The Evening Post.

Evening Post, Volume IX, Issue 84, 21 May 1873, Page 2

The Evening Post.

WED3^SJDA^SA¥r2i f 1873, iV <-J si ti-'-t ,* - ' '■'■ If a bad cause could -br bolstered up by ruis-sfatemetlW, then the leftd^t* of the Wanganui separation .movement mtgbt hope to exercise some ioilaeiice upon the public mind, because they certainly m:ige >r as§ert?dfi3 of the must emphatic and positive kind on mat' t«v» of fact, wbicb are absolutely de> void of trtttb. ?iW'e' have more than once shown? thY fallacy i»f ' trie argument* which iv, favor ot separation, but at' present it is onr • intentiou only to deal with one point in the speech of Mr John Bryce, the member for the Wanganui district in the General Assembly, which he made at the late meeting;. In expatiating upon the errors and shortcomings of the Provincial Government, Mr Bryce adduced as a telling example the backward state of tho

surveys. According to the report of I the Herald, "he went on to show how the survey « had been neglected, asaertiog that they were a disgrace to every one connected with them and responsible for them. In the schedule of the Wellington Debts Bill, the item of .£27,000 was pttfc down to work tip the arrears of survey ; the money had without doubt been spent,' but not in doing that for which it had been borrowed," The task of proving that these statemencs are entirely inaccurate is a very easy one, Every person who has made the slightest enquiry into the subject is aware that the arrears I of »arv«y which exist in this Province, have arisen chiefly from the fact that . the old system of surveying paraded wine twenty years ago, bei og without triatigalation, was incorrect in the last degree, and that the thing became so hopelessly confused as to be only susceptible of remedy by the fcriangulation of the whofe of the Crown lands in the Province, and the execution of chain surveys on that triangulation as a basis. Two years ago when the Loan was obtained, a sum of .£27,000 was set apart, as Mr Bryce says, •' to bring up the arrears of survey." Meantime, the execution of the triangUlation had been going on steadily, and about a year ago was successfully completed. 2fo sooner was tbft £27,000 obtained, than the bead of the Survey Department grappled with the difficulty of those arrears. His elaborate and able report on the subject is to be found in the Provincial Council Blae Book. He proposed to engage an additional staff' of competent surveyors, and calculated . on their completing the Work in five yeara. The surveyors were ' accordingly engaged, and the work of dealing with these arrears has been in progress now for about 18 months. Turning to the printed report of the Chfef Surveyor, which had been published and circulated in Wanganui before Mr Biyce made his speech, we find that out of fifteen survey parties employed in the field during the last year, eighty have been exclusively engaged on "arrears," During that period those* parties have brought tip of "arrears" the following work r—lnr — In the Wangauui district, 8,813 acres of rural ¦sections, and 20% acres allotments in the town of Wanganui have been surveyed. These surveys have been completed in field work, calculations, and plots. In the Bangitikei district the plots of 1,800 acres have been complete??, and 600 acres. more snrveyed, of which the plotting has yet to be done. In. the Wellington district, -33,000 acres have been surveyed, oT which 3,600 acres ha*e been completed in field work and plots, am! the remairder is in progress. In the Wairarapa district, 27,363 have beea completed in BkM work and calculations, aud .13,000 acres completed in field work only In the Ea^t Coast district, the field work of 12,280 acres has been completed, and about a fortnight's work is needed to complete the calculation.* and plots. Moreover, during the past year 462 Crown grants havp been issued, including an area of 108,777 acres, £7,<k65 acres of which consist of those very arrears. The facts and figures refer exclusively to " arrears of surveys," and are entirely apart from the work of " new surveys," which cover an area of about 53,000 acres for the year. So far, then, we Save proved to demonstration tbat Mr Bryce's a& sertions relative to the arrears are entirely untrue. Let us now deal with bis equally fallacious statement about the misapplication of the £27,000, Tbi» sum, , which forms part of the loan of 1871, is directed by Jaw to he applied to the specific purpose of executing "at rears of : survey," and ics^ expenditure is under the control of the General Government//'' A glance at the Provincial Estimates for the, year will show how this mouey is dealt with. The expenditure of the Land and ' Survey Departments is there classed under iwo heads, viz,, /'current, work" and ," arrears," and tbfi salaries of all the officers employed on the latter are charged against the it/an. Moreover, a separate set of accounts is kept in .-the -Treasury, showing the' exact expenditure of the loan tinder the several heads specified in the schedule to the Act j and thus at any moment the\ outlay incurred up to a particular date can be ascertained. For the informationl of "-Mr .Bryce, we may state that. the f proportion of the £27,000 spent on " arrears of survey " tip to the present date' is £8,460, leaving a sum of £16.540 still available to finish the woife. Mr Bryce may rest assured that tnis money has not " been spent for some other purpose." What* ever may be the practice of Wancranni financiers, we have an old fashioned 'respect for I*>gul restraints in Wellington, ami a 'prejudice against the misapplication of public funds, the expenditure of which is directed by a .special Act of the Assembly, We believe Mr Bryce has made these erroneous statements through ignorance. But that this should be so is utterly inexcusable. He appears to be entirely ..unconscious of the obligation which persons who profess to state facts owe to the public. He has made the most random and unfounded assertions with reference to A subject on which he ought to have been fully inforined, and he has done so while the

