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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 8, Issue 449, 24 December 1866, Page 3

Death of a Chief.—The Wellington Independent, IBtb December says:—To Kaaapu, one of the Srincipal Arawa chiefs, died at Maketu on the 25th fovember. He was a fighting chief all through life. He was engaged for some time fighting the Hau-haus on the West Coast, and has in his time done good service for the Government. A great tangi was tield over his remains. The Toeres Straits Route. —We extract the following from the Argus of the 4th inst,, in reference to the arrival of English News via Torres Straits : —The s.s. Hero, the property of Messrs. Bright, Brothers, which was not expected to arrive at Bowen until the 6th inst., reached that port on Sunday morning, and at an early hour yesterday a telegraphic summary of the news reached us from our Queensland correspondent and was published in an extraordinary edition of the Argus. The Hero has brought a mail fourteen days later than that by the mail steamship Geelong, and telegraphic dates from London, via Gallo, to the 27th October. It will be seen that the Hero’s run from Batavia to Cape York was accomplished in the short space of eleven days, and that the intricate passage through the reefs from Albany to Port Denison was made in three days and a-balf.-The news is of no great interest; but the success of the Hero’s voyage establishes the importance of the new mail line to Queensland and Sydney, if not to Melbourne. The P. & O. Co.’s steamship Avoca, wich the October mails, and late telegrams via Galle, may be looted for between tha 9th and 11th inst.; and the news of her approach may be received from Adelaide, in the usual course, about the 7th or Sth inst, . ' : - •

Rams. —Two merino rams, rising four years old, have been imported from America by Messrs. Bates, Sise & Co., of Dunedin, and acid to Mr Harvey of Waikouaiti, at the rather stiff figure of £IBO.

Shipment op Gold. —The West Coast Times, of the 11th December, says;—The first important shipment of gold for this month was made on Saturday, when 10,000 ozs were sent away in the Claud Hamilton. Of this quantity the Bank of New Zealand contributed 4000ozs; the Union Bank, fiCOOozsj 9000ozs were also shipped at Qreymouth on the preceding day, thus making 89,000 ozs as the total quantity exported to Sydney.

A Rescue peom Deowking. —Tho Nelson Colonist of the 11th December, says:—A lad named Downes, about nine years of age, engaged minding cows near the Haven-road on Sunday last, had gone out to the point of the small jetty opposite the offices of Mr John Beit, and had fallen into the water. Mr Odling, shoemaker, was passing at the time on his way to church, and saw the lad, and immediately ran up the jetty, and dressed as he was, plunged into the water and saved the boy, who was just turning on his back and losing his senses, when Mr Odling rescued him. Suicide. —The West Coast Times, of the 11th December, says :—“ A most determined suicide was committed by an unfortunate woman of disreputable character, on Saturday morning last. Between seven and eight o’clock she was observed by several persons to walk direct from her residence (which is situated somewhere near the back of the Dunedin Hotel) to the sea beach and deliberately throw herself into the surf. A rush was made to save her, but too late, as she was immediately carried out to sea and drowued. Her body was cast up again, and found lying upon the beach six miles north, in the afternoon. It was brought into town and an inquest will bo bold upon it to-day at the Harp of Erin Hotel.”

The Muedee of Dodsoit. —The Canterbury Times, of the 15th Dec., informs us that “the preliminary investigation regarding the murder of Mr Dobson on the West Coast goes on slowly. From the evidence which has already been taken it appears probable that a strong ease will be made out against the prisoner Wilson.” The Canterbury Press, of the 17th inst., reports In the Dobson murder case Wilson, alias Murray, has been committed for trial, and De Lacy, charged with conspiracy to rob Fox, has also been committed. There was a scene in Ruveil-street through the violence of the latter when on the way to tire gaol. Chamberlain and Carr have been re-arrested; their examination will commence to-morrow. These cases are assuming a very serious phase, others than the prisoners being supposed to bo implicated.”

