AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1541, 20 May 1882, Page 2

AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawcd by influence and unbribed by gain.

Wr. have allowed the great native meeting at Whatiwhatihoe to pass without comment so far, in the hope that before its dose something like a definite policy would be foreshadowed by tile natives. The meeting is now over. It was concluded on Wednesday, under circumstances which reflect anything but lustre upon the Maori kingship. Tawiiiao is reported to have come to the meeting that morning under the influence of liquor, and to have fallen asleep during the delivery of a number of speeches which bore direct reference to his condition. Nothing new was brought forward, and although Tawiiiao recovered sufficiently to be able to address a few words to the meeting, the burden of his song was merely the return of the Parliament to Auckland. The meeting, while it has culminated in nothing of a practical nature, has, however, brought one or two things clearly to the light. It has demonstrated to the Maoris in the most complete manner their utter inferiority in point of numbers, as in everything thing else, to the European population. They might have been aware of this long ago, but with their native sophistry they have affected to disguise the knowledge. But the disparity between the races has been so pointedly iillucled to by several speakers at the meeting that tlie fact cannot any longer be blinked. Among the resultsflowingfromthis, the most apparent will be found in the desire which the natives everywhere manifest for peace. Nothing can be more safely predicted than that the days of violence, so far as the aboriginal natives of this colony and their white fellow-subjects are concerned, w ill never again return. Tawiiiao has implicitly relinquished, the sovereignty he has claimed so long. It is true he holds tenaciously to the shadow of kingly power ; he insists on being the mouthpiece of his people, but he has let the substance slip through his fingers. He no longer attempts to govern ; he is content to make representations through one of Her Majesty's commoners to the real sovereign power of the State. Moreover, we can detect in the utterances, not only of Tawjiiao, but also in those of many chiefs, indications that the artificial barriers they have raised up between race and race are crumbling away, none the less surely because slowly. What other influence the meeting may eventually have upon the whole native question we cannot know. Itsirnmediate effects areas6ertainable enough, but its remote bearings can only be demonstrated by time.< Tame and unsatisfactory, and deplorable in some respects, as the great May meeting has been, we feel sure that it has achieved a great purpose.

" Echoes from the Cafe," and other interesting reading matter will be found on the fourth page of this issue.

Our Auckland correspondent wired last night' that a fire was i'aging inthe vicinity of Newton, but no further parV r ticulai'B were to hand tip to the^time of'closing the telegraph dfflcef' 1 ! >-■) ,r, ,•'.

The , demand for Taupiri coal is rapidly increasing; 630 tons have, befeu despatched from Ilnntley clifrihg the Is&t' six ,'days, necessitating a ' daily ispecial rt train .from Auckland. ''' ' ' ,' !> ' rv- >'

Mr /Prank '» Edgecumbe lias 'received instructions to survey a block of 10,000 acres of Government land ou" the west bank of the Wailsato, on tlie Im oi <

road befcvpeerfHuntley and Raglan. Th quality of .this land is reported to be really first rate, and adapted for settlement oil the deferred payment system.

riThf 'Gs&etter orthe 11th inst.contains.^ the\ jff^verflor's. proclamatiprr constituting the" highway district 'of Cambridge North a town district, under the Act of 1881.

The Banks in ■Waikato will be closed oii Wednesday next, the anniversary of Her Majesty's birthday. -

A fortnightly quadrille assembly has been started in Alexandra under very favourable auspices, and so far has been fairly patronised by the young people of the district. Wednesday night last was the opening night of the assembly, when the Alexandra Band, under Mr Hadfield, provided the music.

The members of the Orange institution at Cambridge have decided on giving Mr 0. D. Mackintosh a banquet in the Oddfellows' Hall, on the 31st inst., prior to his departure for Wellington, The complimentary concert to be given to the same gentleman in the Public Hall on the 29th inst. promises to be a great success, good talent having been engaged for the occasion.

A cablegram, dated Cairo, May 16th, states':— lt has transpired that, acting under the advice of the Foreign Consuls, the Khedive has patched up an agreement with his Ministers, and the crisis which was imminent has thus been averted.

