteinive tariff for the young colonies. With regard to Federation, he r> commends a meeting at London of representatives from the whole British c-dmiios; and, referring to Protection, he euid it whs necessary to tolerate any protective Iw iff which the colon ire adopted, di past events had shown it wan the only me ini <>f crtitblishing industrlre in the colonies and promoting their progress. Duned’n, Dec. 24.

Thomas Bissett, fisherman, was killed by falling over a precipiece 100 feet high at M.mstord Town. Hls wife refined to go for beer, and ho left horns fur io His b niy is fearfully mangled. He was drunk at the time.

The s.s. Victoria arrived at Port Chalmers yesterday from London. The general health of the passengers is good. Mm. M. ludersrm died from rheumatic ami brain fever. A single female named Charlotte Mclntyre is Nufferiug from a contagious fever. The Health Officer ordered the quarantine flig to bo hois v ed, There are 330 immigrants on board.