The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM PORTI PATRIN." SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 139, 29 March 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM PORTI PATRIN." SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1873.

We learn fiom the columns of an Auckland contemporary that the following 1 conversation passed at the late meeting at the Bay of Islands : — Aperehamo Taonui : It is said that if peace is to he made with WaiKato, the land must he restored to them. If Mr McLean was to agree to this, then the old boundaries would be joiued. Mi* McLean : Disabuse your mind of that idea. The land will never be given back. If they come i and ask for some land to live upon, a small portion might be given to them ; as for giving Waikato b.iok it uever will be. For the fir&t time, the natives have been dearly jriven to understand that none of the Waikato land will bo returned to them. This stnfement of the policy tho Government means to pursue wiil do more Uian has been done for years to bring the natives to their senses. Mr McLean has pursued to the letter the policy we have constantly poiutel out as the correct one, since we took our pen to advocate the iuteresU of this di&lrict in particnUi, aud those of the colony generally. We rejoice in the fact that, the Minister, in whose uativo policy we have always felfc and expressed great faith, has at last found himself in a position to speak his mind openly without fear of disturbance arising. We have beeo, in common with those wl»o know anything of native affairs, keenly alive to the fuct that it has been neeebsary to apparently sacrifice a little dignity in order to keep the savages from yelling around the 'homesteads of our outsettlers, and premuturoly forcing; resort to arms upou us. It is au easy matter for southern members and thoso who represent urban constituencies to talk loudly about dignity. A fresh outbreak of fighting to tlie tradesmen of the towns means a certain amount inoro profit poured into their tills during tho year ; ou tho other hand to the ouUcttlois it means tho destruction of their homesteads, tho driving away of their cattle, and the t>uspousiou of all work for a time. Wo do not wish to bo misunderstood, we will therefore give our assurance that there is not a settler in the Waikato who would not take up arms to-morrow to protect himself and his proI'crly, but ut tho same timo ho jn^tly looks to tho Government to guard him fiom tho necessity if possible. Mr McLean has waittd for tho opportunity to tell the natives the mind of the Government ; it would have been unwi-o fur him to have dour bo only a few months Lick, as tho natives at that tiriib hud uul aimed aU dear a|ipii.dul o 1

of their position ; they have done so now, and no harm id likely to result from the action he has taken. On the contrary we consider thai the few words spoken lately at the Bay of Islands will in history mark the beginning of the end of the native difficulty.

\Xi: learn by lelograni that Mr Gladstone has resigned, and fuitaer that Mr Disraeli had been called upon to form a Ministry and had declared his inability to do so. The feeling naturally existed with his pai ty that would it be impolitic to take office with the present parliament, a parliament elected at a time when a strong liberal feeling pervaded nearly, all classes. A strong reaction has since taken place ; several of the elections lately have resnlied m the return of Conservative membeis by what have long been looked upon as Liberal constituencies. A general election is to take place; no doubt the personnel of the House will be considerably altered, when, we feel confident, Mr Disraeli will have little difficulty in collecting together a strong and able Ministry. We trust that this may be so, as tUe dignity of the country has been most intolerably sacrificed by liberal Governments by that of Mr Gladstone more particularly. England from the peace-afc-any-prico policy of the liberals, has, to a great extent, lost her position in Kurope ; sbe has been taunted with living on her prestige gained at Waterloo more than half a century back. The English people are not likely soon to forget the Alabama claims ; they may not, in consequence, feel any additional grudge against the sharp Yankees who dragged them through the mud, but they will for many years most certainly remember those statesmen who allowed them to do it.

