The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 2997, 4 March 1867, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

LXJOKO, WON XTRQ. " If I h*v» b«»a eztlarnldiecl, y«t th«n riit ▲ thouiand biaooni from th« ipurk I bort."

MONDAY, MARCH 4.

These are now two vacancies to be filled up by the electors of Auckland. One of these is the seat for the City of Auckland "West, vacated by Mr. James Williamson, "whose resignation has, we understand, been forwarded to the Speaker of the Bouse of Representatives ; the other is the first ofEee in the province — that of Superintendent. Of the first vacancy, we have very little to say beyond this, that we hope the electors will take care and select a successor to Mr. James Williamson who will uphold the dignity ' of the office, and represent the views of the constituency in the Assembly. At this time, more than at any former period, we require our representatives to be watchful, wary, resolute, and intelligent ; for it is but too apparent that Auckland is beset by enemies within her borders, as well as from without. Of the vacancy for the Superintendency we have rather more to say ; but on this occasion we will be brief. The following is the text of Mr. Whitaker's resignation, which appeared in a Gazette on Saturday :—: —

To this' Emotors of the Province op AtTCKLAND. Gentlemen,— l have' this day forwarded to his Excellency the Governor my resignation of the office of Superintendent of the province of Auckland. At a time of great anxiety and excitement, when an Angry contest for the Superintendercy was imminent, it was pressed upon me that it was in my power to prevent a contest, and that I was in a position to render essential service to the province as its chief officer. I had for some time retired from active political life, and my inclination and interest would have led me to continue, that retirement, but I felt that, under the circumstances, a public duty, which I would not ignore, was incumbent upon me. A requisition to become a candidate for the office of Superintendent was presented to me, signed by influential men of all parties. I accepted it, v and was elected without opposition . i. - " ** * The sole object I had in view was to promote the interest of the province, and I have laboured hard to do so. How far I have been successful it is for you.to judge j time will assist to lead you to a just conclusion.' c , > ' ] ' i 1 When I was elected there was a general understanding that on main points all parties were agreed, that in minor matters concessions- on all sides would be made, andthatprivate views and feelings should be laid, aside for the common good. For some time this j understanding was acted on, but it now has become obvious (at all events if I remain in office)- that the province must again be governed by. one 'party, opposed by another, and that the acerbity which has prevailed in former times, will not be absent .from the contest. '' ""* - v ' - n ivl As I did not undertake the duties of office with any 'such expectation, or with any intention: of talcing part in such a contest, I feel that it is now fairly open to me to consult my own feelings, and interests, and to retire from the position' iff which' you were pleased to place me in so flattering a manner. I sincerely, thank you for, the confidence you have shown' in me, 'and I beg to subscribe myself, Your faithful servant, FKEDi. Wmrjucßß. Auckland, March 2, 1867. Such are the reasons which ! Mr. Whita&er gives for resigning at this time from the Superintendency ; and we^,f e bdund to regard them as the sole cause which led him to take this ste*p. surely never were ' reasons' less satisfactory given by any one withdraw; ing atf a'criticai tamtfirdm the -exercise of highr executive functions, to which he was called^, for special purposes, by the unanimous voice' .of his fellow-citizens. "We submit that, .instead of justifyirigllhimself, Bfr.J'WiiitaJsler has written down his own condemnation.

