NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4435, 7 June 1875, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND NEWS.

SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH.

MAY-JUNE, 1875. For transmission hy the Phosbe, from Wellington, on the 9th, and the A.S.H. Co.'s steamer Macgregor on the 11th June, from Auckland via San Francisco. Monday, June 7. Since the date of our last monthly summary for Europe few events have occurred demanding special comment. The Governor, who was absent at that date, on a tour through the Middle Island, returned to the Seat’of Government on the 28th ultimo, accompanied by the Marchioness of Normanby. His Excellency expressed himself as being highly pleased with what he saw in Canterbury and Otago, and at a public banquet in Dunedin he is reported to have said that if he were compelled to mate choice of a future home away from England, he would select New Zealand in preference to any other country he had seen. Lord Norman by counselled prudence, however, in the administration of the great colonising policy which the colony has undertaken. With prudence and economy we may be sanguine In colonial politics, we have little to note. The announcement that the Hon. Mr. Vogel would be unable to attend at the opening of the session of the General Assembly in July, has given rise to much speculation and a great deal of regret, on account of the cause of his detention. It is generally admitted that the Government will be considerably embarrassed by his absence, weighted as it is with the responsibility of introducing a Bill to give effect to the resolutions of last session in the matter of provincial abolition. For mere routine and departmental work there is no difficulty ; but during the session it is felt that questions may arise which would be much better dealt with were the Premier present than in his absence. The Colonial Secretary returned to Wellington a few days before the Marquis of Normanby. The Hon. Dr. Pollen accompanied tho Governor from Christchurch to Otago, and had thus an opportunity of seeing the progress in settlement which the Southern provinces have made. The Hon. Mr. Reynolds is leaving the Customs and Marine Department °to take care, of itself in the absence of the permanent Under Secretary, Mr. Seed, and is attending to his duties as member of the Otago Provincial Council. Sir Donald McLean, having been engaged for several months in the active details of his department in the North Island, is somewhere storm-bound on the Coast, while we write these lines, between Napier and Wellington. Nothing could well be more satisfactory than the record of the Native Minister during the recess. He has been constantly in harness, and has succeeded in settling many old Maori grievances of an irritating and threatening character. The patience, tact, and firmness of the Native Minister were taxed to the utmost on this service. As a set-off to the work of the Native Minister on the East Coast, may be placed the abortive mission of Rewi Maniopoto, who followed him, preaching disaffection to the Queen, and prophesying the downfall of England through foreign aggression. Rewi’s mission was a complete failure. He was defeated in argument by friendly natives, and returns to his own dominions with cold comfort to Tawhiao, the King. To show how insignificant is this once redoubted chief’s influence, we may mention that he was permitted to harangue the natives outside the courthouse at Tauranga, almost within sight of the Gate pa, and a few yards from the graves of Colonel Booth, the brothers Glover, Captains Hay and Hamilton of the Harrier and Esk, and many a gallant officer and man besides. The times have changed truly, and for the better. It was Rewi Maniopoto who dragged Waikato into war at Taranaki, having headed a war party there in 1860 ; it was Rewi who precipitated the war in Waikato, openly insulting William Thompson at the great native meeting, when the fatal resolution was taken to light the fern at Te la. Hence the attack at Shepherd’s bush near the Drury camp, within our lines, and the fight on Koheroa heights, about the same hour of the same day, which brought the war into Waikato and cost the tribes their land. Rewi commanded at Orakan, and led the forlorn hope through the British lines, which gallant act, with his resolute defiance, “ Ake ! ake ! ake !”—never ; never ; never ! —to the summons to surrender, has justly made him famous with both races. Surrounded on all sides by the troops in overwhelming numbers, cooped up in a little redoubt with 300 comrades, without water for two days, he leaped the ramparts, broke through our linos, and with many followers made good his escape. Since then Rewi has been sullen and hostile ;—not directly hostile, but implacable. He finds the Maori throne tottering. The reign of isolation is drawing to a close, and Rewi, thegallantsoldier and Maori patriot, appears in a new character —namely, as a missionary of sedition in the towns of the abhorred pakeha. Even the police do not interfere with him. Surely there never has been such a complete triumph over the Maori King as this. The victory of Sir Donald McLean is complete. Peace has been thoroughly established, and the King’s followers are becoming largo producers, and purchasers of imported goods. It is not the beginning of the end, but tho end itself of Maori exclusiveness that we have to note. We trust that Rewi’s visit to the Bay of Plenty may have convinced him of the hopelessness of his policy. With all that he has said and done against the colony, we have a very high respect for Rewi Maniopoto. He is a Maori of the old school a rangatira from top to toe. The Wellington Provincial Council was prorogued on the 13th ult. The Auckland Provincial Council has also been prorogued ; but tho Canterbury and Otago Councils are in session, and as the members are paid for their attendance they are spinning out tho time by absurd votes of want of confidence, resulting in equally absurd changes of Government. There have been three Executives in office in Otago within a fortnight. Tho Nelson Provincial Council prorogued on Friday made itself equally ridiculous. Tho country is weary of this parliamentary farce, and cries out for provincial abolition. Trade generally is sound, although a few failures are reported from tho Southern provinces. The public works are being pushed forward with all possible expedition, and in Auckland, Canterbury, and Otago now railway lines have been opened. A railway train now runs to tho Waikato from Auckland. There are seventy miles of tho trunk lino opened south of Christchurch; and within a few months it will bo possible to travel the greater part of tho distance from The Bluff and Invercargill to Dunedin by j railway. The extension of the Welling-: ton railway to tho Upper Hutt will soon 1

be opened for traffic. Excursion trains ran to the Silver Stream, fourteen miles from Wellington, on the Queen’s Birthday. The immigrants who arrive are all rapidly absorbed. There is no falling-off in the demand for labor, and wages still keep up at high rates. The news of the loss of the Schiller, with the March mail from New Zealand and Australia, created much anxiety here, inasmuch as several old and influential colonists left for Europe by the Mikado, which carried tho mail to San Francisco, Subsequent intelligence, however, in great measure allayed this of anxiety, as it' became almost a certainty that none of them were on hoard the illfated ship.