THE Otago Daily Times "Jnvenium viam aut faciam." DUNRDIN. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 20, 1862.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 218, 20 August 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times "Jnvenium viam aut faciam." DUNRDIN. WEDNESDAY. AUGUST 20, 1862.

the Ennrlish crown forgets its obligations the Colonists are not bound to take them on their shoulders. They need no^t accept the policy of the philo-Maori school of statesmen. Interest would teach them a different course. Instead of a costly armed peace, rapid active retributive reprisals would alike • brin<£ the Maories sooner to a seme of their proper position, and repay them for their acts of aggression. Nor would the Colonists undertake a profitless war. They would not consider they were reading a lesson to contumacious,chi'dreu and be ready to pardon them whenever they expressed their contrition. The same law the Maories hold they would go hy, and the land they conquered they would keep. Even the title to the Waste lands unconquered the Colonists might justly question. We take it that 1 England does not hand the Natives over to the tender mercies of tho Colonists, and the Secretary of State in making demands which he canuot enforce, in an imperative style, discloses only his own weakness, whilst he drives the Colonists into asserting their own strength.

ISTow that a gold-field, which promises to he of large extent, has been discovered, it is im- ; peratively necessary tint active measures should he taken to render it accessible to the large population winch will probably flock to it in the hope of gathering the rioiu-s wherewith it is reported to aboutr!. It appearirom the statement of the prospectors that travellers on foot or horseback will reac'i the locality without muds dilH':u!ty. lint th< conveyance of stores and provision* will not !• ho easi!)' accomplished. Tho only aviilah! rou!<* for drays is by Wakouaiti through Sh- 4 Valley find Manuherikia Valley. Uy l\■'■ circuitous course it is that drays in;, v approach to within some ten or twelve mileof the now Eldorado. The journey wil! h« long nnd tedious, atid the price of provisions and # tools will be liable to a proportun-ite increase. Indeed we doubt very much whethci a sufficient supply can he- placed on tin ground in time to meet th<2 requirements o! the "rush" which is likely to take place. This, however, must always be the ca«" in i. country pos^cs-in^ such physical obstacles U> locomotion of any kind, a* Otagn. It is to tlu future therefore that these remark* princiI pally refer. Fortunately nature his prepared ti highway into the very heart of the regions wfth whos mineral wealth we are now male acquainted ' TheClulha Kivcr—3 broad and deep stretm— I runs through the centre of the Hartley golifield. So far as the junction of the Tmpekit is reported to be navigable fur H'enmcvs o* j light draught; bt-yond the channel is mip^c ■I hy. rocky bars the number and nature o } which have been but imperfectly ascertained ! We take it* however, that these obstruction > are not so *-;riuus but that th-.y might b< ' overcame, if a due amount of energy and peri severance is brought to bear. The Friz" ! River in British Columbia h described a ; U ing far less favorably adapts! for navigatio-. ; than the Clutha, yet i's waters are ascender Iby steamers. The Chtilboo district h .nuc! 3 !e«s r.cec-*«H>le than llirtley and Jiiley" 1 country, but its tortutius rivers, intersected b; 1; "bars " at frequent intervals—at some placeonly sewn niilcsJ apart —an: rendered availab) : for the transportation of stores nnd passenger;- ---* Of course, the communication is only effete I 1 by mean* of postages, and this is prc-bel what may be done on the Clutha, Kipposin. ■ the impediments cannot otherwise be re- • moved.

Tub further despatches from the Duke of! Newcastle, published in another column, may } well excite the surprise of the Assembly, i They exhibit the tone of a petulant girl anxious to wound.without expressing any clear meaning. The studied tone of galling sarcasm j adopted towardn the. colon wt?, and the gratui-j tons assumption that they desire to evade the rc^- I I pon?lbiJities for which th^yare properly liable,! I'seem.to be more the production-- of a peevish \ valetudinarian than an txperi • -cd I The Duke.of Newcastle ant . >t \k irpri-eu j if, in adopting so olFensh. a v k:!***- nk the | 1 colonists, he c'udleii^es > •\nnr f .;i ..-•*i»yvM ' I that will v]; : i r.itlter than uvs *. Uu-I perial cau^r. For itn.;utc;, vji : >? eui i be more un ;u*'ri?ab!e than ;'ur cf»m- : mnnd ;n ti • despatch of sin- I7th j May: "I r^ i«wf . i!int yon *vill give' " directions f"r repaying to the mititury chest j 11 the amount expended on thin object"—the I military construction of road*. .The Duke of j Newcastle knew that Sir George Grey hasl no comiunm! of the Revenue of the Colony— j that the expenditttre can only be".authorised | by the votes of the House: he knew that Sir j

