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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1024, 8 May 1869, Page 2

English News. — In another column will be found later English telegrams than those to hand by the last mail. The 18th Regiment. — The relief for the 18th Regiment is now stated as likely to be the 86th Regiment, at present stationed at Mauritius.

English Mail. — The outgoing English mail, this month, will close at the Postoffice, Wanganui, on Wednesday evening next. A later opportunity up to Friday — it leaves Wellington on Saturday — may be presented by steam communication.

What Wool may be. — “To show what can be done in wool-growing,” says a Victorian paper, “there is the fact that Messrs Learmonth’s whole clip last year averaged 7s 4d per fleece, some of the bales, when exhibited in London, being pronounced by the judges as ‘the perfection of combing wool.’ ”

The Patea. — News from this district is re-assuring. It is now authoritatively contradicted that Titokowaru is at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu, or in the neighbourhood. On Monday last Colonel Lyon, with a mixed force of 170 men, including the majority of the Ngatiporous, left on an expedition up the Patea river.

Bank of New Zealand. — At the halfyearly meeting of this Banking Corporation, on the 28th ult, in Auckland, a dividend of 10 per cent per annum was declared, together with a bonus of 5s per share ; or, in other words, a dividend of 15 per cent. The Report will be found in another column.

Wanganui Steam Packet Co. — The half-yearly meeting of the company will be held towards the end of this month, and we understand the balance-sheet will show a more promising appearance than it has done for some time. The net profit for the halfyear, ending 11th April last is set down at £1,330 14s 4d, as compared with £608 8s 10d for the corresponding period of last year. Prize Essays. — The judges appointed by the Government to decide on the merits of the essays sent in on the “best means of securing the permanent settlement of the gold mining population,” have reported the names of the successful competitors to be as follows :— 1st prize, £50, Mr Eyton, Auckland ; 2nd prize, £30, Captain Hutton, Auckland ; 3rd prize, Mr E. T. Gillon, Wellington. Suspected Lunacy. — The Wellington Evening Post of Monday says, an apparently well-educated man, named Muttit, formerly, it was said, an officer in the Imperial army, and recently arrived from Wanganui, was brought up before the Resident Magistrate that day on suspicion of lunacy. He had intimated to the police that he had in a vision received a special message, to be conveyed to the Prince, which was of the utmost importance, and, for the purpose of delivering it, had left no less than six ladies who were in love with him at Wanganui. As he was perfectly quiet in his demeanour he was discharged from custody, his Worship advising him to go back to his friends at Wanganui. The Coming Session. — We are disinclined to put much reliance on the various rumours that are gathering consistency and definiteness as the date of the meeting of Assembly draws near ; but it would be superfluous caution to turn a deaf ear to all those reports. For instance we hear from Auckland that in addition to the proposal, already noticed by us of a section of the Southern members prepared to give a million sterling and repudiate any further responsibility for war expenditure, it is also proposed that the Provinces undertake all wars in defence of the peace of the Colony, and the separate administration of all native affairs. This means for Taranaki, extinction ; that Hawke’s Bay is to get Poverty Bay ; and that Wellington is to have Taranaki. Cattle Lost. — During the trips of the steamers Wanganui and Rangatira, both of which left the river for Auckland last week, several of the cattle, forming their cargoes, were in each case lost. On the Wanganui seven died, and on the Rangatira sixteen. Although this serious loss is in some degree ascribable to the stormy weather experienced along the Coast, it cannot be wholly put down to that cause. There is too much hurry — one might almost say, brutality — incident to the shipping of cattle as at present managed, together with on amount of reckless stock-driving, frequently endangering the public safety, that a little foresight would obviate, and which render the over-driven animals fatally susceptible to the slightest hardship in conveyance. Wellington’s Character. — Everyone must take with due reservation the polite and public utterances of those received in a public manner. Therefore, although we were assured that the Prince expressed himself delighted with his stay in Wellington we were not prepared to give him such a large amount of credibility as to suppose him disregardful of the most trying weather. It is a fact well known that during the Duke’s visit to Wellington, the weather was very unpropitious, and great complaints were made on the subject by the officers of the Galatea. A northern paper now supplies the probable true opinion in an on dit, that respecting a picture of Martin’s “Deluge,” which adorns the walls of the Panama House Hotel, in Nelson, H.R.H., with a significant look and a shrug of the shoulders, drily remarked, “That’s Wellington, — on a fine day !” A Maori Jury. — The Auckland Herald of the 1st of May states :— On Saturday, a Maori jury (of five, by consent) was empannelled to try the dispute of Taipara and Rapana Maungauoa, in respect of the boundaries of a piece of land extending from the Hape Creek to the Northern end of Pollen-street, and therefore the most valuable in Shortland. A great deal of time was occupied in getting even five good men and true. However, five were at last obtained. It was almost as difficult to keep the Maori gentlemen in order as it was to get them ; for one placed himself in the position of counsel, and made speeches to the witnesses. Three others went asleep, and all exhibited an ungovernably propensity to keep their mouths open. His Honor the Chief Judge at last interposed, and asked, “will no one wake up the jury ?”

