Evening Post. FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1879.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 310, 3 January 1879, Page 2

Evening Post. FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1879.

A Lira.! time and judicious management, strict justice and a firm hand in dealing with the natives in the settlement of ths land question, are the means by which large tracts of good land in this island will find their way to market, and attract both capital and men from Great Britain. In addition to the large block of land comprised in the Waimate Plains, the survey of which is now in progress then is another block of 200,000 acres, situated between the Waitatara and Whenuakura riven, which was recently purchased, and the survey of which is sow begun. The land is spoken of as being of the choicest kind, well watered, and fertile, and the growth of forest and fruit trees (for snme parts of the block had formerly been settled on by large numbers of natives, long since removed) awoke the admiration of the survey party. There win, without doubt, be keen competition for tbji land, as well as for the Waimate Mock. What we should earnestly desire to we is, that through our AgentGeneraL and through the emigration agents at Home, should be made known the excellence of this land, its fertility, the graad opportunity it offers for tenant farmers in Great Britain to secure a fine freehold to themselves and their hours for ever, for very little more than the amount they now pay every year in rent, tithes, and rates for the forms they cultivate at Hone. We have before us a letter addressed to the farmers of Shropshire, Cheshire, Denbighshire, and Flintshire, by Mtv Jokph

&BNNBBI.BT, a farmer from Shropshire, who took the first prizes in 1872 and 1876 given by the Denbighshire and Flintshire Agricultural Society and the Royal Manchester, Liverpool, and North Lancashire Agricultural Society for the best cultivated farm. Mr. -Kennsrlet has been resident ia this part of the colony some time, and has made himself acquainted with tho character of the lands in different districts in this province. As an experienced agriculturist Mr. Kbnhbrley is a competent judge, and he expresses himself in the highest terms regarding the excellence of Uie land, the climate, and the advantages which may be secured by farmers, who can combine capital with agricultural skill aui industry. He points in this letter to the deferred payment system, which offers such benefits, and under which, at n price oi say £3 per acre in gross, payable by instalments, and accompanied by occupation and partial cultivation (which last is limited to a reasonable and easily achieved extent) farmers, now laboring bard to make both ends meet, or little more, might become owners of fine estates, which would steadily increase in value under tbeir own industry, and with the remarkable increase in population which has followed our railway and public works. A thousand and sixty miles of completed railways is no small achievement for a young Colony, whose inhabitants do not yet number half-a-million of souls, and more are in progress, and will be continued until main lines run from end to end of both islands, with branch lines feeding them, and aiding settlement in central parts. What we should like to see is that facts like these, and those which Mr. Kennbhlbt gives with more detail, should be brought under the direct notice of the class to which his letter is addressed — that is tenant farmers, who combine a moderate capital with agricultural and pastoral experience and that sound judgment which general characterise the class. These are the men the colony wants, and they aro also the men who, if they knew what they could gain here, also want the colony. A little comparison will show why. At present in the counties referred to by Mr. Kennbmlbt, the average rent of land is about £2 an acre, tbe tithes are from 8s to 5s an acre, and the rates from Ss to 9s 6d per £1 of rent (that is 4s to 5s additional per acre), making an average annual MBt of about £2 8s per acre. The average capital an English fanner is supposed to possess successfully to work a farm is about £10 per acre .occupied, invested in farm stock, implements, tee. If a farmer of 300 acres should transfer this capital to this country, and invest a portion of it, say a third or a halfsome it may be on deferred payment and some in absolute purchase, and a portion in implements and stock, in clearing, cultivating, kc, — in a very few years he would possess a fine estate, and be bis own landlord. The strongly insisted on policy of the Government is the wise one of preventing large blocks of land from going into the hands of mere speculators or others who, as has formerly occurred, have bought cheaply from the Government and sold dearly to the cultivator. It is desirable that middlemen of this kind should be dispensed with, and that farmers of the class referred to should have the chance of becoming the original buyers. What is wanted is bonaftde settlement of the public lands, not their purchase for the purpose of being locked up and waiting for the rise ; but settlement which means cultivation, fencing, the breeding of sheep, the grazing of cattle, the growing of grain; in short, settlement that yields products tor consumption in our towns and for exportation from our harbors. Can our Minister of Lands see his way to some method by which tenant farmers like those referred to can be brought direct, without the intervention of any prior purchaser, to such lands as those of Waimate and Kaitangiwhenua (the 200,000 acre block above mentioned) ? Their capital aud their skill are what the colony requires ; for while they benefit, so does the colony : the advantage fe mutual. While referring to this uubject, it might be as well to notice once more the absurd telegraphic blunder which travelled from Lands End to John O'Groats, and from the Giant's Causeway to Cape Clear. It is tho story of the so-called massacre of six missionaries, and their being devoured by New Zealand canibals ! - In innumerable papers this was printed with large headings. The Agent-General contradicted tbe statement, and it has now been fully explained that the murders were committed in the New Britain Group, some fifteen hundred miles away, and the so-called missionaries were some Pacific Islanders. Though nothing of the kind exists or is to be apprehended in New Zealand, still we find that this story created considerable excitement, and letters from Home to hundreds of colonists, in which the affair was allvded, show how the reputation of the colony may be temporarily injured. Happily, New Zealand' is free from any such trouble, and intending colonists need have no fears on this head.