George Grey, as the Imperial Representative, \ We believe that an offer was recently madundertook the construction of the roads on his to the Provincial Government by Captah own responsibility, and yet he instructs him Murray, of the firm of Jackson ami Murray to repay the cost without an appeal to Parlia- the well known navigators of the Murray am rnent. Thus is nothing more nor less than an Darling Rivers in Australia, to place an eili attempt to banish the constitution, and the cient steamboat on th* Clutha. Capt&ii House is bound to protest against it. As re Murray was the pioneer of river navigation ir. gards the principle of defraying the cost of Oregon and Briti>a Columbia, and he was tin the roads, we believe there was no hesitation iirst to ascend the Darling. He po«ssfse> felt in accepting it as a Colonial responsibility, therefore more than ordinary qualification

Tt was proposed ■■" to defray the cost by a loan; and the Commissariat chest would have been duly repaid. The question of payment is therefore not the one at stake, but it is the principle whether Sir George can authorise what expenses he iikes and the colony be bound to pay them, at the arbitrary dictation, expressed in ; insolent term?, of the Secretary of State. Voting supplies becomes a fiirce iv the face of the arrogation of such powers.

far this undertaking, and as his offer was made after a personal inspection of the Clutha there can be little doubt of the feasibility o; the project, whilst its advantages an: bey on« computation. If a steamer was runnings far as the mouth of the Tuapeka, the remain ing distance might, we presume, be accom plished by means ol relays of boil-; on th*1 upper waters. Not only would this a«si« r ii opening up the new gold-fk-ld—the ohjvf mainly in view—but it would also reduce t!>

Another uncalled (or.sarcasm is to be found in another despatch of the same date, in the sentence beginning "-If your responsible advisers and yourself are really of opinion as would seem to be the case, that Imperial aid is not worth having," &c, &c. The Secretary for the Colonies may depend upon it ■.-that he injures Iruperial interests by a" tone of this kind. Instead of inspiring a spirit of self-sacrifice, it arouses one of inquiry as to strict and moral rights. The European colonists then see that the management of the Natives is a charge which ought to be entirely defrayed by the Imperial Government. They see that the treaty of .Waitangi k what the Natives have to fall back upon, and that treaty was made by the Crown, and the duties it imposes cannot be delegated. By that treaty the Itnperial Government agreed to receive and deal with the Natives as British subjects. On the faith that the Natives would be restricted to

that position the Europeans came to the colony, and they are not to be now asked to .undertake the responsibility of giving effect to a treaty in the makingof which they had no part. The threat about withdrawing the troop* is an idle one. The Imperial Government wo\ild not dare disregard the obligations they . owe alike to the Natives and tin Kurojicaus.

co^t of transit fur merchandise to the Tunpe diggings, and—an important consideration ft those who have the charge of the proviucii purse—it would materially reduce the expsi^ of maintaining the present wretched roads i repair. Captain Murray's offer—as wo understand it was to the effect—that for a bonus o! £1,000, to be paid either in money, or in lane 1 *>* C(l ual value, and an annual subsidy of '£1,500, he would place on the river a steamer of from 75 to 100 horse-power, drawing only two feet of water, capable of carrying 40 tons of cargo, with ample passenger accommodation of a superior description, and running regularly r from the mouth of the Clutha to th<. junction of the Tuapeka. The terms arc so moderate, that we are surprised that any delay should have occured. Captain Cadcll received -£10,000 for the opening up the Murray River traffic, and never was the public money of any country better expended, so far as the bonus-

