AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 646, 11 January 1869, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

[TOO!! OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.]

January 5, 1869. The people have been keeping holiday. Probably never before was this festive season enjoyed by so many people in Auckland. "What with the races, the Caledonian games (each two days), the sports at the North Shore, the treats to the children belonging to the various Protestant Sunday Schools, outside the city; and the theatre, the waxworks, the Japanese troupe, two bazaars, and some concerts, within its boundaries, there does appear to have been a deal of pleasurable matter from which the holiday-keepers

could choose for themsehes. The • steamers brought up some thousands of passengers from Shortland, and are now equally crowded taking them back. A fortnight was gazetted as a public holiday by the Superintendent, during which claims were secure from jumping, and most of the public offices in Shortland closed, even the " hard-worked " officials thus being enabled to enjoy the release from their trying duties. Tomorrow the work of the year begins. The excitement that was raised a month ago over the question of " Suspending the Constitution " soon

died out. The promoters of that mo\ement shrunk from their selfimposed task, which was to get their petition to the Queen numerously signed; they substituted the signatures of their chairman and committeemen for the names of the people. Such a step must of necessity lessen the influence of the petition. I

The Provincial Council is to meet again next week, when there is likely to be lively work. The old struggle between an absolutism and a limited monarchy, is likely to be again fought, Charles Stuart tried

to govern in defiance of his Parlia-j ment, and especially of the Commons ; the attempt cost the nation years of civil war. and the obstinate King his head. Superintendent WiLliamson wants to rule this Province in his own way, without the consent of the Provincial Council. He may win, but it is quite as likely he will not; and if matters are pushed to extremities the political death of. both parties will be the result. A! dissolution would be the only constitutional remedy. The issue to be decided is the power of the purse. Last year, when it was very far from certain that there would be any revenue from the gold-fields other than what would be needed to maintain the courts, the Council voted the said revenue in blank, and the Superintendent had it entirely in his own hands. He did not even furnish the Council with an account of that revenue and the way it had been expended, but asks the Council to do the same as before, viz., vote the money in blank, although the revenue in question may fairly be estimated by thousands, probably will amount to over ien thousand. To leave such a large sum entirely at the disposal of the Superintendent would be to show a greater amount of confidence in him than many people would expect from that body, but it appears the Provincial Executive expect that confidence, and are somewhat chagrined at finding their modest request not granted immediately. How the struggle will end I cannot predict: most likely it will be a drawn battle. Judging from what has passed, the Executive are sure of a working majority if they do not try to "ride the high horse" too much, signs of which latter failing in their conduct are neither few nor far between. A little of the suavitcr in modo would not be misplaced, as the real opposition is but weak, except when on a point where many independent and not un-friendly members are forced into opposition Of the General Government, it may be said that although one of our ablest public men (Dr Pollen, M.L.C.,) is now Resident Minister in Auckland, the utter incompetence displaced by his colleagues has left that Ministry without a public supporter here, unless it be in the person of a place-seeker or and even they dare not attempt to openly defend or justify the conduct of Ministers. Yet, with an entire absence of public confidence it is possible several supporters of the Ministry would again obtain seats in the Legislature, if we had (as we ought to have), a dissolution of the General Assembly. Extravagance, corruption, and incompetence are the chief qualifications of our chief administrators.

THE GHOOEKAS. (From the Otago Daily Times.) No one in New Zealand has a better right than Mr Cracroft Wilson to propound a scheme for the suppression of the present outbreak. The military history of India might be studied with profit at any lime by those who have the management of our native affairs. If they would condescend to avail themselves of the practical experience old Indian officers, a campaign with the Maoris might be entered upon without any fear of the result. Unfortunately, however, our rulers do not seem inclined to admit that there is any speciality in a Maori war, necessitating speciality in the means employed to meet it. They do not apparently pereeivo any absurdity in sending undisiplined levies into the bush to win laurels from the most formidable sharpshooters in the world. It has been painfully shown that even the Queen's troops, aided with the finest possible artillery, are not fitted to cope with the Maori on equal terms. They may drive him out of one pa after another, but they can seldom do so without suffering a loss wholly disproportionate to the result. The temporary successes of the colonial forces, at the conclusion of the last war, led many to suppose that the Maori could be alwßys faced with success in the same way. Many, indeed, went so far as to suppose that the colonial forces were far better adapted for the purpose than Imperial troops. Our recent experience has deprived us of all confidence in the superiority of our own soldiers, —a fact which is painfully evident from the loud cry for Imperial troops heard from so many different quarters. In the absence of any certainty as to our obtaining them within any reasonable time, it would be well to consider Mr Cracroft Wilson's suggestion. If it is worth while to send Captain Stace on a reoruiting expedition to Victoria, it is better worth whilo to send Mr Willson on a similar expedition to Calcutta. The former was to bring ore* two huadred