For what is his own statement 9 It is this, (and we simply enlarge his own statement by going more fully into a detail of the circum- ' stances) : That at a time when all in the province were agreed on the question of Separation, an angry contest for the Superintendency was threatened which, it was feared, would divide the province into hostile camps, and thereby weaken its influence in the colony, by presenting a divided instead of a united front. To prevent this contest, which was one of persons and not a question of policy, the leading men of all parties were most anxious. They looked to find a gentleman whose political experience, talents, and standing would be sufficient to eclipse the pretensions of the rival candidates] and they naturally looked to Mr. Whitaker, who had resigned his seat in the Legislative Chamber, and in the most emphatic manner given his adhesion to the Separation movement. Moreover, it was known that both candidates were prepared to withdraw in favour of Mr. Whitaker, but not to any meaner man. Under these circumstances he was invited to stand, ' and h.e accepted the invitation — not, let it be borne in mind, before he had stipulated for a very large increase to the official salary as a compensation for giving up his private business. His acceptance of office at this juncture was not, therefore, the self-sacrificirig act of patriotism a stranger would be led to believe fr6m a casual perusal of his retiring address ; although we are free to confess that if Mr. Whitaker had fulfilled the expectations which his election raised in the public mind, he would have been greatly underpaid. He did not do so, however 3 but that has nothing to do with the bargain. With, the understanding we have mentioned, he took office. The contest was avoided. Public confidence was assured. The Auokland party stood high in the colony, and was the arbiter of power in the General Assembly. A Provincial Council was elected to give the new Superintendent a cordial support ; and aB Mr. Whitaker admits, for a time such a support was accorded. His measures were passed. His estimates were adopted. He was empowered to deal with the Waste Lands as to him might appear best for the interests of the province. The Council, trusting implicitly in the Superintendent who was returned to " get H the province out of a mess," and wishing to give him a fair trial, refused to 'exercise any check on his Executive acts, and constituted him, as far as could be done by their acts, absolute dictator. This was an enviable position for any man to occupy, because it was the result of the spontaneous trust of his fellowcitizens. But therefore was it also a most difficult position, requiring great circumspection, and one which few men could occupy with perfect satisfaction to their own conscience and their constituents. Whether Mr. Whitaker did so remains to be seen. That he believes in himself is evident. He appeals to the future to prove how hard he laboured to promote the interest of the province, and we would be the last to deprive him of any advantage from futurity. But we havenow to do with the present and the past ; and Mr. Whitaker, in giving his reasons for tendering his resignation, was dealing mainly with matters of history. He was hardly justified, therefore, in stating that he resigned because, from what he apprehended, he did not expect to carry everything his own way in time to come as he had done in the past $ neither has he quite fairly put the facts regarding his election, or the reason for the opposition that has dared at last to lift up its head. We have exactly put the case of the election ; we shall also endeavour to put the case in respect to " the general under- " standing" that party feelings should be sunk. It was agreed that all minor differenoes should be sunk, and common cause made to promote Separation. And we maintain that until now there has been no deviation from that rule of action, either in the Council or the Press, that is not, solely and wholly attributable to the line of conduct pursued by Mr. Whitaker, in one or other, or all his public capacities combined. And to this day, we venture, to say the Provincial Council are agreed on the question of Separation. To this day, the Council are unanimous on the question of Direct Purchase. To this day, they will give their confidence and support to any Superintendent who honestly and fearlessly upholds the adopted policy of the province. But ' has ' Mr. Whitaker, in his official capacities, fulfilled the expectations he raised, and the promises he made ? Has he been faithful to the cause of Separation 1 Has he been true to the principle of Direct Purchase, which had become the policy of our land law after years of party warfare, and was healing the wounds which ithe land purchase department of the Government had inflicted on this unhappy country? We ask any one to look at the legislation and events of the last session, and answer these questions. Mr. Whitaker says truly that when he was elected there was a general understanding that on main points all parties were agreed, and that on minor matters there would be mutual forbearance. But will he tell us that Separation and Direct Purchase were not the main points ; and will he satisfy the province that he has been true to either of these principles 1 It was because the Council 4 and the public felt convinced that their interests had been betrayed, that opposition raised its head ; and we submit that Mr. Whitaker has jqo justification, on the ground of this opposition, either in its manner or object, to resign his office. It may be his interest, as he says, | to resign ; but his feelings can have little to i do with it. There were two parties to, the compact when he was elected. The province has been true throughout to its engagements j and it is going a little too far, for the defaulter to affect wounded dignity when the injured party mildly expostulates. However, it is after all right that his Honor should retire, when he imagines that he was elected to do as he pleased, without a murmur of discontent from the province, however eccentric his proceedings, or injurious they might be in reality. For our own part we regret that either Mr. Whitaker,. or. the province shouldrhave been placed in' a ! 'false 'position; They ' evidently did not understand each other. It would have been satisfactory, however, if he had informed the public whether he will retain the 'joint offices of Government Agent and Commissioner for the Waikato Lands, be--cause in these positions he is irresponsible and ' potential, and may go' any length in opposition to what the province stupidly, sonceiyes to be for its best interests. 'There is not a large balance in tUe provincial .Jfceasury, we imagine ; and the rate .of ex- \ penditure which was stated to be absolutely necessary to enable' the 'Waikatb lands to be TJrbu&ht'into 'tKe Bfi»rket fv for ;tn& b'e'nefil'bf theWelUnjr^o^G^^ cost of the owier departments, is considerably in excess of income, after providingfor sinking

fund and interest on loans, if the Customs receipts fae kept in view. The desertion of the ship bj the captain under these circumstances, is hardly "what might be expected from one who undertook to steer her into Fair Haven. And should ■it < turn out that he still retains his agency, it would, 100k 1 very like carrying off the Boats anil stores, and leaving the ill-starred crew to their fate. We hope i$ is not so.

