TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1831, 20 December 1888, Page 1

TELEGRAPHIC NEWS.

I At the request of the Premier of Victoria, the New , Zealand Government hare consented : to grant a concession in railwayifares to qualified members attending th« Intercolonial Medical Congress to be hold in Melbourne in January. ; The Wellington City Bifles have succeeded in making the best average volley and independent firing in the colony so far—35.76. : A young man named Prank Rosa, a?ed twenty-seven, was drowned in the Wellington harbour at five o'clock on Tuesday evening. He was a laborer on*the hulk European. ; An ;inquest on the remains of Kate Kennedy was held at the Auckland hospital on Monday before Dr Philson, coroner, when a verdict was returned that deceased died from a gunshot wound inflicted by Michael MoDermott, but whether intentional or otherwise, there is no evidence to show. MoDermott's condition is now improving. Prosecutions have been initiated by the Customs Department against Andrew Hamilton, a Wellington brewer, for several alleged breaches of the Beer Duty Act, .1080. The charges are those of ing to keep a proper record (1) of the 'material purchased for manufacturing jpurposes during the month of November ; '(2) of the kind and estimated quantity of (beer held on hand on the 20th ult. ; (3) 'of seven hogsheads of beer brewed on the :9fch ult.J and of certain hogsheads of beer from the brewery on five jdifferent dates. • A weekly service bdtween Auckland and Sydney booran on Tuesday, when .the ißing. r '.-ia.k sailed for the latter port, taking produce and breadstuff'. H.M.Si Opal has arrived at Auckland from Noumea, and H.M.S. Lizard from Samoa. The latter vessel brings intelligence of another fierce engagement between the troops of Mataafas and Tamasese on November 29th. Mataafa's men attacked Tamaseßea entrenched position at Sutuo and Valele Bay, and in a sanguinary contest, carried all but one of [ the forts. It Is estimated that the lobsor on both sides amount to about 100, and the same number, wounded. Thie Hon. William Swanson, M.L.C., and Henry Connop were to-day charged under the Police Offences Act with fighting in Queen Street on the sth inst., and were fined 40s each arid" costs. The affair arose out of Connop accusing Swanson of taking £2OO a year of public money. Blows were exchanged, when a hdy stepped between the combatants, and two policemen who witnessed the affray made a case of it. A fatal boat accident occurred at Gisborne on Tuesday afternoon. An old resident, named George Nesbitt, and three boys, Claude and Gordon Morgan and Edward Fenton, had been out in the bay in an open boat fishing, and were returning across the bar when the waves Bwamped their, craft. The three boys were washed ashore safe, but Neßbitt got into mid stream. A driver on the harbour works, Alexander McGiven, , pluckily swam to his rescue, and with the assistance of another boat the old man was brought ashore. He never recovered consciousness, and after an hour's attempt at rescuscitation, life was found to be extinct. The ketch Reliance, with a load from Grey mouth, when 'attempting to enter Waitaraon Sunday afternoon, went ashore at the mouth of the river. It is expected that she will be got off. Arthur Kersley, employed at Waihapai flax mills, near Blenheim, was stabbed in the thigh with a fork by a fellow laborer ! named Thatcher. The wound is not, dangerous, but Thatcher is in the hands of the police. It is stated that;on Sunday night a fire occurred in the. stores department at Sunnyside lunatic asylum. The flames were extinguished before much damage was done. A quantity of drapery goods was destroyed. Four Chinese firmß have subscribed £BO to the exhibition, and other Chinese hive subscribed £2O, and have made arrangements to canvass other Chinese residents for shares. The executive commissioner left for Christchurch on Wednesday morning to meet the representatives of local bodies there.