The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 3926, 23 March 1870, Page 3

The Daily Southern Cross.

LVCPO, No\ T7RO. If I have been extinguished yet them rise A thousand beacons from tho *p vrk I bore

WEDNEESDA V, MARCH 23, IS7O

The Piovincial Council of Canterbury is ia session The Snpeiimendenfc, in his o lening speech, stated Hie reasons which induced h : m to convene a special session, Wore the moeting of the General \ssembly. He submitted poposals rega'ding railway extension and immigration, which are of interest to the colony, as well as being directly interesting to Canterbury. Touching the first mentioned subject — that of railway extension — Mr. Kolleston said :—: — Bearing in mind the economy and advantage of • eeping the railways under one management, and the improbability that any coinp my or contracting firm would be likely to enter upon the undertaking, and to provide a large proportion of the necessary funds on terms which would be advantageous to the province, I am of opinion that you will do ■wisely to determine upon proceeding with the railway with the funds which the province has already at its disposal ; and that you may do this with a reasonable prospect of being »ble to cany on the line to such a point as will largely promote the interests of the Northern districts. lam further of opinion that, if a system is adopted by which the work -will be divided by the Government into separate contiacts, the country will obtain the advantage of greater competition in the distribution of the work, which will thus be brought within the reach of a larger number of contractors, and the Government Mall have it within its power to arrange for the performance of the work so as not to interfere with the ordinary industries of the country. The experience which we have had of the small contract system, in our railway undertaking, does not wait ml us joining in the favourable anticipations of the Superintendent of Canterbury. Ihi 1 system was tried on the Auckland and Drury line; and we have no hesitation whatever in saying that if one respectable firm had ohtaiued the con ti act, on fair and reasonable term?, the line would have heen opened for tiaffic years ago. But the bmall contract system was adopted, on the plea that " the " money would be kept in the pro<c vinoe ;" and the practical result was this, that it thi'usfc foreign oapital away from ' uckland, and squandered Homething like £100,000 of borrowed money. Whatever advantage there may be,therefore, in " keeping the railway-* under one " management," we can *cc no advantage whatever in multiplying contracts for the completion of ilie woik It may suit local interests that this course should be decided on ; but we fail to see anything to justify it in the reasons stated by the Superintendent of Canterbury Mr. R<. lle-ston and his Executive app 'ar to think that the work can be pevfoimed by local contractors, ui.der some kind of arrangement with the Government, "so as not to interfere "with the ordinary industries of the "country." The inference is therefore, that the railway woik is to be carried on during the months in which here is not much demand for field hands ; but if this supposition be coryeut, it is opposed 10 what follows respecting immigration. We think it would lie more likely to beive the interests of the province of Canterbury to let its railway work to some eminent firm, and bind the conti actors to time, under heavy penalties. This plan would ensure the impi>rtation of sufnvieut labour, by the contractors, to complete the undertaking ; and thus the province would obtain a large accession to its population without any expenditure ou its own part If, therefore, the railway contracts at c to be paid for — and we presume it is the intention to pay for ihem— then it must be more advantageous to the province to let the contract to one firm than to make special arrangements with local contractors. But this brings us to the second question, — that of immigiation, — i>ub mitted as a orollarv to the first. It will be seen that it is contemplated to provide for the railway extension out of revenue — consolidated, provincial, and territorial, or such balance of loan as may be ou hand ; but it is sought to provide for immigration by means of a fresh loan. Now, Canterbury ia already overweighted by debt, and the proposal to increase its obligation to the public creditor is, on that ground, objectionable. '* he following ia from the Superintendent's speech :—: — The experience of the late harvest renders unnecessary any argument to show that, unless more labour is introduced into the province, the area of cultivated ground will be contracted instead of enlarged, and our trade and commerce will be brought to a standstill. I have it on reliable information that the breadth of cultivated ground, including English grasses, this year will be 218,680 acres, against 145,000 acres of the last year, and the estimated amount of grain this year is 3,276,458 bushels, as agam3t 1,490,682 bushels of last year, being more than double last year's p-oduce. To enable the producer of this article of export to compete with other gram-growing countries, it will be necessary that he Bnould have a reasonable certainty that he will be able to obtain labour to gather in the results of his year's toil, and that he will