Interprovincial News.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4484, 19 May 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

Interprovincial News.

':; . AUCKLAND, April 26. - A parcel of quartz brought from, an unknown , locality was assayed at the , Bank of New Zealand, and gave pold at the rate of 81ozs, and silver*!, the rate of 2Qooozs per ton. > , : .. . ■•*;'.. ; , . - April 27. Hipporima was. purchased to-day by Mr Montague Smith, for 345 guineas. May 2. The annual meeting of.the Northern Steamship Co., took place to day. The balance sheet showed a' net profit for the yeaßtfndedlMarch 31st, of, £11,063 3s sd, oi including -the balance from the previous year; £11,518 8s 9d. Appropriation;• pay* men'tof -a dividend for six months ending March 31st, at the rate of 10 per cent per annum, £2,607 4s 66L ; written off for depreciation, £1,000; amount carried to insurance fund, £2,500; balance to new account £1,053 19s 9d. ■>.•>• „ May 11. ■On: receiving the petition from the natives for the commutation of the s n* twice of Mikere Te Papa, his Excellency stated that but for the petition coming from; the Maoris. 1 for the pardon of a Maori/ he would not have received - h£;;««■ -rto," do so was contrary tt? allf!leg»l precedent. A; jury having, .after regular trial,-found a man Ruilty, thatman is presumed in the eye of the law to be actually'the man.who committed the' deed, whatever may be the doubt in' "the minds of -individuals, and the' - only '•< grounds for a . reversal of the sentence *is arising 6ut k of new evidence-whioh 'would upset that on which the. verdict was founded. When such is .the case the condemned man has a regular course, prescribed by' law, open to him for procedure. His Excellency-stated, | however, that he would lay. the petition before the Cabinet at Wellington on his return, with the'view.of having the whole matter in quired, into. ' ?,y>".-,,,', .',''. Ta?banga, April 26. '."Mr Yesey: Stewart, on the eve of brs" departure fpr England, was presented with a handsome' testimonial by the residents. He goes. home to float the Tauranga-Eotortia Hot Lakes Railway Company—capital, £250,000; a frozen meat company, with a capital of. £30,000. Properties have been entrusted to him for sale representing 60,000 acres. On Weduesday Tongariro was emitting ,an , immense column of black smoke; more than has been since the great eruption of 1870 The volcano smoked for .several hours, but no fire could be seen, aVthe mountain was .cloud-capped all the time. -'Noearthquake has been felt. i\ -.>-C. - . . May 2. |,/ ( A,singular accident occurred at Owop'i -on Sunday evening. Joseph Stilleball, an -Italian, was drawing water for Kelly's -coach horses,.when he was overpowered by t the bucket, and precipitated head first •down the well, a distance of 80 feet. His .head, stuck in the mud at the bottom, the /water being 5 feet deep. He quickly regained his feet, and was hauled up not in' .the slightest way injured. Wellington, May 4. The Agent»General, .wrking under date March 19, states that he has decided to entertain applications from a few mar* ,ried;Scotchmen, who are either shepherds -or, farm laborers, provided they are prepared to pay the full passage money for their children, and. £5 towards their own be also, reported that four .typhus fever cases, which he mentioned ?last mail as having broken out among the on the Oxford, had terminated (fatally. A rumour was current that the fever, originated in the emigration depot. Other complaints were made by emi---grants as. to ship's:provisions, &c„ into which he was making a full enquiry, and he would not express any opinion at pre* .sent,.beyond that some of the complaints appeared tohim well founded, while others were frivolous and. much exaggerated. His reason for suspending emigration an* til after June is that the people may not be arriving in the colony in the winter. <- -jWangantji, May 3. J. M. Bertram, a passenger by the Huia from Wellington to Wanganui, fell overboard last night at. about 20 minutes to nine. When off Mana Island he was standing on the bridge, and leaning against the rail, he lost: his balance, and fell overboard. It-was too rough to lower .awboat, bat a.rope was immediately thrown outrbut'it vwas of no ; avail. He" was a draper of Halcombe./ An enquiry will probably bet held to-day. «.:<• Opunake, April 27.

