The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1868.

Westport Times, Volume II, Issue 227, 23 April 1868, Page 2

The Westport Times AND CHARLESTON ARGUS. THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 1868.

In consequence of the great length to which tho English news extend, we omit our usual leader. It is the first time that the two trails via Suez and via Panama have arrived at the same time, so we give both as they have reached us in order to supply the fullest information to our readers.

At the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, there was no criminal business of any description whatever. There were no summons cases either in the civil jurisdiction beyond one that had been adjourned from Monday. This was Ilaskins v. Hard//, in which the plaintiff sought to recover £IOO, loss sustained through goods being sold to pay rent alleged to be due by the defendant. The magistrate said that after mature consideration his opinion was that the plaintiff could not recover in the manner in which the action was brought, in order to give him an opportunity of seeking a remedy in another form, he would nonsuit the plaintiff. Yesterday morning as the "Waipara steamed up the river it was seen that a detachment of the armed constabulary that recently paid us a visit were on board. Considerable excitement, and no little speculation, as to the occasion for their appearance were hazarded, and in a few minutes some of the wildest rumors were prevalent throughout the town. On the "Waipara making fast, the explanation was soon given and the public made as wise as the force themselves. It seems that Colonel M'Donnell rebark at once for the Patea, though no reasons for the sudden order were given. Accordingly the "Waipara, the only steamer in port available, was at once chartered, and Colonel M'Don-

Nell, Captain Cummins, and thirty-five rank and file were speedily on board and en route. On arriving here Captain Bascand found some little difficulty_ in procuring a supply of coal, and in all probability may be forced to put into Mokihinui for enough, to carry him over. The destination of the detachment is the Patea, the next river north of "Wanganui, and whether they are recalled for the suppressing native disturbance, or in connection with the guldGelds said to have been discovered no one can tell. The j "Waipara sails again this morning. The Kennedy may be hourly looked for, and we may remind our readers that they have now an opportunity for a cheap trip to Nelson and back, return tickets during this month,'being issued by Edwards and Co., by the Kennedy, Wallabi, Nelson, and Charles Edward, at £3, saloon ; and £2 forecabin. Such a reduction should tempt excursionists, irrespective of those who may have occasion to travel on business. The races at Nelson commence on Tuesday next, and offer an additional inducement to pleasure-seekers and lovers of sport. The new Custom-House was taken possession of by Mr Munday, officer in charge, _ yesterday, and as may be imagined, is a very great improvement on its predecessor. The accommodation furnished is now in accordance with the requirements of the port, and the whole work m connexion with the building has been completed by Mr Somher the contractor, in a most satisfactory manner. The Wanganui Chronicle of the 16th thus refers to the first Maori election:—""Wanganui had the honour yesterday of returning a Maori to the New Zealand House of Commons. It is unnecessary to say that Mete Kingi is the first native that has attained to this distinction in New Zealand ; probably the first colored and tatooed man that has ever been elected to sit in a British legislature. If the thing were not too serious for a joke, there are some laughable points connected with the affair. Neither he nor his confreres yet to be elected can do a particle of good in the House of Ecpresentatives, but they may unwittingly be the means of doing much harm. Every man used to have his price ; the Maori will have theirs, and the votes they possess will go to the highest bidder.

The Southern Gross of April 11th, says : —" The Governor has received letters from Sydney by this mail, confirming what he had heen told by the last mail, viz., that the Duke of Edinburgh had been unanimously advised bv the medical men attendant on him that his health would not permit him to encounter the fatigues of a visit to New Zealand, and that ho should go straight to England. 11.1t.H. writes to the Governor that he long combated this advice, and wishes it to be known that he deeply regrets being obliged to abandon his visit to New Zealand on i the present occasion, from which he had expected to derive the most sincere gratification. He had looked forward with deep interest to visiting the Maoris as well as tho Europeans, and fully intended to have carried out tho programme which had been submitted to him by the Governor, and which included visits to all tho principal places, in both the North and Middle Island. H.lt.H.'s letter to the Governor was dated March 21st, but reached Auckland only on the 10th of April ; the Duke is very desirous that his disappointment at being precluded from visiting them, and his good Avishes for their future welfare, should be made known to both the colonists and the Maoris. Subsequently to the above being printed, his Excellency the Governor received a letter dated 30th March, from Mr Haig, equerry to H.R.H., stating that he would leave for England within a week." A scandalous outrage is reported in the "Wellington Evening Post. The man first arrested, however, and referred to below has proved an alibi and been discharged:—On Saturday evening last, shortly after 8 o'clock, Mr E. Stevens, of the Defence Office, who resides on the Tinakori Road, accompanied by his wife, went out for a short walk, after seeing that the children (one about five and a-half years, and the other not four months old) were safe, and leaving the premises in charge of the servant girl. A few minutes after they had gone, the girl heard a knock at the front door on opening which she saw a soldier, who asked for a drink of water ; she went for it, and returned with a candle so that she had a good opportunity of seeing the man's face ; he asked her in the negatrveV~a&iin^"be"\voulct 1, b'e home shortly, whereupon he left, but returned again in a few moments, and asked for a gun, powder, and shot, as b.3 wanted to shoot a bird ; the girl

replied tnere was none :n the house, and he went away ; shortly after she heard the front door open, and, thinking it was her master, took no notice, but, on hearing a match struck, she went to see if there was a candle placed in the hall, when to her astonishment, she found the drawingroom in a blaze, and saw the soldier crawling on his hands and knees out of the room towards the front door ; she at once seized the two children, and ran with them to Captain Pox's house in Hawkestone-street. That gentleman happening to be at home, at once proceded to the scene on arriving, he found the house full of smoke, and the hangings in the drawingroom all burnt; the woodwork of the windows had caught, as likewise the skirting and gooring boards. Captain Pox immediately set to work, with a few neighbors, to put the fire out, which he fortunately succeeded in doing; had he been but a few minutes later, the whole place must inevitably have been burned to the ground. No reason can be assigned for such a wanton and cowardly act, the object of the man eould not have been plunder, as we are informed Mr Stevens does not miss a single article. This morning Sergeant Monaghan, accompanied by Mr Stevens and the servant girl, proceeded to the Barracks, when the latter identified Charles McCarthy as the _ man who set fire to the police station, but owing to want of evidence, he had been remanded till Thursday next.

There are some repudiators of Fenianism, it appears, in Otago. The correspondent of the Wellington Independent sends the following to that journal:—" Mr Bessemeres, the publisher of the Dunedin Evening News, has been committed for trial, for an alleged malicious and defamatory libel published in that journal. Bhe information was laid by Mr Beeves, cordial manufacturer, aud Mr Murphy, the proprietor of the Shamrock Hotel, who allege that in an article on Penianism published in that paper, they are referred to as Penians."