"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1875.

Waikato Times, Volume VIII, Issue 411, 2 January 1875, Page 2

"OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 1875.

In accordance with our custom in the first issue of our paper in a New Year, we propose to review 'some of tJje principal events of the past period of jfcime. The event of most importance to the Waikato was the turning of the first sod of the line between -^Tgaruaw ahia and Mercer. The ceremony was performed by his Honor the Superintendent ; the "Hon. Dr Pollen -also took part in the proceedings, the programme was such as is usually gone through on like occasions. The only novelty was the experiment of .-employing militia under military law to carry on the work. At the time we had grave doubta as to £he advisability of the step, the result, -however, has much more than exceeded our expectations. After th,e preliminary weeding the men have given a fair day's work for their pay. There were two reasons urged for employing armed men, the one was that in the event of disturbance with the natives they would bo ready to move at a moment's notice to any point where their services might be required. The other that having men Worn in to serve until lawfully discharged, the works were not likely to be delayed by any sudden eruption in tho labor market. We learn that there is every probability of the railway being opened to Ngarun walna before the termination of the current y-ear. We have so often descanted on the advantages that wiU accrue from our railway being an accomplished fact, that we will now content ourselves with the bold assertion that it is f'he one f fhing needed to raise the Waikato into its proper oosition— one of the most flourishing districts in in the colony. We must not forget, whilst alluding lo our railway, to notice the great progress that has |»oeu made in the construction of the iron road in other sections of the colony ; the statement of the 'Minister of Public Works, delivered in July, gave •jreueral satisfaction, and since that time there is 'iycy reason to believe that the work performed jn\\\ afford hini an opportunity of furnishing a flowing account oT nis department during the recess. ~ Another Bt-^ J^ucisuo mail contract has been «i4e4'ed mto';.iid broken during the year; who is Y> Uama'ta the question ' It' is true that the Government nia\le a good contract had they selected a ;Vf»able ""I r^ftpwJiJ'io rn.ui to carry ii out. Tho *'-" i».{% !„ " r i> •oi'Uilv rnti. lon V>v tin-*

of chartered vessels. The, failure of the original contractor to fulfil his agreement with passengers has done a great deal of harm to the service, and a considerable time will elapse before confidence is re-established. Early in. the* year the intelligence reached us that a Conservative Ministry under Mr Disraeli had succeeded to the Ministerial Bunches vacated by Mr Gladstone and his followers, who had held power since 1868. This event is of course of very great importance to the whole British nation, and particularly so to the colonies, as the policy of the Liberals was tending to alienate the affections of some of the dependencies of the Crown. The annexation of Fiji proves that the policy of the Disraeli Ministry is to extend rather than contract the Colonial Empire. Early in the year one of England's small wars was brought to a termination ; our forces succeeded in reaching the Ashantee capital, and compliance with the demands of our Government speedily followed. The sitting of the Provincial Council of the Province of Auckland was not productive of any great I results. The Bill to amend the Education Act brought in by the Tieasurer was so utterly absurd that it was speedily shelved, the result being that only the taxation clauses of the old Act were altered. i The Highways Act, which was passed after considerable discussion, but has not as yet been put in force as regards its main features, viz., the establishment of District Boards, and the giving of power to Boards to borrow on the security of the rates. The Waste Lands Committee which sat during the session did good work, and their work has borne fruit in the shape of an Act of the General Assembly, based on its recommendations. Mr James Mackay was \i ithdrawn from the district in June, there being no longer any necessity for his presence. The circumstances under which he was appointed by the Government are fresh in the minds of every settler. Before his departure a dinner was given in his honor at Cambridge, at which a handsome testimonial was presented. The Parliament of the Colony commenced its sitting at Wellington on the 3rd July. There was very little of great interest or importance, excepting the Financial and Public Works Statements till near the end of the session when Mr Yogel brought forward his celebrated resolutions proposing the abolition of Provincialism in the North. This question has been discussed at such length in our columns that allusion to it now could only prove tedious. It will be remembered that at the termination of the session of 1873, the Council threw out a Bill authorising the Provinces to borrow. Mr Curtis, the member for Nelson, soon after the meeting of Parliament, tested, the feeling of the House on the question after members had given the subject their mature consideration. He was fortunately defeated ; we say fortunately, because we believe the system he desired could only prove disastrous. The Premier made a very able speech in introducing the Conservation of Forest Bill. It was thrown out, however, mainly on the ground that it would take the control of a certain amount of land out of the hands of the Provinces and vest it in the General Government. During the past year great progress has been made in the draining of the Piako swamp. The day is not very distant when a large tract of country will be fitted for settlement by the enterprise ot those gentlemen who hold shares in the company. A meeting was held in October at which a large number of the most influential settlers in the Waikato were present, for the purpose of impressing upon the Government the justice and necessity of throwing a bridge across the Waikato river at Hamilton. Immigration has been steadily prosecuted during the past year, a large number of human beings has been introduced into the country, if they were all the right class of people, we should be inclined to predict much future prosperity from their presence. The good, however, will much more than counteract, the presence of the bad. Sir James Fergusson the late governor of this colony resigned his position towards the end of the year, his departure is much regretted by those who are capable of appreciating the services likely to be rendered to the colony by a man of sterling ability, endowed with the advantages of a political training in a very severe sch 001. His successor the Marquis of Norlnanby comes to us with an excellent reputation, as yet, he has had no opportunity afforded him of exercising any but the most ordinary gubernational functions. Mr Vogel is in England at the present time on business connected with the colony, his repeated absence from the seat of Government has been very severely criticised, and in our opinion justly so. If the Agent-General is fit for the position there should be no necessity for the Premier to visit England after each session of Parliament, if he is not fit to hold ifc, it is quite time he was withdrawn. Our political men have a mania for roaming over the world at other people's expense. Our Superintendent, had the winds proved favourable for a start would have been wafted to the shores of his birth, to carry out the Immigration scheme for Auckland, on a plan of his own. A Turf Club has been started in the Waikato during the year, it is likely to succeed in establshing good race meetings in the district. We feel that we are justified in looking forward to a year of prosperity for the Waikato, the resources of many of the farms are nearly developod, and the high price of all farm produce during the past year has left funds in the hands of the settlers with which to improve their property. Men of capital have taken up land and are working it energetically. It is not a mere form of speech we use, when we wish the settlers of the Waikato a Happy New Year.

