LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 8, Issue 380, 25 February 1864, Page 4

LETTER TO THE EDITOR.

Wanganui, February 22, 1864. Sir,—My name having appeared in the several newspapers at Wellington and thfs place, as having been sued in two instances for nonpayment of monies due by me, and believing that, unexplained, such reports may be injurious to my credit, I am induced to request the publication of the following statement. Some months back, I was engaged to carry an express to Wellington, the expences incurred on the journey to be paid by the Government, and I received authority to explain this to the several Innkeepers on the road, from whom I might have to hire* horses or obtain refreshments. I went to Wellington, and was there detained by the Native Minister, Mr. Mantell,. for five days ; the consequence of which was, five extra days’ horsehire and horsekeep, at each station. i The accounts were procured, were handed to the proper officer, approved by him, and forwarded for bayment, but not paid. The parties tired of waiting sued me, and thus I figured as a defendant for a debt I did not owe. The injury having been done, the mouies were paid forthwith, but no explanation offered. lam therefore under the necessity of making my own case known. 1 am &c., James Southcombe.

THE WAE. A considerable sensation was excited in town on Thursday, by the recept of a telegram announcing that Lieutenant Mitchell,, of H.M.S ‘ Esk* and the acting commander of the ‘Avon’ had been shot, The unfortunate young officer was standing on the paddle box of the steamer while it was going up the river, little dreaming of hidden danger, when several shots were discharged from the bush, one of which proved fatal to him, after lingering twenty hours. This gallant young officer was only in his twenty-secoud year ; and had, during his too brief career, rendered good service, He is to be buried in the Auck land cemefcry this day, along with Lieutenant Manteith, of H.M. 70th Infantry, who died on Thursday morning, at the Queen’s Redoubt. He was in feeble health* Weekly News, Feb 6. Premptory orders were received yesterday for the Second-class Militia to march this morning without further delay for Otahuhu, or wherever else they may be required to go. This caused some little sensation in Auckland, as there was a well-founded belief entertained by the citizens belonging to this class that their services would not be required. They mustered yesterday morning at six o’clock to the number of 200, and received orders to muster at the same hour each morning until they should be either dismissed or marched from parade on duty at a moment’s notice. At the same time, however, there was a whisper that they would not be required ; but in the afternoon all doubt was dispelled by the warning that they were to inarch this morning. Gi’eat dissatisfaction was expressed at this unwelcome intelligence, as the greater number of those thus called to do duty out of town are engaged in businesses which they will either have to suspend or entrust to others at considerable expense and anxiety to themselves. If these large drafts from the citizens is continued much longer, it must result in a total suspension of business. One hundred " of the Artillery who arrived by the Sea King started for the front yesderday morning shortly after ten o’clock, taking with them three 6pound Armstrong guns.— Daily Southern Cross Feb. 5.

The Southern Cross, of 3rd Feb. says, with respect to the Maori position : A rough idea of their position and that of our forces may be obtained thus : The native fortifications are on a low range of hills ; let that be the base of a triangle, and the General’s forces occupy the other two sides of it. The only escape for the rebels, therefore, is to their rear, but here the river Waipa runs and the ‘ Avon’ is stationed on it, and troops are at hand to be prepared for such contingencies. There is, therefore, no feasible way of. escape for any large body of the enemy, although they might possibly in the darkness of the night escape in small numbers. This being the case, unless they are well supplied with food—which the fact of their being ‘ cut off from their cultivations leads to the supposition that they are not—they must of necessity be forced, before long, either to come to terms or fight their way out. Report says that the General intends to starve them out, but in either contingency he will be prepared for them. The latest intelligence is that the 50th and 70tli Regiments had been moved to the rear of the enemy, and thus more still .effectively cutting off their retreati The whole of our forces on the field amounted to 2,800 men, these will probably be largely reinforced. A body of about of the Ist Waikato Regiment have 150 been ordered to the Front, but it is not likely that they will be employed in fighting, but on escort duty such as in the conveyance of provisions to the camp. The Government transport ‘Alexandra’ left Onehunga, yesterday morning for Raglan, with 100 Waikato miliatiamen, and 150 regular troops. Orders have also been issued for fifty blue-jackets and all the marines from the men-of-war, to proceed to the Front. The troops started for Pikopiko on Monday the 28th ult ; and on the following day the General made his head-quar-ters at Te Rore, near a settler’s house named Cowell, which had been burned by the natives, ar well as another belonging to a Mr. Heather. On the Ist inst. the General made a reconnoisauce of the enemy’s position at Paterangi. He advanced within 900 yds. of it. Some shots were fired at his party. The hill on which he was, command’s the enemy’s works, and next morning the Maories were digging rifle pits on the summit. A correspondent of the Southern Cross writes :

