News of the Week.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 53, 27 January 1872, Page 12

News of the Week.

The Governor and Lady Bowen went on Wednesday night in the Luna to Pieton, on an official visit to the province of Marlborough, the only province which his Excellency has not yet visited. They will be absent about a week. We hear that the Governor proposes in March to ride overland from Wellington to Auckland by Hawke's Bay, LakeTaupo, and the Waikato. People in England will really believe that permanent tranquility has been established throughout the North Island when the Governor is able to report that he has crossed with ease and safety the lately disturbed districts. And the one thing essential to procure a continuous stream pf immigration is to make people at home believe that the country ■Jo fiftlG Thewound self-inflicted by the Maori at the Hutt, in the attempt to commit suicide, proves not to be a dangerous one, Dr Wilford having sewed it up, and pronounced the man to be safe. The man, whose name is Wiremu Bangatapu, is an old man, and has always been considered as of unsound mind. He is being well attended by the natives of his tribe, and his recoverv is beyond a doubt. The N.Z.S.S. Company's steamships, Phoebe and Wellington, have brought up from the South upwards of five hundred bales of wool for shipment to the United States by the Nebraska. Of this quantity the Phrobe brought 400 bales. Though it was known that the buyers had received orders for many months past, this is the first shipment of such an extent. The Phoebe was a full ship, her decks bein" crowded with the bales picked up at Dunedin and Lyttelton. The Wellington followed with the remainder of the wool for shipment by the present mail steamer, and there is no doubt whatever, now that the trade is fairly started, of the successful growth of an extensive commerce between Zealand and California. We regret to have to state that another fatal accident has occurred at Manawatu. Mr S. E. Batt, of the cutter Dawn, was drowned whilst bathing in the Manawatu River. The deceased had jumped over board to have a swim, and was seized with cramp, and sank before assistance could be given. The deceased was a widower, and leaves two children. The man Follis, who was much injured by the accident at the late fire, is reported to be in a fair way towards recovery, although his injuries were very severe. As a proof that the exertions of the members of the fire brigades in the saving of the property of the citizens is not lost sight of by the rest of the community, two companies of amateurs have speedily organised arrangements for the giving of performances for the benefit of the injured man. The Regatta Committee met at the Pier Hotel on Thursday night for the purpose of awarding the prizes and deciding the protest entered by the crew of the Lass o' Gowrie against the Electric Spark in the four-oar race. In the taking of evidence and deliberating on the points involved in the dispute, the committee sat three hours, and at the end of that time the protest was disallowed, and the cup awarded to the crew of the Electric Spark. An anxious crowd thronged the rooms of the hotel throughout the evening, anxious to learn the result, which gave great satisfaction on its delivery. Matthias Block, an absconding debtor from Tasmania, who was arrested at Wellington a few months ago, has been acquitted on the charge of absconding, on the ground that the petition in bankruptcy had not been filed when he absconded. Three days only over three weeks have now to elapse before the day fixed for the rowing of the intercolonial race at Christchurch, and it is natural that those interested in the movements of the committee in whose hands the matter rests for decision should inquire how far the arrangements for sending down the crew from Wellington have progressed. The few trials made in the new outrigger have proved that to practice in her in our harbor is utterly impracticable and the crew should be sent down without any further

delay to train in the smooth water of the Heathcote. If this cannot be done at once, the question suggests itself very seriously whether it will not be better entirely to abandon the idea. As a matter of justice to the crew, the question should be promptly settled, for the men will have to leave here without having had proper opportunities of getting the training they will absolutely require to compete against the Canterbury crews. His Honor Mr Justice Johnston held sittings in Banco and in Bankruptcy on Tuesday morning. The cases heard in Banco were Boy and others v Lyon and others, and Hare v Tiffen. The former case was ordered to stand over till the next Banco sitting in March, and in the latter his Honor delivered judgment for the defendant. The rule in the case Buchanan v Watt was discharged. In Bankruptcy the cases of Wm. Robertson and Te Hapuka were adjourned ; Langbridge and Mitchell were granted a final discharge ; and in the case of Treweek and Palmer a deed of assignment had been executed, and the petition was withdrawn. Final discharges were granted to Henry C. Field and E. Greenaway.

At the meeting of the City Council held yesterday afternoon, the new Town Clerk, Mr Heywood, laid before the Council a very lucid statement of the assets and liabilities of the Corporation. From this statement it appears that the City Council is indebted to the bank in the sum of £1100; and to general creditors £I4OO. The available assets of the present year amount in round numbers to £SOOO. To the credit of the wharf account there is now a sum of £I2OO, and in the course of a few days there will in all probability be a further sum of £4OO. Councillor Mills suggested that a sum of £IOOO should be borrowed from the " Wharf Account" to pay wages, &c, now due on the " General Account. This sum could be easily refunded from rates within the next month or six weeks, but this course was strongly objected to by Councillor Buckley, who evidently failed to understand that the arrangement was simply an ordinary financial one by which the position of the Council would not be altered in the slightest degree.

The members of the Independent boating club have decided on repairing the boat injured in the race on Monday last, Mr Crowther having expressed the opinion that he can make her as good a boat as ever. We are informed by the " Taranaki Herald" that over two thousand acres of flax, on the ground leased by the Flax Company from the natives at Opunake, has accidentally caught fire and been destroyed. The accident is supposed to have arisen from some natives engagedfencing having lit a fire in too close proximity to the flax. The fire extended two miles inland, and destroyed some of the best of the green leaf, and it will be some two or three years before it is again fit for manufacture. We understand that telegraph communication between Auckland and Tauranga is expected to be opened in about nine or ten weeks. Meanwhile a bi-weekly mail service has been established, so that we may anticipate to receive more frequent and later news from Auckland than we have been in the habit of getting. The attempt to fasten on the first and second officers of the Queen Bee the responsibility of the origin of a tap-room brawl, made in the charge preferred against them in the Eesident Magistrate's Court on Thursday, very deservedlv met with a severe rebuke from J. C. Crawford, Esq, the Resident Magistrate. On the night of the fire the men having assisted in subduing the flames, adjourned to the Branch Hotel to have a quiet glass, and having been there some little time, the complainant, Jones, obtruded his company upon them, and after swaggering about the room in a pot-valiant manner, challenged somebody, in fact, everybody to fight. His request was politely declined, but his taunts becoming so annoying at last it was determined that he should be accommodated ; and before Mr Jones went to bed that night he had been basted and pasted to a degree that must have satisfied his craving in this respect. Here the matter should have ended, but it suddenly occurred to Mr Jones that the law should be respected, and with the desire to satisfy the ends of justice Mr Jones had the men arrested on a charge of assault. Again Mr Jones's craving was satisfied in a way he liked not, for the awkward fact came to light that Mr Jones had brandished a spade about in a way that might have disgraced the town by adding to the crimiual statistics the record of, perhaps, a brutal murder. These circumstances led to the dismissal of the accused, and we have to congratulate his Worship on his well-timed remarks at the conclusion of the hearing of the case. We shall add no words of our own, but rest content by referring our readers to the few pithy sentences contained in the decision. There was one great mistake about the whole proceedings—the positions of the parties to the suit should have been reversed; then we should have had the right 'men in the right place.

