Wanganui Chronicle and TURAKINA & RANGITIKEI MESSENGER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIII, Issue 1026, 13 May 1869, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle and TURAKINA & RANGITIKEI MESSENGER.

THURSDAY, 13th MAY, 18G9

The Queen feels deeply for the wives and mothers of Wanganui, but she is only the Queen, and my Lord Granville is Colonial Secretary. He cannot advise her Majesty to take any steps to comfort or re-assure that interesting portion of our population, who brought their case directly under the notice of royalty. This is part of the empire on which the sun never sets, but the ladies of Wanganui will be only too apt to think that it might as well be in that region to which Ulysses purposed to make his way, “ beyond the sunset and the baths of all tb*} western stars;” —might as well be there for any good that the empire of the unseating sun seems disposed to do for them. What are we eoming to 1 Is the sun really going back on the dial 1 Wanganui proclaimed under martial law ! Why or wherefore 1 What does it all mean ? We confess our inability to arrive at any satisfactory solution of the enigma. It looks ill and it is even worse than it looks. Martial law is always bad ; the Chief Justice of England recently defined it as the abandonment of all law ; still there may be cases in which it might possibly be defensible. But what is there in or about Wanganui to put the population at the mercy of any Government or Government minion. We are astounded at the audacity of threatening such a thing. Don’t make any pother (the Wellington Independent is instructed to say) “ nothing could be more absurd or further from the truth than the idea that the proclamation of any territory under the Act [Colonial Forces Courts Marshal Act] in any way interferes with the constitutional rights and privileges of the civilian population.” Good easy man ! The proclamation of any territory will not in or by itself do much harm, words are wind, but the carrying of the proclamation into effect would do harm enough to gratify even a very revengeful individual. The rights and privileges of the civilian population, we are assured will be perfectly safe. Granted. But can the In. dependent tell U 3 what the number of that population may be in Wanganui, after deducting from it those who are volunteers and all who are bound to serve in the Militia. These most expressly come under the cognisance of the Act, and the remainder will not be difficult of computation. The spirit of English freedom, which Burke apostrophises in one of his finest speeches, as always acting in the presence of canonised forefathers, as having its bearing and its ensigns armorial, will assuredly desert us, if we do not speak out and that speedily and strongly against such a wanton exercise of power.

Temperance at Rangitikei.—On Monday evening last Mr Fox, who seems zealously bent on reforming, inaugurated a Total Abstinence Society at Marten. Upwards of 20 persons signed the pledge. _ Meteor. —A brilliant meteor was visible in the southern zenith at a few minutes past five on Tuesday evening. What was particularly remarkable about this scintillation was that in the twilight it appealed of a bright emerald green colour. Marton Town Hall. —Already upwards of 200 shares have been taken up in this undertaking, which is likely to be successfully carried through. It is proposed to supplement the subscribed capital by the proceeds of a course of Lectures, Penny Readings, &c., which, independent of the laudable object of assisting a public work, would, no doubt, be beneficial in many respects.

Thursday Evening Lectures. —We have again to remind our readers that the Rev J.°Elmslie’s lecture will come off this evening.—Mr Davis has kindly agreed to assist in bringing forward the astronomical views.

AcciDENT.- Mr F. W. Knowles, surveyor, met with an accident in Wellington about three weeks ago. He was thrown out of a gig and had his right arm broken near the wrist. —It is at times necessary to correct those whose imaginations run off with facts.

Taranaki— The Armed Constabulary, under Captain Tuke, are at present stationed a little beyond Waiiti, on the near side of the swamp close to the old pa. The bushrangers are not far from them, being a little further inland. A track runs past these two posts, from the beach to the ranges. No natives have been seen near the White Cliffs for some time.

Rangitikei Petty Session District.— His Excellency the Governor by order in Council has constituted Rangitikei a district within which Courts of Petty Sessions shall be held for the purposes of the Petty Sessions Act, 1865. The boundaries are : the Rangitikei river on the east and south ; the Turakina river and the boundary of purchased land on the north and north-east ; and the sea on the west.

Station Properties. —The Evening Post of Tuesday states the Otarala station, Wairarapa, was sold at auction by Mr Wallace, 'l'lie prices realiaed were as follows Twenty-one sections of freehold land, comprising about 5000 acres, with all improvements erected thereon, to Mr J. Martin for £SOOO ; two sections, to Captain Sharpe, for £IOO ; 1300 mixed merino sheep, to Mr J. Martin, at 4d per head ; 250 head of mixed cattle/ to Captain Sharpe, at 245. per head ; 20 horses, to Capt. Sharpe, at 40s each.

Colonel McDonnell’s Vindication. — We have received a copy of a pamphlet, printed at the Wanganui Times Office, entitled “An Explanation of the Principal Causes which led to the present war on the West Coast of New Zealand, in defence of the'actions taken by Lieut.-Col. McDonnell, whilst commanding the Patea Field Force, with a suggestion as to future operations.” We are quite unable to take up the subject-to-day, but it shall receive our early attention. Provincial Representation. —By the Representation Re-adjustment Act of the last session of the Provincial Council, whereby Wanganui is henceforth favoured with five members (instead of three, as formerly), it turns out either by an oversight or by the peculiar way in which the Government has chosen to lay down the several boundaries, that the town of Wanganui proper, returning three members, will have fewer electors than either the Wangaehu or Kai Iwi districts which has only one member each. This is an adjustment of representation to population with a witness.

