The Southland Times. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1868.

Southland Times, Issue 1071, 11 December 1868, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY , DECEMBER 11, 1868.

In times of great excitement it is difficult to calmly review current events ; we are prone to form hasty conclusions, and rush into action — to condemn without consideration, and embrace doctrines that might prove false and injurious. This appears likely to be the case in New Zealand at the present time. The position of the colony is undoubtedly bad, politically and socially. It has to bear too heavy a burden of taxation arising from the war expenditure of the past, and it is called upon to increase that burden in order to stamp out another native rebellion. The atrocities that have been committed by the Hauhaus have naturally aroused a spirit of indignant disgust in the minds of every European colonist, and created a thirst for revenge. In this state of excitement it is not surprising that the General Government should have been censured for the policy it has pursued,, for the blindness it

appeared to show during the sitting of the Assembly, to coming events. Still, we cannot but condemn the conduct of those who wouid make political capital out of the short- comings of the Government on this occasion. Whatever may be our political differences; however much the Separation of the two Islands may he desired, for the present change is impossible ; and it is the dutyjg of the whole of the colonists to support the G-overnment in its efforts to punish the offenders and restore peace. That Mr Stapfobd and his colleagues, for a time, refused to recognise the danger that loomed in the future is patent to all, but it is equally as patent that they have at last realised their position and accepted their responsibility. The recently received intelligence from the Seat of War, though not satisfactory, is reasuring. The Hauhaus have been checked in their mad career of murder and rapine, and the colonial forces, with the friendly natives, are steadily pushing forward, and if not gaining any signal victory, are at least improving their position. The Government is now evincing a determination to carry on the war with Bpirit, adopting measures which should have been resorted to long since. The task the Government has before it is so great and complicated that every allowance should be made for any shortcomings that may be observed. In prosecuting this war the greatest care is required least the feeling of indignation against the rebel Maories should lead to acts of injustice towards the whole race. Public meetings have been held in Dunedin, Nelson, and other places, to express sympathy with the North, and urging on the Government more vigorous action. These meetings have for the most part, partaken too much of a political charater. Censure of the General, and the Imperial Governments, and demands for the extermination of the Maories, or the abandonment of the North, have been too conspicuous. These assemblages have an evil tendency. They serve to enlighten the Hauhaus as to our weakness, and dishearten those friendly natives who have fought bravely and faithfully on the side the of Europeans, by the expressions of mistrust so freely uttered. The colony has undoubted reason to complain of the selfish and ungenerous / conduct of the Imperial Government. The policy the Stafford Government is carrying out is calculated to command success, and it is the imperative duty of the people to strengthen their hands, and not encourage public meetings, that mean nothing more than giving party politicians the opportunity of taking a fling at an antagonist, and political mountebanks the chance of being written about in Provinces in which they are unknown as public men. The Otago meeting was a fitting illustration of this. The Government was charged with a want of ability, energy, and judgment. Whatever failing Mr Staffobd may have ; however great his mistakes may have been in dealing with the Native difficulty, there can be no doubt he has the prosperity and honor of the colony at heart, and he is now adopting a course as bold and promising as could be desired. The Government is now carrying out the war with spirit aud wisdom, and it is entitled to the support of the country. It behoves us as a people to unite to aid the Executive in the difficult work that is before them. At a late hour last evening, the s.s. Orneo was telegraphed as having arrived at the Bluff, from Melbourne. No papers have yet been received. It will be seen from our advertising columns, that a meeting of the Regatta Committee, will be held at the Load Clyde Hotel, Tweed-street on Tuesday the 15th inst, at 8 p.m. We have been requested to call the attention of Volunteers to an advertisement in our other columns, announcing he usual monthly drill for inspection to take place at the Cricket ground this evening. The fines are to be rigidly enforced against absentees. It will be seen by advertisement, that Mr W. Fraser has closed his establishment in Clydestreet for the sale of sawn timber and building materials, and has transferred his business to the stores of Messrs Cowper and Wilson. The central position of Messrs Cowper and Wilson's premises in Dee-street, will be of great advantage to purchasers in the saving of cartage, as well as being more convenient to the public than Mr Eraser's late stores. From a private letter we have been permitted to take the following extracts, relative to the Orepuki Diggings : — " We have found gold iv payable quantity, and have been out all round for the past few weeks looking for a good source of water. We have applied to the Government for three acres, and are expecting the grant up every day. It is deep ground and will not pay for ground sluicing. It will take twelve months to get it into working order, so you see it will not pay in small claims. Our head race will be two miles long, through bush, eqaal, as regards its formation, to six miles on the open land, and our tail race will be 600 or 700 yards long, but most in the open gully, as our claim is just within the edge of the bush. The tail race will be through swampy ground, and deep, and will have to be well secured with timber — another expense. When we do get to work, however, we shall be all the ' soup,' as the ground will pay, and the working will last a long time. We have been busy lately planting potatoes, &c, &c, so you see we mean work, and work steadily." |