The National Bank opens for business in premises two doors below the Exchange Buildings on Wednesday next. i "We hare been requested to intirnato that the Rev. 13. Y. Ash-well will say prayers anil preach, to-morrow morning in the Ngaruawahia church. A large sale of freehold property belonging to Mr Patrick , Darby took place in Auckland on Wednesday at Messrs Cochrane'a auction mart. The attendance was exceedingly good, but tho lots submitted were sold in nearly every case at a loss on the price paid for them sotuo ten years since. The proceeds of the sale amounted to £2,000, and was unreserved. The death of an old colonist, Captain John Salmon, occurred yesterday in Auckland at hia residence. The deceased gentleman commenced business as a merchant in Auckland in 1812, and was one of the first to open up a trade between Auckland and Sydinoy, of which for many years he deservedly enjo) yd a monopoly. Ho had attained his GBth yell*. Tho members of the Northern Club entertained his Excellency the Acting-Governor, Sir George Arney,. to dinner last nigh!. The party was a numerous one. Colonel Balneavis, vice-president of the Club presided. Among the guests were Count Lovera di Ilaria, captain of his Italian Majesty's corvette Vettor Pisani ; his Honor Acting Chief Justice Johnston ; and Captain Challis^of H.M. s.Kosario. The Hon Mr Vogol and the Hon Mr McLe»u were also piesent at the banquet. — Ci-vss, Friday, The Foil Ba3-s :. — " A precious sample of tho immigrants being introduced into the colony by the Government is Joseph Snrgeant, a confivmcd lunatic, who arrived in Wellington by the Forfarahirc One of his fancies is for n strait waistcoat, which he says is a most comfortable garment, and whenever he is violent putting it on him soothes him at once, and ho gratefully informs his keeper that he has placed a million to his credit at tho bank. From his conduct, there is little doubt that he lias been under restraint on board the ship, and in all probability he was mad when he embarked." The following is the heading to an article in tbo Xnv York Herald on the thnnksgiving day held in tho United States on November 29 : — " Giving thanks. — How the Great Day for Glorifying God and His Good Gifts, was Celebrated in the City and Vicinity. — Ceremonies in the Churches: The Sacred Bikes of Thanksgiving in the Cathedral of St. Patrick, the Counsels delivered from the Pulpits. — TheFc.ast of the Famished : The Lame, the Blind, the Poor, the Outcabt, the Sinful, tho Imprisoned, the Unfortunate, the llomeIcjf, tho Friendless, the Orphaned Cheerod and Comforted by Good Samaritans.— The Good Deeds of a Day : Roaafc Turkey being Gobbled Up by Twenty Thousand Destitute Children in New York. — Scenes in the Streets." It has been reported to the police authorities that a gum chgger named James Biggs Wilson has disappeared under rather peculiar circumstances. It appeal's that Wilson and a man named Peacock left Riverhead at about 11 o'clock on Sunday evening, tho 9th instant, and had got down the river as far as mid-way between Eivcrhcud and Wood's lelund ; and that Peacock there dropped thcanchpr of the dingy, and thea lay down to sleep. Wilson also lay down to sleep, and Peacock believes that both men fell asleep while the dingy rode at anchor. Three bottles of rum wero then in the boat and wh«n Peaeoek awoke it was broad daylight, the dingy btill at anchor close beside a strip of mangrove and Wilson wns gone. One qf the bottles of rum was also missing. He sounded the river at that plate, and found that there was a depth »f between 18u* and 2ft of water. Peacock concluded that Wi,son had got out of tho boat, waded ashore, and gone home. On tho 13th instant, Mr Black, a mate of the missing Wilson, came to Lucas's Creek, and stated that Wilson had not returned, and on Thursday, tho 20th, Mr Black again came to Lucas's Creek, and stated that Wilson had not put in an appearance since the 9th. Ho was a native af Belfast, was 35 yearn of age, w.w formerly in the Waikato militia, and had been nine years m New Zealand, whero ho L \ad uo relatives. — Advertiser. It wiLl berembored by our readers that Captain Ucvcridge, i few months ago, brought from tho Whangaparouii district icvoral bags of coal, taken from a- seam which he found jvopping. out on the bench. A little excitement was created" it tho time about the discovery, and" reports were current ;hat a small' company was being formed to work tho scam jfcoal. The Piw iuciul Government had several hundreds >f acres of unsold land in the neighbourhood, and tho coal icam, it was believed, extended under the whole of this land, iccess to this land had, however, to be obtained through the iroperty of Mr Marshall, a settler living there. No further iteps appear to have been taken in the mattor of working ;his coal ; no arrangements had been made with Mr Marihall; and he, tired of waiting, has at last leased 4ho right ;o mine for coal on his property to a party of four. What ilcps will now be taken to utilise tho mineral wealth of this listriet have not yet been announced, but a further ;<cnloratiou of the district has shown that the seam )f coal discovered by Captain Bevoridgo extends across ,ho whole of tho Whangaparoua peninsula, and that ;herc are also large deposits of cxcelltnt iron ore in lie immediate vrmitj. Our mfoi ui.xnt stated thnt the hod >f iron ore, in one place where it cropped out was about Bft. ,liiek. A furthor quantity of the coal has been brought to own and tested in various ways. A sample has been bent ;o tho gasworks, ivhon it was found to yield at the rate of 13,000 cubic feet of gas per ton. Tho gas was of good juahty. It has also been tested in various ways in the foundry and cngino 6hop of Mr Htiwkeswood, and found to 30 admirably adapted for work at the forge. It is to bo hoped ,hat sufficient funds will soon be forthcoming to bring the xj»l from this district into tlio Auckland nmikct. It is tlis,unt, by water, from this harbour only 17 miles. It crops nit on the beach in a good thick hc:uii, lj ing almost hori;ontal; and :is there is an open market here for any quantity hat might be brought to it, it would seem that but a small juthiy would he required b.'fore pnwiblo returns were Plained. We hope the lessees iv this instance will not uct he part of dog in the wangcr. -Crua.

Inconsequence of the R.-v J. Liw, (Wcalcyan ilmistei) leaving for Grey Town, he will conduct Divine Service tor the h»ifc tjinc »t Cambridge, to-morrow evening. Service to begin at 6 30. The Rev W. G. Thomas, of Holitika, i* appointed as the successor of the Roy J. Law. Some of tfio Otago papers aro not very complimentary towards the " old identity" element. The Du,utan Times thus spoaks in a leading article :— " If ever tin. re existed an ignorant, superstitious lot of people, it is the old settlers oi Ot.igo ; t'u'y never saw anything be (ore they left home, and have never seen anytl ing since, and if their minds wero ever enlightened, it must have been on the passage out."