TARANAKI.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 482, 17 June 1857, Page 7

TARANAKI.

We have Taranaki papers to .May 23. _ The Council Avas opened on the 6th and continued sitting. In his opening address, His Honor (W. Cutfteld, Esq.) refers to the formation of an Executive on the biisis of responsibility, as so far successful. He mentions the want of land and the difficulty of negotiating with the Natives as obstructions to the progress of the province ; thinks it desirable to put a stop to assisted immigration for the present; recommends steps to be taken for encouraging education; ami points to a variety of bills to be introduced.

prominent among which are measures to rate glands and tax, vehicles to provide funds for the constructiou of Public "Workti. Preferring to the Native Question, His Honor congratulated^ the province upon the termination of the JSTa-.; tive strife and the consequent security to life ' avid property now enjoyed, which he attributes to the presence of a military force. Land Purchase.—Last Wednesday, a number of Native's;-headed by lliaia, of the Waitara, came to town to offer for sale the fine block of land oh this bank: of- the Mangor.ika. They were received by the Assistant Native Secretary, and the Provincial Secretary an-i'Treasurer. We look our place ■amongst- the Natives within the shrubbery of the late Land Office, and possessing a sufficient knowledge of the Maori language, are enabled to acquaint our readers that the result of the day's proceedings was the-same as is usual on such occasions, namely, a put-off, or promise to submit their proposal to the General Government. Under ordinary circumstances, we should congratulate the public on tlie apparent prospect of an early acquirement of land, but were we to do so we feei we should only be holding out false hopes. Until a different system of land negotiation^ is adopted, until we can on the spot deal promptly and defi.-. nitely with the Natives, so long will the process of buying land be both tedious and uncertain. If nothing^ result from tie meeting, it speaks highly for Ihaia and his party that, with the fate of Rawiri before their eyes, and .the timorous bearing of the General Government'since, they have yet tlie courage to persevere in offering land to us ; and we trust the time is not far distant when local interests will .have their interest in the Land Purchase Department as they already have in others, with ' advantage ■to 'the'public service. It is not pleasant to reflect that, our settlers are compelled fa go twelve and fourteen miles into the forest for employment and subsistence, when by the display of proper firmness on the part of the Government they might he located on land at once fit for tlie plough. Weheve heard it said that liiaia is a man of no influence, but the meeting of. Wednesday entirely contradicts such a supposition. We do not know what degree of chieftainship heJiolds amongst the Natives, and, moreover, care not. Sufficient for us is it that he is at the head of the "Progress Party," and the open friend of the Pakeha.

The Provincial Council got fairly to work on Tuesday. It resolved that the new land in the Waiwakaiho' and Hua Block should be offered for sale on the Ist of July next. In the course of discussion it oozed out that about one-third of thereserve for educational purposes is a valueless swamp, upon the selection and .appropriation of which tlie Provincial Secretary seems to pride himself. It was likewise decided that no reduction on the shipping charges of 15s. per ton should be .made in favour of potatoes. The American Blight bill gave rise to considerable discussion, the proposed penalties were leduc.ed one half, but from the extreme disfavour it has met with out of doors we doubt if it .will obtain a third reading. On Wednesday the Public Works Ordinance occasioned a lengthy debate, which resulted in the adoption of a minimum rate of 6d. per acre, on all rural lauds, in the rural lands, and of a fixed charge of I Os. per cent, on all town holdings. A qualification clause was substituted for clause 5 ; under it, owners or occupiers of land in the rural districts not exceeding in aggregate extent 50 acres will be pr.titled to one vote; 100 acres 2 votes ; and exceeding 100 8 votes, the maximum number allowed. This leaves the small holders in the same position they occupi-.il, and tiie increase of power vests in those owning- from 50 to 100 acres, wlio, as the principal growers af agricultural produce, are deeply interested in the proper maintenance of roads and bridges. Other clauses whereby the ratepayers will be informed of proposed works lo be unriei taken by the Commissioners, and estimated.cost thereof were also added. The estimates will be submitted to the Council on Tuesday next.—' Herald,' May 9.

Fire.—The town was thrown into the greatest alarm yesterday afternoon by- a report of Fiie liav-. ing broken out at ;he Court House. Large columns of smoke were issuing from the airholes of the gaol, aud fears were entertained that the bonded store which.adjoins it, and the whole of the buildings between the river and dime street, with their valuable contents, would fall a prey to the devouring element; and had the fire occurred during, the night, this must have been inevitable. Fortunately, the most, ample aid was at hand, aad the fire was effectually extinguished. From the information we have collected we find that, two debtors are confined in the stone cells of the dark, die^y, cold dungeon into which are t r st all comers, and that lights and lire have been allowed ro them :is absolute necessaries. Apart from the risk of tire always overhanging us from this cause, we shall have occasion to remark upon the inhumanity—to say tiie least of it—of co'ifinirg prisoners of any class in such a pkce.-r • Ibid.1 .