Their fortifications in the neighbourhood of Mr. Heather’s farm are said to be very strong, and much increased in number, particularly at Orakaru swamp. (Your readers must not take this for the village of Orakaru, which is near to Rangiawhia and Kihikihi.) Orakaru swamp is three miles from Waipa river, at Mangaotama creek. Patera ns;i is four miles from Waipa river, at Cowell’s, and near the main dray road to Rangiawhia. Pikopiko is only four and a half miles from the river. The other fortifications are situated near to Te Awamutu, and others on the line of road approaching from Horatiu river, towards Te Awamutu, are said to be very strong. From this quarter they expected the General to advance. Maories are said to be in number over 4,000; but we must take off 1,000. Many from the East Coast are there ; also the whole force who were at, and escaped from Rangiriri. Another correspondent of the Cross describes tlie Maori position at Pikopiko as follows : I There appeared to be three redoubts,

the principal one crowning the summit of a small hill, and the other two being ereoted lower down, in a diagonal direction ; thus taking advantage of the decline of the hill. The parapets appeared of great height, and doubtless the ditches will be found correspondingly deep. Three lines of newly thrown , /up earth, supposed to be rifle-pits ran parallel with the redoubts the outermost line of pits being of very great length. Some of the pits were also stockaded. How the redoubts may be protected on other sides I cannot say, but to all it must have appeared that the rebels, anticipating the General would advance in a direct line upon their works, had bestowed infinite labour on this portion. Great numbers of natives were observed on the parapets, along the side of the hill, and the top of an adjacent ridge. On the 12th Lieut. Colonel Havelock, and his orderly were nearly surrounded by natives, but managed to get clear off with the loss of the orderly’s horse, which fell into a potato pit, and was afterwards shot by the natives. Two other soldiers of the 50th regiment, were reported as missing that night and it was feared that they might have either fallen into the hands of the Maories or been shot. Late in the course of the same night one of these men turned up, and the body of the other, named Donovan, a private in the 50th . Regiment, in the course of ehe week; As there was no mark of violence on his person, nor any appearance of gun-shot wounds, it was concluded that he had been drowned; At this date, there was occasionally heavy firing on both sides, but too distant or ill-directed to take effect as regards our mert, although oi course, the result of our shells directed against the Maori fortifications was not known.

AUCKLAND. The ste%m-canoe * Gymnotus,’ which has done such good service in conveying pleasure-parties to and from the North Shore, has been purchased by Mr. son, to ply on .the Waikato river. Dr. Hubault lias been appointed acting French consular agent in Auckland. Betting Extraordinary. —A well known medical gentleman, in the service of her Majesty afloat, recently made a bet with a lady for six dozen pairs of gloves that he would pull a pair of oars in a boat against four ladies. The bet was taken up. On the day appointed, our boating Esculapius appeared at the start prepared to win,.but on seeing the fouryoung ladies in the boat he declined the contest, and paid forfeit. The four young ladies pulled out a Jfew strokes and returned to Wynyard Pier, but could not induce the challenger to risk his reputation, and he left amidst the cheers of the asssembled boatmen. — Daily Southern Cross, H'eb 3. The Seat of Government. —The New Zealander in commenting on the Dunedin meeting says :—lt is gratifying to find that with the exception of those who are selfishly interested in securing the seat of Government in their own locality, and who are thoroughly unscrupulous in their advocacy of its removal from Auckland, a feeling of indignation "obtains, not only as to the injustice of the ,thing itself, but more so on account of the manner in which it has been attempted to carry it out. The proceedings at Otago, in protesting against the removal of the Seat of Government, are equally demonstrative as in this Province, and we may flatter ourselves, that when the two principal cities, north and south, with their . vast populations, are unanimous on the subject, there is small need to fear the result.

