LATEST WELLINGTON NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2431, 9 February 1888, Page 2

LATEST WELLINGTON NEWS.

(bv telegraph.—press association.) Wellington, Wednesday. Tin! Rev. J. Paterson pastor of St. John's Presbyterian Church has been granted six montiis leave of absence, and was presented with an address and purse of 12osovs. by the congregation in recognition of his twenty years pastorate. Arrived, ship Dunedin. She has made the smartest passage of the season, having been 83 days on the voyage from London. An accident occurred on (ith inst. Herbert Clark, a saloon passenger, aged about 21, had gone aloft as he was accustomed to do frequently, and in attempting to cross fiom the nii/./.en royal stay to the main mast, h s missed his footing and fell to deck a distance of one hundred feet. Ho was greatly mangled and though living when picked up, he died shortly afterwards, and was buried off the Hen and Chickens. J. Preston, wine merchant, has been adjudged a bankrupt. ,T. Mc'Coll, the owner of the horse Fabrication, lias commenced an action against the Wellington Racing Club for the recovery of the stakes in the Selling Race, for which Fabrication came in fivt. Ivit was disqualified at the Hutt <•:, .Satmd.i/ last. An action of considerable importance, and the prospect of which is -already awaking no little interest in commercial circles, is likely to come before the Supreme Court in the course of the next few weeks. The plaintiff is of a well-known local hardware firiu, who seeks to recover damages for slander from a prominent bank manager. The persons concerned are naturally reticent on the subject, but it is known that a writ has been served upon the financier, claiming £2000. The alleged defamation is said to have been contained in a communication made to a third person in tht! course of business, which had the effect of damaging the plaintiff's credit with that person. At the Resident Magistrate's Court this evening, Wall Choug, (a Chinaiinu), and his wife, (a European), were on remand, charged with the murder of the child of the latter. Alter evidence for the prosecution, the accused reserved their defence, and were committed for trial. By direction of the Minister of Defence, the Commissioner of Police is making enquiries into the circumstances attending the arrest by the Westport police recently, of a man named John Gardiner, whose description in no way tallied with that of the pcrson wanted. The now Commission of Peace is now being revised, and will shortly be pub-