OTAGO.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 227, 15 February 1865, Page 3

OTAGO.

PUBLIC MEETING- AT PORT CHALMERS. (Abridged from fie Daily Tims, Jan. 19.) ■ A numerously attenoed meeting, called to consider the political separation of the North and Middle Islands of New Zealand, was held on Tuesday evening, in the large room of the Provincial hotel, Port Chalmers. Mr. Robert Dyason moved a series of resolutions, intended to be proposed seriatim, but which were put in the hands of one mover, for the convenience of the meeting, it being understood that resolutions of a different tenor were also to be proposed. They were as follows: “ That the time has arrived when it is absolutely necessary there should be a change in the political and legislative relations of the various parts of the islands of New Zealand; and in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable, just, and essential that the Middle or Southern Island should be disjoined from the Northern Island, and have a separate Government of its own.”

“ That while recognizing the fact that the provincial Governments have done some service in the past, this meeting considers the future destiny of the colony or colonies will be most speedily and prosperously worked out. by the erection of a central Government in each island to deal with all legislation pertaining to a sovereign State, and that local and distinct affairs may then be entrusted to municipal bodies in tne towns and country, and parish organizations in the country.” Mr. Hugh M‘Dermid proposed, as an amendment to the first set of resolutions, some resolutions drafted by Mr. Macandrew, and which he read as follows :

“ After having fully considered the question in all its bearings, looking at the injuries which have resulted to this province in consequence of so much of the practical administration of its affairs having been in the hands of a distant, an inaccessible, and practically irresponsible authority at Auckland — seeing, moreover, the serious drain upon the resources of the province wjiich is constantly going on for the exclusive benefit of the Northern Island, and seeing the crippled state in which the abstraotion of such a large proportion of its revenue has left the finances of the province. “The meeting resolves—That the evils in question must be at once remedied, or the province be established as a distinct aii(| separate colony. “ Before, however, taking any action towards the dismemberment of the colony—a step which the meeting would strongly deplore, and to which it would not have recourse unless absolutely driven thereto—lt is resolved—That an effort be made effectually to remedy the evils complained of, by means of the constitution as it is with which, were it expedient, that the centralising policy which has actuated the General Government of late years be modified or repressed,. and the functions of the Provincial ‘Governments, instead of being contracted, as they have been, should be extended and enlarged, so that all matters within the respective province, not directly affecting Federal interests, may be regulated and administered on the spot; and specially that the public revenue of the colony should be expended within the particular province from which it has been derived — each province bearing its equitable share of the past liability of the colony. Mr. Simpson replied to Mr. M'Andrew, advo-cating,-in earnest language, the cause of Separation pure anrl simple, and emphatically condemning all M'Andrew’s scheme ns a fallacy “ based on rot.” The two sets of resolutions were then put to the meeting, when tha show of hands was declared to be, by a majority of two, in favour of the .resolutions for the Separation of the North and Middle Island. This decision was, however, challenged, and the meeting agreed to divide. Amid much cheering and jeering, the supporters of the opposing resolutions were marshalled on different sides of the room ; the division was declared to be, by a considerable majority, in favour of Mr. MMDermid’s amendment; and the result was received with three dicers.

Two Woxdees ix the Exmcmox.—l find it perfectly impossible to do justice to llie Otago collection by any'description which shall go into detail ; and I close tins letter by a notice only .-f two great wonders of nature and art in the Exhibition, as to which I believe New Zealand can claim an absolute pre-eminence. The first wonder is that of nature, and consists of a group of spherical boulders brought from the beach at Moeraki, whore they arc found in great numbers, varying in size from a few inches to nine feet in diameter, and as perfectly spherical as the world itself or a schoolboy’s marble. What they are seems not to be exactly known ; but among the specimens exhibited is one broken into segments, each of which is symmetrical with the rest, and ends in a crystalline form in the centre of the boulder, the outside being divided like a pumpkin. The other wonder is that of ad, and consists in a perpetual motion clock, in which there'is no deception. The workmanship and the secret of the invention both belong to a Mr. Beverly, a watchmaker, long resident in Dunedin, who was before now invented some excellent apparatus of a similar character. The clock has nothing recondite about its appearance; extreme simplicity indeed is its characteristic. An oblong case, the upper half of which is glazed and the lower boxed in, stands on end, and supports the works within it; and there is no apparent opening. A dial of the ordinary kind, a singular looking but not novel ‘torsion’ pendulum, three little weights, balancing one another on what seems an endless chain passing over two wheels, and a single upright attached by way of support, and passing down into the boxed part of the case below these are all the parts visible. The inventor does not make a mystery of the principle; he has had a clock openly going in his house for the last 15 months without being touched, and there seeme no reason why it should not continue to go as long as the material may wear. The principle is so simple as to carry conviction of its truth at once. The alterations in temperature of the atmosphere are applied to create motion, and the motion so created is applied to work always in the same direction, winding up the weight, whose gravitation keeps the clock going. The principle is simple, but the application of it is the difficulty. Mr. Beverly has a right to claim the whole merit of applying a novel force, even though it should turn out, which does not appear likely, that the idea of utilizing the natural alternations of temperature, in expanding and contracting fluids, had occurred to some one before. I have not yet met any person with pretensions to scientific acquirements who questions the propriety of calling Mr. Bevesley’s invention one of perpetual motion. This alone is worth a long journey to see. —Correspondent of.the Southland Times,

