The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2723, 9 April 1866, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

LTTCEO, NON TIRO. " If I hare been extinguished, yet there rise A thousand beacon* from the spark I bore."

MONDAY, APRIL 9.

La.st week we gave some short account of the landing of the Maori prisoners sent to the Chatham Islands by the Government. The accounts^ which we have published are sufficient to show that the rebellious Maoris have fallen upon no unpleasant places when they were put ashore on their new honie* The climate seems to be healthy and good ; the people ai*e of their own race, and happy to receive them ; the soil is good, and all English fruits and grains grow readily and without much trouble. Above all, there is plenty of room. The handful of natives now inhabiting' the group of islands is quite disproportioned to the large extent of arable land which seems to invite culture at their hands, with a full promise of a ready return for all the labour bestowed upon it. The rebellious natives sent to this new home were taken in a steamer which made a four days' passage. This was not very quick work, as the islands are within two days 3 good steaming from the province of Canterbury ; but it serves to show the utter hopelessness that would attach to the idea of these people coming back without European assistance. It may be worth while, now that the Grovernment has actually taken the step which we urged upon it nearly two years and a-half ago, to see what the effect of doing so at the time we suggested it would have been. When Bangiriri was fought, about two hundred prisoners, many of them men of note, were in our hands. The question was, what to do with these people ? Mr. Dillon Bell and others exclaimed, " Oh, keep them in your hands ; they *'ai*e worth several thousands of dead " enemies in their present position." Our idea, on the contrary, was that they were only an encumbrance. We suspected that their countrymen would not give up much for their sake, and we feared they might originate more mischief in our hands than they could very easily do in their own districts. So far, at least, the event justified our fears. The natives in our hands might be very great chiefs when they were at liberty and able to assert their influence amongst their own people ;^they were held very lightly indeed when they were on board the hulk 'Mai'ion,' in Auckland harbour. Maoris have no sympathy with unfortunate great men, and all who were captured by us came naturally within the category. Hence no great effect was produced by the capture. The spirits of those at liberty were but little affected by the imprisonment of their friends ; but the spirit of the prisoners was by no means so greatly broken as to render them very easy to support. The bread of captivity might be bitter, but, at all events, the captors ate a good deal of it : the livery of imprisonment might be degrading, but they were not slow to wear out all the clothes we gave them, and to demand more in no very modest terms. So far our fears were realised. The experiment was very unprofitable ; it was also very expensive. We know how fatally fruitful a source of contention and division Maoris — especially ill-behaved Maoris — had always proved themselves in New Zealand ; and we felt no safety while these men were in a position to excite the rampant sympathies of the class which had always proved so ready to sympathise with the Maoris in a directly inverse proportion to their deserts. Again our fears were realised, and these two hundred . captive natives were the bone of contention, which produced division of the most serious kind for us. The Ministry of Mr. Whitaker did not fall through them directly ; but the quarrels arising from their detention and their escape prepared the way for it as nothing else could have done. The evils of the detention of these men were, however, as nothing compared with those of their escape. The state of alarm which they produced in the North of this province was not causeless alarm, and produced very bad

