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Hawke's Bay Weekly Times, Volume 2, Issue 77, 22 June 1868, Page 152

Political Gossip. —We (Auckland Free Press) understand ’ that r : Mr Stafford has been trying his hand in an attempt to strengthen his position as Premier, by adding j to - the Executive another - Auckland member.* Accordingly, Dr Pollen, Government agent here,-has been inducted to join the/ Executive, with a seat in the Upper House. 1 r We congratulate Mr Stafford oh obtaining the services of the ablest man, we. shall say, at .present in the Executive, for, however much we have differed from Dr Pollen, we have been at all times ready to acknowledge his great political ability and business capacity. Mr Stafford has, therefore, imported talent into-his Execii five—-a commodity in which the Ministry were sadly deficient. The changes which have led to this reconstruction of the Cabinet would appear to be these.: Mr Harris, owing to the state of bis private affairs, was forced to resign ; Major Richardson claimed exemption and the Speaker’s chair in the Upper House,, Mr Stafford having provided for-his near relative by a special pension bill to make things sure beforehand ; and ; .therefore there was no one to conduct the Government business, in the Legislative Council. Dr Pollen was, for many reasons, the best man they could get. Of course, we now. expect to find Mr Carleton hand-in-glove with the Doctor; bnt we can, assure Mr Stafford that however well laid his plans may be, the end of Auckland is not yet. -

The Fiji Islands.—We take the following from a late Melbourne paper:—The steamship Albion, that sailed recently for Sydney and Japan,, had eighty passengers for King Thakombau’s territory, and so numerous were the applications for berths that the owners, qffche shipregretted that they had not despatched her for Fiji alone, making Melbourne the port of departure. There seems to be a very general ouriosity on the subject of those-islands both here and in New South Wales, and most of the Albion’s passengers are understood to have gone thither with a view to ascertain the capabilities of the islands in the way of trade, or as a field for settlement. Two. of those, Messrs. Brewer and. Evans, are the agents of the company which it is proposed to form in this city, to carry on extensive business operations in the Fijian group, aad they have taken with them a draft charter, to which they hope to obtain the signatures of the reigning monarch and his principal chiefs. We have aeopy of the charter now before us, and as it may possibly become an important historical document ,at some future period, we will state its more important details. In consideration of. certain important privileges to be ceded to the company, the latter is to “ make suitable provision for the settle ment of a claim of £IO,OOO, or thereabouts, preferred against King Thakombau by the American Government, for losses said to hav been sustained. by .American, subjects who resided m his kingdom; ” : pay the king an annuity the amount of which has not yet been filled in, from the date of the company’s formation ; pay , annuities (blank sum) to certain chiefs ; (the number not stated), and “at all times after the for 1 ' mation of the company well and truly aid and assist King Thakombau in upholding and defending his kingdom/ ’ Bo . much the delegates are to undertake on behalf of the Company: His Majesty of the other part, will, should he sign the charter,." forever grant,. cede, transfer, and. set, : oyer unto” trustees on behalf of the company, certain islands set,forth ,in a schedule, together with the soil or .-bed; of . all , seas, rivers, and to, or abutting on 'the said scheduled teritory, and also all harbors, inlets creeks, '. &c., ’7 ■which the company may now or - hereafter; deem, necessary fur the enjoyment of the said'sche duled lands, &c. j also, all mines, or min-r erals in or upon the same.” The company will also have “ the sole and exclusive right to impose, and levy; such duties of customs as to;them mayseem'fic.oa the,exportation and importation 1 of goods into ■ the ‘kingdom of Fiji, and .to. levy . wharfage, or. harbor rates ; and tha exclusivo .right. to establish banks and issue-bank notes?’of the . territory, is to; be.'.aliehated Uojtij.;the company has been offered “ the preferential privelege of acquiring tiThe are. .to ;’iave .'.‘full,’, ahd' absolute, authority to, 1 make, laws ifog tlieigoyesiimejit qf the inhabitants ( native and foreign:) on the lands’ ; cede'4 to.’thbiji' . also" to : qiake lawßito;regulate fee>|trude v anil feomuierqe ofthe kingdom, orsuohportions, of: it-as may;, be:. inhabited'.: By s ;a white or; mixed population ,j; arid|;&> * esfe^sh‘''fedpXl;B,-, ajft point pledging, himself to uphold' and/ defend; t>b6' laws made. By the inh&bitantsAof the. company’s .territory, and their property '.’from l ; native >or other violence. What!his LijmnMajesty arid’;his council, of chiefs will:, have to say. to the delegates and their draft; cliarcer remains to be seen, ' : : -

PfilNOE Alehed Hosuttat. .Fifyrn. —The subscriptions to the Prince Alfred Hospital Fund now amount to £16,61 ! 2"i75. Bd.

