THE ENGLISH MAIL. TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY LIVES LOST IN THE 'LONDON.'

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2712, 27 March 1866, Page 4

THE ENGLISH MAIL. TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY LIVES LOST IN THE 'LONDON.'

By the arrival of the s.s. 'Prince Alfred/ Captain Machin, from Sydney, after midnight, we are in possession of late English, papers and complete Sydney files. "We extract the more interesting items from the Australian papers, together with the latest commercial news. The Times and Daily Telegraph have articles on the wreck of the s.s. 'London.' The Times of January 18 says:— "We had yesterday to report one of those calamities which fill people's minds with a feeling akin to terror. Amid all the disasters of the last fortnight, nothing equals the fate of the ' London,' an Australian packet ship, which foundered on Thursday last in the Bay of Biscay, with the loss of 270 lives." The ' Amalia,' auxiliary screw, of 3,000 tons, from Liverpool, was lost from the same cause as the ' London.' She perished in the same storm, and near the same place. The passengers and crew were rescued by the 1 Laconia,' a screw steamer which stood by them during the hurricane. The John Bull has an article on the cause of the JS"ew Zealand war, which discusses the native question, the resignation of Mr. Weld, and the advent to office of Mr. Stafford, in an intelligent spirit. The writer, however, is a sincere believer in Mr. FitzGrerald, and quotes him accordingly. The loss of the ' Royal Albert,' in Bude Bay, Cornwall, is reported. She was bound from Calcutta to London, and had a valuable cargo. All on board perished. She belonged to Fernie, Brothers, Liverpool. Ship and cargo, fully insured. Captain "Wake and several officers have been censured by court-martial for losing H.M. s. s Bulldog ' at St. Domingo. Columns of the English papers are occupied by the bare enumeration of the wrecks reported, for which we have not space in to-day's issue. _______^____^_—

Two presentations of Addresses and testimonials took place in Auckland yesterday. Colonel Mould, ft. E., C.8., was presented with a copy of a resolution passed by the Vestry of St. Paul's Church, recording their thanks for services rendered to the church, and apprising him that an address from the Vestry and parishioners would be forwarded to him upon his arrival in England. The secoud presentation took place at Mr. Steers's, the City Club, when Captain Cadell, late in command of the Waikato Transport Service, was presented with an address, engrossed upon vellum, a gold chronometer watch, and gold albert chain, diamond ring, locket with portrait of her Majesty set in diamonds, and travelling dressing and writing case. The proceedings will be found reported elsewhere.