Mr James Stewart, C.E., arrived in Hamilton yesterday, and proceeded to the Aroha for the purpose of inspecting the proposed routes of the tramway scheme about to be instituted by the Piako Council for connecting the mines with the battery.

United services are now being held nightly at Cambridge in the Oddfellows' Hall, members of the Presbyterian, Wesleyan, and Baptist congregations attending the services. An evangelical clergyman is to conduct the services during the coming week. A daily service is contemplated.

It will be seen by our report of the Cambridge R.M. Court, that Captain Runcinian, the commanding officer of the Cambridge Cavalry Troop, has brought a test case against the defaulters in the troop. If sncoesstul a number of similar actions will be entered.

The improvements at present being carried out to the Masonic Hotel, Cambridge, are very extensive, and the contractor is making satisfactory progress with the work. When finished the hotel will be one of the largest in the district, and no doubt under good management will become a favourite hostelry.

We have been requested to call to the notice of those interested (the Hamilton cricketers) that their fencing material on Sydney Square is lying about, .and being destroyed, as well as causing conbiderable annoyance to pedestrians, one of whom complains of having his clothes torn, and contemplates bringing an action for damages.

The special coal train from Huntley to Auckland ran'into and killed a horse on Tuesday between Ohinewai and Rangiriri. The driver felt some obstruction, but on reaching a bridge it was missed, and the owner of the horse, a native named Kopu, found the animal next morning in the creek underneath. The horse must have been lifted by the cow-catcher and so can led to the bridge. No damage was sustained by the engine.

It is reported that Mr Foote's coal mine, Miranda, is for sale. Several Auckland gentlemen, among&t them Messrs Frazer and Tinne, Brissendon and Errington, C.E., have during the last few days inspected the property, and extended their visit to the Huntley mines, for the purpose, presumably, of forming an estimate as to how long the supply from this source is likely to last, rather a difficult problem, as coal has been found near the Kimihia Lake, and at other places in the immediate neighbourhood.

The coming races on the Queen's Birthday is engrossing a good deal of the attention of the stewards. The course, notwithstanding the late severe m eather, is in excellent condition, and preparations are being made for the erection of booths, &c. The Kihikihi people have also, we learn, made arrangements for coaches to run between the townships on the evening of the races so as to enable visitors to comfortably reach the concert which is to be held that night.

At a meeting of the ladies of his paribli, convened by Father O'Gaia and held in the Presbytery, Hamilton East, to discuss the best means for raising money to pay off the debt on the church and manse, it was resolved to hold a bazaar at Christinas in the Volunteer Hall. A working committee was appointed, and Mrs Cussen elected president. The following ladies kindly consented to take stalls : — Mrs Cussen, Mrs Gelling, Mrs Sinuns, Miss Stevenson (the Auckland stall), and Mesdames Connolly and Cassidy will take charge of the reheslnnent stall.

The "Herald," yesterday, writes : — •" We understand that a meeting of the directors of the Thames Valley and Rotorua Company was held yesterday for the purpose of considering the competitive drawings of the best and shortest, route for the proposed railway from Oxford to Rotorua. We hear that only one set of drawings was submitted, that sent in by Mr W. D. Campbell, of Auckland. The route which he has surveyed runs along the Wai-o-E[utu Valley, and shortens the original route by about ten miles. Mr James Stewart, the company's engineer, is to inspect the route proposed by Mr Campbell."

The usual weekly meeting of the Hamilton Literary and Debating Society was held at the Court-house on Thursday evening. The chair was occupied by the president (Mr James Hume), and there were about fifteen members present. There was also a good attendance of visitors. The programme consisted of an essay on " Longfellow" by Mr S. E. G. Smith, followed by readings from the poet's works by the Rev. D. Fulton, R. F. Sandes, JRobert Bradley, and S. McLernon. The selections were well chosen, and were listened to with much interest. Criticism followed. On Thursday next the Yen. Archdeacon Lush will deliver his lecture on ■ the " Moabite Stone."

