Untitled

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1931, 14 July 1869, Page 2

Concert. —The concert of the Dunedin Private Musical Society takes place to-nigbt. We have before given an outline of the programme. . Supreme Court. —His Honor Mr Justice Ward held a sitting in banco this morning, when the following business was transacted Cunningham v. Ure —judgment on demurrer. His Honor allowed the demurrer, the plaintiff being allowed leave to amend. lie Leonard Levy.—On the application of Mr Barton, his Honor declared the deed of arrangement made between the bankrupt and his creditors to have been completely executed. Deputation.— A deputation, consisting of Messrs E. B. Cargill and E. He Carle, waited upon the Secretary for Laud and Works to-day, for the purpose of urging upon the Government the necessity of forming Bond and Police streets, and making them tit for traffic.—Mr Reid replied to the i ffect that so soon as the prisoners had completed the portion of Rond street on which they are now employed, they would be sent to carry out tbe improvements required by the deputation.

City Council. —The weekly meeting of the City Council was held this afternoon. There were present Councillors Griffen (in the chair), Dods, Fish, Wilkinson, and Simpson. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A memo-

rial from ratepayers iu South Ward, calling attention to the necessity for steps being taken to repair Leith street between St Andrew’s and Frederick streets, was referred to the Works Committee. The Public Wo r ks Committee reported as follows : “ That the Committee had carefully considered what works in each of the four wards of the city are of urcent necessity, and recommended that the following amounts be now allocated : South Ward L 228 10 0 I-ILh Ward - 290 10 0 Bell Ward - 278 0 0 Leith Ward - 238 10 0

Total - LI 141 10 0 \ detailed statement of the proposed outlay was attached to the report. Economy has been studied in every item, and the Committee recommended that the surveyor be instructed to prepare specifications for the work to he let by contract, each ward separately. The Inspector of Works had been instructed to attend to the following matters by labor, viz. Frederick street crossing, near Mr J. H. Harris’, to be made passable, and some gravel laid down; one of the piles of the Clyde street bridge to be made good ; that the footpaths in Elm row, facing three sections in block 12 be metalled ; that the fireplugs in the main thoroughfares he pitched and curbed ; that the tenders of Messrs Watson & Copstake fo. constructing the Pitt streetdram, for LJS 10a, had been accepted ; that the [attention of the Government had been called to the state in which Hanover street had been left by the Government workmen ; and lastly, they recommended that the lower quarry in Maelaggan street should be leased by tender for the term of one year, under regulations submitted bv the City Surveyor.—ln moving the adoption of the report, Councillor Fish said that he thought that the Government should be called upon to pay the cost of metalling Princes street south —Councillor Dfids remarked that the Committee had decided to recommend that, in future, instead of these large works being done by day labor, as heretofore, they should be let by tender separately. The report was adopted. —A memorial from ratepayers in South Ward, calling attention to the state of Maitland street, was referred to the Public Works Committee. —Reports by the City Surveyor and Town Belt Ranger were read, and referred to the Committees The following gentlemen were appointed Returning Officers at the ensuing municipal elections :—Messrs •). S. Webb (High Ward); J. N. Merry (Leith Ward) ; Edmistou (Bell Ward) ; and Millar (South Ward). Messrs Cheyne, Blair, Bayliss, and Calder wers appointed as Poll Clerks ; and the Rolling Booths were appointed as follows City Council Chambeis (High Ward); Old Polio-• Barracks (South Ward) ; Od'ifellows’ Hall (Bell Ward); and the Caledonian Society’s Grand Stand (South Ward). The Council then resolved itself iuto Committee to consider the bye-laws. Waste Land Board.—The weekly meeting of the Waste Land Board was held to-day ; the members present being—the Chief Commissioner (in the chair:', Messrs Reid, Duncan, and Hughes—Mr Warden Robinson reported, with reference to the application of Thomas Turnbull for a lignite lease at Ida Valley, recommending that a lease of 10 acres, as applied for, should lie granted. The lease was granted on the usual conditions. —Mr John Burns wrote with reference to his application for a lease of section 28, block, 1, Wyndham, asking that the survey might he poa'poned, and complaining that the chief draughtsman was hurrying on the survey. ’I he Board refused to grant the application, and ordered th survey to be gone on with at once —The consideration of the of Mr D. Weaver, to purchase section 2, hl -ck 4, Queenstown, was postponed. With reference to the application that sections 13 and 14, and 5 and G, block 4, Arrowtown, bo reserved for a school site, the Board resolved to recommend that the land should be temporarily withdrawn from sale ; and that the matter he referred to the Government.—Mr F. M. Falconer’s application for lease of section 1, block 3, Lawrence, was declined.

