WELLINGTON.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 7, Issue 349, 25 June 1863, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

. Immigrants’ Prommissory Notes.— Pursuant to adjournment tlie hearing of the case Woodwai’d v. Greaves was resumed-:; in the banco sittings before his Honor Mr. Justice Johnston yesterday morning. After several hours’ discussion judgment was formally given in favor of the defendant:: on two of tlie points raised, viz.,'that the Superintendent is the proper, person to sue, and that in the piesent caoe'Mr. Kelliam should be the payee. His Honor gave ho decision whatever on the other points, and merely intimated his v /'intention of deciding against the Government on the above-mentioned pleas.-" The usual official decision will be given: in a few days, after which the futute mode of precedure will be settled in Chambers.— New Zea and Spectator, June 20. . Communication with Taranaki.— The genius of dullness at present reigns triumphant in New Zealand, save in Taranaki, ivlierc the interest of the whole colony is centred. "When shall we have further news from the north? is the query' which daily and hourly greets ns We really cannot say, up to the time of writing this, when any intelligence will arrive, unless by the Airedale, which is due here on the 29th from Manukau, Taranaki, Nelson, and Picton. It may be, a Tew hours after this sheet is issued, that Taranaki intelligence wili be received by the Overland mail from Wanganui, but meantime we must wait with what patiehcM we ; ean • muster. Considering the importance of -.intelligence being quickly disseminated throughout the colony of the events of the war just commenced, it would be well for’ che General Government to employ an extra steamer to run between Taranaki and Wellington. If .this-were done, the news would soon be communicated from here to the other provinces.— lndependent, June 20. The paddle steamer Prince Alfred, Capt. J Robertson, from Wanganui bound to Otago, put into this harbour on Thursday evening last, in consequence of an accident to her boiler. T liree bullocks were killed through tlie accident. She left last night for Otago after the boder had been repaired— Advertiser , June 20. The Gorio, screw steamer, froiil Wanganui j-is .not to return there again, but to proceed to Sydney.— Advertiser. I: -PA COROMANDEL. J unc 1 st. Most Important. —Mr. Murphy ; has struck the same lead of auriferous mullock and rubble which he had near the top—at a considerable depth below— one dish yielding, in scaly gold and little specimens about one ounce. , ; No.'s has struck a lead'-of “ drift,” of the: same natiu'e. as the Ballarat drift. It is proved to be auriferous already. There is no saying what may turn up-through this discovery ; —perhaps an “ alluvial lead.”

120 ounces, from No. 5 are going to town, and there are yet 65 pounds weight on hand, amongst which there are some splendid , specimens. Southern Cross, June 3rd.

■ : MONGONTJI. ' 7 May 30th,'1863; Native Affairs-. —A large meeting of the natives was convened lately. Many speeches were made by the leading chiefs in. favour of neutrality in the event of war in the south. The havoc and distress, caused by their former fightings with; various tribes were forcibly explained, and the advantages of peace fully admitted. Nearly all the principal chiefs signed the petition to his Excellency the Governor for a main trunk dray road to the, north. Towards the conclusion of of the meeting, a general feeling was expressed , of a determination to assist the Governoiy in putting down rebellion to the Queen 4 s authority, if he should think their services required. Settlement Lands.— We may congratulatephe settlers in this district on their future prospects. Two blocks of land north of Mongonui are set apart for imigrants under the auspices of Dr. Strafford. The success of the Nova Sco thuis-in opening opening up the country, apd ,<level.bping its, resources is now quite proverbial. 'Anglo Indian Settlement.—A gentlemaA .is making arrangements, for'.the

formation of a special settlement of Anglo-Indians, mostly pensioners, from

the Evst Indies. Should tlie project find favour with his honor the Superintendent there is every reason to believe it will-be consummai od, and a block of land . near the Nova Scotian settlement selected. . It being-shrewdly surmised - that gold frornthe East Indies, and labour from North America will form- a legitimate basis of operations. This district has been preferred, after many month's examination of other localities ; and the mildness andserenity of the climate, in addition to the many natural ' advantages for permanent occupation lias induced this desirable decision! — SoutKe'tnlCroos, June 3.