On the Ist inst. Mi*. E. F. Tole and three natives were passing the house of Mr. Thompson, whose wife and daughter were murdered recently, when two young men James Abbot, and Morris Clarke Henley, came out and fired twice on the party, fortunately without injury. The youths have been apprehended. A 4th Waikato Regiment is about to be organised, the commands to be given to experienced officers and non-commis-sioned officers.

The New Zealander complains of favouritism in giving exemption from Militia duty. It has been obtained by a payment of <£lo, but now that all those whom the Defence Minister was inclined to favour have been freed from duty no plea is received. CANTERBURY. We glean the following items from the Press. A Mr. B. Symons was killed by a fall from his horse atj Lyttelton on the 6th. inst. He has left a wife and five children. The Cricket match between the AllEngland Eleven and the Canterbury Twenty-two was brought to a close on the 10th, after three days’ play. The score stood as follows : England, first innings 137 ; Canterbury, first do. 30, second do. 105, Total, 135. The screw steamer Augusta was wrecked on Sumner bar on the morning of the 10th. A survey was held, and she was abandoned to the underwriters, being insured to her full value in a Sydney office. She had arrived from Sydney only a few days before. An Artesian well, 80 feet deep*? was tapped in Cristchurch on the 10th ) the water spouted up 10 or 15 feet from the ground, and is remarkably good. HAWKE’S BAY. The Herald of 17 th inst. says : “ The Government has secured, upon leasehold, for the purpose of agricultural settlement, the lower Ahuriri plains—between Clive and Havelock on one side, and between Pa Whakairo, Tutaekuri, and Ngaruroro, on the other.”

The negotiation of the £60,000 loan has been entrusted to the Union Bank of Australia. The bonds are to be for £IOO each, and to bear interest at the rate of 6 percent per annum for 15 years. The stores of Messrs Robjohns were robbed of property to the value of £SO on was apprehended on suspicion, but was afterwards liberated.

Tne Herald publishes a letter from Wangawliai, stating that an American barque had called there and sold to the natives two kegs of powcler and a small bag of rifle balls.

A block *of the Provincial land has been set aside for 100 military settlers. There are large stocks of goods on hand, especially of wines and spirits ; the demand is brisk.

NELSON. By the Prince Alfred we have the Examiner to the 16th inst. The Nelson Cricketers have been defeated by the Picton Club. Twenty-four Volunteers left by the “ Phoebe” on the 15th inst for the Waikato. The harvest work has been brought to a successfill close. In Waimea East the crops are generally light. The Wheat Crop is below an average. Oats and Barley are good. Potatoes have not turned out well. Michael Gray, a digger at the Buller, was drowned on the Bth inst. He had gone for water for tea, and is supposed to have been carried away by the Current. The Examiner complains of the Provincial Government in the following strong terms “ The miserable procrastination which characterizes the conduct of the Government in every duty which devolves upon it, is steadily working its way, and opening the eyes of even the most prejudiced to the utter unfitness of Mr. Robinson for his office.” Three slight shocks of earthquake have been felt at Picton, two being on the night of the 29th January, and the third early on the following morning. By the Prince Alfred, yesterday, the following horses returned from Canterbury, in order to run at the Nelson meeting, on the Bth, 9th, and 10th of next month ; Ladybird and Ratan, in charge of Mr. Redwood, and the fillies Opera and Regina, beionging to Mr. Stafford. We stated a fortnight since that Mr. Redwood had purchased Mr. Lance’s crack gelding, Golden Cloud, for £450, but that gentleman re-sold this very excellent horse to his former owner in conjunction with Mr. Creyke, together with his entire stock of thoroughbreds, in all sixteen horses, for the sum of £3280. The following are the horses comprised in the sale : Miss Rowe, bay mare, ten years old, by Sir Hercules, out of Miss Millar, by Young Wanderer ; stinted to Towton. Cliloe, black mare, niue years old, by Lawson’s Tro.s, out of Flora Mclvor, by Emigrant. Waimea, sfster to Zoe, chestnut mare, six years old, by Sir Hercules, out of Flora Mclvor; stinted to Oliver Cromwell. Ladybird, chesnut mare, five years old, by 11 Barbiere, out of Moth, by Camel. Golden Cloud, chesnut gelding, four years old, by Towton, out of Emma, by Gil Bias—Emily, by Operator— Flora Mclvor, by Emigrant. Regnum, chesnut horse, four years old, by St. A übyn, out of Regalia, by St. John. Oliver Cromwell, chesnut colt, three years old, by Potentate, out of Woodstock (Phoebe’s dam), by ‘1 heorem. Una, bay filly, two years old, by St. A übyn, ont of Miss Rowe. Miss Lee, chestnut filly, two years old, by Towton, out of Woodstock. Faldelal, bay filly, two years old, by Towton, out of Regalia. Uncle Tom, black colt, two years old, by Towton, out of Chloe. Chitchat, bay gelding, two years old, by . Towton, out of Chatty, by Operator.