With regard to the last moments of Kereopa, a correspondent has addressed the following letter to the " Hawke's Bay Herald :" upon to correct an error in your report upon the execution of Kereopa. You state that the prisoner, in his last moments, upon being asked whether he desired to say anything, answered in a low voice to the effect that * he had been sent by Te Ua to do what he had done ; that he had saved the life of the French priest at Whakatane ; but that, as he was now to be hung, he only wished they would be quick about it.' What really passed was as follows—Upon being asked whether he had anything further to say, Kereopa appeared at a loss to understand the purport of the question, and asked, ' Does he (the Deputy Sheriff) wish me to take leave of them ?' (the bystanders). I said, ' I don't "think that is his meaning,' and asked again, ' Is there anything further that you wish to relieve your mind of,' when he replied, • If he would like me to take leave of them I am quite ready to do so ; but if he wishes to know what is passing within, I have relieved my mind of everything, and my trust is in Christ my Saviour.' During several interviews with Kereopa in the gaol, he never attributed blame to Te Ua. I may here state that in 1865 I saw TeUa's written instructions to Kereopa, Patara, and their followers, in which he positively protested against the slightest interference with any Europeans, and instructed them that if they were opposed in their march they were to take some other road (ara watea) ; and that if the document became soiled or otherwise injured, they were to (not help themselves), quietly ask a European friend (tetahi o ok.outou hoa pakeha) for a new piece of paper, and take a clean copy, that it might reach Tauranganui in a respectable state. Kereopa has several times stated what I had previously heard, that the determination to kill Europeans (patu pakeha) was not formed till they reached Pipiriki. on the Wanganui river, having left Te Ua at Taranaki.—l am, &c, Samuel Williams.—Napier, January 6, 1872 " A wonderful change has come over the Taupo district. Instead of it being a theatre of war it was during the Christmas and New Year festivities a scene of hearty amusement. Cricket matches were played, and a rope walker essayed his skill on a wire stretched from some place " below the redoubt" across a ravine. A coach now runs regularly to this once sealedup spot, and " is now," says the correspondent of a Napier paper, " looked for" twice a week, "just as if we had been accustomed all our lives to seeing vehicles of all descriptions come and go. It is only a very little while ago that a bullock dray was a wonderful thing to behold in this district. We hope to see plenty of visitors, and now that the travelling is so easy, people could in a week or ten days see all the wonders and beauties of Taupo, its mountains, lakes, and last, though certainly not least, its far-famed hot springs, and be back in Napier within the time above-mentioned. All the outposts have been withdrawn, and everything has resumed its everyday aspect. Captains Preece and Mair, however, are again in the Uriwera country after Te Kooti, whose whereabouts (it is said) was divulged by Kereopa a few minutes before his death." Judge, jury, counsel, prisoners and public appear to have attended the sitting of the Supreme Court at Auckland at great risk of serious bodily harm, in consequence of the abominable nuisances in the vicinity of the Court. The Auckland correspondent of the Hawke's Bay " Telegraph" says that several persons have been laid up through the horrible stench which pervades the Court. We learn from a local paper that recruiting for the Armed Constabulary ia going on on a small scale in Wanganui. The Opunake correspondent of the " Taranaki Herald" refers as follows to the circumstances of Titokowaru's visit to the coast -.—January 16, 1872.—Titokowaru has left his bush stroaghold, and come down to settle on the coast. He arrived at his destination (Omuturangi) yesterday morning—his followers consisted ot thirty-three men, and about the same number of women. The usual tangi announced their entry, as they marched up in single file to the upper end of the pa, where their hosts were assembled to receive them. After the tangi the speeches commenced, the speakers expressing a desire to settle down peaceably. Titokowaru made a short speech. After the usual salutations to those present, he referred slightly to the past; as to the present and future, he said he had come out with the intention of settling down peaceably; whether the Government would allow him to do so he could not say ; but he could sny that his own wish was to settle peaceably, and not again molest the Europeans. These natives seem quite aware of the alarming reports and unnecessary fear expressed by some of the Patea or Hawera settlers, which they ridiculed, and con- ' trasted it with the conduct of the NewPlymouth settlers, and those whites from . Opunake now present. These natives are badly clothed, and seem mo9t anxious to

earn money to 'better their condition. With this view y they have been gathering large quantities of haJcikalcilca, (fungus), which a gentleman from New Plymouth, then present, purchased from them. In a few days they intend going to cut grass and collect seed, for sale, on the Waimate plains, on this side of Waingongoro. Probably the vicinity of these natives to Hawere may again raise alarming reports in that district. If any such should reach New Plymouth you will understand their origin.

In an article on the various conflicting land laws of the New Zealand provinces the " Taranaki Herald" says : —lfc is evident that when the colony is about to put forth its strength to construct public works, and attract additional population to her virgin soil, that one of the first requirements is to make one land law for the whole colony, and not perplex new comers, and render them fit inmates for a lunatic asylum by the vain attempt to comprehend such an absurd system. Mr Alfred Saunders, formerly Superintendent of Nelson, and one of its representatives in the Assembly, has returned to Nelson from England after an absence of five years. Mr Saunders purposes settling down in the Canterbury province. The line of telegraph has been completed from Brisbane to the mouth of the Norman River, a distance of 1455 miles. It was opened officially on the 4th inst. The line worked splendidly.

