NORTHERN NEWS.

Southland Times, Issue 1265, 14 June 1870, Page 2

NORTHERN NEWS.

(FROM OUR OWU" CORRESPONDENT.) Dunedin, June 13. The criminal sessions closed on Friday. Creagh has been sentenced to three years for embezzlement. We take tbe following telegraphic summary from our Northern files :— Wellington; June 2nd. A full meeting of the Steam Mail Service Committee was held to-day, to receive the report of the deputation regarding their interview with the Post-master-General. The following resolution, proposed by Mr Gillon, and seconded by Mr Kjull, was carried'unanimously:-- -" That in the opinion of the Committee; the explanations afforded by the Hon. the Postmaster-General to the . deputation which waited upon him on the 30th ult. are extremely unsatisfactory ; that the scheme of having a line of ocean steamers calling first- at Auckland and then visiting the Southern ports, the Manukau being connected with Australia by a branch line,' is impracticable ; and that, in the event of such a~ scheme as the one indicated in the first resolution passed at the late public meeting, obtaining the support of the Victorian Government, this Committee -feels bound; to use its influence to secure for the scheme any subsidy this colony can grant in aid of such a service." The Post-master-General wrote a . letter to Mr Pearee, the Chairman of the deputation, affirming the correctness, ".of the/\ telegraphic summary of the late interview furnished by the Government. This : letter caused great amusement' to the Committee, and a. resolution was passed thanking Mr Pearee for his conduct in forwarding telegrams to the Press, contradicting the Government telegram,- as well as for his conduct as the head of the deputation. June 3rd. Kemp, Topia, Mete Kingi, and Col. M'Donnell arrived from Wanganui today, to endeavor to obtain payment for the Wanganui natives for their services during the late campaign. They claim about £15,000. Mr Fox recently telegraphed to Wanganui offering them £500 on account, but they refused to accept it. Topia is represented as greatly dissatisfied. June 4th. The Postmaster-General replied to-day to the resolution passed by the San Erancisco Service Committee, affirming the impracticability of forwarding the Australian .mails .by .branch steamers from the Manukau, and the mails to the Southern provinces by the ocean steamers. He asserts that the resolution was passed with a desire to depreciate .the advantages offered by Port Chalmers, and states that it is injurious to the interests of Otago. He also hopes that the people of Otago will suspend their judgment until they receive the resolution, together with the correspondence to which it has given rise. June sth. On Friday night, a girl named Margery TJrquhart fell down dead in a fit of apoplexy. At the Coroner's inquest, the jury returned a verdict of " Died from natural causes." On the same night, a man named Lowry, proprietor of the Nag's Head Inn, fell down stairs in an epileptic fit, and died this morning from concussion of the brain. June 6th. The agents of the New Zealand Insurance Company here have received a telegram from London, via Galle,. announcing the safe arrival of the barque Cambodia (regarding whose safety fears were entertained) from Auckland, after a passage of 155 days. The Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court opened to-day. The Grand Jury ignored five bills. The cases tried a were of no special interest. June 7th. The Independent of to-day authoritatively contradicts the statement that Judge Ward has been appointed District Judge at Hokitika. It says that the office, is not vacant. The Supreme Court has been occupied all day with the trial of Martin, the drillinstructor, on a charge of rape. The trial is not yet over.

Blenheim, June 2nd. . Several small nuggets, one weighing 27dwts., have been found, and good gold struck in another, creek running through Bartlett's Valley, as weH us on the flat. The prospects are improving.

The Provincial Council has passed the Wairau Bridge Bill, granting the tolls for 21 years as security for the erection of the bridge. The Boads Bill is progressing.

Christchurch, June 2nd. A large and influential meeting of persons interested in the preparation of flax was held to-day. A^ committee was appointed to consider the best process of dressing the .fibre, and the Superintendent (who was in the chair) at the request of the meeting, has telegraphed to the General Government, asking them to instruct Dr Featherston and Mr Dillon Bell to inspect the machinery in use at home and report thereon.