Our Thames correspondent, writing on the subject of the native rumours ' regarding the theft of the Maori's goods by the Europeans, at Kopu, Says : that " Te Taipara, and other chiefs, have been unremitting in their zeal in affording Mr. Commissioner Mackay assistance in his inquiry into the affair, whilst Rewai and others will only listen to one side, in condemning the Europeans. Kewai, though not antagonistic to British rule, has ever obstructed the introduction of Europeans in the Thames dwtnct, and ha 3 been listened to by several natives of note. A meeting was to have been held at Kauaeranga, on the 23rd instant, at which Mr. Mackay was expected to be able to state his opinion on the subject. Two of the men who left the mill the week after the 00-. curreace, were In custody at Kopu yesterday, having been arrested at Coromandel. The natives are very indignant at any one stealing deceased's goods. I have been told no Maori would have been guilty of such an act." The members of the City Board held their adjourned Bpecial meeting yesterday afternoon, to further consider the question of whether they would accept the Auckland Municipal Police Act, 1866, or not. It was agreed to uudertake the responsibility of carrying out that Act, according to the notification contained in the Provincial Government Gazette of March 22. We would remind our readers that the anniversary soiree in connection _with St. James's Presbyterian Church, Wellington-street, will be held this evening, the proceedings to commence at half-p»Bt 6 o'clock. The first portion of H.M. 43rd Regiment will embark on board the chartered troop-transport ship i ' Maori' on Thursday, and leave these shores on the following day. The head-quarters will leave in the Bhip ' Silver Eagle' in a fortnight. Yesterday, Mr. John Williamson and Mr. Dignan, two members of his Honor's Executive, accompanied by Mr. Tola, Surveyor of the Southern District, left Auckland for' Waikato, to make an inspection and inquire into the state of the military settlers. Mr. Williamson will decide what works are more urgently required, together with the localities in which they are to be undertaken, with the view of affording the greatest amount of relief to the military settlers. On his return to Auckland, the Provincial Government will doubtless take immediate action in this matter. It is quite clear that it will take all the Provincial Government can do just now to maintain the military settlers on their land. We direct the attention of the authorities and the public to the deeply interesting letter which appears elsewhere from Mr. Joseph Hall, master of the wellknown cutter 'Volunteer,' in reference to the missing vessels ' Henry Havelock'and 'Kiwi.' The facts stated by Captain Hall ought to lead to an immediate search being made, if possible, to save life. Our Maogapai correspondent, under date March 23, says:— "Are not our stone quarries for their own purpose as well worth developing as coal iniues ? It seems to me that some party — Government or otherwise — should expend a few pounds in ascertaining their extent and value. The settlers here cannot afford the necessary time and expense. I can confidently assert that the stone is not confined to any one person's farm. I know it to be cropping out on Government land, Maori land, and private property; in none further than two miles from the landingplace. The large preliminary expenses which daunt a young enterprise, particularly in this country, may be in a great measure avoided. I will willingly point those places out to any person wishing to give them a trial. One or two experienced quarrymen should be put to work for a week or two, and more would be known than by surface speculations for years." The p. a. ' Prince Alfred,' for Waikato and Raglan, has been detained until 7 o'clock this evening for Government stoics, at which hrar she will leave the new Government Wharf, Onehunga. At the Supreme Court yesterday, the two remaining cases against Europeans were disposed of. Peter Flynn was charged "with receiving certain goods, the property of Captain Fisher, of the 40th Kegiment, knowing the same to have boen stolen. After hearing the evidence, the jury returned a verdict of not' guilty, and the prisoner was discharged. Bernard McLaughlin was charged with having appropriated to his own use two cheques of £60 each, which he had beerf* entrusted to deliver to Mr. Davy, solicitor, Auckland. This case had been previously before the Court, but as on that occasion the prisoner was not able from ill health to conduct his defence, the case was not gone on with. At the trial, yesterday, McLaughlin