The Governor .of New South Wales, Earl Belmore and his family, leave for England by the Sobraon, which sails from Sydney some time iu February. From Levuka we have Fiji files to the 16th of December. From the "Times" to that date we take the following extracts : —The Government have issued a number of debentures bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent per annum, payable at the Treasury "quarterly. The notes which are redeemable on the loth day of December, 1873, are issued for sums of five dollars each. Seeing, however, that they are intended to bear the wear and tear of business for the space of two years, the paper upon which they are printed should have been of a good and durable quality, instpad of which it is a very poor sort which is more likely to wear out after two months than to last the half of two years. Some anxiety has been expressed as to whether the Government will give drafts upon Sydney for these debentures, as they formerly did for the Treasury notes. TTpon this question the Government should enlighten the public at once, as business men are anxious to be informed upon the subject. With military ceremony, and great native display, the first session of the Fijian Parliament was brought to a close on Thursday afternoon, December 14. The work of that session has not been any light or unimportant task, audnowthe administion of the Goverment will require great skill and case in order to ensure its successful operation. The acts passed by the Assembly just dissolved are such as are absolutely necessary for the carrying out of the conditions of the Constitution. There are many clauses open to objection ; but time, and the mode of their working, will determine what, if any, modifications or additions are necessary, and such clauses may be amended next session.

We commend for the imitation of the New Zealand Government the following extract from the New South Wales " Government Gazette" issued by the Colonial Secretary:—"Any employee of the Government on any goldfield who may in futme deal in mining shares, or hold miners' rights or claims to mines on such goldfield, will be removed from the Public Service." We may tell the Government that there is ample necessity for a similar regulation in this colony. Officers of the goldfields service are in numerous instances interested in mining speculations. During the week ended January 6th, the receipts of gold for coinage purposes at the Sydney Mint amounted to 32,550 ounces.

In the Queensland Parliament a complication has occurred. The motion for going into Committee cf Supply was adjourned on a motion] by Mr Lilley, and the Civil servants have received notice that their salaries will not be paid until the estimates have been passed. The County Council of Westland was opened on the 10th insfc. The revenue of the county for the half-year had amounted to £2475 less than the sum estimated. The chairman in his address speaks hopefully of the prospects of the county. The " Wangauui Herald" is responsible for the following:—The Manawatu native difficulty is, we sorry to say, not yet settled. If the public hear that trouble has been caused at Oroua, they must not be surprised. The Manawatu question is continually assuming fresh phases. The latest turn of affairs does not appear to be rising out of the litigation between the Ngatiraukau tribe and the Government. At a meeting held a few days ago at Oroua, Kawana Hunia met the chiefs of Ngatiraukawa, and a great controversy ensued over the disputed land,| Hunia being completely defeated in argument and was compelled

to retire for the time. He then came into Wanganui and offered the disputed land for sale to the Defence Minister. The latter declined on the ground that the title should be investigated by the proper authorities —that is, the Native Lands Court —before it could be sold or bought. Hunia then in high wrath gave notice to the Ngatiraukawa in town that he would at once occupy the disputed land with an armed force. There is little doubt but that he will try it on, and if he should it is not probable that Ngatiraukawa will submit as at Horowhenua. If anything serious takes plaice, we shall furniph the public with the particulars. In the meantime ifc is simply" a native dispute, not in any way connected with the recent wars against the pakeha.

Mr Sheehan is said to be the favorite candidate for the Rodney seat in the House of Pepresentatives vacated by the resignation of Mr Farnall.

The plant, machinery, &c, of the Victorian Meat Preserving Company was, after a brisk competition, sold on the 10th inst. for the lump sum of £7OOO. Dr Hector on his journey from the Inangahua Beefs to Westporfc had the misfortunate to lose the whole of his personal luggage, it having got adrift from the pack horse and dropped off. A railway from Greymouth to Hokitika is under consideration by the Westland County Council with the view of recommending its construction to the General Government.

A tunnel 3,700ffc long and costing £20,000 is about to be constructed by a public company through the Cape Colville Peninsula to connect Coromandel harbor with Kennedy's Bay. The tunnel will, it is said, not only open up a large extent of auriferous grouud but make an excellent means of communication from the Coromandel mines to the crushing batteries. We are informed by the Wanganui papers that Mr J. Davis of Te Wairoa is busily engaged in the preparation of flax, and is at present trying the retting process. He has lately received a letter from Messrs Herdman and Co of Belfast, in which they speak favorably of the samples he has forwarded them. Mr Davis now seeks Government aid to assist him in the preparation of a sufficient quantity of flax, in compliance with the suggestions made by Messrs Herdman. While fully recognizing the importance of the Government encouraginglocal industries,the "Herald" liardly thinks it would be wise to subsidise every experiment made by enterprising settlers.

Writing on the subject of land purchase from natives on the West Coast one of our Wanganui contemporaries says: — The 46,000 acres on the Turakina, for which the Government are in treaty with the Ngatiapa tribe, have been long sought for by private individuals. A number of capitalists at one time offered the natives £26,000 for the block, the latter refusing to accept. The Government have offered £7,000, but the natives hold out for £B,OOO, which is a strange reduction on their former demand. Private parties are precluded by an act passed in 1870 from purchasing from natives land which the Government have entered into negotiations about. The natives we understand, expect, if they sell this land, liberal reserves to be set apart for their use. This hope may account for the moderation which is shown in the amount demanded.

A correspondent of the " Hawke's Bay Daily Telegraph" draws attention to the inhuman treatment of pack horses on the line between Napier and Te Haroto. He says, amongst other things :—Many a time have I seen the poor creatures, after crossing the Mohaka river, tumble under the weight of their burden ; the packers with great difficulty putting them on their legs ; they are unequal to the task imposed upon them, and tottering forward a few yards, they tumble once more; the packer, who is outrageous at such conduct on the part of the animal, belabors the beast about the head with his stockwhip handle, until the horse is either dead or no longer fit to journey on. When they arrive at their destination and the packs taken off, it is a pitiable sight to see the animals instinctively turn their heads round, as if it were to see what caused them such pain. The manner in which their backs are torn and mutilated with the pack saddles is past all conception, and this in a civilised and christian country. Now that people are continually passing up and down the line, surely there might be some one appointed toseeafter such things; oneofthemany sergeants in charge of the different stations might, without much trouble, prevent such atrocities. Surely the authorities should put a stop to such barbarismIt appears that an unkindly critic amongst the reporter of the " Daily Southern Cross" brought down upon that paper the wrath of the Scottish community in Auckland through, having commented rather freely upon the delicacy of the kilt, and the musical properties of the bagpipe. The Auckland correspondent of the " Hawke's Bay Telegraph" mentions in his account of the Caledonian Sports at Auckland that the presence of a largo number of

Scottish Volunteers from the Thames, dressed in kilts, &c, led to a newspaper controversy of a somewhat bitter and personal character. Exception was not only taken to the kilts (in the " Southern Cross" reports of the proceedings) but also to the bagpipe music, which ic was averred was distasteful to nine-tenths of the people. As might have been expected the Scotch element was very wrath at this. A deputation of Scotch gentlemen waited upon the Honorable Julius Vogel (proprieter of the " Cross"), and an ample apology was received for what had appeared. For several days after there was a verybitter feeling on the subject, but this hasnow smoothed down, and is indeed almost forgotten. A death through mistaking a lotion for an internal medicine occurred at Motueka a few days ago. The " Nelson Examiner" of the 24th says : —" On Monday last C. T. Stafford, Esq., a gentleman living at Motueka, met his death under very painful circumstances. Mr Stafford was in indifferent health, and was taking medicine which had been prescribed for him by his medical adviser. He was also suffering from an injury in his back caused by a fall, for which he was using a lotion. In the absence of Mrs Stafford, the deceased gentleman intendng to help himself to a dose of medicine mistook the lotion for it, composed of hartshorn and arnica, which after severe suffering caused his death in a few hours."

