Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 752, 13 January 1870, Page 2

Interprovincial Items.

The Evening Post regrets to learn that there is a probability that Mr W. Fitzherbert will shortly be compelled by family affairs to visit England, and that his stay will extend to one or two years. In times of change and difficulty the Colony can ilispare one of its most tried and eminent statesmen—one who possesses ability, honesty, and experience in no ordinary degree, and who since his arrival amongst us in the early days of tha Colony, has borne no inconsiderable share in the labor of forming our stitutioiis and benefiting the Colony, We have seen of late years one after another of the old tried parliamentary orators and workers either called away from the Colony altogether, or compelled to relinquish public life. The loss of each one is a general ca» laraity, and makes us the more unwilling to part with those few that rgt main.

The Provincial Council of Auckland will most likely meet on the 19th inst. The business will be chiefly financial, considerable reforms being iu contemplation, more particularly in the administration at the Thames. The New Zealand Herald, in a leading article in its issue of the 30th December, states that Sir G. Bo wen has prevailed upon the Imperial Government to make over to the Colony, free of charge, all the Barracks and Barrack Reserves in the Colony, with the exception of certain allotments specially purchased by the old Board of Ordnance, which are to be sold. The Herald recommends that the site of the Albert Barracks should be made over to the Province of Auckland for the purpose of a people's park. From the Otago papers last to hand we learn that the child which was reported in the southern telegrams to have died from the effects of poisoned sugar, died from natural causes, —the .coroner being so satisfied of this that he did not think it necessary to hold an inquest on the body. The Otago sugar, we learn, was not part of the same shipment as. that at Wellington. That there are many good Samaritans in Shortland is well known, who think no trouble too great to comfort the sick, and help the unfortunate; but we (Times) saw an example on the last night of the old year which is well worthy of recording. Amid the incessant rain which ushered in the New Year a gentleman might have been seen traversing the streets with an umbrella in one hand and a sub scription list in the other, soliciting donations for the widow and orphans of the late Alexander M'Connell, who was killed on the Karaka tramway recently. Such a work as this, and on such a night, is one that speaks volumes for the good intentions of trie gentleman referred to. ,We take the following from the Evening Post, 29th December: —An advertisement appears iu another place calling a public meeting to consider whether anything can be done towards giving an appropriate recep tion to.the officers and men of the Flying Squadron, now shortly expected. Neither the General nor Provincial Governments can do much, it' anything, towards it, and the onus will neces sarily fall on the people themselves. We cannot expect to rival Melbourne or Sydney in a reception, but the neighboring Provinces which the fleet will visit will try to do their best, ami it will be a lasting disgrace to us if we again fall behind. It is not means we Lu'k so much as public spirit and unanimity: if we really wish to give our countrymen a welcome worthy of them and of ourselves, we cau certainly do ir, and it is to be hoped that the public will attend the meeting called by Mr Taylor, with a determination to unite and do their utmost. A Thames paper says. —" There is great disgust here at the conduct of the Justices who allowed a person to go scot-free after participating in the disgraceful affray of Friday last; but further steps are to be taken in the matter to uphold law and order. The obliging one of the police to pay a fine of Jbs to a person who had assaulted him, because he raised his truncheon in defence of his own head at the time he was attacked by a rowdy mob, is also causing great disgust. It is looked upon as so much encourage ment to lawlessness, and the matter is to be brought before the Superintendent, in order that such weakminded conduct may not longer continue." Most of our readers will remember that Mr Driver, M.H.R., some months ago instituted a criminal prosecution against Mr W. J. Henningham, the editor and proprietor of the Dunedin Echo for an alleged libel in reference to Mr Driver's conduct in regard to • the administration of the land laws in Otago. Mr Henningham was duly committed for trial, but Mr Driver failed to appear to prosecute. At the last session of the Supreme Court iu Dunedin, Mr Henningham brought an action against Mr Driver for malicious prosecution, and claimed .£SOOO damages. A very strong bar was engaged on each side, but after a two days' hearing the jury, by direction of Mr Justice Ward on certain technical legal points, brought in a verdict for the defendant. The Wellington Independent, 30th Pepember, says;—l#st week a novel

and most exciting scene was witnessed i>y two men wo/king at the Ohariu Gold Mining Company's drive. The attention of one of the men was first attracted by a singular noise heard out at sea. On looking round his eye detected two black objects, which proved to be two whales, heads down, tails uppermost, lashing the water with great fury. He called his mate out to see the sport, and they both concluded that it must have been a battle between two whales. It was a most terrific conflict between the two animals, and continued as long as the men could see. them. Of the gold exported last year, the value from Nelson mines wa5,£833,180; from those of Westland, £814,060; from Otago, £652,350; Auckland, £168,874; Southland, £34,240; and Marlborough, £1,G16. From Taranaki we learn that one sixteenth share in the Taranaki Flax Company has been sold for £550. Hokitika papers report that during the past few months houses in the neighborhood of the wharf, on Gibson's Quay, and even up Re veil-street as far as the Empire Hotel, have sunk, the sand beneath the piles having been by degrees movtd away. The Daily Southern Cross, of the sth Jan., says :—We are sorry to hear that the late heavy and somewhat unseasonable rains have considerably damaged the hay crops in some parts' of this district; and we are informed that, although some of the farmers in the neighborhood of Otauuhu were fortunate enough to have their stacks thatched before the great pluvial downfall, many of them, who were not able to complete the operation in time, have suffered severely, and been ohliged to re-open the stacks and expose the hay again to the influence of the sun and wiud, of which we have have had plenty during the last few days.