have facilities of trans port and shipment at a cost which will leavelaixn a margin of profit. I must therefore again press upon your consideration the necessity of making a provision, which shall extend over a period of years, for the introduction of population into the province. Nothing but stagnation can be the result of neglecting our duty in this respect. I believe that there is a very common feeling in favour of the General Government undertaking this work. I will not here speculate aa to the probability of the councils of the colony issuing in any immediately satisfactory results in the promotion of immigration. I trust they may. Under any circumstances, I believe that the colony -will not refuse to help those -who have the means of selecting a good class of immigrants to carry on the colonisation which alone can enable it to struggle with the terrible incubus of debt resulting from native disturbances in the North Island. I accordingly propose, with your consent, to ask the Colonial Government to borrow for the province the sum of

£30,000, to be expended solely in immigration over a period of thiee yeais, the interest ami sinking fund of the loan to be paid by the province. Should the Colonial Legislature assent to this proposal, and the moneys be judiciously spent, I feel confident that the expenditure would react upon the land sales, and enable ua to proceed with the extension both of wharfage and of internal communication. Quire apart from the general policy involved in the question of immigration, we haveau objection to the proposed Canterbuiy loan for immigration purposes. We think it is extremely bad policy to borrow money to spend on immigration, b.'causp the State or province introducing labour at its own charge, has mo guarantee that it will enjoy the f i nits of its expenditure ; and, therefore, it would only add to the permanent burdrns of the community to raise a loan for immigration purposes, for the sake of securing a tran-ient advantage. If ('anterl)uiy has surplus funds, let these be applied to the introduction of labour ; atid if money be necessary for railway extension, it might be raised on the security of the territorial revenue of the province. But \r. J^olleston certainly is expecting altogether too much from th« Assembly. We cannot suppose the Assembly would consent to pledge the credit of the colony to enable the Provincial Government of Canterbury to introduce population, whilst the public lands of that province are sold to con^-tiuct wharves and railway- ; — works highly serviceable in themselves, but altogether local in their diiect advantages. Our readers cannot fail to perceive the contradictory chiracter of these proposals. How the Provincial Govern•Lmcnt of Canterbury can expect to T" make arrangements for the per- " fonuance of the work (the railway " extension), .so as not to interfere with " the ordinaiy industries of the " country," we are at a loss to conjee-, ture, when taken in connection with 1 his allusion to the want of farm labour in the province. It may be, however, thrit the Cantt rbury Government contemplate borrowing money to introduce population, and propose to employ the men on the railway woilm If this be so, then we do not hesitate to say that the scheme will prove an utter failure. We have seen a somewhat similar plan of introducing settlers tried on a large soale, under the rao4 advantageous circuirustances. by the Geueial Government, and it was a total breik-down We warn Canterbury against making the experiment ; but should the proposal come before the General Assembly, we trust the House will not approve of it.

We publish in another column Australian telegram* to tho 12tb instant, received via the Bluff and Napier. The telegrams con= tarn some important items of intelligence. Our lucent Southern telegrams showed that the eifci2ens of Wellington had held a public meeting relative to the ca9e of Walter Trioker, who in 1864 was convicted and sentenced to death for the murder of the late Mr. Rayner, a settler in the Rangitikei district of the Wellington province. This extraordinary case has m one form or another been before the public for the last six years Rayner was murdered m August, 1863, and Tricker arrested on suspicion of having been the murderer. The suspicion agamat Tricker arose in this wise : A lot of wild cattle at that time infested the sand hills near FUngitikei, composed chiefly of animals which had escaped young from the herds belonging to settlers, and had grown up free and unbranded. The settleis used to shoot those cattle. Tricker shot one of Mr. Rayner's cattle, was tried, convicted, and imprisoned for the offence He. however, always alleged that he thought the animal was one of the wild lot, and more than once uttered threats to be revenged upon Rayner, whose evidence had been the chief cause of his conviction. A coroner's inquest was held upon the body of the murdeied man, but ultimately Tricker was discharged fiom custody, having proved a satisfactory alibi. Thus the matter rested for a time. A large reward was offered for the discovery of the murderer, and ultimately a half-caste boy named Hamilton, who had lived, with Rayner, came forward and accused Tricker of the murder. This boy had been examined before the Coroner, and then swore that he knew nothing of the murder. Tricker was