Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1873.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 176, 23 July 1873, Page 2

Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1873.

It is said that Dr. Featherston made a capita! Superintendent;. At nil events, the Provincial Council of Wellington voted him a large grant of land iu recognition of his services rendered in that rapacity, so it is reasonable to suppose that they, at least, were satisfied. As AgentGeDeral lor the colony in London he does not appear to have been so successful, if we may base nu opinion upon the following letter addressed to him by Mr O'Ro'ke on the sth instant: — "I must express the disapproval of the Government at your assuming, as their Agent, the power of setting aside, without even informing them of your intention to do bo, definite iustructions to endeavor to induce an emigration of the small farmer class, on the system of deferred payments for the lands i hey might occupy. Your letter of the 9ih January concluded witn the remark that you hoped " that that scheme would never be resuscitated — at any rate not brought, before the public of England." I cannot imagine that it is your desire that these confiscated lands should lie waste; and it is unnecessary to remind you that the object of confiscating the lands of rebel Natives has been in a urcut measure to establish settlements for ill* ir permanent occupation. lof course admit, that, when you did reply after several months, to the Hon. Mr, Reeves' memorandum, you had the authority of the Hon. Mr. Sewell for suspending all notion in thu mutter; but the fact remains, that, v> ithouf. r.l.at reversal of your iuefcruclioua, you had allowed them to puss uulieeiied Tor eeveral mouths. Your letter of ilmj 28 h March ultimo, which arrived by i he lust muil enters into au elaborate, con.Mrnnatiou of the policy of the Government in eudeavoting to have the confiHCJiiivi lauds occupied. It does appear strange that the Agent-General of the Gvi(itn.nt should feel it within his luuciions to combat their policy, as in ordinary cases it is presumed to be the

duty of the Agent to carry out the instructions he may receive. In tho present case you are not satisfied with obeying the instructions of the Government of which Mr Sewell was a member, hut you in every condemnatory terms discuss the conduct iti this matter of the preceding Administration. lam constrained to any, moroover, thafc tho arguments you advance are very far from currying conviction to my mind. You say that the proposed settlement of the confiscated lands would be viewed with disfavor by statesmen and influential journnls of England. Now, I take it that it ia not necessary for tho New Zealand colonists to consult these authorities on a matfpr of such purely Colonial concern, and I doubt if they would pay much heod to them if we did consult them. That you were not supplied with maps and descriptions of the soil, would not, I think, have militated against the succr-ss-ful launching of the scheme. You Ware informed of the position of the country; and the Government had a right to depend on your general knowledge of botb coasfs to be able to fuirly represent the plan of colonization submitted to you. I think it to be regretted that, although you temper the remntk with the words "however unjust,'" the old cry ns you designate it, "of the sh tiler's greed for land," shouM have found place in your despatch. Coming from an oh! colonist, the suggestion h:ia a force that it would uot otherwise have. " I desire to add that the inference which you endeavor to draw from certain remniks of (ho Ron Mr Stafford on the subject of the position and disposal of tho confiscated lands, dc^B not. appear to be warranted by the peneral tenor of his replies. Mr Stafford more than once emphatically asserts thnt it was not the intention of his Government to abandon the confiscated lands; whilst the Hon Mr Hall's remarks ns quoted, on which you also base your decision, have reference, as I read them, not to confiscated lamia but to lands which, having passed through tho Native Lands Court., wero a matter of bargain between the Native owners and Europeans, not between the Government and Crown grantee?, as would have been tho case in any dealings with the confiscated lands. "It. is the intention of the present Government, as soon as ever tho stream of emigration begins to flow freely into the colony, to take steps for establishing settlements along both coasts. At present, there is a difficulty in undertaking lhu i.nek, owing to the diminutive oupply of immigrants arriving, all of whom are at once absorbed by tho labor market at wages uoprecedentedly high. With regard to tho confiscated lands, iu respect of which you Bpeak in depreciatory terms, it is right that you shoubl bo made aware that at two sales recently held, ono at Whenunkurs, iho land fetched from £1 12s 6 I io £3 15** rer an-e; and the other at Pat pa from £2 to £7. This is a proof of (he estimation in which these l'inds are held, and t'ic confidence that is fell in settling upon them. Tlih Government have thus, through your inattention to their instructions and through the lack of a supply of immi^runtp, been obliged to abandon temporarily the occupation of the lands referred to with special settlements, and are now, at the desire of settlers, offering them for sale as ordinary waste lauds. The prices realised will convince you of the competition that exists for acquiring property iu these districts." The above has reference to the emigragration arrangements. The despatch of railway material from England appears to have been conducted in an equally unsatisfactory manner, as the following extracts from "Memornndii for the Agent-General," bearing various dates from November, 1872, to February, 1873, will show : — "Delay in arrival of rails and rolling stock creates greatest incenvenience." .... 'T hope it is ooly necessary to draw the Agent- General's attention to this subject to insure in future better arrangements." " I would again strongly urge on you the necessity for much greater expedition in the execution of orders from the colony." . . . "If the Agent-General fails to fake notice of thereqmnt contained in Mr Gisborne'g mernorundjm, I can see nothing before the Government but a general stoppage of tho works on tiu> various railways throughout, tho colony.'' . . . " Great loss occasioned by -want of locomotives, rails, &e. Not a single order sir.ee November, 1871, has been completely executed." This is dated February 3, 1873. ..." Very serious inconvenience is being felt in consequence of not receiving the balance of the material for the Wailaki bridge." t These are a few selections from a number of similar remonstrances addressed to Dr. Featberston. In ordinary business transactions if a principal had to be constantly wriLing to his agent in this strain for several successive months, the probability is that the latter would receive an unmistakeable hint that his services were no longer required. In the political world these matters are managed on a different principle, at least so it may be inferred from the fact that Dr Featherston is still Agent-General for New Zealand. An enquiry into this matter might be called for j wiihout the promoters laying themselves j opeu to a charge of factious opposition. ] Suez Mail Service. — It will be seeu by our telegrams that, Mr Vogel stated in the House yesterday that Messrs M'Meckan and Blackwood had repudiated tho contract entered into by the Government with their agent in Wellington. In tho meantime however arrangements had been made for tho couvey/ince of the next mail by the Run(>itoto. Football. — The return match, Old Collegians v. Town and College, will be played out on Saturday next, at the Botanical Gardens. The game has already iusted one afternoon without any result, and both sideß will strain Jevery nerve to win on Saturday.

