TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1516, 8 June 1886, Page 1

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

John Creighton, a runholder at Mount Ida, Otago, lias filed. His liabilities are stated at £7420 and his assets; £IO,OOO. Sir William Fox and Mr Glover have formed a branch of the New Zealand Temperance Alliance at Christchurch with rather more than 60 members. There has not been midi enthusiasm evoked by their visit in Christchurch.

A shocking accident occurred at Hawera on BViday morning, by which Joseph McWilliams, aged 22 years, [lost his life. Deceased bad been sinking a well on the farm, and was lowered without being tied, but let go his. ho ld before reaching the bottom, having: been overpowered by gas. There is, a seam of lignite at the bottom of the! well, which is 80 feet deep. There had been no previous indications of any dsinger. The Hon. Colonel Sargood, of Victoria, telegraphed on Thursday morning to the Rev. J. Robertson of Auckland, stating that an important despatch had just been received in Melbourne froral Lord Granville* Da the subject of the New Hebrides, and’asking help to prevenj the French claims being granted. A second cable message' from Colonel Sargobd is as follows Arrived last night, Granville’s despatch of 22ud April covers French official note, declaring the Hebrides are ..vanted to secure native labor for their Pacific Islands. As this means slavery, surely New Zealand will never agree.” At Auckland Captain |Webb, the American Consul, has investigated the charges’ made by the deserters from the American whale ship against the captain and mate for ill usa«e on the high seas. Captain Webb hjis the conclusion that the : statements are 'exaggerated/ The captiin a id m ite admitted that there was the usual amount of - “chaffing which goes on o ' board » vessel. Only one ,inan exhibited a scar which he said had inflicted by a b'ow., . Mr Fenton, late Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court, has sent a petition to Wellington claiming « fuUjiu veetigift'Dtf into the serious imputations against him in the Premier’s memorandum in reference to the dealings of tho Native Lands Court with the Owahake and Kamanaraa blocks. At a meeting Of the New Hebrides Vigilance Committee at Auckland, it was decided to send petitions against the New Hebrides annexation to the General Asseriibly. Sir George Grey is to be asked to present the petition in the House of Representatives, and Sir Frederick Whitaker in the ■ Legislative Council.

At a meeting of the Midland Railway Guarantors at Christchurch on Friday, Mr Bowen read letters from Mr Allan Scott, reporting the conclusion of the London delegates’business. The names ef the Directors of the new. Company are 4 as follow :—Thomas Salt -(Chairman ofg the North Staffordshire Railway Company), Sir Charles Clifford the New Zealand Trust and Loan Cdtrf- :;v----pany), H. Y. Hart Davis, (of Messrs s'. HoareY Wilson and Co., London), S. B. Hilton (of Miles Bros, and Go., London), E. B. Hoare (Chairman of the National Bank of New Zealand). The Engineers of the Company in London are Mr John Carruthers, late Resident Engineer in Chief to the New Zealand Government, and Mr Robert Wilson. The chief Resi- ; dentjfngineer ip Newi^gpjJ*piti« Bell. Mr Scott eulogises the valuable' assistance given by the Agent-General in arranging the final matters of the contract, afid recognises the; able advice and assistance, given by Messrs A. Sclandera and A. Fell, who ungrudingly, gave time f and trouble to darry 1 out this tedious and difficult business to a successful issue.