Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 773, 28 March 1870, Page 2

Interprovincial Items.

The Hamilton correspondent of the New Zealand Herald writes as follows under date March 17 :—" The burning of a house belonging to Mr Martyn, near Cambridge, referred to in your paper a few days back, appears not to have been accidental, but the wilful act of a youth named William Lyne Grarrans, aged 15 years. It appears that this boy was aware that a considerable sum of money was in the house, and during the temporary absence of Mr Martyn, it is supposed, stole the money, then set fire to the house to avoid detection, which might have succeeded had he not followed it up by stealing a horse and saddle, and bolting. Mr Martyn went towards Auckland with the object of overtaking him, bnt could not get any tidings of his having gone that way. Mr Martyn then returned, arriving here on the 10th inst., (three days after the boy had gone), and reported the case to Constable M'Grovern, who immediately took steps to search for Grarrans. He heard that the lad had gone to Matamata. M'Govern then went to Cambridge, and was there also iuformed that G-arrans had gone on to Matamata. Started for Mr Williams' place at 5 p.m.; arrived there, but could get no trace of the fugitive. Mr F. Williams kindly volunteered to accompany him seven or eight miles the same evening as guide. Next morning M'Govern started at 5 o'clock, and after a great deal of trouble and hunting overtook Che youth on the other side of the Piako ranges, on his way to the Thames. On searching him, £ls in money, a watch and chain—also, I believe, the property of Mr Martyn—and a quantity of tobacco, was found in his possession. Cambridge was reached again between 11 and 12 o'clock that night. Too great praise cannot be given to Constable M'Govern for the zeal and courage he displayed in this case. —A circumstance occurred in connection with the above which ought to be made public. M'Govern, who is unacquainted with the various Maori tracks from Cambridge to the Piako, applied to the officer commandthe Armed Constabulary at Cambridge for a constable who thoroughly knew the district to accompany him. After waiting about an hour (during which time the telegraph had to put into requisition) he was informed that his request could not be complied with, and something was said about the Constabulary not having anything to do with civil matters. What are they really intended for? Here was a youth charged with three serious crimes supposed to be gone through native lands, and the constable was refused the slightest help in attempting to capture him from those who are paid by the country avowedly for the suppression of crime. Surely the Government cannot sanction such proceedings on the part of the officers of the force. Why was M'Govern allowed to go alone, when there were so many brother constables rusting in idleness ?" A correspondent of the New Zealand Herald says that an accident occurred re* cently through intemperance at Ohinemutu, which will probably terminate fatally. It would appcar.that a native named Okiwi, while in a state of drunkenness, was walk* ing in the dark through the settlement, when he stumbled and fell into a running stream of boiling water. The water was not deep, but he fell at full length, and the whole body was scalded, and it is questionable whether he will recover. The Taupo road, (writes the Tauranga correspondent of the New Zealand under date March 11), is progressing rapidly, and so far without hindrance, and what has been done has been well done. That near the Gate Pa being finished, the road party were advanced to the Waimapu, where, after working a day or two, Capt, Tovcy, for reasons I am unable to state, divided the strength by further advancing the Thames Volunteers half a mile further on, so that at present a swamp divides the two parties. This proceeding for obvious reasons, is not considered a prudent one. Obstacles by cyrtain natives has been threatened, and coming from them we know what that word means i consequently it must be most desirable .to concentrate the workmen as,mucU as possible, In the New Zealand Herald of the lOfch inst. appeared an account of the shooting of a native named Hori Taukumutia bv %

jhalf-caste named Christopher Faulkner at Maketu. It appears that the wound has terminated fatally, and, at an inquest held on the 4-th ins.t., a verdict of " Manslaughter " was returned against Christopher Faulkner, and a warrant of commitment to the Auckland jail was at once issued by the coroner. Captain Sellars and J. Faulkner have become sureties for £IOO each for his appearance at the next session of the Supreme Conrt.

The We.stport Times of a recent date informs its readers that it is believed that gold has been struck in thoroughly payable quantities to the south of the Buller, on the line of terrace which, in formation and inland position, resemble those on fhe north side of the river.

The West Coast Times is responsible for the following paragraph :—lt is rumored that Capt. Malcolm* so well known on the West Coast in connection with the Harbor Steam Company's vessels, will succeed the late Mr Balfour as Marine Engineer. We understand, that Mr Seed, at present Inspector of Customs, is liikely to be appointed permanent Under Secretary in the Colonial Secretary's Office.

