SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 351, 19 February 1866, Page 2

SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

By the arrival, late on Friday night, of the s.s. Lady Bird,’ Captain Kreeft, we hare been placed in possession of our usual files from Southern Provinces. Extracts will be found below. WELLINGTON. PTTBIIC DEMONSTEATION TO MAJOB-S2BT. CKUTM, A meeting, says the Advertiser of Wednesday; last, of the inhabitants of Wellington was called on Monday last, at the Odd Fellows’ Hall, for the purpose of adopting an address to be presented to Major-General Chute, as a mark of recognition on the part of the people of this eity of the valuable services which he had rendered to it on the West Coast, Shortly after three o’clock, the hour appointed for the meeting, the hall began to fill* and soon a large number of the most influential merchants and citizens of the town assembled On the platform we recognised the Hon. John Johnson, Messrs Waring Taylor, Ehodes, G. Moore, Duncan, and Hunter, whilst in the body of the hall many of the notabilities took their seats.

The following address was adopted, with th# exception of the following words, which appear at the commencement of the second paragraph, viz“ Without desiring to draw any invidious comparisons ”:—

“ To Major-General Chute, commanding the Forces in the Colony of New Zealand.

We, the undersigned, settlers of the Province of Wellington, New Zealand* beg to offer you our cordial congratulations on the complete and triumphant success which has attended your march from Wanganui to Taranaki, and our grateful thanks for the important services you have rendered this province and the colony at large by thi* movement. J

“ Without desiring to draw any invidious comparisons we may be allowed to say that the plan which so you boldly conceived, you have carried out with equal energy and courage, by penetrating the forest of New Zealand by a new and hitherto untried path ; the hostile natives have at lust been taught that the troops, under an able and energetic leader, can follow them wherever they may retreat, and that the bush will no longer afford shelter to disaffection, or allow them to offer with impunity an armed resistance to her Majesty'* Government. J

“By your courage and sagacity you hare in a few weeks brought to a close on the West Coast an expensive and ruinous war, which has lasted for some years, which has been productive of most serious losses to the settlers and has entailed heavy embarrassments on the Colony and a great expense on the mother country. We have every reason to believe that, as a consequence of your success, the disaffected natives, lindingany further resistance to the Government hopeless, will, by a. timely submission, put an end to the disturbances that have affected the country, and yield a willing obedience to the law ; and that the Colony by your exertions will enjoy the blessing of u last*, ing peace.” LATEST FEOM WANGANUI. UNSETTLED STATE OP THE WEST COAST. The Wanganui Chronicle of the 10th inst., afterannouncing the arrival of General Chute and Dr. Featherston, proceeds to say the Native Contingent are also paying a visit to their friends, whilo reposing for a time upon their laurels. On Thursday, the streets were all alive with our allies and their loot, in the shape of horses captured from the enemy, and yesterday Putiki rang with the shouts of the war-dance. Among the trophies of the campaign was the notorious Te Ua, one of the first, if not the first, prophet and promulgator of the new Pai Marire faith. He is a stout stalwart man, between forty and fifty years of age, with a. villainous cast in one of his eyes. Either through penitence or fear, Ta Ua came in and surrendered himself. Ho is now a prisoner at large until the will of the Government is ascertained regarding him.

But what next ? Rebellion is not yet trampled out. The Hau-haus have commenced lighting fires again in the vicinity of Mere Mere, about nine iniles inland from Manawapou. Since the capture of Otapawa no smoke has been seen near this place till a few days ago when it was again observed. It is thought, and with good reason, that a strong pa is somewhere about there. Tha bush is very dense and the gullies countless. These and other signs to which we have had oc* casion already to advert cannot be overlooked. A proposition has been mooted to present Ge* neral Chute with a sword, oud already a consider* able sum has been collected for this purpose in Wanganui. OTAGO. A Mas DaowKED.— -The body of a man, sup* posed to have been accidentally drowned, has been found at Port Chalmers. The deceased, William Jackson, was a seaman belonging to the lighter Winning Hazard, from which lighter a man waa drowned about ten days ago. The man was last seen on Sunday, the 28th ult., on board the Winning Hazard, then lying off Observation Point, nearly in the same place where the former accident occurred. It is supposed that he was fishing, and, when so engaged, fell overboard, as, on the morning after the accident is supposed to have occurred, a fishing lino was found hanging over the side of the lighter, and there is no suspicion of intemperance, the man being of steady habits. Daily TiaiWjSth i'ebruary.-