The troops alone intervene ;-etwe«n the Natives and a war of c.-ternv i.-itioi- The colonials would n-jt submit to i;»o t, •.. >iiioai outrages to vvliHi the Natives -uh -Oi .h -v. Jf the coloni<i :;lon- hud to d. n! wi:.i riie plundering, !)••! Jering rascals who "have converted the fain v>rovii;ce of TaraKM d into a desolate wilder..ess, and brought mii? upon hundreds of inr^icusive, deserving settlers, » summary and sanguinary retribution would have been inflicted. Like the French troops in Rome, the Imperial army of occupation stands between the offending "Maories and the reckoning that would otherwise be demanded of them. If

asked for is concerned. The offer to take it in land removes any possible or prospective pecuniary difficulty, and the annual subsidy i:scarcely equal to the cost of keeping two or three miles of road iv a decent state of repair. We are informed that'the cost of such a ves«d as Cadtain Murray proposes to run on t t Clutha is from six to seven thousand pounds,

so that £1,500 per annum would barely cover the insurance. The offer evinces a considerable degree of enterprise on the part of the proposer. The remuneration asked is certainly not more than adequate to the service? to ba rendered, and bears no proportion whatever to the beneficial effects likely to result from the acceptance of the proposal. So far we have dealt with the subject mainly from a gold-field point of view, because it is connection therewith that the most pressing exigency exists. But there are other advantages to be derived from the navigation of the Clutha, such as the opening up for settlement of the fine agricultural land on either bank,

and the more facile transportation of wool and other produce to this port. These alone would constitute ample grounds for entering into such an arrangement as has been referred to, and when added to the prospective benefit of easy communication with the gold-field 3, the argument in its favor appearsto be irresistibleWe shall possibly t be met by the objection that it is uncertain that the Clutha. can be ascemled beyond the Tnapeka. But equally formidable obstacles to the navigation of other countries have been surmounted, and there is no sufficient reason why they cannot be overcome here. What has been done in British Columbia can be done in Otago, At any rate it is to be hoped that before the scheme is denounced an impracticable, a careful and unpre judiced survey of the upper waters of the Clutha will be "undertaken. And even if it should le found, impossible to proceed beyond the Tuipeka, an escape from the dreary bogs, dignified '>y the name of roads, should be sufficient inducement for placing a steamer on our largef-t and moat important river.

processes adopted ; and ** cannot but be matter of regret that so much vi the natural wealth of the colony should be lost from such a cause. It appears to us, therefore, that in this field a public company might operate largely to the advantage of its members, and of the community generally. A more legitimate employment for a portion of the constantly-increasing surplus at the credit of the public cannot well be conceived."

Last night's performance at the Princess' Theatre was a rcpstition of that of t'ae previous evening. The capital farce of "Done on Both Sides" w.us again produced List night, and from its reception seems to be a general favorite. Oa Jlonday night the burlesque of "Dido" was for the first time enacted", and was repeated yesterday evening. The part ot Dido was allotted to Mr. diaries Young. His impersonation was excell«nr, ins grotcK jue acting meeting with i n uc-n-u- ap,>buse. Mr. T. Fawctrtt .a.-* J*b ■?»« ra.« a!? ■•.> very 4>al. A goo 1 mmy jji.'s '.v.-ix* iritwkiue', < vt*ral '>t w'lkh act.- ■■ff-**:tivc!/ rendered by Jli*s v i.t Harr.who to.'k ,!»« ,j.irt of Anni. Between .1^ piece s Mr. Kohler gave several fikilful per j ■oriimnc."- upon the cornet, nnd other instruments, ui<l Mts.-i I>nvi?, who made her second appearance ;tst evening, sang one or two ballads with tasts iiid feeli"^. The vi uost excitement prevailed in Dunedin .tsterday on the subject of the new gol-l fictl. Knots of men were gutlicred at the comers of the ♦trtets (HscuEsing the subject, arm the various stores an I outfitting shops in the town were -rowde<l with purchasers, procuring outfits fur he new r-wh. It Is very probable that a ruih, inprcce-i.atwl in the musing aiml.s of this colony ■vill take place to the new diggings, and when he nt-rt-s re.u!ijs Sl/lbaurue, a largi influx of »;ipulaiio 1 may be: anticipatei fro.a thence. The

