Untitled

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 229, 20 June 1877, Page 2

Tin; Civil Commissioner (Mo jo l, Drown), as previously announced. visited Waitoiara on Wednesday last, in connection with native affairs, 'i’lic -special business on which bo went was in reference (o petition of Tapa to tbc House of Representatives, (lie latter claiming 15,000 acres of land, anil desiring to get it from one particular block. Tbc meeting on ’Wednesday last was a continuation of meeting previously held. Tana was represented, as on the former occasion, by his lawyer (Dr Duller) and by Major Kemp. The matter was discussed all that evening, and eventually assumed a shape which the Civil Commissioner said ho would sleep upon before pledging himself to recommend it for the approval of the Government. The discussion was resumed next morning. Tapa absented himself, and on returning after being sent for, again left in a dissatisfied mood, because the Report of the Select Committee of the House on his petition did not result as he had expected, in giving to him Mr Dickie’s land, in fulfilment of promise ma.de by the late Sir Donald McLean in 1G73. Dr Duller and Major Kemp saw, however, that the arrangement proposed at the meeting was the only one possible under the ctrcmnsiances, and they undertook that Tapa and his people should bo satisfied with it ; whereupon the Civil Commissioner agreed to recommend it io the Government for approval. The coming to terms on the above knotty point is a matter for congratulation, and is also another evidence of the good sense and tact displayed by Major Brown in dealing with complicated questions. The native mind is now clear for the settlement of other important questions, such as ilic survey and occupation of the confiscated land on the north side of the Maomahaki, comprising between thirty and forty thousand acres, much of which is well fitted for settlement. The natives are already prepared for this next step, and are now discussing it, the Civil Commissioner ha\ ing several times told them that when Tap.Ts claim was disposed of, the balance of the confiscated land would go. as the two questions hung together.

At noon on Monday last, W. Cowern, Esq. (Itcturaiug Officer for the Carlyle Town Board), was hi attendance at the Courthouse, to receiveuommatians of candidates. Mr W. AUchson, nominated by Messrs Milroy and Keys, being the only candidate, was declared duly elected. To-morrow (Thursday) Is the shortest day. The Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars, N.Z. North, has forwarded to Patea petitions which will shortly bo taken round for signature, directed against the attempt now on foot to legalize the Sunday traffic in intoxicating liquors, and in favour of a Local Option Bill. It is proposed that the Licensing Act should be amended so ns to restrict tbe areas of Licensing districts ; that licensing officers should be elected by the people ; that on two-thirds of the voters in any district objecting, no license to be granted—the restriction to last for three years ; that on requisition of twenty householders it shall be imperative for a ballot to be taken. Other amendments are also suggested. Mr F. tl. Jackson’s Wanganui cattle sale will take place to-morrow (Thursday) at noon. A large petrified oyster was picked up on the beach during the week. It had been washed up in the storm. It bears the marks of age. The finders are curious to know from whence it came. They have a weakness for oysters, and xre in hopes that some enterprising fisherman will dredge till the original bed is found.

A meeting of considerable importance to shareholders in the Havvera Town Hall Company, will bo held in the Block-house on Friday evening. Messrs Baker, Byrnes, Inman, M. D. King, and other gentlemen are the movers in the matter, and a full attendance of shareholders is requested.

Harbour Reserves, Dwelling-house, grass seed. One of the tnost important sales, which have for some time past been announced, will take place to-day, at Mr W. Cowern’s warehouse, Carlyle. Bolling for the election of members of the Ilawera Town Board, will take place on Friday, between tiie hours of 9 a.m. and G p.m., at the ofiieo of the Board. The candidates are Messrs John Winks, Horace Baker, Colin Cameron, James l)avidson } Thomas iJoyd. and George Tail.

The Art Exhibition of the Christchurch Museum was thrown open to the public, fice, on Saturday, 11th June, when there was a great crush. It is estimated that nearly 7,000 persons visited the place during the evening-. The Art Exhibition was open again on Sunday, when the crush was nearly as great as on Saturday night.

