Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY. THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1867. THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 477, 9 May 1867, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times, PUBLISHED EVERY MONDAY AND THURSDAY.

THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1867. THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

“ Nullius addict us jurate in verba maffistri."

To-day the newly-elected Provincial Council are called together by advertisement under the hand of the Returning Officer, according to the terms of the ordinance, but we believe that beyond the election of a speaker, little or no business will be transacted. His honor the Superintendent, elected by the late council, is, at present, als nt from the province, and there is besides a vacancy of one of the seats for the Napier district, ocasioned by the recent departure of Mr. Newton. The absence of these gentlemen from the Council does not, however, necessitate a sus pension of public business, but there is sufficient reason for believing that the Council wiil desife the presence of its late chief, and will therefore adjourn to await his return.

Tin s approaching session of the Provincial Council promises to be a busy -mo, though not perhaps so much so as several of its predecessors have been. There are several very important matters which demand the immediate and seriousattention of our local legislature, amongst which we may indicate a subject to which we have often had occasion to allude, and which, we believe, has already bad a little (ineffectual) discussion in a former Council, but which does not now admit of further procrastination. We allude to tl* offensive and health-destroying malaria continuously evolved from decaying organic matters exposed to atmospheric action in the swamps at either extremity of the town. During the past summer it has proved a prolate source of disease to the residents both of the Spit and the Town proper, and most unpleasant in its offensiveness to the nostrils when it has had, to appearance, no worse results. The filling in of these places would, besides, afford employment to a number of poor fellows who would be only too glad of the work. We conceive that there could be no more difficulty in adapting a measure to the circumstances, which should compel the owners of the laud, after due notice, to abate the nuisance, or otherwise to do it at their expense, than in the case of the Fencing Act, and other measures of a kindred nature.

Another subject that will demand the attention of the Council, is the preservation of the Spit from such damage sud threatened destruction as was experienced and appeared imminent during the heavy storm of a few weeks ago Another such storm, if it should find us unprepared for it, might do incalculable damage. A breakwater, constructed from the Bluff at its eastern extremity, would, we believe, he calculated to remove all apprehension for the safety of the Spit, and at the same time a work of great importance and advantage to the Bort. Again there is the Thistle nuisance to be dealt with, and a host of other matters, too numerous for detail here, but which our readers will be able to imagine, will demand attention.

The new Council, however, wiil

have serious difficulties to contend with, more than has been experienced by any of their predecessors, in the state of the nuances of the Province. The business of the Port and, district is in a state of depression unparalleled here, and the Government shares in the prevailing embarrassment. This after all, is what must prove the most

necessary subject of deliberation ‘"The ways and means.” We have almost a hope that evil may be productive of good, that as prosperity effected an expensive system of government, so adversity may bring about A Reform.

xsrv DI3TDT O TkiTTM ,nn * m AAVJtl.Wi.iJi_/Lj iUUIWIjII ill iUVi\uOi\ Ul. [New Zealand Herald. 19th April.J By the arrival of the Ivanhoe yester- j xlay we learn that a murder of a most, diabolical nature has been committed ; recently at Mongonui, The facts that • have reached us, in the absence of our correspondent’s letter, are very meagre, and were only knowp. shortly be- , fore the Ivanhoe sailed.

It appears that last week information was brought to the resident magistrate ther° t!iQ * ° gn * v«>. Hiu. V* jvtAMg UlCk.ll Xictliicu bmitn nau oeen discovered murdered in his whare, in the Victoria Valley, about 26 miles distant. The Resident Magistrate, accompanied by a doctor, at once started overland to the place, and there found the deceased was lying on his bed with his throat cut, his scull and brains completely beaten in and a laige cut across his face, which had broken his nose and jaw bone. The foul work must have been done with some* heavy blunt instrument, as the blood and brains were spattered all over the walls and ceiling, as also the window sill, of the whare. From this it must be evident that the perpetrator of the foul deed could not have got away without also getting a fair share of the blood sprinkled on bis clothes. Revenge seems to have been purely the murderer’s object, for nothing in the hut was touched, and not the slightest signs of plunder were visible; when first discovered the door of the whare was locked outside.

Who the perpetrator of this horrible tragedy is no one knows, and we are sorry to hear that there are very few chances of its being speedily traced up, for we are informed there is no policeman or constable stationed in the district at all. Surely this matter should be looked to, and a detective might be well spared from Auckland for the purprs l .

The deceased Smith, was a very quiet, inoffensive young man, and well liked by the settlers at Mongonui, near which place he has resided for about eighteen months. He was formerly, wo hear, a lawyer’s cleric, and then mi assistant surveyor upon first comB’g to Auckland, and afterwards went down the coast to settle upon Lis land.

Various conjectures were rife at Mongonui as to who could have committed this murder; some suspect some white men, and some the Maoris, amongst whom, we hear, deceased ha l -' been of late frequently cohabiting, and it is thought whether a fit of jealousy has not resulted in this awful tragedy. The character of the wounds, however, are not such as a Maori would have inflicted.

_ A- 11 enquiry had been held into the circumstances, and an open verdict of wilful murder against some person or persons unknown, returned.

No doubt fuller particulars will reach us next mail from Mongonui. Last night thefollowing extract from a letter dated Kaitaia, April 16, was kindly handed to us for publication by a gentleman in town;—

A fearful murder was committed here on Wednesday last, the victim being poor Henry Smith, from Sydney, a young man universally liked by the natives for l.is kind and obliging manners towards them. He was found tomahawked in his bed, and we are all quite at loss to account for it; but the chiefs are enquiring and looking out, so that if the perpetrator is a native he will soon be discovered and handed up to justice. It is the first murder in this district, and the natives abominate it. Many think the murderer to be a white man, of whom there are several bad-looking characters prowling about here.