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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 7, Issue 381, 31 May 1866, Page 2

Peoposed Annexation op Povehtt Bat to Hawke’s Bat.—The Auckland correspondent of the ‘ Sydney Morning Herald,’ under date 21st April, thus remarks upon the abore question ; “ There has long been an impression that extensive gold deposits exist in this district also, and there is no doubt whatever of the fact that it is one of the very richest pastoral districts in the whole island. I have mentioned that it is situated at the southern end of this province, and it has the peculiarity that it may be said to b > the only district of the province covered whh natural grasses, and therefore fit for immediate occupation as a pastoral district, like those of Hawke’s Bay and Wellington, as well as, of course, the provinces of the Southern Island. This peculiarity, together with the extreme beauty and natural wealth of the district, has caused the people of Hawke’s Bay to eye it very greedily, and to make very strenuous efforts to get a slice of i for their own. The affair promises to breed a very serious quarrel, as the people of this province, being in possession, are far from willing to yield the point. Of course it will come before the Colonial Parliament for decision. The ground (a which the land is claimed for Hawke’s Bay is a novel one in colonial experience, at least in this part of the world. Major Frazer, it must be born® in mind, belonged to the Hawke’s Bay Militia, and when he was sent out of that province against th? tribes further north, a good many of his men volunteered to go with him. To these, of course, there were added a number of the colonial force and part of Von Tempsky’s Rangers, which was strictly an Auckland body of troops. The idea at Hawke’s Bay now is, that the southern portion of the Province of Auckland belongs to that province, properly speaking, by right of conquest. The assertion of such a principle would, tend of one another even to accept help in an to divide the provinces into States too jealous emergency one from fee other. This will be one part of the.difficulty preparing for Mr Stafford in the session of Parliament now coming on. It is said that he favors the idea of saving the unity (in name at least) of the colony by turning it into a mere Federation of Sovereign States ; and that to effect this he is ready to readjust the boundaries of the provinces so as to establish a sort of balance of power. Under this plan Taranaki would fall to Wellington’s share, and the southern part of Auckland to that of Hawke’s Bay. In the Southern Island, too, Southland would be reunited to Otago, and Marlborough to Nelson ; so that once more there would be only six provinces in New Zealand. The scheme has, as your readers will see, plausible things about it, but, as it will prove in tne Parliament, I have no doubt, it attacks too many interests to pass at all. The pride of the smaller provinces will not allow o their quietly being absorbed by the greater, and the party of separation will oppose it, tooth and nail, as sn attempt to shelve the question for years in which they take so deep an interest now. This new policy is the one weak point in Mr Stafford’s position. His hold upon the Government absolutely depends upon the Auckland vote, and ho will certainly lose that vote if he attempts any juggle with her present boundaries.”

Hasd-mii.kixg Superseded,—The Geelong Advertiser thus notices a newly invented (pocket) cow milking arrangement. It consists of a set of four tubes about an inch and a half long, which, being wetted, can be gentle inserted with a rotary motion into the teat, when it acts like a syphon, and the milk will flow more regularly than by the •Id fashion of hand milking. The afi'airhas been tried in Geolong, and is found to answer admirably. The apparatus complete is contained in a box about as inch and a halflong by an inch wide.