DUNEDIN.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3350, 17 September 1879, Page 2

DUNEDIN.

Last night.

The city members received the follow* ing telegram to-day from the Minister of Public Works :—" I hare communicated with Mr Blair with a view of. providing immediate employment to those on whose behalf you have wired me. I apprehend that the unemployed are in Dunedin now and consist largely of those who would desiderate the possession of ' small holdings of their own, which could so far place them beyond the vicissitudes of the labor market, by affording them the, means of providing food for themselves, when not working for others. It is therefore proposed to be sought from tht

Legislature to lay off at once village settlements adjacent to some of * the railway lines on the construction of which f;he employment will be found. lam in hopes that by this means we may largely remove the number of unemployed in a country in which the terra should be practically unknown. —J. Macandiikw."

One of the witnesses at the inquiry into the Octagon fire stated thai; the Colonial office refusod the risk on Waters' Cafe and as it has been inferred from that, that the Colonial office was the only one which so acted, it may as well be stated that the risk was also offered by Waters to the National, Victoria, ai»d Union offices and declined by all of them.

Charge of Arson Laid. In the Police Court to-day Win. Waters, alias Walter Clair, alias Wm. Woolcock was charged on the information of Detective Bain for that on or about the Bth day of September, 1379, at Dnnedin, Colony of New Zealand, he did unlawfully, maliciously, and feloniously set fire to a certain dwelling house situated in Dnnedin aforesaid, one Robert Wilson being then in the said dwelling house. A remand was granted until Monday next. The inquiry into the origin of the fire was also adjourned in order that Waters might be present. After a discussion with Waters' counsel, the Coroner said that Inspector Mallard and himself had been down to the gaol and saw the gaoler who refused to give up the prisoner except under a writ of Habeas Corpus he (the Coroner) had therefore decided to telegraph to the Attorney-General, or rather the principal officer of the Crown to order the gaoler to have the prisoner given up. In any case the matter would have to be adjourned to-day. Mr Denniston said if the inquiry were adjourned till to-morrow he would .apply for a judge's order. The Coroner then adjourned the inquiry till to-morrow at 2 o'clock and requested witnesses to be in attendance at that hour.