Hokitika.— The following item is taken from the West Coast papers We hear that Mr James Browne, late part proprietor of the Hokitika E renin q Star, is about to commence an action .again t Mr J. p. Klein, proprietor of Hie We*l Coast Tinas, for libel. Damages laid at L 5,000.” Gas at the Thames DiGGiNOS.~-The nrospectus of a company, to supply the Towns of Grab m ami Slmrtland with gas, has been issued, and is said tp be looked on with favor by the Auckland public. The proposed capital is LI 2,000. in 6,000 shares at L2 ; LI to be paid on allotment, and the balance on cabs of 5s per sbaro, at twentyone days’ notice. If found suitable for the purpose, Bay of Islands coal will be used. Wellington. - Humors of fresh gold discoveries in Wellington arc Hying about in all directions. A few days ago we heard of gold being found in I’olhill s gully ; next it was said that some one had struck a patch in the neighborhood of Mount Victoria; and yesterday. Sunday though it was, S’me enterpris ng individual washed a few specks out of a place in the Tinakori road, not far from the residence of Mr Justice Johnston. Surely with all these evidences Hint gold does exist, in our neighborhood, the right place will be found at last.— Post. Christchurch.- The gold fever is raging pretty high in Ohristclnuvh. A teledated Friday, in the Timur a. Herald says ; “ Quartz reefs have been discovered on Banks’s Peninsula, situated in M‘Queen’s Valley, adjoining tbo Kaituna Valley, about fifteen or twenty miles from Christchurch. '['h e ] a j U l has been purchased by Air Justice Gressou, Air C. C. Bowen, .Resident Magistrate, Air Do Bourbel, and Mr C. Keynell. They intend to test, as f-pop as possible, whether the extensive reefs arc auriferous. No gold has yet been found in them, A meeting has been called for this afternoon to form a company with L 5 shares to thorough y prospect the Malvern Hills and other localities. Forty shares have already boon taken. A crowded public meeting is just over (4.30 p.m.) Reolutions were passed for the formation of a prospecting company, and a committee was formed. Di Haast attended the meeting, ami gave an opinion favorable to the auriferous nature of the rocks on Banka Peninsula, and also said that probably there were gold beaing quartz in the‘Malvern Hills, hut not alluvial diggings. Over one hundred shares were taken at the meeting. There was great ex : citcment, and a memorial was forwarded tp the Government to increase the reward to LI000.”

Wellington. War Mercies.—lt is fair to assume that the .If eUint/ton hwlt-pfi dent represents the public opinion of the Province. Illustrative of that opinion, w extract the following from an article commenting on the late surrender of Maori prisoners. Remark respecting it is needicss . —“ At the present moment an xoelleut opportunity is afforded us to achieve a great success, and practically exterminate that pestilent tribe, the Ngatinimuis, who for many years have been known as the worst in New Zealand —the perpetrators of all the robberies and houseburniugs and murders which have been committed on the West Coast. Titoko is short of amunition andfood, so that he cannot be a formidable foe if en encountered. The real difficulty, iu truth, is to get at him ; but we that might he got over by employing native scouts, who, for the sake of a liberal reward, would contrive to find out the secret of his whereabouts, and enable _ our forces to fdl upon him. If his destruction could be accomplished, and the prisoners now iu our hands either sent out of the world or out of the country, then the large district of country between Wanganui and Taranaki would be finally pacificated, because the bloodthirsty tribe which has so long held it would, in effect, be destroyed. Mr Fox, when in opposition, made a capital speech the other day with reference to those prisoners. He said that they should be put to death—at least all of them who can be proved to have taken part in th« atrocities of the late war. Wo have always thought it a pity that Major Noakes ever negotiated with these men at all, because if he had attacked th i pa, we believe he could have obtained a decisive victory. When they did surrender uacondUmnaUy, we think it would have been an excellent tiling if he had hanged Tauroa and such others of his followers as were known to have taken part in the previous fighting. It is true that perhaps in point of law Major Noakes might not have been quite justified in doing this ; but if he had taken a leaf out of ex-Gover nor Eyre’s book, and hanged a few of those arch-rebels, the Colony would have owed him a deep debt of gratitude, and no Grand Jury in the North Island would have brought in “a true bill” against him. As the case stands, the leading miscreants did not meet their deserts, and now we have to feed and clothe them, to keep them in clover, till perchance they may escape again.”