was defended by Mr. MacCormick. The jury, after a retirement of half an hour, returned a verdict of guilty, and sentence of two years' imprisonment was passed. The Court meets again to-day at 10 o'clock, when the charge against the Maoris for stealing the goods on board the Kate will be taken up. In order to finish the cases against the natives by Thursday night, the Court will, after to-morrow, meet at nine o'clock. A friend, writing to us from Wangarei, says, under date March 15th: — "I am glad to see that the culture of flax is beginning to create attention. I have examined Mr. N. Butler's statement critically, but cannot perceive that he makes any allowance for seed, unless it is included under the term of "cultivation. I sowed a little here this year, as food for the fowls. It is drawn, some potatoes alongside dug up, and on the 20th of January oats were sown, which I thiuk will be ripe in May, thus raising two crop 3 from off new fern land in one year, not one sod of which was disturbed on the 20th of May, previous year. I have some maize, capital beet, pumpkins, melons, and a few potatoes, where my charitable neighbours predicted I would have nothing. And neither should lif I had followed the slovenly system of farming in this country. We must manure." Our esteemed correspondent ii quite right. The secret of farming in New Zealand, as elsewhere, is manure and drainage. In his ease he used bonedust, the best possible fertilising manure for feru land and clay soil. Mr. Sewell, late Attorney-General, and his family, have sailed from Wellington in the 'Wild Duek 1 for England. A slight diversity of opinion is "professed" in Wellington respecting Mr. Sewell. The Independent says : — "His loss will be felt in the next Parliament, as he is an able politician, and one that has the true interests of the colony at heart." The Advertiser speaks much more boldly; and anyone who knows Mr. Sewell, and somewhat of his history, will know which opinion to accept. The last-named journal says: — "Pew people in this country will regret Mr. SewelTs departure, and a still leas number will miss him. Clever and shrewd in politics, he was ever ready to set his sails to catch the passing breeze, and lie became so used to this sort of thing that he lost all political principle, and he could not be trusted by any party. Mr. Sewell, as Mr. Weld's Attorney-General, was nearly as much a source of weakness to the A dministration as Mr. FitzGerald as Native Minister, and between them they accomplished more harm to the Government than could well be calculated. However, Mr. Sewell is going from us, and, while wishing him. a speedy and prosperous voyage to the mother country, we would recommend hun to exercise more care in making statements with reference to this colony than has hitherto characterised him here." The Engineer in-Chief, Mr. Weaver, will proceed on a tour of inspection up the Great South Road on Wednesday (to-morrow), with the view of determining on the works absolutely required to ensure its permaneuce during the winter months, and also to make arrangement* for carrying on the line to the Waikato. Most likely, the work left in an unfinished state by Mr. CJollett will be made use of, and so complete the break now existing in the kind transport to the river. Yesterday Colonel Mould, C.8., 8.E., and Mr. Weaver, Engineer-in-Chief, inspected the reserves on Mount Eden, with a view to select a site for a powder magazine. We understand that a suitable site has been fixed upon, but whether it will be approved of by the Government remains to be see». The present magazine is in a dangerous position in the barrack grouud. At the Police Court, yesterday, his Worship gave judgment in the case of alleged breach of the Weight* and Measures Ordinance, preferred against Thomas Johnston, of the Windsor Ca3tle, Parnell, by the Inspector. His Worship ordered both charges to be dismissed, on the ground that they were not laid within the specific district named in the ordinance ; and excused the Inspector from the error into which, he had fallen, on the ground of his recent appointment to the office, the powers of which he had not made himself sufficiently acquainted with. ' A meeting of the creditors of Patrick Flynn, licensed victualler, Wakefield-street, was held at Mr. W. Carys chambers, High-street, yesterday afternoon, at three o'clock. Mr. Seccombe was voted to the chair. It was resolved, after considerable discussion, that a trustee should be appointed to wind up the estate, and Mr. Seccombe was appointed. Mr. Flynn stated that the estate would pay more than 20s. in the pound.