apprehended and brought to trial at Wellington. A gentleman now in Auckland, who knows almost every foot of the Rangitikei disti ict— who has purposely ndden over the route proved to have been taken by Tricker on the day of the murder — who was present at the trial in Wellington, and who is cognizant of every step taken in the after investigations — remarks on the case at this point : — " I stayed in court throughout Tricker's tiial, and I discussed the affair with many of the Rangitikei witnesses during its course. Tricker's defence was an alibi. The indictment charged him with having committed the murder on a Friday morning. It was simply physically impossible that Tricker could have committed the murder at the time alleged. Ho proved by numerous witnesses the distance he had ridden, and the places he had visited on that morning ; and there was not a Rangitikei settler in court who did not know the thing was impossible. Neither the Judge, jury, nor counsel knew anything about the district, and the result was that an ingenious theory was set up that the thing was barely possible of accomplishment, and, the Judge adopting this, tound Tricker guilty, and sentenced him to be hanged. The country settlers were furious at the verdict ?nithe Miaistry of the day neither hanged the man nor let him go free. From that time till now there has been a continued agitation about this case. A Parliamentary Commiasion appointed to investigate it came to the conclusion that the murder was committed on the Thursday night ; though, illogically enough, they recommended that Tricker s-hould still be kept in gaol. Now, Tricker *as convicted of having killed Rayner on Friday morning, and a Parliamentary Commission said that the murder could not have been committed at thai time. On the other hand, the Judge said, ' that if the murder were committed on the Thursday night, Tricker could not liaoe done it.' Ido not go so far as this ; but as two men swore that Tricker slept in the same room all night with them on the Thursday night, I say that his con neetion with the murder, if committed that night, could not have been proved. Meantime, this victim of a false theory to time and circumstances has been six years in gaol, while his innocence of murdering Rayner at the time and place alleged is attested by a Parliamentary commission, and the impossibility of his having done the deed at tlie other supposed time is upheld by the Judge who tried him. Clearly, the man ought no longer to rot in prison. It is better that ninety-nine guilty should escape than that one innocent man should suffer." We are glad to find that the potato crop in the district surrounding Auckland has been considerably above the average, the tonnage being somewhere between seven and eight to the acre. In one or two small spots, where the seed was deposited too early and suffered from the agency of the heavy rain, which destroyed part of the hay crop, the potatoes rotted in the ground ; but these instances are few and far between. Suicides are becoming unprecedentedly numerous i» Melbourne.

We give elsewhere a report of the proceedings of a deputation of Highway Trustees of the Wairoa district, who yesterday waited upon his Honor the Superintendent, to ask for a sum to supplement the rates raised in the distiict. The Provincial Secretary informed the deputation that a meeting of the Provincial Executive would be held to-day, at which the distribution of the sum voted by the Council in aid of Highway Districts would be settled. 1 During the past few days the Provincial Government has provided employment for several men who have applied for it. They have been directed to places where labour is required, and have in most cases been furnished with a few shillings to help them on the road. We are glad to see that the Go- " vernment is doing its utmost to remove any grounds for complaint. There ought now to be no complaints as to want of employment. Cadell v. O'Keeffe, which wa3 commenced on Monday morning, occupied the Chief Justice a-id a special jury from ten o'clock yesterday morning until nine in the evening, when the jury, after more than two hours' absence from Court, returned and answered the 19 issues. We give an abstract of the issues, and the findings, in our report of the case ; and the findings must be referred to by those who feel interested in tse case. — Tanton v. Reid was ment oned during yesterday afternoon. His Honor said that the Court, when the hearing was postponed, gave a sort of undertaking that it should be at least begun during the day ; and, therefore, however inconvenient it might be to begin the case, h» did not like to depart from the arrangement except by consent. Mr. Hesketh j and Mr. MacCormick consented; and the case will be taken this morning. A coroner's inquest was held yesterday afternoon at the Wellington Hotel, corner of Wellington- and William-streets, to inquire into the cause of death of a widow named Langley, who died suddenly the previous evening. After hearing the evidence, it was the opinion of the jury that a certificate of death should have been given, so aa not to have referred the matter to a coroner at all, thereby causing so much loss of time to him and the jury. But, as Dr. Philson remarked, he was obliged to conduct an inquiry, as he had received notice of ita necessity. The necessity