News of the Day.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 361, 26 March 1866, Page 3

News of the Day.

THE ELECTION FOR NAPIER. DECLARATION OB THE POLL. The following is the state of the poll, as declared by the Returning Officer at noon on Friday, the 23rd March. . H'Leau Oolesuo Town of Napier - 113 20 Napier Country . . 13 , 2 Petane -* . . . g j Jfohaka - - . . 7 0 Totals - - 140 S 3 Majority for Mr M'Lean - 114 Mr M'Lean then briefly expressed his thanks to the electors. Mr Colenso said this was the last occasion in which he would address the people of Napier as a public man. He had come there to own himself beaten and to thank the electors who had voted for him. He was cheered by the knowledge that those who bad voted for him had voted in support of the principle that the whole community should be represented, and not merely one section, as the case stood at present. He was cheered by the knowledge that none who voted for him had been in any way bribed to do so, and that out of the number who voted for M'Lean, there was not an equal number who had done so. There were four good results from the contest. In the first place a great deal of money was in the pockets of the electors which would not have been expended otherwise." Secondly, to the consent they owed the pledge which had been dragged from Mr M‘Lean by Mr Miller, and of which pledge they were now the holders. It was a powerful engine, and one which they would no doubt have to use. Third—Had Mr M'Lean gone in without a contest, he would have thought he had gone in with the unanimous contest of the electors. In this ho would have been mistaken, for in addition to what hud been termed the “ miserable” minority of 32, there was the respectable minority of nearly onehalf of the electors who had not voted at all. These were men who would have voted against M'Lean had they dared, but who would have suffered too severely had they done so. Fourth, —It enabled him and his constituents to know each other. Had he resigned in favor of M'Lean as some advised him to do, he should have placed himself in a false position. He should have still gone on fighting their battles in the Provincial Council, imagining that he possessed their confidence. Now- he knew who were for and who against him. He was no longer their representative in the Provincial Council. He had promised last Friday that he would tell them the names of those 19 persons who had told him that their names were falsely placed on that requisition. Ho had since received a letter, making the list of twenty. A person had since reminded him what a vindictive person Mr M'Lean -was, and the power hepossessed for mischief, and that it would be highly injurious to those persons to mention their names. Therefore he would not do so. He then thanked the electors for all past services and retired.

Heath by HEowxiXG.—We regret to have to record a melancholy death by drowning which took place in the Meaneo river, on Wednesday, 21st March. The deceased (Mr W. C'. Gordon, son of Capt. Gordon, of Cape Kidnapper) was, it would appear, at tire Shamrock Hotel on the day in question, and had left in the direction of Mr Maney s. Iho same evening, a Maori named Jerry, formerly in the employ of Messrs Eich and Parker, found the horse, with a saddle on, but no signs of the rider. The body was found on Friday morning, floating in the river. It is supposed that the horse had gone to the river for a drink while proceeding in the direction of Meanee, and that, in going down the hank, which in some parts is very steep, precipitated his unfortunate rider over his head. An inquest was held on the body on Saturday, 24th March, when a verdict of “ Accidentally drowned” was returned.

Hawke’s Bay Agsictjxtttbai Society’s Show. —The second Show of the above Society took place at Havelock on Wednesday, 21st March. The arrangements were carried out in a manner which reflected great credit upon those entrusted with management; and the show of stock, although not quite so good perhaps as might have been expected, was such as to lead us to look forward to afar better show next year. Nearly all Napier was present; and everybody seemed well pleased with their day’s enjoyment, and with the sheep, cattle, horses, &c., which were exhibited. The Maohi Pexsonees. —The s.s. ‘ St. Kilda,’ Captain Kennedy, which left Napier for Chatham Islands on the 10th March, with some 6t native prisoners, returned to port on Thursday, the 22nd having been absent only twelve days. She arrived at Waitangi, Chatham Islands, on Wednesday, the 14th March ; when the Resident Magistrate of the Island, Captain Thomas, went on shore, and held a consultation with some chiefs on shore, who requested him not to land the prisoners till nest day, when they would have an opportunity of consulting some of the chiefs not then present. Accordingly, next day (Thursday) arrangements having been completed, the prisoners were landed, and marched to a pa, where they were treated in a very kind and hospitable manner by the resident natives. We heard one gentlemen who went up in the ‘St. Kilda’ say that they bad gone into a perfect Paradise. The ‘ St. Kilda,’ we understand, will return to the Chathams with another batch as soon os she has been cleaned. The Whakatane Teagedy.-— The Southern Cross of the 21st hast. Bays : —The trial of the sixteen Maoris for the m order of Ned, seaman, of the cutter Kate, was resumed at the Supreme Court yesterday. At the conclusion of Welini’s evidence, Mr Cornell addressed the jury for the prisoners. His Honor then summed up at conquerable length, and the jury, after being absent about three-quarters of an hour, returned with a verdict finding all the prisoners guilty,. Sentence was deferred. The. Attoekey-Genebai..— lt is rumoured in the South that tuo Hon. James Prendergast has tendered his resignation as Attorney-General of the Colony, and that it has been accepted by Mr Stafford, * ‘ m

