TELEGRAPHIC.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1655, 8 April 1884, Page 2

TELEGRAPHIC.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

Auckland, Monday. Arrived, 9 p.m.—Australia from 'Frisco. Passengers for AucklandMr Shadboltj Mrs Hampson, and six steerage.' . ■ ■■■■■■';. ■';

..:■';'WELWNaTON, Monday. ■ The Supreme CourfcCriminal Sessions opened before Judgo Richmond this, morning. In charging the Grand' Jury His Honor saif most of the cases were of a very simple character, but he was sorry to .see six.,informations for forgery on the sheet,-. ;aiid sOmo of these of a very grave character. There wa« nothing:- of- special note in his charge.

Auckland, Monday. Goodward was found guilty,of rape on Ellen Payne in the • Dotitain, and was sentenced to five years,.and.two floggings of 25 lashes,' ' " .

,;■ New Plymouth Monday. ; News has-jusfc Reached hero that Mrs Plnmri'dge, better known as Miss "half-caste,' well known in Wellington, and. Auckland; poisoned herself and two children with strychnine about 8.30 this, morning, It appears that became into New Plymouth and purchased five drachms of strychnine on Friday, assbe said she wanted to poison, some rats. An inquest will.be held to-mprrow.

■ Opunajce, Monday. Mrs Plumridge, ai half-caste, poisoned [ herself and two children here last evening. . Her brother, George Taylor, was in the house, also a Maori boy named Touii, Taylor beard one of the boys reeching; and went in to see him. Mrs Plumridge sent him to the constabulary camp for assistance, but did not say 'anything about poison. When he returned he found the mother and tho other boy poisoned also. Some letters and a written statement as to the cause of tho poisoning were left by the unfortunate woman,' which were taken possession of by the police.

Wellington, Monday. lii the Supreme Court to-day, Amelia Kerr pleaded guilty to robbery from a dwelling and was remanded for sentence. Frederick'Arnold,for assault, was sentenced to n. month's hard labor. Graham Mayce, for indecent assault, is being tried. The grand jury found true bills against P. K. Watty for forgery, and Charles Lamb for embezzlement. • THE PREMIER BEFORE HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Wellington, Tuesday. Major Atkinson, addressed a large meeting at Hawora last night. He complained that last session there was not one real debate, or one principle fairly discussed. t He regretted that Opposition would 1 riot do duty to the country. Ho admitted there would be a deficiency on. tho year's revenue of about £170,000, but did not think this very serious. It did not equal the amount of property tax remitted the year before last, and the cost of the constabulary then taken on the Consolited Fund. The Customs had not reached estimate by £120,00.0 j Railways were 180,000 short; Postal Department £20,000 short; stamps had reached the estimate. Some retrenchments might be made in the"civil service, but in several Departments, as in Customs for instance, there was no margin for reductions, The fees injustice Department might be increased, as it now cost the country £20,000. a year, to enable traders to collect their debts. The Government proposed to reduce tho number of Under-Secretaries to eight, and group all Departments under them; no new Department to be created but by authority of Parliament. Then divide : clerks into grades with maximum and minimum salaries. In each all persons to enter as cadets after examination, and pass from grade by." examination.' It would also compel all to. contribute towards the Pension lTund. Hospitals should be supported partly by, the districts and partly by the Government,, and by reforming hospitals and charitable aids £50,000 a year could be saved. Education costed £400,000 a year, but it was only possible to save by withdrawing the extra 5s to Boards,, but this would be hard on country districts. He did not think Parliament would borrow any. more money for sclioolbuiding. JFunds would have to be raised for this by goneral taxation on local rates.' Ho defended the recent increase in the railway tariff. Settlement' was progressing,: and -things were not nearly bo UcU-as people .represented them; The Government intended to, consolidate the large towns into single electorates; also to make provision for better revision'of the' Electoral Rolls. The'Goyerh'ment were anxious for land'reform, and were, now seeking to discover some tenure preferable to-, the-old freehold systcny >vhich would avert the evils resulting [■' from, that systemini old.countries.': Ifc lis a matter that required a great deal of care in handling. During tho last three or four years 11-;000 persons had taken up. land, in the country. The .Government would ask Parliament not to sell another acre of pastoral /land, Although • Native matters generally wore satisfactory, a /little mismanagemeni' would' readily create' l another Native difficulty.•..-..•'At. present the

Native land laws Lad proved unsatisfactory, and as an'only, solution, the Government would ask the Parliament to; sanction the Crown resuming the preemptive right of purchase from the natives. The Government 1 did not propose further borrowing till the million yet to be raised was dealt with. No miuister hid yet made up his-mind as to the best route for the North Island trunk line; ;they were all only anxious to get the best possible line'.' He. advocated federation, He believed counties would yet amalgamate and become strong bodies. He believed no country in the world had a more efficient local government than New Zealand. He declared he would seek no other constituency than Egmont, and concluded by urging,the necessity of living within our means, saying if we did so enormous prosperity would result in the near future. A vote of confidence was passed. ■