Fares have been reduced on the WaitaraNew Plymouth Railway, the Jltndd says with good results. The Taranaki Herald report of Fie Waste Lands Board meeting of the 11th instant says, in reference to application from Messrs F. and A. Drake, Wailotara, for lease of section No. tl ; Whennaknra Block, that the Board had no power to deal at, present, hut when open application for the same would, have to be mad 0 throng!) the District Land Olticei at Baiea, The Chief Surveyor, in his report, forwarded a tracing of 1,000 .acres just surveyed, into 20 sections of from 20 to 150 acres each, on the cast side of. the Mountain Road, near the Patca River.— Seven sections in Kaupokonui Block. No. 4, were priced and declared open for sale. Sections in the Ngairo Block were also priced, some being set aside for deferred payments. —It was resolved “ Thai, the Commissioner of Crown Lands bo requested to write to the Government, and inform it that the Board has decided to lay out and survey for sale 300 acres on .lie Patca .River as a site for a township ; and that this Board recommends that tender 8 for felling the same, in lots of 50 acres each, be forthwith invited, in order to ensure a burn during the ensuing summer.'’ At a late meeting of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, the Chairman laid on the. table the plans that had been prepared by Mr Skinner, of the proposed alteration in the Harbour jdan. lie said if the Government approved of it he did not see why tenders for that portion of the work should not immediately be called for. The plan ß were forwarded to Government, requesting approval.

The Zcalandia arrived in Auckland on Saturday, the lolh inst., with (ho Buglish and American mails. Slic left Brisco on the 23rd May, Californian Lime,and omitted calling- at Kandavau. The Canterbnry Timer, unde. the heading Lc Eon’s Bay, says :—A presentatioifwas made on May 31 to Mr Thomson, the schoolmaster of this district, who is about to go to Patea. A large number of children and their friends were present. About Id o’clock, air Charles Bailey, the oldest pupil in the school, came forward, and addressed the master in a very neat speech, presenting at the same time, a handsome gold pencil case and watch chain, as a gll't from the. children. Mr Thomson replied in a short but fooling speech to the children for their kindness, and was heartily cheered on concluding.'’ Mr Thomson has arrived, and has been put in charge of Normauby school.

On Sunday morning last, two or three Carlyle gentlemen made their way to the Heads for a walk. After being there a short time, a hail-storm came on, ami the party took shelter in a recently formed cave near the old windlass. They remained for some time in the cave, and then returned to dinner. One of the above party, thinking lie should enjoy the sight of seeing immense waves rush through the cave, asked another friend to accompany him after dinner. They went accordingly. But when they reached the place, behold theiv astonishment at finding the cave had fallen in, and on the exact spot those gentlemen had been standing but a short time before, nothing but tremendous blocks of clay could- be seen. It certainly was, as one of the gentlemen concerned remarked, a very narrow escape. The windlass stands on a small island by itself now, and its speedy removal would no doubt be worthy of consideration.

On Saturday nerd, Messrs J. Strachan Greig & Co. will hold their regular fortnightly sale of general merchandise, at Hawera, at 1.30 p.m.

The via San Francisco British mails should have arrived by coach yesterday, as the steamer from Auckland was due in New Plymouth on Sunday morning last. The frightfully rough weather prevailing probably i woven ted the commuiiicatioii. The coach leaving New Plymouth on Monday morning, was unable to proceed further than Stoney River, on account of the flooded state of the rivers. The mails were forwarded to Ilawcra on horseback.

Letter on the Harbour Question, “ Not afraid,” shall appear nest issue.

The Rotorua has arrived at Auckland from Sydney. News unimportant. The Launceston agricultural returns for Tasmania show a surplus of 184,521 bushels of wheat available for export. The Taranaki News says :—The cutter Dawn, 21 tons, timber laden, from the Manakau and bound for Waitara, was beached about half a mile north of the Waitara bar, on Wednesday, June 13, and has become a wreck. She had a very stormy passage clown, and ran into Raglan for shelter. Leaving Raglan on the 12th, she experienced another storm that night which carried away her mainsail and outer jib. In this crippled condition, and with only a stormsail set, the Captain made for the Waitara, when finding a heavy freshet in the river, the signal up of “bi. r dangerous,” and being unable to fetch to windward with only his stormjib, the Caotain put up helm and beached the vessel north of the heads and not far from where the ss. Airedale struck. The wreck was sold at auction for £4l.