Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 788, 19 May 1870, Page 3

Interprovincial Items.

AUCKLAND. [I?ROH OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] May 12th, 1870.

The approaching session of the General Assembly is not attracting much attention. As it is the last session of the existing House no change of Government need be anticipated ; but a re-adjust in eut of the representation ought to pass. The Thames ought to have one representative at least, and some of the smaller constituencies ought to be coupled together. Onehunga and the other three Pensioner villages, formerly one constituency, ought to be re-united; Mangonui and the Bay of Islands the same. Two seats would thus be at liberty, one of which would fall to the Hauraki, and the other would be available towardsja proposed reduction of the sum-total of the House. The suburban constituencies of Parnell and Newton might both be extended and enlarged. Above all, the electoral law ought to be so altered as to limit the facilities for personation now existing. Let the countrj polling stations in each case be only avail* able for voters whose qualification is situated in their neighborhood, and the prin-

cipal polling station be the only place where any elector of the division may vote I Personation would neither be so easy to j practise, nor so safe, as under the existing j, system. If the law is not altered, the next Assembly will in all probability contain j two or three members from this Province, . whose seats have been obtained by pereof nation coupled with violence, and "something more than intimidation." Any law . which facilitates such practices ought to be { amended. , A measure to incorporate the citizens of Auckland may also be expected to pass j I during the coming session. | I am glad that some electors have made ; l an attempt to purge some Of the electoral ; . rolls, which are at present in a very dis- ( ( creditable state, containing the names of ■ such a number of dead men and absentees, ( all available for personation at certain con- | venient places. It i 3 probable that one ( M.P.C. here bad at least a hundred person j ations recorded in at the last , general election. i Mr Wood, addressed the electors of Par- , nell on the 10th inst. The only point in j his speech to which special notice need be > called was that where he spoke of free trade \ in native land as a thing to be obtained! r My idea was that dealing in Maori land ( was now nearly as free as dealing in Maori s potatoes. A man may buy native land t where and when ho can without let or hindrance; he may retain it as long as _ he is able on Maori title ; if he seeks a Crown title he can obtain that on application to the Native Lands Court and on . paying part of the necessary expenses of that Court, including of course costs of . surveying, &c. What more freedom does • JVtr Wood require ? While desiring Mr Wood's election, I confess to being somewhat disappointed with his remarks on this subject; but not being an elector of Parnell I had nothing to do with bis meet- . ing beyond the part of an auditor. y 1 p.ra. b The Lord Ashley is to leave for your | port at 3 p.m. Mr Wood has just been elected for Parnell without opposition. We take the following from a latefAuck- 1 land Evening Star:—"We regret to have a to record the sudden death, at an early « hour this morning, of Mr Charles Purdy, t at his residence in west Queen street. The t deceased was one of the oldest members of the naval volunteers, having joined in «! 1860, and from his disposition and charac- [ ter, was very greatly liked by both officers i and men. He was a brave man, and be- '< irg out in every active service with his 1 company was always the first to volunteer t in any dangerous work to be performed. I He had followed his business of waterman, { and was latterly conducting repairs to the I Queen-street Wharf, at which he was en- - gaged in apparently good health till six o'clock yesterday evening. After returning home he complained of nQt being al together well, and at half-past twelve this , morning, without any warning, he suddenly I expired, it is believed of disease of the heart. He leaves a wife and three children to mourn their loss. His brethren in arms, the Naval Volunteers, intend to bury the deceased with Naval funera! honors at three o'clock to-morrow afternoon, when, as we understand, the other Volunteer companies have been invited by Captain Gruilding to join, out of respect to . one of the oldest members of the Volunteer Force." The brush kangaroos introduced into Canterbury by Captain Thompson some time ago, have thriven remarkably well, and have also increased in numbers to i such an extent that the Lyttelton Times considers that their liberation in suitable , localities i 3 desirable. The same journal p draws attention to the fact that the skin and flesh of this species of kangaroo are prized in Tasmania, while its* habits are such as to occasion no annoyance to the farmers, who complain loudly of the misa chief done to their crops in that part of , Tasmania where the English deer have e largely increased. f The New Zealand Herald, May 12, s says: —" Along the wharf yesterday colors 3 were half-masted, in consequence of the - sudden deease that morning of Captain e Calder, of the barque Island City. The i deceased had for some time been indisl posed, but nothing serious had been appre- .. hended. The Island City is lying off e Kohimarama, and Captain Calder had '. been staying with Captain Johnson in 7 Emily Place. We understand that Capt. « Calder leaves three children, who are now .- orphans, Mrs Calder having died but rei- cently. A univeral sorrow has been felt