We remind all interested in the Hamilton sports that they will commence at 1L o'clock this day. It will bo seen by advertisement that tho brewery at Ngaruawahia, and the sections on which it Btands, will be sold by auction by Messrs Cochrano and Sons, in Auckland, on Tuesday next. An inquest was held on tho body of Maxwell Newell in the Lunatic Asylum in Auckland. We learn from a contemporary that the verdict was in accordance with the evidence, he omits, however, to stale what the evidence waa. We learn that the body of the unfortunate Miss Porch has been recovered about nine mdos below tho place where she was left bathing. An inquest wdl of course be held, at which no more facts than are at prescit well known to tho public will in all probability be elicited. A now species of a vegetable devouring pest has lately been observed in Napier for the first time. It i 3 a very small black-red insect, like a beetle, and it can bo seen on the hills in swarms ; through whatever paddock or garden these insects travel they leave nothing green behind them. From the country also, we learn that grasshoppers are in myriads. We arc glad to be able to inform our Alexandra and Te Awamutu friends and others interested that from this date a mail will be carried from Hamilton to Te Awamut u every Thursday, and there will be a return service on Friday. This will enable a large section of our settlers to benefit by the highly subsidized tri-weekly mail between the Waikato and Auckland, an advantage that has hitherto been denied to them. The Eev Dr Bleasdale, of Melbourne, a Eoniau Catholic priest, has boon taking an active part in the movement for opening the Public Library, Museum, &c ,on Sundays. In tlie course of one of his speeches he said he had been a priest for thirl y years, had seen men in many countries and many races, and found everywhere that these facilities for rational enjoyment had a most beneficial effect upon religion and morality. Ho simply claimed for himself one thing which t was that during tbe twenty-four yeai'3 had been amongst them he had striven to soffrn down the asperities of one set ! of bigots,towai*dB anol her. If he had not done so, he a Eoman priest, would nob have been placed in the position which he L\ cl i l . 1U i O ? ll '' ortion "'"' tlu ' t'ikl'c Library -Hid Museum,

It is purposed to bold the Mowing reUfiAjUi services fe tho Waik»to to-morrow :--Cnurch of Engli^PPkHainilton, 11 a.m. ; Ngaruawahia, 11 a. in. and 6.30 p.m. ; Alexandra, 11 a m. ; I\> An-amutu, 3 p.m. ; Kihikihi, 630 p.m. Catholic — Ngaruawahia, 11 a.m. Pre«byterian— Ohaupo, 11 a.m.; Pat ran^i, 3 p.m. ; Alexandra, 7 p.m. ; Wesleyan Methodist, Cambridge, 11 a.m. ; Pukeraftl', 2.30 p.m. ; Hamilton, 6^30 p.m. United Presbyterian and Congregational — Te Await is to be rpjrrafctei^PpfliG woatbfeir yesterday was so exceedingly entertainments were quite out of the j^ffin, XQ steamers .of the- W.S.N. Co., which were ti|j|rtK§arrie'd a number of holiday makers to the cherry grolfHp the Waipa did not start, for the j reason that nobody could be found venturesome enough. toJ trust to the weather holding up, whioh some of the sanguine* would be excuraionists predicted. In consequence of certain paragraphs which have appeared in the Australian papers touching the rapid manufacture of horse shoes, the people ot Renwiok supposed that the local workmen ware " not up to tbat sort of thing," and as rumour states, chaffed Mr Vorbach, a knight of the hammer in that locality, until ho vowed that he would lick the gum-suckers, i.e., the Australians. An old fellovr-aettler stood timekeeper, watch in hand, while John commenced his fight against time and the "gum-suckers." He began and finished 31 shoes in fifty-four minutes, Uius proving himself the victor. AH, not of a most satnrine disposition are prepared to take a joke on Now Years' Eve, but there are jokes and jokes. We believe that the good people ef Ngaruawahia are no exception to tho rule we have la*d down. The performances of the Rowdys on Thursday night were carried too far. There is a distinction between knocking at a person's door and wishing him a happy New Tear, and kiokiag at it so violently that bis first outlay must bo a coat of paint. Tho performances of those bent on celebrating tho incoming of the New Year savoured much too strongly of larrikinism than was edifying. We have no desire to find fault with the authorities because they only sanctioned that, which in a modified form, has been the custom of Ngaruawahia fsr some years. There is a difference between being joked with by those with whom you are living on good terms anil by tnose you have never seen nor heard of in your life. We trust that a repitltion of the scene of disorder which prevailed in Ngaruawahia will never be repeated.