Is THE War OTee ?—Lately w? treated our readers to a few remarks on tbe above subject, in which we set forth the falsity of the opinions entertained fay some of our contemporaries that the war was virtually over. As a further proof of the soundness of the opinions we then expressed, and which we still hold, wo clip tho following extract from the Southern Cross, of the 20th March : Amongst tbe fruits of the late waa is this: that the country between Napier and Auckland is closed to Europeans. Eecently, Mr "William Buckland, who secured a large run in the interior, proposed to purchase sheep to stock it, and deputed two influential chiefs, with letters from William Thompson, to go over and arrange with the natives the terms on which they would allow them to pass through their country. The Maoris north of Taupo expresssed themselves well disposed, and said they would assist in every way ; but Thompson’s authority does not go beyond Taupo, and the Uriweras declared they would kill botli sheep, cattle, and whito men crossing their district Therefore the project must be abandoned. The loss is a serious one both to this province and our neighbor Hawke’s Bay. Sib George Gket at ArcsxAND.— The Southern Cross. March 20, has the following;— His Excellency the Governor arrived from the Kawau and Wellington in H.M. s.s. Eclipse yesterday afternoon, after a lengthened absence. He was met at Wynjard Pier by his Honor tho Superintendent, and proceeded to Government House, accompanied by his private secretary, the Eev. Mr Thatcher. His Excellency will return in the Eclipse to the Kawau and Wellington in a day or two. Honor to the Beats!— Tho Wanganui Chronicle says:—“An interesting ceremony was performed on Thursday, at Christ Church, Wanganui. A tombstone, sacred to the memory of eleven men of the 50th (Queen’s Own) Kegimer.t who fell at Nukumaru, and subscribed for by the officers and men of tho regiment, was erected at the south corner of the new church. The stone, after being properly adjusted, was fixed in its place by Lieut.-Col. Hamley, 50th Eegt, commanding the garrison at Wanganui, and the Rev. C. IL S. Nicholls, Incumbent of Christ Church, acting Garrison Chaplain. Lieut.-Colonel Locke and Lieut. White, A.D.C. were present, with several men of the sCth.”

Csicketixg. —The Melbourne Argus has been informed that arrangements hare been made for another English eleven to visit Australia. Their passage has been secured by the agency of W. P. White & Co., and £Buo remitted to England in part payment for the services. The eleven will be under the captaincy of IT, Stephenson, and will nclude the pick of the English professionals. The Duke or St. Albans.—His Grace the Duke of St. Albans is travelling incognito through Australia, and intends paying a visit to Tasmania and New Zealand ere he returns to England. The N. Z. S. N. Co.’s Mail Subsidy.— An official communication has been received from the Government by B. J. Duncan, Esq., the Manager of the New Zealand Steam Navigation Company, announcing that the existing Interprovineial Services performed by tho Company, viz., (two East and one West Coast) are to lie continued till the 17th of April. Ic is possible that the period may be extended to June. The decision of the Government ou this point leaked out some days ago. Wo however gave Mr Stafford credit for deciding to continue the service till June, which, as an act of justioo should still be done.—Wellington Independent, loth March.