"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 111, 21 January 1873, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 1873.

In another column we reprint tbo proceedings of three meetings held for the purpose of impressing upon the Government the necessity and justice of making a railway from the Thames to the Waikato. The speakers have said little that we had not pre- \ iouslyprinte I, in fact there was little else to say. Its utility is eminently apparent, and to construct it would only be an act of justice to the seventeen or eighteen thousaud people who are directly interested in the matter. The above number represents about one-fourteenth of the population of the whole colony, and nearly faur times as many as is contained. in the province of Huwke'fc Lay or Taranaki. Each of these provinces is to have its railways of greater length and constructed at greater cost than the whole of \Lo populous and revenue paying province of. Auck.aiid. The cost of the proposed railway will not be gre.it. It would in all probability start from the Thames at the head of the navigation and pursue a course up the western bank of the river over country not subject tp inundation, and perfectly level for some mile?

The native meeting of which so much has been said and writen commences to-day. There is no longer any doubjb that Tavvhiao and his advisers will be in attendance- are unable to ascertain whether His Excellency and Mr McLean will be present. W e understand, however, that the latter is on his way to Auckland, ; this may only be with the object of being within a reasonable distance of the meeting place, and if necessary or. possible to meet and settle with the representatives qf the king party the terms on which the government is willing to accept the allegiance and overlook the past sins of thoso still in opposition to, the authority of the Crown. It is clear from what has trampiucd that a demand will be made for the restoration of the confiscated land in the Waikato . in fact, that the laud which has been confiscated in accordance with the laws whichjguide civilized and uncivilized nations shall bo returned to the conquered peop'e. This demand will, of course, bo met with an emphatic and firm denial. The natives are already thoroughly aware that their dtsmand for the return of the Waikato land can never be complied with, and vjil! only malce it as a means of obtaining some other concession in its place. The duty of the officials who are to represont the government will be a difficult one. They will have to be firm to the extent of makingit clearly understood that no confiscated territory will be returned, and at the saTie to arrange for the amicable opening to the European of all the land over which the " K.ng' has assumed authority. If Mr McLean con. descends to attend the meeti lg, which we trust he will do, there is some hope that all differences will be wiped out and the land be equally open to the European as to the Maori, the latter only asking the same lights with regard to that which is his property as one white man could from another. We hope for greater results from the meeting than we are perhaps justified in anticipating.

A prospectus of the Nutiona 1 Bank appears in our mornmg contemporaries. The proposed capital is £2,000,000, divided into 200,000 shares of £10 ouch. It is not expected thut moie than '.£0 per share will be called up on half the stock, which will gi\e a capital equal to the present subscribed capital ol the B.uik of New Zealand. One-third of the shares arc reserved for imestors in the colony, and it is proposed to purchase the business of the Bank of Otago. We perceive from Saturday's Eesning Star that the diioctors of the now steamer Takapuna inaugurated the service between the North Shore and Auckland by giving fiee trips, which, as a ipatter of comae, were freely taken advantage of. This boat has been started in opposition to the Messr-j Holmes, who have for a long time enjoyed a monopoly of the traffic . It is more than doubtful , however, if there is sufficient trade to maintain an opposition boat. The South Biitish Insurance Company bids fair to do an extended business. From a circular to hand it appears that the premiums for the first four months amounted to £90,000 ; aud that the losses incurred were £2,099 11s lid. The'fundß invested are £19289. Taking the interest on funds invested at 7 per cent, it would give a dividend equal to 10 per cent, on the present paid up capital. Theie are 721 shareholders in New Zealand, as follows :—Auckland, 145 ; Wellington and Whanganui, 226 ; Canterbury, 175 ; OUgo, 140 ; and Nelson, 36. A Youth named Morris, who was about 16 years of age, died suddenly at Queen's Redoubt on Saturday night last. The circumstances under which ho came by his death arc sufficiently suspicious to render the holding of an inquest necessary. We, therefore, withold all comment till the inquiry has taken plage. We understand that the jouth is the son of a Cambridge settler. The failure in the supply of coal at the KawaLiwa Coal Mines, and the gross mismanagement on the part of the manager, has drawn forth a printed protest from a number of shipmasters. They were led to believe by Mr Williams, the manager of the Bay of Islands Coal Company, that from the first of the year there would bean unlimited supply of coal, and the mine kept in full working order. In^rad of which only some 210 tons of coal have been shipped up to the 11th of the month, while an aggregrto tonnage of some 748 tons ften vessels) has been detained there awaiting coal, lying idle. This is a serious matter in point of expense, and if not speedily remedied by the board of directors will tpnd to destroy the trade of tho place. The man named Milne, alias Alexander Sibley, who was arrested at Ngaruawahia by Detective Doolan, on tho charge of stealing a awag at Mercer, was brought before Captain Jackson, J.P., and — Proude, Esq.; J.P., at tho latter place jestcrdaj' find sentenced to four months' imprisonment with hard labour. On the road down to Mercer he ppintod out where the spot ho had secreted some- " specimens" that w ere in the swag. The snip Oucen 800 cleaved, nt tho Customs on Friday for London. She takes 28 passengers. The value of her cargo i, ■£">«) 151 odd, the pnm-ipnl items of which are gum, (M -ifiO- cobra £1,0(10; wool, £10,198; flax, £2,2-16; leather, to St' silver, £KO00; cotton, £1,923; tallow .-61,457; in' n\wl mi- it- WW. llr^r*. LD. N.ithan mid fo. lire tho agents. The Q»ucn Bee will sail lor London this morning.