Master Rowe, yearling colt, by Towton,

out of Miss Rowe. Harmony, chesnut yearling colt, by Towton, out of Regalia. Two colt foals, by Towton, out of Miss Rowe and Chloe.

This is unquestionably the best stud in New Zealand, and gives, in Golden Cloud and Ladybird, the two best horses at present known in New Zealand, while it may be questioned whether these horses could be beaten by any two animals in the Southern hemispere. Examiner, 13th February. The news from the West coast appears to be very conflicting, some reports stating the men not to be clearing expenses, whilst others state the opposite. A large amount of gold has, however, been received thence ; but we are inclined to think the diggings will be found to pay better at the Matakitaki and Upper Buller.

The Union Bank will ship about 900 ounces in this steamer, and by the following one there will be a large ship ment, probably about 2,000 ounces—the balance now in the hands o f the Banks after the above shipment. A bridge for foot passengers has been erected over the Buller, below the Mangles, which will be a great convenience to: diggers and others travelling in the district. .

The Cheviot cup, liberally promised to the Nelson Turf Club by W. Robinson, Esq, to be run for at our race meetting in March next, was forwarded by the last overland mail. It is a vase of handsome workmanship, in silver, by Handcoeks/of Bond-street, standing with pedestal twenty-three inches high, and cost, in London, 100 guineas. Stocks of goods are reported as large, and sales few.

TARANAKI. The Herald of February 13th has the following : Just as we were going to press a ship was signalled, and proved to be the Gresham, 965 tons, Captain Bayley, from Melbourne, with 420 military settlers for this place. The officer in command is : Lieut Pennyfather; Lieuts. Sifton and Roadey are also on board. The Gresham left Melbourne on the 30th tilt., and has been therefore 14 days out. She reports that the Brilliant with 118 more men was to leave two days latter. A Bazaar has been held to raise funds to buy an organ for St. Mary’s Church, and has realised .£SOO. The detachment of the Militia at Fort Robert in consideration of the uuremiting attention with which Corporal Dodds, 57th Regt., has performed the duties devolving upon him as their Drill Instructor presented him on Wednesday last with a sum of money, which was accompanied by the following address : “ Presented to Corporal Wm. Dodds, 57th Regt., for the undeviating energy displayed by him, and the upright manner with which he performed his duties as a Drill instructor whilst attached to No. 5 Company of the Taranaki Militia and in, appreciation of these services we the non-commissioned officers and men, do hereby unanimously join in presenting him with a sum of money as a mark of our esteem and admiration of his conduct.”;—Herald, Jan. 30. A deserter, supposed from the 65th Regt. nine years ago, of the name of Geo. Purdon, has been apprehended. An official account of the affair of the 19th ult. appears in the Gazette of 11th inst. Colonel Warre says :—“ I must beg to bring to the Lieutenant General’s notice, the admirable manner in which the Volunteer Rifles, under Captains Atkinson and Webster, and themountod men under Capt. Mac*, Taranaki Militia, skirmished through the thick fc scrub and fern. It was to Capt. Atkinson’s promptness in taking advantage of the nature of the country that I must attribute the successful result of the days skirmish. Nothing could exceed the cheerfulness with which the detachment Royal Artillery and 57th Regt. under Capt. Russel, who were not actively engaged, bore the fatignes of a long march, under a burning sun for ten or eleven hours. Staffassistant surgeon Tomlinson accompanied the regular troops, and .Dr. Spence and Mr. Webber the Volunteers, but their services happily were not required.”