The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2239, 13 November 1886, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state 01 persuasion, religious or political.

SATURDAY, NOV. 13,1886.

In a recent issue we took a brief review of the proceedings of the Native Land Court at Ofcorohanga, in the King Country, the sitting of which was brought to a termination on the sth instant. After the delivery on October 22nd of the judgment by Judge Mair, on the hearing of the great Rohepotae block, the Court went into careful consideration of the lists of owners that were brought forward. This last was a tedious and painstaking process, owing to the numerous and conflicting claims of individuals for admission in the several sub-divisions, which were allowed or dismissed, as the case might be, on their rights being proved or otherwise. When it is borne in mind that the lists comprised between three and four thousand names, distinguished under their respective tribes and liapus, together with separate schedules of minors with their several trustees, it will be understood that the task before the Court was no light one. The natives particularly the Ngatinianiapoto, and other of the claimants, at tiist Volt a strong disinclination to put in lists of names, and urged the Court to defer this for sowral months. It is only proper that we make known the reason of their objection in this respect. Wahanui, Mangn, IFauauru <md other prominent chiefs have all along been extremely jealous of siny semblance of interference by the Government with the, lands u\ the

King Country, ami did not disguise their feelings on this point, more especially when they noticed the frequent presence of Mr Wilkinson, the Native Agent, during the sitting of the Court, and taking notes of the proceedings. We do not think for a moment that Mr Baltance had any intention of meddling with the action of the Court in any way, but the preserve of Government Agents- in the district at such a time was in bad taste, andjthrough the irritation it created in the minds of the chiefs, threatened to place difficulties in the way of the successful issue of a most important case which was only allayed by the tact of the Court and its officers. Ihe chiefs complained, and with apparent good reason, that no sooner was the judgment given, and even previously, than the agents, of the Government were sounding them to sell blocks of land. It was, therefore at their unanimous desire that the whole of the country passed through the Court was made inalienable. It will be most injudicious and impolitic for the Government to make any move at this juncture towards acquiring any portion of the King Country, otherwise the good work already successfully accomplished will be stultified, and further progress retarded by creating a strong ad version amongst the natives to have the land sub-divided and individualised at the re-opening of the Court next year. The decided success of the Ctourt at Otorohanga has been a surprise to the opponents of Mr Ballance. It was confidently predicted in Wellington and other places that the afiair would end in a fiasco, and that the Court would be compelled to retire crestfallen within a week after its arrival in the King Country. The Native Minister, therefore, does not disguise the great satisfaction he feels with the triumphant termination of the Court. On the very day the court rose a letter, which was read aloud, was received by Judge Mair, conveying " the congratulations of the Native Minister on the manner in which, in the face of great difficulties, the Court had proceeded to carry to a conclusion this exceedingly important case." Mr Ballance also said that "he was very sensible of the hardships to which the Court and officers had been exposed, and felt that the thanks of the Government were due to them for the way in which they had stood to their post, in the face of many privations." Mr Ballance added that he "had noticed with great pleasure, the reports in the Press of the good conduct of the natives attending the court, and the entire absence of the scenes of drunkenness and debauchery that, unhappily, in the past have so frequently attended the sittings of the Nativo Land Courts when held in European centres, and he desired to bo conveyed to Wahanuiand the other chiefs and natives present the congratulation of the Government upon the conclusion of this important case, and his appreciation of the extremely orderlj r and satisfactory way in which all the natives had behaved." Hauauru, in acknowledging the Minister's kind words, said that in former times they had been "scared" by tho British troops, but that they had since been " whakararata" (tamed down) by Major Mair, and felt the necessity of taking advantage of the benefits of pakeha civilisation and progress.

There is an aspect of the Castleton Saurian-cum-Tiger nonsense which deserves some attention. While we are not prepared to deny that there are huge saurians in the country any more than we are ready to scout the idea of a tiger being on the loose, we may say at once that we have ceased to place any reliance whatever in the Castleton boys. In the minds of thinking people the tiger story has demolished the narrative about the alligator without gaining credence for itself. But the point which has hitherto escaped much notice, and to which reference is made above, is this : Though men may without affectation laugh at the idle tales of the boys and the blind faith of their father, there are others, delicate women and young people, who may be seriously affected thereby. It is easy enough even for these to be sceptical in the daylight or within the shelter of home, but under less happy conditions they might receive a severe shock to the nervous system Every unusual sound in the night and every strange appearance will bring the saurian-tiger to mind, and sooner or later serious consequences will follow. A geutleman, who is not at all wanting in nerve, j told us that when riding through a clump of high ti-tree near Castleton's on Tuesday, the sudden rush of a couple of pigs caused his heart to take temporary lodgings in his throat. Now, what should above all things be guarded against is a public scare. We do not believe that there exists the slightest cause for alarm ourselves. We scout the crocodile yarn altogether, and as for the Royal Bengal Tiger, the leopard, or the cheetah, for it has been supposed to be all these things, if such an animal escaped from a menagerie, we feel sure the circumstance would have been made public. Setting aside the value of such an animal for exhibition purposes, it is absurd to suppose that the circus people should be so destitute of all the tiner feelings of humanity as to allow so dangerous a creature to despasture itself on the youthful population of New Zealand without uttering a note of warning. It is worthy of remark that nothing was heard of the so-called tiger until his presence in the neighbourhood was suggested in the Herald. After what has happened, we are convinced that nothing is wanting in order that the Castleton boys

may discover a sea serpent save a hint that such a monster might be taking his spring bath of fresh water in the Waikatq river. Still and notwithstanding all this there arc certain people who are ready to swallow anything that is marvellous. It is the duty of the Government, acting through the police, to succor all such weakminded members of the community, though to do so may involve a considerable expenditure. The Saurian business should be sifted to the very bottom, and the guilty parties when found should be made to suffer pretty smartly. We commend the subject to the earnest consideration of Inspector Kiely.