The " Octoroon?'was again the attraction* at the Theatre Royal last night. The 'manner* in which the piece was put upon the stage reflects the highest possible credit upon, the management of the Theatre. The-scenery was good, and extremely effective ; the leading characters were all very cleverly sustained, and the supplementary parts were far more carefully attended to than is sometimes the case upon the colonial stage. The part of Zoe, the Octoroon girl, was taken by Madame Duret, who played ia an exceedingly | telling style, but with the ease of a finished actress. Mr. Lelioy made quite a feature of the humorous part of Uncle Pete, the old slave. His speech to the assembled negroes before the auction sale was a really capital thing of its kind being laughable, pathelie, conici', and kindly, in quick transition, but without anything ot exaggeration or straining after eftect He preserved a similar tone throughout, playing' the "nigger" in an easy, natural style. Mr. Cfarance Holt, as Wah-no-tee, the ludian, was magniScently dressed for the part, and looked and acted the redskin very .naturally. Mr. Ryan's impersonation of Jacob M'Ciosky was marked <>y a "ood appreciation of the character, an 1 in »".e by f!iC- river he showed tragic p ;n . ■ '<■- TV* r-j:»no ' toy-th - ivt. ~ 'if^s-ii i;>. ■ w .-■■!•/ artistic. Mr. I; A ! ..-. , Colonel l'.iJ'-s •■■''->, t.i.- :nn:ilo:ibci, ■.•::;- - ?? -. good; nail Mr. WuilVs S.Uem Sea-lder durii *es iavorable mention. T!ie series of scenes illustrative of lif-J in Louisiana were all well managed, and had uu excellent effect. We may mention esjiccially the loading of the cotton bales into the Magnolia steamer and the slave auction. oWe believe it is the intention of the management to repeat the piece for a limited number of nights.

The town authorities of Auckland are much more fortunate than their Dunedin brethren, in possessing close to the town inexhaustible supplies of road-metal ready fjr use ; ani yet, by all accounts, the Auckland Town Board has equally with that of Dunedin failed to keep the streets in proper order. In the outskirts of Auckland are numerous extinct volcanoes, composed chiefly of loose scoria, admirably adapted for road-making for which purpose it is almost exclusively used. Another desideratum for the construction of footpaths lias lately been developed. The New Zeata/lifer says:—"lt is indeed a fact that the natural resources of this part of New Zealand are only by degrees dawning upon us. Yesterday we saw at

•caults o! the new discovery h ire Jilre.-tiy been fituh niuiiil-jt in the rise In value of many arti•?es. H-irsc? au<i packsad ilealiave risen in price tijout 50 er cent., ia fact tiie latter are leieliinjj hree ur ;;>:ir times the price iuktil a few days s v^o. Th • Arcade venter Jay prtii:ir.e-l a m->&*t uiiiiiatetl aspect, the thoroughfare being crowded »y grou;>; of miners en gage J in inspecting the *inn of t'le vendor, and ma-auj* purchases fr>r he cum}> uku up the country. The spirits of the nercantii-.' caaimamty have b-.-ea proportionately ii*c;i, a f :Ue anticipate 1 ru-;fi of population holds >it hi»j>c^ of a thriving and profitable trade in the nsuing reason. An iaq vat was held yesterday at the Provin- j ill H<>:< t by ileury llo*'orth, Ei]., District | kroner, un the bady of the seaman, John liojjers, ; vho wa-5 fuimd drowned on Monday aftcrnoou I foscph ':iik-, seaman on board the steamer Huby^ \ viLs the ihsl wittc-jis examined. He de|K>sed to ] living u''!>ut four or five o'clock on Monday tffrniKjn, objerrei the body of desiissl floating i the wa;.:r, about two thirds of the vrxy down hi new .Jetty, and just a'jsut low water mark. Cue i\bCi-;\M.:Ys fiee was downwanls. Witness iii not pi ik.: any eximin.ition, bat at o:ice in»rme»l th :t> >!iee. Jeremiah Daley, ssanim of ie seJio'j ut Henry Kiwardi, depose 1 to having '".n ia co npitiy with the duc^ifod at tl»2 Crowa lotel. oi S M liy cvc'iiu^ last the bitter si-sl-i.tu ha«l live nobble then, after'v,'aieh deceased i uto re;: ir:i to his vessel. Wimsss was cert an sit dcee.-.sol v.-.w perfectly suocr. Wiicu he left jhe Crows Hatd it wai.ib.jut 11 o*ebck. Witi<i.r« lui'lk-io va tho dv'ce-:n'.*d nineycirs; )i; was :Byears <-:' a:;*, uil hi? nan;; was J.jji Ilj^-jr-s. lolh wit! »r .j Uymidei the bu-.ly .'« tut of John li^xs. T •-jary returned a verdict of " acci■tiiial dc...,! \>j drowning."

o>>> rvo that the sur 1 labir prisoners hive *o:nm -v-: :■ I laveHiu^ the approaches to the new hlty in S:u irt-stresc. Tiis jetty itself is fast .p,»roachhijj completion.