The charge of Mr. 'Justice JVjoore to the Grand Jury ought hot to' pass without a ■word of comment. It is to these periodical addresses of the presiding Judges one usually looks to gain an insight into the state of society, with regard to th.c increase or diminution of crime. In general, the Judge's charge contains all material faots. On the present occasion Judge Moore has not said much on that subject, beyond enumerating and classifying the offences ; But from what we know of the state of the province, notwithstanding its depressed condition, we are justified in saying that crime is not on the' increase. The great proportion of offences are of that class of petty 'thefts, and uttering forged cheques, which too plainly indicate the presence amongst us of needy and unscrupulous persons_;_but,-oiL the whole, there are no very serious crimes of this character on i the calendar. And, as the Judge pointed out most forcibly, society is-itself in a great measure to blame for the prevalence of the last named offence. It is so easy to dispose of bank cheques for goods and cash amongst the trading classes^ that it is little wonder if ' they findTthemselves bitten occasionally by one or other of the " loafing" fraternity, who multiplied so rapidly in this city after the outbreak of the war. Still, these petty | offenders find themselves occasionally within the meshes of the law, and society protects ! the careless trader whether ,he will or not. There are blow flies, however, as the .Saturday^ Review justly remarks, who would appear ttvo v be too large to be entangled in the cobweb meshes of the law ; — who perpetrate great frauds, and either vanish altogether, or complacently undergo the process of whitewashing, and having been made pure and clean by the legal fullers, start on a fresh career with an gclat and prestige altogether denied to their more honest and humbler competitors in trade. Every community now-a-days has representatives of this class. They have sapped the foundations of confidence and commercial morality in Great Britain j they have ruined their tens of thousands, entailing more real misery on a greater number of families than was brought about by the losses in the Indian mutiny or the Crimean war. Truly, War is neither so grim nor so cruel a monster as Limited Liability has proved itself to be. And as with over speculative oompanies so also with over speculative individuals. "We have had instances in Auckland of what we mean. The Southern settlements have likewise had their share of the scourge of private enterprise of this speculatively dishonest character ; and somehow, the commercial classes do not seem to care about taking any strong measures for bringing the offenders to justice, Society is tolerant of great offenders \ it cannot bear anything like littleness. Thus, the utterer of a forged cheque for 40s. is prosecuted ; and the fradulent trader, who evades payment of his tens of thousands of liabilities, and " makes himself safe " at the expense of "his creditors, is not only not prosecuted, but is helped along as if he had done something highly meritorious. Doubtless, he will have inflicted -lobs, or perhaps have brought ruin, on respectable and honest men who have had dealings with him : what matter % The code of commercial morality in this year of grace, or more properly speaking, graceless year, places them all on the same footing. The law, and the usages of business, regard the plunderer and the victim, the knave and the honest man, on a footing of perfect equality. They have both failed to meet their engagements, and it is no part of the commercial code to lift the veil, and scrupulously inquire into the morality of the transactions which placed these men in what outwardly appear to be identical circumstances. If Mr. Justice Moore had casually adverted to these things, and expressed a judicial opinion upon them to the Grand Jury, which was principally oomposed of commercial men, he might have done some good. As it stands, his observations on the state of crime