LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 111, 18 March 1879, Page 2

LATEST TELEGRAPHIC

[REUTERS.] Melbourne, Monday. LATEST FROM MELBOURNE. The Albion has arrived at the Bluff. She left Melbourne on the 11th. . Twelve thousand persons lined Ballarat streets when the Marquis of Normanby visited there. Lady Normanby has not yot sufficiently recovered to hold any public reception. There is a scandal in connection with the reform league the secretary yeoman being accused of accepting a bribe to obtain a J. P. ship for fellow citizen. During the tfootscray election, Patterson commissioner of public works, made a statement that the associated banks had tried to drag down our loan to a price which the Government, would now accept and those banks and the Argus are leagued together to make some money out of the country, The associated banks held a meeting and resolved to ask if the report was true and if so, whether the statement of their collegue was endorsed by the Cabinet. The Cabinet declined to acknowledge that a Cabinet Minister was responsible to any one outside Parliament the banks refuse to accept this statement as satisfactory, St, Petersberg, March 13, NIHILISTS. Two secret printing offices have been discovered here, and several arrests of Nihilists, have been made, VICTORIAN LOAN, London, March 13. The tender for the Victorian loan amount to £8,500,000. The full amount required is offered at £9B 195,, and onethird at £9Blßs Od, DUKE OF CONNAUGHT MARRIED. The marriage of the Duke of Connaught was celebrated to-day. BANK OF ENGLAND. The Bank rate of discount is 2i per cent. The bank reserve is now £19,312,500 and the proportion of reserve to liabilities 50 per cent. (per press agency.) FIRE AT PICTON. A fire occurred at Picton yesterday, and resulted in the loss of a shed valued at £SO, and ten tons of hay, worth LIOO. The fire is presumed to be accidental. It is believed there is no insurance.

V Taufo, Monday. V ASCENT OF RUAPAHU.

Mtos Beetham and Maxwell, from Wellington, successfully performed the feat o| ascending the highest southern point of Ruapahu. Two days were lost in an abortive attempt to find a practicable poiijt to ascend. On third day they succeed#, after great climbing 'and toiling over rocks, boulders, and clinkers. After arming within a short' distance of summit—their object being to get at the highest point of the mountain, they were' necessitated crossing from the lower peak to the highest one by raenns of a snowy saddle connecting the two, and which might be compared to the ridge of a house —a slip from which would mean a slide of

thousands of feet sheer on either side. - After crossing this they reached the highest peak, and found a crater with an inner basin, free from snow, of great depth, antler about a mile wide. Prom this point—a height hitherto untrodden by human foot —a splendid view of the surrounding i country was obtained, The time occupied ' in the ascent and descent was thirteen hours.

Blenheim, Monday. Auckland Saturday, FIRE AT AUCKLAND.

About two o'clock this morniag a fire broke out in a large dwelling-house at Somerset-place, Newton, owned and occupied by Joseph McCaghy. A sufficient quantity of hose was not available, and men had to be despatched back to the city for further lengths, Owing to the fact that the house was plastered throughout it burned very slowly, and although a strong wind was blowing the house adjoining did not take fire for a considerable time, McCaghy's house was completely destroyed, and the : adjoining building, owned by Onion, partially, but owners of surrounding properties suffered loss of furniture, and their houses were also injured more or less. McCaghy's house was insured in the Norwich Union for £3OO, and the furniture in the same office for £IOO, Onion's was insured for £2OO in the New Zealand. During the fire several of those assisting to remove furniture had extremely narrow escapes of losing their lives. Constable Abrams, Jenkinson's foreman, and another wero seriously injured by falling plaster. A young man named Gant discovered his brother and a fireman lying insensible on the floor of ono of the rooms in imminent peril of being burnt to death, and succeeded in getting them out of the window not a moment too soon. The neighbors have informed the police that both McCaghy and his wife, who are well to do, have been drinking heavily of lato. The woman has taken refuge from the violence of her husband in a neighbor's house during the last week. • Yesterday McCaghy was amusing himself through the day by firing off a loaded revolver. The origin of the fire is wrapped in mystery, CATTLE STEALERS.

Six Maoris wore brought from Mougonui to-day for trial at the Supreme Court, charged with being concerned in cattle stealing. LAND TAX ACT. Blenheim, Saturday. A combination of runholders in Marlborough intend to fight the question of the legality of taxing Crown lands under the Land Tax Act. Mr McNab has been retained by the Commissioner to appear in support of the assessment, Westport, Saturday. EXPELLING BOYS. Last year the state schoolmaster oxpelled two lads from school for gross insubordination. The parents: appealed to the local committee, who, after several days' patient hearing, unanimously approved the expulsion. The parents then appealed to the Central Board at Nelson, who have now ordered the boys to be readmitted. The public here are veiy indignant, and will resent the action of the Central Board to the utmost. At a meeting of the local committee last night the following resolution was carried unanimously " This committee expresses its extreme regret at the decision of the Board re boys Lloyds andMunro being re-admitted to school, The committee cannot acquiese in the decision of the Board, because it is unjust to the teacher and the committee, and will have a bad effect on the school., That considerable excitement prevailed in Westport regarding the expulsion of these boys, and the present committee were elected because the parents and guardians of the other children attending the school were perfectly satisfied that the committee acted justly in expelling those boys," Christchurch, Saturday. COLONEL BRETT'S BRAG. An inquiry is now taking place re Colonel Brett and the constable whom ho ordered under arrest. Legal proceedings arc to be at once commenced by Constable Barshford against Colonel Brett for illegal arrest and detention. Heavy damages, it is said, will be claimed. GRAIN. No less than 38,000 bags of grain were accumulated at the various stations on the Christchurch section during Friday,