LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 323, 25 December 1862, Page 3

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

RESIDENT MAGISTRATES’ COURTS.

Wanganui. Before D. S. Durie, Esq., R.M.

Dec. 10. Pehira v. G. Wentworth, Debt J6l 6s 6d for driving cattle. Judgment given for 18s 6d, which the defendant had previously offered him. Dec. 11. Mr! McDowell u. E. Hackett Debt 7s. 6d. Judgment for 5s 6d and costs.

Dec. 12. Alfred Ash v. John Roscoe, Debt £4, being rent for four weeks. There was no written agreement as to the rent, and the defendant’s Solicitor advised a defence on the fact that the title to the

land is subject to dispute ; Judgment for defendant with costs. Robert Day was fined £2 and costs 4s, for being drunk, rid- ' ing furiously, riding on the footpath, and assaulting the Constable the previous day. Rowland Dossett was fined £ 1 lOs and

costs Is 6d, for being drunk, riding furiously, and riding on footpath the previous day. Dec. 16. Henry :Sinclair, sailor, was fined 10s for drunkness and i;l for assaulting the Constable on the 15th. Dec. 18. John Davidson obtained a licence to sell , spirituous liquors in the York hotel. ... •

. Dec. 18. Geo. Donogliue was fined £ 1 and costs 4s, for attempting to l’escue a prisoner the constable had taken up for drunkenness on the evening of the 17th inst.

Dec. 22. Riehana was reprimanded for using abusive language to John Gi*ogan, a corporal in 57th regt. Wirihana and Hore te Hone were charged with behaving themselves in the street on Saturday evening in a manner calculated to lead to a breach of the peace. Wirihana was fined 19s and costs 6s 6d.

Kobt. Atkinson was fined 10s and costs 6s 6d, for being drunk and disorderly in Campbell-place on Saturday evening. Bartholomew Conway was fined «£ 1 and costs 6s 6d, for being drank and disordeiiy on Saturday evening, and assaulting Hore te Hone. The above three cases arose out of a disgraceful distui’bance on Saturday evening, in Campbell-place, in which various parties were fighting in the midst of a large crowd of civilians and soldiers. It would appear that Conway was drinking in Liddell’s public house where W ilson saw him and exchanged coats with him. Hone and Conway afterwai’ds met at the corner of the Victoria avenue, opposite the Rutland hotel,'where Conway claimed Hone’s coat as. his property, and struck Hone, several times with a manuka stick about an inch thick. Conway afterwards went towards Liddells. Thither he was shortly followed by Hone and Wirihana, the latter of whom was exciting Hone to vengeance. Hone found Conway and flourished a stick over him ; then commenced a general scuffle, which lasted for some time—persons fighting here and there where they could find an opponent. At length the policemen took into custody the most,violent.

Wm. Crichton was charged with larceny, and was sentenced to four months imprisonment with hard labour. John Bari, partner of the firm of Taylor, Watt £ Co., stated that on Sunday last he had occasion to go to the store. \\ lien inside, he observed the top sash of one of the lack windows drawn, down, aiid one of the panes broken, the hole being large enough to allow of a piece of flax being pushed through to open the sash fastening. He noticed about twenty sticks tobacco lyiug near the window, and on searching found prisoner under the counter. He then observed two tins confec tionery, two shirts, a black cloth cap, a tweed vest and a mai'tingale—altogether worth about 54s—all lying together near the window. The prisoner begged his pardon, and said he would never do it again. He had no accomplice ; the pane was cracked previously. The prisoner, who is a boy of about fifteen, confessed to having taken the goods, and was sentenced to foui* months’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Dec. 23. Tamberlaiu Campbell was adjudged £9 6s 3d and costs £1 11s, being half cost of a dividing fence between his land and section No. 100. Part of .this section was sold lately for a similar purpose, and having brought a high pric3, this claim was paid out of the money remaining'in the Resident Magistrate’s hands.