effects. The result of their return to their own people, almost at our prayer, was anything/we may be sure, but favourable to the cause of peace and submission. We had tried a thing, and we had wretchedly failed. The experiment had cost us thousands of pounds, it had cost the existence of a Government which was bent upon really putting an end to rebellion in a reasonable way. It had unsettled the Northern natives, and greatly injured the Northern settlers, and had in fact done no good, but a great deal of harm inevery conceivable -way. When we objected to making prisoners of war of the men taken at Kangiriri, we did not take up a merely 1 negative position. We thought this course foolish, and we said so, Dnt we did not leave it here, we proposed another course, and advocated the, view that it would work well. We pointed then to the Chatham Islands, and we asked the Government to send them there. The expense*, we showed, would be trifling compared with keeping them here, and there would be no i^sk. Our advice was not taken then, — it has been taken now. Tt is not for us to say whose the fault that it was not taken then may have been, but we know — as all know — the fact that it was not. What we desired to see was the adoption of»a system of exile as the punishment of rebellion; and had it been caiTied out from the time we proposed, there would probably have been somewhere about twelve hundred rebels sent away, leaving their places to be filled by better men. Our recent experience atTauranga has shown how utterly futile our hopes of making I the natives loyal by our generosity were. No tribe could have been pitched upon in the country giving better promise than they gave. I None could have been dealt with more generously than they were; yet they had to be coerced the other day to prevent them from utterly repudiating the whole arrangement. „ Under the circumstances, we think few can doubt that the absence of these people would have been a great gain to their country, and not a little gain to their better disposed countrymen. The thing we advised two years and a-half ago is to be done now. The door is to be carefully padlocked now, when, uu fortunately, the stable has been robbed of nearly all that was of conse.quence, it may be said. We may be told that it is hardly worth while to send a few miserable Maoris, guilty of no great offences compared with many others now at large, and reinstated in most of their lands. And to a great extent this is true. Let us not, however, be too sure that all is over yet. It is not, it cannot be too late to establish a good precedent so long as a chance of further rebellion exists in this country. We hope the danger is not great now, but as we should be sorry to be unpi'epared for any emergency, so we are glad that a beginning has been made, which in an emei'gency might enable us to avoid great evils.

By the new steamer • Taranaki,' which made her first appearance in Auckland harbour yesterday, we have been placed in possession of file 3 of papers from Southern provinces ; extracts from which will ba found elsewhere. By the s.s. ' Prince Alfred,' which arrived in the Manukau yesterday, we have received a copy of the Wanganui Clironiclc of April, 4, but it contains no news of public importance. His Excellency the Governor was to leave Tauranga yestei'day morniug for the Kawau and Auckland in H M. s. 'Eclipse,' prior to returning to Wellington. His Excellency was at Makefcu last. We have seen a letter from Mr. Busby to a gentleman iv Auckland, in which he intimates that i he has secured about 40 copies of his new work, " Our Colonial Empire, and the Case of New Zealand," from the publishers, Williams and Norgate, Henrietta-street, Covent Garden, and sent them out by Captain Daldy, for sale in Auckland. Mr. Chapman, Queen-street, will have the book in question for sale. It is well that Mr. Busby was in England for the past two years, -for he wai able to do much to promote our interests ; and we are sure his book will command a wide circulation. Sixty-two gentlemeu have been, up to the preseut, elected as representatives in the next Colonial Parliament. In looking over the list we find the names of a number of as yet untried politicians, in addition to those of several veterans who have for many sessions figured iv the political arena. The Stafford Government, if they throw taxation overboard, are likely to be strongly backed ; though, iv the event of its leader being foolish enough to make it a " stand or fall" point, he will find many renegades among his promised friend*. ' The opposition numbering iv it? ranks the names of Fitzlierberr, Fi'zGerald, Richmond, Richardson, Wells, and Curtis is not to be disregarded. — Wellington Independent, April 3. The s.s. Taranaki conveyed despatches from England to hia Excellency the Governor, at Tauranga, yesterday morning, which are presumed to be of an important nature. Captain Thompson received instructions to deliver them with all speed, or forward them per mau-of-war if necessary. It will be seen, from our correspondent's letter, which appears in another column, that Mr. Ball has been elected to represent the district of Mongonui in the General Assembly, iv the room of Captain Butler, who declined to come forward again. . Ihe Times, in its review of the year 1865, says :—: — " The Colonial Offica has not shared the repose of the Foreign Department New Zealand is still distracted by w»r with the Maori?, by conflicts of authority between the