"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1874.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 306, 30 April 1874, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1874.

Oi.it Attention is frequently called to the great inconvenience and loss often entailed upon settlers in the Waikato in consequence of tho Kesident Magistrate's jurisdiction being limited to cases not involving more than i.20. The district of Waikato is nipidly giowing; in population and wealth; large sums of money are daily being invested in the purchase of property, and in improving that already held. The legal facilities that satisfied the wants of a poor and sparse population are by no means Miffieieiit to supply the wants of a population, more Uian quadruple in number, and in a much greate 1 " degree in wealth. Many more cases, naturally arise, wioie than hitherto, which involve larger sums than .I*2o, yet no provision is made for their disposal. "Our Resident Magistrate is, undoubtedly, much ovui woiked— - he has to attend Courts at Cambridge find Alexandra at one end, and Mercer at tho other, an ciraa of at least one hundred miles. We have no Ui-,iie to ask for that which we do not require simply bacause some other district possesses it, but is hen we actually require that which other* have got anJ want less thtui ourselves, we are justified in iismg Iheir case to show the justice of our demands. Tin- puiMiicis of Taraiidki and Ilawko's Bay, with l>>pul,itions little in excess of our own, have sittings of the .Supreme Couit, u DUtiict Court, which sits whenever uquiiol, and in addition, a Resident -Masfiitj-nte, uilh greater jurisdiction than is granted ioouin. The tune ha^ armed when justice de/nandh that i lie jurisdiction of the Resident Magig11.«t.1 1. «t.- should \,o increased to at, least £}(J, and that a pc-rmduMl Hitingcf the District Court should be tiwl«l in the Waikato. Fortunately, our settlers have not been cm bed us yet with much litigation, except )u a viry small way: but increased population and we.ilth necessitates a larger number of traders, bet .seen w horn uud their customers disputes are bound to ..iw U- ,in time to lime. Jt i a manifestly unjust ih.it ih, litigants should be at the expense of going 10 Aii<.-kl.iiid, and of paying the expenses of all their «iliif.sM f , uhiu at a trilling cost to tho colony * iHingN ot u superior court to the Jiesident Magis111 1 ale's euuiu 1,.- hold in the district. Those who pay iheir fair -l.:ur u< taxa'iun are entitled to the same liunlicuin ol juMnv as otheis who are capable ot LnnyuiL- yii.iTi |i.iliut.il influence to bear to obtain

wh.it they require. We recommend that a suitable memorial to (ho Government be drawn op, and scut round the district for signature; asking- that the Resident Magistrate may have power to deal with cases np to £00 at the very least, and that a periodical Bitting- of the District Court he held once a month in some central place. We are only suggesting that justice should be asked, and consequently, have uo right to doubt that the request will be acceded to.

1 ur special correspondent in Hawke'o Bay has telegraphed us that Mr »llen left cm Monday, for the Wuikato, with eigh'y-two head of fat bullocks. Partridges are increasing in Canterbury. The other day a covey of sixteeu -was seen in a field at Greendale, near Christchurch Mr R. Yuill's prospecting party returned to town on | Saturday morning, after an absence of several weeks. They were unable to discover any gold in payable quantities, seeing nothing but the colour. They came, however, upon an excellent seam of brown coal, on the banks of the Mahunga, in the Patea district, some fifteen miles from Messrs Birch's station. A .sample of the coal, which exists in the above-named district in large quantities may bo seen j at this office.— 11. B Jit raid, March 31. Our Thames correspondent says : — " The- recent negotia.tions and puichsse of lands at Ouineinuri by a Mr Jong lias caused great comment in the district. It, appears that a block of land containing about SOO acres near the Koinoto hai changed hunds from the native owners into that of Mr Jong's in spite of the interdict of Mr James Mackay, jun. When it is remembered that not long since a great stir was made by the Native Office because a few Europeans endeavoured to come to terms with the Maoris for gold mining purposes, it must be a matter of surprise that in the face of a stringent Native Landi Act a stranger has been enabled to creep in and obtain one of the pick blocks. The price paid is £1 per acre, and it is said that Mr Jong is still carrying out negotiations with the natives to obtain by purchase «ome other blocks. It does seem strange that the Immigration nnd Public Works Act was not brought into operation in this instance, as was done some three years ago, w hen miners wero anxious to purchaso land there and make it a home instead of leaving as they did. Mr Mackay is expected here in the course of a fortnight, when we have no doubt something will bo done to stop the wholesale purchase of lnnd bj speculators. — Herald. Whether or not l)r Hector's visit to the East Coast district will expedite the development of our coal deposits, is a question, says a verp intelligent correspondent, I am unable to answer ; but one thing is certain, and that is that the public monetary obligations of the colony have now assumed pioportions sufficiently large to indicate the necessity of vigorously prosecuting each anS all of our industrial rosources ; for these are our assets. We borrow upon the faith of the resources; but whilst they remain in a state of inutility we renp no benefit whatever irom them. We annually expend nearly two hundred thousand pounds sterling in importing coal from New South Wales, whereas the effectual working of our own mines would prevent^the outlet of so enormous an amount to enrich another country, and a country 100 that takes nothing from us in exchange except perhaps a few tons of seed potatoes and a limited number of kauri pme logs. Sound political economists strongly condemn this self-impoverishing policy, and well they may.— Herald. Parliament will meet for the despatch of business on the 3rd July The ninth number of The Templar Standard, Auckland, bns the following curious advertisement in it :— " Notice. — I beg respectfully to inform the public that the schooner Ebenezer will (d.v.) be a regular trader between Auckland and Whangnroa, and will be at the service of all who may be kind enough (o favour her with freight. I would alio notify that, convinced, as I am, of the miseries arising from the use of intoxicating drinks, I cannot conscientiously carry any such liquors. She will essentially be a Good Templar vessel. — J. H. Sziknea, Master." Mr Byron, M.P C, has proceeded to Auckland for the purpose of attending to his representative dutiei. He has requested us to intimate that he is anxious that any of his constituents who have any* Ling to suggest for tho beneiit of the district will communicate with him. Better lato than never. We are glad to learn that the postal authorities have re-estnbliihed the mail service between NgMruawahia, Alexandra, and Te Auauiutu, via Whata Whata. \ The following contract for the erection of a Pott nnd Telegraph ofliee at Ngarunwnhin, has been accepted. K. P. Kavauagh, ,€372 15?. Declined,— Jones A- Poliard, JL'l37 : W. Price, £479; W. Adnms, 483 Some idea, siys the Hawkc'i Bay Herald, of tho greit extent to which building operations' in and around Nnpier are being carried on at t lie present time may be formed by » jjlanceat our shipping column this morning. There will bo found recorded the arrival of no fewer than five vessels from the various nulls in the Auckland province, .-ill laden with timber, shingles, &c. ; and other vessels, it will be obsened, arc also expected.