Interprovincial Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 817, 29 August 1870, Page 2

Interprovincial Items.

We lenrn from the Southland Times that a child belonging to a family named Caulfield, residing in Galla-atreet, Invercargill, fell into a vessel of boiling water recently, and got severely scalded. Dr Deck was in immediate attendance, but not* withstanding every remedy being tried, the child has since died. The Nelson Colonist says that early on the morning of the 13th inst., and again on that of the 14th, some evil disposed persons smashed in a number of the windows of the dwelling-house of. the hou. E. VV. Stafford, at the port. While a little girl named Winter, residing in Canterbury, was amusing herself the other day by swinging a boot by the lace, it accidentally struck her little sister, aged five months, on the head, and death ensued from the injuries sustained. "Barmaids' birthday celebrations" are made, ou some of the Qtago gold fields, a means of attracting diggers to the public house. A contemporary says:— The plan in vogue is this —a billet claux, reading as follows, is forwarded to the diggers at their respective claims:—" Your company is invited on the evening of to celebrate the birthday of Jessie at the Hotel." This is, without doubt, the latest and best dodge out to drive a trade. It is quite legitimate, I allow, but the diggers complain of being the martyrs to too many birthday celebrations—in fact, some of the barmaids have birthdays twice a year. On the Ist instant Mr G. Matthews, of Dunedin, cut a fully expanded flower of a white camelia, from a plant growing in the open air in his garden. This is given as a proof of the mildness of the winter " down South."

The hon. Mr Fox has given notice that he will move in the House of Representatives: — (1) That it is desirable his Excellency the Governor should appoint a commission in Great Britain, to enquire into and report upon the bast mode and process of preparing New Zealand flax to make it a marketable commodity in Great Britain ; the uses to which New Zealand flax is best adapted ; to recommend what steps, if any, the New Zealand Government should take, either in Great Britain or the Colony, to promote the cultivation or preparation of the flax, and of manufactures from it. (2) That during the next session f the Assembly there shall be an exhibition of New Zealand flax, confined to New Zealand exhibitors, and that prizes to the amount of £SOO should be given. (3) That during the session of the Assembly in 1572, there shall be an exhibition of every variety of New Zealand flax, in its natural, cultivated, prepared, or manufactured state; and that prizes to the amount of £2,000 shall be given. That, except as to cultivation, the prizes should be open to exhibitors beyond the Colony. (4) That a select committee be appointed to draw up rules and conditions for the two exhibitions, or to recommend the principles on j£ which they should be drawn up. Tho committee to have the power to call for persons, records, and papers j and to report in a week, Under the heading "Rather dear at the price," the Wairarapa Mercury says that his Excellency the Governor costs the Colony nearly £IO,OOO a year. The items areas follows:—fcsalan, £4,500; Governor's establishment, £l,b'oo; travelling expenses, £t>oo; interest on £32,000 (being estimated cost of Government House) at 8 per cent, £2,560 ; total, £J,260. Tho Wuirarupa Mercury has been informed that letters are in course of signature, addressed to the hon. J. Yogel and the Rev. J. 0. Andrew, asking them to come forward as representatives of the Wairarapa district in the General Asseuioly, and pledging the signers of the circulars to afford them all the support in their power.

From the report of the Governmsnt Annuities Commissioners we observe that t'rom the Ist March to the 30th June Lite Assurance were grouted to the large sum jf £27,800. Considering the very short time the Government scheme of Life Assurance has been initiated, these figures may be looked upon as highly satisfactory,.

The Marlborough Express of a recent date contains the following obituary notice, of an old colonist: —Many who see ourj columns to-day will read with regr.t the notice in our obituary of the death of William li'Ba", Esq.," of Waipapa. Mr M'Rae was the eldest son of the late George M'Rae, Esq , of Biarich, Awatere, and formerly of Biarich, pariah of Bogart. Sutherlandshire. He was one of our most remarkable men, having been connected •with this district from the earliest times, and arrived in the colony while early in his teens, which had not expired when he became a leading guile and authority on Brock, sheep runs, and in the exploration af this then unknown country. Among others who profited thereby was Mr Duppa, who, acting on his advice, acquired an estate which he sold later still for £122,000. His courage in coming hither shortly after the Wairau Massacre took place, his sagacity and perseverance made the Wairau district safe ; and under his encouragement Sir William Congreve, Mr (now Sir George) Dash wood, with a number of others, came here, whose now independent fortunes may be traced to him. Notwithstanding the possession of an iron constitution, and a powerful frame, his immense exertions and fatigues in explor ing a vast extent of country told upon him, and chronic rheumatism incapacitated him from active life for the last seven years, and at length he was released from earthly Buffering on Sunday last, at the premature age of forty-five. Messrs Dillon Bell, E. W. Stafford, W. Fox, and Governors Grey, Browne, and Weld, received much aid from his judgment and no doubt will, in common with a large circle of acquaintances, lament the early death of this model pioneer colonist; and sympathise with the lose, although left in comforrable circumstances, which his wiie and large family have sus tained. Travellers who have called at his residence, and received mo;t hospitable welcome, will also grieve that the genial and kind familiar face—always so, even when suffering from acute pain—is gone, and can greet them no more.

