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Grey River Argus, Volume III, Issue 198, 20 April 1867, Page 3

Breach ofPromisb of Marriage. — A little old man with a number of papers in his hand came -before Mr Paget,. Thames Police Court, London-, to complain of what he termed a most astounding,.unprecedented, and heartless, display of wickedness, unchristian and unfeeling conduct on the part of a woman, to whom he. had- been paying most true and honourable addn sses. Mr Paget. — You pay addresses to a woman ? You want a nurse (laughter). The little man, who shook violently, said lie saw an advertisement in a newspaper that a woman possessed of beauty and means wished to meet with a partner who would make her happy for life. Tired of a life of single blessedness, lie answered the advertisement, had an interview with tlie fair one, took her to his lodgings, and made her well acquainted with bhe economy of his 1 household. She professed to bo well pleased with him and with everything. Other interviews took place. Letters passed between them. Mr Paget — Love letters 1 The Applicant — Yes, sir. We agreed to get married, and I bought her a wedding-dress, which cost me L 8 lawful money of Great Britain; a new bonnet, and a mangle. Mr Paget — A .mangle 1 •Who was- to turn it? Applicant — She was to turn the mangle. "Well, sir, every thing was ready for the marriage ; banns put up in the parish church, wedding cake; prepared, and my new clothes pur- ■ chased : all was going on smoothly, and at the last moment she refused to have . me, and said she never intended— in fact, she did not love me well enough to many me, and she has got my property ? Mr Paget said he could not make the woman love tlie old man or marry him. He looked over the love letters of the woman, which were written very badly and in very amatory terms. The reading of them i by the magistrate created great mirth. Mr Paget returned them to the would-be husband of the woman who had jilted him, and said he could do nothing for him at all ; but if he was so advised, he could bring an action agabist the faithless fair one for breach of promise of marriage. The old man packed up his papers, gave a long-drawn sigh, and loft the court, a wretched specimen of blighted love. Native Doings at Kawhia.— A correspondent of the Southern Gross writes, on the 31st ult., as follows :— " Let us hope that the day is not far distant when New Zealand shall be celebrated for the honesty and sobriety of her people, when wars shall no longer be known, and where peace and plenty shall smile on this ' country. The intelligence which I have ■ to record is not very favorable. Several large meetings have been held since the 1 return of Mauiopoto to Hangatika, by ; both war parties, to take yito constdera- ' tion some plan to help the natives who are engaged in war on ;;he East Coast. It 1 is said that Te Ua's pirty, belonging to - Mokau j are-employed foraging about near" '< ; the boundary aukati'-tsipu, and not very i distant from MaungaUutan. to waylay

the Arawas if they attempt to cross the country by that route. They have an abundance of food, and I am informed that their mode of warfare now is to be different fiom their former one. They profess to be waiting until the harvest is over. Large quantities of dried fish have been received by Te Paea, who i& still living at Harihnri, near Hangatiki. On the plain near Te Paoa's house or place of residence, armed bodies of men assembled almost every day for the purpose of practising military evolutions, and acquainting themselves with the most effectual means for successfully resisting regular troops. During these meetings threats of the most direful character have repeatedly been lield out that the day of signal vengeance is at lvaud. The women are iv the habit of amusing the assembly by propounding riddles for solution by the Hauhan priests. Matutacra,. who appeared- at public worship to celebrate the arrival of several chiefs from the district of Mokau and Taranaki, wore a regatta shirt and a piece of red cloth round his loins, and his skin dyed with kokowai arid pigeon fat ; lie had a very dissipated look. It is fashionable for the lighting men to decorate themselves with fancy colored handkerchiefs, and oil themselves from head to foot with shark oil and a mixture of kokowai dust. A number of natives (SO) have left for Tauranga, principally .belonging to Taranaki, but have also managed to decoy away with them a number of Maoris from the Hangatiki district.