TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1309, 28 February 1885, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

At about half-past one o’clock yesterday morning a building formerly used as an infant school in Gill street, New Plymouth, was burnt to the ground. The School Board sold the building last July at auction for £36, The purchaser immediately afterwards insured it for £l5O in the London and Lancashire Insurance Company. A. banquet was given to the Hon. Mr Ballance at Gisborne last Thursday night. In his speech on the occasion the Native Minister promised to get legislative powers to clear up the incomplete land transactions on that Coast, which he said was the only thing that would give it renewed prosperity. Hon. Mr Billance proposed the toast of the Harbor Board, and urged the Board to make the breakwater on Sir J. Cook’s plan. He promised to visit the Ngatiporou tribe at Waiputi before the session. Mt Ballance left by the Hinemoa, which arrived from Auckland at raidnight. During his stay he attended a large native meeting, and made a speech generally of the same tenor as that at Kihkiihi. He received a number of deputations ; the answers in many cases were favorable, but he refused a native request that he should stop the Waipu Land Court, The Secretary of the Wellington PostOffice notifies that the Australia with the January English mails left San Francisco for Auckland on the 16th instant, (wo days later than time-table date. The Zealandia with the February-colonial mails arrived at San Franpisco from Auckland on 22nd instant, two days- earlier than time-table date. / An immense bush fire is raging at the Union Sash and Door Company’s bush, Tararua (Auckland). The portion burning is not of much value, most of it having bean worked off. A gum store and contents, valued at £3OO, have been destroyed ; two men, miners, are supposed to have been burnt to death. The Dunedin Naval Artillery send three representatives to the Wellington rifle meeting. A lad named Driffie was drowned at Tararu (Auckland) on Wednesday, through the capsizing of a boat. A telegram from Oamaru states that a sharp shock of earthquake was experienced in the town and country districts at eight minutes past two yesterday morning with a vibration from north-east, which lasted about three seconds. The Tarawera for Sydney from Auckland took 1785 cases of preserved meat, shipped by the New Zealand Frozen Meat and btorage Company, consigned to the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company of Sydney. The shipment consists of 85,680ibs of meat, valued at £2142, It is made up in equal quantities of boiled and roast beef, and compressed corned beef, i The whole was prepared and tinned within two days, and goes to supply an order from the Now South Wales Government, to bo used by the Australian troops which embark for tha Soudan.

At the request of several Auckland Insurance Companies Sir Julius Vogel has promised to consider the advisability of effecting an alteration in the law local Companies may be placed on a level tooting with some of their foreign rivals by being enabled to limit their liabilities, instead of being obliged to keep them unlimited as at present. In the course of the interview with Sir Julius Vogel, it was represented that some Companies from abroad were doing considerable business with a very small basis of capital, and very small security to residents within ths colony. The meetings of .the Congregational Union of New Zealand are to be held in future in October instead of February, and the office has been removed from Dunedin to Auckland.

A deputation waited on Sir Julius Vogel in reference to the South Set Island trade, making enquiries as to whether if a large Company was formed to trade to the Islands the Government would give its assistance. The Colonial Treasurer expressed an opinion that if a Company was formed, and it was well supported by the Auckland Members, the House would not jbe disinclined to give it a reasonable amount of aid.

The body of Mary Dunn was found by Harbormaster Clare on Wednesday, near the heads Invercargill. All the bodies of those drowned on the X4th inst. have now been recovered.

Mr Conyers started on Tuesday on a survey of the country between the head of Bluff harbor and the mouth of the Mataura river to determine the possibility of cutting a canal by which the produce of the Tois-tois district could be carried for shipment at the Bluff. The Hon. the Colonial Secretary is understood to be engaged in the preparation of a Bill for the management of hospitals and other charitable institutions.

The Recess Commit! eo of Parliament, composed of all members of both Houses at present in Wellington, met on Tuesday to investigate certain irregularities alleged to have occurred recently in the Parliamentary buildings. The affair is believed to be in connection with the library, but, after consideration, the Committee de cided to take no action. The remains of Mrs Eade who died from blood poisoning at the Wellington Hospital on Monday last werei interred on Wednesday afternoon. The funeral was conducted under the auspices of .the Salvation Army, of which body deceased had been a member.

At the Police Court, Dunedin, on Wednesday, Thomas Mackenzie was charged with having on the sth inst., at Owake Creek, of malice aforethought, attempted to drown Richard Norman, master of the Janet Ramsay, with intent to murder him, Ihe Janet Ramsay is a small craft of which Mackenzie is mate. He went ashore without leave on the Ist inst., just as the tide was making to enable the vessel to go up the Owake, which is a branch of Gatlin’s River, When he returned on the sth inst., the vessel was going down again, and Norman told him to lend a hand, whereupon he caught him by the leg and threw him overboard. The boat manned by the cook and a seaman picked him up. After the hearing of lengthy evidence the case was adjourned for a week. A great native meeting is proceeding at Kihikihi to consider the offer of land to Mr Bal lance for railway purposes. The Ngatiraaniopoto consider Tawhiao should not have made presents of land for the railway without first consulting them, as the bind is not his to give. One chief made a strong point »n his speech that the line should be made by native labor only. The meeting will last until the food supply gives out. Thos. Watson, manager of the Waihau run near Wanganui, was committed for trial on Thursday for embezzling the proceeds of cattle sold by him on behalf of his employer, Dr Curl, The Mew Zealand Shipping Company’s R.M.S. Tongariro, which arrived at Plymouth on Tuesday, made the passage from Lyttelton in 38 days, being four days under the contract time. The Minister allows exhibits for the New Zealand Industrial Exhibition to be carried free of charge on the railways. Applications for space in the Exhibition must be deposited at the various local committees throughout the colony today without fail. The space is very fast filling up. The body of young Erwin, who was drowned on the 14th inst. at Wellington was recovered on Thursday. At the Christchurch Regatta on Thursday the Champion Eours and Champion Pairs were won by the Union Club, the Champion Double Sculls by the Kaiapoi, and the Ladies’ Plate, Maiden and Junior Fours by the Union, the Maiden Double Sculls by Kaiapoi, and the Junior Pairs and Double Sculls by the Lyttelton Club. The Union Club won £7O besides trophies.

The annual exhibition in connection with the Canterbury Society of Arts promises to bo very successful this year, oyer 160 entries having been received ; 50 more than last year.

The Union Steamship Company, do not intend to allow the Ringarooma, which has been released from quarantine at Sydney, to resume running for a fortnight, so that extraordinary precautions may be taken to prevent her carrying infection.

The Invercargill Volunteers have gone into camp on one of the town reserves, and will be joined by the Bluff Naval* to-night. The camp breaks up bn Tuesday next. The corps wiP be drilled early every morning, and the men will be allowed to follow their ordinary vocations during the day.