English and Foreign Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 780, 21 April 1870, Page 3

English and Foreign Items.

In Mr W. H. Russell's " Diary in the Kast," he relates the following as an illustration of the servile condition of the modern Egyptians:—"Two men had a Jispute over some matter of sale, and from words one of them, the larger and stronger, resorted to a sounding box on the eye of his antagonist. The latter put his hand to his face, looked around with one glaring orb at the crowd which had been collected by the controversy, and, singling out a laughing donkey-boy, administered to him a tremendous cuff on the side of the head. A. few yards away there sat a child of eight or nine years of age against the wall of a house, innocently sucking a piece of sugar-cane. The donkey-boy at once charged him, and kicked him in the ribs. The little fellow looked up, uttered a cry of rage, and seizing a large paving stone which lay close at hand, flung it —at tho donkey-boy?—oh, certainly not! but at a poor street dog, which lay asleep close at hand. The dog immediately went off howling, and no doubt bit a small puppy to ease its mind."

In his dharge to the grand jury at Nottingham, Mr Justice Blackburn expressed himself in favor of flogging as a punishment for the crime of arson. He believed that if it were generally known the punishment for this crime included flogging, tho dread of the sharp faug of the lash would be a deterrent. Hi' lordship said it a question for the Legislature to consider.

The social science philosophers of Great Britain are becoming alarmed. They have discovered that the disproportion between men and women is increasing so rapidly in the country as to threaten an overwhelming redundancy of the feminine gender. The statistics appal them. Out of every hundred women in Great Britain, above twenty years of age, it has been ascertained that fifty-seven are wives, thirteen widows, and thirty spinsters. Of a little under three million women between twenty and forty, in England and Wales, one million and two hundred and forty-eight thousand were unmarried. The English philosophers recommend a whole hegira of females to the United States ; but this would not help them much, as there is a large excess of women in that country. Massachusets, with a population of twelve hundred thousand, had forty thousand more women than men at the taking of the last census.

The Army and Navy Gazette says : The heroes of New Zealand will shortly have their hearts set at rest by receiving the medal for which they have so long been sighing. The medal will, we are informed, be issued to those who took part in the campaign of 1846-47 almost immediately. We wonder how many survivors there aro of the 1846-47 campaign. We certainly know one officer who is now filling a responsible Staff appointment, who served with the 58th in their first campaign, but we fear the gallant Eutlanders, as a regiment, will appear little more glorious after the issue than they do at present. Time works great changes, and those who fought side by side under the black standard twenty-three years ago, have, many of them, long since gone to their last resting place. ________

THE PATEA MAORIS. From tho W&ngamu' Evening Herald. •The present Government came int< /ofj&ce with the reverse policy of thei: predecessors in native affairs, and dis jtinguished their newly-acquired pos session of the reins by a strong colonia leaning to the whites. The announce jnents which followed each other it guick succession, all converging to th< Encouragement of settlement, inspirec a confidence in the future of the dis trict, which at the same time streng thened the position of the Govern nient, and was fast repcopling th< .country lately overrun by the rebe natives. When a Government is tru< to the people, true to its own promises and professions, and adheres to souin principles of administration, it rareh fails to meet with the support of al honest men. The policy announce( by Mr Fox when he visited these dis tricts, was so simple and practica that it was received at once as th< panacea for the evils from which we have long suffered. We saw that th< native agent was no longer the un truthful and ignorant guide upon whos< pphiion, perhaps, the destiny of th( Colony might hang. The sun burs through the clouds, the settlers wh( had been scattered over the Colon] saw the first gleam of sunshiue, an( £hey returned, slowly at first, bir with gradually accelerating pace, tc their farms at Waitotara, Wairoa, anc Patea. To see the brave-hearted mer .erecting temporary whares where less than two years previously comfortabh homesteads had stood; to see them on the sole promise of the Governmenl to give them the -protection they need jL'd, again planting themselves on tin soil, and commencing to lay thost loundations of industry upon which the wealth and greatness of all nation* are built up, was surely one of th« greatest proofs that it only requirec the Government to understand its duty to make the Colony flourish, anc to ensure at no distant time a fina peace. The Government have turner round and reversed the policy upor which the hopes of the settlers were built, and for no better reason thai: was to be found in an incident —of nc importance in itself —arising from im proper conduct on the part of one oi its officers. The settlers can have nc possible motive but peace in any actiorj they take; and they know that sc sure as the natives are allowed to re•tnrn to their kaiugas again, the district can never be secure from raids puch as Titokowaru's raid in 1868, The words " loyal natives " make the case worse, for they exhibit deception, Aperahama comes within the meaning attached by the Government to the term " loyal natives," and affords at once a key to the new policy. He is the principal chief of the Waitotara tribe. The whuie of his people who were able to shoulder a rifle joined Titokowaru, and fought against us. He, however, it is said, remained on the Waitotara, and did not take part, in the fighting. The land of the whole tribe can be claimed by the chief, the other members having forfeited their right to claim, through rebellion. This chief settles down and brings around him other " loyaJ natives," and finally the whole tribe; for who is to distinguish between loyal and disloyal natives? Are the kaingas of the "loyal natives" to be subjected to domiciliary visits in order that no disloyal ones may be received amongst thsin ? This is the logic ci the question. Mr Fox even more comprehensively judged of the'matter, for he took a tribal, or least a "family" (hapuj view of the question, as is clear from his words to Topia on the 29th day of November last, at the interview on the Wanganui river. Topia asked: " What is the Government going to do wit l " the Ngaraura [the Waitotara natives) who have assisted Tito ? "■ Mr Fox replied that "the wrong of that tribe had j>een great, but they had since been fighting on the Government side against Te Kooti, and this in some degree atoned for their former wrong. The Government would not now punish them, but let them not go back to the Waitotara; that would, not be permitted; the white men were reluming there:" When asked about the, Pakakohe, Mr Fox said "The jpakehas who were going back to. Patea Y(ould not consent to their returning. 3jf they were allowed to go back •perhaps there would be trouble.

