The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1874.

Waikato Times, Volume VII, Issue 333, 2 July 1874, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1874.

It is to be hoped that during the approaching session the North Island members will unite to force from tho Government a statement of the secret ex2^enditurc of the Native Department. It in important that the country should understand the exact position in which we stand with the native race, and nothing, we predict, would so clearly explain it as a statement of the money expended upon our brown brethren. The statement should define to whom presents (bribes) have been given, and for what services they are to be considered compensation. The amount of money which disappears mysteriously every year is of little importance compared with the ba<l effects that are likely to arise from our gross truckling with those who already hold us in contempt. We cannot, of course, produce evidence to the fact, but we are convinced that many aggressions are promised with the sole object of extorting money or its equivalent from the Native Department. Experience has taught the chiefs that they have only to hint at disturbance to receive a present of some kind. The maintenance of peace is of the greatest importance, and we should be the last to complain at even thrice the expenditure that takes place if there was a probability that the money spent was the actual means of maintaining it. It must be remembered, however, that we are not gaining any concession from the " King" party, not a single mile of road has been made into their territory, and Government officials do not hesitate to tell us that any attempt to do so would inevitably bring about a collision between the two races. We believe that the dangcis of Mich a contingency is very much exaggerated, in fact that it is only the constant petitioning (no otber word is strong enough) to allow us to carry on the works of peace that induces the natives to continue their objection to our entering for any useful purpose the territory they have assumed to themselves. Officers of the Native Department do not fail at every opportunity to inform the world that the tone, (whatever that may be) of the natives is greatly improved. The " tone " may have improved, but the fact remains that it is not safe for any white man to travel through the " King " country. We ask the question, to which, we believe, only one answer can be returned. Is not our present unsatisfactory position with the natives mainly owing to the undignified position we have assumed towards them I The natives do not want to fight, aud the only result from the bribes is (hat the political horizon is kept pretty clear for tlioso who have undertaken their management. Truckling haa g.iincd nothing, and is never likely to. Let them alone, aud decline to hold any intercoujrse with them

until they, through their chiefs, either m Aucklu'icl or Wethngttm expiebs their willingness Lv subiait to the authority of (he Queen.

The Rev ising-officer of Electoral Eolls has had the local constable had all th« fun to themselves, sittings in Ngaruawahia during this week. He and The calling of the names of those persons objected to outside the Court by the latter offlcial caused no little .astonishment to the attendants at the school near by. The above form is gone through in order that no person whose name is objected to should be liable to be in attendance, and yet have his name wrongfully struck from the list of " free and enlightened electors." The precautions in one direction are, perhaps, a little excessive, but in the other none whatever arc taken. It appeal's to be only necessary for a man to send a formal application to the Registration-officer, and he, as a matter of course, becames an elector. The names of applicants to be placed on the roll have never been published in any manner in this district, in fact, the list itself was not in the hands of the Rcvisingofficer till after he had closed the court. "We pro. sume that the names of all the applicants will appear on the next roll. The public ought certainly to have been afforded an opportunity of cheeking the applications in order that trickery should not be practised. Whilst writing on this subject, we must call attention to the absurd blunders that were made in some cases when drawing up the rolls for Frovincial elections. At the last election of members for the Provincial Council several who presented themselves to vote were disfranchised because some blundering official either did not take the trouble to go carefully through the general roll, or his local knowledge was culpably deficient.