A correspondent of the BaUarat Star writes :—: — " On Tuesday nignt last, at the Odd Fellows' lodgeroom in the Victoria Hotel, Warrenheip, during the initiation of a member, one of the orethren, in removing a piece of lodge furniture, struck the lamp suspended from the ceiling, when the lamp fell to the floor with a crash, and in a moment the floor of the lodge-room was a sea of fire. The brethren did not wait the usual ceremony of leaving the lodge, but hurried en masse to the door. Brother Beide, with great presence of mind, made his way to a bedroom, and seizing the blankets he returned to the lodge-room, and, with the assistance of Brother Davis, succeeded in throwing them over the flames; and, although they were nearly suffocated by the smoke, they eventually extinguished the fire. Had any time been lost nothing could have saved the building. This is another warning to people using kerosene lamps." Alfred B. Neville and Henry Brown were charged »t the Police Court, yesterday, with desertion from H.M. 40th Regiment; and ordered to be handed over to the military authorities. A meeting of the committee appointed to consider the plant »ent in for the new church to be erected in the Freeman's B*y district, was held yesterday, when eight plans sent in for competition by different architects were submitted. The plan to be adopted has not been agreed upon. Mr. A. S. Hamilton annonnces his intention of giving a demonstrative lecture on phrenology on the erening of Thursday next, in the hall of the Mechanics' Institute. Divine service will be conducted every evening daring the present week at St. Paul's Church, at sevea o'clock. In yesterday's impression we printed an analysis of the Prevention of Fire Act, but regret that an error occurred in it ; the provision for extending the Act to other towns in the province, and payment of compensation from the general funds' of the province, having been expunged from the Act before it finally passed the Council. We hare tested the quality of some coal from the Grey River. It is decidedly the best yet produced in New Zealand. It burns with a brightness and throws out a heat equal to the best Newcastle. If it can be obtained in quantity, and we understand it can, it will be a valuable addition to the resources of the colony. — Southland Times. We learn from the Wellington Independent of the 6th instant, that the firing for the colonial rifle prizes is announced to take place on the 29th. instant, at the Hutt racecourse. The distances will be marked off, and the targets erected with all convenient speed. At the Pob'ce Court yesterday, Francis Houlahan was charged by Bernard Macdonald with wilful and malicious injury to his property by breaking the padlock off a gate on his grounds. The particulars of the case exhibited a disagreement between the parties respecting possession of a certain paddock, and the Bench suggested the desirability of arranging matters out of court, allowing the case to stand adjourned until this day week, in order to afford time for a settlement of the dispute. The prospects of harvest in the LakeDistiict are, with the exception of potatoes, good. The Dwnstan Time*, commenting upon them, says : — " We hear that the crops in the Lake District arc generally very favourable, bo far as regards wheat, oats, and barley. The barley is all in, and will average very heavily. The wheat crop is most luxuriant, and will also be heavy, and is now being reaped. The oats have exceeded the most sanguine expectations, and like the other crops is heavy in the ear, as well as strong in the straw. The potato crop, on the other hand, will be almost a total failure, as, generally, it was put in late, and the early frosts nave quite nipped it. During the last week, some 2,000 acres of land have been taken up under the leasing regulations, and applications are steadily flowing in. Premiums hare been offered to applicants in many instances. " It is thus seen that the gold miners of the inland districts of Otago are bent on producing the necessaries of life onthespot, thereby saving the costof carriage from Dunedin, which is something enormous. Three years aso, the Lake District was unknown. It was so difficult of access that only the most adventurous diggers made their way there at the outset.