The Majtawatu Puschase. —The Wanganui Times of the 18th, in speaking of the late negotiations, observes:—“The purchase money—the largest amount ever paid to the natives for an equal area of land in the colony—is not lost to the province. It is not unreasonable to suppose that during the next six months £15,000 out of the £25,000 paid on Saturday last will be spent within the province and thus not only give an impetus to trade, bat continue circulating until no small per tion of it will eventually find its way into both the general and provincial governments chests, thence to circulate again throughout the country. Money paid and spent within the province is not lost to it; it generally goes to add to that which makes up the sum total of the wealth of the inhabitants, and in course of circulation benefits the greater part of the population. Tiew the subject as wo may, the peaceable completion of the purpose is decidedly the most important transaction of the kind ever completed by his honor the Superintendent. Next in importance will be the settlement of a population upon the land, and that, we have no doubt, will in time, be equally as well accomplished. Dr i eathorston and Mr Bailer have rendered service to this province, the benefit of which will only be fully realised in future years. Every right thinking man in the province will rejoice at the result of their labors, and feel grateful for the perseverance with which they performed the important and intricate task assigned them until brought to a most satisfactory conclusion.” AnOXHEE PotIXICAX DEAD-XOCK AT CANTERbeet,—From the Canterbury Times, 15th December, we take the following I The Ministerial crisis, or to speak more correctly, the political dead-lock, has engrossed attention to the exclusion of everything else. On Tuesday the Ministry formed by Mr Jollie met the House, both ho and Mr J. S. Williams having been reelected without opposition. Mr Wylde, who had given notice of a “no confidence vote” when the House adjourn ed the previous week, having received the permission of the Council to amend his motion, moved that the Ministry, as constituted, did not possess the confidence of the House. After a debate, which lasted upwards of five hours Mr Jollie’a Ministry was defeated by a majority of one, and immediately announced their intention of resigning. The House met on Wednesday, when it transpired that Mr Stewart had been sent for by his Honor. Mr Stewart said he had again undertaken the task of forming a Ministry, and that he hoped to be able to associate with himself Mr J. S. Williams, thus forming a coalition of the parties into which the House was divided. When the House met on Thursday, Mr Stewart had to ask for a further adjournment, no arrangement having in the meantime been come to with Mr J. S. Williams. He still hoped that a coalition might be formed. On Thursday evening, alter the adjournment of the House, it became known that Mr J. S. Williams had definitely declined to join Mr Stuart but that the latter had formed a Ministry of which Mr Duncan would be Provincial Solicitor. When the Council met yesterday, Mr Stewart said that having received a definite refusal from Mr J. S. Williams, he had been joined by Mr Duncan and Mr Beswick, the latter without office. The Council stands adjourned till Friday, 21st December, to allow time for the re-election of Messrs Stewart and Duncan. A letter was read in the Council from the Provincial Auditor on Wednesday, which pointed out the necessity of proceeding with business bifore the expiration of the present year, so as to ayoid the penalties of the new Audit Act,

New Etjsh. —The Nelson Colonist of the 14th inst., in speaking of the gold rush to Fox’s river remarks, that the river is very rich and attracting thousands of diggers. The black sand is rich in gold dust, and is said to he three feet thick in many places. Bacon and flour were selling at 5s per lb, but the recent supply has greatly reduced these rates.

The Stamp Duties. —The New Zealand Advertiser, 17th December, says;—We understand that the Government are busy having the various stamps prepared in anticipation of the Act coming into operation on and after the Ist of January next. The stamps are being printed at the Government Printing Office. It is rumored in well-informed circles that Mr Batkin, at present an officer in the Treasury Department, will be appointed Commissioner under the Stamp Act.

Military Head-qttaetess.— The Wellington Independent, of the 18th inst., says that MajorGeneral Chute and Commissary General Jones having emphatically reported against the removal of the Military Head-quarters, stores, &c., from Auckland to Wellington, the Imperial Government agree with them and there is therefore, not much chnco of any change being made. Ge nefal Chute, it appears, expressed a strong objection to taking up his quarters in Wellington.”

The Dobson Memoeiab. —The West Coast Times, of the 7th December, says:—“What has become of the money subscribed so liberally towards the ‘Dobson Memorial?’ We are induced to ask this question, os several applications have been made to us lately by parties who contributed, and who very naturally demand that the original object should either bo carried out, or that the cash subscribed should be refunded. We have lately labored under the idea (a fallacious one apparently) that the latter course had long since been adopted, and we feel much suprised that it was not as many weeks ago the movement fell through, and was correctly regarded as one of those ‘flashes in the pan,’ for which Hokitika is so remarkable.”