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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5129, 31 August 1877, Page 2

There was more actual business got through in the House last night than in any equivalent period since the session began. Sir George Grey was not present during the evening sitting.

Our reports of the Walca Maori trial, as it is called, are necessarily condensed, the evidence being so voluminous. In consequence of this inevitable condensation, the evidence taken on the first day in relation to the letters which appeared in the Waha, Maori , addressed to that journal by Arihi and Mangai, were made to bear a construction which was to the ■ late Sir Donald McLean. We desire, therefore, to correct" the false impression calculated to have been made upon the minds of readers. Sir Donald McLean, who was Native Minister at the time in question, never saw those letters. The evidence of Mr. Henry Tacey Clarke On this point was verbatim ct literatim as follows :—Referring to Arihi’s (or Alice’s) letter counsel said : After reading the letter you told Mr. Grindell not to publish it, but to furnish, you with a translation ?—A. Yes. Q. What was done with it then ?—A. Ho did not take Arihi’s letter away, but left it in my custody. Q, Did he furnish you with a translation?—A.. He did. - Q. How long arter? —lt was a day or two after, I am not quite sure. Q. What was done with the original and the translation ?—A. He brought them to me, and I kept them. Q. What did you do with them?- — A. Put them in

my pigeon-hole, and allowed them to remain there more than a month. Q. After that what did you do with them T A. I gave them to Mr. Grindell at the request of the Native Minister, who said the natives were complaining. After other evidence, not precisely bearing on the point which it is desired to make clear, the question was asked, Did you refer the letter to the Native Minister at all ?—A. Ne, I simply told him of its purport. It will therefore be seen that, so far as the evidence was concerned, the late Native Minister did not see the letter or letters ; for there was nothing in the course of Mr. Clarke’s examination to show that the Native Minister had been shown either of the letters, or was personally aware of their contents. To Juliet an appellation was but of little import. Not so to the good people of Waitahuna. Mr. J. C. Brown, in moving the second reading of the Town of Waitahuna Bill, which proposes to alter the name of a certain town in the provincial district of Otago from Havelock to Waitahuna, urged as a reason for the passing of the Bill that there were already three towns rejoicing in the name of Jhe great East Indian warrior, in consequence of which the Waitahuna Havelock had lost a post office and telegraph office, through the sum voted for that purpose having been appropriated by the wrong Havelock. All who remember the highly successful tour made through New Zealand about three years ago by the celebrated lecturer, elocutionist, and humorist, the Bev. Charles Clark, will be glad to learn that another opportunity of hearing him in Wellington will shortly be presented. Amongst the passengers by the Bingarooma yesterday was Mr. B, S. Smythe, the manager who introduced Madame Arabella Goddard, Miss Christian, and other favorite artistes to New Zealand, and who was last here with the Bev. Charles Clark. Having gone to the Centennial with Mr. Clark, and travelled with him through the United States and Canada, Mr. Smythe' has returned to the colonies to arrange another tour for him. The eminent lecturer, , who has twice visited America, is expected to arrive by the next Californian mail steamer at Auckland, whence he will rapidly make his way southward. Since his last visit to this country he has added to his repertoire lectures on Thaokery, Oliver Cromwell, Westminster Abbey (a companion to the famous lecture on the Tower), the Merrie Monarch, and Macaulay. In the Legislative Council yesterday afternoon, Sir F.- D. Bell moved the motion standing in his name relative to the appointment of a Eoyal Commission to take the necessary steps for the representation of this colony at the Paris Exhibition, and in doing so he said that it was especially necessary for New Zealand to be, represented at Paris. He considered that it would be a far more important exhibition than that of either Vienna or Philadelphia ; and moreover, the greasy wool sent Home from this colony had peculiar attractions for the manufacturers in the northeast of France, who competed keenly for it. Several members of the Council seemed to agree that New Zealand having been represented at Vienna and Philadelphia, it was very necessary for her to be represented at Paris also, so as not to show a spirit of going backward, even if —which was most improbable—the money spent on her representation should be so expended without her gaining useful experience or fresh knowledge. At the Paris Exhibition the different countries of Europe would be able to see, not only our natural products, but also our artificial products, and could thus form a conception of the resources of this colony, about the expenditure in which they bad heard so much. The Maoris have a figurative and funny way of giving expression to their ideas and sentiments,, of which every one who has the smallest acquaintance with the race must be well aware. In connection with the Walca Maori case there have been some comical little incidents of aboriginal peculiarities. As an illustration it may be mentioned that during the evidence taken before the commission one Maori said respecting another, that becoming very angry, he next began to tremble, and then began to sing, the burden of his lay being that he had turned his heart away from an objectionable pakeha, and, to use a vulgar phrase, had put him “ on the outside track.” Yesterday again a gentleman named Eiugi Ta Tohunga displayed a delicious delicacy in alluding to a certain complaint not uncommon to fervid souls. He was asked why he did not sign a certain deed at a particular time. Because I was indisposed, said the witness, with the gravity of a teetotal lecturer. But Mr. Bell, who apparently has. an extensive acquaintance with Maori character, elicited from the witness that his trouble on that occasion was too much te waipero, or “ a wee drap in his ’ee.”