It is Stated that no less than £16,000 worth of eggs were imported into New Zealand during the past financial year. A Boston paper states that a new harvester, called the 'Young America," cuts the grain, thrashes, cleans and sacks it, at one operation. The inventor claims that, with two men and four horses, it will do, in a single day, as much work as 14 men and 19 horses in the old-fashioned way Some of the surveyors in the province of Wellington have formed a Volunteer Corps of Guides, and offered their services to the Government. According to the 'Advertiser,' the individual members would be posted probably to companies of militia and volunteers in those districts with which they are most acquainted. One of the results of the late occurrences in Hawke's Bay is, that a stop has been put to shearing on many of the stations, more especially those in the northern prrt of the Province. The native shearers are afraid to remain in isolated places. From the Dunedin papers, we learn that the West Taieri Bridge is now open for traffic His Honor Chief Justice Johnston, in his charge to the Grand Jury, on the opening of the Criminal Sitting of the Supreme Court, on Thursday, Ist December, thus alludes to the Friendly Natives : — " When, at the moment of our deep humiliation, discomfiture, and dismay, we were looking around, almost in vain, for present help from our own people, I witnessed the prompt, zealous and gallant manner in which the Friendly Natives of the neighborhood, leav. ing behind them their families and possessions, and abandoning the profitable employment of the shearing-floor, and over-looking annoyances which had but recently galled them, flocked to the port to embark for the scene of action, to assist in defending our countrymen against their murderous foes, and hi cutting short the career of those inhuman fiends; when I hear how vigorously they have since acted on our behalf, and when I am informed that the recent conduct of the Fanatics appears in the estimation of many of the Maori people a scandal to their race, I cannot help fervently hoping, and emphatically expressing the hope, that the European Colonists will always appreciate and honor the services of our Native friends, and abstain from such a course of action as might seem a justification for their hostility or defection." Major Edwards (sayathe 'New Zealand Advortiser,' of 2nd Dec.) reports from Manawatu, under date 30th November, that he has talked with the natives, and that they had no intention of rising. The second Annual Show of the Molyneux Agricultural and Pastoral Association, came off on Wednesday, the 2nd Dec, at Balclutha. The show is reported to have been a greater success than the one of the previous year. Referring to the offer "eceiitly made by the Provincial Government of Otago to receive a number of refugees from the North Island, the Wellington ' Post ' says : — The Provincial Government of Otago have just done a very generous act in a very spontaneous manner, proving that, notwithstanding all the talk about separation, that part of the South, at any rate, has no desire to leave the North Island in the lurch. The ' Leader' (Melbourne) of the 28th Nov., says : — " There seems to be some understanding between the Governments of Australia that in future there shall be an Intercolonial Conference every year, each colony becoming the theatre of the intellectual tournament in rotation. Admitting that the first, which took place in Melbourne, was not an eminent success, neither was it a conspicuous failure, and it served the very practical purpose of familiarising the representatives of the colonies to act in consort. The next conference will be held in Sydney, early next year. In this the initiative has been taken by the Government of New Zealand, by whom the invitations have been issued. No doubt the Government of Victoria will promptly accept the overiure, not the less cheerfully because the chief topic to be discussed will be the best mode of promoting free commercial intercourse between the colonies, so far as regards their own respective products and manufactures." From a comparative return just issued of the gold exported from New Zealand for the quarter ending on the 30th September last, we find that the total amount exported was 152,22 loz., representing a money value of £597,355, being a decrease of upwards of 15 per cent, upon the amount exported during the corresponding period of last year. Of this amount Otago contributed 37,6620z., of the value of £150,648 showing an increase of about 14.88 per cent, over the corresponding quarter of 1867. She is, however, only the third on the list, being distanced by Nelson, with 50,2970z., equal to £201,188, and Westland with 49,4600z., equal to £197,840, notwithstanding the fact that the two latter exhibit a considerable decrease. Iht most remarkable feature of the sudden increase in the amount exported from Auckland, which, from £2938 in 1867, has risen to £42,723 in 1868 : this result being owing to the rush to the Thames diggings. The only other facts worthy of notice in connection with the return are, that while Marlborough exported gold to the amount of £1132 during the same period last year, this year her exports under this head are absolutely nil ; and that Southland also exhibits a falling off to the amount of nearly £6000, or about 60 per cent. The total value of the gold exported from. JN'ew Zealand since the date of its first discovery in the colony, is £16,404,673. From a return issued of the Customs revenue collected at the different ports of the colony during the auarter ending on the 30th September last, we find that, as compared with the corresponding quarter of 1867, there is a falling off to the amount of £5016, or about 2.55 per cent. Of the 26 ports enumerated iv the return, only 6 show an increase — viz., Auckland, Russell, Westport, Dunedin, Invercargill, <i.id the Biuffj the rate of increase being 37. (j j, 16.84, 14.29, 12.63, 5-07, and 177.77, per uout respectively. Though relatively the prog;v. 3 made by the Bluff is the most striking, yet absulutely the amount — £128 — ia but insignificant, and by far the greatest increase is shown by Auckland, owing to the development of the Thames Goldfield. On the other hand, the largest decrease in the returns of the more important ports is shown by Hokitika, being at the rate of 4666 per cent ; while the lowest in the scale are the Chatham Islands, which contribute only £1 to the general total.

