SPECIAL TELEGRAMS

Patea Mail, 22 July 1880, Page 3

SPECIAL TELEGRAMS

1 • 1 •/. TO THE “ MAIL.". r. V ' IMPROVED MINING PROSPECTS. Hokitika, 20th. The Mapouriki diggings'are showing up well. Cunningham and a party of three obtained 10-J- ounces of gold! in •fourteen days, and Graham and. party expect at least 240 ounces for their month’s work. These claims are close to Zala’s ground,, but are.worked at a somewhat higher level. ' A share in one of thei claims was 'recently sold by Mr Patrick for £SO. There are over 50 on the ground. As soon as the fine weather sets'in there will be a large accession of population., A company is being formed to work six acres of ground at Kanicri, to bo worked by a turbine wheel, the wash-dirt to be taken from the top to the bottom on the open face system. DRUNKENNESS AND DEATH. : Auckland, 20tln Mr Grant, auctioneer, was discovered at Mr Skcat’s house in Vincent-street this morning by a carpenter going to repair a sewing machine, lying across a chair quite, dead. Grant went to the house last night intoxicated, and Mrs Bkeat finding it impossible to get him away went to bed with her children.

TRIPLING WITH THE LAW. MORE CONCESSIONS TO MAORIS. Napier, Wednesday, The Government have been interfering with tbe execution of an order of the Supreme Court re certain land which Maoris will not surrender. Tbe sheriff wont to Harding’s'property at Mount Vernon on Monday, to interview the natives who refused to give up possession, in spite .of the order of the Supreme Court. The natives refused to leave, and warned the sheriff and his men not to attempt force. As there were nearly 300 men present, tbe sheriff appealed to the police, who had, however, received instructions from the Government not to ■ interfere. The sheriff left the Maoris in possession of the field, and unless the Government enforce the law Harding will not get his property. GALE AT NEW PLYMOUTH. Wednesday' Night. A strong southerly gale is blowing here.

SHOULD MAORI PRISONERS BE TRIED ? Mr • Robert • Stout’s organ, the Echo,' says:—“ Wc had hoped that we had heard the last of Peace Preservation Acts in New Zealand, It seems, however, that another Bill is to bo introduced into Parliament for the purpose of further postponing the trials of the Maori prisoners. We protest against such legislation. The first Act was a mistake, and the Grey Ministry is to blame for proposing it. War, however, seemed near, and panic legislation could therefore be excused. But there has been a No. 2 Dill, and now we arc promised N0.3, all doing an unjust f not illegal thing. Why should Maoris not bo tried ? If they have been guilty of any offence let them be punished. If they have not, it is time they were set at liberty. The question whether such Acts as these can be passed by the New Zealand Legislature has not been judicially determined, but we must say that if repugnancy to the laws of England is not an unmeaning phrase, these acts are repugnant and hence illegal. But legal or illegal we hope there will he no more. They are unnecessary, and unjust, and must tend to make the Maoris believe that they are exceptionally and unfairly treated.” ' ■

A CRY FOR REFORM. I desire to show you in another letter how everything is wrong in New Zealand, and that whatever is wrong is owing to the foul abuse of Parliamentary Government. I wish I could succeed in waking its people up to the realisation of this alarming fact. It is a deplorable thing to see them everywhere petitioning the Government to tax them in this way or that, still nnconsciouss that they' are standing on the very brink of a volcano. Were we a less law-abiclicling people—wore wo Chilians or Peruvians, for instance —we should long - ago have seized (he two Government steamers, taken an armed party or board at every port in the two islands, steamed to Wellington, stormed the Par‘liament, kicked out the members cf both Houses, looked the doors, drunk out Bellamay’s, made a bonfire of, Hansard , and the Black Rod, and sent a monster petition to the Queen, praying her to suspend the Constitution for five years, to send us out an able financier and adminitrator to pul our affairs in order, and to devise another form of government for us which will not make the New Zealand of the futurs a byword and a laughing-stock to the civilized world.—“ Agricola ” in Taranaki Herald.