The European mails via San Francisco will closo in Auckland on July 8. Letters therefore mu»t be posted in time Lr Tuesday's coach from Hamilton. In anotber column will be found the first letter of a serie iiom oar special correspondent at Honolulu. Although the doings in Honolulu may not hnre any special interest for our readers, yet we believe that letters of the typo published in this issue cannot fail to prove interesting. We understand that it is the intention of Mr Byron, M.P.C. to address his constituents at an early date. It will be interesting to hear from the mouth of one who has taken part in the proceedings an account of the doings during the late session. Wo admit that as yet, they are to us incomprehensible. The charge of incendiarism against Alexander Brown was again brought on at the Police Court yesterday. Detective Jeffreys was in the witness-box all day, and his cross-ex-amination by Mr Rees had not concluded when the Court adjourned. Considerable interest was evinced during the proceedings, the Court being crowded all day. The only other business transacted consisted of pumthing an inebriate. Mr Bpckham presided. — Crcas. The Key Father Golden arrived in the Waikato last evening. He will take charge of the pastorate rendered vacant by the removal of the Rev Father Hoyne to Panmure. Our contemporary the Crois, writing in reference to the Rev gentleman says :—": — " Wo aro informed that the Rev Father Golden, who for the last four years hns oflicmted in his ministerial capacity in this city and in Grahamstown, wns last night, on the eve of his dcpniturc for Wnikato, whoie for some time he will be stationed — presented with a puree of sovereigns. This was the gift of the brethren of the Hibernian and Australian Catholic Society, The lev gcnllemen who wns a member of the Society, was widely known and esteemed ; and this murk of reipect, us shewing the regard in which ho was hold, was a just and gratifung tribute to his worth. The residents in the Waiknto may be congratulated on the acquisition of Mich a pastor." The writer of " Under the Verandah" in the Wall;/ Sews alludes as follows to native afluiM :--" It is to be hoped that the Native Department will he overhauled during the tnsuing session of the General Assembly. If the fads stated the other day by Mr Roche in the Provincial Council can be proved it is time the linu were drawn without further delay. Much has been mode of the Defence Minister's great influence with natives, but hitherto it would seem that his hold over them is to no small extent due to the lar/fe\&e lavished apon sullen malcontents, who are lept sweet m this way. The farce of supposing that Maoris are amenable to the strict letter of British law has been apparent in scores of instances. The following little incident bears on this. At Wangnnui, the other day, a chief committed a violent assault on his wife, which, to all appearance, terminated fatnlly Tho Vj'*uU,^ Magrsini. went io the chief's house, and saw what ho took to bo tl e corpse dressed out with hum feathers, after Maori faehion. Straightway he telegraphed to the acting [ Natho Minister, in Wellington— ' Kepa killed his wife, what are we to do I' You observe, he dare not arrest the noble savage, and wanted instructions as to whether he should place him under formal surveillance, or allow him to go at large. Dire must have been the consternation at headquarters. Meetings, it is said were convened and adjourned without Ministers seeing their w ay out of the trouble. «l list when they wern reduced to the verge of despair, a second telegram arrive i— ' Kepa's wife not killed after all. Ho says it's all from bad whisky.' And so, all ended happily. Whatever misgivings might have been felt as to the prudence of arresting a Maori for murder, there could bo no doubt whatever as to the absurdity of interfering with his personal liberty, for simply breaking a mnrital rib or two !" If is Excellency Governor Bowen will not soon agian| go out of his way to Javish vice-regal attention on visitors whom he knows only by name. (So says " Simon," of the Weekly Times.) It is said on very good authority that by the lost mail steamer from Gallo came a gentleman rejoicing in so distinguished an appellation that he was at once made free of the Melbourne Club, where Sir George Bowen met him, took him out for a drive in his own carriage, and invited him to dine with him at Bishopscourt. Shortly after tho arrival of the interesting stranger he was chatting with Sir George nt tho Club, whrn who should put in nn appearanco but tbo Chief Commissioner of Police. His Excellency at once availed himself of the opportunity of introducing the stranger to Captain Standish, requesting the latter to pay the former any little attention in his way, and to show him as many of tho " lions" as ho could. The captain was somewhat puzzled, but he promised to do what was required. The Governor then left them together, whereupon Captain Standish took out of hie pocket a telegram from Gafle to the effect that the new arrival was travelling under an assumed name. The stranger instantly confessed the fact, but protested that he belonged to •an Irish branch of the family ;' and left Melbourne the snme day with so much haste that he didn't even trait to pack up his clothes, which still vcmain in one of our fashionable hotels." " iE«lea "of the Australasian, writing upon the same subject, "says :— " A naval uniform and a sword have largly aided in the maintenance of tho delusion. I suppose it was the unfailing and instinctive sympathy of caste which impelled one colonial honorable to cive a dinner, and another a luncheon, to the Honorable Mr Menda\." — Cross. A Home journal informs us (Herald) that tho reasons that New Zealand flax is under a cloud just now aro twofold a, carelessness in the preparation of the fibre and the fact that good Manilla hemp can now be obtained at as low a price as ruled for phormium two ago. Tho Home News says the worst news in connection with the flax industry comes from Canterbury, at which place tho Flax Spinning and Weaving Compnny is to be turned into a woollen manufactory. From other places the news is better. Mr C. J. Pownall, of Wellington, hai forwarded to Mr C. Tho'rne] who of all men deserves credit for exertions made in behalf of 2>hormium, a sample ot fibre prepared by him. This is the beet machine-dressed flax hitherto eeen in the English market. This sample is now in Dundee, and will be worked up, either by itself or with ordinary flax, into cloth of homo kind. It is to be feared that Kew Zcalanders have been too easily discouraged in connection with the flax industry If success is worth attaining, it is worth working for Not many years ago jute was in far worse repute than the nhorvuum of to-day • Now its spinning and weaving employs ten, of thousands of people, and fortunes have and are beine made out of it rapidly. The material that wns only fit for gun.n bug? a few years ago is now in high repute,* and is um-.I fin i timorous other purposes. W.C '/, „o Daily Times) are told by a gentleman recently la., i, I t ,nd tl.at one of the most act ho land speculators aiu. •■£ Mr Brissenden, wtn stud to have been just anpoinl. d a Government land buyer, at a salary of £600 a year nnAtlmt a, he could not, peak the MaarHonaue. another" £300 is allowed him ior an interpreter. We can scared credit tins report, but ,t reaches us on good aulhority and tradTctecT' m mtttenal ff ° atUre3 BhoUld b ° offi o"»»y co»We «ould draw attention in another column to the notice ££fts«kffi. aiul Co - ■ hippw and ta i—- <*«■» Mr W. S. Jones, pianoforte tuner, has arrived in the Wai I koto, ho purposes proceeding to Alexandra to-day Orders left, at this office will be attended to. y uiutrs Tawhiao was in Aleiandia on Tucs-'ay. '