Manawatu, Ist Dec. 1862. Before Walter Buller, Esq., R.M. Alexander Gray e. John Rhenoches, Debt £lO 17s 7d. An action to recover balance of account for goods sold and delivered. . Judgment for amount and costs. Rangitikei, 3rd Dec. 1862. Before Walter Buller, Esq., R.M., Wm. Fox, Esq, J.P., Dr. Curl, J.P. Matiu v. Rawiri; Damages 10s. Defendant not in attendance. Judgment ex ’.parte for amount and costs. Sairiuel Henderson v. Richard Hammond, Detenue. Plaintiff claimed a calf unlawfully detained by defendant. Defendant disputed the owner-ship. Evidence taken thereupon. Defendant ordered to give up the Calf in question, and to pay costs. Pita Te Tohe r. John McKelvie, Damages £l2. This was a claim for the amount of damages alleged to have been sustained by the trespass of defendant’s Cattle upon . the cultivated ground at Parewanui, Judgment for £1 4s and costs.

John McKelvie v. Pita Te Tohe. Damages £ 15. An action to recover the value of a bullock alleged to have died in consequence of impoundage by the defendant and other natives. Plaintiff failed to establish his claim. Judgment for defendant with costs.

Nahona v. William Brockie, Damages £3 10s. A claim made on account of defendant having dug about and, cut up up the surface of land belonging to plaintiff. Ordered to sow grass seed on the parts in question, and to pay costs.

Campbell Town Land Sale.—On Thursday last, the advertised sections of the Public Reserve on the other side of the river were put up for sale, at the Provincial Survey office here. There were about ■ 30 persons present. Before the sale commenced, a written protest, signed by a few individuals, against the sale, was handed to Mr. Porter, the surveyor, who thereupon remarked that he had been instructed by Government to proceed with the sale, whatever objections might be advanced, as they were prepared to give good and sufficient titles

to the land. The section No." 1 was put up at £ls0 —and having* by a mistake, gone up to £164., . was knocked down to Capt. Sharp. All the other sections sold, except one, went at tlie _ upset prices. _ They were the following :—No. 2. £lso;’ No. 37, £27 11s (upset price £25) ; No, £4O, £2B ; No. 41, £34, to Major Durie No. 4, £170; No. 6, £140; No. 8; £l2O ; No. 18, £lB ;' to Capt. Sharp ; and No. 14, £ls, to Mr. A. Duncan. The ten sections'sold thus realised £867 Bs. . For the other fifteen sections there was no offer made. They are now in the market, we suppose, at the upset prices. The sections sold lie along the river bank, and in a paddock which Major Durie occupies. This act of spoliation only puts £ls into the Government coffers, the rest of the purchases being paid for in scrip. Whether any action will be taken on the protest we are not aware. New English Church. —The design for the New Parish Church of Christchurch Wanganui adopted by the Church building Committee is the same that was selected by the Church Trustees several years since. It is for a building ;:in the “ Early English’ ’ or first “ Pointed ’ ’ style which prevailed in England during the 13th century. The building will consist of a Nave ; North and South Aisles; and Chancel : with a tower of 3 stories surmounted by an octagonal spire placed in the angle formed by the Chancel and South aisle. There will be 5 lancet windows in each aisle, and the same number of clerestory lights on each side of the nave ; while the chancel and western windows will consistof laneeiform triplets. The main entrance at the west end will afford access to the seats in the nave ; those in the aisles being reached by porches on either side. The aisles will be separated from the nave by five arches on each side, springing from columns ; and an arcade of three arches will divide the chancel from the lower portion of the Tower, which will contain the harmonium and school children: the tipper stories serving respectively as vestry and belfry: There will be seats for 290 persons in the body of the church, besides the : choir stalls in the chancel, and the children’s seats ; and the building can at any time be enlarged by throwing back the west end. The nave will have an open timber roof, and the chancel a vaulted one. Ventilation is provided for by circular openings in each gable of the nave as well as by the windows. It is intended to use only totara or other hard wood in the construction of the building, which will be weatherboarded or plastered according. to the funds at the Committee’s disposal. Externally, the building will have a Very chaste and elegant appearance, and inside the comfort of the worshippers lias been carefully attended to. The structure has been designed by Mr. Field, and shews that gentleman’s well known taste and skill. Victoria Rifle Association.— At a meeting held on the 12th inst., a prize of £2 2s. was competed for and gained by Mr. Owen The ranges were 150, 200, 250 and 300 yds., 5 rounds at each distance ; 2 targets ; position standing. The following are the scores made:—