«.:<• Opunake, April 27. The Hon." Mr Bryce arrived at Parihaka »n''Wednesday evening, and here last night. This-' morning a deputation of Opuoako citizens waited on him, and presented him'with an address congratulatory upon his successful opening of the King Country. Mr Bryce thanked the deputation, and took occasion to correct the mistake he made in telegraphing his remarks after his arrival at New Plymouth, stating the King Country might now.be considered as opened up. What he did say was, and he was careful to lay the distinction, that the King Country might be considered 6pen for'surveys, and for road and railway purposes,-but with regard to other surveys lie anticipated considerable delay. He _ again referred to the delays in taking sura t# veys of the Waikato, and said if that bad state of things continued there must be delays. ' ;'. ' '! Nelson, April 25. The Bishop of Nelson returned home yesterday morning after an absence of fifteen monhts. Bunting was displayed in his honor.—Last night a public welcome was accorded him in the Provincial Hall; where, win the presence of'a large assemblyman address of welcome was presented to bis. Lordship. The Bishop, in Ms, speech, referred to a variety of subjects, and spoke very touchingly of the late Archbishop of Canterbury. , , " . ' , Blenheim, May 4. , The afternoon train yesterday brought up a man named Chas. Cook, .of Para, to the Blenheim. hospital, who had both hands cut off on the railway. It appears that the afternon train from Pictou had just turned one of the carves on the line between Para and Tuamarina, when the engine-.driver perceived a man lying foil length across the rails. -He at once put on the brake, but perceiving that the train could not be brought, to a standstill before the spot where the man lay was reached, v fireman named J. Hunter, jumped from the engine, and ran along the line just ahead of -the engine, and at great personal risk succeeded in dragging the man's body clear of the rails, but was unable to, pull him sufficiently, clear before the engine came up, and completely, severed one hand at the wrist and out the other hand right across the palm below the thumb to the, third finger. The unfortunate man was placed in the train and conveyed to, the hospital here. The sufferer »p a imll.ban^[at Para. .The right 9rm fiat been amputated belov the elbow,

but .it is hoped to save two fingers of the other hand. The man had been drinking, and fallen asleep.

Dunedin, May 2. Thomas Meek, engine driver, was oiling his engine at the main station this evening. He was on the ground, and asked the fireman to move the engine a little. The fireman seems to have misunderstood the request, for he moved the engine towards Meek, and it crushed him against the coal shed: .Me was dreadfully injured, and on being taken to the hospital, died within an hour or two. He leaves a wife and three children.

; Invehcabgill, April 27. 11l Massey's case the jury returned a verdict of " Guilty" against the male prisoner, and "Not Guilty" against his wife, on the ground that she was under his coercion. The accused was charged with stealing Waterworks Debentures belonging to the Dunedin Corporation.

Hokitika, April 24. A remarkable case, to be heard shortly in banco in Christchurcb, is exciting great attention and interest here. The plaintiffs are Mr Seddon, M.H.R., Mr H. E. Kae, County Clerk, Messrs McLean, Watt, and Jnck (ex Mayor of Hokitika). The defendants are Messrs Taylor, Warner, and Nancarrow, of Greymouth. The plaintiffs claim to be legally elected members of the Westland Board of Education r ,,by a majority of votes, and they pray the Court to oust the defendants on the grounds that they are not properly returned, It is alleged in numerous affidavits that after four committees had voted and sent in their, votes to the office of the Board they became aware how other committees had voted, and they were induced to give a second vote, obtaining back from the sec* retary to the Board the first votes given, thus altering the whole election. Some astonishing statements are made in the affidavits as to the steps taken to induce the committees to act in this way by the defendants. The papers in the case are most voluminous, and have been prepared by Mr Purkes, solicitor, of this town. The plaintiffs have retained Messrs Har* per and Button, of Christchureh, •> to conduct their case.