Life among the Maoris.— Our readers are reminded of the lecture on this subject to be given at the Wesleyan Church this evening by the Rav. T. Buddie. During the evening tho choir will sing several ahthenis and other pieces. Steamer Kennedy. — In consequence nf the delny of the arrival of the Ladybird from Manukau, the Kennedy will not leave for the Coast until Friday morning. Steamers from the North. — ■ The. Ladybird, which left Onehunga on Monday, had to put bark yesterday morning after being bar bound ?U the Manukau. Rho sailed again for Now Plymouth and Nelson this morning at 7 o'clock, and mny consequently be expected here tomorrow evening. The Phoebe also sailed this -.'morning for New Plymouth, whence she will proceed direct to Wellington. Autizans' Association. — -A most successful cntertHUimenr, was given last night to a crowded house by the members of this Association, who on this occasion for the first time, put on the stage an olrnost entirely dramatic performance, in which the actors generally acquitted themselves most creditably. Between the parts some capital songs were sung, and ihe wbo'e entertainment, the getting up of which must have required no little time and trouble, gave the utmost satisfaction to all who were present. The Farl of Pembroke, as visitor of Jesus College, Oxford, acting on the advice of the Lord Chancellor, has derided that a widower without, children is eligible to a fellowship. Among the gentlemen who passed their primary or anotamical and physiological examination for the diploma of membership of the Royal College of surgeons lately, was the well known cricketer Mr William G-ilbprt Grracp, of St. Bartholomew's and tho Bristol School. A Polynesian's Freak. — The Rockhampton Bulletin of the 18th instant, gives the following account of a Polynesian on board the steamer Lord Ashley, " running a muck " : — "The Lord Ashley ■ left Somerset, Cape York for the south on Saturday week, and on the evening of Sunday came to Anchor off Sunday Island. Just as the anchor waa being dropped, a Polynesian, without the slightest apparent, cause or provocation, For remaindtr of news see fourth page.