Mr. Cadmau's office, oa the wharf, fiat pieces of stone, which we were informed could be procured in a..y quantity an 1 at little espense from within an easy distance of Auckland, ami fay water. The stone can be obtained in pieces, the same as the ordinary Yorkshire stone so much used for paving purposes at horns—from 9 feet square downwards, and from 4 to 6 inches hi thickness. Such a material woald mil only b-i the most durable, sightly, and cleanly pavement which could be 'used, but would, we-believe, be obtained at less tlwn the average cost of the material now in use— j mure particularly wheu it is taken into consider- | ation how constantly the latter requires to be relaid or repaired." A Native narael Manukau has been sueing a person named White, in the Auckland GmrtTfor the recovery of a gun entrusted to lum to got repaired. It transpired that the native had given £57 for the gun, which was valued by a gansmith in Auckland at £10. It appears that White had detained the gun nnder the Anns Act, which forbids the sale of firearms or ammunition to natives. The Court reserved its decision.

The \r lit of proper protection on the Jetties n Dunce In, is a nutter that his often been •(tinted oat to the authorities, but as it is too •ften the cua, an ac^ide'it of a iatu.l character *as required, to cafor^j tV,j necessity. Uuforitnuily that has already taken place, aa I sar-;1v vj authorities will nut delay in n\ ikinsr th .• je ill; for pedestrians atni.pt. Tit" 1 U -i» < i,'htc.^t nrovi-lon ir p<^,jut fo- e.u'timr p-')j)k* traverse the ie'tie^ tt :vx »5 wic.i a tythiri^ '.-■>. safety—:iot oveu v ta:n;». We woull sn^jrast ■ i.ii posts an i chains W erected oa eicli si!e of ij jcttk'^, aad so constructed as by imhooking r.\-.i chain at any of tha p:>stJ, no hnpsdim^nt *■ mid be placed hi tha way of unlotiing th 3 vessels. Tin outlay would not b3 very much, and she const; action of &)3ie protection in the way to menti.m wonM be siitHciently protective for Che purptics. On a dark night, it Lj almost imlosstble to see a yard in a-Jirance, an J it is a wonder nnre Hve3 have not bean lost by people vTalking i.ito the water. There » every probability that if there existed some protection oa the .ides of the jetty, the uufortunate seaman rh > \va? 'lrowned the other day would not have Ullen into the water.

The Arjust of August 11, in a leading article, !raws attsntioa to the silver raina^ of St. Arnaud, »f which a very particular account is furnished b? iheir ovrn special reporter, who is uo'.v trav^llin^ through the Victorian gold field*. The Argux loes not hesitate to s.\y that the working of those •cats for silver would prove extrenisly. remunerative to capital, directed by competent intelligence uid skill. At present the reels are worked for rold, and what silver is saved is only obtained inHdentally, and has, until quite lately, been raher regardedjas a nuisance than anything else. The "\rgus remarks :—" It seems that the ore exists in the stone in a peculiar form—almost as rare, inleed, as gold chemically pure, which ha> at last >ecn obtained in this colony. The ore requires peculiar treatment for its conversion into matallic ■ulver ; and the best method of so dealing with it ■its yet to be ascertained by experiment It is :lear that machinery of a novel kind, and nknovr'edge both of metals and chemistry, is requisite to win from the stone its fulness of silver. It is probable that the means to experiment, as well ! w to supply the necessary apparatus for operations on a sufficiently large scale, may be as far beyond thepeeuniary resources of individual miners is the requisite technical "knowledge is outside the usual curriculum of the schools iv which the bulk of our miners have been educated. It seems to be beyond doubt, as matters stand, that large quantities of the ore are wasted io the imperfect

