THE NORTH.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2186, 10 May 1870, Page 2

THE NORTH.

Government, by Mr M‘Lean’s instrumentality, and in recognition of valuable services rendered by the. Ngatiporou, have surrendered claims to lands confiscated because a section of Ngatiporou went over to Hauhauism and fought against us in 1865. The lands in question are useless for European settlement, consisting wholly of mountainous fern and bush-clad country, unpromising and unprofitable. The confiscation of these ancestral lands has been always considered by the loyal Ngatiporou as an unjust act, : s some of the land bclongc 1 t > well-disposed Native?. Many Europeans consider likewise that the lands mostly belonged to allies never backward in fighting on our side, and staunch loyalists. The withdrawal of our claim has given immense satisfaction everywhere on the East Coast, and has induced the Ngatiporou to declare they will if necessary fight for us to the last man. Loading articles have appeared in the Thame* AduerlUer, which, as they are cert fin to be translated into Maori, are likely to have a bad effect on the Maori mind. Considerable indignation has been expressed at the tone of these artie’es, which an considered by some people as being highly inflammatory. The articles in question are said to be the composition of a gentleman formerly holding a Government office. Sudden deaths at Auckland have been remarkably frequent of late ; another is report el. A movement is on foot to establish a School of Art at Auckland. The Thame ■s Adrertmer commends the adoption of the “ tribute system ” in those mines on the Thames where companies aie unable- either on account of their inability to enforce calls, or who e they have spent all their available capital—to proceed with the working of the mine. His Honor the Superintendent of Nelson, in opening the Provincial Council on the 26th ult., made the following remarks with regard to lunatic asylums The increased and increasing number of patients requiring treatment for lunacy has necessitated the enlargement of the very inconvenient and unsatisfactory buildings at present in use as an asylum. I can nevertheless only look upon these arrangements as of a temporary character, and trust that, before long, the Colonial Government will see the necessity of es ablishing a central lunatic asylum, iu which patients from all parts of the Colony could be treated in a manner conducive to their recovery, as well as their safe custody, which I fear can scarcely be said of any o£ the Provincial asylums now in exigence. Should you agree with me in that view, a resolution t) that effect, forwarded to the Colonial Government, would have much weight, aid might not improbably in luce them to take action in this important matter during the ensuing session of the General Assembly. I should, perhaps, remind you that I am authorised by the Lunatic Asylum Act, 1862, subject to the provisions of the Public Debts Act, 1867, to borrow a sum of LSO )0 for the purpose of erecting a suitably buil ling, but 1 refrain froq, acting upon it on amount of the inefficiency of small asylums, as well ag of the large annual expense which the maintenance of such an establishment would involve.” A correspondent at the Thames writes as follows ;—“ You will have heard of the total failure of Shaw (formerly proprietor of the Mar(l> irotti/h Time*), and the cessation of his four papei s. Everything that bo was brought to the hammer, oq the OOthult. and realised most unsatisfactory prices, of which the following is a specimen:—6 pairs now chases, 2s fid each (cost'price in London 2ib); imposing stone, 3s ; gdley press, 21s; brevier, in goo I condition, id per lb (cost 2>) solid br.rs galleys, 5s (worth 30s). The machine realised LBO -it was the old Wei* Ihujlon A'lrfli’tixer machine. The Large two-' fee ler Wharfedale machine, with engine 'and I oi'er complete, was soi l for L2 ; 30 ; it cost' •Shaw L 1.200 and is one of the finest ever'* seen in New Zealand. It was bought by Wilson for the JY. Z. Herald, hut no paper could keep it going for spy length qf tjmv, tqe citijuiatipn being'tqq small for it’.”