for an inquest arises from some mystery as to the cause of death, or from suspioion of foul dealing ; but, as m a great many cases that have occurred lately, there has been no need for an inquest, as there were not the slightest indications ot either mysterious death or of ioul play. — A second inquest was held yesterday at two o'clock before Dr. Goldsbro', at the Lunatic Asylum, a report of which is given in another column. In the Ha tokens Bay Herald of the 18th, there is an account of the recent raid m Opape, which substantially agrees with the seveial accounts published by us. The nomination of candidates for the representation of Mangonui in tht General Assembly will take place to-day at noon at Court-house, Mangonui. The poll if neees sary will be held on the 30th instant The polling-places are— the Court-houge, Mangonui ; Mr. Ball's residence, at the Oruaiti Valley; the Runanga-house at Oruru Valley; and Mr. Jamos Matthew's residence, at Kaitaia, Mr. Beckham sat at the Police Court yesterday morning. After a delay of five minutes, a constable brqught in the first oase. The Benoh demanded, " What's the reason for this delay ? are you not aware tlut the Court is w'aitiag?" The answer was that " the sergeant was engaged at the Supreme Court.' 1 The business was then proceeded with, when two drunkards were fined, — one for a first and another for a second offence. A cross-action between Michael Moran and Michael Skerry was Adjourned by request. This was all the business. His Honor the Superintendent invites tenders, receivable at his office until noon on the 11th April next, for the supply of 50,000 feet of sawn totara. It will be seen from the Australian telegrtans published elsewhere that further extensive failures are reported in Melbourne. Mr, Commissioner Branigan was a passenger to the Thames by the p.s. 'Duke of Edinburgh ' yesterday afternoon, for the purpose of swearing into the Armed Constabulary the portion of the Auckland police foice stationed there. We have received a letter from Mita Hikairo, Native Assessor, which is correctly translated as follows :—" The killing of Hetaraka and Te Awaawa was an absolute murder by Te Kooti. But the bodies were not touched. Only tiie clothes were stripped off, and the guns were taken. The bodies have been brought up in a boat to Whauatane, and there buried. I do not know what the Arawas are now doing in consequence. " His Honor the Superintendent, with the Provincial Secretary, will be at Burnside's Raglan Hotel, Papatoetoe, at 3 o'clock on Friday next, leaving that place at 8 o'clock un Saturday morning, in order to meet the trustees ot the Wairoa highway district respecting certain matters connected with proposed improvements. We hear that his Excellency the Governor purposes visiting the Wairoa district at an early date. A meeting of the shareholders of the Great Republic Goldmining Company was held yesterday afternoon at the office of the manager — 83, Queen-street. Business was transacted relative to the proper management of the Company's ground. The following cases were entered on the charge sheet at the Police Couit last evening : — James Stewart, charged by Detective Ternahan with stealing clothes from a line, the property of Mr Rees ; Thomas Bi own, charged by R. Cooper with stealing a coat from the shop of Messrs. Humby and Cater, valued 38s. 6d. ; Robert Cook, apprehended on warrant charged with using threatening language towards hia wife. A number of mining companies' properties were advertised to have been sold on Monday by Mr. H. P. Stark, but the sale was postponed till Wednesday, as in a number of the cases the parties had come forward with the money to pay off the judgment debt. This looks like a 3ign ef improvement. The Thames Advertiser understands that "the sale of thB p. a. 'Luna' has at length been negotiated with the Government for the sum of 10,000, subject to tb.B report of the Government Inspector of Steamboats, Mr. Nancarrow, and Captain Cadell. It is stated that she will run as fast as the p.s ' Start 1 with only one engine, and when occasion requires she can attain a speed of sixteen | and a-half knots by the use of both engines. This will prove of great advantage to the Government in cases of em rgency, and we have little doubt the report of the Inspectors will be favourable to the purchase of this fine vessel." A first-class sample of bricks very suitable for use in the formation of footpaths has for I borne time past been on view at the City Board office. They are of very excellent make, and we learn that they can be procured at a much lower rate than any other bricks in Auckland. Mr. George Boyd, of Newton, is the maker. There was an amateur performance at the Duke of Edinburgh Theatre last evening; the performers being members of the Tradesmen's Garrick Club, and the object of their performance being aid to the funds of the Catholic Orphan Home. The drama of "The Rent Day " and a farce were the pieces ; and the Volunteer band played daring the evening. There was a fairly good house. An ordination service will be held at the Wesleyan Church, Pitt-street, this evening, when Mr. Berry will be admitted into the lull v ministry, ;nl a suitable charge will be de- | hvered. Mr. R. C. Gladstone, cousin of the Premier of England, has been killed at Melbourne, by a fall from his horse.