Not the least extraordinary feature of the " International" movement is, that it is being furthered in China by a cognate organisation calling itself in the flowery language of the East, " The Fraternal Society of Heaven and Earth." That country, which has been for centuries a synonym for isolation and immobility, has shown itself to be capable of nursing the most revolutionary ideas and projects. The most rabid of French communists could not have indited a more socialistic programme than that which has been put forth by the " Tintehuy" of China. It commences thus: —"The Fraternal Society of Heaven and Earth firmly declares that it believes itself called upon by the Supreme Being to do away with the deplorable contrast which exists between wealth and poverty. The mighty of this world are born and die like their brethren, the oppressed and the poor. The Supreme Being has not decreed that millions of men should be condemned to be theslaves of a few. . . Whence come the riches of the powerful ? Solely from the toil and the sweat cf the multitude. The benignant light of the sun and the joys of the world—all these are common property which must be no longer confined to the enjoyment of a few, but must be taken away from them, so that the disinherited may receive their share."

The entrances for the Greymouth Jockey Club Handicap have just been published, and number ten horses, which, if dealt with wisely by the handicapper, will ensure a good race in March next. We give the list:—Mr Redwoou's ch m Peeress, aged, Mr Moloney's Why Not, Mr Hughe's bk m XXX, aged, Mr Ferguson's bg Economy, 5 yrs, Mr Ferguson's Stockman, Mr Richardson's Misfortune, Mr Richardson's b m Hatred, Mr Walter's Slander, aged, Mr Walter's b m Yatterina, aged, Mr M'Giashan's ch m Lacenfeed, aged. The horses were tobe handicapped by Mr Hustler of Canterbury, and the weights declared yesterday. The latest eccentricity of American wealth is indicated by the following advertisement from the " New York Herald," apparently from some Trans atlantic Dives or "shoddy" prince :-*- "Ruins wanted—The owner of a large estate on the Hudson wishes a ruined Castle and Abbey of granite erected." What next ? Perhaps Jim Fisk, Gould, or "Admiral" Vanderbilfc, or some other of the great " ring" masters of America will invite tenders for the erection of an Egypto-American Pyramid of Cheops, or the ruins of Pompei.

We learn from the " Southern Cross" that Ropata, the capturer of Kereopa, had dealt handsomely with his followers in respect to the £IOOO reward. It is usual for the leading chief who may sell land, or otherwise obtain possession of money, to appropriate all of it, or as much as he possibly can, for his own exclusive benefit. Upon receiving the £IOOO, however, Ropata divided it evenly between himself and followers, every member of the party receiving as large a share as their leader. Ten horses have been entered for the Great Handicap at the Greymouth Races —the largest number we believe that was ever received for any handicap in New Zealand.

Berkley, Sept. 1869.—Gentlemen, I feel ifc a duty I owe to you to express my gratitude for the great benefit I have derived by taking Norton's Camomile Pills.' I applied to your agents, Mr Bell Berkley, for the above named Pills, for wind in the stomach, for which I suffered excruciating pain for a length of time, having tried every remedy persenbed, bub without deriving any benefit at all. After taking two bottles of your valuable pills I was quite restored to my usual state of health. Please give this publicity for the benefit of those who may thus be afflicted." —I am, Sir, yours truly, Heney AllpAss.—To the pre prietora of Koß'i'GK's CamomilS Pills.

In taking, down the hopper at the Cassius claim (Ross) the other day, to replace it by a new one, sixteen ounces of gold were found in the joints of the planks—a very nice Christmas box. Ifc is stated on good authority that a specimen of cinnabar ore has been discovered somewhere in the Grey Valley, and that it has been forwarded to Hokitika for analysis.. Mr Lightband, M.H.R., for Nelson City, has got himself into a nice scrape with his constituents by having had the courage to tell the truth about the Nelson and Fox Hill Railway. He is assailed on all sides by a yelping crowd, who in their fear that this little swindle will drop through cannot find any language toostrong to apply to the course Mr Lightband has taken. We learn from the " Nelson Examiner"* that a man named Benjamin Townson, a gardener in the employ of the Bishop of Nelson, disappeared in a singular manner on Saturday last, in the bush on the ranges beyond the head of Broot street Valley, and has not been since seen. About a fortnight ago, Townson, while laboring under mental aberation, left his residence, and was absent ten days, but at length returned home considerably emaciated, but apparently with his mind restored. On Saturday, he informed his wife that he had left a gun and some other articles in the bush on the hills behind Bishopdale, and persuaded her to accompany him to recover them. The poor woman having consented, when they arrived at the edge of the bush, Townson told her'to remain outside while he searched for his things, but from that time to this nothing has been seen of him. Mrs Townson waited about for some hours, was out all night, and did not return home until Sunday. On Monday morning a strong search party started for the spot where Townson disappeared, and this was repeated the three following days, but without success. The search is continued, but with fewer in number, the presence of upwards of thirty men, supposing he should have seen the party, being calculated perhaps to alarm him. Townson was in a similar low state twelve months ago, from which he recovered, and showed no sign of the malady returning until lately.

Another murder has occurred at Tauna, a Mr Morrison having been shot by a native ; and news was received at Sydney on the 6th inst by the Diahot schooner that Mr Thomas Turnbull, chief officer of the whaling barque Adventurer, had been killed by the natives at Espiritu Santo (N.H.) Mr Turnbull, being well known among the islanders, went on shore with a boat's crew for the purpose of trading, and from some cause or other he was clubbed and killed.

The Prince of Wales' Theatre, Sydney, was totall}'- destroyed by fire early on the morning of the 6th January. Four adjoining houses were levelled by the falling walls of the theatre.

