AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 847, 21 October 1870, Page 2

AUCKLAND.

[tfUQM OVR OWN COREESPONDENT.'I October 17. Little stirring these times, except Court business. Insolvency cases m the Supreme Court have occupied a considerable portion of the time of Sir G. A. Arney lately. Generally the debtor get* through with littlb trouble, but when a oarfe i 9 opposed, the evidence given about the style of business done is edifying. Besides these cases, the last periodical sitting of the Court was remarkable for both civil and criminal business. In the latter, an officer in the Imperial service was proved guilty of embezzling some large sums of public money ; three cases from the Thames, all of one kind, ended in acquittals, although there could scarcely be any moral doubt as to the guilt of the parties placed on trial. It was a case of miners ver&as capitalists, and the miners won the day. Two cases were for specimen stealing; and if there was a flaw in the published evidence, it was only in the matter of identity. It is hard to prove that certain pieces of quartz and gold (called speci* mens) must have come out of one particular mine. The third case arose out of one of the others, the informer having been lynched in a brutal manner, and while he swore positively to the identity of some of liu assailants, they brought witnesses who swore to an alibi. As an alibi is, if proved honestly, the surest defence, so also is it the easiest set up by perjury, and consequently should be most carefully examined and scrutinised by both judge and jury. If the witnesses appeared worthy of credit, the jury were bound to acguit j in which case the prosecutor had committed a mistake in. the men whom ho believed he was certain of. On the civil side an important case was heard, i,u which the plaintiff sought possession of a piece of land which he had bought from the Government many years ago, and for which he held a Crown Grant. J t came out in evidence that a Surveyor in the employ of the Government actually, some years after the issue of the Grant, altered the boundaries of the land so as to leave plaintiff a quarter of a kes river frontage, and by some means the defendant obtained, a Grant

to the ground thus filched from plaintiff. It is understood that defendant was connected in some way with certain influential parties here, although the exact nature of the conceotion did not come out in court. The plaintiff won the cause, and rightly so ; hut the expenses may eventually fall on the public. It would be well,if the officials, who thus tried to defraud a man of the land which he had fairly bought, had to bear the cost of the trial, and all the contingent damages arising therefrom.

While our local press continue to cry up our gold fields, and in the most unblushing manner assert that the yield is increasing, the actual export of gold shows the contrary. In the Weekly News lately the export for past quarter was stated to be a little over) 16,000 ozs., and I have no reason to doubt the correctness of the statement; in fact the silence of the other press on the subject had led me to suspect that the export was too small to be published and commented on. Although I have always been of opinion that our gold ibid was much over praised, I confess that such a miserable yield is much less than I could hare anticipated. The rich claims have fallen off considerably, and the second-rates are not fit to make up the difference. A yield of anything short of 10,000 ozs. monthly must be an unprofitable return for ail the expense incurred at the Hauraki and Coromandel. A large number of miners have migrated to Queensland and elsewhere. General business at the Thames must of necessity hare fallen off proportionately. The passenger traffic between Auckland and the Thames has of course fallen off too, and it is doubtful if the new and improved steamer, the Golden Crown, now fitting up, will prove a profitable venture to her owners. Complaints are rife of scarcity of employment; and in the present depressed state of the flax market, that is scarcely likely to take up the spare hands. We have had several ohanges in the per* sonnel of our Provincial Council, and a few new men may be expected to put in an appearance at the ensuing meeting. The non-arrival of the mail is the subject of some grumbling, not unnaturally.

[Compiled By Gbevilms's & Co.'s Agent.} October 12. The Letitia, schooner, from Tahiti, reports that the French are actively engaged fortifying Papeete. The German Consul was commanded to haul down his flag, and refused to do so until be had been officially informed of war having commenced. The French hara employed 1,000 natives to construct fresh batteries. There are four batteries already erected, each mounting from 12 to 14 guns. The French Admirals flag ship Astro has sailed for Valaparaiso in search of German vessels. A Thames paper has reported that Te Kooti was within fourteen miles of Ohinemuri, that be had attacked a party of friendly natives and shot them down, and that he had sueceeded in coming to an understanding with the Maori king. The Government hare no information of the matter, and it was believed to be a mere canard. The Hauhau of the Upper Thames recently held a meeting at which they expressed their determination to oppose the sitting of the I and Court at Ohinemuri and the attempts to, open that district for goldmining. from Tonga, and Leti* tia from Tahiti.

October 18. The brig Harmon is still at Hokianga load* timher. At the inquest on the body of Mrs Costello'*. child a verdict of accidental death was returned.