materials for obtaining exact information were ready to his hand in the Provincial Council Bltiebooks and the Press. Mr Bryce has not been wont to commit such absurd mistakes or advance such unfounded charges, and the flagrant instance now brought home to him is therefore a matter both of surprisp and rpgret to us.

The assurances of the Government as to the disposition of the King party have once more been disproved by facts, Tawhiao has given his fiDal decision : he desires peace, but will not surrender the murderers — in other words, he assumes the responsibility for their crime. He could not do otherwise : since, under his instructions, they were protecting the mikciti, and keeping European intruders oil' bis territory, when they killed Sullivan, The Government have now a clear path to pursue. They must either resolve to capture the murderera at any cost, or eLse leave them alone altogether. If they feel any regard for the dignity of the Colony, they will refrain from further negotiations with Tawhiao and Rewi, and from sending embassies to beg as a favor what every Government should insist npon as its right. The Maori King has voluntarily put himself iuto the position of a foe to the British Government, and he must be treated as one. We do not say, of cpurae, that tbe Government should instantly march the whole of its available force into the King's territory : a more speedy and effectual method of capturing the murderers may possibly be devised. It might, for example, be deemed better to seize Kawhia, and to form a cordon rouud Tawhiao's territory, by which the Kingites woufel be rigidly cut off from intercourse with both friendlies and Europeans ; every native who crossed the boundary line in either direction beiug shot down without scruple, A few months of such a blockade would, we believe, bring the Kingites to their senses ; actiye hostilities would be reduced to a minirnnm, while the military strength of the outlying settlers would be perfectly utilised. But whatever policy the Government may adopt, it should* be a straightforward one', the, Colony wants no more shams.

The following extract from a private letter, dated London, 21st Marcb, on the subject of emigration from Great Britain, will be read with interest ; — '* There will be great competition for emigrants during the present year. The various colonies are ful.y alive to the importance of asserting their claims. Queensland leads tbe way, aud at present carries oft the lion's share by giving assisted passages to mechanics on their paying for adults £4, and half adults £2 ; and free passages to farm labourers, married or single, and also to single women, together with a land order for 20 acrtliT the full amount of passage money be paid within twelve months after arrival, the passage being reckoned at £16. The Canadian season will commence about the middle of next month. The cost of passage 1 bus now been reduced from £6 6s to £4 4a, j Wiitie free grants of land are given, to the extent of 2UO acres for the head of a family, a id 100 acres for each member of it above 15 years of age. South Australia has just' forwarded instructions (not yet in print), and will offer passages afc £4 per adult (married or single), together with 20 acres of land if the balance of £11 — reckoning the fall price of a passage afc £15 — be paid within 12 months, Dew South Wales will shortly commence, but its agents are waiting for instructions. Victoria is ,doin# nothing, Brazil has been actively presenting her claims, making fair promise" nob only of land, but also of subsistence m>ney, and lodging for the first twelve months, but pending some enquiries respecting breach of faith with their immigrants and alleged neglect involving great suffering, her operations are now suspended and are not likely to be renewed in this country. We learn a little about Texas, but more about the gnsafc *? Free West," : and altogether the coming season is likely to be one of great activity with : emigration agents generally, especially in the agricultural districts. The Tasmaniau contractors, Messrs Clark, Funchard & Co, have been sending some of their navvies by Melbourne thence to be transhipped. A ; telegram Was received a fortnight ago in* forming them that all the men who had arrived m the first ship had bolted at Melbourne, They had previously lost a number from the same ship at Plymouth, After completing their number in place of the Nortbfteet, C, F, & Co have determined to send no more. Their men' a promissory notes are all between £24 aud £25 for single men, <*nd between £60 and £80 for married couples, according to the number of children. Their clothing outfits are the same throughout, all having been furnished with. the same sort of goods and the same quantities." •

