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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4230, 10 October 1874, Page 2

Some slightly inaccurate reports have been published, relative to the negotiations between the General Government and the Provincial Government, for the expenditure of the £06,000, authorised by Parliament to bo advanced to the Province of Wellington. It was not correct, in the first place, to say that there was any real difference in,opinion between the Hon. the Minister for Public Works and His Honor the Superintendent. Throughout, the negotiation ran smoothly, and there were but slightly different views, easily to be assimilated, held. The survey of the external boundaries of the block to be taken as security for the advance will be made by Captain Heale, Inspector of Surveys, and the question of the detailed road and sectional surveys has been expressly left, in order that these might bo dealt with when, the outside survey being completed, selection may take place. The cost of Captain Heale’a survey will bo, probably, about £3OOO, and four blocks of 20,000 acres each will be selected from 160,000 acres set apart for that purpose ; the probability, of course, being that the party surveying the outer boundary will necessarily acquire a certain amount of topographical knowledge that will he of great value when the internal survey has to be made. But, who will execute this internal survey must remain an open question until the result of the external one has been ascertained ; and consequently the statement that the Provincial Government will proceed with the sectional survey, at a cost of about £22,000, is an incorrect one—one that almost carries its refutation written on its face. The statement is, we have reason to believe, reliable, that £4400 will he expended on the deviation of the West Coast Road; Castle Point to Alfredtown, £5200 ; Mastertou to Alfredtown, £4OOO ; Tauere, £3500 ; Raumingi, £4OO ; and Rangitikei, £SOOO for bridges; and £3500 to the Wanganui River works, in accordance with Mr. Blackett’s report. But, whilst it is correct, according to the best authority we have available, that £SOOO will be expended by vote of the Provincial Council in the Paraekaretu block, on falling bush and performing other work on the road lines, the fact also deserves notice that the money is actually advanced by the G eneral Government, it being a part of the £66,000 that was authorised by Parliament to be handed over. The .advertisement calling for tenders for this work merely states that it will he done “under £SOOO vote of Provincial Council.” This is calculated to convey an inaccurate impression.

It would appear by the news brought from Piji by the Mikado that the mission of Sir Hercules Robinson has not been attended with diffioalties. Information reached Kandavau from Levuka, the capital of the islands, just before the departure of the mail steamer, to the effect that the British flag was to bo formally hoisted on the Bth instant, as the signal of annexation of the group to Great Britain. The intelligence will be received with satisfaction throughout the Australasian Colonies, where the necessity of extending British protection and law over the islands is much better understood than it is in England, though the political consequences may possibly bo weighed there by Mr. Gladstone and his supporters in a nicer balance than they are here. This step removes difficulties that stood in the way of the growth of trade and settlement in Fiji, and will give a most powerful fillip to its progress. It is now ascertained that in Fiji we have a group of islands capable of rivalling Mauritius and Java as a sugargrowing country. Private enterprise has dared the risk, even in the unsettled and uupropitious state of things that lately existed, of erecting sugar-mills, and produce from the islands has found its way to the New Zealand and Australian markets. Sugar, in fact, has almost driven cotton out, as being more easily managed and more profitable; and the annexation will, there is no doubt, be immediately followed by a large extension of the sugar trade. Annexation, moreover, clears the way for the scheme projected by the Premier, and brings its accomplishment so much nearer.

Mr. Curtis addressed the electors of the city of Nelson yesterday. The speech of His Honor the Superintendent does not seem to have struck the local representative of the Press Agency as being of much importance, for his report of it does not extend to more than a few lines. Mr. Curtis still opposes the proposition for the abolition of Provincialism in the North Island, but he has somewhat modified his views, as he appears to be ready to change sides if he is satisfied with the nature of the arrangements proposed to take the place of Provincial institutions. He argued that abolition would be an injustice to Nelson, as she would have to undertake her share of the responsibility of the loans raised for the public works of the Colony. He forgets, however, that after all Nelson is a portion of the Colony of New Zealand, and that the Colony is responsible for the loans, and will share the advantages of the works and the policy, the money has been obtained to carry out. Nelson, of all the Provinces, need be under no alarm. It has done little or nothing for itself ; it can do little or nothing ; under its present rulers it will do nothing. The sooner, therefore,, the mockery of Provincial Government is abolished in Nelson the better.

