TELEGRAMS.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1576, 20 July 1885, Page 2

TELEGRAMS.

(FKOM OUR OWW OOHttESPONDKST. ) Wellington, 18. Amongst the petitions presented tc the Hoase yesterday was one signed by 1,200 seamen, praying for qualities tion to vote' forjfmembers of i'arlia incut. On the motion of Vogol it was resolved tnat the House go into Conv raittee on Friday next to consider tlu advisability of continuing the Friscc mail Bei'vice..; A strong feeling exists that the service should lie discontinued in favor of direct steamers. A long discussion took place over the new Land Bill, introduced l»y the Government, and| which passed the second reading after being dealt with in Committee. The hili comes ou for the thud reading sometime next week. The ■ debate was resumed on the Counties Act Amendment Bill. | Mr Guinness supported the proposal to elect 1 County Chairman, on the g> on od that that official would be al»le to tab' up a much better portion. He diunot, however, approve of the eletti< n n by ratepayers of auditors. The 1 other provisions of the bill he approved of. ami should certainly support the second reading. The following are the total amounts of money secured from the Govern(shi!liii£* and pence omitted), by the County Councils during the year ended 81st March last: — Rates on Crown and Native lands, £21,616 ; one third receipts from lands Rold on deferred payment, £5,245 ; Goldh'elds revenue and gold duty £37,304 ; fees and fines under the Financial Arrangements Act, 1875, £1,399; grants under. the Roads and Bridges Construction Act,* £92,272; special grants £48,579; other receipts from the Government, £9,712, total £216,129. A case of some considerable interest to persons possessing mining shares was heard in tho Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, when the Try Again Company, Te.rawhiti, sued Mr G. B Williamson for a snm of £1 4s 2U, being the amount of calls on shares in defendant's name. Counsel for defendant claimed a nonsuit on the gronud that more than 12 months«had elapsed since the forfeiture of the shares was deelavtd as. rcqnind by the Act, and iheivfove pUiiuufi Com

pany could not recover. Tl* bench agreed in the view of the case, and gave judgment for defendant. The Steeplechase meeting to-day under the auspices of the Racing lub waa a great succes. The weather was gloriously fine, good fields, and large attendance of the pnblic. Two totallsators were freely patronised. The Trial Handicap produced eight starters and was won by Faugh-a-ballagh. Hurdle Handicap. Erebus 1 Ravenwood * Quilp 8 Eleven ran. Capital raw. ' Local Handicap. Won by Ngativa, late Speculation, against a field of seven. Wellington Steeplechase Ha dicap. About 8 miles. This was the event of the day and bronght all the best cross conntry horses in the Colony together. Nine, started and the horses jumped splendidly and an exciting finish ensued between Faugh-a-ballagh, Orient, and King Arthur, which came in in the. order named. Won by a bare length. Romeo led till the last hurdle, where he fell. Maecaroni, Birmingham, Fair Play and Erebus also ran. Sellino Race. Won by DonJastor there being fhe others. ' Consolation*. Eight horses started for this event, which was*won!by Quelp after> hard race. No accidents occurred. Auckland. 18. Concerning the alleged New Guinea gold specimens swindle by Kenny, New Guinea prospector, his brother Reuben Kenny, of Hamilton, Waikato, makes the following statement : — His 1 brother arrived in Auckland from the i New Guinea expedition on 81st July, ■ 1884, and the other members of ■» he '■ family saw his brother ou the qnay at i A uckland, and then saw the. specimens, which were shown to several t Auckland gentlemen at that time, 5 amongst whom was, he believes, Mr i Thomas Morrin. There were, he f thinks, three specimens, weighing ? i perhaps four or five ounces each, not f specimens of quartz containing gold, t but gold containing quarfz, the latter , being white in color. It was, he says, . utterly absurd, unnecessary for Kenny • with such rich specimens as those to s have bought others in February in r Tasmania, and this absurdity shows tlm groundlessness of them. Kenny is Of opinion that his brother has gone away on the staff of th«» Geographical Expedition, and is therefore unable to refute the culuminous charge made against him. Cristchurch, 18. At a meeting of householders of the } East Christchujrch school district, held • last night, a resolution was passed • heartily approving of the desire of the • School Committee to have bible reading in the Enst Christchnrch 3 schools, if it can be done consistently • with the Education Act, and provided 3 that no child shall be expected to > attend during bible reading whose parents object thereto.