AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 210, 6 January 1865, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

By the steamship Lord Ashley, from Auckland, we have received papers to the 3rd inst. The Auckland public still exhibit a strong feeling on the question of the removal of the Seat of Government, and the separation of Auckland from the rest of the colony, the papers teeming with articles and correspondence on these points. We have culled a few of the most important and interesting paragraphs from these papers.

Pai Mabiei. —-The letter from our Thames correspondent, which we published yesterday, notifies the spread of the Pai Mairiri superstition, and <jOnveys some interesting particulars of that mischievous delusion. It appears that some hundreds of the fanatics lately visited the Thames district, with the purpose of gaining proselytes to their new creed ; and in this they were only too successful. “ All the Natives,” says oar correspondent, “ in this part of the district, with the exception of Ngatimaru, went up to Ukawhukura to see the Hon Pai Mariri, and I am sorry to say have most of them very foolishly joined this imposture, which is nothing less than electro-biology or mesmeri.-m. This they do by putting up a flag-staff, and then they all bow down, spreading out their arms ; after going through ail this nonsense, they arrange all who wish to join this creed in a row, and the Pai Mariris commence operations by forming a row of the believers on the opposite side. They then begin waving their arms up and down like a regular professor, jabbering at the same time a regular babel of gibberish, which quite bewilders the would-be proselyte. After a little time some of the weak-minded succumb to the power of these professors; and then commences the most hideous sound or gibberish, which in some cases lasted from four to five days. This, the Pai Mairiria say, is to loosen the tongue, so that they may shortly acquire some foreign language. The Pai Mairiris say they can stop the rain when they like, and as for the troops they do not care a fig for them, as they are ball proof. They intend to build no more pas, but fight it out in the clear. They allow a plurality of wives; their Sabbath is on Saturday; wlien they pray, they pray to God, but not to Christ ; ■ their watch-word is lion Pai Mairiri. Even Native ministers, who ought to know b -iter, have joined this new plaything. A few of these Natives are going to a great political meeting at Rangitoto, to see the head prophet, ‘John the Baptist,’ and find out if'this new creed has any truth in it. There is no doubt this new faith is got up to retrieve the broken fortunes of the Kingites by ofte last blow. William Naylor is to be destroyed. These Natives, running after the now creed so quickly show they are not much better than children ; any new thing pleases them. There is no doubt that'when this gets a little older, it will be discarded as quickly us it was taken up.”— Neto Zealander , 3rd Jan. A New Zealand Gaxette was published on Saturday, and. contains a proclamation by the Governor in Council, bringing the Native Lands Act, 1862, into force within the whole colony. Our readers will recollect that we intimated on Saturday-that such a proclamation won d shortly be issued. The Act requires considerable emendations before it can be worked satisfactorily to the Northern natives. It may have the effect, however, of enabling purchasers to buy up the remaining native lands. in the Middle Island, as experience has proved that the large reserves there are comparatively valueless to tue natives, who will remain Maories to the end of the chapter.— lbid. In the Gatetie there appears a proclamation, altering the rate charged for registering letters, for transmission through the post o:3ce. to sixpence. Another proclamation limits the power of franking letters. Whatever may be said of the other changes in the post office regulations, we think this last-named is highly desirable, as the old-fashioned and reprehensive system of “franking”' was carried to a ridiculous extent in this colony. The letters of aboriginal natives are excepted. ■ Letters on the public service solely, signed by the name of the sender, and addressed to the Governor, the senior military and naval commanders, and members of the Executive Council, are to pa» free of post; all others to bo paid for. These regulations come in force on February I.— Jhid.

Another most important announcement appears In Saturday’s Gazette, viz., an order in Council increasing the rate of interest on moneys to he hereafter raised under the New Zealand Loan Act, 1863, to six per cent. Of course, every one knew-the rate of interest required to be raised to enable the loan to be floated; but the party to which the Executive are allied spared no abuse of Mr. Reader Wood and the late Government for raising money on these, the only possible terms. However, the late Government have their revenge. The rate of interest is raised ; we hope the balance of the loan can be raised also. — Ibid. Settlement of th® Waikato. —We learn that the settlement of this large district will not be much longer delayed, the terms on which the province undertakes the work being all but arranged. It is not desirable to say more at present. We may add, however, that the suggestions which appeared in our columns recently on this subject will be acted on very nearly, because they are the only terms on which the province could have anything to do with it.— Southern Cross, 2nd January.

An accident occurred in Princes-street, Onebangs, yesterday morning, which might have terminated with serious results. A horse tied to a cart-wheel near the place “ where the village smithy stands’- 1 suddenly bolted, carrying attached to his head by a long rope the wheel, which, as the horse tore along, swayed about with fearful velocity from side to side of the road, and at i ne place knocked down a boy, but, happily, without Seriously hurting him. Luckily the rope broke St this point, or the damage done might have been serious, as the van loaded with passengers for Auckland just at the moment turned round the corner, and if a collision had taken place the result would have been serious. .

In Wednesday’s issue of the Daily Southern Cross we noticed that a young: child, named Magnio Alien, aged about three years, the daughter of Corporal Allen, of the C Battery 4th B -igade Royal Artillery, had strayed away from home on Monday afternoon, towards the Rifle Butts Mount Eden ; and that, although diligent search was made for the little girl by her parents and friends ; also by four Artillerymen, kindly told off for the duty, by Colonel Williams ; and two policemen, whose services were given by Mr. Commissioner Nau-'htoii; that the search proved fruitless. We are glad, however, to find that the missing child lias again been restored to her anxious parents bv Mrs. Owen, by whom she was found on the Epsom side of Mount Eden on Tuesday evening last, at half-past five o’clock. The little rambler must have strayed through the high fern and tea-tree quite round the Mount, and had been fasting tile whole time. ‘ Her faco. neCk, arms, and legs were considerably burned .from exposure to the ravs of the sun throughout the whole of Tuesday. Upon awaking on Tuesday morning, after sleeping during the night upon the fern, she discovered a cow lying close beside her, and by which means she had been kept warm during the whole of the night. With the exception of the sun-burnt features, &c., she does not appear to have otherwise materially suffered from her long absence from home.— lbid.

Mr. Joseph Morris Carrougher was yesterday charged with making a false declaration before the Registrar of Marriages with respect to Ihe age of a young woman named Helen Jones, and was remanded until Friday next, bail being accepted for his appearance on that day.—JAM. A young man, named Richard Hexham, was yesterday charged with obtaining £lO from Mr. Louis Medard. of the Cafe Napoleon in Queens street, by means of two cheques drawn by himself on the Bank of New Zealand, ia which establishment he had no account, and was unknown. The prisoner was committed for trial.

The recent proclamation, issued under the h ind of his Excellency the Governor, confiscating the whole of the land in the Waikato taken by the Queen’s forces, and from which the rebel natives have been driven, has tended to instil confidence in the minds of the militarp settlers already placed on their allotments, but who felt scarcely secure in their possessions until the act of confiscation had been made.