Governor and his Ministers, and by cross dispntts between the colonial authorities and the Commander of the Forces. The organised rebellion conducted in the name of the native King his been partially suppressed, but fresh disturbances aud murders frequently occur in different parts of the countiy, and a new and brutal superstition, concpounded of confused fragments of missionary doctrine, of fetish worship, and of cannibalism, has revealed the latent barbarism which underlies in the converted savage the thin veneer of civilisation. Unless financial difficulties enforce another appeal to the liberality of the luipeiial Parliament, or to the confidence of the London money-market, the colonists* will probably persist in their determination to dispense henceforward with the aid of English troops." Tuesday's Gazette contains three Customs notices. The first is the appointment of William Mills, Esq , the Collector of Customs at Auckland, to be a licensing officer under the provisions of the Arms Act, 1860 ; the second Bhnilai ly affects Walter H. Pilliet, Esq. , acting Sub-collector of Customs at the port of Uavelock; and the third announces thab Mr. Alexander Bryceß»in, of Nelson, has been duly licensed to act as a Custom-house agent at that port Nothing since our last has been heard of Mr. W. Rich, although a large number of persons, European and native, have been out iv search. Little hope is now entertained of hi? being alive. The search is being continued, and we trust it will at least cud in < discovery of the body, if without any better result, — Havikfs Bay Herald, Aptil 3. Corporal D. Christie, who has this time proved himself the champion shot of iNew Zealand, ia a farmer in the East Taieri, Otigo. He has been fourteen months in the East Taieri Volunteers, Itefore which time he never handled a lifta. He never shot in a rifle matfch before this year, when he tried another competition, but lost in shooting for the fourth district Government prize. Afterwards he was chosen as the highest scorer from 20, who fired for the representation of the East Taieri District, having made 47 at the same ranges at which he fired at the Hutt, viz., 400, 500, and 600 yards.— Wellington Independent. The Wellington Independent, reviving the pamphlet on thft credit of New Zealand, &c, says: — "We think this pamphlet is calculated to damage the credit of the colony. Stupid and malignant it may be, but an appeal to the fears and the breeches pockets of English capitalists will always have % certain effect. The author has misrepresented the state of affairs in the colony during the i egime of the late Ministry, in precisely the stme way and for precisely the, reasons that induced the Auckland newspapers in adopting a, similar course. Taking

certain facts which suited bis purpose, and omitting othem * Inch did not, he has tiied t<J sbo,\v the English public that it would uot be safe to lend money to New Zealand . While saying everything that could be urgt d against the colony, lih has omitted everything in its favou,r. He has forgotten to say, that the real source of all our difficulties was not * responsible/ bub 'double' Governmeut ; he hai c»refully conpealed that the Imperial syttem haviug failed, the colouy had tried, and to a certain extent succeeded, in dealing with the difficulty itself ; while he altogether fails to mention that Auckland alone reaped all the benefits of the Waikato war. It is unhappily true that the oolony is surrounded'with serious difficulties, and that, as Mr. Busby says, * the Constltution is unworkable ;' but these difficulties will nob be overcome by their transfer to the Imperial authorities aud the abandonment of constitutional government, Even if the mother country would take their charge — which it will not — nothing bnt failure could result from its attempt to manage native affair?. That has been tried before, with what a disastrous and costly failure we all know. It is childish then to thiuk that it will be tried again. In truth, as we have got constitutional governmeut, we must do " the possible best" for ourselves. There is but a d. oary prospect of the political future looming up. We so far agree with Mr. Busby as to admit that our system of government has become almost unworkable, because it 13 clear that the power 'of the provinces in. the Assembly will, where individual interest is concerned, serve to frustrate completely any broad and comprehensive scheme of colonial policy that may be proposed. In time this evil may work its own cure, and for that result we can but wait and hope." The Wellington Advertiser of the 4th instant says : "It ia time that this should cease. When Mr. "Weld took office we had hoped that it would j but he had a greater difficult} to contend with than any previous