SECOND EDITION LATEST.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2830, 20 April 1882, Page 3

SECOND EDITION LATEST.

NEW ZEALAND.

(Peb Peess Association.) Northern Railway Enterprise. Wellington, April 20. The Directors of the West Coast railway (North Island) have agreed to commence work forthwith. The engineer has been instructed to let out contracts for the work on that portion of line partially constructed by the Government. Another Criminal Assault. At Grey town, yesterday, James W. Ellis was committed for trial for a criminal and brutal assault on a young girl named O’Connor.

Fire, and Narrow Escape of Two Children. Nelson, April 20.

A fire occurred at Hope, on Sunday morning, when a four roomed house, occupied by a shoemaker named Macharis, was destroyed. The house was insured in the Colonial office for £IOO, and the stock and furniture in tho Norwich Union for £2OO. Two of the children of-Macharis were sick and were removed with some difficulty. Local OptionNapiee, April 20. At the polling on tho local option question in the Morth Ward yesterday out of a possible 268 voters only 36 went to the poll. The majority against an increase of licenses was 31. Equal indifference is being shown in polling for the Middle Ward. Criminal LibelDunedin, April 20.

The criminal libel case against Hitchcock at the instance of Quin, master of the Benevolent Institution, is now on. The defence challenged twelve jurors. The prosecution denied the troth of the charges made in the libeller’s letter. The defence merely entered a plea of not guilty.