•men, with or, without qualifications for 'soldiering in the North. What hopes are we to entertain on the strength of this addition to our forces ? All that we can he certain of is that we shall be a little better off in point of numbers than we have been If wo could obtain a Ghoorka regiment we should be justified in expecting that Titokowaru would btf disposed of within a reasonable time. We should also have the means of crushing at once any tendency to insurrection that might show itself hereafter.

There i 9 no othor equally simple and effectual method for settling our present difficulties. So far as the war itself is concerned, we Bhould have moro faith in a regiment of Ghoorkas than a regiment of British soldiers, and at the same time far more satisfaction in emplovins them The soldierly merits of the former are sufficiently stated by Mr Wilson. On thatpoint there is no room for doubt, even if Mr Wilson's testimony were doubted. But the principal argument in favor of his suggestion is a political rather than a military one It is not certain (hat we shall obtain the troops from home, nor even that we shall obtain the troops now stationed in Australia. If it vvero certain that the Imperial Governinent would take this war entirely off our hands, the old disputes between our own and the Imperial Government would sooner or later break out again. There is a large and powerful body of colonists who hold very strong opinions against the employment of the troops, because they dread the interference of the Colonial Office in the administration of our affairs. They could have >;o objection to the employment of Mr Wilson's Ghoorkas. We should thua have the advantage of a disciplined soldiery, without any political disadvantage being attached to it. The next argument to be considered is that of expense. A British regiment of 1000 men would cost us £IO,OOO a year. Mr Wilson estimates the expense of his Ghoorkas at £30,000 a year. There is consequently a saving of £l.O 000 a year; and as the employment uf the troops would probably extend over some years, the saving in expenditure would amount to a considerable sum.

Thr advocates of the self-reliant policy do not, we presume, insist that we should fight our own battles with " our own stout hearts and strong arms," as Sir George JBovven says. They merely insist that we shall not fight them with Imperial soldiers at the expense of our political dignity. They can have no objection then to Mr Wilson's scheme ; on the contrary, we should expect them to seize upon it as the best available means of carrying out their poiicy under tho present difficulties. It will no doubt bo urged that—supposing the Ghoorkas could be got —so long a time must elapse before their arrival that it is useless to send for them. This objection is raised with regard to Imperial troops. We see no force in i r , in either case. We cannot calculate on the war being brought to an end within three or four months. '.'here is every probability of its lasting for a very much longer period indeed. Ii cannot be brought to an end until the rebels now in arms hive either been shot in battle or made prisoners. A mere cessation of hostilities, no matter how long it may last, will not delude us into the idea lhat the war is over. We will not allow the Maoris to make our fields a desert, and call it peace. We must exact the heaviest retribution, in order to make this insurrection, if possible, the last in the Maori history. Our previous wars produced no adequate result, because we laid down our arms after we had thrashed the rebels and forced them to tuo for peace. If we are to establish a permanent peace, we must go further than we have yet gone. To accomplish this end will require some time, even if we have the most effectual means for accomplishing it at our disposal. With colonial forces only to rely we can hope for nothing more than the defenco of our settlements and a few victories in the field. Our volunteers cannot devote themselves to fighting for an indefinite period. The country cannot ask them to live on three and sixpence a day for two or three years, with the chance ol being shot or tomahawked. Ami however much we may talk about making tho war a 6horf, sharp, and decisive one, we should recollect that it is not in our power to cut the matter as short as we coula wish. The war has already lasted nearly six months, and we are still in the beginning of it. Another six may possibly pass by, before a really decisive blow shall have been struck. There is little reason to fear, therefore, that the Ghoorkas would come too late to be of use to us. Setting aside tho impolicy of disorganising the industrial pursuits of the colonists, the weight of argument in favor of employing regular soldiers of some kind is overwhelming. To both parties then —to those who advocate the system of self-reliance, and to those who pooh-pooh it —Mr Wilson's suggestion may as one well worthy of consideration. To the first, because it would enable them to carry out their theory of native management without imperilling the prosperity of the country; and to the second, because it offers the best substitute for Imperial troops ia the event of those troops being withheld.

