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Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2068, 21 December 1869, Page 2

The CEcumentcial Council.—At a meeting of clergymen of Protestant churches, held in Sydney, the following resolution was unanimously adopted : —"That this meeting, having taken into consideration the letter of the Venerable Dr. Merle D’Aubigne, recommending that special prayer be made by evangelical Christians throughout the world, with reference to the (Ecumenical Council, to meet at Rome on the Bth December next, unanimously expresses its conviction that it is highly desirable that the month of December should be especially set apart by Protestant Christians in this Colony for prayer iu public worship, and also in private and social circles, for the priesthood and people of the Church of Pome, that they may be blessed with deliverance from all human error, and brought into a full knowledge of Scriptural truth.”

Military Settlements. Colonel Maude, C B , V.C., has published ‘‘a proposal for the establishment of Military Industrial Settlements on the frontier of the British Possessions in New Zealand,” and testifies to his zeal and good fai hj in the matter by offering to organise and lead such a force. Colonel Maude has been in communication with the Hon. William Fitzherbert, Sir George Grey, Mr Morrison (the agent for the New Zealand Government), the Duke of Manchester, aud others, all of whom express themselves satisfied with the practicability and desirability of some mode similar to tbat laid down being adopted in the present crisis in the affairs of New Zealand. Colonel Maude "believes that he could obtain a sufficient number of non-commissioned officers and men, entitled to pensions on discharge from his own regiment (the Royal Artillery) to volunteer for the service, provided they were sure of being kept faith with on their arrival in the Colony. Thg term of service would be for live years, the remuneration, grants of land, and a very moderate rate of pay for the first two years only.

The Maori Prisoners.—When Tauroa was sentenced to hard labor, he suffered from the pangs a high-caste Brahmin would feel if told that he would be required to eat daily a certain amount of fat. Tauroa felt that his dignity and Rangatiraship would depart if he had to work like his people, and he accordingly represented his case to the Government. His plaint was attentively listened to and his request granted, and he is nqw ganger and overseer, in which capacity he is zealous and indefatigable in seeing that every man does his portion of labor properly. He saves the prison authorities a great amount of trouble, as they have only to make their wishes known to the chief and they are immediately compiled with. We have here the strange spectacle of a Maori chief and his hapu doing hard labor and preserving, at the same time, their rank and authority. Tauroa probably feels himself a much greater chief than when he was with his followers at Patea ; for at present his sole will, exercised under restraint, is like the law of the Medes and Persians to his people. The Woman who is bent upon marrying a man because be is a lion, should remember that it does not necessarily follow that she will become a lioness.