Untitled

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 100, 25 March 1876, Page 2

The Wairoa native usurpation has not been dealt with as yet. As we lately stated, the application by Mr Dickie, for warrants to eject the trespassing Maoris, was referred to Wellington by the Resident Magistrate. That officer has been referred to Major Brown, Native Commissioner, and so the game runs on. Major Turner went down to Wairoa yesterday, but what the purport of his journey there was we do not know. A Taranaki contemporary, the Herald , waxed facetious in a late issue on our advocacy of some decided action on the port of the Government, In this badinage the settlers here by no means join, for the tenure of all Wairoa lands can be as well questioned as those held by Mr Dickie, and if the Government refuse to uphold those to whom they have sold in one case they may refuse to do so in others, and the whole people of Wairoa are liable to dispossession at any moment at the will of a score or two ex-rebels and whole murderers. The subject may be a joke with fire Taranaki Herald, it is not with the people of this district, and, however inspired by Native Office sympathies that journal may be, we would suggest that it would be quite as well if it would take the trouble to make itself acquainted with the feeling- of the settlers of this district in the, matter, and did not venture to comment on circumstances occurring at a distance, that it lias no direct knowledge of whatever. It was reported in town last night that the trespassers had moved off, but if it be so, Hie Government, we fully believe, have paid them to leave. In such a case, the peacc-at-any-prieo policy will lead to further complications and continued aggression on the part of the “ noble savage.” Surely now it is time that some issue was come to, one way or the other.

“ Murder will out ” is a very old and trite saying,' and’ the deeds of evil doers seldom escape detection. It will be remembered that some inhuman and mischievous individual wantonly and cruelly mutilated the tail pf a horse, the property of Mr Corrigan, in Juno last, and an advertisement, offering a reward of £lO to anv person giving- such information as would lead to the conviction of the offender was inserted in the Patea Mail. This week we received a tclegranVfroru a person residing in Foxton, seeking the particulars of the reward, so we presume that the £lO will be claimed in due course, and that the name of the perpetrator of the distardly act will be divulged, and the inflictor of the cruel deed will meet with just deserts should Mr Corrigan introduce him to Major Turner.J. W. Kenah, Esq., has been enrolled as a J usticc of the Peace' foi the Waifoa district.

We learn that Mr John Stevenson, of Hawera, has obtained a contract for metalling G9 chains of the Mountain Road between Jlawera and Kctemarae, and was lowest in amouutfor the other sections, but his tender was worded so vaguely as to prevent its acceptance, though we have but little doubt that negociations will lead to the same being accepted. It appears that Mr Stevenson tendered at an amount “if successful in obtaining gravel." As a bountiful supply exists on the land of Messrs Livingstone and McMichael, there is little doubt of the contractors being able to come to terms with these gentlemen for the necessary supply. The Patea Town Hall was formally opened on Tuesday evening last, by a subscription ball, ami, owing to the penurious policy adopted by the Stewards in reference to publicity, wasbut indifferently attended Mr J. N. Hutton, postmaster, performed the duties of caterer, and bis efforts in that direction gave every satisfaction.

We learn that the settlers of Kakaramea are about to bold a ball in their Town Hall, and that arrangements for its management will be completed in a few days.

The Mountain Road is now coming into favour for stock timing and horse travelling, as its adoption reduces the distance between Patea and New Plymouth by something like 40 miles. The road is at present in excellent condition, but as soon as the wet season sets in will again be closed. The Government arc making good progress with the formation on tiic New Plymouth side, the road being already formed some distance above Inglewood, but no progress whatever is being made from this end. We propose in our next issue giving a report of our observations made during a recent trip along this new line of road.

Now that the Town Hall is completed, we trust that the committee of management of the Carlyle Literary Society will endeavour to come to terms with the directors of the Hall for the use of one of he side rooms as a Horary and reading room, if they desire the institution to be useful and prosperous. We arc aware that many persons have withheld their support, in consequence of an aversion to visit the present reading room, owing to personal feeling in connection with the person of whom the society is a tenant on sufferance, but we do not care at present to explain further.