A special meeting of the Auckland Acclimatization Society was held on the 15th inst., in order to hear information from Capt. Copping, of the barque Bella Mary, respecting the introduction of trout into New Zealand from Hobart Town.—Capt. Copping said the fish had been promised to him for nothing. The expense of getting them down would only be about £lO. and this would be the whole of the expense incurred by the society. The fish had been promised to him free when the season came on, and he would do his utmost to bring them down safely. The season would be about the latter end of May, or the beginning of June. The expense ol apparatus would be very trifling—£lo or £l2 at the utmost. —Mr Smart proposed a vote of thanks to Capt. Copping for his kind offer, and moved that it be accepted, the details being left to Capt. Copping.— The motion was agreed to.—A sub-com-mittee was appointed to make preparations for Ihe reception of the trout ova.—Capt. Copning suggested the propriety of the gentlemen who had promised t e fish beiiitf written to and informed that the Society would be willing to pay all expenses incurred in the forwarding of the fish. The Dtmedin correspondent of the Auckland Evening Star writes as follows under date Gfh March : —"Who's going next" i? the question one person asks another whom he meets in Dunedm just now. ''Upon my word it is hard to say" rerjlies the other. And so it is. Truly businass in Dunedin just now is in a very bad state. Failures are of almost every day occurrence : and there is no likelihood of business improving. Following the failure of Messrs. Hay, Brothers and Wright, with liabilities amounting to about £12,000, we have the suspension of Messrs. W. J. and J. H. Barr, merchants. Another lar-e drapery firm and a gentleman engaged in farming in the Taieri district, whose liabilities are said to be close upon £9,000, have also gone to the wall. The ship City of Auckland, which left Auckland foi London on the 19th instant, was the bearer of 6,176 ounces of Thames gold, valued at £17,203. We (Southern Cros?) understand that a requisition is in course of preparation to be presented to the Superintendent, ask ing his Honor to convene a public mooting with a view to taking steps to secure proper defensive arrangements for the city. We believe that the requisition was yes terday handed round for signature by the leading residents. T. B. Gillies, Esq., Superintendent of Auckland, has been returned es a member of the House of Representatives for the district of Mongonui. We learn from out Auckland files that the agitation respecting the foundation of a home for the destitute children of that city is bearing fruit. A public meeting had been convened for the evening of Monday, March 21, "to establish a Raggedschool Association," at which his Excellency the Governor was to preside. The Bishop of Auckland, the hon. W. Fox, his Honor the Superintendent, and other gentlemen, had promised to attend and take part in the proceedings. The Southern Cross, in referring to this movement, expresses its cordial approval of the object of the meeting, but "would regret if so very objectionable a name as that of f ßagged School' should be adopted by the association." Our contemporary suggests " the much moro expressive title of ' l udustrial School Association.'''

According to the Auckland Evening Slav, when (he Xing natives received intelligence of the departure of the last of the troops they said it was now a case of <s Maori against Maori." Commenting, on one of the returns in the last appendix to the Journals of the Houses of Assembly, the Wairarapa Mercury siijb :—" There arc no less than 1,310 officers employed in the Civil Department of governing this colony of Now Zealand, This does not include the fighting branch. The salaries vary from £1,700, which is the annual amount received by Chief Justice Arney, to the lowest, £5, which is the rate allowed to vaiious postmasters. The list of officers published by the Government and presented to both Houses of the General Assembly, contains some names about which we should like a little more information. For instance, it states that on the Ist July, 1879, Mr F. O. D. Hodges was employed as Cavalry Drill Instructor for Wairarapa and Castle Point, and also as Police Constablo at a rate of £3O per annum. We imagine the inhabitants of that district would like to see him. We also observe that Mr M. L. Nelly has a situation as Drill Sergeant in the Wairarapa and Castle Point distrcit, for which he receives £174 5s per annum ; but it is very little that either district is ever honored by his presence. A lot of Maoris receive salaries which are very easily earned we imagine. Tne office they hold is generally called ' Assessors,' the duties of which are rather vague to describe. In this valley we possess two, viz.:—lhaia Whakamairu, and Kaniera te Iho, each of which receive £SO per annum. One curious item in the list is that Mr T. E. Young in the Native Secretary's Office, Wellington, receives £l2 annually for occupying the post of ' Grleaner of Native Intelligence from Newspapers.' What is the process? What arc the fruits ? Which are the papers selected ? What becomes of the gleanings ? How much is chaff, and how much corn? "

An Otago contemporary, writing of slygrog selling, says :—'' Last week the Queenstown police cleve»-ly succeeded in obtaining a conviction against a notorious sly-grog seller at Skippers, named Purdo. The traffic in Mr Purdo's hands has been going on for a considerable time past, but so completely were his plans arranged that he has hitherto succeeded in evading detection. Recently a change was made in the district police force, and, to use an ecclesiastical phrase, Sergeant Fox determined to impi-ove the occasion, by bringing Purdo to justice. The new constable was rigged out in the orthodox style of a sturdy digger, and proceeded to make the acquaintance of Mr Purdo at a time when that gentleman was least prepared for th& active supervision of the police. Spirituous liquors freely changed hands, and in due course Mr Purdo was arraigned before a bench of Magistrates at Queenstown, to answer a charge of having neglected to provide for himself a license before assuming the responsibilities of a ' host.' The offence was indignantly repudiated, but on the constable reminding Mr Purdo of the number of nips he had disposed of on the occasion referred to, he (Mr Purdo) saw to his dismay that he had likewise disposed of his chance of escape from the penal clause of the Licensing Ordinance. A penalty of £25 was imposed, and at the same time the police were highly complimented for the tact they had displayed in the affair."