Tiie survey of the Manukau bar has been completed, aud the outer channel is found tobe in much better condition than has been generally Supposed, The channel is deep enough to admit the largest men of war afloat.. Bishop Oowie and Mr Moorhouse are passengers from Wellington by the Lord Ashley. The Chamber of Commerce met to day and discussed a proposal from Greville's Telegram Company (New Zealand Branch) to establish a Commercial Room in Auckland in conjunction with the Chamber. The Chamber, the Mercantile community, and the New Zealand Insurance Company are favorably disposed towards the proposal. The newspapers sup* port it in articles. Archibald Clarke is again a candidate for a. seat in the Greneral Assembly. The so-called great Native meeting at Tokongamutu ended in nothing as usual. Only twenty friendly Arawas attended the meeting. The plant of the Imperial Crown Goldmin* ing Company has been sold by auction for the sum of £2,700. The Lord Ashley has arrived with a cargo. of wheat in excellent condition.

At the meeting of the Chamb r of Commerce reference wus made to a flaw in the new Gold Duties Bill, wuicli prevents its coming, into operation until January Xst, 1871. U was contended that as the old Act had been repealed no duty was legally leviable in the interim - h and that the imposition of duty would be a virtual breach of faith, inasmueu. as the Banks had purchased largely for export in anticipation, of the reduced duties. Capt. Dalcly spoke indignantly as to a statement which he attributed to the Colonial Treasurer, in effect that if any diiftcnlty arose from the flaw in the new Act the Governor could remedy it by issuing a proelamation forbidding Lite Collector of Customs to permit gold being exported unless tne old duty had been, paid upon it. Capt. Daldy contended that this was contrary to the intentions of the Legislature, and moved a resolution to this. effec , which, was earried,. Intelligence received to-day from the Ohi* nemuri district states that a party of Te K.ooii's followers are within fourteen miles of* Ohioemuji, To KLooti hmiseif is said not to» be with, the Darty, but hia. actual w.Uercab.o.ufit

is not given. Mr Clarke, Civil Commissioner, and Mr Puckey had an interview with the Upper Thames Natives, and it is said have induced them to consent to attend the Native Land Court at Shortland. Te Hira himself is expected to attend. ThevNbvelty sailed to-day for Sydney, and 4he Stormbird arrived from the South. \ v October 15. A meeting of shipmasters and owners was held last evening, at, which it was determined to establish a Marine Insurance Association. The meeting was adjourned. Mr Vogel, Colonial Treasurer, has published n letter in the morning papers on the gold duties question. He says originally the Act was intended to come into operation on the Ist October, but Mr Gillies, Superintendent of Auckland, having represented that the financial arrangements of the province would be injuriously disturbed by the reduction of duty before the end of the year, the Bill was recommitted, and Ist January, 1871, substituted for the Ist October in the third clause. It escaped notice that a corresponding alteration was required in the first clause. After the session the oversight was noticed, and it became a question whether payment of export duty on gold not be a evaded from October Ist, 1870, to January Ist, 1871. The Attorney-G-eneral was consulted and being of opinion that it was not the intention of the Legislature to suspend the collection of the export duty on gold, he advised that should exporters of gold attempt to take advantage of the oversight in the Act, the powers given under the Customs Act should be used to stop the gold altogether by proclamation, the Customs authorities being at the same time directed to permit the export on the old rate of dwty being paid. Judgments ugaiust thirty or forty goldmininp companies was obtained in the Kesident Magistrate Court yesterday. In the Supreme Court the rule for writ of attachment against John Lundon, for non-payment of costs in the celebrated case Kauaerangi No. 14, has been made absolute. The Nil Desperandum arrived yesterday from Lyttelton with grain, also St. Kilda. Departure, Novelty for Sydney. The Superintendent is on a visit to the Thames, where he wili to-day meet a deputation from the unemployed respecting work. The bye-laws of the Mining Board are to be brought into operation. The water supply at the Moanataiari is insufficient. The Long Drive have obtained 240 ounces from specimens, and the Shotover have lodged 241 ouncs from their late crushing. The New Moon 43 ounces. A passenger by the Lord Ashley, named George Macrae, died suddenly, yesterday, in the street. He is a married man-, and arrived recently from Wellington. Cctober 17. The Superintendent has met a number of utiemployc d miner* and promised to find work for fifty men. Work has already been found ior fifty married men in Auckland. Thoiaas Richmond, steward of the ship Excelsior, is to be brought up to day on a charge of defrauding the Customs. Strenuous efforts are being made to get up an annual race meeting.