The Taieri ladies are determined to kill poor Sliand before they have done with him. Miss Hughes got ;C7GO from him for blighted affections, and now we notice the following paragraph in a contemporary :—“ A breadi of j remise action— Miss Campbell v. Sliand, of Taieri —is commenced. Damages, LSOOO. The writ has been served. The case is supported by the production of the wedding-dress and love letters.” If Sliand broke the hearts of half the young ladies of Taieri, they arc going to find the bottom of his purse. Mr Shand must be conscious by this time how dangerous a game it is to sport with the affections of a young lady —and when the risk is, increased by a wholesale courtship, the Bank of England would not stand it. Juries are determined to make a betrothal like what it is in some countries, as sacred and binding as the knot itself.

The enterprise of the Loudon Times is well known. Quito recently it had a special wire laid down to Paris, and Berlin, and now we learn that it has arranged with the Indo-European Co. for-the sole use of fur one hour every Sunday night of the cable between London and Bombay, for which it has to pay £IOOO per annum for three years. An information has been lodged against Mr J. P. Jones, a teacher at Grahamstown, for brutally punishing a little girl five years of age with a cane. The chastisement was inflicted so severely that the girl’s arms and shoulder are marked with black and blue welts. On the anniversary of the death of the Prince Consort at Madras, a circumstance was not without its effect upon the mind of the natives when they were told that the visitor mourned that day for the loss of his Royal father. That it is not well to pry too curiously into the operations of the cook is well illustrated by a story told in the Leader : a squatter who shears his fifty thousand sheep had to spend last Christmas day on an out-station in the Riverina district. In the morning he strolled into the kitchen to get a light for his pipe, and was struck by seeing a pair of moleskin trousers -with both logs in the pot on the fire, and the body fastened to the hook from which the pot was suspended. Unfortunately for his peace of mind and appetite for his dinner, he asked the cook the meaning of the strange sight. “ Well you see sir,” said the cook, confidentially, “ I wanted to make two puddings to-day—one for you and Air M , the overseer, and the other for the men : and as I was short of cloths I borrowed the loan of the bullockdriver’s Sunday breeches.” As it turned out, both puddings went to the men’s hut. Some of the blue gums in Mount Runaway Forest, near Melbourne are over 300 feet in length ; 250 feet without a branch straight as a gun-barrel.

We—exchange—understand that the Press Agency arc about to take proceedings against an up-country journal which they allege has made use of their telegrams without paying for the same. The question naturally arises, would the Agency have a locus standi in Court? It is some time since the rumour gained circulation, and we have not heard that any steps have yet been taken in tne direction as suggested;

The prisoner Brady, who escaped from the Penl ridge Stockade, Victoria, some time ago, has not yet been captured. It appears that Brady, who is upwards of 50 years of age, has been concerned in some of the greatest robberies ever committed hi Australia,and that since ho was If years of age he has on several occasions received long sentences. The Melbourne Argus states that a reward of .£2O is offered for bis apprehension.

It is said that Mdllc. de Murska has received a brilliant offer for the Centennial Concerts, at Philadelphia, which she lias accepted. In Chicago the experiment is now being fried of paying the wages of employees on Monday instead of Saturday, the practice of paying on the latter day leaving the working people a night and day of rest, in which to spend their earnings. A most mysterious and singular robbery lias been effected as follows A gentleman named Barrett, of Tunbridge Wells —in London attending market—entered the Three Tuns public bouse, Billingsgate, carrying in his hand a black leather bag containing 127 To Bank of England notes, eight £lO ditto, and £3B in gold. Calling for some coffee, lie placed the bag on the counter by bis side, and only removed his eyes for a few moments from his precious burden, while taking it. When ready to to leave, Mr Barrett stretched out his hand for the bag, but to Ins amazement it had mysteriously disappeared. The police were without delay informed of the robbery, and the unfortunate loser offered a reward of £2OO for the recovery of the property and the apprehension of the thieves. The exact way in which this clever theft was committed is at present unknown. There were several people in the public house at the time, and two or three men stood near Mr Barrett, but none of them could well have taken the bag without his seeing them do so.