The island .of Mokmihi, known as Graham’s Island, with/its large stock of game, herds-of deer, r pheasants, .and quails,- is blithe market, and.iqexpgcted, to fall into, the hands of Sir George; Grey. : Polioe-phoblal—Recently, .-.a. drunken 'VKas at the Thames Policecourt, Lon aon ,40 'seven days’’ imprisonment for an'assault‘‘oh‘a constable, and the case was reported in the newspapers •under . .the" novel heading 'of> Policephobia.” ’ : T.i '}, j.r; ;; Bishop Viaed.-—The Evening Post, Bth dupe, says,:—At. half-pa3t. three, o'clock this afternoon, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Wellington left the Wharf-to-board the s,s. o en route.'for Europe!. -A concourse of ladies ando gentlemen were present, and as the boat, .pushed off the multitude cheered, the ladies waving their

Snow Accident.—“An accident, ’’ says the Tuapeka .Press, “ which is feared ‘will prove to have been : fatal, occurred near .Mr .Roberts’s- station’(near Tapanui) during the heavy snow storm on Monday last. It appears that one of Mr. Roberts’s men, named Murray, was returning -to., the. station with a dray, from which it is. conjectured, he must have .fallen, as. the .horses and: dray ..came .home , without j him.., The snow layjt wo feet thick upon the .road over which, he had to pass. He has nqt been found, and we fear the poor fellow’s chance of safety is very remote.” \

Death oe a Pkesbyteeian Clergyman. —The Marlborough . Pj.ess, records the death of the Rev. Archibald Russell, the only minister of the’ Presbyterian Church iu that province. Mr, Russell was ailing with a slight.cold-at the, time, he opened his new church on Sunday, the.24th May; but in-his anxiety for his eldest son, then laid on a sick bed, in his parental solicitude he lost sight of the fact that he himself was suffering from more direful disease, whichon the following Thursday-'showed itself in the .malignant forim of diptheria, so ; prevalent of late in Blenheim. .He breathed his last at a quarter past two on Tuesday afternoon last, at the Manse, ou the banks of tlie . Opawa, :

Advices (says the Evening Post) have been received in town from Sydney to .the effect..that the . commander of a ; French man-of-war was on his way to Wellington for the.purpose, of endeavoring, on behalf of his Government to initiate .some; arrangements -with the Panama Company in order to ; secure to the island of Tahiti the benefits of the Pacific line of steamers now, running to Panama. - The.-Imperial Government, it is stated, has authorised the gentleman. in question. r to make terms and enter into engagements, with Mr Benson, with a .view of ascertaining the most suitable means to further the establishment of a’branch line from Tahiti to Opara, and vice versa.

Smoking.—The habit, or vide of smoking is greatly increasing of late; ‘During the year. 1841 the quantity of tobacco., cleared for homo consumption- in the . United Kingdom- only amounted to 18 oz. per head of the population. During the year 1865 it had increased to 21 oz. per head. Twenty years since no person having any pretension to the character of a gentleman would have , been seen smoking..in . the streets; now almost everyone smokes when and where he pleases, except, in his wife’a.drawingrdom.ahd afr. church and even rooms are. appropriated by the smoking members for the indulgence - of- their fascinating habit. , • • ;

: Mb Rollebton.—ln his addreastothe electors of the Avon district, Mrßolleston, the new;Superintendent of Canterbury, remarks “You will have, gathered, from my address to »you,-as electors of - the province, that I think, that ;a more satisfactory definition of the fuu’otions of the Colouia 1 aud ProviQoial Governments.thanat present exists>shquld.be arrived v.at, and that such changes' should be ‘ effected in their financial wil iekd to eicohoiny and harmony ofadministration I am,however, strongly'of opinion nothing bu< confusion would ensue , from .’any : hasty abandonmeut of ilocal instutions and ad* ministration,- as I do notbelievethat, however -faultyi/'may have .heen their management, the Colonial Government . and. the General Assembly are now in a position to iemedy, the defeefs, or to administer local; affairs of - the proviiioes from a .distance. Our.prinoipal ooncem at the present-time is to ’ bring :oui; expenditure, both Colonial ap4i -Proyincial,' within. our means, 1 , and steadfastly to. resist any, .increase of., our liabilities- until the populationd£ thfc country has beerf greatly. increased, resources. jargeljr.?develope,d?’ £ /)'; ; .l(nJesß.;jbhe prese at sysfem.of. mUit.aryiOccupmiion. and expenditure.ffej-the ; ,Island is made'.; at " tained?’;t iChe took place* ou 9th inj^^h^. <a l^;' , eleefted without/ fee Avon district in: the GeheraliAssembly.