noon last, between five and six, o’clock a private of the 57th regt. named Michael Connor, the worse foi* drink, was in the bar of the Victoria Hotel, where he struck another soldier named Murphy, and then a second named Booer. A scuffle ensued between Connor and Booer, in the course of which they fell together on the floor ; but neither party was seen to kick the other. Those present not being able to stop the fighting, assistance was sent for, and the regimental police took Booer into custody. Connor escaped and went up to the barracks, where he shut himself into a Serjeant’s room. Only some scratches wero seen on his face previous to his leaving the Victoria. After remaining about an hour in the Serjeant’s room, he came out and was put into the guard-room, where Booer also was. He went up to Booer and struck him. . In self-defence Booer returned the blow. They were separated, but again commenced fighting and fell on the floor twice, Booer falling on Connor the one time, and Connor on the other. Neither here, was any kick seen to be given, or blow on the lower part of the body. On’the Corporal of the guard coming in, they were finally separated. Connor complained of pain during the night. Between eight and nine next morning his illness was reported to the Serjeant of the guard, who had him taken to the hospital. Here he was visited by Dr. Davis, who prescribed, but the medicines did no good, and the man died about a quarter to three o’clock in the afternoon. He oomplained of pain in the belly. An inquest was held on Saturday before H. Ross, Esq., Coroner of the District. Several witnesses were called, and proved the facts mentioned above. Dr, James Davis, Assistant Surgeon of the regiment, was requested by the Coroner to make a post-mortem examination of the body, and after doing so, stated as follows :—On opening the abdomen it was completely filled with blood ; the blood had come from a rupture of the spleen ; that was a. sufficient cause to produce death. This rupture had, in all probability, been occasioned by some external violence ; but there were no external marks of any such violence. It might have been caused by a blow—or' from pressure on the body by the knee to hold

him down—or from an attempt to, drag him away from the fight by a person with his arms round his waist—or by violent struggling to free himself, although . the last clause is not likely. Did not 'think that, if the injury had been sustained in the hotel, deceased could' have to the barracks*'as lie did, without exhibiting great ’weakness ; noi* could he have fought and struggled in the guardroom, as he was reported to have done. The. brufte in deceased’s face had no connectionf’Sith the cause of his death—From such .a rupture of the spleen death must have resulted.

