"WELLINGTON JOTTINGS. (FROM AN OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTOR.) August 8.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIV, Issue 3457, 14 August 1868, Page 3

"WELLINGTON JOTTINGS. (FROM AN OCCASIONAL CONTRIBUTOR.) August 8.

THtKI is little or no news of a political nature 6ince last mail. The debate on Mr. Fox's resolution still drags slowly on. and is not expected to close until Wednesday. Most of the great guns have exeloJed, and no speeches of any interest remain to be heard but that of Mr. Hall (the Postmaster- General) and the reply of Mr. Fox. It is generally expected that the Government will have a large majority. The general feeling among the members, and I tbink the country, (is that some change is necessary in the Constitution, but, as the Opposition do not enunciate a policy themselves, they prefer to trust to the present Government, who, if they avow no policy, at all events show some indication of it by their acts. On the question of the management of native affairs, the Government have a strong party against them ; many of their strongest auppo ters censure them for their conduct, both on the Patea, and the mor* recent error of judgment of which they were guilty in ordering the recapture of the escaped prisoner!. It is doubtful whether the Government will command a majority for long in the Houie, as the parties are so evenly balanced. Still, by having a leader like Mr. Fox, the Opposition are now ia a position to hold the rod in terrorem over Mr. Stafford if he attempts to ride the high horse as he has done for the last few years. The great strength of the Government is that the leader of the Opposition holds ultra-provincial views, which do not go down with (he majority. There was a slight passage at arms before this debate commenced, on the East Coast affair, between Mr. Carleton and the Government. Papers have been called for, and we shall probably hear more of the matter yet.

We have to acknowledge the reoeipfc, from Mr. George Didsbury, Government; printer, of copies of the " Hansard" for the week ending August 1, and of papers laid on the table of the Home of Representative!. We have received a oopy of the Tahiti Metsager, of date 4th May. The Countess de la Ronciere has been compelled to leave Tahiti for Franoe, owing to failing health. At the Police Court yesterday, before Dr. Home (chairman), and G. B. Owen, E«q., J.P.B, Christopher Rapier, boatswain of the barque ' Constance,' was charged, on the information of William Booker, with committing an assault upon him on the high seas, on the 3rd June, by kicking and striking him on the back and various parts of the body. Defendant pleaded guilty. The Bench inflicted a fine of 20s. — Booker, the former complainant, was then charged with desertion. The Bench considered the charge proved, and ordered Booker to go to prison, with hard labour, for four weeks. The other business wai of an unimportant character, but will be found in our police report. Constable McCafferfcy returned from Wellington yesterday in the s.s. ' Ahuriri,' having in charge the prisoner Walter Macdonald, who was apprehended some time ago at Wellington, on a warrant from Auckland, charged with bein/ concerned in a very extensive jewellery robbery at Mrs. Emily Floxsome's. He was taken before the Bench yesterday, and remanded until Monday next, when the case will be fcone into. It will be seen by a report from our own correspondent that a meeting of the Mangapai and Maungakaramea settlers has been held, at which the i oil tax was denounced, and a determination come to to resist its collection. In the face of the unanimous expression of opinion on the part of the people against the tax, we do not think that the Provincial Government will bs so suicidal as to press on the collection of the tax. Messrs. Armstrong and Co., mining agents, have just issued two maps, which we have no doubt will be of great me to persona interested in mining shares. One is * sketch showing the relative positions of claims at Tapn. Beginning at the Young Amerioan Claim, the sketch shows the different claims on to the Tapu Creek, and between that and the Mata Creek. The second sketch shows the ridge between the Moanataiari and the Waiotahi Creeks, one of the richest parts in the Thames goldfield. The names of the claims which have become famous for the gold they produce are printed in capitals, and all the many claims between and near these creeks are distinctly marked. We believe that Messrs. Armstrong and Co. intend to issue a series of these maps, covering the whole of the Thames goldfields. At the Supreme Court yesterday, Mr. Brookfield made an application to the Court for a certificate of complete execution of a deed of arrangement between Mr. F. W. Howard and his creditors, made on the Bth May last. His Honor granted the application. The uiual weekly sitting of the Resident Magistrate's Court was held yesterday, when his Worship gave judgment for defendant in the case of 8. Kempthorne v. Ashwell. The other cases contained no features of public interest. The usual report appears elsewhere. Last evening another of those interesting entertain - mants known as the Penny Readings took place at the Edwardes-street schoolroom, Mr. Shalders in the chair, and, to judge from the crowded state of the room, they acpear to increase in popularity at every repetition. There were fully two hundred persons present, and the manner in which the programme was gone through did great credit to all concerned. The money derived from this source is applied to a most praiseworthy object, viz , to increase the number of books in the Sunday School Union Library. The following was the programme : — Mr. D. Goldie, reading, " Caudle is made a Mason ;" Mr. T. J. Jaggar, recitation, "An Orator's First Speech in Parliament;" music, Mr. M.W. Robinson, solo, "Old Adam was a Gent'eman ;" Mr. E. H. Jaggar, reading, "Drat the Cats;" Mr. F. G. Ewiogton,reading, "Cutting Weather;" Mr. E. W. Mann, recitation, "The Saxon and the Gael;" music, Mr. J. G. Culpan, "Just before the battle, mother;" Mr. Spicer, reading, "Merit of Good Health;" Mr. Douglas, reading, "Death of Charles IL ;" Mr. E. H. Jaggar, recitation, " Somebody's Darling ;" mnric, Mm. J. G. Culpan and Miss M. George, "Juanita," "Eulalie;" Mr. W. B. Farnham, " Mark Antony's Funeral Oration ;" Mr. M. W. Robinson, reading from "Oliver Twist ;" Mr. J. C. Wilkei, "Pope's Essay on Man,— Various Characters ;" "God Save the Queen." We publish the following scrap of information for the benefit for our still existent City Board :—: — " The saving the Corporation of Geelonsr make? by lighting the town with kerosine instead of with gas is more than half This saving has enabled the Town Council to provide various parts of the town with a number of extra lights, without making any increase to the lighting rate." A man named John Casey was apprehended last evening by Detective Murphy, charged with stealing • Crimean shirt, value 145., from, the shop of Mr. V, J. Isaacs, Qucwstrett,