Timabtt, June 2nd. A fire broke out last night in the shop of Messrs Chandler and Jenkins, grocers, and in the space of two hours destroyed tbe shop and all its contents, as well as the two adjoining buildings, belonging to Mr Cullman, and one of which was occupied,by Mr Wadsworth, shoemaker, the other being empty: Tho origin of the fire is unknown. Messrs Chandler and Jenkin's shop and stock were insured in the London and Liverpool Company for ■6700. The two buildings belonging to Mr Cullman were insured in the London and Lancashire office for £325. Mr Wadsworth's stock was not insured. When the fire was nearly over, the shop of Mr Beldy, tobacconist, in another part of the town, was also found to be on fire. The door was bunt open, and the fire was got under, though not without some little damage to its contents. The origin of the fire is unknown.

Napier June sth. Mr M'Lean left last evening in the Luna for Wellington. Immediately after arriving at Wellington, the Luna will leave for the Manukau, and will bring back the Governor and the Auckland members of both Houses to attend the opening of the Assembly. The Governor is expected to arrive in Wellington on the llth. The public dinner given here to Mr M'Lean was well attended. In the course of his speech Mr M'Lean said that the present Government had done their utmost, towards bridging over the difficulties which at one time threatened the very existence -of the colony. This exertion on their part was the more necessary from the fact that the aid of the mother country had been withdrawn. The light in which the British nation regarded the dependencies of the Empire was purely a commercial one ; and consequently we should not lose sight of the necessity for making preparation for our own defence. The intention of the present Government was to use every means in their power to bring about a peace that should be last- '" ing and durable, and to- unite and harmonise as far as possible both races. While they were desirous of punishing and making examples ■ of outrage and crime, no opportunity would be lost of extending tbe hand of friendship to natives who were desirous of taking advantage of our laws. The aim of the Government was to promote settlement and secure peace, both of which were necessary preliminaries to the introduction of immigrants and capital. The natives who had been in arms against us were now engaged- for a merely nominal payment in making roads through their own districts. He could not impress too strongly upon his hearers the great assistance we had received from our Native allies. He entirely disapproved of the charge of treachery brought against them. Now that we had occupied the interior of the island, he did not say that we should not have difficulties to contend with, but all danger of any magnitude had passed. The .utmost harmony had always prevailed among the members of the present Government, and they had ever been actuated by a desire .for the benefit of the colony. They had ..always felt that the settlers could not hold the plough with one hand and a musket with the other. He would have visited Hawke's Bay before, but the Government had such confidence in Mr Ormond's management of affairs, that tbe presence of Ministers had been considered unnecessary. Mr Ormond's meeting the Provincial Council without an Executive, was a move .in the right direction, and would lead to the simplification of the present form of Government. Eopata, Mokeha, and other chiefs, also spoke, expressing their confidence in Mr M'Lean, and their determination to take the field in the spring, and utterly root out the rebellion.

Nelson, June, sth. The ship Mallard has sailed from Auck- , land for London with a cargo consisting chiefly of gam and. flax, and valued at ! £20,000. The effort to establish a dry dock at Auckland is progressing. The Native Lands Court is still enquiring into the Native titles at. Ohinemuri. Mr Coppoek, proprietor of the Morning Advertiser, has been committed for trial on a charge of libelling Mr§Beed, editor of the Evening Star. He has been admitted to bail, himself in £200, and two sureties in £100 each. A semi-responsible form of Government has been established in Nelson. Mr D. M. Luckie was sent for by the Superintendent, but he declined the office. He, however, recommended Mr Joseph Shep_ hard, Provincial Treasurer, and Mr Alexander fieid (formerly of the Otago Daily Times), one of the members for the Goldfields. Both appointments have since been gazetted. The goldfields at Wangapeka and Collingwpod are both rapidly improving. Stone of great richness and good prospects have been, obtained. Several private companies are being formed to work the fields. A rich lode of copper has been struck in the Pioneer Company's claim at Collingwood.