The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-18 00:00:00

GOLD IN NEW ZEALAND.

The details have been received of the recent discovery
of gold in New Zealand. It appears that a reward of
5001. having been offered to the first person who should
point out an available mining field, the amount was
claimed by a Mr. C. Ring, by whom deposits had been
found at a spot called Proromandel Harbour, about 30
miles from Auckland. A number of persons were ac-
cordingly appointed to test the correctness of the state-
ment, and on their return the following notification was
issued :

" The committee appointed by the subscribers to the
reward fund, deeming it desirable that the public should
have correct information relative to the alleged discovery
of gold, take this opportunity of stating that the deputa-
tion appointed by them to visit the locality of the alleged
discovery have returned, and that the report is satisfactory
so far as the existence of gold is concerned ; but that the
question of its being sufficiently abundant to be profitably
worke& is yet in abeyance."

Several samples of gold and quartz were brought up,
but although it is stated that the metal was found
wherever a trial was made, it was in such small specks
as to prevent any certainty being entertained as to the
district being worth working. The bed of the creek is
described to be filled with very large boulders, which
rendered it impossible during a hurried investigation to
sink any deep or extensive holes. In a short time, how-
ever, several other parties returned to Auckland with
additional specimens, some of which were obtained at a
distance of ten miles from the original spot. The land
belongs to the natives, and anxiety was consequently
felt lest any collision should take place through an influx
of diggers before proper arrangements had been made
with regard to their rights. The Lieutenant-Governor
was about to proceed to the neighbourhood for the pur-
pose of settling this question, and as it was considered
that there would be no difficulty in fixing proper terms,
all persons were 'urged to defer operations until his
return.

MURDER OF TWO CHILDREN BY THEIR
FATHER-SUICIDE OF THE MURDERER.

Intelligence has just been received of a most appalling
tragedy, which has been perpetrated by a highly
respectable master shoemaker, named Isaac Tucker,
at the adjoining fashionable suburb, Clifton, near Bristol,
who, after having cut the throats of two of his children
—two interesting little girls—aged respectively five and
three years, put a period to his own existence in the
same way. It would seem, from such particulars as have
yet transpired, that the deceased had recently taken a
house on Prince's-place, near the Royal York-crescent,
in which Mr. Kempeter carried on for many years a
lucrative business, and into the possession of which he
entered with his family only a few days since. On Wed-
nesday, between 12 and 1 o'clock, his wife had occasion to
come into Bristol on some business, and he was left at
home in the house with his children and a female ser-
vant. Soon after his wife left he was observed to
come down stairs, go to the street-door, look up
and down the thoroughfare, and then go to a look-
himself putting out his tongue,
and working it about
in a somewhat strange man-
ninegriglastahned surveynwent up stairs, and soon afterwards
his eldest little girl went upstairs. Nothing afterwards
was heard of any of them, but some time subsequently
upon a person going upstairs, the door was discovered
to be locked, and upon its being broken open, all three
of them were discovered quite dead, their clothes satu-
rated with blood, and their throats cut in a shocking
manner, the head of one of them being all but severed
from the body. The instrument with which the fatal
deed had been accomplished, a shoemaker's knife, having
a remarkably keen edge, was found in the room. The
fatal occurrence has created an extraordinary sensation
in the neighbourhood, and the house, since the bodies
were discovered, has been surrounded by crowds of
persons.

UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.—On Wednesday a nume-
rous and influential deputation waited upon the Prime
Minister at his official residence in Downing-street. The
deputation consisted of senators of the University of Lon-
don, the heads or influential members of 16 metropolitan
and 17 provincial colleges, the officers of the graduates'
committee,
Principals, of endowed and private schools
whose courses of tuition have been influenced by the Uni-
versity curriculum, representatives of important medical
assbciations in town and country, and several members of
the House of Commons who have promised to support the
franchise committee lately formed. The deputation was
introduced by Mr.J. Heywood,
M.P., who shortly ex-
plained its object. Mr. C. J. Foster, LL.D., M.A.,
read a memorial in support of the claims of the Unive-
rsity, which were further enforced by Mr. T. Thornely,
M.P., Mr. R. Monckton Manes, M.P. Dr. Billing, and
Dr. Roget, members of the senate of the University ; the
Rev. Dr. Harris, president of New College ; the Rev.
Dr. Angus, president of Stepney College • Dr. J. H.
Wilson, senior
physician of St. George's Hospital • and
Dr. Black, president warden of St. Bartholomew'sPHos-
pital. The Earl of Aberdeen said in reply:—"l have no he-
sitation in acknowledging the very strong claims you have
urged for the favourable consideration of the Govern-
ment of the object you have in view ; and I readily ad-
mit that the constituency which would be afforded by
the University of London is such a one as it would be
most agreeable to the Government to organise. You
will not, I suppose, expect me to give a final answer to-
day ; but I assure you that, so far from throwing cold
water on the subject, which was deprecated by one of
the deputation, I do with the utmost sincerity assure
you—and I beg you to believe that in so doing I am not
by any means making use of words of mere formal cour-
tesy—that the subject will be taken by the Government
into their most serious and friendly consideration.''
THE FATAL LOCOMOTIVE EXPLOSION NEAR MAN-
CHESTER.—The jury empanelled to inquire into this ex-
plosion concluded their labours on Wednesday night,
and returned the following verdict : —" We find that the
deceased Thomas Gresty, James Snowden, Wm. Black,
and Thomas Moore were killed at Longsight by the ex-
plosion of the boiler of the locomotive engine No. 1, be-
longing to the London and North-Western Railway
Company ; and, from the evidence, we are of opinion
that the boiler of this engine was in a defective condi-
tion, and unfit to be worked." This verdict, which
takes no notice of the fact that Hefron, the engine-
driver, screwed down the waves, has created some sur-
prise in town.
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