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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1446, 4 October 1872, Page 2

We observe from our northern files that it is intended to hold a great native meeting in January next, at Maungatautari. (Waikato), for the purpose of considering various land questions. The Hero (s.), which left Auckland for Sydney on Sept. 19, was the bearer of g<»kl to the value of £30,005 Bs.

The Evening Post protests against the suggestion made by Mr Vogel to> spend some ,£25,000 of public money in erecting two workshops—one at, Dunedin and the other at Auckland—and furnish them with tools and mate--, rials, for the production of plant and rolling stock for rail ways. Seeing that each of the cities named, as well asrCanterbury and Wellington, already possess very complete smith's shops, at. which everything required for railwayworks can be got, this proposal to set up Government workshops, if carried out, woul 1 be an uncalled for interference with private enterprise, whilewe doubt exceedingly its economy. An. attempt will be made, we are told, in the House of .Representatives to induceMr Stafford's Government to carry ouO Mr Vogel's proposal, which we hopewill be successfully resisted.

The Auckland whaling barque Albion, Capt Hall, returned to Auckland; on the 19th Sept., after a moderately successful cruise of about 13 mouths. Her cargo consisted of 44 tuns ot oil:' (220 barrels sperm and 230 barrels, whale oil.) This " take," it is stated,, might have been considerably increased, had it not been for the fact that the. crew of the vessel had been shipped for a "12 months' cruise; and whilst the vessel was lying at Tonga tabu-,, on the 28th August, their time expired, and they then refused to work any longer—a fact most unfortunate, as the months of September and October are generally the best for whaling in these seas. Capt. Hall, after using every persuasivepossible to indujo the men to. return to work, was compelled to set sail for Auckland on the 10th Sept At the time the Albion left Tongatabu there were several whaling vessels, lying there, and they were all busy catching: whales. .During the cruise two of the* crew died of consumption. The Nelson Evening Mail states, « on the best authority, that Mr Alfred; Saunders will probably be a candidate for the Superintendency of Kelson. A., requisition is being signed in Greymouth asking Mr Luckie to stand. The Nelson Examiner, 25th Sept.,, says :—The Colonist entertains excited. hopes that the present Ministry may not survive this session, and that MrVugel, and Mr M'Lean, aided by " new blood " colonists, no doubt—will recover the reins, and recommence Hie policy of progress downwards, which, has been unhappily interrupted by the temporary sanity of the Assembly.. Well for a colonist who has so, good a hedge, that he can supply "new blood' to a Cabinet, or a Superintendent to a pro\inee, as the scale of fortune may incline to favor progress downward orupward ! Time will show whether Mr Stafford is weak or strong. In anothorcolumn we have recorded the first battle of the new Ministry,in which they earned the day; and we have reason to believe that they have artillery in reserve, and are on the whole gaining strength; but although our information differs from ihat of our contemporary wedo not see the necessity of attemptingto anticipate what a few weeks or even, days must put beyond doubt. But wehave a word or two to say to Mr Stafford's programme, which is perhaps, misunderstood, but certainly misrepto--sented by the Colonist. Mr Stafford does not arrest the policy of progress,. He says almost in as many words "under the policy there is so much money available for the current year, and there are such and. such engage--nionts; I do not propose to. extend, those engagements at present." Now there is no possibility of denying the allegation. Theie is the indisputable schedule of engagements, and expense incidental thereto—there is the balance ol assets,. To decline to exceed these is. not to arrest the policy, but to carry it. out as it is established by positive law. To propose to. enter on new engagements is to propose to incur debts not contemplated in the policy, and in a, word to accelerate progress downward. That this would meet the wishes of alargeparty in the House we have no dotibtv but it is a party mainly composed o\ j political adventurers, including colonist* only of a hungry kind. In consequence of the rapid consumption of timber in Russia it is propel to pass a law enacting that no otlW fuel than coal be used for heating thft engines employed on railroads.

The Bay of Plenty Times writes a& follows : —lt is pleasing to learn that the graves of those poor fellows who were massacred al Opepo have not been altogether neglected. We are informed that they are now neatly fenced in, with head-hoards having the names of those buried inscribed thereon. It appears that there are two largo graves—one coniaining the Europeans, and the other the belonging to the Taurajiora and Opotiki Cavalry who fell on that melancholy occasion. The enclosure of the graves and erection of monumental slabs has been the work of members of the Armed Constabulary stationed there. The site of Opepe for a camp is a complete trap from which escape would seem to be impossible. Almost surrounded by dense bush, on a narrow strip of land, the poor fellows were completely surrounded while undressed and some asleep; and the few who escaped scarcely know how they did so. Mr Vogel, says the Evening Pos 4 , has a happy knack of putting His own efforts in the best light before the colony, thereby never losing a chance of increasing his reputation, A recent instance of this was when he claimed the (riatitude of Wellington and eclat as a financier for having changed the £63,000 short dated Wellington 6 per cent, loan into long dated 5 per cent, debentures, at 2 per cent, premium. The fact is, the Australian Mutual Provident Society are the holders of the debentures, and as they mature about January, the directors wrote to Mr Vogel, suggesting the change, which was accordingly made. There are generally two sides to a story, and hav ing given the reverse of that presented so modestly by Mr Vogel, we leave our readers to judge how much credit is due to that gentleman on the transaction. A late English paper informs us that one ot the most interesting cricket matches of the present season was that between England and Notts and Yorkshire, in which England won by nine wickets, Mr W. G. Grace played for the winning side, and lie accomplished the extraordinary feat; of going in first sit ten minutes past twelve, and remaining four hours and a quarter at the wickets against the acknowledged best bowling of the two strongest counties in England, and carrying out his bat for an unfinished innings of 170 out oi 288 runs, without having given a fair chance. Mv Grace's hits comprised a six, four fives, eight fours, fifteen threes, sixteen twos, and singles.

Lute accounts represent the internal slave trade of Africa to be conducted on an extensive and cruel scale. Might makes right in Africa.