Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 803, 11 July 1870, Page 2

Interprovincial Items.

AUCKLAND. [FEOM OUB OW.N" COIiIiESPONDSNT.I June 29, 1870. Our Chiel Justice is at present fully employed in hearing cases of bankruptcy. Some rather extraordinary methods of doing business are revealed in the opposed cases. A man named Fagg, a gas-fitter, residing ai the Thames, was recently brought before the Supreme Court and found guilty on a charge of selling arms to a Maori, and pleaded guilty to anothei charge of the same kind. Two other charges were laid; but, no evidence being offered, were allowed to drop. Meanwhile, his counsel has raised a point of law m his favor, and judgment is stayed until that is argued. This case has x so far, ended very differently from that of Dorrington, tried several months ago, and acquitted although the published evidence was so clear as to leeve it a mystery to account for the verdict or reconcile it with the oaths of the jury. Some people thought it to be a case of trying to punish a small sinner, and let the bigger sinners escape; others thought that in the background were other persons implicated, and that his conviction would have led to further disclosures. As the offence is a very serious one it is to be hoped it will be punished in a manner likely to prevent its occurrence in future. In politics we are now very quiet. The San Francisco mail route has i furnished a subject for the Press and

the Chamber of Commerce. A great stir was made over that a few weeks ago, and a deputation appointed to go to Sydney; hut the mercantile men appointed did not start because! they ,had not a passage provided byj the Government! Verily, patriotism is at a very low figure in Auckland, when on a question of such direct advantage to the commercial fraternity, its members would not subscribe the cost of passages to and fro of two of their representatives.* J

By all accounts, affairs are very dull at the Thames. Meanwhile, the scrip of the payable claims has Long Drives, which were as low as £l2, or perhaps lower, are now marketable at *£2o. Shobovers have been unmarketable at 75., and have advanced again to 15s. (nominally £lO shares). The Golden Crown has not yielded much gold the last three months, but its scrip (nominally £1,000), being in few hands has not been much dealt in, otherwise, its price would have been low. Scrip in four-fifths of the goldmining companies cannot be given away,—the fear of calls deterring people, and not unreasonably. What a contrast with the state of affairs in July and August of last year, when almost any swindle could be floated. We had lately a libel case in the Supreme Court. As an advocate of a free press it is desirable to mention that the ease in question was not one of liberty, but of licentiousness. I am a supporter of freedom of opinion, and freedom of publication; but the first element in freedom of the press should be truth, not falsehood. In this case the defendant repeated the libel in a negative form, asserting that it did not, and could not, apply to the complainant, then named; whereas the article contained some facts and allusion* that did apply to the complainant,.and could not apply to any other man in Auckland, —so that the libel was thus aggravated. However, this did no'.- save the defendant from the Supreme Court, where he pleaded guilty and apologised ; was ordered up for sentence when called upon, and thus the matter ended. Both editor and publisher of the libel have since resorted to the Insolvency Court, so that a sentence of fine would have been only a farce. It was a rase of which one of our Judge's words might be repeated, that "a journalist first invented his facts, then commented on them." Yet such writers claim the position and privileges of "gentlemen of the Press;" abuse other men as they choose, but close their columns (and practically also those of their contemporaries) against the aggrieved person. There appears to be a fatality attending any attempts to purify the .electoral rolls in this province. Last year some adherents of the then existing Provincial Go* eminent took steps which ended in the striking off of many names, and caused a deal of dissatisfaction, as many of those objected to had legal qualifications, and had besides insufficient notice. This year an attempt to purge the roll fell through in many cases through some blundering, leaving a number of fictitious votes on the roll, "all available for personation at certain convenient polling stations." On the othei hand, some duly qualified men hav T e probably been struck off' on technical, grounds, without their; being aware of it. Ido not think either the letter or the spirit of the law is complied with in matters pertaining to the revision of the lists.

The following, with reference to a rich find in the Junction claim, Thames, is from the Auckland Evening Star, sth July: About one hundred pounds of very rich specimens have been taken out of this claim, and the mine generally is looking extremely healthy. A crushing has been commenced, and the plates showing remarkably well. A good dividend may be looked forward to in a few days. Several Other rich finds have also been made dur ing the past few days. The Thames correspondent of the Daih Southern Cross writes as follows under date 6th July:—A startling rumor, that

was soon afterwards enlarged by certain hideous accessions, became current in the town of Shortland yesterday afternoon, and hinted at nothing iess than eith?r murder foul and unnatural, or some milder form of homicide. It was reported that the headless body of a man had been discovered some six or seven miles up the Kauweranga Valley, and that the remains were comparatively fresh—certainly not mere than a fortnight old, and that death had evidently been produced by decapita tion, as the head, clearly severed from the body, was found some yards distant from it. The discovery was reported to the police by Mr Duncan, he having first received intimation of it from a native who, I hear, knew of the fact on Monday, and came to town to report it, but could not make himself understood, or find any one to act as interpreter for him. When I came to sift the facts, it became apparent that a very large margin of exaggeration had to be allowed for. A body—or the remains of one —had been found, it is true> but so far advanced in decomposition that recognition was next to impossible. Sergeant Lloyd of the Armed Constabulary, stated that his informant described it as being " all to pieces," and that the garments which once clothed it were rotten The remains were lying on a blanket, as if the unfortunate fellow, whoever he may have been, had lain himself down and died, first however divesting himself of a part of his clothing, his boots and socks being found hanging on a bush close by. No suspicion of foul play is entertained by the police, of whom a party left town this morning to bring the remains in, and had not returned when I despatched my letter.

It is rumored in Auckland that To Kooti has joined Titokowaru afc Wanganui, and that they have a force under them numbering 700 men. The Daily Southern Cross does not think the story is entitled to much credence.

A public meeting called by requisition was held in Nelson on the Ist July, for the purpose of considering the Colonial Treasurer's Financial Statement. The following resolution was proposed by Mr Elliott: — 4J That this meeting cannot but regard with alarm the proposals contained in the Colonial Treasurer's Financial Statement to largely augment our taxation, to carry out by means of enormous loans a scheme of pubhc works, in excess of our requirements, and to introduce into our fiscal system the principle oi imposing taxes to benefit particular classes." Mr Martin Lightband proposed as an amendment, —" That in the opinion of this meeting the Financial Scheme proposed by the Colonial Treasurer commends itself to r _ the earnest consideration of the legislators; and further, that this meeting is of opinion that a practical modification of the same to suit the urgent necessities of the colony, will tend to raise it from a depressed state." The amendment was carried. —A public meeting, held for a similar purpose as the above was held at Christchurch on the 6th inst., when the following resolution was agreed to :—"That this meeting is of opinion that the able and comprehensive financial scheme of the present ministry deserves our most favorable consideration, and that the meeting cordially approves of their proposals for the settlement of the country by the formation of large public works and the introduction of suitable imigrants."