The Evening Star. SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1872

Evening Star, Issue 2891, 25 May 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star. SATURDAY, MAY 25, 1872

The public are sometimes treated with glimpses of the selfish side of human nature in the extraordioaiy letters from the correspondents of the Daily Times. Were they presented in its columns professedly for the purpose of exhibiting the under-currents that influence certain classes of men in their conduct towards their fellow-men, with a view to the correction of wrong they would be an honor instead of a disgrace to that journal. The disgusting immorality of the slave trade of Fiji, and the equally low moral tone of feeling in the North in regard to the Maori race, are necessary to be known in order that the direct and indirect evils arising from such perverted morality should be corrected or averted. But our contemporary publishes the most shameless avowals with the utmost apparent unconsciousness of anything wrong. The victims are only Polynesian niggers or Northern Maoris ; and the lives and feelings of such inferior beings seem to he considered fit subjects for sport or ridicule by the witlings who furnish our contemporary with the result of their observations. We dare venture to say there is not a respectable journal in the world that would have published the letter from Taranaki, which appeared in Wednesday’s issue, without a strong protest against the flippant brutality exhibited in the writer’s rejoicings over the anticipated annihilation of the Maori race. We presume it was the same writer who some twelve months ago was so fond of predicting a renewal of the Maori war. Who he is, we know not : what he is may be infei’red from the following extract from his letter :

It only requires the continuance of peace for a few years to obtain all we desire, for Nature is doing the work that the rifle has hitherto attempted, but failed in accomplishing— the total annihilation of the race. We should be sony to think that this feeling is general in the North Island, or that it really represents the true state of the case. It is net the province of peace to destroy, but to conserve ; and when we, in the Middle Island so freely consented to aid in the defence of the Northern settlers, it was not for the purpose of exterminating the aborigines, but for the maintenance of law and the establishment of justice. The great end the present Government has in view is the protection of life and property, and the civilisation of the Maori race. We see no good end to be gained by the

substitution of one sot of savages foif another and this would be clearly the result, if men. pf the Bully Times correspondent class were t6 displace the Maoris, whose “annihilation” they so earnestly long for. The white savage may have the advantage over his dark-skinned brother of being able to relate wishes in a distant journal that the other would feel ashamed to confess : but every one who reads a passage betraying such mean and despicable cupidity will feel that on the writer civilisation has been wasted. It has not eliminated one single selfish passion: it has not given him just views of what is due from man to man : it has not led him to look with compassion upon the untaught children of nature. It has washed the outside of the sepulchre, but within the old corruption reigns intact. We are loth to believe that these ideas are shared in to any great extent by the Northern population. They are inconsistent with the frank and generous bravery of our race. But when we read them stated in such unconcerned matter-of-fact language, as if they were the everyday talk of people in Taranaki, they lead to very grave reflections on the state of Northern feeling. It would be too much to expect that those whose interests have suffered during the late war should at once forget the strife or the antagonism of feeling engendered by it; but the claim to our sympathies lay in the idea that, in making the sacrifices we have done, it was for the defence of the civilised against the savage. Such hopes as the Times correspondent expresses, irresistibly lead to the conviction that we have been played upon, and that the real promoters of the late wars were those who, by one means or another, seek to possess themselves of the whole land in the Northern Island. On the part of the people of this Middle Island, we protest against the expression of any such desire on our parts. We protest against its going forth to the World that the annihilation of the Maori race is desired by the Colonists of New Zealand, Such statements have a tendency to degrade the Colony in the eyes of the civilised nations of the world ; and on the part of the Middle Island we disclaim any participation or sympathy in them.

The San Francisco Mail.—Messrs Driver, Stewart, and Co., the agents of the American steamers, inform us that the Nebraska arrived at Napier this morning, and sailed almost immediately for Wellington. She will most probably arrive at Port Chalmers at daylight on Tuesday morning. It may not be uninteresting to our readers to state that the Nebraska made the through passage from San Francisco in 24 days, the quickest passage on record ; thus making an average of about 12 knots an hour throughout.

A Good Idea.—The newspaper controversy in Auckland on the subject of temperance has reached such alarming proportions that the Evening Star there refuses to insert correspondents’ letters beyond thirty lines, unless the same are paid for as advertisements. We shall be glad if our correspondents will take the hint. Political. —lt has been authoritatively announced that Mr Stafford will not address his constituents at Timarn this recess.