The Coronundel diggings are not likely to tempt many more miners from this Province. The last accounts received from Coromaadel all agree as to the great natural difficulties of th§ place, and the improbability of the dig^intra being able to support n large population." We notice ia the report of our slapping reporter that many of the passengers per the Lombard, bound to Auckland, ief: the vessel at Fort Chalmers, induced t<> remain, doubtless, hy the report of the new discoveries, and tiie indifferent accounts from Coromandel. The following is extracted from a letter from Corromandel to the New Zealander : " The "Driving Creek" claims are nearly worked out, and the sinkers are discouraged by the late floods and heavy rain. In fact, any regular digging until October is not to be expected. Rash people will flask here from Aucklan '. without 'en ts, and almost entirely unpr ■• r^j or implements. Although '*• ■ '- ■!-■■ ■■•- ii t'i \ ; j-.if ;-•-....... '•'•^ -Jl • ' <■': -i • -■':■■- '■■■-li :~: , .-. tiv.A ra.it. i» "I. ju the lovn ;.:'... . • found in Driving Creek vrith gold eonsplcrjous vi them; these have t*-) be worked out and will riehlv reward the finders, but pinups are required aud more implements, sueli :is blocks and tackles, to lift the great quartz boulders, and perhaps more capital on tiie part of the diggers. (By capital I mean some LSO for implements for a party of four, and L 25 for their provisions.) From prospecting I have no doubt that all the branch creeks that fill into the main creek on Paul's land will be found to be intersected by the same reei which has supplied the gold in the Driving Creek, and which is the source also of the gold in the Koputawaike Creek. Any expectations of great gold finding until the dry summer weather is decidedly premature, aud even then 'quartz j reefing' will, 1 am convinced, be the main source i of a gold export."

We have to acknowledge the reesipt of «£4O from Messrs. Holt and Leltoy on behalf of the Lancashire Fund, being half the amount of the ijross receipts of tlie late benefit giveu by .those gentlemen at the Theatre Itoyal. We have also received £1 ss. from Mr. A. H. Lakeman on behalf of the same fund. We trust by next mail we shall be able to show a handsome "sum. The hour at which the mail closed yesterday preveuted our remitting by it either for the Laucaslure or Hughes funds. For the latter there are several subscription lists out yet.which we hops will swell up. the amount received, .which as vet does not exceed £20. We shall publish for'transmission with the amount a list of ihe subscribers. For the Lancashire Fund it would be better if a committee were formed. • We are surprised that the many persons who express interest in the cause do not form themselves into a committee.

A westing of the Danedin Debating Club aad Mutual Improvement Society, was held oa Monday evening, in the Temperance Hall George-street. It was resolved that a committee to consist of the following gentle men, should be appointed: — Messrs. Harry Smith, Macassey, Stuart, Hopcroft, McKirdy Vine, Turton, Girdwood, Lillburn, Lukie, Hulli* well, and Ramsou ; Mr. Lczard was appointed lion. Secretary.

In a late letter of our Tokomairiro Reporter an allusion was made to the reefs near Canada Hush, in which it was stated that the spot was not within the. Gold Fields bouadaries. We learn that our correspondent was in error for it appears that Canada Bush is within the boundaries of the extended gold fields, as it is situate to the •' south of the north branch of the Tokoraairiro llivcr," us per proclamation. A special meeting of the Education Board is announced to bo held on Thursday, 28th instant at; twelve o'clock noon- ' The Benevolent Society has fairly commenced its career of usefulness. Although, aa no. Luikhng has yet been obtained for an asylum the l Society is unable to undertake the entire charge of any cases, _it has been decided to administer out uoor rehet in deserving cases, and a sub-cor-n has been appointed to receive applications, and decide upon them. This committee will meet every Thursday afternoon at four o'clock i v the office of the clerk of the Provincial Council, We are in receipt of a Utter which we arc not able to insert, owing to our rule, requiring that the name of the writer be furnished, not having been complied with. The suggestion it comuius is however a commendable one.. It proposes that'a public ovation should be given' to Mc-sssre. Hartley and Riley for the valuable dis covcry they have made. Whether it would- be bjtt.r to defer this for the present, until further particulars concerning the field are to hand, we do not pretend to say, but at any rate the exertions of the pmopectors are de-serving of public "recognition besides that the Government proposes to give. It should be kept in mind tha t the discovery of the field was not an easy matter nor was it effected without great judgment, intelligence, and endurance of much hardship. They .did not obtain the gold by accident, they set out for the purpose of prospecting, and succeeded, where ninety men out of a hundred might have failed. To acknowledge services of this kind, is not only a duty but a pleasure, and whenever the proper lime arrives we are sure the public will not be behind in presenting to Messrs. Hartley ani Riley a proof of the appreciation in which their services are held.

