OUR NEWS LETTER.

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 199, 26 May 1893, Page 2

OUR NEWS LETTER.

Tlic Hon. It. Seddon’s first public address as Premier was given at Napier last week and has been very well received. The Press Association treated him in a snubbish manner by limiting' tho report of his speech to 2,000 words ; but no public speaker was ever better received in Hawke’s Bay. The Premier referring to the question of large estates said that large holders need fear no harsh measures, but the Government were still of opinion that more breaking up was necessary, and were about to invite some of those who held large blocks in Hawke’s Bay to sell portions to the Government for settlement, and he hoped such would readily accede and not compel the Government to take it by force of law. The taxing of Native lands, the Government control of railways (in which Department the Premier considered there was ample room for retrenchment), and Women’s Franchise will next session receive the support of the Government. A vote of entire confidence in the policy of the Ministry was passed. John Lundon again comes up smiling. The attempt made by the Natives, assisted'by Go-

vernment, to make him disgorge some of the £6OO retained by him as commission ou the purchase of the Kaitaia block has failed, and he now claims £lO2 16s for costs incurred in his defence, Dr. Giles in the concluding sentences of his judgment says:—‘lt appears to me that the defendant lias made a handsome profit, not out of the natives, hut out of the Government. The evidence of Timoti Puhipi, who was prepared to dispose of three shares for £2OO, or about 2s 3d an acre is enough to show that 4s 6d was a very good price ; yet the defendant permitted the Government to pay 7s 6d, and put the difference into his pocket, besides the commission of £do. It is not my business to discuss the ethics of this transaction as between the defendant <,nd tlie Government. I confine myself to the conclusion that the defendant has not withheld any money from the plaintiffs except by their own consent and agreement, and that my judgment must be for the defendant with costs iu all the cases.”

Referring to the death of Sir Edwin Dashwood, the Star’s London correspondent says : ‘ Very many IN cw Zealanders will he gxieyed to hear of the death of Sir Edwin Abercromby Dashwood, which took plaee on Eriday afternoon last, at West Wycombe Park, his seat in Buckinghamshire. Sir Edwin caught a chill on iuesday, which developed into pneumonia complicated by heart disease. So little was thought of his illness that at the time he was entertaining a small party for the Aylesbury races. No one imagined his end was so near even on Eriday, but in the afternoon Sir Edwin was seized with a fit and before anything could be done he had passed away. Sir Edwin spent a large portion of his life in New Zealand, where he married but four years ago the onlj daughter of Mr Frederick Norton, J.P., by whom be leaves an only daughter. The deceased, who was onlv in his 39 th year, was Lord of the Manor of West Wycombe, and Justice of the Peace for Bucks, and a member of the county council. He is succeeded in the baronetcy by his brother Robert John, who was born at Nelson, New Zealand, in 1859. The baronetcy was created in ISO 7, and is the premier baronetcy of Great Britain. Richard Sandall, a well-known Auckland amateur boxer, died very suddenly last Thursday week. . He had a friendly tussle with a friend in his shop before any customers wore about and five minutes after was a corpse. Mrs Sandal!, wife of the deceased, upon being informed of the sad occurrence fainted dead away. The couple have only been married six months, and the white, tightly-drawn face of the young wife when she recovered was touching to behold*. Death is not attributed to any injury received iu the tussle. Deceased was one of the number who were committed for trial in conned ion with the recent fatal prize-fight, and it is thought that probably the regret and anxiety occasioned by that lamentable aff ,ir had something to do with his state of health. From the result of the search made by the authorities in Tasmania it, is now considered almost certain that tho Auckland schooner Maile, Captain Solway Lane, was capsized near that island and that all on board perished. The attendance at Ihe State Schools appeals to be improving. The returns for the March quarter give a daily average attendance of eighty per cent of the roll number. The unfortunate prisoner Alexander Scott paid the penalty of his crime on Monday morning. Up to the last few hours attempts were made to stay the execution but the Government remained firm. The prisoner retained his self-possession to the last, although iie seemed unable to speak firmly when the last opportunity was given him. His last words were :‘i am innocent. I thank the gaoler and all the officers for their kind attentions. aud Mr Edwin and Mr Samuel Hesketh, for they have been kind friends as well as solicitors to me. lam perfectly innocent in this matter. lam innocent. I have taken it upon myself to save another and I have carried this out ’ The chaplain then offered prayer, and at iis conclusion the executioner adjusted the rope and thimble, pulled the bolt and Scott fell. The neck was broken bynthe fall and death was instantaneous, Members of the House of Representatives have been requested to attend in Wellington a week before the day fixed for the opening of Parliament. There is to be a Conference of the Labour party and those who represent constituencies in the Liberal interest. Ihc Board of Education have decided—- ‘ That corporal punishment be inflicted by the head teacher only, or by an assistant teacher in his presence; and that Regulation 35 be altered accordingly.’ The brigantine Eillan Donan, Capt. McKenzie, grounded inside the Hokianga Harbour, but was safely floated off before any damage was done.