The Oamaru Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 26 August 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1880.

News from Coast of *he North Island "Is Te Whiti occasionally sends two or three of his adherents to go through the form of fencing, and the ..said two or three adherents are favored with a special steamer and board and lodging so long as the Government shall desire, at the expense of the country. When all the men have gone, the women-'and children will take up the farce in order that they may follow their husbands, fathers, or brothers, Then will. Te Whiti and Tohu complete the work by committing the serious infraction of tJie law that has, through the supreme wisdom of a heaven-bom Government, ended in djyesting them of their followers. It is about time that the women, at all events, followed their j keepers. Parihaka and the region, round about is reeking in immorality of the woi-sj. description, in which the Constabulary and tile Maori females are the actors. This is the grand ac.nuel to the erudite policy of the Government, They are responsible for having caused erc-afc evils to befal the natives of a part of the country in which they were previously unknown. "What else could be expected 1 Deprived ot bre.ad-winners and guardians, wives and mothers? are thrown open to.sore temptation, which will end in sickness, misery, and premature death spread amongst them. If the Native Minister had desired to adopt a policy that wpuld deciminate the natives of the Parihaka country as they have , been decimated unefcr similar circumstances elsewhere if he desired to secure the imbecility and speedy extermination of the native vace —he could not have axlopted a more effectual means than the removal of the Maori men and the stationing of nearly a thousand Europeans in that country. Mr. Brrce has gone to the West Coast, why nobody knows, except it be to avoid passing the Native Land Sales Bill, which would put a stop to speculation in native lands, and render it necessary that they should be sold through Land Boards. The passing of this measure would have created consternation in the ranks of Government supporters, who would have opposed it at every stage. The" Opposition challenged Government to pass it as brought clown, and, as the Government never contemplated doing anything so offensive to faithful supporters, Mr. Bryce was hustled out of the w&y under a pretext that somethin" 1 had transpired oil the West Coast that required his sifpntion. ,Of course, the cause, as has always beon the case in native matters, remains a profound secret to Parliament, and we leave to think that even the Native i Minister is not a bit wiser himself. We would feel highly gratified if there' was any probability that he has undertaken to cope with the serious evil which we have mentioned. The existence of such an evil is a disgrace to the Ministry, to the country, and to the nation. Is this our boasted civilisation 1 Of one thing we are quite convinced, and that is that when the time arrives for the release of the Maori prisoners, and those down-trodden fellows return io their homes, further complications are likely $o occur, coinpared with which those of the past avo nothing. It may be easy to restore lands to rightful native owners j but it will not be so easy to restore the virtue which reigned in their homes when they left them.

By a majority of thrsG the venerable foaails who honor the country by holding seats in the colonial House of Lords have thrown ont the Oamaru Harbor Board Bill, This Bill, as most of our readers will probably remember, was intended to vest absolutely in the Harbor Board the endowment which it now possesses, in so far only that it receives the rent dexived from the land. The management of the endowment actually rests with the Waste Lands Board. It was because that management was deemed unsatisfactory that the Bill was brought before the Legislature, backed by weighty reasons of State importance. It is unnecessary to go over the whole of the ground again. The Lands Board, on the occasion of the lease of the run being submitted for sale, fixed the upset at the absurdly low figure of L7OO, or thereabouts. The Harbor Board remonstrated, and urged that the run should, be. subdivided and the total upset increased to something over L3OOO. The insanity g£ the Lands Board and the wisdom of the Harbor Board was clearly demonstrated at the sale, the endowment fetching the larger sum. This was sufficient evidence that the Hapbor Board is the body best capable of administering the endowment, more especially as it is directly interested in obtaining the largest possible income from the land, while the Lands Board has no intei'Gsfc whatever in it. This fact alone would hfrvti _ been | sufficient to conviuce any ordinarily inr tellecfcual individual that the proposal contained in the Bill was a wise one, but the respectable, though not very Intelligent old dames who luxuriate in the Legis.lative ; Council think otherwise. They object jo all borrowing, and in order to place a check upon it are willing to assist in depriving public bodies of the means of ; securing a respectable with a view of ending their .borrowing by landing them in the Bankruptcy Court. Well, we can only hope that Providence will graciously create vacancies in the '•* House of Lords" for a few men of common sense, imbued with a desire to benefit their country to the full extent of their ability. •

