INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1656, 5 November 1887, Page 3

INTERPROVINCIAL NEWS.

A seven-roomed house at Newton, Auckland, occupied by Mr T. Hobson, was burned on Thursday. The insurance* on the house and furniture amount te £3OO.

At ths request of Mr Smith, a number of Te Aroha residents paid a visit to shaft No. 12 on his property at Waitoa, the place where Mr Pond said ths unnatural gold found by him in the washdirt came from. The party panned some of the stuff off, when a small quantity of black sand remained, but the closest scrutiny with a magnifying glass failed to reveal the presauce of any gold, natural or unnatural, or other miueral. The appeal of ratepayers in the New Plymouth Harbor District against the New Plymouth harbor rate was hoard on Thursday before Mr Justice Gillies. His Honor dismissed the appeal with costs, remarking that he saw no grounds whatever for doubting that the rate had been properly levied. Leave to take the esse to the Court of Appeal was granted. At the Municipal Conference at Wellington on Thursday, regarding hospital and charitable aid it was resolved that Parliament be moved to alter the basis of the rate, providing that it be levied on the basis on which the Property Tax is levied, without the exemption. The motion to repoil the Municipal Corporations Act in the direction of giving power to the CoHooil to elect the Mayor was carried. It was resolved to endeavor to amend section 31 of the Rating Act so as to provide that rales may be collected within five years instead of two years after becoming duo. When O’Brien, who has just been brought back to Wellington to Sydney on a charge of wife desertion, appeared before the Ceurt on Thursday, ho createa a scene by bringing various charges in i most excited manner against the Magistrate, Mr Wardell. Upon the latter asking whether the wife was present, O’Brien exclaimed that he (Mr Wardell) probably knew where she n as. The Magistrate ordered the case to stand over (ill counsel for Mrs O’Brien returned from Wanganui. Onthacasebeingrasmnedin the afternoon, O’Brien apologised to Mr Wardell for the remarks made in the morning, which he explained were uttered in the heat of the moment, and there was not the slightest foundation for the insinuations thrown out. Eventually the case was settled by O’Brien paying £2OO and costs in satisfaction of all claims against him. In the Supreme Court, New Plymouth, the divorce case of McLean v. McLean and Iredale was concluded at three o’clock on Wednesday, when the Jury returned a verdict in favor of the husband, and the diverce was gianted. The damages against the co-respondent were assessed at £350 and costs.

An accident occurred at Richardson crossing, Midland railway, Greyraoath, on Wednesday. Garth’s dray, full of women and children, while beund to Ahauta, was run into by a train of trucks, which smashed the vehicle to pieces, and inflicted severe bodi'y injuries on Mrs Turner and child, Mrs Medhurst, of Ahaura, and A. Soars. The dray was in charge of Mclnerney, a young man of strictly sober habits.

It is understood that from inquiries made by the Defence Department, Major Porter, of Gisborne, denies that he made the statements regarding Te Kooti’s visit which have been attributed to him. The Gisborne Herald on Thursday night stated that the report wired of Major Porter’s speech was perfectly correct. It has been reported to the police at Tauranga that four natives who left in a boat on 28th October for Motiti, have not turned up, and it is believed the boat must have foundered and the natives have been drowned. Theie was a rough sea that night. Constables have bean despatched to examine the beach for the bodies.

A messenger from Te Kooti arrived »t Gisborne on Thursday. Ho stated that Te Kooti is anxious to visit Poverty Bay, but twill not come if the Government object. He also says that he is afraid of disturbance, but would run away. Matui, Te Kooti’s preacher, will visit Gisborne at the opening of the house built for Te Kooti’s reception. He will probably be accompanied by 500 Waikato and other natives.

The case against Ramsay, Ihe engineer of the fVairarapa, charged with assaulting J, Eister on board that steamer, was withdrawn at the Auckland Police Court on Wednesday, as was also a charge against Rae, the jockey, for assault and use of insulting language. Anew rush has laksn pboe to the Tsirus side of the Hifeutai (Thames) main range. Rich gold has been found by a Maori. There is a difficulty in regard to obtaining leases of new ground. Claims are now being taken up nnder miners’ rights.