The Education Board met to-day and got through a considerable amount of business, almost wholly however, confined to matters of detail of no general interest, la reply to a letter from Mr j. O. Smith, the secretary was instructed to write that £250 would be placed at Mr Smith's disposal for school-building purposes in the Master ton district, but that the Board thought one good school for Master ton Would be preferable to the present two, as the Board then could give a higher salary to a good master. It was also resolved that £120 be placed at Mr Hutcheson's disposal for school building in the Wangaehu district, A sum of £12 1 5s was voted for repairs to Thorndon school. The chairman was authorised to sign the

leaae of a play ground for Thorndon school, rented from the Hospital Trustees. An old account (1869) incurred by the Lower Butt local committee, the Board declined to entertain. Sundry accounts were passed. The next meeting will be on Monday, 26th instant. The Government holiday in honor of her Majesty's birthday, will be kept on Moudiy next, the 25th inst, instead of Saturday, the 24th. The Caledonian Games will accordingly be held on that day. The Court of Appeal sat to-day before the Chief Justice and Judges Greßson, Richmond, aud Chapman in the case of Holmes and another v. Kolleston, judgment was given for the defendant with costs. The case, Clayton and others v. Morrison and others, was tten called on, and the arguments of counsel were still proceeding when we went to press. The AttorneyGeneral and Mr B. C. Haggitfc (of the Dunedin bar) appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr C. E. Barton (of the Dunedin bar) for the defendants. Notwithstanding the unpropitious state of the weather, the Presbyterian Schoolroom in Willis-Btreet was crowded last night;, at the musical and literary entertainment in aid of the Sunday Schools. The Key J. Paterson briefly opened the proceedings, and then the programme — a very well choßen and attractive one — was duly executed under the skilful direction of Mr Carver, who may be congratulated on the thorough success which rewarded his exertions. The various pieces were well rendered, and most warmly applauded, encores being awarded to the duet "The Gipsy Countess," the songs "Jessie's Dream" and •• Sweet Spirit Hear my Prayer," from " Lurline" (both by the same iady), and the pianoforte solo. The glees and part songs went satisfactorily, the duet, *' Happy be thy dreams," and the songs, •'The happy muleteer," and. "I cannot sing the old songs," were much appreciated. The readings by Messrs Fraser, Paterson,' and Turubull were appropriate, well delivered, and much approved by the auHi. ence. At the conclusion the chairman (Rev J. Paterson) proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Carver and all the performers for the pleasant evening they had enjoyed, which he hoped would soon be repeated. This was carried by acclamation, and with the National Anthem, the entertainment closed. We regret that by an accidental transposition of names, it was made to appear in our police report yesterday that Charles Rowe was fined 5s for drunkenness, whereas the fine was inflicted for a foul chimney. Mr Howe's character, however, is happily too well known to render even this contradiction necessary, although, of course, we have pleasure in making it. At the Resident Magistrate's Court to*diy, there was only one case ; James Smith charged with having been drunk' and disorderly, was dismissed with a reprimand. Mr T. Kebbell, J.P., was the presiding magistrate. A meeting of the City Council will be. field t'6'inorrow at 4 o'clock. It will be observed in our advertising columns that the unavoidably postponed performances of the Magnet Truupe, including the fair Lottie, will take place on Friday and Saturday next, at the Udd Fellows' Hall. Last night's rehearsal of •• Naamau" by the Choral Society passed off very satisfactorily, although the prevailing colds have caused more than one gap in the ranks of the performers who assisted at the last concert. This has necessitated some changes in the "cast," thus the second performance of this oratorio, announced for to-morrow evening, will offer several points of novelty, besides the even greater excellence which may be expected in the rendering of the difficult choruses. We understand that seats can be selected and reserved by holders of five shillings tickets, We may remind our readers that Mr I. F. Kerch's benefit takes place this evening at the Theatre Royal, when the intensely sensational American play, " Under the Gaslight," will be given. This piece is mainly remarkable for a most startling " realistift " scene, in which a man is .bound on a railway line, the train approaching rapidly at the time. Of this scene, one paper says:— "We feel quite sure that there was not a man or woman in the Theatre last night whose poise was not accelerated at least ten beats a minute during the • railway scene.' Ladies, who generally conduct themselves in the quietest manner possible, could, not control their emotion when they saw the huge train approaching the man helplessly bound upon the rails j and could a photographic picture of the occupants of the pit have been taken last night by the instantaneous process, the result would have puzzled a Lavater." As there was no performance last eyeuing, owing to the inclemency of the weather, ad« vantage was taken to have an evening rehearsal, which we understand was very satisfactory. Thi3 piece will be followed by a ballet pantomine. Altogether, the " bill of fare " is a most attractive one, and we anticipate a crowded house. The jS~. W. gale of Monday morning abated in the afternoon, and calm, threatening weather followed until noon yesterday, when heavy rain set in, which continued, | almost without intermission, until 6 p.m. '¦ This welcome deluge will do more good than anything which could have happened to our city, bo long parched and pestiferous. It 13 to be hoped that the lingering remains of our scourge — low fever — will now bid us a Jong farewell, and that future droughts will be rendered comparatively innocuous by our then completed waterworks. The Chronicle declares that " the separation petition is being all but unanimously signed throughout this and some of the surrounding districts, as even those who look upon the county system as being a