Minister, and the opposition which he was sure to raise in carrying out measures for the first time, the advantages of which were nofrknov.n, was too likely to be strong to let any one feel sure of his continuing in office. The removal of the seat of Government alienated Auoklaud ; the removal of the troops alienated many in all parts of the country, who were too timorous to be self-reliant, and, again, when he did not at once send them away others turned lukewarm ; while the Panama line, the new Militia and Volunteer Acts, and other measures of great and vital importance, had to be carried through by him against the wish of Bnme of his strongest . supporters. But we have not so much bo care, for the past as we have for the futuie, and in that future, we most decidedly say, the last step that should be taken by any Opposition ought to be that of attempting to oust the present Miuistry from office.- Mr. Stafford has undertaken the government of the country with no marked distinction of policy from that of his immediate predecessors ; he has but one watchword — if we may so call it— and that is retrenchment. We have already pretty clearly shown,, notwithstanding the elaborate calculations of the Press, that he has been carrying that principle out since he took the reins, aud as it^is the one thiug needful in our present circumstances, he should be supported in it. Ib is.nofc, however, on any one, .particular point of detail that we at present wish to aigue the advisability of letting the Stafford Miuistry rule our affairs for some time lunger than late Ministries have done ; but on the one broad principle that nothing can be more injurious to the country than a further repetition of those changes which never led to more than the mere initiation of new experiments. That there should be au opposition — and if it is an organisel opposition, all the better — is not only desirable but necessary, but that opposition should not in the present state of the country carry itself farther than the stringent examination of every measure brought forward, and the careful -amendments of those measures to the utmest of its ability. With such opinions staring -us in the face as those which are wafted here from England, no personal ambition on the part of any member of the House ought to tempt him, by the success of any momentary act, to throw out a Ministry in order that we may have again to go through a new course of empiricism — the word is one used by Mr. J, F. FitzGerald when he took office as Native Minister, and we trust he will reflect upon it now." Another of those exhibitions of the so-called art of self-defence, which are happily not of frequent occurrence in Auckland, was to have come off yesterday, in some secluded nook on the North Shore. The " little game" of the fraternity, however, was scented by the beaks, took prompt measures to stop proceedings. A collection of the denizens of Gbau-cery-lane, numbering about forty, took passage in the p.s. ' Waitemata for the Flagstaff, about ten «.m. yesterday; but the police followed in the p.s. 'Enterprise' shortly after, and stopped further proceedings. We are glad that such disgraceful scenes are of seldom occurrence in this city, and hope they may continue so. The s.«. 'St. Kilda left Napier for Poverty Bay last week in order to convey 90 natives from that place to the Chatham Islands. A guard of 25 men of the Hawke's Bay Volunteers, in ommind of Lieutenant Tuke, was to accompany the men, and to relieve the guard who went with the fifst batch of native?. Captain Percival, Paymaster of the Colonial Forces, who left Auckland for Napier in the ' Lord Ashley on the 4bh, returned in the ' Taranaki yesterday on his way to Opotiki, in the p.s. ' Stuit.' His Honor the Superintenb of Napier, aud a party of the merchants there, were invitsd. to an inspection of the NZ.S.N. Company's s.s. 'TaranaUi,' during her stay at Napier on Friday last, and afterwards partook ot luncheon, which was succeeded by toasting the prosperity of the company, the steamer, and her commander. From Wellington papers which came to hand yesterday by the s.s. 