in the province go for very little. We entirely agree with what fell from the .Judge in reference to the want of gaol accommodation ; and we are glad to find that the Grand Jury, in deference to the , sugges: tion from i|he Bench, will visit the Mount Eden Stockade to-day. They will see with their own eyes the absolute need of enlargement and classification. If we might suggest anything to the Grand Jury, it would be this — that they should confine themselves exclusively to these points, namely, the need of increased building accommodation and sanitary improvement, and the classification of ? prisoners. The debtors- ought to be kept quite apart from the criminals. Persons waiting trial ought to be kept by themselves, underdiffererit rules and conditions from/those ] applicable to prisoners under sentence ; and hard-labour prisoners ought \io-, be. kept entirely separate, in the working' gangs, from the convicts. If the Grand Jury present the necessity for enlarging the gaol buildings, with the view to the classification of prisoners, they will have done suflicient. They ought not to mix themselves up with those matters of detail which occupied the attention of the Gaol Committee. ' At this point, we may say a word regarding the report of the Gaol Committee^ and his Honor's u dbserva'tiqns thereupon. It would seem that.Jiis Honor was -furnished with/ a copy of. that report, and minutes of evidence,from some unknown hand. He had not had -time to read it carefully, and therefore could not _ pronounce- any opinion upon it^as^a whole, but what he had taken, time to peruse jhe found to be' entirely'" wrong. This was the paragraph expressing- an, opinion on 'the; state of the law for the detention of insolvent debtprs. This paragraph was wrong « in. law and in fact ; and yet it presented to the Council by the section of • the committee; who drew up the report, as' a^ deduction* from the vevidence^ whereas ' there was no evidence whatever *x>, support i\j. .The Judge explained the law, and pointed' oitt* the error of the committee's ■ report ; but this had been previously 1 » 'done "by ' Mr. " Wyrin in the Provincial Council. It is well the Judge and the public should know that th« Provin'eial'Council repudiated the report presented to it by the committee/is a deduction fromi the evidence,' and •' expressed no opinion whatever upon the evidence.^ So^far} there^ fore, cas the Council is conc'erhefl^tlidre 1 is nothing before the public, with its sanction, or with tlje sanction of a majority of the

committee even, .except the minutes of , evidence ; and these, In our judgment, do I not warrant the draft report in..s&veral- c&v spetete. '' No doubt Judged Moore u wß 'observe** this fact, as he brings a legal mlnd^ to bear on * the elucidation of the' evidence; "and* we s doubt not in, the least, he will also be led to conclusions in regard to the , conduct of the examination, especially towards the close of the inquiry, by no means complimentary to the examiners. However, all this by the way. The report of the Committee of Inquiry into" the Mount' Eden Gaol," is not^ now the question. " It did' not grapple ' with*" principles. ' The Grand Jury"haye !| tiii oppb'ri tunity of doing so, however; and ilo doubt their recommendation will receive t^e 4%;^' - tion of the Government, ' '

f ~- • v A. We are glad to stato that everything is quiet Afccr* the Stockade. The men have returned to duty*' and**! everything Is correct and regular. -/■^*Q We are glad to learn that onr Kaipara eorrespon* dent — whose letter apneared in Saturday's impression — has been misinformed as to the intention of the Government to discontinue the mail service. Owing to recent irregularities in the delivery of tthe mails, Captain TJntbank, the contractor, was oomrnunicated with by" the Government on the 20th of February last,; and the answer- returned.) •waipt^ the effect that theWesselhad been?wind-bound..aibcßreC« week. We are instructed to say, thab there ig?no disposition whatever on the part of thfr Government, or