The following letter signed by ten Chiefs of the 2 [ Otaki natives, has been published by request in the Wellington papers :— " OtaM, 26th Not., i 1868. This is a notice to all the Hauhau men t living at all places in this island, same at < Wellington, same at Bangitikei. listen attentively all of you chiefs and common men. Do not ( allow,. any^^Siellers to be attacked on your i roads ; if you do ro^jrill be wrong, and you will have to bear the blame. And also to the Queen's ( Maoris — If you attack travellers on the road you will be blamed for it; Do not think that by ' going over to the Hauhaus that you will save ( yourselves ; this will not do ; rather let the pakehas to deal with them (meaning the Hauhaus) that they may be punished, and it ' will be well. Therefore, do not commit any murder j rather let the King be consulted with » in any of these cases. Only do not commit murder." A novel mode of ' Eaiaing the Wind" is thus related by the 'Panama Star,' of the 21st ; j October : — " On Saturday some dozen native ! gentlemen were invited to the Government i House on important business, which they found on getting there was for the purpose of borrowing from theui the sum of 6Dooodols, on refusing to lend which they were locked up for the night. After turning the matter over in their minds they all, except two, concluded to comply with the request of the President, and on giving their notes for the amount they were set at liberty." Advices per last mail (says the 'Daily Times') state that the ship Socrates from Erederickstad, with a cargo of timber, bound to Otago, was run down in the North Sea by the Norwegian mail steamer Nordsjernen. All hands saved. Mr Walter Montgomery, the celebrated tragedian, who is at present playing a starring engagement at the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre, Melbourne, will likely visit New Zealand in a few weeks. The ' Home News' states that one of the Banks in Sydney has returned to the shareholders one pound per share of their capital, being unable otherwise to profitably employ it. The notorious bushranger Garrett, has been found guilty at the Supreme Court, Dunedin, upon two charges of house breaking. He waß sentenced to 20 years' penal servitude. The * New Zealand Sun,' 4th December, in writing: upon this subject says : — " The Judge intended the sentence to 1 * be one of life-long banishment from the world. Twenty years of prison-life, added to the fifty -five years which have already passed over him must at any rate bow down the strong frame and deprive its possessor of much of the power to do evil if the will still survives. And so Henry Garrett passes to nis living death, and moralists may vainly seek an explanation of the insatiable disposition to crime he has displayed." It is announced that men willing to join the Armed Constabulary force for service at the front, mast apply to Captain Harvey, Esk street. Referring to the appointment of Sir John Young, late of Now South Wales, to the governorship of the dominion of Canada, the London 'Express* says:— "This appointment rises far above the sphere of party politics, and the selection of Sir John Young will probably give satisfaction to the thinkers of both sides. A trained official ; a politician where Parliamentary career dates from the year before the passing of the first Reform Bill; a statesman who has graduated in public business and in the art of governing men in the several offices of Lord of the Treasury, Secretary to the Treasury, Chief Secretary for Ireland, Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and finally as Governor of New South Wales, Sir John Young is well qualified to discharge the duties of his new post. The ' Argus,' of the 27th Nov., Bays:— "We understand that the active steps which have lately been taken by the Lands department to recover, and Bell at auction for the public benefit, lands given years ago to religious and other bodies, for specific purposes which have not been fulfilled, are about to be followed up by stringent proceedings in other parts of the colony." Colonel Gore Browne, formerly Governor of this colony, but more recently of Tasmania, is about to leave the latter place for England. It will be recollected that he was removed from his position in New Zealand for the zealous efforts he made to stamp out the Maori disaffection at its very commencement. The Rev James Leslie Randall, the new Bishop of New Zealand (says the ' Argus ' of the 20th Nov.) is the son of the Archdeacon of Berkshire, and brother of the newly-appointed incumbent of All Saints' Church, Clifton. Mr Randall was educated at the New College, Oxford, and became a fellow of that college. He graduated B.A, 1851, M.A. 1855, and, therefore, is about thirty-eight years of age. He was ordained by the Bishop of Oxford as deacon in 1852, and priest in 1853, aud was presented by the bishop in 1857 to the rectory of .Newbury. At the present time the income of the Bishopric of New Zealand cannot be stated. Appeals have been made in England for voluntary subscriptions. The crops in the Northern part of Canterbury are said to be flourishing, and an abundant liarvest is confidently looked forward to in consequence.