i in Auckland in consequence of the sad ; event, the deceased being much respected, > The deceased gentleman had been for foup- ; teen years in the employ of Captain Johnt. son." 1 The New Zealand Herald, 14th May, > says:—"The Native and Defence Minister • returned yesterday in H.M.O. p.s. Luna. • Mr M'Lean's intention when starting from Auckland was to proceed'to thePiakoto ! interview some of the natives who were opposed to the progress of the telegraph wires. On arriving at Shortland it was found that these people had gone down towards Cape Ctflville and the Luna consequently steamed northwards, and Mr M'Lean saw Kapaoa, Kewi, and Other chiefs of the Ngatimaru, all of whom ex« pressed most friendly intentions; at the same time they said that there were a few turbulent spirits over whom they had no control, who were making all the fuss. Such opposition, however, will die a natural death, and the few remaining miles of wire will no doubt shortly be completed. The natives were in some state of excitement in expectation of the death of Taraia, a very old chief, one of the oil school, whose lamp of life is gradually expiring. The natives are gradually moving up towards Ohinemuri for the Land Court on Monday, where there will doubtless be a considerable muster. The Thames Advertiser, May 13, says : —We learn that Taraia Ngakuti, the aged chief of the Ngatitanutera, and "the last of the cannibals," had made up his mind to die last night, and as in this matter natives generally carry out, so to speak, their intention, we quite expect that Taraia is now dead. In rank, Taraia stood very high—indeed, we doubt if there are now four natives who in birth and warlike fame, are his equals. He has been always recognised as the great chief of the Thames, just as Potatau was the great chief of the Waikato. He was a very old man, num* bering probably nearly a hundred years His youth and manhood were spent in cruel wars, and in terrible deeds of blood, such as New Zealand will never see again. It was he who, with his warriors, held the last great cannibal feast in New Zealand, at the Thames, when hundreds of heads were stuck on poles after an inroad upon the Tauranga tribes. Taraia was, however, too old to take any part in the war in the Waikato, even had he been so disposed. Judging from his character, if strength had permitted him, he would have gone against us, and would have been no small assistance to the enemy. When the G-overnor was here a few months ago, Taraia was amongst the natives who met him on the green in front of Mr Mackay's residence, and when his great age was spoken of, he ran and leapt to show that he had still much strength , left. Of late, his years have told upon his mind, and he was little regarded in , the counsels of the tribe. He might have been seen frequently at Butt's corner, sit- , ting in the sun, looking on at the busy life ■ of ttie Europeans, which had changed the . very face of the land where he had formerly . reigned with more than royal power. His l death will cause a great sensation amongst > the natives in both islands of the oniony. \ it is not likely, however, that the great • i'east in memoriam will take place at once, • but in a year hence when he will be disinterred, his bones picked, and deposited in > some sacred spot. The inquest on the fire in Columbo-st, Canterbury, was finished on the 2nd inst. > L'he jury returned a verdict to the effect 3 that there was no evidence to show how , the fire had originated. ) Navigator Lieutenant Sladen, of H.M.S. 3 Challenger, has pronounced an opinion that 3 it will be impossible to keep open a chan--1 nel for navigation purposes into the Wai- • rarapa Lake. Gapt. G. Fox, who has been temporarily in charge of the p.s. Sturt, f arrived in Napier yesterday by the Comerang, and has again assumed command of the s.s. Sb. Kilda. Ouit Auckland Files extend to ' the evening of Saturday last. The latest shipping items, live stock market reports, and other extiucts appear elsewhere. The Weather during yesterday ~ was very gloomy, with every appearf'ance of rain, which, however", has j kept off up to this time. We noQ ticed also that the sheet in the tele- -. orraph office denoted the weather in v most of the Southern Provinces y«s. ~ terday as being either " rainy," • " cloudy," or " overcast."