Ihe Sydney Morning Herald of July 30 devote* a leader to the diacuuioa of New Zealaud affairs, and the frtih outbreak of Maori hoatilitiei, which it lays "isby no mean* reasuring. The rarest road to ultimate buccess ii nerer to allow th« Maoris to obtain a partial success Constant defeat breaks the spirit of barbarous races. The ultimate result of the conflict of races cannot be doubted. The Maori race is steadily diminishing." As to the escaped Uaubau prisoners, the tame paper remark* :— " To leave them at large is to submit to a defiance of law, and to encourage the Maoris in their superstitious faith in the protecting powers of their local deity. Yet to oatoh them all again may prove a troublesome task." At the Resident's Magistrate's Court, Napier, on the 10th instant, three men, named George Stanley, Luke Finnigan, and John Porter, were charged for that they, on the 9th instant, unlawfully did obtain a passage in the s.s. ' Ahuriri,' without the content of the maater thereof, contrary to the provisions of the Merohant Shtppiug Act, 1858. The men, who I were of course bound for the Thames digging?, had little to say for themselves, and were each sentenced to be imprisoned fourteen days with hard labour. The Hon. Colonel Kenny is evidently determined to do his best to get a regiment of regular troops for New Zealand. His motion, that it was advisable a regimeut should be kept, was carried in the Council on August sfcb, and we understand an address will be present to his Excellency the Governor on this important subject without delay. We don't, however, want any troops ; because, though they are plucky enough fellow*, their services would bo far too dearly purchased if we had again to submit to Imperial interference, in our manner of conducting war against the natives.— Wellington Independent. The half-caite female who wished to leave her lawful husband at Wairarapa, and elope to Auckland with a man named O'Brien (uow remanded on a charge of felony, viz., stealing what the husband says is his bedding, a saddle, &c), is highly indignant that British law should have cut short her career of bliss ; while her condemnation of the police, and all constituted authorities, is of the moat viruleut character. She declares that O'Brien is no felon, as she gave him full permission to take not only the goods (which she had purchased with her own money) but also liertelf, as «he could no longer endure Studeley, who neither supported her nor her children. Her attempt to deuamp with another man does not accord with our views of morality ; but it would appear that the poor woman i% ''more sinned against than sinning."— Wellington Independent.