Mr Fox at Turakina. —On Friday eveninglastMr Fox attended at the School-room, Turakina, to deliver the lecture on “Strong Drinks ” which he had before delivered at Marton and Wanganui. But whether from the innate obduracy of that devoted neighbourhood in refusing to be convinced against themselves, or from some other cause, a sufficient number did not assemble to warrant Mr Fox in proceeding with his lecture. The few who had paid their money at the door had it returned, so that Turakina is likely to continue joined to its idols and is therefore best let alone. Robberies at Marton. —On Thursday evening, during the absence of Mr Jones, some person entered and ransacked his whare, carrying off about £lO worth of clothing, including a volunteer’s suit, also a quantity of valuable papers and other articles. A description of the property is in the hands of the police and it is to be hoped the thief may be brought to justice. On Saturday last another daring robbery was committed by a native. Three were riding through the township about 2 o’clock, when one went up to some young children playing on the road-side in front of Mr McDonald’s house and snatched a shawl off one of them, with which, in company of his companions, he rode off. Unfortunately the rascal was not recognised.

The Superintendency. —The writ for the election of a Superintendent for the province of Wellington has been issued ; the Nomination will take place at the Court House, Wellington, on Monday, the 17th inst; and the poll (if necessary) at the various places proclaimed for that purpose, on the Tuesday week. Nobody, we presume, will think "of opposing Dr. Featlierston. There are few j>eople would care to get or spend public money in mere officialism, and the Province of Wellington has come to that complexion. Dr. Featlierston, at all events, has got arrangements so made that opposition is all but impossible. The first announcement of his candidature is made in Wanganui to-day, and the nomination comes off on Monday. Sharp enough, but N'imports. New Government House. —The first sod of the excavation, requisite for the erection of the new Government House, was turned on Monday at one o’clock, but without any special ceremony. A considerable quantity of material is on the ground, and the work will now proceed, it is to be hoped, “without let or hindrance;” a large number of workmen will necessarily have to be employed, and in these dull times it is quite refreshing to see such a bustle in the town. The old Government Cottage is doomed to follow the shedifice, and disappear from amongst our architectural glories, although there is some prospect of their both rearing their heads again in different forms and in different parts of the city. We understand Sir George Bowen wishes the demolition of the cottage to be deferred till after his return from Auckland. — Post.

Nelson Sympathy for Wanganui.— The good people of Nelson have shown their sympathy and kindness for the settlers of disturbed districts on more occasions than one, and they are still on benevolent schemes intent, as will be seen by the following extract from the speech of the Superintendent in opening the Provincial Council. We hope, however, the necessity for putting the Nelson Hospital to the use for which it is reserved will never arise. After stating that amongst other public works abandoned are the proposed dry dock in Nelson Harbor, and the occupation of the new hospital, his Honor goes on to say that the reason for the non-occupation of the hospital was “ to keep the new building unoccupied in view of a probability — not I fear (he said) in the present state of the North Island a very remote one —of accommodation being required for women and children whom it might be considered necessary to remove from Taranaki or Wanganui, and place under our care, as was the case eight years ago.”

Wanganui Steam Navigation Company.—There is an effort making to induce the shareholders to agree to a resolution to wind up this company. Viewed as a public matter, we have no hesitation in saying such a course would be a decided mistake ; even in a commercial point of view the balance of argument is against it. But the shareholders have a perfect right to <act in the matter as they may consider best under all the circumstances ; all that we would s-mgest is this, that no decision should be hurriedly come to—that shareholders at a distance should hold themselves free until they know the whole case —and that no attempt should be made, without the utmost publicity and the fullest consideration, to force on a question, the result of which will materially affect the commerce and convenience of the district.

Martial Law. —It maybe interesting for our readers to know that Wanganui is under Martial Law. By a proclamation in the General Government Gazette it is proclaimed that the portion of the North Island lying between the 37th and 40th degrees of latitude has been placed under the Colonial Forces Court Martial Act,. 1868. The territory so defined excludes Auckland by a few miles and Wellington by a good many, but includes the refractory districts such as Napier, Taranaki, and Wanganui. It seems questionable whether the Government is more opposed to the law-abiding white population than to the rebellious brown native. The 40th degree of South latitude crosses the river Wangaehu obliquely east and west just at the point where the road meets the river. The title of the “Armed Constabulary Court Martials Act is a rather deceptive one. It provides that Courts Martial may be held and any punishment inflicted on any member of the Armed Constabulary, or of the Militia and Volunteers, if the same are on actual service, within the proclaimed district. Now as the Militia and Volunteers are on actual though not active service this proclamation is tantamount to bringing the whole district within the power of the Mutiny and Court Martial Acts.

THE QUEEN TO THE LADIES OF WANGANUI.

We have received from the Colonial Secretary’s Office the following copy of a despatch, by which the wives, mothers, and daughters, of the settlers and inhabitants of Wanganui will see that their petition to the Queen is quietly disposed of : No 26. Downing Street, Feb. 24, 18 9.

S TR) _I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch, No 124, of the sth December, forwarding a petition to the Queen from the wives, mothers, and daughters of the settlers and inhabitants of the town and district of Wanganui praying that Her Majesty would direct that the efforts of the loyal and well-affected of both races in that district and island may be speedily supplemented- by the aid of Imperial troops. • I request that you will cause the subscribers of the address to be informed that it has been laid before the Queen. Her Majesty feels warm sympathy with Her faithful subjects who have been sufferers in New Zealand, but I was unable to advise Her Majesty to give any directions with regard to the special request contained in the memorial.

I have, Ac., (Signed) Granville. Governor Sir George Bowen, G.C.M.G