In another portion of this issue we publish long political telegrams from our own correspondent at Wellington, conveying news of the first importance, not hitherto, we believe, published in either Canterbury or Otago. Strange to say, it has never oc.curred to the Press Association and the agents of our contemporaries that, during the breakages of the telegraph wires north of Christchurch, a chain of communication might be maintained with - the south by for. warding messages by steamer to Lytteifori, there to be distributed by means of the'telegraph wires. Onr correspondent how? ever, proved himself eqnal to the occasion, and has seized upon the idea, The afcpse--quenceis that this evening the Majl is enabled id place'Sefore its readers jgjK3sggJ&r

tary news up to yesterday morning. ' This news is of the greatest telling as it does of the abandonment of many of the Government measures ; the withdrawal of the Property Assessment Act Amendment Bill, designed to exclude furniture and personal effects from taxation; the reduction of the . beer duty by one-half; the proposed payment of. one-half the subsidies to local bodies for ninemonths; and the intended prorogation of Parliament to-morrow. Besides these there are many items of importance, for particulars of which we refer, "onr' readers''to''the telegraphic despatches under the headings "Political intelligence" and ' 'Fresli Proposals of the Ministry."

After-a breakage lasting about'six days, communication by-telegfaph with the North has been re-established this afternoon. This has effected by the repair of the West Coast wire, the alternative route to the North. A memo, from the Telegraph Department informs us that the repair of the West Coast Jinp will give the Department one wire. Messages will bg accepted as usual, but there is likely to be considerable delay. The Hawea, with the Southern portion of .the San Francisco mail, left Manukau today,

It is .currently reported that the readable leaders wliiGh appear in the New Zealand Times are from the pen of Mr. Wakefield, and certainly they are written in his pithy style. But there is another feature about these leaders which has struck everybody. They are decidedly anti-Government. Whilst tjie reputed writer goes religiously into the lobby wit!) the Goverment, he afterwards goes into the lpbby with their opponents —in the columns of the Times. Jn connection with this matter it is said that Mr. Wakefield h ( as been "adding inr suit to injury "by writing these seditious articles in the Ministerial room. The door of that room has been closed against Mr. Wakefield.

In reference to the West Coast Settlement Bill, it appears that a Bill drafted by Sir F. D. Bell was submitted to the Ministry, the universal desire being that the admirable suggestions of the Commissioners in their thir<J report should be carried out. This measure, however, did' pot St ip with the policy of the Government, After a dozen copies had been printed, the type was broken up, all traces of the Bill's existence were destroyed, and the Government brought down a, substitute that amazed the House on account of its want of harmony with the Commissioners' report, which was so appppyed by t]ie Government, When the Government's arbitrary measurers, fit companion for the Maori Prisoners Bill—was introduced, members cried with one accord, " Is it possible that the report and this Bill were written by one hand ? " A newspaper representative ventured to say to Sir F. D. Bell, " We expected a better Bill from you, Sir Francis." The late' Commissioner replied, '■ I drafted a Bill, but not this Bill." It seems strange that whilst Sir Francis disowns the paternity qf the measure, the Pi-cmjev, althpugh questioned in the House several times by Sjr George Grey, persisted in asserting that Sir Francis is the father of it. The weight of evidence favors Sir .Francis. It is scarcely likely that he would recommend one thing in his report and another in his Bill.

It is anticipated' that work on the Hakaferamea railway will be commenced in a few ■days.

In addition to a reward of LIOO, the Government offer a free pardon to any accomplice who will give sucE information as will lead to the conviction of the murderer of Mrs. Young at Kyeburn. Mrs. Myers, of Wharf-street, yesterday ha 4 a narrow escape from poisoning. By mistake she topk a portion of a poisonous liniment intended for putwfti'4 application. Medical aid was at once called, Ajicf Mrs. Myers lias now thoroughly recovered.

The officers of No. 1 Combany held a .consultation with a Committee of the Baud last evening, for the purpose of deciding what course to adopt with regard to procuring a further supply of bandsmen's uniforms. It was ultimately decided to send Home for sufficient to fit out a band of thirty, inclusive of those already received ; the Band undertaking, yie'.v qf tjie stop; pace of the Government capitation, provicle a portion of tlie ißoney to pEiy for them.