The following are the terms on which the petroleum ground may be worked at Taranaki : — For two years, no charge is to be made upon whatever oil may be obtained, after that period the terms lire to be these: A royalty varying according to the depth to be paid on the refined produce after the expiration of the first two years, the rate of royalty being also regulated to a certain extent by the success of the undertaking, and not "in any case exceeding the following rates, viz. :—: —

At the Police Court yesterday, Donald Sutherland j mi charged with stealing a set of dray harness, value £5, the property of .Richard Farrar ; and, on the application of prisoner's counsel, tbe case waa adjourned until to-morrow. Bail was accepted in two sureties of £150 each. ; The Nclton Examiner, of March 22, contains the following absurd exaggeration in regard to the excavations for petroleum at Taranaki :—": — " We have been enabled to inspect a sample of petroleum oil sent to Mr. Powell of Nelson. The oil is unrefined,- j and in the same condition as abstracted from the wells. The spot from which it was obtained is the Sugar Loaves, Taranaki, where the large amount of 5,000 gallons is.being obtained daily. The owners of the wells are, Ye hear, three labouring men, who have but recently refused £10,000 for the property. We understand that the sample is now amongst the exhibits at the Institute, it having been kindly placed there by Mr. Powell. As one of the most interesting samples of the produce of this colony, it cannot fau to attract attention." We only hope it may turn out half as satisfactory a speculation to our fellow-settlers at Taranaki, as the imaginative informant of the Examiner has pictured it. It may not be known to many of our readers that Governor Eyre, whose conduct in the suppression of the late insurrection in Jamaica is at the present moment a subject of official investigation on the part of iie Home Government, was at one time Lieutenanl-Governor of New Zealand, and is well known as a successful explorer in Australia. The following sensible and spirited letter has been v addressed by his sister, residing in England, to Mr. Bright's paper, the Star, which has been vehemently calling for the trial of the Governor of Jamaica and other authorities, on a charge of murder :— "Sir,— l call uppn you, as a gentleman, to publish this brief note, the last I shall ever trouble you with. I write to request that 'Fair Play,' 'A Lover of Justice,' ' Justitia,' Ac, Ac., will be true to the names they assume, and allow Governor Eyre a very little only of fair play and justice. No doubt you, Mr. Editor, and all your host of correspondents on the subject of Governor Eyre's misdeeds, are infinitely better informed as to the state of the colony than Mr. Eyre and the whole Legislature of Jamaica! People see so much clearer from » distance. Still they may know something about it. It is not fair, sir, it is not English, to publish only letters abusing a man, and stigmatising him as a "wholesale murderer and a Robespierre,' who ought to be hung with the same rope with which he hung Gordon — and none in his defence. His sister surely may say & word for him. It is that Edward John Eyre has all his life been a consistent advocate of the coloured race ; and as such held' the office of protector of the aborigines in South Australia ; it is that in all his previous Governments he has never been charged •with arbitrary conduct or injustice ; it is thatnis revilert ought to make so much allowance for a man placed in a very difficult and dangerous position as to wait till they have full evidence that he has been criminal before they condemn him. And, lastly, I would ask what his detractors would have said had he really 'lost his head with fright,' and lost Eng. land Jamaica. Of Sir Gervase Eyre, Governor of Newark, it is said 'that had Charles L had many such soldiers he would neither have Jost his crown nor his life.' I trust that of his direct lineal descendant it will be proved that Governor Eyre's wisdom and courage, in suppressing a dangerous rebellion, preserved the island of Jamaica from ruin. —I remain, yours obediently, Mary Etkb, Sister of Governor Eyre." A public meeting of the Newton branch of the Northern Association will be held this evening, at 8 o'clock* in Mr. Dewar's schoolroom, for the purpose of electing delegates to the council of the Northern Association. After that business has been disposed of, it if proposed to take into consideration the present state of the Newton Literary Institute. A young man named Joseph McEwatt was yesterday sent to gaol for six weeks by the Resident Magistrate, for asaaultiog constable Ternahan in the execution of bis duty, on Saturday night, by throwing a stone at him, which injured his eye.

Mr. D. Collins brought to our (Queensland Times) office, a short tiifie ago, a blossom of the night cactus, a magnificent newer, which, blooms only in the dark, and, splendid as it is, lives but a few short hours. The flower is abotit fifteen inches in circumference, of a beautiful cream-white colour, with innumerable fine delicate yellow petals, and inodorous. The plant from which it is taken, although only six years in the ground, covers the end of a verandah ; it bore last year for the first time two blossoms, and this year it has bloomed profusely. A more glorious flower we certainly never saw, and we are quite at a loss to imagine why it should prefer the moon'a pale light to the clear warm brilliancy of day. The Board of Education announce that candidates for certificates of merit will be examined on Monday, the 9th proximo, commencing at 9 o'clock a.m. The annual licensing meeting of justices of the peace for the district of Marsden will be held at the Wangarei Hotel, Wangarei, on Tuesday, the 17th April next, at 12 o'clock, for the purpose of taking into consideration applications for licenses to sell spirituous liquors, wine, ale, and beer. Messrs. Jones and Co. will sell by auction to-day, on accoimt of whom it may concern, the cutter 'Tay,' 14 tons register, as sne now lies stranded, opposite Chamberlain's Island. Mr. Alfred Buckland will offer for sale to-day, at the Triangle, Otahuhu, dairy cows, young bulls, store sheep, and store cattle. Messrs. Hunter and Co. will sell by auction to-day, at Otahuhu, fat and store cattle, dairy cows, sheep, horses, and pigs. Messrs. Tnrrell and Tonks will sell by public auction, to-day, rimu .reading desk, wineglasses, tumblers, lamps, &c. Messrs. C. Stichburyand Son will sell by auction, to-day, walnut piano, feather-beds, carpets and rugs, boots, clothing, tools, watchmaker's mandril, &c.

Feet. Per cent. If the oil be found within 120 from the surface 7 " from 120 feet to 240 " 6 " " 240 " 360 " 5 " " 360 " 480 " 4 " below 480 feet " 3