" yEgles" of the " Australasian" states that the authorship of that wonderful literary production " The Cruise of the Flying Squadron," need not be a secret any longer. The gallant British naval officer who so handsomely requited colonial hospitality was Lieut Bruce, of H.M.S. Liverpool, son of Sir H. Hervey Bruce, Bart, M.P. Lieut Bruce was not so proud of his work as to openly acknowledge it. He didn't care that the young ladies, out of whose flirtations he meanly made much literary capital, should be able to recognise him as a man to " kiss and tell." But his father's admiration of the lieutenant's literary talents has led to a disclosure. Sir Hervey has presented the volume to the Coleraine Mechanics' Institute, and the gift was duly notified in the local journal. The editor, who says he has cursorily glanced at the contents, has made an extraordinary discovery. The book, he says, gives glimpses of the " society to be met with by British officers among the people of the colonies and countries with which this country has had friendly or official intercourse, and that, too, in a frank sailor-like fashion, for which we like it all the better." There should be a little reciprocity in these things. A frank expression of opinion regarding some of the distinguished visitors we have had from the old country might not be altogether complimentary. The " Lyttelton Times" of the 13th inst has the following : —" In Chambers yesterday, his Honor Mr Justice Gressou announced a decision of some importance —to the effect, as we understand, that it will no longer be necessary for a creditor desiring to have the power to arrest his debtor, to obtain the order which has hitherto been usual, withdrawing his protection during the suspension of the order of discharge. The protection will henceforward be taken to be withdrawn by the fact of a suspension of the discharge, and it will in future be necessary for debtors desiring to avoid arrest during the time of suspension, to get a continuance of their protection endorsed upon the order." The New York correspondent of the " Sydney Morning Herald" writes :—The people of Chicago accept the situation with characteristic heroism. One " true story" about the fire shows the temper with which they again begin the world. A friend of mine* a newspaper JJorreapou*

dent, was wandering among the smoking ruins, when he met an old merchant, whose hospitality he had frequently received. The old man—over sixty—had screwed up his hard-featured western face to an expression of philanthropic fortitude and was actively employed in squirting tobacco juice on the blackened bricks. " Here's, where my store was," said he. " Ah," said my friend, " when are you going to build it up again ?" " Waal" —viciously expectorating in a new place—" that's what I'm waiting here for now. Jest aB soon as I can spit on a brick without hearing it hiss, I'm goan to work again." " Mr W. Taylor, F.S S., read to the British Association," writes the Spectator, " a paper containing some very suggestive facts. The total number of laborers in England and Wales of all classes living on weekly wages and working with their hands is,includingtheir families,B.l44,ooo, less than half the population. Of these 1,178,000 are skilled artizans, or say 200,000 grown men ; 4,000.000 are halfskilled artizans, or say 800,000 grown men ; and 2,957,000 agricultural and unskilled laborers,, or say 600,000 grown men. The aver'age earnings of a skilled man range from £6O to £73 a year ; of a half-skilled man from £46 to £52, and of an unskilled man or agricultural laborer from £2O to £4l. These averages would show prosperity in the working class, the lower agricultural-laborers excepted, and their total earnings are £276.000,000 a year; but they throw away £58,000,000 a year on alcohol, so paying to the publicans a fifth of all their receipts ; that is, a 4s income tax, and a total sum nearly double the whole of the taxes they pay the State. Teetotalism has not the moral merits its advocates proclaim, or Mussulmans would be better men, but it certainly would make us the richest people on earth." A singular incident which occurred on the Grey river last Friday week is thus related by the Greymouth " Star" : Adventurers are often described as being placed upon the horns of a dilemma, but to be situated on the horns of a swim ming bullock, a few hundred yards from the mouth of the Grey river, with a current running nearly six knots an hour is a dilemma not often witnessed, nor much to be relished. The alternative of reaching a bar, with a likelihood of adding to the number of lifeless objects on one of the beaches, or of being sucked under by the fresh before reaching the briny waters, or of being on the shingle bank if fortunate enough to reach it, was the position of Mr Harry Bowman, who dropped off the steamer Charles Edward this afternoon, while a stray bullock was passing it, having been carried away from a mob attempting to cross the upper ford. Fortunately Bowman was a good Hwimmer, and, more fortunately, there happened to be a coal barge within hail, whose occupant assisted him in quitting his temporary precaurious position. His companion for the time, the bullock, managed to find landing ground a few yards inside tue bar, where it|kept up a melancholy bewailment, which, conjoined with other manoeuvres, indicated an evident regret on its part that there was nothing or no one to rush or toss upon landing. . The " Grey River Argus says :We learn that an agent for the longest mining speculators at the Thames has just visited and inspected the Inangahua reefs, and that his report will be very favorable to the district. By the return steamer from Auckhmd it is expected that between thirty and forty of the Thames capitalists will arrive, en route for the reefs, and even Nelson Proper has thought that it is just worth while to send an avanl courier to see if he can pick up a good thing, and inform his brethren from personal inspection of " what is really going on." Another disgraceful scene has taken place in the Hokitika Borough Council, hi re the election of the Mayor. - The claimant to the office, Mr J. B. Clarke, stated his determination to stick to the chair, while other members appear to be as determined to oust him. The following was the termination of the meeting, as reported by the " West Coast Times :"—Cr. Jack said he would have supported the chairman m his election for Mayor, but for the wav in which he had acted, which was anything but right, and the maner in which he had taken possession of the chair was a low, mean dodge. The chairman said he might have beenguilty of mean dodges, but he never burned his partner's books. (Groans and hisses from the crowd, and cries of "Put him under the pump." •« Chuck him into the Lagoon." "Kick him.") The majority of the Councillors then left their seats, and there not being a quorum the meeting was adjourned until Friday evening next. Mr Clarke has since resigned. _ The entries for the intercolonial race to be rowed at Christchurch were opened last Thursday. The Auckland Club have entered a boat, and so also have the Dunedin people, but no mention was made of the Wellington boat. How is this accounted for ?

