PROVINCIAL MEMS.

Southland Times, Issue 544, 20 August 1866, Page 7

PROVINCIAL MEMS.

DURING THE MONTH. A correspondent to the " New Zealand Advertiser," 25th July, w-ites :■ — " It has been strongly suspected for years vwt that the natives here wera largely supplied with arms, ammunition, &c , and the cry has always been, " Oh! the American whalers are tho guilty parties." For a long time I was inclined to believe there was some truth in that report, although from twenty-five yean' business intercourse with whalemen, and being perfectly cognizant of the quantity of powder, &c, those ships usually carried, I was convinced there must b« other culprits, but I little suspected at that time that our own fellow-settlers were making money by supplying people in arms against their own countrymen with the means of destroying thorn. Within thrse last few weeks, lam sorry to s*y, proof to satisfy any sufficient disinterested party has been produced ; that large quantities of rum, powder, ball cartridges, and, in fact, arms and Ammunition of all kinds are brought from Auckland in coasters, and retailed to the natives from that port to the North Cape, and the prices obtained for these articles cenvince me that shooting pigeons is not what they are required for. Thirty •hilling per lb for powder, and eight •hillings for twelve cartridges,, is the price willingly paid. It is, of course, rery difficult to get proof sufficient to convict these parties, as the buyers will not inform, and as the vessels engaged in "this iniquitous trade are mostly sailed on shares, it is obvious that the offenders be screened; but last week two natives who were employed in a llsma rchooner belonging to this port, came before a Magistrate, and produced a canister of powder, which they said they had purchased from a man named Thomas Kelly, on board the cuHer Gazelle, of Auckland, then at ' the Awanui, a port about twenty miles north of this. Their information, through the proper officer, was taken, the man apprehended in Auckland, and forwarded to this port. The case was heard before the Resident Magistrate, and although the 'lawyer the prisoner brought with him from Auckland croas-examinod and bullied the twowitnesses for the prosecution the whole day, their evidence was not shaken ; nevertheless, the prisoner was discharged. Now, I think, with all due difference to the Resident Magistrate, he should have sent thia case to a superior Court." The " New Zealand Gazette " of the 19th inst. contains a statement of receipts and expenditure of the ordinary revenue of the colony the fro quarter ending March 31st. The total receipts amounted to £247,747 8s lOd, derived from the following sources : — Customs Duties, £211,469 3s 5d ; Fines, Seizures, &c, £768 7s 3d ; Postal (including telegraph), £14,460 17s lid ; Judicial Fees and Fines, £6466 18s 3d ; Registration df Deods, £3629 8s 3d ; Births, Marriages, ann Deaths, £705 2s ; Fees on the issue of Crow o Grants, £866 ; Fees under the Arms Act, £302 10s ; under the Merchant Shipping Act, £114 18s ; Joint Stock Companies Act, £37. 13s ; Patentß Act, £20 ; Lost Orders Act, £1 ; Marine Board Office, £132 3s ; Interest on Public Moneys, £18 9s 9d ; Incidental Receipts, Credit of Votes, &c, £8231 18s. During the same period the expenditure has been for the Civil List, £4860 14s 2d ; Interest and Sinking Fund, £125,075 5s lOd ; permanent charge under Acts of the General Assembly, £2604 Ss sd. Appropriations ; Executive, £1637 lla 6d ; Legislative, £1574 2s 5d ; Judicial, £11,181 1« 4d ; Registration, £3012 1. s 3d ; Electoral, £525 17s 8d ; Customs, £13,194 10 B 6d ; Postal, £31,907 8s 6d ; Internal Defence, £2160 17s lOd ; Native Department, £9717 8s 5d ; Geological, £342 10s lid ; Miscellaneous, £4966 9s ; Refunds of Revenue. £2064 6s led ; Supplementary, £14,512 14s ; the total being £232,338 3s 7d, to which must be added three-eighths revenue paid to the provinces, amounting to £79,078 13s 7d, making the total expenditure for the quarter £311,416 17s 2d, ehowing an excess of expenditure over revenue £63,999 8s 4d for the quarter. For the nine months, ending 31st March, of the financial year, the revenue was £671,912 2s 3d, and the total expenditure £703,940 13s 2d. The " Wellington Advertiser," of thd 25th inst., gives the following account of the arrangements made in relation to the Panama Service : — " Again an alteration has been made in the time of the mails via Panama starting, and arrangements have been entered" into by which the dates of departure- will be the firat of each month. In consequence of this there will be no mail despatched by this route after to-day, until 21st September, frcm here, when the Rakaia or Mataura will ollow the Ruahine." The Otago escort, which arrived at Dunedin on the 27 th July, was extremely small. The " Daily Time," 