We are glad to perceive that considerable improvements are being effected in the Government Domain by thinning the sciub in the region lying between the Acclimatisation Society's ground and the reservoir. A meeting of c editors in the estate of Thomas Muir is announced to be held at noou on the 29th instant at the Supreme Courthouse. A meeting of the creditors of G. Y. Burke is appointed for the same time and place. It is also notified that on the 24th March application will be made for a declaration of the complete execution of a deed of arrangement between John Grey, and A. Eastgate and G. B. Owen and other creditors of J. Grey. The Inspector of the Lunatic Asylum, ■whose adTertisemeat will be found elsewhere, earnestly requests the public to contribute towards ameliorating the condition of unfortunate inmates of the Asylum. He points out that pictorial books, illustrated pap rs, and so forth, would be very acceptable. Parcels addressed to Dr. Aickin, and left at the publishing ofhce of this paper, j will be forwarded and duly acknowledged. An extraordinary general meeting of shareholders of the Argyle Goldmining Company is convened to be held on the 11th April, at Grahanistown. The trustees of the Grafton Road District invite tenders for certain works. The Auckland correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Herald writes to that journal as follows : — "McDonnell is worn almost to a skeleton, and is said to have denied himself needful rest in his determined chase of Te Kooti from one stronghold after another. By-the-by, some of the papers seem to imagine the Government have made 'affidavit on oath' to catch Te Kooti. This is simply absurd. Government would gain so much in prestige by his capture that Ministers may well be supposed desirous to secure him ; but there are certainly as many skulking places for him as for Kereopa, Patara, and others, whom the late Ministry failed to trap. Even the vast military and civil organisation of our Indian empire was found insufficient to ' bring m' Nana Sahib, and the interior wilds of New Zealand are far more favourable to a miscreant eluding justice than even the jungles of Hmdostan." The agitation of the unemployed in Adelaide continues, and the Government has offered the men work at three shillings a-day. We give elsewhere the result of the first day's racing at the Melbourne Autumnal Meeting. The Government of New South "Wales have given notice of their intention to introduce a bill to fix the Governor's salary at The Companionship of St. Michael and St. George has been conferred upon Mr. John O'Shannessy, the veteran politician of Victoria. The Ida Sash and Door Manufactory, recently erected at the Thames for Messrs. Hunter and Morgan, was formally opened on Monday in the presence of a number of ladies and gentlemen, who attended by invitation from the proprietors. After a number of toasts had been proposed, the visitors proceeded to inspect the machinery, whioh consists of a large vertical sawing machine, breaking down and circular saws, which were set in motion in order to show tho visitors their mode of working. Tho large machine for pUnmg, tonguing, and grooving simultaneously was then started, and rough boards, some 16 feot in longta, were passed in at the machine, and in tho short space of 20 seconds were turned out beautifully tongued, planed, and grooved, to the admiration of the visitors. Mr. Hunter explained the workings of the machinery to the visitors. There will be added to the present machinery moulding machines, lathes, and every other requisite. The machinery is driven by a splendid engine of about 30horse power. Upon the subject of Ragged Schools, a correspondent, whose initial is " M.," writes as follows :—"lt: — "It is to be hoped, for the sake of the object in view, which is a very laudable one, that the proprietors or managers of this movement will eschew the obnoxious system of proselytising, practised in kindred institutions elsewhere. Ido not say it is the intention in Auckland to do so. I now merely throw out this timely hinb, with the specific object of endeavouring to avoid any hereafter unpleasantness among a present harmonious community." Another correspondent writes :—": — " It is to be regretted that the good cause of temperance should in any way be marred by anything bearing the complexion of sectarianism ; but nevertheless, such is, I am sony to say, unfortunately the case in Auckland ever since the movement was first advocated here to the present moment. Could not neutral ground be selected, upon which all classes and creeds could stand upon equal terms in brotherly unity? I confess I should like to see clergymen of all creeds stand side by side upon the same platform in the advosacy of a cause of such paramount importance as that of the temperate habits of the people. This is what might be truly called Chmtian unity in its real sense ; and this might well be done » ithout any of them violating one iota of religious principles. " We give, in another place, a report of the firing for the district prizes yesterday. A correspondent, writing to us, complains that the City Board notices of assessment were not left at some of the houses until after the day fixed for final appeals It should be stated, however, that an advertisement several times appeared, fixing the time and place for hearing appeals. Our correspondent also complains that, in his case, he is actually assessed above the rent which he pays by about ten per cent. If so, we should think he has substantial grounds for complaint, and no doubt had he appealed at the proper time the amount would have been reduced.