The " Marlborough Press" of Saturday last has the following account of the bush or grass fires in that province :—We learn with much regret that extensive fires are raging in the Southern districts of this province, the glare of which was plainly visible on board the Falcon off Wellington Heads. The fires commenced at Starborough, Awatere. on Monday last, and the injury done to several runs must be enormous. We are informed by persons who arrived last evening, that the Cape Run is entirely burnt ou*. and in fact the whole district between Templeton's and the sea as far as Ilatbourne River. At Starborough the homestead was in great danger, and during Thursday evening a Staff of twenty-five men were engaged cutting off the turf and blazingthe ground to stop the conflagration. Our informant says that dead sheep are lying in all directions, having been unable to escape from the terrible heat, and large mobs have been literally roasted alive. Unless checked by speedy rain, it is impossible to say where the ruin will stop : as it is the feed over very many thousands of acres is entirely burnt off. Such large and destructive fires have never been known in the province before, and we trust the fact will act as a caution to all in the vicinity of Blenheim. The herbage is everywhere so parched that a spark from a pipe, or a match incautiously dropped, may set this part of the country in a blaze. The members of the fire brigade will need to sleep with their ears open ! The Government assurance scheme is receiving great support at Greymouth. The " Grey River Argus" of the 17th says —The residents in Greymouth are among the most provident in the colony if, as is generally supposed, Life Assurance is a test of thrifty habits. Between the proposals obtained by Captain Baldwin and those previously obtained by Mr M'Beath, the Postmaster, the assurances in the Government Department at Greymouth will amount, we believe, to nearly £45,000, whilst the Australian Mutual Provident is said to have obtained nearly £15,000. £60,000 for Greymouth is not bad. Capt. Baldwin leaves town this morning. During his stay here he obtained upwards of 60 proposals. He intends revisiting Greymouth and the country districts before leaving the West Coast. Very few people have any idea of the real importance to the growers and shippers of Australian wool of the recent rise in wool. Some of the Victorian papers give the result of a calculation as the effect on that increase on Victorian wool alone, which sets down the amount at £300,000. But wool during the year has advanced fully 7d per lb, representing an increase toVictoriaalone in thevalueof £1.055,000. In other words the increase represents nearly 30s per head for every man, woman, and child in that colony. The increase on Tasmanian wool is put down at a little over £150,000 for twelve months.

We (" New Zealand Herald ") hear that Mr Brogden has gone to the Waikato, and during his visit he is likely to inspect the coal mines and other points of interest along the line. In all probability he will go through to Taupo, and thence by the Lakes to Tauranga and the East Coast. Such a journey would give him a fair idea of the capabilities of a large section of the interior. A number of gentlemen in Melbourne have associated themselves together, and purchased a vessel, which is being specially fitted out for the object of exploring, if possible, the interior of New Guinea. Upon the subject of the constitution of the Upper House, Mr Curtis, M.H.R., in his address to his constituents at Nel son, said it was understood that in the proposed constitutional changes of the Colonial Treasurer there would also pro bably be included a measure for a new constitution for the Legislative Council, which at present being a nominee house, open to being added to at the pleasure of Ministers, was not satisfactory either to the members themselves or to the country. Referring to the Victorian method of having an elective Upper House, with a property qualification, he thought the property qualification would not suit here, because, although in England, from higher education and generations of its advantages, property owners might be deemed to be in training as legislators, —here there was no such training, and the possession of land and sheep often meant money bags and nothing more, for it did not by any means follow that the possession of land implied fitness for legislative duties. The Bank of New Zealand has, we notice, shipped four casks of iron sand from Auckland by the City of Auckland, for London. This sample is being forwarded for testing purposes, and it is to be hoped that further experiments may lead to some cheaper method than has already been discovered for the preparation of irou and steel from this deposit, of which the colony has such abundance. The Tauranga correspondent of the " Thames Guardian" says :—Our communications with the Thames and Auckland are becoming more regular and constant, evidently showing the great change of thought and action now working in the Maori mind round

nought the influences and restraints of the King and his Executive at Tokangamutu. Captain Turner, District Engineer, has so far advanced the setting off the new road to Katikati, that tenders are being called for the construction of the works, bridges, &c. When this road is finished we may expect to see a number of our settlers (who hitherto were deterred for want of roads, and the unsettled state of the district) now settling on their lands. When Mr Commissioner Halcombe was here, a few months ago, a deputation of the principal settlers of this district waited upon him, for the purpose of ascertaining the views and feeling of the General Government towards Tauranga, when amongst other plans he proposed the opening up the country by trunk roads ; for instance, one to Kakikati, and the other to Cambridge ; but beforp recommending this course to the Government, he obtained assurances from a number of owners of allotments that, on condition of these roads being made, they would at once set to work and improve their lands. The Government have in every respect approved of Mr Halcorube's recommendations, hence the roads now proposed, and the emigrants shortly expected. A quantity of mottled Kauri timber has been shipped from Auckland to London for ornamental cabinet work. A movement is on foot amongst the settlers of Waikato, and more especially of the Cambridge district, to establish a journal to uphold local agricultural interests. By way of Fiji a report reaches us that H.IVLS. Rosario had "shelled and des_ troyed some towns upon the island of Guuu, in retaliation for the murder of a white man and some colored men." H. Farnall, Esq., M.HR., for Rodney, left Auckland for London by the ship City of Auckland on the 18th inst. The latest detailed news from the Thames goldfield is given in the following telegram published iu the Auckland paners of the 18th inst:—The Caledonian have 3 cwt of rich specimens. I hey have a better show now than at any previous period during the present management. The Alburnia tribute crushing of to tons brought 302 ounces. The company's crushing of 72 tons brought 405 ounces of amalgam. Caledonian, £l4 ; Thames £l2 ; Californian, 355, upward tendency ; Golden Calf, 55s ; Tookey. £l6.

. The " Westpor't Times " of a late date says :—Certainly nowhere in New Zealand, and it is questionable whether in any part of the world, so large a number of well defined reefs have been covered in so short a period as nas elapsed since the first announcement of quartz discoveries in the Inansiahua. Line after line of reef has been discovered in quick succession, and claim after claim on the various lines has succeeded in striking the reef with undeviating results and moat exceptional regularity. Again, the splen-. did results yielded by the Lyell reefs, distant some thirty miles as the crow flies on the same line of country, has tended to further confirm the belief of the excep tional value of the Inangahua and Lyell as a quartz reefing district. It is nou ' ascertained beyond daubt that reefs of great extent, easily worked, containing a large body of stone, and abundantly payable, exist in this district; and there is no extravagance in the hope that from Murray Creek. Inangahua, to the Lyell, the reefs will be traced with trifling devotions in distinct and unbroken lines. Ihe following particulars in respect to the Inangahua reef's are thoroughlyreliable, and have been received from a miner who by personal inspection of the reefs vouches for their correctness. The extent of reef proved gold-hearing on the various lines opened in the Inangahua, field is as follows —Smith's line, 2040 feet; Shiel's line, 1800 feet; Anderson's line, 2000 feet; Kelly's line, 13 claims north of prospectors, and 3 south. On Lankey's line the workings are not sufficiently advanced to enable an absolute conclu sion as to the extent or value of the reef. It would appear that specimen stealing is supposed to exist to a large extent on the Thames Goldfield. A correspondent draws the attention of the " Herald" to some of the indications of this system of robbery : steamer from a neighboring colony discharged her cargo and passengers on the wharf, and one of those, an intelligent individual, but who was particularly hard up withal, found his way to Grahamstown and obtained employment at current rates in one of the claims on the Thames. He must have been a saving man, and frugal in his habits, for he took his departure iu a steamer some weeks ago, leaving here with about £IOOO in his pocket, saved out of his earnings ! One day last week a gentleman in town had business in a certain * public,' and there he happened to see a former employee of his ' half seas over,' shouting champagne for all hands ; he had been on the Thames for some eight or nine months and had made a good thing out of it. But such things are common, and are commonly known ; and it is patent to every one that there is something wrong somewhere—there is a