When the s.s. Wakatipu anived in port from Sydney yesterday afternoon she was gaily decorated with bunting in honor of the marriage of Mr. Jacob Joseph, of this city, which took place in Sydney some short time ago. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph were passengers by the Wakatipu. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before H. S. Wavdell, R.M., Thomas Moore, charged with being drunk on the previous day, was discharged, this being his first offence. William Wade was charged with making a forcible entry into the premises of Thomas ITrage and breaking a door and window. He was fined £1 12s. 6d., or in default seven days’ hard labor. William Grainey, a waterman, was charged with offending against the regulations of the harbor by boarding the East Lothian before she had been cleared by the Health Officer; but as it appeared he acted in ignorance of the la'w on the subject, the charge was withdrawn. A similar complaint against Andrew Reid, a passenger in Grainey’s boat at the time, was also ■withdrawn. On the civil side judgment was given for the plaintiffs for the amounts sued for and costs—Meech v. Rowlands, £4l; Alcorn v. Rowlands £24 335. Bd. In some other oases the defendants confessed judgment. In consequence of the concert given by St. John’s choir being held on Tuesday the usual weekly meeting of the Wellington Literary Association was held last evening. The meeting was well attended in spite of the unpleasant weather. After the - programme for the coming quarter had been arranged, an essay was read and discussed on the subject of “Physical and Moral Courage.” Next Tuesday being the first evening of the quarter, the .society will hold an exhibition.

There was a good attendance at the Odd Fellows’ Hall last evening, notwithstanding the unfavorable state of the weather. This evening the leading prizes will be a lady’s gold watch and other valuable articles. To-morrow (Saturday) there will be a grand matinee, at which every child present will receive a prize. The fine arts exhibition at St. George’s Hall opened last evening, and had the weather been more propitious there would doubtless have been a larger audience, which, however, considering that it was raining hard all the evening, was a very fair one. Should the skies be more propitious a larger attendance may be looked for to-night. • The variety entertainment under the auspices of Mr. Cary went off very well, and the pictures were greatly admired. A large number of tickets in the art union were disposed of. This evening the Rose Brothers will add their attractive programme to the other varieties presented under Mr. R. W. Cary’s management. The Theatre Royal was fairly attended last evening when the very unfavorable nature of the weather is taken into account. This evening the performance will be under the patronage and in the presence of his Excellency the Governor and Captain ■ Digby and the officers of H.M.S. Sappho, and as the programme is wholly new and varied and for the benefit of the sufferers of the Queen Bee, the theatre should be crowded in every part. Mr. Cameron, the chief clerk in the Government Savings Bank at Wellington, has been transferred temporarily to the chief office at Nelson, in the place of Mr. Jago, who has obtained three months leave of absence.

A meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Seciety will be held on Saturday next at eight p.m., in the lecture-hall of the Colonial Museum, when several papers of a scientific and interesting character will be read.

There are seven passes over the Balkans ; 1. Schumla to Karnabad, via Tshalikavak and Dobral, called the Bogaz Pass, very difficult and narrow, easily defended and combining fluvial with mountain impediments. 2. Pravadi, via Koprikoi and Jenikoi to Aidos, called the Chenga Pass, difficult, but successfully used by General Rudiger with the 7th Russian Corps in 1829. 3. The coast road from Varna to Burgas. 4. Tirnova to Kesanlik, called the Shipka Pass, the most practicable of all, not very difficult or steep, and easy to be forced. 5. Tirnova to Silvno, called the Demir Kapu (Iron Gate), very steep, difficult, and almost' unexplored. 6. Tirnova or Osman Bazar to Kasan, and thence to Karnabad, very difficult. 7.} The Sowats Pass to Tatar Bazardjik, almost impassable.