A correspondent r at Kihikihi writes :—": — " I regret to find' that some person correspond iug to your valuable columns has used them as a vehicle for his derision under the pretext of a jest. They who have taken the unwarrantable liberty of using the name of our most respected , friend, Mr Moncrieff, in connection witli the monster lizards in therKing Country, must have either had some , selfish moti.vea.in doing so, or otherwise been imbibing ,very freely. Mr Moncrieff was perfectly ignorant of the lizard story or anything'connected -with it. I may safely state that Mr Moncrieff has. full, liberty to go into any part of the natives' country^ - while it! is * doubtful , whether your correspondent would be , allowed,to cross the boundary." J\ ~ <

* Mr '.T.''G? ,Sandes writes:— Re my stafem&it; that Mr W. C.' + Break; ell ;did r hbt appro ve'o'f ' the Cook-st-reetdrain-,so stating was Mr Siratn,3, o the,engineer| :whb, did? fcjje ijfld work. ',-1 thou^lit^hat' quite siiffi'cieirtffo'r ftiy assertion. "'!As" lor, the- scheme itself, ie is gootl euougU if

properlycarried out, but pipes should,be at least 15 iuches in circumference, and cement used for joints. Then it might answer. Under the present specifications, .it is most certainly defective, .as I feel, sure results'will prove. f I also notipe that they have taken up the old drains'before putting in the new. What the results will be in case of a heavy rainfall before completion of cqntract it is not hard to predict. 1

There i& yery little doubt that the majority of the natives who attended the recent kingite meeting, at Whatiwhatihoe, looked tipon tlie proceedings as a mere dramatic representation, and attached as little impoi'tance to what transpired there as the Europeans who wisely kept away from the scene appear to have done. As an instance of this fact we might quote the opinion of Wetere, the Mokau chief, who expressed his assent to nearly every resolution put forward at the meeting. He informed'our reporter that what Tawhiao said about stopping roads and surveys, in the course of his opening speech, was of very little consequence as far as the Government was concerned, and that any hindrance Tawhiao could offer was insignificant indeed. He further asserted that when Parliament would open on the 18th inst., Mr Bryce, a man who would tolerate very little interference from Tawhiao, would order that the railway be run through the the King Country, and that the road and surveys be proceeded with, and all that Tawhiao and his followers could do to prevent such being done would be very little. Some of them even among his own followers, speak in very uncomplimentary teims of the uncrowned monarch.

Messrs Hesketli and Aitkiu, the Haymirkct, 105 Queen-->treet, Auckland, notify th.it they h.i\c purchased the hole of Messrs Fisher .mil Go's., < i op of button's I'lour Kail potatoes, which jieldcd 17 tons to tin- acre, and arc now prepared to oiler the same cither eating, Keeping or cropping qualities, in lots to suit purchasers. '1 hey have also other varieties ot this esculent loi sale. Messrs Clark and Gane will sell on Tuesday ne\t, at the premises now in the. occupation of Mr S. Bright, Cambridge, the whole of the household furniture, trap, buggy, &c. On Friday, the 25th inst, they will sell at the residence of Mi C. D. Mackintosh, the whole of his furniture and effects, excellent piano, &.C. Messrs H. E. Cotton and Co., will sell at their rooms, Victoria-street, Cambridge, to-day, 2,000 feet timber, drain pipes, cooking range, iron pump, potatoes, onions, aud a lot of other produce and sundries. Attention is directed to an advertisement by Messers Coulthard Bros., regarding their s.uv-milltng business at To Rabu. Mr John Steadman, bricklayer and contractor, Hamilton, notifies that all orders entrusted to him will be promptly executed. Messrs W. J. Hunter and Co. will dispose ot a choice lot of fat cattle at the Cambridge Yards on Thursday, 25th inst. Mr J. S. Buckland will sell at the Ohaupo yards, on '1 ncsday next, choice steers, sheep, &c. On Tuesday, June Oth, at Cambridge, he will sell fat and store cattle, sheep, pigs, horses, Ike. A meeting of the stewards and committee of the Waikato Turt Club will be held at Gwynne's Hamilton Hotel, on Monday, 29th inst. at 11 a.m.