Poßt-office authorities, to discontinue tht contract; but if, in future, further irregularities are repotted, fresh tenders will be immediately advertised for.It is a sign of the times when onions grown' at Cambridge, Dpper Waikato, by one of the' men of the Waikato Begitnents, have been sent down to the Papakura Society for exhibition. , The matter is referred to in our Cambridge correspondent's letter. Twelve onions weigh 111b. Soz. ' Oar correspondent says the onions <c speak ;'! we think this i& a figure of. speech, but we do not question ' their 'power^to make thoie who peel them weep. . " , We perceive that Mr. Vialou, the' spirited pro* prietor of the Auckland/Hotel,' has , leasediheiGreyhound, opposite! the Uiridn Bank, and opened it as a hotel and chop-house. The internal, arrangements have been considerably altered, and' ■privity >nd public bars opened in various parts of the' building. The proprietor announces that he will reserve "a room for the accommodation of ladies.' This certainly does not look like a sign of dull times. Mr. Yialou deserves to succeed, as his Auckland was the first attempt to supply hotel accommodation here on a large scale. Amongst the many improvements reoently intro* duced mto t< Auckland by those engaged in the various trades and manufactures, perhaps the most successful and interesting, is that of the application of steam to the hairdresser's art. .We refer to Mason's steam hair- brushing, establishment, • Queenstreet. Quite a crowd collected outeiderthe shorilast Saturday evening to have a look at .the process of hair-brushing by steam. Theiriachinery was (imported complete, and. erected at ,a coat, of £200' by Mr. Mason. The whole ia very, compact/ The engine, besides 'driving the 'brushes, 'pumps w*ter.to the baths attached to the other, branch ofc the establishment. This is the first application of steam to the hairdresser's business, so far. as we know, in the colony. * •[ The annual show of the Papaknra Association will be held on Wednesday next, at the show-rooms, near Mr. .Reids cattle-yards, Papakura; .when prises wi)l be given fortbefollowinparticles '—Best wheat, 601b. (2); best barley, 501b.'(2>; best 1 Oats/ 401b;. >{2)l best perennial rye grass, 201b.' (3); best timothy grass, 201b. (2);ibest cocksfoot, 201b. (2); besfc prairie grass (2)j best clover, red (3)-; best clover, white l (8)j best five stalks green maize (3), best 251b; of *pota« toes (3), best five turnips' (8), <best 'five mangold wurtzel (8), best ten carrots (S), best three' cabbages (3), best slb. of butter without Bait'(2), best 61b; of butter salted (2) ; best cheese, not' less than". lifflb, (2) ; best cheese of 401b., special prize .by (rßi( r Bi Robertson, Esq. (1) ; best plate of apples '(2), besfi plate of pears (2), best plate of other fruits (2), best bushel of lime (2); best 101b. kauri gum, scraped (2)] best sample of potato baskets (2), best sample sheep hurdles (1), best model of field gate (1); best sample of New Zealand flax, not less than 21b. (2) ; best coop of fowls, not less than four (2) ; best drake and pair of ducks, common (2). Messrs. B«isett, J Baird, and Thompson are judges of cereals and vegetable! j. and Messrs. West, Shepherd, and James Wallace, judges of produce, poultry, manufactures, &c. All the judges have promised to attend. Charles Mellsop, Esq., R.M., Papakura, will preside- at dinner. T "" : A soblal meeting of the parishioners of St. Mary's, Darnell, is advertised to be held this evening, in the school-room ; tea to be placed on the tables at six o'clock. Beports of the j various operations of the parish will be submitted,, and the Bight Rev. Bishop Patteson will " address ' the' meeting; A musipaT selection will be performed by the choir, under the direction of Mr, Austen. The office-bearers of the Odd Fellows' Land Societies Nos. 1 and 2 attended at the Hall, ott ; { , .Saturday evening, for- the purpose of receiving pay**': : ments from members,' and comparing their psks*" 'r \ books with the secretary's books,- in order to ascer- ' tain, if possible, the amount of- deficiency in the funds. Those .pass-books produced compared. !