LAST NIGHT’S WIRES.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 59, 6 February 1884, Page 2

LAST NIGHT’S WIRES.

[Per United Press Association.] Wellington, Feb. 4. Entries for the New Zealand Rifle Association Meeting at Auckland are coming in freely. The local secretary at Auckland reports a large sum already subscribed, and it is believed the prize-money published will be considerably increased. It is intended to use a telephone from the butts to the shootingmounds. The Customs revenue for last month for the Colony was £122,198 12s. as against £123,050 Bs. for the corresponding month last year. All the returns snow an increase on the amounts collected in December. For the last month the principal amounts were :— Auckland, £26,710 4s. 3d.; Wellington, £19,930 14s. 2d.; Dunedin, £37,263 15s. 4d.; Christchurch, £19,411 Is. sd. The beer duty last month was £4,335 2s. 10d., and for the corresponding month in 1883 £6,227 Is. Bd. The following are the amounts collected at the principal ports last month:— Auckland, £1,079 10s. sd. ; Christchurch, £9Ol 3s. 2d. ; Dunedin, £lO5B 16s. 9d.; Wellington, £382 10s. Id. Presiding at a Band of Hope festival here the Premier said that, although not a total abstainer, he had yet great pleasure in presiding at the festival, for two reasons : Firstly, it was the duty of public men to assist movements which had the good of the community for their object ; secondly, all who were working for social reform in various ways could meet on a common platform on the occasion. After reviewing the principles of the Temperance movement, he continued to say that a great change was coming over the opinions of Liberal and Radical statesmen at Home, who were now beginning to recognise, as we in the Colony had recognised to a limited extent, that all social movements in the present day to be successful must finally be taken up and dealt with by the State—that was to say, the people as a whole must deal with them. The temperance organisation seemed to have recognised this, for temperance advocates had endeavoured to cultivate public opinion as the first thing

to be done. They then went tp the Legislature and asked for the power of local option to an (ore the will of the community, after that will had been determined. He approved of local option as applied to the liquor traffic, not, perhaps, on the ground that some people thought, but as the most desirable object for which all who desire the advantage of the community should fight. What local option really asked was a fair field and no favor; that the people themselves should fairly argue the thing out, and that the will of the majority should be given effect to. The temperance movement, being founded on these great truths, must succeed. He had not the least doubt that it would leaven the whole mass before many years were over. But they would do very little in social movements until worden had a more direct influence in the matter. On this question of local option women should have a vote exactly the same as men; and he thought their vote should not be confined to one political question. The Tasmanian cricketers have decided to play a match at Wellington and Nelson. Moeller and Co.’s liabilities are £29,000, of which the National Bank has £23,000 secured, and the rest is unsecured; The assets (including stock in trade £23,000) are estimated at £33,400). The largest unsecured debt is to Davis and Son, London, £1,200, and the other unsecured creditors have debts fr©m £5 to £2lB. Mr. Bryce has received a telegram from Kawhia stating that Tawhiao has decided on visiting Kawhia, and also that he will probably take a trip to England shortly. Later. Mr. Bryce has stopped the Government pension allowed to*the chief Rewi, in consequence of his recent action re the survey of the King Country. Rewi is believed to have heen actuated by jealousy of the importance attached to Wahanui, and also to be influenced by favorable feelings towards Tawhiao. It is expected that the Wanganui chief Topia and Henare Tonioana, M.H.R. for the Eastern Maori District, will accompany Tawhiao to England if he goes. Christchurch, Feb, 5.