'Taranaki,' we observe that a General Governmeut Gazette was published on Tuesday last, but no copies were received last night up to the hour of going to press. , > t The Auckland Rifle Volunteers will parade with arms and. accoutrements, this morning, at the Albert Barracks, at half-past six o'clock, for training and exercise, and on each, successive Thursday and Monday until further orders. In the event of any of the mornings named proving wet, a flag will be hoisted at the alarm bell, Princes-street, to signify that no parade will take place. The parade will take place on the succeeding morning should the weather permit. The tender of Messrs. Sands and McDougall, of Melbourne, for the supply of- stationery to the General Government for the current year, has been accepted. ' « Richard Todd and John Ross Watts, Esqs , have been gazetted' to ensigncies iv the Auckland Militia. The date of the commission of the former gentleman is the 16 th February, 186"6, and the other the following day. One of the seamen .belonging to the cutter ' Hercules,' now lying alongside the Railway wharf, was drowned on Thursday. It is supposed that he fell overboard whilst drawing a bucket' of water. The man, who is a stranger, had come. by the vessel from Auckland, and was not missed by his shipmates until yesterday morning. On looking for him, a bucket was found over the side, and on hauling it up, the body of the man was found with the bucket rope still in his hand. — Canterbury Press. Mr. R. Campbell, jun., has been returned for Oamaru, against Mr. W. T. Ingram, late editor of the Oamaru, Time*. The performances of the Christy's Minstrels on Saturday evening were under the patronage of General Chute. The programme was select, and gone through with the troupe's characteriatic ability and usual success. We understand that a very handsome baptismal font, of polished kauri, neatly decorated,* has been presented by Dr. Goldsbro' to St. Mark's Church, Remuera. The font, which is octagonal-shaped, has been decorated with devices, &c.,by J. B. Mclntyra, of Parnell, and is an ornament to this Jittle church. On Tuesday last, George Baynes was brought before the Kesident Magistrate at Port Waikato, charged on ,the information of Private Robert Dowd, 2nd battalion 14th Regiment, with being a deserter from the Military Train. Ihe informant made oath as follows ;— " Baynes I know to be a deserter from the Military Train, as I knew him to be in that corps in March, 1857, at Aldershot, when I belonged to the Militia there. I recollect him deserting in March, 1857. I recognised him here yesterday evening-, and apprehended him." The?, accused pleaded guilty, and. Baynes was then delivered over by the magistrate to the charge of the officer commanding the troops at Port Waikato garrison, with a view of his being forwarded to the nearest post of the Military Train. Baynes has been working in the bush for some months near-Port Waikato. The body of another of the unfortunate men drowned at the Heads has been recovered. It was so marred and mutilated by the action of the sea that the coroner did not think it necessary, there being no doubt of the cause of death,, to hold an_ inquest, but ordered its burial at once, — Wanganui Chronicle, \"- • < „.-,,

Taupo Quay was all astir on the forenoon of Monday and yesterday, consequent upon the departure of troops. Numerous were the leave-takings, and we shall long miss many of the gallaiit officers and men whot iiave left us. The s.«. 'Ahuriii' sailed on Montfty, with about 130 men of the 50th Regiment, under the command of Lieut. • Colonel Lock*, for Taranakh The sts. • Wanganui,' which had been ohartered by Government specially for the trip, ■ailed yesterday with two companies of the 57th Regiment, under command of Capt. Schomberg, for Auckland. The 57th is likely to be lent home in n few months. The detachments on both days were escorted to the wharf by the band of the 57th. — Ibid., April 4. George Collins was charged at the Polico Court with stealing two sheep, the property of Mes9rs. Hunter and Co., and was remanded until "Wednesday next. The "settling" on the various events at the recent Auckland Autumn Race Meeting will take place this afternoon, at three o'clock, at Mr. Cox's, the Exchange Hotel, Queen-street. The Canterbury 'papers mention the death of several cattle from] eating tutu, Mr. Hen wood, of Kaiapoi, having been a severe sufferer from this cause. A number of his cattle — valuable animals — died, but a few recovered through being forced to move about, and keep off the lethargy Which the poison induces. They were afterwards bled, and made to swallow about a tobacco-pipeful of gunpowder in half a pink of lioseed oil, by way of a emetic. To this alone Mr. Hen wood attributes their recovery. We are glad to see that the Union Bank has. taken the initiative in a direction that was really required here, namely, the formation of an establishment for ■melting purposes attached to it * own premises. The agent informs us that it will be in full operation withinaweek, and that it will be under the immediate .luperintendeuceof a thoroughly qualified officer, who will form one of the staff. — Grey River Argus. The following paragaph has been goin^ the round of the English newspapers : — "Two hundred convicts have just left France for New Caledonia. The first cargo Bailed last year, 'and consisted of 72 assassins, 115 robbers, with af a r sprinkling of men