THEOTARRELL CONSPIRAGY PAPERS,

The motion of Mr M'Leay, which wa« carried in the New South Wales Assembly, was as follows :

That there be laid on the table of this House copies of all letters, reports, confessions, affidavits, declarations, or documents of any kind in the possession of the Government, having reference to the attempted assasssination of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, or to any circumstances arising out of, or in connection withthat event.

Mr M'Leay referred to Mr Parke'e statement at Kiama and Jamberoo, assorting the existence of proofs of a conspiracy; and to his previous speech, in which he stated, after O'Farrell's execution, that the? Government were possessed of informa-] tion revealing the wide-spread existenco of 1 a "new crime." After stating that the existence of these alleged evidences was entirely unknown to the Inspector- General of Police, the Under-Secretary, or any other of the Government officials, the hon gentleman expressed his belief that the story was an imposture. Mr Parkes warmly resented the insinuation, and stated the documents had been set up in typo at the Government Printing Office before he left office, with a view to their publication in the Government Gazette, but that his colleagues disapproved of their publication, and treated them as private documents obtained by him personally, and not received on behalf of the i Government.

It abo transpired that Mr Parkes had sealed up the papers in an envelope, and left them in this office, but that they had afterwards been handed to him by one of his former colleagues.

At a later hour last evening Mr Parkes produced the conspiracy papers already printed, and copies were handed to several lion, members. They contain notes of conversations held by Mr Parkes personally with O'Farrell when in gaol; also, a diary of O'Farrell's containing references to a conspiracy. Both the written statements in the diary and the verbal statements recorded in Mr Parkes' notes are to t''e effect that the intended assassination of the Prince was to be a retaliation for the Manchester executions. They also agreed with the story first pron-.ulgated, to the effect that there were ten conspirators, amongst whom lots were cast, and that the lot fell on O'Farrell. The convict's statement also went to went to show that the Fenian organisation in New Zealand was such that if his Royal Highness had proceeded there his life would have been again in danger, and even more so than in Sydney. The papers also contain a report from the Inspector-General of Police, expressing his belief at the time in the existence of an organisation and conspiracy. It has, however, been contended throughout the debate, and admitted, that the exertions of the police failed to discover the supposed conspirators, or to trace the alleged organisation, and it is contended that the latest confession of O'Farrell, in which he contradicted tho foregoing assertions, is the one most to be relied upon.

Aems for the Colony.—The Cambodia, which was to leave London on the 10th uit., has a large quantity of breechloading ammunition, fifty tents, &c, for the New Zealand Government. Divohck Courts —The New Zealand Gazette, Deo. 31, contains rules and regu lations made by the Judges concerning the practice, pleading, and procedure under the- Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act, 1367.

Deaths Br Dbowning.—The New Zealand Herald, 4th January, says :—" By the arrival of the schooner liose Ann, Captain C. Rasper, yesterday afternoon, from Mahurangi, we learn of a very painful accident which occurred there on Saturday last. On the afternoon of that day, Mr Benjamin Short, shipbuilder of Mahurangi, accompanied by his wife and young child, was returning home iu a boat from a visit to some friends in the neighborhood, whan, by a suddon squall (as is believed), the boat was capsized, and the whole party were precipitated into the water. The accident was not seen for some time, but Mr Derrach, shipbuilder, observing soma floating object, and missing the boat, at once put'off, and was just in time to save Mrs Short, who had at the time of her rescue been about half an hour in the water. Every attention was at once paid to Mrs Short, who was in an unconscious state, having swallowed a large quantity of water, and after a while she was happily recovered. Nothing was seen of Mr Short and the child at the time, but the body of the latter has since been recovered, having boon washed up by the tide. Mrs Short was buoyed up by her dress for a considerable time, but had it not been for the fact of her being an excellent swimmer she must have perished. Mr Short wa3 a brother of Mr George Short, well known in Auckland, and was a native of Hastings, having been settled at Mahurangi for about nine yeai-3. The cutter Heather Bell arrived from Mahurangi last night and brought confirmatory news of the accident. The body of Mr Short had not been found when she left." In the Evening News, 6th January, we find the following:—"The remains of Mr William Benjamin Short, boat-builder of Mahurangi, and brother of Captain Short of the schooner Eiery Cross, were brought up this morning in the cutter Three Sisters. The body was discovered yesterday, floating within seventy yards of the scene of the acccident. The funeral took place at 3 o'clock tbis afternooon. and wag attended by a large number of dweaied's friend*' 1

Officers ik Command.—Colonel Lyon is in command at Wanganui; Colonel ETerrick acts as Brigade Major; Colonel M'Donnell has charge of the Native Contingent; and Colonel Gorton has charge of the stores.

