TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1331, 23 April 1885, Page 3

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Parliament will, it is believed, be called together during the first week in June.

The expense of the defences of the colony is estimated at a quarter of a million sterling. At Tapanui, yesterdy morning, Mrs Morris, wife of a miller, died very suddenly from heart disease. The Te Anau from Sydney arrived at Auckland, and the Coptic sailed for Wellington, yesterday.

A charge of handing a fraudulent marriage notice to the Wanganui Herald for publication will be heard to-day in the Wangauui Police Court.

Messrs Lpvin and Co. have received a cable from London, confirming the news tint the Coptic his been chartered as a cruiser by the Admiralty. The Coptic is to go Wellington without delay, discharge all cargo there, and wait orders from Home.

A meeting of the Government Insurance Board was held on Tuesday, when the question of the appointment of Local Boards was discussed. It was decided that the necessary appointments to the Boards would be dis3ussed at a meeting to be held next week.

An old soldier named Chas. Kelly was found drowned in the river at Wanganui yesterday morning. He came into town at 10 o'clock the previous night, and when last seen was quite sober. When taken out of the river he had several gashes on his face, the cause of which is not yet apparent.

The half-yearly meeting of shareholders of the Bank of New Zealand was held yesterday at Auckland. The usual divi* dend and bonus were declared, and a balance of £25,000 carried forward to next half year. The figures show a great increase, both in deposits and advances. Coin, bullion and Government securities held, amount to £2 700,000. The Chairman congratulated the shareholders upon the steady progress made in the colony, notwithstanding the operation of important and adv rse influences.

A young man named William Hatken na« been drown d while rafting timber at Whangaron. At the inquest on Mcßekie at A inkland a verdict oic.felo de se was returned, and on Charles Strong, waterman, an open verdict of found drowned was returned.

The Lizzie, from Norfolk Island, reports that a terrific storm visited Norfolk Island on the 16th March, _ destroying crops, blowing down trees, lifting roofs off houses, and doing other damage. A section of 700 acres in the Taupiri Coal Reserve, adjacent to the Taupiri Coal Mines (Auckland), was put up by the Crown Lands Board for leaße at £25 per annum, and was run up under the Chief Commissioner to £530 per annum. The purchaser was W. H. Clarke, who outhidded the Coal Company. Booth, the temperance lecturer, concluded his mission in Christchurch on Tuesday night. He was presented with a piece of plate, and Mrs Booth was the recipient of a jewel case filled with sovereigns. The total value of the gifts is about £IOO. 5286 persons have donned the blue ribbon during the mission, 3072 of whom have signed the pledge.

A man named Squire Barlow is supposed to have been burned at the firo at Te Aro House, Wellington, on Saturday last. He leaves a wife and four children. The stock in Te Aro House is estimated to have been worth fully £35,000, and the insurance was only £14,500, so Mr Smith suffers a very great loss. The building was worth £7OOO, but was only insured for £4500. The body of Barlow was found in the ruins of Te Aro House at 11 o'clock yesterday morning. It was very much burnt. Mr W. Gray, Secretary of the Postoffice, Wellington, has received a cable message stating ihat the captain of the Cunard steamer Palmyra reports that on March 24th, in the Bay of Biscay, about 200 miles north of Cape Finisterre, he passed a lifeboat of the Eastern Extension Company's repairing steamer Magnetic. She was in good condition and was fitted with masts and oars, but no sails. Theie was no evidence of the boat having been occupied. There is little doubt that the steamer foundered at sea.

A petition to adjudicate David Proudfoot, the well-known contractor, a bankrupt, came before the Registrar, in Dunedin, on Monday. The Walton Park Brick and Tile Company's liquidator was the petitioner, Proudfoot was the holder of shares in the Company, and the calls made had not been paid. A judgment had been obtained by the Bank of New Zealand for £1416, and a writ issued, but the personal property seized was not enough, and the writ was not satisfied. The Registrar decided that an act of bankruptcy had been committed, and granted adjudioation. Proudfoot was stated to be on liis way back to the colony. Telegrams from the Waikato state that considerable astonishmeni is felt there at the Government, in the Pemuri railway contract, insisting on putting in a clause in the contract providing that the work shall be stopped if there is war with Russia. The contractor for the Tauranga section, Isaac Coates, expresses his willingness to accept such clauses, provided the Government would compensate him for the plant and material in use at the time of stopping, and pay for the work done. Ihis the Public Works Department would not agree to, and a remonstrance was forward to Wellington, when it was stated the formal reply would be made on Tuesday. The Nqn Zealand Herald says :—" We understood from the Minister of Public Works that the clause which has been inserted in the Tauranga contract is to the effect that in the event of the loan not being raised, Government shall have power to stop the work without being liable to pay any excessive claim for compensation or for the loss of the contract. There is nothing about a declaration of war in the contract, but of course that event may form an element in not being able to raise the loan."