28th, attributes this to the severity of the weather. It cays : — " The fortnightly Escort which arrived yesterday brought down but 4304 oz. The smallness of the quantity is ued mainly to the continued severity of the frost, which has interfered most extensively with all sluicing operations ; and partly to the damage done by the recent floods. We hear that several creeks, through which it has often been a difficulty to get the escort waggon, owin^ to the rush of water, have this trip been found frozen so hard, that the ice bore the horses and waggon without cracking in the slightest degree. In only one or two races was water seen flowing ; and tho result of a sudden thaw woud be disastrous to races, and especially to the fluined parts of them." The question of the re-adjustment of the boundaries of the province* is, at the present time, attracting attention. The people of the Lake District and Southland desire to be united ; Nelson is working to obtain the Grey goldfields, and Hawke's Bay is seeking annexation to its province, the district of Poverty Bay. Tbe question has been raised in the Hawke's Bay Provincial Council. We take the following from the " Hawke's Bay Times " : — " Mr Colenso, pursuant to notice, asked the Government " Whether the Government intend bringing before the Council, for its opinion, the subject of the proposed annexation of a portion ot the East Coast, the same being at present a part of the province of Auckland ; particularly as it is believed that this matter may be brought forward in the General Assembly during its approaching session, and as the member for Napier in the House of Representatives is the present Superintendent of this province." The Government must know that this was a very important matter in reterrence to this province. Every one knew that there were certain petitions from inhabitants on the East Coast for the annexation of a portion of it, at at present in the Province of Auckland, to the Province of Hawke's Bay. There had been a good deal said about the desirability of this project in the columns of the Government organ — it was universally admitted to be of the utmost importance ; and yet there was not a word in referencL> to it in the Superintendent's address. The Superintendent and the member for Porangahau would go the General Assembly' and act as if they had the opinion of the Council. The question should not be shirked in this manner. Mr Ormond said that the question now put to the Government was an extremely embarrassing one. It really appeared as if the member for the town was in the Council to adovocate the interests of Auckland against those of Hawko's Bay. To answer this question would be showing his hand in the game he was about to play on behalf of the Province of Hawke'a Bay in the General Assembly. Nothing could be more inimical to her interests than this. The member had referred to the General Assembly. The district of Poverty Bay might have been annexed to this province last session had the member for the town acted in a different spirit. He was glad that the electors had" shown their appreciation of l>is conduct at the last election, and might safely aflirm that he and his present colleagues would, give a far better account of themselves on their return than could be don<*last session." Tho terminus of the Panama mail ships is still a a matter of dispute. Auckland on the one hand has- been clamorous in favor of that city being niado the first port of cnll and Otago on the other hand claim* for Port Chelmers tho position of the port of departure. Another claimant is in the field and it is more than possible that New South Walos will' gain the dny. The "]Sew Zealand Herald," 18th July, in a leading article strongly tipporU the claims of Naw South Wales and m

commenting upon the mating Wellington the terminus says: —"Public convenience, that is, the convenience of the many as opposed to that of the few, can be best served by avoiding this centre of radiation and by landing thd mnil direct to the port where the. largest commercial interests the largest population are waiting its arrival. If ■we refer to the article -which was published in a Wellington paper, wo shall find that the Company itself is awakening to the correctness of the sta-oments which months since, and which perhaps more strenuously of late, we have published in respect to the character of the ocean rout© _ between Panama and Cook's Straits. Doubtless the opinions of competent and experienced and mariners have been taken, and it has been found beyond dispute that to steer a direct course from Panama to Cook's Straits will be to face, during the whole distance, » continuation of head winds, which will both impede the fate of steaming and render the voyage a most disagreeable one to passangers. It has doubtless been found that the speediest