LOCAL AND GENERAL

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume V, Issue 241, 20 March 1865, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

Registration of Claims. —The time allowed by the law for the registration of electoral claims is now rapidly passing away, and but a few days remain duringwhich new claims can he received by the registrar m officer; we would t herefore once mure strongly urge upon all the unregistered residents of the province, who may be entitled to the electoral privilege, to send in their claims as early as possible. We have already referred to this matter, and must now recall attention to the fact that in all probability qualified persons, whose names may be omitted from the new list, will be unable to vote at the next election of members fur the General Assembly, and will be. in consequence, virtually disqualified for several years to come. All consideration whether of a provincial or colonial nature, tends to impress upon every person upon whom the law has bestowed the privileges of the franchise, the necessity of securing the right to exercise that privilege by tendering his claim, To all such we would say *• Register ! Register I”

Seat of Government. Mr Justice Johnston is reported by the Spectator to have used the following words when addressing tire Grand Jury at Wellington:— “He congratulated them, and indeed the whole colony, on the important change that had taken place in the removal of the seat of Government to Wellington ; the chief Executive officers Were now in a central position of the colony, which would very much increase the facilities that had already existed for the administration of justice.” It would appear that ths use of the above remarks by his Honor has given great offence to our Auckland contemporaries, who call Mr. Johnston a political judge, and say that he deserves censure from the Ministry ; for ourselves we see nothing political or worthy of censure in the matter. Are the Aucklanders afraid that the “ incrased facilities” given by the removal of the seat of the General Government to a central position will prove a sufficient remedy for the ills so long suffered by the South and so cure the separation mania. Separation.—ln making the following remarks, the Sydney Empire seems to have forgotten that the “ Aucklanders and the people of Dunedin” do not con stifute the population of the two Islands of New Zealand. There are two sides to the question as well as to Cooks' Straits, and it remains to be proved whether the one sided view taken by the separationists shall overpower the

strongly expressed will of the whole 001011/ (wirh the exception of Auckland and Otago} against the scheme, “ Never,” says ther Sydney Empire, “ was a divorce mure earnestly coveted on both sides, than that of the two islands of New Zealand. We have al-ready-heard how unanimously the Aucklanders, on ascertaining the decision ot the Legislature as to the removal of the seat of government to Wellington, agreed to petition for the separation of the two islands. We now find that the people of Hunedin, in Otago, are as unanimous ami earnest in their desire to have the union dissolved.

The Ladybird, after leaving this port for Auckland on Jie 7th, experiencing strong N.E. winds and easterly swell along the coast. Hounded the East Cape at 3 p.m. on the Bth, and at 3 30 - p.m. had to stop the engines in consequence of the feed pipe bursting ; proceeded on the passage again at 930 p.m., and had a fierce N.E. gale with heavy swell in crossing the Bay of Plenty, and from thence thick rainy weather up to her arrival and anchored at (3 o’clock in the evening of the 9th, She left Auckland on the 13th, called at Hicks’ Bay and Poverty Bay remaining two days at the latter port, and arrived here on Saturday morning (18th) at £3 o’clock, the news she brings was already anticipated by the Star of the South and Use Queen, She brings no passengers from the coast beyond the family of the Hev. S. Williams, the Bishop having still sufficient confidence in the natives to remain for the present, the murdering cannibals had not arrived there from Upotiki and nothing had been heard of the party though Hau-hau natives were known to be in the neighborhood, a veswill be stationed in Poverty Bay for the safety of the settlers, in ease of need.