•• favourably with the books of the Societie&aln No.' V f 1 Society, payments were' made on Saturday' to tKe" '^ amount of £27, and the sum of £600 is stittdue fey " members. In Wo. 2 Society, the payments, made $- amounted to £80. As all the members did not attend, the exact position of the respective Societiej_ _ cannot, of course, be correctly ascertained. It will be seen by our advertising columns that the grand vocal and instrumental concert in aid of the funds of the Church of £$. Francis of Sal^s, Cemetery, i>will be given this evening at the Wellington-street Catholic Institute, at eight o'clock,. The, entertainment will be under- the patronage of the Right Rev. Dr. Pompallier, Bishop of Auckland. George Watsott and; John O'Neill will be brougnflT up at the Police Court this morning on two charges of robbery on board the cutter ' Sovereign of the Seas,' having stolen sundry articles' of > clothing, the property of Antonio Joseph and George Bigg. :[v I C Two men were brought ashore .from the».s. <'•> * Auckland ' by the water police on Saturday, having ■ "■•' been found on board without tickets or the means pi-. , j paying their passages, shortly before the - vessel" j .steamed for Sydney. ' '-.'','. ; nn v] Whatever difference oi fopinionjmay; exist as ta.then ) nature of the Separation thaM_ajjjeqaired,tthei»>Jfl.<,ia one point on which all are.agreed-7-that.w, theneces^T sity for an immediate reconstruction.; of. ,tiheiConst\tu^ aw tion -of New Zealand. Most of the leading colonial 'politicians have coase to confess that, the provincial system has been prolific of evil— thai J it has tended to warp men's minds — make men-withrfair*capiclQ'tol r ""*" legislation mere village politicians, wrangling advocates of local interests, and destroyer! jof. thatJfifoa'd grasp of intellect that ever characterises the states- , man! The privilege of representation possessed by the people is neglected or lightly vataect, -because they have watched - the: doings, the* provincial jhgglery, oral and political self-seeking that _ appear t tKMclurter^q round all who breathe' the atmosphere of the' t-,j t -,j General Assembly for even % single session/.' Buti few representatiyes Have ever- gone t 'th.^j:e !I [M whoj ,on return j j were able to- ( ' give-» *J 'satisfactory account of their ste.\jrardshfp; - Tn# di l strong-minded delegate of a- class or interest makes a tool of the weak-minded but well-intentioned r^p^t sentative ; the declaiming stump orator is silenced by a government appointment. _Tha nine provin— ~~~~ ~~ cial cliques are pitted against each other; the representatives of the stronger onea are bought over, while by " log-rolling" manipulations the representatives of the smaller ones are frowned or flattered into a pliable frame of mind;, thus year afj»r;yearthe colonyis plunged deeper 'and deeper ihte a state of perplexity . and confusion. That this is~ »• true .picture all will acknowledge ; still this state .of things haJ beeiji sl> 8 long 'permitted to exist, that it has become chronic, and sow when the colony has reached the pinnacle of Governmental blundering^ 'and ; public firidifiWence, whining lamentations are heard in every quarter, „ , while no "active steps itfe taken to destroy 'the'evw <U 1 over which the public mourn. — Southland tPimuS. Dayii Kelly willbe brought before |hellesjiienfelir| Magistrate, at the Police rCpurt, this morning, J charged with stealing Ik quantity of linen, ko. t the property of Sarah Ann Hillman." !_, At the Police Court, on Saturday, three natives and three Europeans were mulcted, in the usual penalty or alternative for being dnrak. ' ■ n « Messrs. Jones and Co. "have received "Iniftrtiefeions to Bell, to-day, without reserve, »* 12 6*bl»ckJ at th« bonded warehouse of Meurj. Crin6kth»nk,HSmart, and Co., ale, stout, sherry, and Prince of Wales nectar; aLio, at|half-p«*t 12 o'clock, at their mart, tea, spades, iron buckets, furniture, *o.