convicted for forgery, indecent assaults, and other offences. These figures prove that capital punishment, though it may be awarded by a majority of seven to five in the jury-room, is the exception, and not the rule, where murder has been proved." It is to be hoped that the authorities will take good care of such a choice selection, and will not let them escape to the attractive shores of Australia or New Zealand. Australia has at last got rid of English transportation, and New Zealand is free from suchaterribleinfliction, the few convicts that have wandered" thither having clearly proved the nun-desirability of such immigrants." - • A large slice of the south spit was washed away yesterday. The sea encroached so far as to threaten the flagstaff, and Mr. Heron, the Harbour Master, was compelled then to remove it' to the terrace above, which was originally intended for the staff. A new flagstaff is bein<rprepared somewhere in Hokitika, we believe, and is expected hereshortly, and also proper skeleton beacons, so that the dangers of the bar will be soon materially lessened to all vessels. 'At present the bar is very good, with five feet at low water, and a proportionate rise at flood tide. We have been asked, whenisthehi<;he3ttidein Ok»rita?and say that it is on the fourth day after the full and change of the moon. — Oltarita Times. It is notified in the General Government Gazette of Tuesday that the Dunedin Light Horse "Volunteers and the Dunedin Highland Rifle Volunteers are disbanded. This is owing to the fact of the two corpi, enrolled previous to the passing of the Volunteer Act, 1865, not having, within sixty days of the date on which the Act u i:ne into operation, tendered their services to the Government. *•" A full attendance of the members of the Auckland Troop of Koyal Cavalry Volunteers is requested at the meeting at the Greyhound Hotel this evening,' at half-past six o'clock. An able-bodied seaman, named George Gray, was • acquitted, at tha Police Court, on Saturday, on a ' charge of assaulting the second mate of the ' Mary Shepherd,' the evidence being insufficient to cou▼iefc. ' The bazaar in aid of the Auckland City Mission and Children's Home was closed on Saturday night. The committee were unable to state with exactness the total amount of money obtained, but we understand that over £150 has been realised. We would again express the hope that a owllectioa will be made oh behalf of the institution in the various places <Jf worship. We were placed in receipt, on Saturday last, of an Auckland Police Gazette, published on, Monday, the 2nd inst. It contains the usual list of property stolen, robberies from the person, property found j names of prisoners tried at the Supreme Court during the March sittings ; apprehensions, deserters, warrants issued, missing friends, inquests, prisoners discharged from Mount Eden Gaol duriug the month of March ; auJ extracts from colonial Acts. A Cyprian, named Margaret Smith, was dismissed, at the Police Corrt, on Saturday, on" a charge of stealing £9 Is. from a person, Martin Flynn, who ' did not appear to prosecute. In our report of the finish between Volunteer and Moss-rose for the Free Handicap, on Saturday, Volunteer was made the winner "half-a-lengtb," instead of " half-a-neck," as the description following would imply. Mr. A. S. Hamilton's fourth lecture on practical phrenology will be delivered at the Mechanics' Institute, at eight o'clock this evening, when further illustrations will be given by skulls, diagrams, &c. Mr. Samuel Cochrane will offer for sale to-day, in Custom-house-street, a small cargq of the best Tamaki potatoes, in lots to suit purchasers. Messrs. Ridings and Dowden have received instructions to sell by auction to day, at the residence of Dr. Temple, Symonds-street, the whole of his household furniture, saddlery, rifle?, &c. ; also, allotments in the Mount Eden and Stockade roads, and land at Mangawai. Messrs. C. Siiohbury and Son will sell by auction, to-day, piano, carpets, hearthrugs, boots, clothing, 4c. > " Messrf. Jones and Co. will sell by auction to-day, at Brunswick Buildings, the whole of the cargo of teas, &c., ex ' Waverley,' from China, &c. Mr. H. Joseph announces that he will seJl'by auction to-day, at the store lately occupied by Messrs. Harris and Turner, groceries and other goods, more or less damaged by tin late flood. Messrs. Hunter and Co. .will offer for sale to-day, at the Newmarket sale yards, working bullocks, fat and st«re cattle, sheep, pigs, &c. We have been requested to apprise our readers that Messrs. Jones and Co.'s extensive land sale, advertised to take place to-morrow, has been postponed until Thursday next, on account of the sale of Mr. M. Wood's property taking place on the firstmentioned day, by Mr. D. Nathan.