A.telegram has been received from the University agent in London, giving the results of examinations for Degrees, Senior Scholarships, and Honors. This list is published, subject to any corrections which may require to be made when the decisive report of the examiners arrives by the mail; which will be, probably, in March next, It is possible that the telegram may have been incorrectly transmitted or misinterpreted in some particulars. The following is the result, subject to these conditions; — Honors examination: First class, Joseph Grossman; second, L. Cohen and D. White; third class, D, Burn, Janette Grossman, R. Irvine, and H. Purchase. M. A. examination: passed, A. Purdie. First LL.B, examination; passed, A. R. Barclay, R. Stanford, 8.A.; W. Wake, A. L. Weber, T. Ritchie, J. Anderson, J. Murray, W. Harvey, W. Taylor, W. A. Reilly, R. M. Beattie, J. Reid, A. J. Mayne, D. Nimmo, H. J. James, Prime, A. Gifford, G. M. Hutton, J. T. Barnicoat, R. McNall, B. Brown, W. J. Glasgow, J. M, Jones, W. P. Evans, W. A. Stout, W. A. Robinson, W. Hislop, J. J. Patterson, H, Von Haast, J. A. Newell, A. Heine, C. E. M. Harrison, K. Colebrook, A. Bunnie, H. Kitohingham, R. W. Cocks, 0. Alexander, T. Rout, J. P. Mayne, W. Armitage, R. M. Laing, H. M. English, Kelly, W. Christie, J. J. Hay, A. Stott, E. H. Serie, E. Boulton, W. Kerr, R. Lamb, S* Seymour, E. T. Earll, H. Matthias, C, D. Hardie, W. D. Andrews, F. Ockford. Senior Scholarship Examination : 1, R. Lamb ; 2, T. Rowe; 3, A. Gifford ; 4, H, Von Haast; 5, R. McNab and Prime, equal. The Mining Manager of the North Creek Gold Mining Co., with a shareholder, who for three weeks has been encamped at Unknown Creek, at the northern boundary of the Coy’s, lease, brought to town this morning about thirty pounds weight of quartz, taken from the Coy’s, reef about three feet wide. Some specimens show gold distinctly to the naked eye. Bad weather and want of appliances prevented more being brought. The Canterbury Association met the Tasmanian team of cricketers on their arrival by express. Greymouth, Feb. 5. The claim of Messrs. Arnett and Seabrook against the Education Board is now in process of settlement, on behalf of the Govern, ment, by Mr. Calber. The money will be paid this afternoon, and the school will be opened to-morrow. The Government are about settling the matter only for the present, reserving to themselves the right to take subsequent action under the 71st clause of the “Resident Magistrate’s Act” by an interpleader. They hold that the Board being defunct since 31st January, they could not own the property levied upon. Dunedin, Feb. 6. At the Police Court to-day, the case against Mr. James McDo*iald, M.H.R., under the “ Property Tax Act * ” was adjourned till the 14th, to allow of the information being amended. Thos, Marr, charged with stealing money belonging to the Tasmanian cricketers, and to Mr, Dixon, of the Dunedin team, was remanded for a week. Auckland, Feb. 4. At the annual meeting the capital of the Mercury Bay Sawmill Company was increased from £50(000 to £lOO,OOO, although it was remarked there was no immediate Intention to place the new issue upon the market. The profit for the half-year was about £B,OOO. or something like 16 or 17 per cent on paid-up capital, but no dividend was declared in order to strengthen the financial position of the company. At a meeting of the Auckland Acclimatisation Society, the President stated that at the request of the Premier, three Indian Mongooses which had been presented to him by the New South Wales Government, had been received into the gardens and were being kept for him there, the climate of Auckland being especi- ; ally suited to them. As soon as sufficient I stock had been obtained from them, it wr/i intended to experiment with them in the South Island as rabbit exterminators. A body wp.s found hanging on a tree near the Bluff, Onehunga, which is believed to be that of a German named Evoight, a boot* maker, who was sentenced to a term of imprisonment for icceiving stolen property, and who became depressed in mind since his release. Referring to the necessity for increased wharfage accomodation at the Harbor Board meeting this afternoon Mr. L. D. Nathan mentioned that we would ghortly have a fortnightly service of direct steamers to Auckland.