A Maori Maiden and Her Admirers A word or two before we close about Arriana, the object of bis adoration. She is a remarkably pretty half-caste, the offspring of an Englishman and a Maori woman. Her mother died some years ago ; and her father, one of those restless, unsettled beings so often to be met with in the colonies, left her to the care of her Maori relations, and started for Australia : nothing has been heard of him since. When the war broke out she was living with a settler near Awamutu; -the family was obliged to leave, and she was carried off by the rebels. She says that this was done against her will, and that while the fighting was going on at the pah she was tied to another woman to prevent her from attempting to escape- We suspect, however, that she was tied only by the gentle cords of love, and that a Maori warrior had something to do with her presence. When the pah was evacuated she • was hit by a bullet, which shattered her arm ; it would have gone hard with her in the indiscriminate slaughter which ensued, bad not some brave fellow stood over her, and defended her life. No less than ten men came forward to claim the honour due to this gallant deed; but this was after the report of her beauty had spread over the camp, and each claimant doubtless imagined that he could establish a lien over her heart. Nay, some weeks after the fight, an enthusiastic militiaman travelled all the way from Raglan, a distance of thirty miles, and demanded an interview with the brigadier; he stated that he was the preserver of Arriana’s life; he could neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, for thinking of her; so he had made up his mind to make her his wife. He had j£so in the savings bank, which he wished to devote to her education, so as to prepare her for the duties of the married life. All that he desired at present was an interview with the object of his affections; Arriana would at once recognise him and rush to his arms. There was only one slight difficulty ; he spoke no Maori, and she knew no English; but love has a language of its own; he had no doubt that they would understand one another. The brigadier, amused at the fellow’s earnestness, granted the desired interview, and allowed the interpreter to be present to assist if the silent language of love should prove insufficient. The lover entered the room with a bashful, sheepish air, and stared at Arriana, who stared at him in return; but there was no recognition on her part, no outburst of gushing gratitude, no rushing to his arms. On the contrary, she turned to the interpreter, and coolly asked what the man wanted; on learning which she laughed heartily, and told him to go away; as she had never seen him before, and would have nothing to say to him. The poor man begged, beseeched, implored, and looked unutterable things;'Arriana only tittered and turned away her head. Ever since that time he has continued to urge his suit in letters, written by a half-caste amanuensis ; but the Maori maiden is still obdurate. The poor militiaman is not the only man who has felt the power of her beauty, or claimed to be her preserver; so importunate were some of her admirers, that a guard had to be stationed at the hut for her protection. She has now almost recovered from her wound; and an asylum will be provided for her in an orphan institution. We have still some hopes for the militiaman ; perseverance often leads to success in love as in everything else. — Frazers Magazine for November.

Tetanus or Lockjaw. —The following simple cure for this spasmodic contraction of the jaw was communicated to the present writer bv an Arab, many years ago. It is the only remedy resorted to in Arabia. Take a bullock’s gall,' hot from the beast if possible ; dilute with water a tea spoonful, and make the patient swallow it as best you can. Eub the remainder as your, would an ointment under the ear and down the whole side to the big toe, paying particular attention to that part as well as the jaw. Continue hard rubbing until the muscles of the jaw relax; then let the patient swallow ten or a dozen drops and take rest.

Except the Captain—The captain of a trading vessel heard the cabin-boy give his opinion of the officers of the ship, which was not at all complimentary. After inflicting severe chastisement on the delinquent, he told the boy that the next time he said anything agains anyone on board of his boat he must always except the captain. The next day the boy came out with a roast leg of pork for the cabin table, and did not see a half-grown pig that was standing in his path. The result was that he suddenly found himself and the pork landed in a heap upon the deck. He was soon upon his feet again, and, shaking his fist at the pig, which had ,by this time got out of feach, he cried’ “ You are the vilest, meanest hog I ever did see !”’ and, seeing the captain watching him, he thought of his promise, and finished with “except the captain.” A Man-stealer Punished.—Fountain Brown, a copper-headed citizen of Washington, has been convicted of kidnapping negroes and selling them into slaveryj and sentenced to fifteen years’ imprisonment to hard labor at Alton, near Illinois. —English paper.