raa to the after part of the ship * like a mad bull,' shrieking hideously, passed through the saloon, and rushed clean through one of the cabin doors. He then came out of the cabin, and entered the opposite one, the door of which closed behind him. This mishap, is is believed, gave him the impression that he was locked in, for he plunged against the door, broke it down, and then begun rushing to and fro in the saloon. Not content with this amusement, he smashed the pier glass^ broke two of the cabin lamps, and ihe tea things being laid on the table, began 'shying' the chiu», crockery, and gl»se about, promiscuously at objecs both animate and inanimate, until the table had been cleared, and every tumbler in the ship broken. This diversion he continued for a considerable time, defying all attempts at capture, and inflicting injuries more or less severe upon the captain and four or Qve of the passengers and officers who attempted to restrain his mischievous exploits. The rogue was a powerful fellow, and, having before starting on the performance divested himself of all clothing, he was about as difficult to capture as a pig with a greasy tail. One stalwart sailor attempted to put no end to the scene, but the madman rushed at him and instantly threw the sailor over his head At. first it was supposed that the fellow was armed with a knife, aoii his feats so astonished both crew and passengers that great mischief was done before concerted measures could be t:>ken to effect a capture. Amongst other ware on the table was raiher a heavy vessel containing raspberry j'tm, and this was hurled with great force at a retreating passenger, striking him on (he back and depositing the jam there in a dripping sticky mass. The gentleman who received this odd demonstration of savage vindictiveness, on feeling the blow, involuntarily put his hand to his back, and finding something trickling down his coat concluded he had been stabbed, and lustily shrieked out a series of exclamations to that tffeet. Ultimately, the madman was overpowered by six or seven men, and Jashed down. All danger being thus averted, attention was turned to the damages inflicted upon persons and property during the performance, the situation becrming slightly melodramatic on the discovery being made that the "stabbed" passenger was unhurt, saved by the blow from the jam pot. The captain had received a sprain in the wriat, the back of his hand was skinned, and it juries more or less severe bad been Buffered by four or five other persons. Thf> damage to property is estimated at £40, and the saloon still presents a dilapidated appearance, the ceiling (or rather the deck) lining boards having been in places wrench-, ed loose. The najje of the Polynesian is unknown, but he was one of the crew qfs the 'Woodbine, which vessel was lately* seized by ths Basilisk. He bad beejv employed on one of the detaohed fishing stations, but refused to woik, and wm placed on board the Lord Ashley to tfe taken to Sydney. He is a very powerful fellow, aod was far more than a match for the strongest man on board. The Difference. — When a woman has a hen to drive into a coop she lakes hold of her hoops with both hands, shakes tbem quieily towards the del i i quenf, and says, " Shew ! ihere." The lien ijjjfre^ -sne look at the ot ject to convince herself it's a woman, and then stalks majestically into a coop, in perfect disgust of the sex.' A man don't do that way. He poffi quldoors and tays "It \a singular nohody in this house can drive a hen but myself," and picking up a stick of wood hurls if. at the offending biped, and observes, " GrH in there you thief." The hen immediately loses her reason, and dashes to the opposite end of the yard. The man straightway dashes after her. She ceres back again with her bead down, her winsjß out,, and followed by an assortment of stove-woo<?, ; fruit-cans, and coal-clii kers, with a muclipuffing aod very mad man in the rear. Then she skims up on the stoop and under the barn, and over a fence or two and around the bouse, and back again to the coop all the while talking as only an excited hen can talk, and all the while followed i>y things eonveoieut for handling, and by a roan whose coat is on thu ground, and whose perspiration and profanity appear to have no limit. By this time the other hens have come out to take a hand in the debate and help to dodge the missiles — and then the man says every hen on the place shall be sold in the morning, and puts on his things and yoes down Street, and the woman doDs her hoops and has every one of those bens boused and contented in two minutes, and (he only sound heard on the premises is the hammering by the eldest boy as he mends the broken pickets.