Tboops foe Taeanaki.—Two companies of the 18th Regiment, under the command of Captains Marsland and Biggs, marched out yesterday morning for Onehunga, en route for Taranaki, per 0.6. Rangatira. The men were played out as far as Newmarket by the regimental band. —New Zealand Herald, 6th Jan. [The Rangatira, we observe, returned to the Manukau on the 6th inst., with one company of the 18th Regfc., in place of those she took down on the 4th.]

A Fine Abts Exhibition.—lt is proposed to hold a Fine Arts Exhibition in Dunedin some time during the month of January ensuing. Dr Haaat, Mr Carru>« there, and Mr Mainwaring have been appointed by the promoters the committee for Canterbury, and will be glad to afford any information in their power. We un» derstand that the Central Committee aft Dunedin have made arrangements to pay the carriage of pictures (not for sale) sent to the exhibition, and to insure them against sea risk. At the close of the exhibition there will be an Art Union on the Glasgow principle.—New Zealand Sun.

Hokianga.—-A meeting of Karawa* will we understand, be held at Waugape early in February, next. This tribe is nearly 3000 strong, and holds an important position in the North. The reason given for this meeting is that they wish to discuss the land question, and to determine whether they shall fight along with the pakeha against the Hauhaus. It is, however, ihought more likely to be the case, that as by that time their crops will have been gathered, they are going to have a skirmish with Ngapuhi in reference to the late affair of Te Wake, the Barawa, who is now in gaol in Auckland for the murder of a Ngapuhi. It will be a greafc pity if the Government cannot persuade* them to give up any such, design, if it be really entertained, as it is impossible tosay but that Europeons may be drawn, into such a strife, and then st would be difficult to forsee the end.—Now Zealand Herald, 4th Jan.

Abbest At Auckland of Captain Fab QtTHAB, OF TUB K-OrAli ALFRED, FOB CONTEMPT of Coubt.—The New Zealand Herald, of January 4, says :—" The shipping community of this town has been tbrowa into a state of excitement since Saturday afternoon by the sudden arrest of the Cap* tain of the Koyal Alfred by two Hokitika bailiffs, for contempt of the District Court of that place. An injunction of the Court had been laid on the schooner Falcon sometime ago, notwithstanding which, the Teasel, having been purchased by Captain Farquhar, was removed by Captain Uampion to Auckland. In consequence of this, • bailiff arrived by the last Southern steamer with a warrant for Captain Farquhar'a arrest. In company with a brother " bum," the bailiff procured a carriage from tha stand under color of conveying a party up from the Hoyal Alfred, which was just coming in. About 3 p.m. the Alfred got alongside, and was barely made fast, when Capt. Farquhar came up the gangway carrying a little child, as it was raining briskly at the time. As soon as the child was deposited on the wharf Captain Farquhar found himself in the grasp of the bailiffs, by whom he was speedily popped into the trap and driven off with. Expostulations were in vain, and although the prisoner struggled manfully he was carried off triumphantly to Onehunga, and deposited in Mrs Williams' Hotel, to wait for the departure of the Airedale, by which boat ho wan to ba an unwilling passenger. Meantime, soma Auckland and Onehunga gentleman, who were anxiouj about the prisoners whereabouts, had ascertained his prison-house,, and proceeding thither found the whole party very agreeably engaged in listening to the strains of merry music. The prisoner sat between his guards and the door, and was hailed suddenly by some person, who said that he was wanted outside. Comprehending at once the situation, the prisoner skedaddled, without so much as a " by your leave" to his newly found friends who, upon starting in pursuit, fouud such a crowd at the door that they were unable to make their exit for some time. Captain Farquhar has not since been heard of, but his two disconsolate friends have been in not search ever since. One went over yesterday to the North Shore, and the other we believe, to Otahuhu. We understand that it is the intenion of Captain Farquhar to deliver up his body to the 'minions of the law' this morning. The same paper of the sth January, says:—"A writ of habeas corpus was applied for yesterday, and in moving to show cause why the body waa not produced, a very excellent reason was given—namely, that it had 'disappeared' trom the presence of the bailiffs, and had not since been made visible. It is said, however, that Captain Farquhar will surrender this morning," The Evening News, of the 6th January, says:—"We understand that the action by Captain Farquhar against Mr G-irdwood, of Hokitika for illegal arrest, unlawful detention, &e., &c, will in all probability come off in the District Court on the 25th inst. The Court will sit on Monday next, but there will not be time to bring the case until th» following fitting."