It will be seen from the telegram in another column, supplementary to. that published yesterday, that the inquiry at Port Chalmers into occurrences on board the American barque Oneca, on her voyage from the United States to that port, has terminated in the committal for trial of Dodd, the second officer of the ship, for the murder of a seaman named Green. The story as told before the Magistrates is a very sad one ; but it would seem that the whole tale is not told. A bad deed has been done, but “worse remains behind,” though it may not take the form of murder ; or, indeed, of any indictable offence. There had been disagreements on the early part of the voyage between the Captain and the crew, and it is hinted that these were due mainly to the Captain. On the night of the 17th September—a dark, stormy night —about midnight, when the ship was running down her easting, Dodd alleges that he caught one of the men in his watch (Green) asleep, and to punish him, ordered him to stand on the gallows, or gallows-bit—the technical name of a strong framework of wood constructed for spare spars, &c. From the rolling of the ship, and the strong wind blowing, it was impossible to stand on this frame-work, and Green fell to the deck. He was ordered up again, and to save himself from a second fall he caught hold of a stay, hut was at once ordered to let go his hold. He did so, and fell a second time. Again he was ordered up, in spite of prayers for mercy, and as he again caught the stay his hand was struck away from it by the second mate with a belay - ing- pin ; a second blow followed on the anlcles or heels, and, as the second mate refused mercy with a cowardly expression of contempt, the poor wretch fell overboard. Dodd roused the captain, but fifteen minutes elapsed from the time Green went overboard till Captain Henry was on deck, and by that time the ship was miles away from the drowning man. There were life-buoys on board, but none were thrown over. When volunteers for the boat were called for it was so obviously a mockery that there was no response ; and the ship passed on her way. Dodd, it appears, scarcely denies his guilt. He hints that he was put up to do the deed by the master of the ship, and tells how he was afterwards prompted—apparently as the ship neared the Now Zealand coast—to throw two of the crew who were witnesses of the crime overboard from the mainroyal yard. The chief officer appears to believe that the second officer’s story is true ; and ho has stated in Court that matters occurred on the voyage between himself and the master which will yet have to be inquired into. The cook, also, appears to have his quarrel with Captain Henry ; and one of the apprentices, who was on the look-out at the time of the accident or murder, at the close of his brief evidence, asked to say a word for

himself. The Magistrate, understanding that the boy, also, had a complaint to make of the same person, an appointment was granted to him, for to-day, for the purpose. We may add that it does not appear from the report as telegraphed whether the log-book of the ship contained any reference to the affair. The captain did not give information to the police, on his arrival, on the subject. It only came out accidentally, or through the efforts of the crew, one of whom swore that he was reticent in his first statements to the American Consul, as he was in fear of his life—at whose hands it is not difficult to guess. Nor was the captain at all communicative when the police boarded the ship to make inquiries, his answer being that he did think there had been something wrong ! Altogether the story is one in which there is not a little of the horrible. The inquiry, in fact, has only been begun ; and we trust the whole matter will be as thoroughly examined as the powers of the Courts will permit. Some frightful crimes have been committed at sea under the American flag, and the voyage of the Oneca, we fear, will add another to the dreadful calendar.

The overland telegrams which come to hand so frequently by way of Melbourne rob the intelligence which arrives via San Francisco of its freshness, hut still the message, published m another column, of news received at Auckland by the Mikado from San Francisco is not without interest. The English items are very few, and relate chiefly to strikes, which seem to be spreading in the cotton-spinniug districts. It is greatly to be regretted that labour and capital are found so frequently in conflict. The position of the workers is vastly improved from what it was twenty, or even ten, years ago ; but the employers are now also making fortunes which were undreamed of at that period. Possibly the prosperity of both has increased the difficulty of settling these matters in a friendly way. From the Continent the news is of more general interest. It is evident, from the resolution arrived at in Berlin to banish from Prussia—as a first step to applying the determination to all Germany—all foreign priests, monks, and nuns, that the war between Germany and the Church of Eome has become one of the most determined character. It will he regretted that the disquiet which exists as to the future relations of France and Germany should have been increased by the outspoken opinion of Victor Hugo, that no permanent peace is possible in Europe until France shall have again crossed swords with Germany. This literary politician is, perhaps, no great authority ; but still he is regarded with strange enthusiasm by immense numbers of Frenchmen, and his comments on the peace prospects of the future must have an injurious effect in inflaming the passions of his countrymen. From Spain there is nothing new ; but the absence of any intelligence of importance induces the belief that the Koyalist party are much stronger than the Kepublioans have been willing to admit. The American news is singularly meagre. We regret, however, to see recorded the death of Madame Agatha States, one of the most accomplished American artists who have yet visited Australia.