PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1881.

Patea Mail, 6 January 1881, Page 2

PATEA COUNTY MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1881.

An official explanation was circulated by telegraph last evening, respecting the Governor’s letter to Te Whiti. It is very lengthy, and we have room only for a summary in this issue. It appears the Ministry conceived that the appointment of a new Governor was a good time for appealing again to Te Whiti. They accordingly drafted a lette>’, and asked the Governor to have it presented to Te Whiti. The letter opens with this idea: “ I am told you are desirous of seeing me, and representing your view of what should be done to finish the work of putting things right,” The Grover nor then invites Te Whiti to meet him in Wellington, or to meet him at New Plymouth during the Governor’s tour; and asking him first to send a letter explaining what his grievances are, that the Governor may be the better able to answer him when they meet. Nothing is said of To Whiti’s reply. The Governor starts to-morrow on his tour through the Islands. He starts first for Auckland, and will go up the Waikato for the lake district, and on to Napier, then through the Manawatu gorge to the West Coast, visiting Wanganui, Patea, Hawera, the Plains [query Parihaka?], and on to New Plymouth. It is expected he will visit all towns on the route, and may pass through this district about the end of January, He has asked Te White to meet him, and probably the Governor will have to go to Parihaka before the Prophet will see him. Then what ? The Greek frontier question is coming to an issue. The Powers are willing to mediate at the request of Turkey, but Greece will not consent; and the next move is the massing of a Turkish army on the disputed frontier in the Epirus and Thessaly. It is said the Turkish soldiers number 100,000, whereas we know the Greeks cannot keep 25,000 men in arms. It is probable the Turks have a very large army on paper, but certainly not avalablc for active service.

A slight earthquake was felt at j Wanganui on Thursday morning. At the Caledonian Sports held at Dunedin on Monday, 4,000 persons were present.

Thomas Brennan is in custody at Patea on a charge of stealing a watch and chain from a half-caste at Normanby sports.

The winner of the cup at the Patea sports, for most points in the 100 yards, 200 yards, and quarter-mile handicaps, was George Pearce, Kakaramea.

A flying column of cavalry troops is traversing the southern districts of Ireland, to put a stop to night drilling by members of the Land League. The ancient Greek statute found in excavations is by the celebrated sculptor Phidias, as we suggested by way of correcting the cable report.

The chiefs of Rotumah have made a request to the Governor of Fiji that that Island should be annexed by the British to Fiji,

■ At the funeral of Andrew Farnie who was drowned with young Wilkinson at Wanganui, the burial service of Good Templars was read at the grave, and the Rev. Mr Treadwell offered up prayer. Trade in Great Britain is certainly improving. The revenue returns to December show an increase of a million sterling over the closing quarter of previous year. Mr J. Booth, who succeeds Mr Woon as Magistrate for Upper Wanganui, is said to be unpopular with the natives, having been engaged in land transactions which have not left a good feeling. Cabbages for feeding sheep are being cultivated for feeding on the station of Parsons Brothers, at Kaikoura. They have planted tw’elve acres, having tried cabbages for sheep feeding at Home, The teachers’ examination for the Wanganui District will commence in the Girls’ High School on the 24th inst. The candidates are :—l3 for Class E ; 4 for Class D ; and 6 for completion of certificate.

At the nomination for candidates for the General Assembly, Nelson suburbs, which took placd on Monday, the show of hands for A. S. Collins was 19, for A. Harley 14. Mr Oswald Curtis supported the first-named candidate. A poll was demanded.

Sin William Fox has written to the Rangitikei Advocate that there is no truth in the report that in case of Mr John Stevens coming forward as a candidate for the Rangitikei seat at the next election, he—Sir William—should not oppose him. He is of opinion there will not be a general election for at least fifteen months.

The alleged fraudulent bankruptcy of Mr T. S. Wymond, at Nelson, is to be inquired into more fully. The trustees not being satisfied with the decision given in the Magistrate’s Court in the charges preferred against Wymond, his wife, and nephew, for alleged fraudulent removal and concealment of goods belonging to the estate, and acting under legal advice, have decided to indict Wymond before a grand jury ; also to apply to the Judge of the Bankruptcy Court to prosecute him for fraudulent insolvency, issuing false balance sheet, and concealment of goods belonging to the estate.

A Wellington correspondent gives the following account of the Governor’s invitation to the Parihaka prophet: «It is said Te Whiti received his visitors very sullenly, refused to read the Governor’s letter, and on its purport being conveyed to him verbally, he said, the potato is cooked, and the cooked potato does not discuss its grievances with the fire which cooked it. All Governors were alike, and they governed in the interests of pakehas, not of Maoris. The Government had taken his land, his men. The first they had sold, and the latter they had imprisoned. He said a great deal more, the purport of his long rigmarole being that he declined to meet the Governor or bold any communication, except at Parihaka.”

Mr T. W. Fisher’s election to the Wairoa Highway Board is gazetted. Mr Sheet, dentist, will visit Patea early in February. Mr T. Irwin has opened the Sham rock boarding-house, near Patea bridge. At the Marton race meeting, Mr Quinlivan’s Redeemer won the Railway Handicap of 100 sovereigns, and was second to Opawa in the Marton-Rangi-tikei Handicap.

Among heavy wool clips in this district, we are informed that Mr R. B. Hamilton’s Manutahi flock has averaged this season lOlbs. 2ozs. for 900 sheep. The Maori ploughmen released from Dunedin are 52 in number. None are from Parihaka; 29 arc Taranaki natives, and 23 are from the East Coast.

Mr W. Dale has leased a section for a timber yard near the Railway Station at Waverley. A good deal of timber is likely to come by rail from Manawatu for the Patea district, the demand being very brisk at present.

