WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3087, 9 January 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

Wednesday. Mackie, the bank clerk, tried for forgery and embezzlement, pleaded not guilty, but the jury returned a verdict of guilty on both charges. Sentence deferred till to-morrow. His salary was £175 per year, and an allowance of £50 per year, with furnished rooms and a railway pass.

The Colonial Secretary has agreed to make anniversary day a public holiday. The remainder of the Fernglen's immigrants have landed. The majority of them will be sent to the West Coast, the others being for kelson and Taranaki. Regulations are in course of preparation, and will shortly be gazetted, setting forth the conditions under which exhibits can be forwarded from New Zealand to the approaching New South Wales Exhibition.

At a meeting of the Presbytery to-day W. ELirkland was appointed Moderator for the next six months. The Presbytery adopted an overture from both Synods in favour of Bible reading in schools. The Mayor to-day received' a letter from the Lord Provost of Glasgow requesting hid assistance towards raising money in aid of the City of Glasgow Bank Belief Fund. This day. The City of Sydney with the London mails of the sth December sailed from San Francisco for Auckland on the 23rd ult, contract date. J. J. Mackie, who was yesterday found guilty of larceny and forgery, was this morning sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Referring to the recommendation to mercy made by the Jury, the Chief Justice said as Mackie was 30 years old, he had passed that age when such a recommendation could be entertained. There was also no excuse for the prisoner on the ground of insufficient salary.

Of the money robbed from the Anchor Line Office two hundred and six pounds have been recovered. It was found in a parcel under the house where the office boy named Bacon is living. The lad has been arrested.

At a meeting of the Wellington District Highway Board yesterday one of the Wardens said that during his 30 years' experience in the district labourers were never so scarce as at the present time.

The Hu-tt County Council are taking legal opinion aa to tueir claim to.a twentieth part of the proceeds of sale of reclaimed land., ihey jajsoi jsjinsider they were entitled to a twentieth share of the sum got by the sale of the Courthouse. The Board also discussed; the unfairness of allowing Maori landholders to be exempt from paying rates-while the poorest European who /rented only a couple of acres from a Maori land-owner had to pay.' -.•■■.■ •-,-■■ - y . : ■ -...••

There is great scarcity of room for shipping felt at the public wharf, the Pleiades having been waiting eight days for a berth. The wharf extension contract has been ..completed, and will be formally handed over to-day to tKe Corporation.

Later. The lad Bacon, arrested this morning for robbing the Anchor Line Office, at first denied the robbery, but after some little time he confessed he was guilty; 1 He said that some other boys were in it with him, but this is doubted. Besides the money was found a new. MartiniHenri rifle and two boxes of ammunition. The plunder was found by some little boys while playing under the house, which is on piles. Latest. The boy Bacon has made a further confession of having a pocket-book with £45 planted at Wadestown, and has gone with the detective to show him where it is. The lad is only about 14, but is smart and bold for his years. This makes up all the money with the exception of about £20, of which nine guineas was paid for the Martini Henri rifle. Besides the rifle and ammunition there was a swag of new colored blankets tied up with straps in readiness for the road. The money was rolled up in a copy of a newspaper containing an account of the Kelly gang.