The Weekly Times. “Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri." MONDAY, 15th APRIL, 1867. GENERAL SUMMARY.

Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 1, Issue 15, 15 April 1867, Page 88

The Weekly Times. “ Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri." MONDAY, 15th APRIL, 1867. GENERAL SUMMARY.

The Past Month has been more prolific of incidents calling for the attention of the journalist than several of those which have preceded it, commencing as it did with the elections for the Provincial Council, which have all been completed between the 11th arid the 29th of March. Never, perhaps, in the history of the province, did events of so great importance to its population pass off with so little of public interest, —the apathy of the electors being so great that, not only was scarce any movement made for the returning of the most eligible candidates previous to the nomination days, but even at the last, when the actual elections took place, electors seemed more disposed to allow things to take their own course, than to inter fere with the view of controlling them for public good. The whole period antecedent to the elections was marked by the almost entire absence of election addresses, public meetings, and all the other etceteras of an election contest, and for the effect of the trifling amount of opposition offered to the successful candidates, they might as well have been allowed to walk the course.

The consequence is that the necessary element of opposition in tbe new Conncil is absolutely less than that in the last, all powerless for good as that was, in consequence of the overwhelming majority always in the hands of the Government. We are sorry for this, as the advantage to the public afforded by the check of a constitutional opposition to the most powerful Government parties is too obvious and universally acknowledged to need demonstration.

The Council, being elected, now only awaits the public announcement of the same in the New Zealand Gazette, to be called together for business by the summons of the returning officer, who will notify a day for such meeting as soon as such Gazette shall © be published.

Just at the time of the departure oi

the last mail via Suez, we had been visited with a severe storm that threat ened the destruction of the Spit, and was accompanied by the total loss ol a cutter in the roadstead called the Duncan Cameron, the sad details oi which were published in time for that mail. One of the bodies of the poor fellows who were drowned on that occasion was afterwords found washer! ashore, and discovered on the Petaue beach by Mr George Charlton, on the

14th ulr. Next day an inquest was held on the body, which resulted in return of a verdict of “ Accidentally drowned.”

The next item of importance con nected with our province was the arrival of the immigrant ship Montmorency, and her subsequent 'total des traction by fire while lying in the

roadstead.. She arrived on Sunday afternoon, the 26th ult., and landed her immigrant passengers next morning, with -the- principal portion of their luggage';' 1 but the cargo was un-

touched, ; as also was the heavier and vjnore" bulky goods belonging to the - passengers, up to the time of her disaster. Full details of both Ler : arri-

val and loss will be I‘onnd reproduced in another column, as also of the inquest held on the occasion, which took place on the Ist instant, when, after a most patient investigation, the origin of the. fire remained undiscovered.

A sale of the wreck, .cargo, &c., by auction, took place on Saturday, the 30th March, when large prices were realised for the several lots, amounting in all to near J 6350.

We have also had one, if not two narrow escapes from fire. The first of them took place in the early morning of Thursday, 4th inst., and resulted in the destruction of a bakehouse, situated in the centre of an extensive block of buildings, which for a time appeared in imminent danger, but by the assist* ance of a number of willing hands, and abundance of water, the fire was happily confined to the building in which it originated. A second case occurred on Thursday last, on the premises ol Mrs France, Coote Road, but we believe the damage done was of a trifling nature. Reverting to matters of a more general interest, we observe that the fighting on the East Coast (we do not call it war) still continues. It appears (as is usual) that there are traitors amongst the friendly natives (Arawas), who communicate to the rebels our intentions, before they can be brought into execution, and the consequence is that on making an attack on a rebel pah it is invariably found to be deserted, but only to be re-occupied as soon as' the backs of the attacking party are turned. However, some amount of success has been obtained during the month, including the burning of several pas and the destruction of the supplies of tbe rebels.

On the West Coast too there has been another murder by the rebels—of one John Brady,—but which for a time was supposed to have been either Mr Parris or a Roman Catholic priest named Roland. The victim, however, appears to have been a discharged sol dier, who was journeying along the coast accompanied by a I a f-caste. The murderers are believed to be five in number—Pera te Whetu, Koromiria te Manu, liokj, and two Waikatos. The latter, however, are said to have objected, and ran away. The murderers are well-known men.

Of native matters nearer home we have to record the occurrence of a great meeting of Haul-hau and friendlies at the Wairoa, a small settlement on the banks of a river in the northern portion of the Province. This meeting has been talked of for twelve months past; and most extensive preparations had been made. A goodly number of visitors from Napier were present, including His Honor the Su perintendent and J. C. Richmond Esq. the representative of His Excellercy the Governor. The natives numbered nearly 2,000. Several matters of tin greatest importance to the province were discussed, including confiscation of the lands of those tribes that have been in arms against the Government (some 70,000 acres), and its disposal: —-it being decided that 30,000 acres should be appropriated by the Government for a military settlement, &c., and the remaining portion should be bestowed upon the friendly tribes as an acknowledgement of the services ren dered by them during the. rebellion. The establishment of a military settlement at Wairoa will be the.means oi pushing forward that thriving district. Not the least, noticeable events oi the month has been the efforts made by the people of Wairoa to effect the progress of their settlement. They have started, a scheme for their fine river with Napier by mean

of steam communication—a scheme which bears the promise of a successful issue. They have also held a large public meeting (a report of which will be found in another column), at which several measures of importance to their district were discussed, and which will be brought before tbe Provincial Council by their new member. Lieut.-Colonel Whitmore, who seems to have succeeded in gaining the entire confidence of his constituency.