Alluding to the "unemployed" movement in Canterbury, a correspondent ■writes :—" There are no less than 2000 men within the Province who cannot obtain work at a reasonable wage. They mostly get away from the city and towns, where it is more difficult to live on nothing more than an occasional job, and wander about the country, seeking employment in vain, and many getting "tucker" at a station farm house where their labour is liot wanted —an exercise of charity which, if long continued, is a burden on the giver, and received reluctantly by many a man really anxious to earn a fair day's wage for a fair day's work. * * * * JHrectlv harvest was over numbers of ablebodied men were thrown out of work, and those who had not saved during that short period of high' wages might have starved, although the rate is loudly complained of bv of grain, especially those "who outer on the pursuit by means of borrowed money at absurdly high interest for land, cattle, implements, seed, building matorials, furniture, and supplies—such as are c died 'Cockatoo' settlers, who compete with the mere labourer tor wages in the employ of the large farmers, as well as grudge him enough reward for a long day's hard work to enable him to save a little p-ovision for the time when employment shall become scarce. The greater part of the flix mills have also been undertaken bv peisons short of capital; and as they have only scutched the wild weed of the swamps, instead of scientifically preparing the cultivated plant of superior kinds so as jo secure a steady high price in the markets of the world, the operations of many of them have come to an untimely end before they had paid for their machinery, thus discouraging the pursuit of that industry, and throwing large numbers out of work both from their own factories and from the foundries where the machinery was made."

According to a letter from the AttorneyGeneral's Office to Mr Henry Lyon, of Eangitikei, published in the Wellington Independent, it would appear (says a late Evening Post) that the Governnent have definitely made up their minds not to institute proceedings against Henry Hamilton, the half-caste,for perjury. They have also refused to grant Trickrr a free pardon, and in fact have virtually announced that they refuse to impugn, by any action of theirs, the justice of the sentence under which Tricker suffered s'.x years' imprisonment in Wellington gaol. It is very evident that in all this there can be traced the old feeling of favoring the Maoris; wrong or injustice inflated on a European is a very trifling consideration, but nothing must be done to offend the pets of the Native Office. However, it is still competent for those who have interest d themselves in Tricker'a case to undeitake the prosecution of Hamilton themselves, and there is very little doubt that, it that course is adopted, facts will come to light which will put a new face on the whole affair, and compel even the Govern merit to vacate the position they have assumed.

Referring to the announcement that the steamer Nebraska i 3 about to visit Wei lington shortly, the Evening Post says : - It must be very gratifying to the gentlemen who, a 3 the " iSan Francisco Steam Committee," made such strenuous efforts to secure for the Colony the benefits ol steam communication with California, to find that the IS'ebraska is about to make a pioneer trip to Wellington. There can be no doubt that this visit is entirely owing to the efforts made by them during Mr Collie's visit, and the encouragement given to that gentleman. Nutwnbstandmg the

blunders the committee made, and the foolish manner in which they allowed Mr Vogel to crow over them, we trust that they yet have some vitality, and that the arrival of the pioneer boat of Webb's line will resuscitate their energies, and induce them to make one more effort to secure the advantages within their reach. We would counsel them to meet once more and discuss the question whether or not it is possible, even " at this late period of the session," to have the matter fairly debated iu the House, and an expression of opinion given by the representatives of the people as to whether they intend to allow the Hall-Vogel job to pass unchallenged, or to insist upon more satisfactory arrangements being made. If they do not, they will find that the astute Postmaster-General will contrive to carry his point, and have things all his own way. The A.uck'and Evening News relates the following laughable accident which occurred close to the office of that journal : —Two dogs were indulging in a quiet fight, and contrived to roll violently against the legs of a gentleman who. was passing, and cut them completely away from under him, leaving him sitting in the mud. On picking himself up he seemed rather inclined to growl, but the laughter of the bystanders was too much for him, and he was obliged to join.

