DISTRESS AT THE THAMES

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 353, 26 January 1876, Page 3

DISTRESS AT THE THAMES

It is with regret that we see-by the TJiames Advertiser, that there is a large number., of. men out of work on the (Mdfields, and that great distress exists. The number of unemployed is estimated by Mr William Eowe, M.H.E (Chairman of the Progress Committee), to be 400. The Government has sanctioned the expenditure of £1,000 upon the roads between Shortland and Ohinemuri ; but, as is very truly remarked by the Advertiser, the sum is about sufficient to provide work for ten days, and as far as enabling the unemployed of the Thames to tide over the present difficulty is concerned is entirely inadequate — indeed it is not sufficient to afford employment to 250 men for a fortnight, and the expenditure is in no way calculated to be reproductive. The Advertiser comments strongly, but (judging from'

the remarks which fell from the members of the Thames Erbgress Committee) not a bHHoo strongly, on the apathy displayed by the Government as represented by Dr Pollen, > whom it accuses of inaking the population of the Thames "the victims of his party spit© and petty tyrrany."*

OUR AUCKLAND LETTER;

(f6oM OT7B OWK COEBESPONDEBT.)

I Auckland, Jan. 22. The Rodney, Franklyn, and Waitemata eleotions hare made the last few days quite rzoiting. The Eodney polling came off on Monday. The Grey party made cocksure' that Sh'eehan would go in flying, especially after Sir George himself had gone to the trouble" of nominating • him ; and Sheohan must hare shared tHeir opinion, for he did not come up from Napier till little more than a week before the election," when he just rushed through the district. Mr Moat, the Government candidate, was generally underrated. He is a very retiring insignifioanfrlooking little fellow, but there is>~a good deal more in him than appears on the surface, and he is a general favorite among the settlers. Mr Sheeban's neglect of his canvas yery nearly cost him his election, and in fact it was only by getting Farnall to retire that he managed to scrape in at all. On the eventful day both candidates chartered steamers for their city supporters, and at nine o'clock the Minnie Caaey and the Enterprise No. 2 left the wharf with the voters. Sheehan had a great majority here for the Minnie had over a hundred passengers on board, voters and excursionists, while the Enterprise had only about a dozen. By six o'clock in the evening, thanks to the Evening Star carrier pigeons, we had nearly all the returns in, and Sheehan's party were rather blue at finding it was no certainty for their man. When all the returns but those from the Puhoi had arrived, Moat was six ahead. However, this was one of Sheehan's strongholds, being a settlement of German Catbo'ics, about eight miles from the Waiwera Hot Springs. The last totals did not reach town till three o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, when the numbers were— Sbeeban, 39 ; Moat, 13 ;so the former gets in by a majority of 20, The Franklyn polling took place on the Tuesday. Woodward, the unrecognised Grey candidate, persisted to the last in his candidature in spite of all requests to resign. It was feared by his party that his obstinacy would enable one of the Government candidates to get in, but as it turns out there was no ground for the apprehension. The returns as they came in one by one in the evening showed an increasing majority for Hamlin and Lusk, and when the last arrived on Wednesday night the Opposition candidates had polled nearly double their rivals. The Waitemata election was a worthy wind-up. Here, as you know, all the four* candidates declared themselves willing to accept the leadership of Sir George Grey and Separation. About a week before the polling the Cross came out with a very stinging attack on JDr Lee, one of the candidates, which it followed up by further onslaughts on successive days. From what appears on the surface the articles were founded on facts of the clearest description. In 1858 Dr Lee was Treasurer of the O;t.y Council, and in that capacity voted himself large sums of money on account of salary which he was not authorised to. The matter was investigated at the time and there was a great noise about it. Things became so very warm for the Doctor that he was obliged to change his place of residence to another colony. He remained there it seems for six years and then returned, claiming the benefit of the Statute of Limitations, I believe if these facts had not been raked up he would have gone in, for he was supposed to have the whole of the Roman Catholic interest, and had worked harder at canvassing than any of his opponents. The contest in the event lay between Mr J. S. Macfarlane and Mr W. J, Hurst. The latter polled 24 ahead at the North Shore, and his supporters were jubilant, but Mac's influence in the country districts brought him up hand over Ost and at last gave him a majority of 7 votes. Dr Lee polled more than I expected, but the surprise of the election was the faint show made by Mr T. Henderson, who was completely left out in the cold with only 70 votes. It evidently does not do for old colonists to go away for two or three years arid then come back and expect to have all their former influence. The Opposition cannot complain of their success in Auckland. Out of 18 members returned only Captain Bead, Messrs Macfarlane, Cox, Whi taker, and Rowe are credited with Government tendencies, and as it is said that Rowe and Macfarlane will support the Separation programme Sir George may be said to have realised his ambition to go into the* House with 15 pledged Auckland supportersat his elbow. A good story comes from** Howick. You know I told you that Mr Tole, the newly elect of Eden, is very boyish looking. A tovr days ago he went over to Howiek with^ one of his brothers, who are both fitfe-looking fellows. A burly pensioner came) to the brother' and shaking him by the band congratulated him on his election. " You are mistaken ; its my brother who is your member. There he is." The pensioner turned and looked at the fortunate candidate, and opened his eyes pretty wide. "Do you mean to tell me that he's the member for Eden ?" " Yes, he is " Well, I'm blowed : but there, I don't care j only I voted for you." We have lately been visited by an extraordinary gentleman called Colonel Faddj. He arrived the other day in the Carnatio from London with his two sons, and was interviewed by a Star reporter, and the Star has the following about him ;— THE ADVENTUBES OF OOLONJBI FADDY, HEBO OP XtJTBS. Many of our readers Have, no doubt, observed, since the arrival of the Carnatio, an ecoentrio-looking military man, about 50, in the full uniform of a colonel of artillery, with top-boots and spurs, and all the etceteras complete, though rather the worse for weir, accompanied by two oddly-dressed children, walking about Queen Btreet and the wharf ■ and taking Btock of the aspect; of the place and the inhabitants in such a manner as>-to confirm the belief warranted by his singular attire that he was a new chum. This singular individual is I.ieut.-Colonel Faddy, a saloon passenger by the Oarnatio. HeVia in—the curious position of bsing heir to a fortune of £18,000 a-year, and yet being so poor that this morning he went wituout bis breakfast till twelve o'clock because he had no money to pay for its Having learnt that the gallant Colonel was an old Indian veteran, and bad gone through aomn notaMp adventuros, cnt