It will be remembered (says the Hawke's Ban Herald) that during the investigation of a case of alleged embezzlement brought by, the manager of a local newspaper against the editor, some various and interesting facts (previously surmised, no doubt, but not previously known) came out with reference to the proprietorship, and as to the parties by whom the wives were pulled. Some of these facts, however, it turns out, have resulted in something more tangible than the gratification of idle curiosity. The gentleman who deposed to the fact of Ins proprietorship is aman, generally speaking liberal in money matters, and had, in fact, overrun the constable in various directions. As soon, therefore, as it appeared that he was the owner of a valuable property, which was moreover, easily get-at-able, his credit'd s began to prick up their ears, and the day after the hearing of the embezzlement case, a bailiff was put in charge of the plant and stock-in-trade of the newspaper referred to. The indignation on the part of the committee of management was great. The bailiff, however, politely, but firmly, declined to move oft the premises till the claimants whom he represented were settled with, and the result was that they bad to be settled with, and settled with in full. How much the debts altogether amounted to we arc unaware. One debt of £55, consisting largely of wages due to some Scandinavian labourers, it is gratifying to learn, was among those paid. There were others, however, and for all we know, there may bo others still. The Waikato Times of the 14th inst. contains thefollowingfrom itsTcAwamutu correspondent : "Winiata. has at length come to life, and openly shewn himself at Te Kuiti, and most of those who have come in lately have seen and spoken to him. He confirms the account which you lately- published of his journey through Moerangi, crossing at Taupiri, and coming up to the Waipa through Alexandra, and also affirms that he only assisted a halfcaste in the murder. They arc evidently proud of his having effected his escape and call him a brave man who had proved himself such by baffling pursuit, and say that the King and chiefs will never give him up. They say that anyone would be murdered that went up to try and get him, and that a party of them were nearly firing upon Te llete, the native who carries the Government letters to To Kuiti. Wiuiata is now at Tmnutumu a settlement between Te Kuiti and Mokau, and in company with the notorious murderer Te Kooti, is collecting an armed force for his defence. They are said to have any quantity of arms. Te Whooro is perhaps the only man that could go up with impunity and with some chance of effecting his capture, and if the King refused to sun-render him upon demand, no one perhaps would be better able to cause a division amongst them ami prevail upon some of the tribes to capture him in spite of the King. It is quite time that we made some attempt to divide and conquer them and we never had a better chance.

The Wainirapa Standard concludes a review of the existing political and llnan cial condition of New Zealand affairs, by advbing its readers “to pay their debts while they are in a position to do so; to make hay while the sun shines ” Is this intended as a hint to delinquent subscribers to that paper ? Writing of meanness in individuals, fEgles in the Australasian says ;—One of the richest, and, at the same time, one of the most ignorant and grasping of all those who have amassed vast fortunes out sheep had occasion to go to Sydney, He fully prepared himself for the voyage with a large paper of sandwiches. When the dinner-bell rang he regaled himself on these, and the water of the caraffe. The voyage was long—the sandwiches were getting dry (sandwiches three times times a day are under any circumstances monotonous), and the economical passenger was getting desperately hungry. Looking down (he cabin hatch, a handsome dinner smoked upon the board, and the traveller felt tempted to regale himself Calling the steward, ho enquired thus ; —“ I say steward, the soup’s gone ; if I went down now how much would I have to pay ?,” “Nothing at all, sir ; arc all included in the passage money.” How that forbearing squatter then expressed himself it would be unparliamentary to repeat: