(PER PRESS -ASSOCIATION). AUCKLAND, Tuesday. The Zealandia takes a number of old colonists. Mr Cooke, agent for Cole's circus, is a passenger by her. He returns next season to the colony with another big thing. At the Grammar School inquiry J. C. Firth, D. L. Murdoch (General Manager of tiie Bank of New Zealand), and a number of merchants gave emphatic evidence in favor of the school and of Mr Macrae. '••*•' HOKITIKA, Tuesday. At the Supreme Court to-day Daniel Whelan, charged ..with; stealing from a dwelling, was acquitted. David Hutchison, a miner, was charged with the murder of his wife, Margaret Hutchison. Mr South (Crown prosecutor) and Mi* Guinness ap i peared for the Crown, and Mr Purkiss defended prisoner. Two witnesses had been examined when the Court rose at 6 p.m. The evidence so far shows that on the night of the 20t_ November prisoner's .house was burned, his wife and baby (aged four months) being burned rto death. One ••.witness deposed to hearing screams from the prisoner's house, also-the hoise.of thuds, and heard deceased say, " Davy, Davy, what? are ydu goingito do?" This was' about midnight, and by 3 a.m. the house. was burned down. The; trial /will ;be re sunjed at 10 to-morrow. ii?,. y lynyk-.oi t.-.----. L l]]^toN,'Tu_-d4^ : ? ' -James Owen, proprietor? of the; Tainui HoteL fell down in a fit and expired, fb ■'day. J The "cause -of- : death is; believed* to ' have, been apoplexy. Deceased was \veii ij^nbjWn, 'having been licensee, of,, various hotels in the district. s Jf'i Y?,?^ 'Chinaman' fell off the WellingtOn- HufetYtrain to-day v He was picked -j up in auumkinisciOusistate. The extept of his injuries ; is bpt known. r -_•■--. S'Tli-MSlerniheut Have decided to release t^ci/[pf^tbi| ?Mapri^pnspner3 confined in B_^itika J Gaol— on ."pn?- account. of^his^ a suffering from consumption, and the. oTner* " in order that he may-accompany the invalid ' \iotae. Both/belong to the-hapm of Tito Kowaiu. .*.•! The official protest of Sir A. Gordon, md also'6_ Commodore Wilson, respecting the action of the' lntercolonial Conference m.the question*, of tlm High, Gfoihmis- , , jionership ofthe Western Pacific,* has he'eh •eceived by the New South Wales Govern-. nentj arid copies have been laid before the ' Parliament of that colony. Sir H. Parkes- J seat copiep to the'_?sw Zetf». ,

and ..Government. 