WELLINGTON.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3017, 28 March 1867, Page 5

WELLINGTON.

Amongst the pksfcdngers by the 'Lord Aihley' wai Mr. J. O. Richmond, Commissioner of Customs, who has c'oml down from Napier, having arrived there overland, from Wanganui on Sunday week. ' Major1 General Chute and staff were also passengerVby; the • Lprd Ashley j ' and Cplon'el Haultain, the Defence Miniate*, was to have come on, but was prevented, M he was labouring under a sever attack of dysentery. — Advertiser, March 20. The last of the Imperial troops; with the exception of one regiment, are shortly ti> leave the shores of New Zealand, .and we believe ithat even with regard 1 to this one no attempt will be made by the Colonial ! Government to retain it. No concession will be' \ made by them to induce the Imperial Government to leave this regiment behind ; and if it does remain it •will have to do so at the sole charge' and responsibility of the Home authorities ; and the colony will hereafter be at free to regulate its own po)ioy in all respects, native or European, as any other colony under the British Crown. — Ibid. A statement appeared in the Independent yes«terday to the effect that a mounted armed constabulary force was about to be organised, and a list of those who had been 1 recommended for commissions, in it -was given. The whole affair is the'; \ fabrication of » fertile brain, and the <sHly foundation^ ' for it is that some of the men in the Patea distriot, ; who have been put upon their lands, are to be kept' on pay for some little time to come, and that J the.' officers will most likely be chosen frdm amongst those who have been connected with the- forces in tbat district. The publication of a list of names' in our contemporary' said' to have been recommended by Major McDonnell, who is to command the' force, ' is likely to mislead some persons, and we therefore , take. the opportunity of naying that this list is not 'to 1 be relied upon as that from* which 'the appointments will be made. The final arrangements witli regard to the organisation of the Patea force will not take place until the return of Colonel Haultain, which is shortly expected;— lbid; < >lt isc-expected- that telegraphic communication (between Wellington and Masterbnwill be opened in May, and itvis also' anticipated that the line which is now being constructed bdtween'Castle Point and Masterton will be completed about the same itime, so that very fair progress will tken have been made towards connecting-Napier with Wellington by electric telegraph, and we ,hope that, within a fewe months, it will be our pleasant; duty to ' record the fact that the three most important provinces in the Northern Island have been, connected together by thp.telegraph.— lndependent. . , > ■ I Wei learn, frojn, our correspondence received last Inight fronj.Manawatu that, while the surveyors were' engaged at Puketotara in laying off the reserves in^ the Manawatu block, they were^ interrupted, and intimidated by a number of natives, who pulled up the marks, removed the flags, and even attempted to take the billhooks from the 1 hands of, tb* staff.' Parakaia and his followers, it, is said, were very troublesome in this kind' of opposition. The suryeyors acted with great patience and forbearance under the circumstances. ' Walter Buller, Esq., JI.M., and Mr. J. T. Stewart were at Puketotara.— Ibid.