%c ivntoW theatricals of H.M. «7& «*««», caVe a'farewell performano* at the Pnnce of <« »I«?s Theatre W<i3jrtarday evening, before a moderate home: The piece* seleoted for performance were the two-act d>ama enticed "Gilderoy," »nd the laufch>ble faro* of " Wilful Murder," and "Num. ber One Round the Cornet." A hornpipe in oharao. tefr was riven by Mr, J. Gamble, and highly appreciated. ' ' The seaman William Hammond, who bo gallantly rescued, in company with the man Wearer, his companions on the wreck of the ' Star of the BTeniwr, 1 wat a pamnger in-the mail steamer which left for Svdn'ey on, Saturday, a pawage haying been very kindly provided him by a gentleman [on board. A cricket match wm played ou Saturday in the Domain between the Ded wood Club and the Mount .Eden Club. The wiokets were pitched at about two o'clock in the afternoon, when it was found that the Dedwoqd Club were only represented by nine member*. They however determined to play tbeir opponents, «"*•«« an innings each had been plitowrtbe" Dedwood Club wai declared the victor, wittsyicketsitpfalL Saint five years ago * project was let on foot by Mini&ye and Miss.Lewin, a niece of Mr. Grote, the historian, with a view to supply servants to the colopiesof Australia and New Zealand, and to send them pat under such conditions that they would escape the temptations and abuses which it is alleged prevail in ibe ordinary emigrant ships which tail to* those countries. When the plan seemed possible of accomplishment and steps had been taken to promote it, Miss Rye proceeded to Australia with a nutnbertif single women whom she had chosen as likely' to be benefited by their removal to another land. * When she had provided situations for those entrusted to her care, Miss Rye made a progress through Australia and New Zealand for the purpose of ascertaining those settlements in which the supply of domestics was not commensurate with the number of the inhabitants. In New Zealand she applied to nine local Governments, and five of them have given her commissions to send out a contingent of servants to the districts over which they exercise authority, and this week the ship * Montmorency* (700 tons) ■ails with 44 single women, 80 married oouples, with their children, and 22 unmarried men— making a total of about 150 souls. This vessel has been commissioned by the Government of Hawke's Bay. Miss Rye has recommended the emigrants, who go out to their newhomesunderveryfavourable circumstances, to the attention of the looal Government. Their passages have all been paid under the condition— which is made imperative by a regular agreement— that tliey repay £14 out of the £17 expended on their account, after they have resided for aperiod of three years in the colony in which they have been placed. The arrangements on board the ship which we have named afford the most unassailable safeguards against any .interference with that portion of the occupants whose interests are regarded with especial care— the single women. The whole of the poop cabin is reserved for their use, and they are not permitted to holdianyfurther con Terse with either the married or single male, passengers than what is found absolutely necessary for carrying on the business of the vessel. The women are provided with plenty of needlework to employ them during the voyage, while for the employment of their leisure hours various games and interesting books will be placed at their disposal. The married people, with their children, occupy the centre, and the single men the fore part of the ship. None of the female passengers have ever been other than virtuous and industrious; they are for the most part respectable girls reduced to distress by the death of one parent or of both. The promoters of the project consider that, since the opportunities afforded are valuable, they ought to be offered not to those who have led a life of vice, but to those who have been always honest and , well-conducted. Miss Rye asserts 'that not' more than 6 per cent, of the single women 'already sent out ' under" her supervision have disappointed her hopes, and not more than 2 per cent nive "failed to return the money expended on the means of their transmission. Altogether, the experiment is worthy of consideration, and its results will supply an interesting addition to the social history of the time. — Australian Mail. Menrs. Hunter and Co. will sell, to-day, by public auction, at 1 o'clock, at the Newmarket saleyards, •heep, fat and store cattle, steers, &c. Mr. Samuel Cochrane will sell, to-day, under writ offi. fa., athisatores, at 12 o'clock, the steamer ' Gymnotus,' now plying on the Waikato, in good working order ; also, the iron barge, Mr. John Rigg will sell, to-day, at 12 o'clock, a quantity of building stones, near Mount Eden gravelpits. < '