WELLINGTON.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3163, 8 April 1879, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

This day. The following tenders were received at the Public Works Office, Wellington' for the Shortland contraot of the Waikato and Thames Kailway:—Accepted—J. J. 6'Brien, £8393; deolined—Thompson, Hart and Co., Shortland, £8425; Bobt. Smith, Grahamstown (no amount given); P. Ferguson and Co., £11,800; R. Farrell, £11,872; John Briton, £12,412; James Darrow, £12,730; John Brett, £12,836; H. H. Adams, £13,759.

At the Supreme Court Ernest Wagner's sentence was further, deferred until such times as the second charge against him is heard. Peter Began was sentenced to twelve months hard labor for attempted suicide. Prisoner pleaded he might be exempt from hard labor, but the Judge pointed out that the gaol authorities could regulate that if they found him unfit for hard labor. N. H. Parnell, for cutting and wounding, was acquitted and discharged. Chas. Mills, an old man, in an advanced stage of consumption, was sentenced to twelve months for forging and uttering. John Honey, a very elderly man, charged with attempted suioide. was this morning bound over to good behaviour himself in £100, and one surety of £ICO.

Mackay, Native Commissioner, has proceeded north of Waitara as far as Urenui, 19 miles from New Plymouth, for the purpose of interviewing a number of natives there, said to be strong supporters of Te Whiti.

It is said that within the past few days Te- Whiti prevented some friends of Titokowaru from committing acts of violence.

The Waikato Chiefs are said to have expressed themselves as follows on the Waimate difficulty :—" Te Whiti will act for himself, and Waikato for themselves."

The boy Bacon, who pleaded guilty to stealing money from the Anchor Line Office, will be sentenced shortly. The case of the boy Joneß, for the manslaughter of the cook of the Looh Fergus, is now going on. Lateb. i In the case of Jones, who killed the cook of the Loch Fergus in self-defence, the Judge, after carefully reviewing the facts of the whole case, pointed out that Jones did not pick up (he capstan bar until the cook was approaching him with the iron bar, and told the jury if they believed that Jones considered his life to be in danger of the cook armed with an iron bar, then they must acquit ythe prisoner. The jury, after a short retirement, returned .a verdict of " Not guilty," and the accused was discharged.

Ernest Wagner, on two charges of ob> taining money on false pretences, has been found guilty on both, and sentenced to 12 months for each offence, but the sentences to run concurrently.

Monday. A. T. Maginity, hitherto chief clerk in the Telegraph Department, has been appointed asiistant-secretary to the Telegraph Department.

The Post tonight, in an article on the Civil Service, enumerates the following new offices recently created:—liailway Commissioner for each Island, Secretary

of Railways (Middle Island), Under Secretary for Railways, Assistant Under Secretary for Public Works, Under Secretary for Immigration and Crown Lands, Assistant Under Secretary for Goldfiolds, Under Secretary for Native Land Purchase, Commissioner of Land Tax, Under Secretary for Defence, Under Secretary for the Marine Department, and Deputy Auditor-General—all these are either new appointments or, as in the case of the Under Secretary for Defence, the revival of appointments previously abolished as unnecessary. We have not, we believe, by any means exhausted the list of new officers. Private secretaries might be added, for instance, and we have not taken account of Judges of Native Lands Court and similar appointments, neither have we mentioned appointments only filled up.

The Government have received no further information of a definite nature in reference to the Waimate Plains difficulty. Te Whiti has, however, intimated to several persons that a satisfactory understanding would be arrived at, and has sent two of his nearest relatives, who arrived in town last night to assure the Native Minister that he (Te Whiti) had no unfriendly intentions, and to become in some measure security for him. Te Whiti is said to have been much alarmed by a rumor that the Government intended to send 600 men to seize him, and send him to the Chatham Islands, or some other place of exile.

Mr Sheehan leares by the Hinemoa for New Plymouth to-morrow evening to make certain enquiries and personally to arrange various matters relating to the dispute. His absence is not expected to last longer than three or four days. It is stated that a telegram received by Government today from the Waikato conveys certain information which points strongly to the probability of a very satisfactory settlement being the result of the coming meeting. Mr T. A. Bowden was to-day granted exemption from serving on the Grand Jury on the ground that he was a schoolmaster. Frederick Lynass, for begging, was imprisoned for eight days, and told that for the next offence he would get six months. Several leading merchants will close their places of business from Good Friday until Easter Monday. At tbe annual meeting of the Wellington Football Club it was stated by the Secretary that there was a good prospect of a Rugby Union Association for the whole of New Zealand being formed and of founding an annual tournament, with challenge cup, Ac.