about Ohinemuri, setting thereby i screw loose, and that if things continue to to go on as at present, there will be a collapse and a smash-up. If shareholders and the public looked after their interests as they should do—if they looked after their property in a gold mine as they would behind their counters, or in their tills, we would not hear of such an anomaly as that of a claim taking out good stone being obliged to make calls. Why, it is monstrous, and calls aloud for investigation. If it cannot be clearly shown that men who invest their capital on the Thames are not placed at the mercy of those of the pick and shovel, good-bye to speculation.—P.S.-I see by this morning's telegrams that Alburnia is taking out goo d stone." Three pounds and a quarter of quartz, taken promiscuously from a truck load as it emerged from the tunnel of M'G-owan a claim, Shiel's line, Inangahua, has been tested at the Union Bank, Westport, and found to vield 12 grains of gold, or at the rate of ozs to the ton. With the naked eye gold was visible on one piece onlv of the quartz. The " Westport Times" suggests that natives from the North Island might be employed on public works in the Middle Island as an additional means of pacification. Our contemporary says :—" When we see that the persevering efforts of our agents at home have been comparatively ineffective to influence immigration from Germany or Scandinavia, it becomes necessary to consider whether the employment of our large native population upon public works in the North Island would not attain the object of the proposed immigration, and at the same time cement the peaceful relations of the colony. Of late years the natives have been tolerably extensively employed in road making, and so far as their work has been hitherto reported upon, it is stated to be as weH and as cheaply executed as if performed by European labor."

" One who believes in making roads in preference to talking; about railways,'' writing to the "Nelson Evening Mail," says in the course of his letter, one will say in support of said railway, " never mind about the use of it, let us have the money spent in the place." Another will say, " never mind if a train never runs on it, let us have the railway." These expressions are so common and so universal among the supporters of the Foxhill railway scheme that I don't wonder for a moment at the General Government snubbing tiiem with their famous expression, informing the Nelson public of their intention of proceeding with it leisurely. The real supporters of the Foxhill railway are those who advocate the opening up of the interior, and I think so, for this reason, namely, that it would bring such an amount of traffic to Foxhill, that a railway would be needed. The attention of persons intending to take chances in the art union for the disposal of the Fijian curiosities is directed to the fact that they are now on view at Mr Burrett's, also that the drawing will not take place till four o'clock on the 9th February. Timely notice is given to the burgesses of the city and to tenants of the city reserves that it is the intention of the Town Clerk to supply them with the usual documentary notice of default should the rates and rents respectively due not be paid before one o'clock this day. The Volunteers in Auckland are to be utilised as firemen in case of need. Two companies will be told off for this duty each month, and as a return for these services the Insurance Companies will offer several prizes to be shot for. The members of the Wellington Grammar School Cadets will parade on the reclaimed land at eleven o'clock this morning. The company will be under the command of Captain Tuckey, one of the members of the College. The annual meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society will be he held on Monday evening next, at 8 p.m., in the Maori Houee attached to the Museum. The primary business to be done is the election of officers, after which matters of o-eneral interest will be discussed.

Where the digestive powers are so weak aa to cause imperfect Assimilation, and in many cases laying the foundation for Counsumption and Wasting, the use of Savory & Moores's Pancreatic Emulsion and Pancreatine, already so highly approved by the Medical faculty, will be found among the most potent remedial a-ents ; they effect the digestion of Cod Liver Oil and prevent nausea, while they efficiently supply the place o i the oil when the stomach rejects it. These facts are attested by the published ie/jordsof medical men, extracts from which accompany each bottle, price irom 2s-to 21s. Savory & Moore, 143, New Bond Street, London, 'and all Chemists. Note—Savory & F core's name and trade mark on each bottle. "April 22 1871. 5 2w.

The §l2 Lever Watch, No. 13.530, pur chased from Chas. P. Norton & Co. 86 Nassau strest, New York, January sth, has been carried by me over six months, with a total variation in time of only 26 seconds, without the slightest regulating, and presents the same brilliancy of color as when purchased.—JAS. R. WILSON, Sec. American S. M, Co. N. Y., New York, July 10, 1870.