New J.P.—Messrs Jas. Black, of Dunedin ; Jno. Drysdale, of Port Chalmers ; J. B. Lake, Switzers ; and Hugh M‘Dermid, Port Chalmers, have been appointed justices of peace for the Colony.

Waiareka Branch Railway.—MiHardy, C. E., has been appointed engineer for this line, and'has commenced the necessary survey preparatory to the bringing in of a Bill at next session of Parliament.

Bazaar.—The balance’of goods left from the bazaar in aid of the Trinity Church, Port Chalmers, were sold by auction last evening, and, after some spirited bidding, realised nearly LSO. A Successful Building Society. —The Timaru society, after a career of about seven and a half years, has been closed. During its existence a sum of L 21,000 passed through its hands ; and investors, who remained till the termination of the society, received fifteen per cent, for their money.

Scientific. —When Captain Hutton, the assistant geologist, vieitccl the KawaKawa coal mines recently, he directed the miners to sink for a seam of coal, which he told them would be found at a depth of 170 feet. The seam was reached at a depth of 108 feet; and we are told the miners expressed great admiration at the accuracy of Captain Hutton,

Serious Accident.—The Oamaru Times understands that Mr J. Dalgleish met with a serious accident on Wednesday night on his way homewards from Oamaru. Tiis horse reaching home riderless, search was made, and Mr Dalgleish was found lying in the road some distance from his house in an insensible state, and yesterday morning was still unconscious. He is under the care of Dr Wait.

Dunedin Athenaeum. The usual parcel of magazines has been received by the above institute, and comprises the following books :—“ South Sea Bubbles,” by the Earl (Pembroke) and the Doctor ; and three vols, by the author of “ Caste,” “My Son’s Wife,” &c., &c., containing the following tales :—“ Bruna’s Revenge ” (the title of the work), “ Old Hilton’s Daughter,” “ Two Eras in Maude Rossiter’s Life,” and “ Fior Di Limone.”

Dunedin Gaol.—Mr Caldwell’s report for the year ended 3lst March last has just reached us and we shall take an opportunity of noticing it. It is of a very satisfactory tenor, as will be shewn by the fact that while the salaries and departmental contingencies amounted to L 6921 6s ; the

(£hve oftho prisoners’ labor, etc,',-, .amounted iio ! L73(j4 17s 9d ; shoeing the ’institution to be more than self-supporting by the sum of L 443 16s 9d,

Aquatic, —According to announcement the return natch between the Peninsulu N.B. crew aud the Dunedin crew took place this afternoon. The start took place about two o’clock, from the end of the jetty. Captain Stively officiated as starter, and the boats got off well together (and pulled about three quarters of the distance, when through some unexplained cause the Dunedin crew gave in, and the Peninsula crew rowed the remaining distance at their ease, thus winning the race. The Norman Romance.—lt would appear that this affair, unlike the Tichborne case, has collapsed just as it was about to become interesting. We have it on the authority of the Thames Advertiser that it is currently reported in Auckland that the mystery has been exploded by the filing on the part of the claimant, Mr Jones of Dunedin, of another affidavit before the Chief Justice, partly apologising to the judge and to the widow. It is said that since the proceedings in chambers, when the affidavits in opposition to her application were filed, Mr. Jones had an interview with Norman and failed most nnmiatakeably to identify her as the alleged Mrs Robertson of Dunedin, milliner and barmaid.

A Serious Matter.—A startling case, which destroys all confidence in the safe custody of deeds placed in the Registry Office at Christchurch, has just been brought to light. We give the following information on the authority of the Press: —“In a case heard last week before Mr Justice Gresson, a cert in deed which had been deposited in the Registry Office was proved to have been tampered with and altered while in the custody of the department. We offer no opinion as to how or by whom this was done, but we understand that solicitors and their clerks are habitually allowed access to the room where the deeds are kept, and are permitted to remain as long as they choose without any supervision by the officials. This is not as it should be.” As the officials in this department are the custodians of great numbers of d-eos, the property of persons absent from the Province, it is incumbent upon the authorities at once to institute a most searching investigation into this particular case, and to impose some very stringent regulations under which examination of deeds should be permitted.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Commercial Building and Investment Society for receiving subscriptions, &c., will be held on Monday evening from 6 to 8 o’clock.