The Yen. Archdeacon Clarke will be the preacher in S. Peter's Church, Hamilton, to-morrow evening 1 .

Mr James Simpson, of the firm of Lewis and Simpson, Cambridge, has gone on a holiday to Sydney, and left Auckland by the Manapouri a few diiyt> ago.

A meeting of the ratepayers of the Hamilton Road District will be held in Tho W.ukato Times Buildings, on Saturday, the 4th December, to consider road closing matters.

The engineer of the Waipa County Council notifies that the road near tlie boundary of Messrs Williamsons ar.d McNicol's properties on the (Ohamio read has been closed for one day only, (Monday, 15th), in otder that a pipe culveit, damaged by the late heavy ruins may bo repaired.

Mr Devore was elected Mayor of Auckland, unopposed, on Thursday. One of his nominators was the retiring Mayor, Mr \V. R. YVaddel. Mr Devote i» th<> first lawyer, with one exception, Mr Button (Hokitilca) who has been elected to the mayoral chair in the colonies.

Mr Matthew Burnett, the celebrated temperance lecturer, will deliver a lecture at the Public Hall, Hamilton, to-night, and another at same place on Monday night. On Toesd.iy evening he will lecture at the Oddfellow-.' Hall, Hamilton East. Mr Burnett will preach at the Hamilton Wesleyan Church to-morrow evening.

We are pleased to be able to state that Mr W. A. Gr.iham has consented to be nominated for the third time as Mayor of Hamilton, in response to the unanimous wish of the ratepayer 1 ?. Mr Graham's regime has been marked by the inaugura tion of numberless projects for the advancement of the interests of the borough, and the ratepayers owe him a deep* debt of gratitude.

A cable message states that there are. grounds for thinking that France, in exchange for the New Hebiides, is now prepared to cede R-ipn, with equal commercial freedom in thfi Pacific, and the cessation of convictism. France will also arrange with Germany and England all other questions. If these terms are not accepted it is unlikely that France will withdraw from the New Hebrides,

At the E.M. Court, Cambridge, on Wednesday, before Mr T. 13. Lewis, J.P., D. Gallagher, was brought up on a charge of drunkenness and fined £3 or seven days imprisonment with hard labour. Gallagher had only arrived from Auckland on the day previous to his offence, where ho had just completed a month's incarceration for a. similar offence, and for being illegally on premises in Brewery-street.

Mr J- D Arnaboldi, of Cambridge, is constructing a total ibdtor, and has just completed the internal portion of the machine, which provides for 21 horses. So far aa can be seen a present the machine promises to bo a Hrst-clas.s production of its kind, and will be creditable to the constructor, especially if enclosed in a suitable en sing.

We are glad to find that the zeal and efficiency displayed by Constables Murray and Wild in connection with the arrest and conviction of the cattle thieves McAnnally and Carter, in July la^t has bsen recogni-ed in the proper < ( v iter. The hon. the Commissioner of Police has* awarded a gratuity of £3 to each constable to mark his approval of their services. Both officers am deservedly popular and well merit the reward.

A meeting of the Hamilton Public Library Committee was held la^t night. Present : Mews Pe.it (chairman), Tippen, French, Salmon, und (leiling. The JSe'jretary reported that the Iwts of imentories and specifications had been applied for from the Government, and received from the year 1882 t.> 1880. An order was given to the librarian to strictly enforce the regulations in respect of not more than one book being allowed at a tune to every subscription of 5s paid, some irregularity having taken place of late. S-.me routine business was transacted, and the meeting adjourned till the second Friday in December, at 8.30 p.m.

Tenders are called for the Taupiri Contract, New Zealand Railways, formation and permanent way. Thh is the branch line which starts from the main line below Huntly, and runs in round the Kimihia Lake, a length of two miles to the proposed coal mines about to h& opened up by an Auckland syndicate. The plans are on view at the Post Office, Hamilton, and tenders are returnable on Wednesday, the 24th int>t., the time gi\en for completion being <i\ months. Tenders are also called for the formation of mk mile-) of the Thatnes-Te Aioha line near Ohineimiri, and we hope .soon to hear of the extension from Te Aioha Thame^ward beins in hand.

At the Tatnahere Road Board meeting, yesterday, the following tenders for forming 70 chains of the junction road were received : — Zenas Owen, 3x 5d per chain, (accepted) ; Charles Crouch, 4s Id per chain ;C. 8. McCallum, -in per chain. Air Bailey, managur of the Auckland Agricultural Company, wrote asking the board to open up home five or six miles of roads through the Tauwhare swamp land, recently purchased from the Government by the company. The clerk was instructed to say that the board did not see any present public necessity for these roads. The cost was loughly estimated at £600, and would necessitate a loan on the levying of the highest rate the law.. will allow, vu. six farthings in the £.