and pleasantest route is to steer due west from Panama, past the Pacific Groups, until the vessel has arrived almost in the same parallel of longitude as the East Cape, but far to the northward of this colony, and then to come down South, to Cook's Strrits, passing down the East Coast of this province, so that were even a port in New Zealand desired to be made the terminus the most northern one of all would be the first reached. But when we have to take into account the fact that Sydney is the extreme point of communication arrived at, these facts become of even far more importance. In leaving Panama for Sydney the mariner would steer north even of Tahiti, and of New Zealand too, and every mile traversed down the coast of New Zealand and through the Straits would be exactly so much watertravelled orer in excess of what need be. Several days would be saved to Sydney by keeping this nor-' them cousre. Nor would New Zealand provinces suffer. Just as easily'" as the Panama steamer would sail down the coasts of Wellington, for direct to Wellington from Panama it cannot go, so easily would a steamer picking up the New Zealand mail and passengers dropped at Mongonui or the Bay of Islands steam down the coast dropping the Auckland and Napier mails and passengers at the respective ports on its way to Oook's Straits, and arriving there even just as soon as the Panama boat itself would have dons, while that boat by the time the branch steamer arrived in Wellington would be almost in sight of Sydney Heads. We defy contradiction to these statements." The following is clipped from the " Wakatip Mail," Ist August: —" Some samples from Owen and Dooley's coal mine, situated a little above the main trunk road between the Nevis and Arrow Bluffs, have been shown i" town. The coal (some of which may be seen at the office of this paper, is luminous, easy of ignition, free from unpleasant smell, and is altogether a very fine specimen. In using the word coal, we signify of course lignite. But upon the opening of the road from the Dunstan we have no doubt the proprietors will be rewarded for opening up the mine." A " Government Gazette," of July 6th, contains a series of tables, prepared by Mr Burnett, showing the relative value of the Grey and Buller coal and the coal of the North of England, Welsh coal, and that of New' South Wales, ac exhibited in the experiments made at Woolwich Dockyard. The paragraph of M* Burnett's report, gives the results of the experiment thus: —"From all the trials we have a right to conclude, that West Coast coal is fifteen per cent, better than either average North of England or New South Wales coal; and a very much superior indeed in the matter of clinker and ash. This is a matter of the utmost importance in the Panama service particularly where the whole distance from Wellington to the Isthmus is to be performed by rather imall steamers without a coal station." The "Wellington independent" sajs: — " While Professor Parker, who returned to town yesterday, was travelling down the West Coast, (North Island,) he was asked to give an entertainment to the natives at Waikanae. He consented, and along with Miss Annie Beaumont,.proceeded to the Maori meeting house, where 120 of the natives had assembled. Wi Tako and other leading chiefs were present, and before that distinguished assemblage the Professor cut the leg of mutton, severed the sheep, and divided the apple held on Miss Beaumont's hand. The natives enjoyed the entertainment thoroughly, and were delighted with that lady's singing. At the close of the proceedings Wi Tako made a capital speech, expressing his satisfaction, and remarked that he considered it an indication of confidence between the Maori and the Pakeha that a lady should come amongst them without any fear, and afford them such a pleasant night of amusement. During the evening, sixty of the natives executed a war dance in a most energetic style. We believe the Prefessor intends giving an entertainment in this city before leaving. The " Wanganui Chronicle,/ of August 1, says it is very pleasant to learn that, as time moves on the necessity of any fighting with the disaffected natives becomes " small by degrees and beamtifully less." Latest accounts from Patea tell us of the submission of another lot of Hau-haus, and that the general disposition everywhere is for peace. The rebels have at last discovered that the power arrayed against them is too mighty to be coped with, and, naked and famine-stricken, they yield to the force of circumstances. They will find in so doing that they have made a wise choice, and that the utmost kindliness and forbearance will be extended towards them by the colonial authorities. Major M'Donnell is now at the scene of action, and will, no doubt, exercise the large powers bestowed upon him, with a salutary discretion.