An instance of quarrelling among thieves, is given in a Taranaki paper. It would be a desirable consummation if the Natives concerned would follow- the example of the celebrated Kilkenny eats. The Taranaki Herald of the 2nd inst. says': " A report is current, and we believe it to be correct, that a qmurel, not unlikely to lead to bloodshed, has arisen amongst the members of the Taranaki tribe. It appears that the ownership of moveablc property amongst the natives is almost as complicated as that of their land. In the present case, a certain native of the Kingite party had somo claim on the foal of a marc belonging to W. King of Umuroa, a Queen's native, and the first or second chief of the tribe. The claim being/disputed, a relative of the claimant wounded the mare whilst one of W. King's men was riding her, in such a manner that she lias since died. King is said to be highly incensed, and to have already commenced a war pah The bitterness of his feeling is partly due to the exaction of. toll, at the gate erected by the King- i ites, on all men, live stock, and carts, which pass it." The following strange story of how a town councillor was kidnapped, is told in the Argus of Cth August. " Some extraordinary circumstances connected with municipal election tactics transpired yesterday, in the matter of the election of the chairman of the Sandridge Municipal Council which took place on Thursday evening last. On that occasion it was remarked that Councillor Pickles was absent; and this was looked upon as the more extraordinary, as his bias in favour of Councillor fDr.) A. Plummer was well known, as also the fact that without him the votes for and against" Dr. Plummer were exactly equal. This surprise was not lessened when the result of the e-ection was found to be the elevation of the absentee himself to the vacant chair, by the casting vote of Councillor Morley, the acting-chairman! Matters became somewhat clearer when, at about 11 p.m., Councillor Pickles appeared upon the scene, saying that he had been induced to go on board a boat, in wh'ch he was taken into the Bay, and forcibly., kept at sea so that he "should not be able.to record his vote. He consulted at once with Dr. Ph:miner, J P.,with whom and some other ' frk'iuls he came to Melbourne the next day, and ' obtained summonses against the men who had kidnapped him. lie also convened a meeting of the ratepayers at the Trades' Hall, Bay-street, Sandriuge, at which he announced he would give un.account of his mishap. At 8 p.m. last evening I the.meeting was held, an-.i Mr T. Swallow, ,/.P., ca'ied t>> tlii: clLiir. Com;eiiinr Pickles made a j lu:ig -statement, the t-tilct oi" which was, that a niiiM n:imc<i Shepherd had induce 1 him to start in a decked bout, called the Messenger, with a view j ■"of going on board the Surrey, ship, to repair her windlass,-which was broken, he being a ship's biaeksmith. At the boat's side he found another man, named Hayes, whom he proposed to take with him to be left at a French ship which was near the Surrey. They started, but so soon as the time came to put about and make for the Surrey, Hayes and Shepherd refused to allow that to be done, and very soon informed Councillor Pickles that they had got £10 for keeping him out of the way till after 9 p.m. Meetings, they said, had been held the night before at which it was resolved to make him chairman, and hCmust go with them. He stormed and swore, when another man nnmedfßateman, alias '*Boko," the owner of the boat, came fiom below, and joined in keeping the boat out at sea. It was not till a quarter to 11-p.m. that Councillor Pickles was put on shore again. A resolution was proposed by Mr. llilcy, seconded by Mr. Newman, and supported by several others, strongly condemning the originators and perpetrators of the act by which' Councillor PickUs had been kept away, and expressing sympathy with his case. The resolution was carried unanimously, atd the proceedings terminated. It may be added that Councillor Pickles has already sent in a letter to the town clerk (Mr. E. Clark), resigning his chairmanship, while Councillor Morley and Councillor Poolmau have each sent in letters resigning their seats as councillors. The summons cases against the boatmen who kept Councillor Pickles at sea will be heard" at the City Police Court on Monday next."

The Laws of * Hotvbi. the Good.—A case was tried nt the Chester assizes in which the Crown sought to recover possession of some land, comprising Creams Pier, in the county of Anglesey. All the rights of ownership had been exercised for years by the defendant, William Jones, the owner of the village of Csemes, except certain reserved rights belonging to the lord of the manor, Mr. Buckely Hughes. The defence was rested, first upou the laws of Howel the Good (who iiouiished in the year 905), which say that whosoever owns land on the sea-shore may make a weir, but that the waifs which come ashore from the sea should belong to the king, for the sea is the pack-horse of the king; and secondly, upon a royal grant of the manors of Aberand Cajnies* in a humorous cross-examina-tion, conducted by Mr.WelsbyMr.WH. Black, assistant keeper of the public records, said hecouldnots-ay in what year the Welsh conquest took place; he was not one who was of opinion that there ever was a Welsh conquest'; he never saw*it as a matter of history, nor as aniatter of record. The jury returned a verdict for the crown.— Jßnglish Paper