When peace* was firmly made, and the Pakeha had taken root in the soil, perhaps then they would be allowed to return to Wauganui river, but not to their old lands ; that was too near the Pakeha whom they had injured" These replies, Mr Fox understood, gave general satisfaction. That was the tone of the Government shortly after taking office, and it was in consequence of such addresses and opinions that the settlers were induced to go back to their farms. Tne miserable order published in the Herald of the 26th March, is a gross betrayal of the settlers, and should be met by their stern determination to force the Go-j vernment to keep faith with them. 1 We have good reason for supposing that Mr Booth is at present advising the Government in native affairs in the district: they are taking their cue from this evil genius. This is a strange and discreditable contrast to the sentiments of Mr Fox while in opposition. The Government are'fast sliding into the policy of their predecessors, through whose demerits more than their own merits they became pos sessed of office. We warn the Government of the consequence of the order.

It is no .secret that the Commander of the District has received a private letter from the Premier as Weil as a despatch, and these together formed the basis of the order which was read to the forces. The writer requested that the letter should be read to influential settlers in the district, and by the present t'mvi we have no doubt the contents are pretty generally known from Waitotara to Patea We have been favored with the pern sal of the documents, and find that Mr Fox asks the settlers to support the Government in their policy, and not object to the natives returning to their former habitats. The natives engaged in the late war are not to be allowed to return until (and this is worthy of note) Mr M'Lean comes to this district. The Premier says he has written to Mr Booth to keep him informed of the temper of the natives. We sre thoroughly convinced that this apostle of humbug will faith fully perform his 1 unctions, which are to stand in the way of settlement and to foster the spirit of mutual hatred between the races. So much for the severe denunciations of. the native agents while in opposition. The Com mander of the district is zealously hawking about Mr Fox's letter and in the most amiable way insisting that Mr Fox never said that loyal natives would not be allowed to return. We happen to know better, and we trust Major Noake will understand his position. He-is a weathercock, and will he blown to any poia't by the prevailing wind. If his head faces the north to day it i 3 no fault of his if it should face the south to-morrow ; nor is ir for him to explain the law of the atmospheric currents, or attempt to reconcile the change?. As an indicator he serves his purpose, and we shall not blame him because he may happen to show that his wheels have been well lubricated with Government oil. But there must be no unfair influence brought to bear on the settlers. They have the right of public meeting and public petition, and any political agent attempting to interfere with these must be met with a stern demeanour. The Government have broken faith with the settlers, who can make their yoice heard ail over the Colony, and have a sympathizing audience. Our censure refers only to this particular question, and without the slightest prejudice, as we have supported the Government in their general policy up to the present. If the settlers are only true to themselves we believe it is possible to have the order rescinded.

Goldsmiths' Wobk.—The progress of fine art manufacture in this branch of trade is strikingly exemplified in a little work jast published by J. W. Benson, of 25 Old Bond-st, and of the City Steam Factory, 58 and 60, Ludgate Hill. It is enriched and embellished with designs, (by Italian, French, and English, artistes) of Brooches, Bracelets, Earrings, and other articles suitable for personal wear, or Wedding, Birthday, or other presents, with their prices. Mr Benson (who holds the appointment to H.B.H. the Prince of Wales) has also published a very interesting pamphlet on the Eise and Progress of Watch and Clock-making. These pamph leU are sent post free for two.stamps each, and they cannot be too strongly "recommended to those contemplating a purchase, especially to residents in the country or abroad, who are thus enabled to select any article they may require, and have it forwarded with perfect safety. 1/7

Science and Art. —A striking instance of the immense value a small piece of steel may acquire by the great power of skilled mechanical labor is the balance-spring of a watch. From its extreme fineness and delicacy 4,00) weigh not more than an ounce, and exceed in value £I,OOO. A most interesting little work, describing the rise and orogress of watchmaking, has been published by J. W. Benson, 25 Old Bond-st., and the City Steam Factory, 53 ana 60 Ludgate-hill. The book, which is profusely illustrated, gives a full description of the various kirsds of watches and clocks, with their prices Mr Benson (who holds the appointment to the Prince of Wales) has also published a pamphlet on Artistic Gold Jewellery, illustrated with the most beautiful designs of Bracelets, Brooches, Earrings, Lockets, &c, &c, suitable for Wedding, Birthday, and other presents. These pamphlets are stmt post free for two stamps each, and they cannot be too strongly recommended to those contemplating a purchase, especially to residents in the country or abroad, who are thus enabled to select any article they may require,and have it forwarded with perfect safety. 24/6