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Southland Times, Issue 965, 8 June 1868, Page 2

An announcement is made elsewhere that a fresh programme is to be produced this evening at the Theatre Boyal. We observe that the renowned Irish comedy, by Dion Boucicault, of ' Andy Blake" is included. Wherever this piece has been performed the enconiums of the press have been unanimously in its favor. The attrac- j tion, therefore, is greater than usual to-night. 1 We understand the oil painting of H.M.S. Brisk, laying in the Port Chalmers Harbor, painted by Captain Robertson, which haa been for some time on view at the Southland Hotel, is to be raffled. The painter is celebrated for his marine pictures. The drawing will t»ke place at the shop of Mr K. Rose, Dee-street. Messrs Eussell and M'Cullough request us to call attention to the fact that they have been compelled to postpone their sale of Sheep and Cattle, advertised to have taken place at the Bridge Inn this day, the rivers having been too much flooded to allow the cattle to be collected in time. The sale will take place next Monday. In a review of the condition of the Province of Auckland, the ' Southern Cross ' of the 21st says : — In native matters, we regret that things have not been so satisfactory as could be wished. The East Coast natives have, on several occasions, come into contact with the local forces, with loss on both sides. The murders of Mr Bennett White, and of two other settlers will fill another dark page in the history of New Zealand coloni ■ sation. There have been large meetings of the natives at Tokangamutu and elsewhere, and the svident desire of the majority, including the King, is for present peace, but there is a small section svhich is as anxious as ever to try conclusions svith the Pakehas. The establishment of the King's sovereignty in the interior is as complete is if the Europeans had never attempted to comjat it, and the only policy to be adopted is that >f letting the natives alone. The attempts nade to break the aukati which has been estabishedin the interior have proved futile; and, intrenched as it were behind it, Tawhiao holds lis sway undisturbed. Time only will bring ,bout the thorough intercourse and friendly feelQg which the colonists of Auckland really wish { o exist between the natives and themselves. In r he Bay of Islands district there have been col- j;sions between the Ngapuhi and Rarawa tribes, ( ufc Q-overnment has wisely refrained from intersring. His Excellency Sir Gk Bowen last month I aid a visit to the Bay, for the purpose of attend- s lg the large meeting of the Natives which was a )be held in honor of the arrival of the Dule of i

j Edinburgh. There was but a small attendance, the fighting which was then going on proving so great an attraction that even the advent of a new Governor could not counterbalance it. Sir George has also visited the Native settlement at Orakei, and is now on a journey through the Waikato district, in some portion of which it 13 anticipated there will shortly be a large meeting of Natives. The visit, however, has not, we believe, any political significance, but is merely carried out for the purpose of affording his Excellency a personal kpowledge of the great capabilities of this province." We take the following items of Northern news from the "Wellington Independent," of May 23rd: — "The news from the Upper Thames is of a mort unsatisfactory and threatening character. The contemplated rebellious movement against the Waikato is now definitely fixed to take place dux-ing the present or ensuing month j. and Hauraki is to remain peaceful while this is being carried on. Some fifty or sixty head of 1 Messrs Buckland and Firth's cattle are reported i to have again been seized, and are now running i at Manawaru. There has been some further fighting at Hokianga. A correspondent of the " Herald " writes : — Several skirmishes have taken place between the Rarawas and Hikutu section of the Ngapuhi tribe, in one of which, on the 10th or 11th instant, three of the former were badly wounded, and one of the lattei I—a1 — a young man from the Waimate — is missing since the fight. In a second skirmish which had taken place at an earlier period, one man belonging to the chief Mohi Tawhia's tribe, was shot through the back. The ball has since been extracted, and the sufferer (a half-caste), is likely to recover. A few hours before the Tauranga sailed from the Bay a report was prevalent that the Hokianga post.nan had brought intelligence of another fierce contest between the two tribes, during which the murderer (Te Weka, of the Rarawas), had been killed, and one of Mohi Tawhia's tribe dangerously wounded. We may state, however, that the report is not believed by the settlers at Russell, ■ and we ourselves do not place much faith in it. A report reached Awanui shortly before the Fortune sailed for Auckland, that, during the late skirmish at Whakatane, one of the Queen's natives had been killed and a European wounded. Hostilities are said to be impending in the Waikato." A correspondent of the " Southern Cross " writes from the Upper Thames as follows : — " On the 2nd instant Tukukino, Heopa, and Tareranui returned from, Tokangamatu. They report that all the roads are closed against anyone returning from Tokangamutu by the King's orders ; and also that Tana te Waharoa was on his way to that place, and was stopped by his Majesty's roadkeepers. He told them he was going to Tokangamutu, and then proposed returning to his tribe. The road aukati guard thereupon stripped him of his clothes and horse, burnt the clothes, and sent him back to his settlement and people. This was Tawhia's orders to the roadkeepers. Te Hira, Tukukino, Tarei-anui, and Hoepa, have been as ' pous' for the people, that is, head men to collect them together by his Majesty's orders. A large meeting of natives was held on Thursday last, the 14th instant, in commemoration of the battle of Moutea, at London, the chief settlement on the Wanganui river, when the recently elected Maori representative — Mete King 1 ' — was present to meet his constituents. The tribes numb.-r 88° mem and as a token of their conGdenco and approval, they presented Mete Kingi with a greenstone weapon, three native garments, and the sum of £13 78 6d, this being given, we presume, with the idea of paying him for representing them " The ' Chronicle' says : — " Last week a body of Ngatiraukawas — the dissentients to the Manawatu purchase — drove off some thirty or forty head of cattle from part of the block, on the other side of the Tiangitikei River, held under leases granted some years ago by the tribes, and still occupied. It will be remembered that during the negotiation for the purchase of this block, the rents were impounded by the Superintendent ; but since the block was announced as purchased the lessees thought no more of paying rent to the natives. However, the Ngatiraukawas, resenting the dcci. Bion of the Native Lauds Court, at Otaki, proceeded to sweep off the herds of settlers' cattle ostensibly for rents — of which at any time that tribe was only entitled to one third. The cattle will doubtless be brought back, by the settlers turning out in force ; but this state of things is rather uupleasant, and to say the least, a step unadvisedly taken by the non-sellers themselves."