The Maekewhenua Diggings,—Mr Aslicroft, M.r.C., who has just returned from a visit of enquiry to the workings at the Maerewheuna ami Awamoko, has kindly permitted us to read the notes made by him on the spot. While on the ground, Mr Ashcroft, who was accompmied by an experienced miner, collected a great deal of very valuable information, which, for the present, we are not at liberty to publish. We may, however, state generally, that the result of the eu quiries made was most satisfactory. and there appears to be no doubt whatever that, could a sufficiency of water he brought in by races, the field would support a largo digging population ; but until protection an he obtained, it would be folly for men to make a rush to the locality. A large extent of country is unquestionably sufficiently auriferous to yield handsome returns to systematic working, which would involve some outlay of capital. The number of miners at present scattered among the different gullies is estimated at between 90 and 100 ; but some of these are merely preparing to commence operations. Those who arc at work are all making wages, and some something more. All agree in stating that water is the one great requisite to make this a very valuable field, and it is believed that by a judicious storing of water in gullies, and bringing in races from the head of the Maorcwhcnua and Awamoko, a good supply can he obtained, although necessarily diminished in the summer season. It appears to us that the Government should, without delay, either declare a Gold Field, or make arrangements with the rnnholclers to permit of races being brought in, end to protect the ri .hts of the miners th- rein. Postal communication is also urgently desired, and we believe that a weekly mounted mad could be arranged for at a sma'l expense. Mr Ashcroft intends visiting town ior the purpose of urging the matter upon the Government. We may add that he wi 1 take with him the results of several prospects made by himself on the spot, which certainly will not be the least forcible argument which he will have to bring forward, all being fair, and one exceedingly rich. We may further mention, that the miners generally agree that in the event of a Gobi Field being proclaimed, the boundari s recommended by Mr Waideu Kobinson should ne somewhat extended, at any rate so far as to include the Kurow stream. —Oamaru Times,

The Maori War.—lt will be remembered that some time since Colonel D’Arcy, late Governor -f Gambia, submitted to the Secretary of State for the Colonies a proposition for the raising of a permanent defence force for this Colony. His proposal was, to raise at Freetown, Sierra Leone, a force “consisting of 500 rank and tile of Zouave Infantry ; Colonial - born English blacks, including 100 trained gunners, to be shipped as a permanent Colonial Force to New Zealand.” Further—“ In the event of the Government at all entertaining this project. Colonel D’Arcy is ready to furnish a report as to transport, clothing, arms and the best means of feeding the corps with recruits. &c.. &c., and placing the officers on the same scale as the Irregular Re gimeuts in India viz.. I commandant, 1 second in command, 1 adjutant, 1 quartermaster.” Col. D’Arcy’s proposition has been received with some favor both from a portion of the Colonial press, and from politicians. In the opinion of the O imaru Times, such an offer as this, from an officer who has shown himself able successfully to manage a Colonial war, deserves serious consideration, and wc are in possession of information which leads us to think that in many respects the plan is quite practicable. We may premise (says our contemporary) that our information js derived from an officer who was stationed for spme tiipe in the Gambia, and who served under Colonel D’Arcy himself in the campaign before alluded to. That gentleman says If the natives enrolled by Colonel D’Arcy he Ashantees, Fanteea or Mandingoes, they would make splendid sol tiers for such a war as has to ho waged with the Maories Krumen would not do, as they are not plucky and daring enough. Either of the three tribes first mentioned arc remarkable for their qualities as bush men, for hardiness, and—truth must be told—for ferocity. They are good at single-handed fighting; that I? t,9 s vy, each man will worm hia way through a bush to a particular spot, and will crawl to a position assigned him like a snake;

they are very fearless, and they never give any quarter. All the rations they would need would be “hominy " (Indian com coarsely ; round) and salt, as they will eat any flesh that comes in their way, be it of bird, beast, or fish, or even human beinghoy always eat their fal'en enemies.” We must say we don’t like the last-sta ed characteristic, but as in dealing with Han-haus we have to deal with cannibals, we don’t see that it would really much matter to civilisation, if we onposed to them men whose ideas of the amenities of warfare are exactly on a par with their own.

The Dunedin Gymnastic Club will be open every afternoon, fr un 4.30 to 6 and on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, from 8 till 10.

We have been requested to call the attention of the members of the Hand and Heart Lodge, M.U.J.0.0.F., to the funeral notice of their late Brother Alfred Peel.