There is, perhaps, nothing (says the Waikouaiti Herald) that more fully illustrates the inconvenience arising from Provincial legislation, than the restrictions which are from time to time put upon the transport of stock from one Province to another. As evidence of this, we quote the price of meat in Canterbury as compared with what it is in Otago, as given by the Lyttelton Times. It says : "Prime beef may soon be expected to realise forty shillings a hundred, while in the neighboring Province of Otago prime beef is "worth little more than half what it is here. In fact, a strong sense of dissatisfaction will certainly be realised when it is known that Otago stock owners are anxious to supply our people with beef at reduced rates, and that our paternal Government alone intereferes to prevent the ruddy sirloin and the juicy steak being sold for a third less than it nows costs. II we are rightly informed, the conduct of our Government in this matter is not only short-sighted, but amenable to another and more serious charge. The Otago Provincial authorities say that when they withdrew all restrictions upon the free passage of sheep from one Province to another, it was understood that the freedom of trade would apply to cattle as well as sheep. At that time it was greatly to the advantage of sheep owners to send their sheep down south ; just as it is now for Otago cattle owners to send their cattle up north. We are not in a position to say whether the Otago Government is correct in its interpretation of the agreement. But, if so, it would seem that our Government has committed a breach of faith—lor what ?to raise the price of food upon its own people. Whether such a breach has been committed or no, it is clear that the continuance of the prohibition can enly tend to bolster up the interests of a few cattle proprietors at the expense of the public." The following appeared in the Evening Post, 18th August;—We have the author ity of the Wanganui Chronicle for stating that on Friday last the miscreant Kereopa, whose evil fame is spread widely over the Colony,—the wretch who killed Sergeant Menzies, tore open his body, and sucked his blood—accompanied by Kepa, who carried the head of Captain Lloyd, stuck on a pole, around the country, were actu ally seen walking at large in the streets of Wanganui. Thi3 fact adds another link to the painful evidence already collected that equa! justice is not dealt to the European and the Maori; and that the dark skinned pets of the Native Office are to be favored at all hazards. In fact, it almost leads to the opinion that the Government are not in earnest in their endeavors to put down the war, and punish the atrocious rebels have kept the Colony in terror so long. Can any one believe that the Government really wish to capture and kill Te ELooti, when ruffians, his peers in guilt, are allowed openly to walk the streets of a town without an effort being made to molest them ; and a Minister has announced that he and his colleagues have decided not to institute a prosecution against a half-caste nroved guilty of perjury, the only apparent reason for this proceeding being a dread of offending his Maori reunions? If those members of the Ministry who direct Native affairs will not or dare not execute justice upon Eereop-i and Kepa, let them for decency sake give those worthies a hint to leave the European settlements and betake themselves to the bush where they will be out of sight. They will thus avoid parad ing their shame in the eyes of this and the neighboring Colonies. The Chronicle may well say—" If the people here were not a peace-abiding and law loving community, surely the misdeeds of those scoundrels would be visited upon their heads with a sudden and summary justice. Sometimes we regret that the old days of California and J udge Lynoh cannot well be revived here for a few hours, so that the strong arm of the people might make amends for the short comings of the rulers."

The Nelson Colonist learns with pleasure that Mr Dillon Bell's eldest son was placed high in the first class at the late May examinations at Cambridge. Mr ii. Bell's are the highest University honors yet taken by a native of this Colony. Mr if. Bell was, during the whole of his school career, a pupil of Mr Simmons, at the Dunedin High jSchouJ.

The growth of the (rout in the Mintaii says the Nelson Examiner, is really extraordinary. A few days ago, a splendid fish, fully eighteen inches in length, and estimated to weigh upwards of two pounds, was seen in one of the pools, in the river a little above Nile street bridge, and attracted quite a concourse of people. As the spawn from which this trout was raised was | brought from Tasmania less than two years ago. the size of this and other fish which have been seen in the river, is highly satisfactory, as showing the suitability of our streams for trout, and the promise of sport

given to the angler in a very few years. We take the following from the Wairarapa Mercury, August 17: —We have heard many express their opinions, that we are going to have a very early spring. The winter has been of a very mild character, »nd although we have had recently a very heavy rainfall, the progress that vegetation is making, encourages that belief. Peach trees, in not very sheltered situations, are already in blossom, gooseberry bushes are budding, and in some instances gardeners show peas and broad beans in blossom. Of course, succeeding frosls may cut off this growth that has been fostered prematurely, and we may yet see an indifferent fruit season, but still everything promises well at present.