Provincial Council. — By proclamation in the Government Gazette, his Excellency the Governor has dissolved the Provincial Council of Wellington. Acclimatisation. — The brig Waverley, which arrived in Auckland harbour recently, brought, to the order of the Acclimatisation Society there, a number of monkeys and Java sparrows. A number of thrushes were shipped, but died on the voyage.

Erratum. — In the hurried notice in our last issue of the fire which took place on Wednesday night, a mistake obvious enough, but which we wish to correct — occurred. The building destroyed had been lately in the occupation of Mr Vincent, but at the time was un-occupied — (it ought to have been). New Lords. — His Excellency the Governor has, in her Majesty’s name, summoned the Honorable William Robinson, of Cheviot Hills, in the Province of Nelson ; and the Honourable James O’Neill, of Auckland, in the Province of Auckland, to the Legislative Council of New Zealand, by writ of summons under the seal of the Colony. Mr Fox’s Lecture. — The Odd Fellows’ Hall was quite full on Thursday evening to hear Mr Fox lecture on “Strong Drinks.” Of course it was the man and not the subject that drew the audience, but, all the same, the snobocracy heard some home truths. The thing was in itself nothing more than a plain sensible teetotal lecture. Yet, we can hardly speak too admiringly of the position which Mr Fox has thus taken up as a moral reformer, and it is most sincerely to be hoped that his influence will be largely beneficial in stemming the flood of drunkenness, which is robbing the colony of so much that is pure and honest and of good report. Mr Fox is entitled to all the more credit for the advocacy of his convictions on this subject, from the fact that his more prominent political friends and followers have nothing but a sneer for everything which rises into the region of religious self-denial. Will a thing pay — will it further some small political end or aim ? These are the questions generally put, and that too, by men, in some cases, permitted to hold office in the church and take a leading part in its affairs. One need not wonder that the church lacks strength and outspokenness in such circumstances. Mr Fox, in this particular instance, has entered a noble protest against time-serving and sneering ; we wish him strength to go through with it. We may mention that, at the lecturer’s request, the meeting was opened by prayer — a custom which is right and seemly considering that the lectures are in connection with, and pecuniarily in aid of, a Christian church. The Triumph of Faith. — A strange, and even at first sight a sorrowful story of a highly intellectual and promising man teaches us by the last mail. Ever and anon in Catholic countries some person of distinction disappears, and inquiry is met with the answer that he or she has gone to seek peace in monastic seclusion. We are not accustomed to such dramatic effects in England, and therefore are the more startled at their occurrence. When Amelia Opie left the gay world and re-appeared in the garb of a Quakeress, the event was the sensation of a season. So we suppose society will be similarly affected when the fate of Lawrence Oliphant is known. Mr Oliphant was a world-wide traveller, and related his adventures in several excellent books, and was a highly valued contributor to Blackwood's Magazine ; he served Lord Elgin as secretary in his famous embassy to China ; subsequently he went to Japan, where he was dangerously wounded in an attack by the natives on the British Legation ; he returned to England, and was elected M.P. for the Stirling District in 1865. Young (he was born in 1829), distinguished, accomplished, any position in life seemed possible for him, and his friends and constituents reckoned with confidence on a brilliant political career. But he had fallen under a strange influence. About 1860 there came to England from New York a preacher named Lake Harris, with claims to intimacy with the spiritual world surpassing those of Swedenborg himself. Gradually Mr Oliphant became convinced of the veracity of Harris, and of the importance of his revelations, and in proof of his sincerity resigned his seat in Parliament, renounced all his worldly prospects, and enrolled himself in the “Brotherhood of the New Life.” Of the community so-called we know little, save that it recognises in T. L. Harris the Vicar of Christ, and that every member thereof submits to his will with unflinching obedience. The Brotherhood are settled on a large estate named Brocton on the New York bank of Lake Erie, and occupy themselves in agricultural labour, chiefly vine culture, and, doing everything for themselves, keep no servants. Mr Oliphant’s mother, Lady Oliphant, we believe, preceded her son in the community, which includes not a few from the upper classes of English and American society.