political Charybdis to which Provincialism stands in tbts relation of Scylla, afPx their signatures, not altogether with the idea of gaining the whole measure of success aimed at by the framersof the petition, but with the hope and intention of frustrating the paßsing of the £210,000 Loan Bill through the Assembly next session. " I The Taranaki Herald states that the Mokau natives are not likely in any way to mix with the Waikato natives should any embroilment take place. Letters, it believes, have been sent to Mr Parris, stating that whatever may be the result of the Waikato affair, the Europeans need not fear that it wlil in any affect this district. The Wanganui Chronicle says the natives between Opunake and Warea have seized a lot of shepp belonging to a settler in the district, and having killed them, and skinned them, nailed their fleeces upon the trees. In addition to this it is informed that the natives have seized Mr Bayly's working bullocks. According to a Wanganui paper, it is I reported that the National Bank intends opening branches at Wanganui, and at Bull's, Rangitikei. The Provincial Council of t&nterbury has recommended the Superintendent to set 101,000 acres of waste lands as an endow* ment for a School of Agriculture j and an equal area for the promotion of superior education. The retiring room provided for the jury at the court bouse at Milton is a large and airy one, being an adjoining grass paddock, which was occupied for a short time by the jury of a case recently tried. The Bruce Herald recommends that the fences' and uates bft made a little more secure, as in the case of a jury being locked up for a night, the idea might suggest itself to some of them of retiring to some comfortable quarters. The following is from a late number of the Otago Daily Times :— On Friday evening large quantities, amounting to several tons, of the delicious fish called by Dr Hector Clupea sagans, were cast ashore on the coaßt near Saddle Hill. The shoal was the most extensive that has been seen for years. The Bea as far as the eye coul-i reach was covered with fish, which were pursued by whales, porpoises, and birds A specimen of the fish, which is considered by Highlaud fishermen to be the true herring {Clupea harengus), has been sent to Dr Hector at Wellington, for inspection. During the trial of a case at the Limerick assizes, one of the jurors complained of illness Mr Justice Fitzgerald directed Dr Murphy, who was in court, to examine him. Dr Murphy, on hia oath, reported that the juror was suffering from irrifca* bility of the stomach. He had taken too much on the pievious night. The doctor was of opinion that the juror would be all right if he got a glass of brandy and a bottle of soda water. His lordship directed the sheriff to supply the brandy and soda, which was done, and the trial proceeded. A writer in the European Mail says :— There are unmistakable signs of preparation in the neighbourhood where agentsgeneral most do congregate, in connection with the International and Vienna Exhibitions. Queensland, New South Walts, Victoria, and South Australia will have courts at South Kensington. The iiist will occupy the pretty little annexe which Mr Daintree set up last year, whilst the others will be represented in the Belgian annexe. The advantage of the proposed colonial court for 1874, I believe, is, that all colonial exhibits may be shown therein without reference to the rules of special c'assincation as laid down by the commissioners in regard to the exhibitß sent to the International Exhibition — a privilege, if I niiatake not, which Queensland eujoys this year. The Exhibition proper opens on Easter Monday, but I don't think the Belgian annexe can be got ready before May, as none of the goods intended for , exhibition can arrive till the beginning of April if so soon. I hear a rumour to the effect that the Victorian agency here has, in conjunction to New South Wales and South Australia, engaged the services of Mr F. Mad gate to act as manager in charge of the colonial exhibits in the Belgian annexe during this year's exhibition. Mr P. Bevan, a gentlemen well fitted for the duty, will act on behalf of Queensland, Victoria, and New Zealand at Vienna. The survey of the road between Wanganui and Tsranaki, behind Mount Kgmont, is progressing rapidly, and, if fine weather continues, will probably be through at Mataitawa before the end of next month. The natives employed were originally but a small number, but they have been rapidly increasing. The Taranaki News believes that even Tito Kowaru's people are drifting into it, although some of them have intimated their intention of protesting against it, that they may not hereafter be assumed to have approved of it. This protest was to have been at a stream called Tawhiti, but as the survey is some distance beyond this, the dissentients probably deem it useless to record their disapproval. So far as it completed, it is cut a chain wide, cleared, stumped, and very little would be necessary to enable a tram, or railway to be laid along it.