of our staff interviewed him to-day, and the gallant old gentleman, id no wise loth com* tnunioated the following .particulars of his career. He is the eldest sou of Gfefceral Faddy, > a well'known landed proprietor hrDeVonshire, possessed of great wealth, whiohi' tor use tlie - Colonel's' words, "he knows how to keep,' for - he don't let me see much of it." Pete? Faddy y entered the army ot an early age and was not - long before he eaw«plenty of service in the two •■ Kaffir wars. - He was attached to the Eoyal .' Artillery, 14th Brigade, and was more than*' once wounded in these campaigns.* After the ■ Kaffir war be was appointed^ the command * of Ist Brigade ot Woolwich.- At the outbreak of the mutiny .he received orders to proceed 1 to India- to- command the Royal Artillery of thd Madras Presidency. Daring the mutiny he was all through the campaign in Central In Ha, where he commanded a division. Ou6" of £4,000 prize money he" had' only received ' at out £800 up to 1872. The Colonel then called on the prize- agentß -in "Old 'Jewry, London/ and told Sir Alexander Spearman «< that if his claim was not settled that evening, - be would " wollop their insides out." At this c fearful fht'oat, an order was at once given for about d£2;00O of the money. While this money was in the -hands of the agents, the Colonel was in the. greatest -poverty, and his children were in the workhouse. But to go back to--the Indian mutiny.' The. most celebrated exploit among the many which he related to - our representative .was the slaying of Lopal ! S:rg in single combat under very-estraordinary * circumstances, which forcibly the figfeft between Sir Kenneth" and Saladin -related in the Talisman. In relating this adventure wa will endeavour to adhere to the language of the Colonel:—" Well, sir, it was one fine day in 1859 jwe were in head-quarteraat Euter 9 , in Bundelcund : d — d hot it was, I can tell you. In the afternoon an officer named Campbell arrived in a frightful state of oxcit< - - ment and reported that the rebels had mas* ■ sacred two of his fellow officers. They had out off their beads and made him carry their 9 telling him they were going to serve him the same. Sir Colin Campbell jumped up, and with a great oath swore to revenge their, deaths, He ordered me, as being one of the n bravest of his officers, to take a band of 61 ' men, selected from different native corps, and immediately go in pursuit. Well, sir, we marched 109 miles in 69 hours, waded three rivers, and at last came up with the enemy, . who were 1,500 efrosg, and encamped. Fortunately they had no artillery, v determined to attack them, and telling our - men to shout like — — ha ! well as loudly pa - they could, we set on them. Confound their black carcases ! they killed 21 out of 61 before we got to them. Lopal Sing, who was in command of them, came straight at me, and directly the fight between us began, the two < bodies separated and looked on. He was - a fine fellow, and came at me with consummate confidence. We fought on horsebaok ■ for about a quarter of an hour, when a blow I received unhorsed me. The noble savage took no advantage of my fall but the greatest courtesy dismounted himself, led his horao to a servant, and advanced to meet me on- foot;'. We then went at it again and our ewords'flew^ about to some tune for half-an-hour. At last - he got a cut at my bead, and though my Cavalry cap saved me I received a nasty wound above the temple. Boused by the pain to fresh efforts I now sent home almost with my . last strength a well-directed thrust at- hiV-> breast. This did the business, .for tboJfla&Qv went right through him, and we fell all df a « heap together. We were both taken up for • dead, but though I was badly hurt, my wounds were not mortal. Next day, forty of the rebel chiefs came in and surrendered, bub they would give up their swords to no one-.-but me." Such is the Colonel's account, and ■ we may add that, in proof of bis assertions, he produces the Bword of Lopal Sing, which I he retained as a trophy, and also an inscription on his own sword giving the main features et <t the adventure. We may add that Colonel -< Faddy has been very unfortunate in his private * relations; He has been married twice, aad> ■* bis last wife ran away with his groom and < | £300 of his money. He has seen great hardships since his return from India. Whon asked what he did on his return, the Colonel replied, "Drove four-in-hand and got into., debt."