Members of volunteer corps and those interested in rifle shooting must have observed with some astonishment the number of victories which the Grey mouth Eangerr have obtained over the oldest and best corps in the colonies as well as in England. The explanation of the matter is that the range at which they fire is a complete cul de sac, blocked out of dense bush, and is, for rifle shooting purposes, as free from the effects of wind or sun as a rifle gallery, which in reality it is. Even under these favorable conditions,how ever, the invicibles have been beaten in a match with the Dunedin Scottish Volunteers, the scores being :—Greymoutb, 373 ; Scottish, 388. The defeat is accounted for by the absence of the best shots on the Greymouth side, and a new match is spoken of. Mr Thomas White, late seedsman of Lambton Quay, having completed his term of imprisonment was released onTues day from the gaol, but was immediately arrested on a warrant from Canterbury charging him with embezzlement. The prisoner was brought up at the Court before Mr Duncan and remanded to Christchurch. The " Nelson Examiner" is opposed to the removal of the next session of the Assembly to Dunedin. Ou-r contemporary, who is well known as the mouthpiece of the Opposition leaders, says:—-It is a great pity that a question of this nature comes before the House of Kepresentatives in the way it annually does. By the Constitution Act, the power of summoning the Legislature is" given to the Governor, who calls it together when and at what place he chooses. When, in 1856, responsible government was conceded to the colony, it appears to have been taken for granted that this power, like most others, was to be exercised in accordance with the will of the majority of the popular branch of the Legislature. No doubt it is a question upon which the Assembly as a whole ought to be in a position to pronounce a decided opinion ; but that is not the position practically assumed at the present moment. The claim of the House of Representatives is to settle the matter by its own vote, without reference to the other branches of the Legislature. The Parliament of New Zealand consists of a Governor, a Legislative Council, and a House of Representatives. The united will of these three bodies is expressed by an instrument termed an Act of Parliament. It is a pity, we think, that the question of the place of meeting of the Legislature has not been settled by this legal and constitutional proceeding. If it rested upon the authority of an Act, it would still be open for the consideration and possibly revision of Parliament; but it would not ty6 the privilege of the popular branch alone, as at present, to be constantly tampering with and deranging everything that has been settled. The larrikin pest in Melbourne does not seem to be abated. A late "Argus" says : —Early yesterday morning about 150 youths of the street were observed in the Eastern Market, feasting on a case of apricots which had formed one of a stock of fruit belonging to a fruiterer named Mann, and those who were near enough to the purloined case were rapidly filling their pockets and making merry. Constable M'Donald, who was passing in the neigborhood, attracted by the* crowd, went up unseen and got close to the fruit box, which soon became empty, and as the last hatful was taken out he heard one ask, in a general manner, " Who did this job ?" A lank lad replied, striking himself manfully on the breast, " I'm the sanguinary one that did it;" as he munched the apricots the thought seemed to give an impetus to his appetitite. The officer arrested him on a charge of stealing the fruit, and the youth immediately called on the crowd to " close up" for a rescue. They did so, but assistance arrived, and the prisoner, who gave the name of George Walton, was locked up. Another paragraph in the same paper says, of a band of thirty or forty of the young rascals, who became emboldened by their successes, entered an hotel on the road, assaulted the barman, who attempted to resist them, and subsequently rushed into a barber's shop and committed some mischief, one young miscreant coolly trying his skill at drop-kicking upon a box of clay pipes. Only seven of the mob were captured, and one of them had to be discharged as the evidence against his identification was not considered sufficiently strong*. The "Taranaki Herald" of the 17th instant has the following with regard to the movements of Titokowaru: —We learn that Titokowaru has at last made a move, and with his people is now at Omuturangi, which is about eleven miles from Opunake. The Wanganui settlers are in a great state of alarm, we learn, and have magnified the few followers of Tito into hundreds. Some settlers from New Plymouth being at Oeo on business, were present when Titokowaru arrived, and had an opportunity of speaking with him and counting the number of his followers. There were thirty-four men (seventeen of whom were armed) and thirty-three women. Titokowaru said he wished to live at peace. He was not aware what the Government would think of his com-

ing to the coast to live ; but he did not intend to molest any one unless he wa? attacked in the first instance. He in tends to clear a quantity of land for cul tivation, and to put some into grass Those from whom we have received this information state that Nuku (Tito's brother) treated them with the height of kindness, and had refreshments prepared on their arrival. The natives are perfectly aware of the state of alarm the Patea and Wanganui settlers are in respecting their movements, and state that a watch tower has been erected, which lately had been heightened, to enable them to see Titokowaru and followers when they arrive. It is most amusing to those who have been travelling in native districts to hear the exaggerated reports that are circulated at Patea and Wanganui respecting these much dreaded natives, who treat visitors with the utmost hospitality. Our informants state that everywhere the natives appeared to have every confidence in the peaceful intentions of the pakehas, and are anxious to have intercourse with them in a friendly manner.

We learn from the " Dunedin Evening Star" that the first portion, consisting of about 300 tons of girders for the Waitaki Bridge, were shipped by the Euterpe for Port Chalmers, which left London in November last. A considerable quantity of plant and rolling stock for the Dunedin and Clutha Railway has been shipped by the J#ssie Readman, the Margaret Galbraith, and the Euterpe, and may shortly be expected. The " Daily Times" says that Messrs Cross and Co., of San Francisco, were to forward by the mail steamer, which was to leave that port early in the present month, a parcel of valuable forest tree seeds for the Otago Acclimatisation Society. From late advices, it was ascertained that the seeds were being collected in the interior, and will consequently be fresh on their arrival here. Messrs Cross and Co have forwarded several parcels for the Society during the last few years, and the seeds have in every case arrived in excellent condition.

Diptheria is making fearful ravages amongstchildrenin some parts of Victoria. In one family near Ballarat six out of seven children died from this complaint, and the father had been also seized with the disorder. Malignant scarletina is also prevalent. A Thames paper of the 17th states that the intelligence of the cutting of the telegraph line within Tauranga is an undoubted fact. A chief called Enoka, a relative of the Nga te Rangi tribe, at Matamata, but an infatuated character, has long been living isolated within the purchased block of Te Puna, and Katikati. The lands upon svhich he and a handful of disaffected characters have for some time been living and digging guoa belong to the Crown, and on all occasions when Government have been disposed to do anything with the land they have been threatened by these people. When Captain Turner with his staff went to survey the line for the road to Katikati, threats were made by this people, but no one took any notice of them ; but the decree has been made by the King and his Executive that tele graphs and roads are unlawful, and must be forbidden. Hence the cutting of two telegraph poles at Te Tahawai, a few miles south of Bowentown, Kaitjkati, by Enoka and his people. Our informant, who slept at the settlement of those people, says that during the night they frequently gave vent to feelings of indignation at" the treachery of the Government in inducing the Uriweras for filthy lucre's sake to act in the deceitful manner they did to get hold of Kereopa; this is the reason they assert—a vent of their wrath for the Kohuratanga of Kereopa. We are further informed that the King and his Executive have called a meeting of all the Ngaiterangi natives to be held at Te Whakamarama; but we are assured from our informant that Tauranga natives are not any longer to be cajoled by the intrigues of the King, much less those of his emissaries, amongst whom is Hania, his secretary, who stopped our overland mail last year, and who was present prompting Enoka to cut the poles. We are glad to learn by the " Southern Cross" that the Messrs Brogden have no intention of introducing the truck system into this country. It appears, says our contemporary, that fears were entertained by the contracting firm that, in undertaking duties in a country the circumstances of which were unknown, the possibility might arise of the progress of the works being impeded by the difficulties which the workmen might experience in isolated localities in procuring the necessaries of life, and accordingly the power was reserved to the firm of establishing stores for the supply of such goods as might be required. That such necessity will not arise is well known to, everyone familiar with the spirit of competition that ani mates our colonial business men, and no attempt whatever will be made by the contractors to interfere with the legitimate course of trade.