At about five minutes past eleven o'clock last night an- alarm of fire was given by Lieut. Baker, of the Fire Brigade, the locality of-the fire,being a room oyer the stables attached to the Empire Hotel. In about two minutes a number of members of the Brigade, under Captain Mainland, had a hose on the scene, but prior to this Constable M 'Gaughran and Messrs. Dodge an 4 Q'-Brien had brought the hose of the hotel, to bear upon fire, which, being' fortunately in its incipient state, was quickly extinguished withp.ut-the aid of the JJrigade, whose promptitude in tjinjipg put is .(Jeseryiflg fif commendation. A man ijamedjjiphard Bennetjs, the groom, was in bed in the roojn where the fire occurred.. He states that he went to bed at about ten o'clock, and, as he had neglected to obtain a Gapdle, ha lit a match,. which he had afterwards blown out and laid on a lantern,. A» hour later, hp dispoyered the chaff-bin' beside him in flames. Having thrown a bag .over the flames, he gave the alarm. He is unable to surmise how" the fire originated. Fortunately, the damage done was very trifling. A meeting of the Entertainment Committee of the Caledonian Society took place last night, the chair being occupied by the VicePresident, - MP- Martin. . After paying .all expenses in connection with the late entertainment there will be LG3 to divide between the Hospital and Benevolent Society, The Hon. Secretary was deputed to write to the ladies and, gentlemen who took part in the entertainment, thanking them for their assistance. Special votes of thanks were ialsQ passed to Messrs. R. Blair and Hendry for their'kip4f?Sss }n supplying extra chairs free of charge. - A 'deputation frojn the Fire Brigade, consisting o£ Messrs. 4. Mainland and R'. Hamilton, waited on the Gommittee wifcji reference to getting up an entertainment to augment t}je fupds of the Brigade. After consultation it way agpeGd tp postpone the matter for future consideration.

The practice of ITp. 1 Company's band, called for to-morrow evening, has been postr poned until Tuesday evening, q,t Jialf-past 7 o'clock.

! A meeting of . the Committee of . the North Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association was held to-day, Mr. J. S. Holmes (president) being in the chair. The question' of private prizes was discussed, and the followingmotion was carried " That the Secretary be advised of all private prizes that are to be offered in time for publication in the programme, and to be awarded under the existing rules and regulations of the Association." This means that the system of special entries being made for private prizes shall be continued. The following new regulation was passed :—" That prizes not claimed within six months after the date of the show shall be forfeited." Some other routine business was transacted.

; At the Resident Magistrate's Court today, before T. W. Parker, Esq., R.M., James Kelly, who for the 4Sth time has made his appearance before the Bench for drunkenness, was sentenced to 14 days' im--prisonment with hard labor. George Askey, alias "Brummy," a youth aged IS, was charged "With obtaining board and lodging and cash to the amount of Id Qs 6d from R, Qrr, of the Waitaki Bridg9 Hotel, by means of false pretences. Accused stated that he had money to his credit in the Union Bank 'at Oamaru, and this was the reason for prosecutor trusting him. On inquiry it was found that he had no money in the bank, and his Worship ordered him to be imprisoned fpr tafo months w ith hard labor.

Mails for United Kingdom and Australia, per steamer Rotor ua, close at the Bluff at 11.30 a.m. on Friday next. Telegrams will be accepted at the Oamaru office accordingly. . ? .A meeting of the Oamaru Football Club was held at the Royal Hotel last evening, when there were present Messrs. Jones (in. the chair), Clayton, Forbes, M'jjpnald-, Grenfell, and Snow (hon. sec). The second fifteen to play the Orakanui College team on the 4th September were chosen; and it was arranged to play a scratch-match next Saturday between New Zealanders and outsiders, play to commence at 2 o'clock sharp. There were three new members elected. The usual vote-of thanks to the chair terminated; the ; meeting.. There was another good attendance at the Confederate Diorama at .the Volunteer Hall last evening. The selection of the best conundrum on " Ventriloquism" created some interest, and it was not until the committee (two gentlemen from the audience), received the assistance of a referee, tliat they decided- in favor of the following " Why should the old woman on the stage make a most excellent, yet extraordinary wife ?—Because she unresistingly allows her tongue to be entirely controlled by her ma.v\ (Herman). , The conuncU - iifl}Et fya a whole were a very pqof Igfe, owing, no doubt, to the strangeness of the subject, to which, however,:."they had little or no reference. Mr. F. Clayton was the successful competi-: tor, and received the prize (a eut glass liqueur amidst great applause. In tlie (listributiQn of gifts, Mrs. Mullin, of Arun-street, got a silver watch; and Mr. Morgan, of Wharf-street, a tea and coffee service. About 30 other prizes w?re given away,