The Coroner, having gone over the evidence and poiuted out under what circnmstanoes a verdict of “ manslaughter ” would be proper, the Jury returned the following verdict: —“ That the deceased, Michael Connor, died from a rupture of the spleen; but how caused the Jury have not evidence to show.” The deceased was an Irishman and a Roman Catholic and was described as a quiet, well-behaved man -when sober, but quarrelsome; when drunk. • ClijristJKs, Fare.—There wasa , dist theshopof Mr. Pawson, butcher, yesterday morning, that would have made an epicure’s teeth water. Besides beef that would have graced Smithtield, there were Southdowus from Kai-iwi, weighing 105 to 115 lbs. each; pure merinos from Cresswell, Weighing 82 to 95 lbs, and some fine lambs from Mr. Brooking’s, Kaikokopu. Altogether the display was exceedingly creditable both to the graziers and the butchers. "OUR NATIVE RESIDENT MAGISTRATE. "We know Mr. White and have known him from his childhood, lie is one of the very few men in New Zealand, who can not only understand but answer, in characteristic style, a genuine Maori ff taki .” . Born in the country, before the islands Were . annexed to the British Crown, alnd spending his youthful days in one of the districts of the North thickly populated' with aborigines,—having but few and far between opportunities of associating with companions of liis own race, he, . as well as the children of other Europeans similarly ..circumstanced—necessarily acquired a knowledge of the Maori language. In early life he spoke it with more fluency and ease than hir mother tongue. But his acquirements were not confined, as was geneally the case, to a perfect knowledge of colloquial Maori. He early evinced an inquisitive turn of mind ; and being a general favourite, he was indoctrinated by the old Ngapuhi “ tohimr/as” into all the mysteries of their craft. Before he had reached the age of manhood, he was an adept in all the occult knowledge of the race. He could ■ u 'taki ” with; as much energy, poetic tire, and force as the most renowned of the Maori orators. Not a “ waiata ” could be chanted, not a “ karakia ” mumbled, not a “ whakatau ki” darkly hinted, but he could um*avel its latent meaning, and cap it with a rejoinder. These acquirer merits, which were, at the time, of little value, have since been of considerable service to him personally, and of immense importance to the Government by adding greatly to the. influence of one of their officers. Fortunately, Mr. White has superadded to his Maori accomplishments a good stock of general information. He is not an educated man, but is possessed of naturally quick parts, and has made the best of his opportunities for acquiring information ; consequently he knows how and when, to apply the power which his occult knowledge gives him over the minds, and; imaginations of the Maoris. Sir Geo! Grey is reputed to have the faculty of discovering, as if by intuition, the capabilities of those who come in con tact with him. If we mistake not, Mr. White first, entered the Government service during the administration of Colonel Wynyard. He remained for some time a subordinate member of the Native Department. We have reason to believe, however, that his extraordinary qualifications as a Maori linguist, and the wonderful influence he had been khown to wield over the natives were not entirely overlooked.. Mr. Dillon Bell and other members of the House of Representatives if our memory is not treacherous, had occasion more than once to allude in debate, to Mr. White’s peculiar forte. Sir Geo. Grey would not be long in discovering the£,rarity and value of the possessed by Mr; White.. Hence, it is npt surprising that he should be selected to accompany the Governor to Wellington in the capacity of Interpreter. Nor is it a matter of astonishment that his Excellency, should promote Mr. White to the office of Resident Magistrate, appointing as his sphere of action, a district teeming with disaffected natives. Our correspondent at Wellington, and our contemporary the Wanganui Chronicle , appear to he struck with amazement at the result of Mr. White’s first colloquy with the wavering natives. But we are not at all surprised. We feel almost as confident as if we had been present, that Mr. White accomplished Ills apparent marvels by simply acting on the principle to which we alluded in the outset. He did not attempt to reason with his audience. He knew a shorter road to their confidence and. rfespect. He alluded to" their imaginations, and by the skilful adaptation of some article of traditional faith at once touched a chord that vibrated in every' heart, and bound them all in cheerful acquiescence to his will. The permanency of the effects produced, will depend upon many things—mainly upon Mr. White’s constant presence and prudence. But of this we may rest assured ; influence gained by means like those employed by Mr. White is more powerful and likely to be more - permanent than any which is sought to be obtained by the exhibition of physical force. Fifty

men Of; Mr. WhiteYAtaipp would do more in six monfchsr towards solving tlie problem of New Zealaud, than fifty regiments of the best appointed troops. Mr. Richmond the late Native Minister was fully impressed with the importance of the influence which properly qualified men could exert. It was he, we believe, who once declared “ our real difficulty lies in obtaining the right men for the right place ; give me twenty men of the required capacity and powers, and I will govern them without the aid of the rifle. —Otago ■ Colonist.

[We believe the above to be a pretty correct account of Mr. White’s ‘ antecedents ;’ but the writer seems to have a very contracted view of what it is to be “ educated.” He is wrong in supposing that Mr. White does not reason with the natives, but merely appeals to their imaginations and traditional recollections. Mr. White’s power lies in this, that he reasons with them in their own way ; and that his intimate acquaintance with their language, customs, and traditions, enables him to answer every argument they bring forward. They are convinced, not charmed into acquiescence and submission. Mr. White’s tone ol authority has also some effect as well as Ills power in appointing magistrates and policemen. We la t week adverted to another error the writer had fallen into in respect to the Chronicle, and need not again mention it ]

W. T. Owen . : . .9 7 7 7--31 T. Garner . . . . . 6: 10 9 4—29. R. Gray . . . . . n 7 5 5--28 W.Finhimore . , . . 10 8 4 5— -27 Frank Parkes . . . .6 7 7 6--26 G. Beaven . . . . . Y 8 3 5--23 W. Garner . . . {. . 6 6 4 4--20 ,T. Liddell ... 6 5 4 -17D. Hurley . . . . . 3 7 4 0--14 Fatal Brawl. —On Thursday after-