It was stated that the father of Tuhi the murderer had threatened that if his son were executed for killing a pakeha woman, he would be revenged by killing more pakehas. It is now reported at Opunaki that Tuhi’s father is at Parihaka, detained under Te Whiti’s orders till he cools down.

The blind pauper Hudson, who was sent to Wellington Hospital to be operated on, has lost the sight of one eye, his previous dim vision being destroyed by the operation. The doctor now advises that the other eye should not be subjected to operation—at present. The poor fellow could see dimly in the daylight before he went to Wellington. Perhaps he would like to see his way back. We hear of two large blocks of Maori reserves near the Plains being under agreement for leasing, and that Mr Bryce is using his power as Native Minister to prevent these transactions being officially completed. Ic is understood that Sir William Fox is one of the would-bc lessees, and Mr Caverhill is the other. As the natives cannot use these extensive reserves, and as leasing under proper restrictions would be a benefit to all parties, it is desirable that Mr Bryce’s ground of interference should be understood. We can perceive why farther precautions should be taken to prevent native leases from being manipulated as virtual freeholds. But Mr Bryce should at least explain what his objection is in respect of reserves which are regulated under the West Coast Settlement Act. Mystery is not wisdom.

A change has been notified in the registration of sheep brands for Patea County. The clerk to the Council has been the registrar hitherto, and next it was directed that the Sheep Inspector for the district should have charge of this work after December 31st. But a new and curious alteration is now announced. The registrar for this County is to reside not within the County but at Wanganui. Mr J. I. Gerse is the new registrar, and all settlers between Waitotara and Opunaki will have to go to Wanganui to inspect brands to avoid confusion, or will have to carry on correspondence under difficulties which may seem small to clerks, but are often serious to farmers. It is intended, we suppose, to reduce the risk of identical brands by putting an extended district under the charge of one officer. But this should be done within limits suited to the convenience of those for whom this legal machinery exists; and it seems to us that settlers in this County will have to kick against this new arrangement, because the inconvenience will be found intolerable. No expense is saved by this concentration, for the registration brings no separate fee or salary to the officer, or would not do so if the Sheep Inspector did the work, as previously intended. Will somebody offer any sufficient reason for this centralisation at Wanganui? A Sheep Inspector is always going about the district, and the branding could be best put under his charge.

The usual form of trial for political offences is to be suspended in Ireland.

Some Irish members will make the mo.-t of their opportunity in Parliament over this coercion bill.

The “ monstrous claim ” of Taranaki to one-fourth value of the Waimate Plains is discussed in an able and interesting article in the Wellington Post of the 30th ult. Taranaki is also attempting a defence, in an artless tone of infallibility. These are good signs, and we hope to see this made a colonial question. The Mail has tried to put it on that footing, and will have more to say. Friends who have forwarded papers on the subject will please accept thanks.

The sale of town and suburban sections in Patea and district, announced by Mr Dale for Saturday, should bring a large master of bidders. Thirty small sections, about one-eighth of an acre each, are offered in Mr Storey’s paddock, between Mr Gibson’s paddock and the Hospital, These are approached from Taranaki road by a half-chain road, and are next to the town boundary. The terms seem easy for working men who would be likely to co-operate with a building society. Two cross-streets are mapped on this paddock, with four building lines. Other freehold and leasehold sections, some with dwellings erected, are offered within Patea township, and one business site in the main street. Other sections near the town and in the district, and some at Stratford, are included in the same auction.

The following chapter of Christmas time accidents has been enumerated by a contemporary. Two men named Farnie and Wilkinson were drowned at Wanganui, and another at Gibsborne on the same day—both accidents resulting from boats capsizing. A man got killed at Helensville, in Auckland, through timber falling on him ; and a girl fell down stairs, receiving concussion of the brain, and died. These also were on Christmas Day. On Monday morning Dennett’s well-known Star Hotel in Napier took fire, and one ol the inmates died from suffocation. On Christmas Eve at Templeton, in Canterbury, a man named Gibson shot another called Kerosine deliberately in the breast. In Auckland on Monday, at the Racing Club’s Summer meeting, in the race for the Auckland Handicap, Libeller and King Quail came to grief. Libeller fell with his rider, Nolan, and King Quail with his rider, Carrington, fell on top of them. Nolan was killed on the spot. At the Heathcote races in Canterbury on Monday, Mr Fleming, the well-known auctioneer, was knocked down by a horse, rendered senseless, and badly injured.

“ Hill-top,” an observing fanner of the Connecticut valley tells the Boston Cultivator how he and his father have for fifty years, always thinned their potato vines at hoeing time to two stocks in the hill with an increase of large, handsome potatoes. Six or seven per cent, all told, of second-rate potatoes is mentioned as an ordinary proportion, under this treatment. Of course, the large, strong vines would be saved, and this looks like a genuine bit of potato science.

A good way of cleaning stables, sheds, etc., is to give them a coat of hot limewash. Make a barrel of the wash byslaking a bushel of fresh lime in a pork or other water-tight barrel, filling up the barrel after the slaking is done, A ready method of applying the wash to coarse work is to use a Fountain Pump, or otherhand force pump. With one of these the whitewash can be thrown upon the walls, and into every corner and crevice until every part is completely covered. Queen Victoria takes a lively interest in agriculture. Observing a new reaper and binder lately in use in a field by which she was driving, she stopped her horse, and went afoot into the field to see how it worked.

Lady Habberton has published a letteradvocating the adoption of a sort of Turkish trousers by women, on account of the awkwardness of the lower portioVr of the tight short skirt, and proposing to slash the skirt so that it may fall open from the knees in front.

The single crop of oranges in one of the principal Paramatta orchards was this year sold for £6OOO cash, purchaser bearing the cost of package and removal.