NAPIER. / Supreme Court sittings are henceforth., to be held in Napier on, or so soon after as may be convenient, the first, days of February and August in each year—an official intimation to that effect having j appeared in a recent number of the Gazette. . . ; A singular case of suicide recently occurred in the Wairoa district. A native ; having been charged with impropriety ! towards one of the other sex, and-tried ! for the offence by a native runanga, took j it so much, to heart, that he introduced his body into a woolpack, with a rope round liis heck (previously made fast to the hough of a tree) and turned himself off. He was subsequently found quite dead. A small newspaper in the Maori language, to be styled , the “ Waka (canoe) Maori o Almriri ”, is about to be issued fortnightly from the office of this paper. — llawlce's Bay Herald, June 6. OTAGO. The agitation for separation seems now. fairly at a close. A short.while since, at a nomination of candidates for seats in the Provincial Council, belli at. Dunedin, of twelve gentlemen who ex pressed, their views on this point, not one uttered, a. word in favour of carrying ou the agitation while the native disturbance cout" tinues. All condemned such a proceeding as ill-timed and dishonourable. Two of the twelve had the temerity to oppose separation altogether, and the other tbn, some of whom were its ardent supporters some months ago, spoke of it with bated breath, and as, under any circumstances,., an evil to he deprecated, rather than an advantage eagerly to! he sought. To estimate the greatness of this change of opinion it must he remembered, that some of these gentlemen were ardent advocates for separation just on account, of the native disturbance, and, it might he, merely until that disturbance . v ere quelled. Now, these same gentlemen sav, No ; it would be unmanly and ungenerous to withdraw from our countrymen in the north any 'pecuniary aid we can render. By all means let them have a fair proportion of our revenue until satisfactory relations are established between them aiid the Maories. Let us make no movement for separation until this consummation is effected. This is mauly British feeling, and its -expression will no doubt he hailed throughout all the provinces as the manifestation of a spirit which, instead of tending to separation, will hind the whole country more compactly together into pue common patriotic people. It is remarkable that in these hustings addresses every one; of the former arguments for separation was. successively referred ,to and dismissed as no, longer -having aiiy force. Formerly, a change of tariff in the middle island was one of the great advantages do he gained by separation. Now it. -is that, even though the separation were had, a different tariff in each island would be. highly injudicious, and would burden their common commerce with intolerable restrictions. Formerly, the long debates in the house of representatives, ou native questions was a sufficient ground for separation. Now the, separation is,. at any rate, to he deferred until the natives are reduced to a .state of" quietness, which will render protracted. debates in tlie house on such ' questions unnecessary Indeed, the only argument not referred to was that remarkable one of Mr. Gillies’, who complained that the Maories on tlie north island rendered illegal the manufacture of good Scotch whiskey in Otago, and that therefore separation must he had. Mr. Gillies,;however, was not,one of the candidates, anil that may account for this, grievance not .being mentioned. It may. be presumed that if there are still separationists in Otago, this is their.rallying cry, Separation and Distillation. To. - what. may this change in public opinion he attributed ? Partly to the fact that there was no sufficient reason ever brought forward for such an import ant and radical change. That 100,000 people could not be governed by a Governor! n-chief and nine local deputy, governors, each of them assisted by an. executive council and a parliament, was a proposition fitted, to amaze lmt not to convince the British cabinet. Partly, to the result of tlie attempt to , enlist tlie other middle island provinces in the same agitation, s The proposal was received by them with suspicion and coldness. Partly to the opinion ffoieed on the Otago, sepa-, ratists, that their proposal of a separate government for that .province, failing the-co-operation of the other provinces, would not he listened to for one moment by the. Home Government. Rapid as lias been, tlie industrial progress of Otago during the last two years, the ]>olitical effect of that progress has been over-estimated by its inhabitants. They now begin to see their error, and to have a juster appi’eciatiun. of their condition, which, however flourishing, does not, justify those political aspirations in which at the dawn of their prosperity they indulged.

Mr. Moss’s idea of a united v ew Zealand, becoming.more potent than a disunited Australia,-ought to be considered

by those who appear narrow-minded enough to sacrifice the: general interests of the country to a desire for petty local aggrandisement. —By an occasional Correspondent. Messrs. Driver, Maclean'; &‘Go. report, on . the Ist June, that-:—Eat stock continues scarce,.. w;ith a very limited supply near to hand, or expected.£o, arrive ; ami we are still of; opinion that both , beef and mutton, will: maintain its-present value -for some months to come.

, Stores are dally becoming more scarce, with an increasing, demand, and an inclination on the part of buyers to accede to any reasonable advance. The report that plenro-pneumonia lias made its appearance in the. upper part of the district of Gipps .Laud has not yet been declared as a fact by the Government inspector of Victoria. Knowing the .dangers which would result from the introduction, of the disease into the province, we would mention, for the information of those interested —that.onr agents m Gipps , Land, Messrs. King and Co. and Messrs Johnson and . Hood, after the most careful inquiries into- ,tl.ie facts of the case, ivrite us that the suspected cattle .were.lately imported into Gipps Land, in almost .starving condition, and that many of them,have .died, hut from what ,cause had- not, up to the time of writing, been ascertained., That the runhoMerniß the lower part of :the district had applied to the Government to have the boundaries changed, so as to exclude all the country near the suspected cattle, thus preventing the possibility of intercourse in case the existence of the disease is proved. - Also, that all of the .cattle sent to ' this province, or likely to . arrive, are sent from runs in the low-er part of the district, and that any connection with the above-men-tioned .cattle is impossible. We quote prime quality beef at 70s to 7os per 100 lbs. Frst, class dairy cows with calves.at foot are saleable at from 1.8? to 251 working bullocks fit for imnnediate' use ~60?~ to : 70/ ; per pair ; fat sheep' 8d to 9ld per.. Ib. Tlie ruling ' prices ifor. horses are—-first .class draught horses from 85?. to 115?, medium do. 55? to 7 51, inferior do. 2.8? to 45?, superior saddle and light harness, in great request from 55? :to 75?,. medium do from 35? to 45?, inferior do 12? to 24?.