The attacks which a number oi' roughs and foolish people, lads and others, made on New Year's Eve on a couple of harmless Chinamen who were letting off a few fireworks, is a disgrace to the place. The working men and all sensible people will disown all such proceedings. The work of those who desire to prevent a flood of Chinese from coming into these coloin'es cannot be advanced, but only injured, by such un-English and wanton doings. This is not what the recent public meeting was called to achieve; it is not the object for which subscriptions are being collected, but it tends to disgust thinking men; and we appeal to all those honest men whose interests the public have at heart to frown down and oppose all such unseemly demonstrations. We have no quarrel with the few peaceable Chinamen who are located here. We do not want thousands of them to come, but no frank Englishman can do other than feel disgust at a hundred rough people hunting a couple of men who have done nothing to aewrve such treatment.

It will be seen by our special cable message from our Sydney correspondent, published in another- column, that the great anti-Chinese strike in Sydney has been brought to a satisfactory termination. The Directors of the A.S N. Company have made material concessions to the demands of the seamen who were on strike, and the latter have agreed to accept these terms, returning to work forthwith. Full particulars as to the settlement of the dispute and of the terms on which it was effected will be found in our special Sydney telegram.

The steamer City of New York, with the outward San Francisco mails, cleared Sydney Heads at 4 p.m. on Thursday for Auckland. A mail leaves Batavia for Singapore tomorrow evening. A correspondent, writing from Taranakistreet, says that some part of that street, as being central to Te Aro, should be selected for the new local post-office. The meeting called at the Pier Hotel last night, to make arrangements for the annual regatta on Annivereaijy Day, was very largely attended; Mr. G. Allen was voted to the chair. His Worship the Mayor was elected President; Mr. G. Hunter, M.H.R., Commodore; Mr. T. Buchanan. Vice-Commodore ; and Mr. S. 8, Downes, Treasurer. Tbe committee which acted last year was re-appointed, with the captains of tbe ships in harbor. The following gentlemen were appointed canvassers (conditional upon tbe consent being gained of those who were not present) :— Limbton— Messrs. Hill, Hayes, and Dransfield.jun.; Wharf— Csptam Rose; Thorndon —Messrs. G. Allen, J. Majnnnity, and H. J. Logan; Government Buildings — Messrs. Wbittaker and Batkin, junior; Te Aro— Messrs. Graham and Dixon; Cook Ward — Messrs. R. Collins, Coffey, and Berg; Manners-street and Willis-street— Messrs. B. Cohen and L. Blundell: Collector, Mr. Williams. A programme similar to that of last year was adopted, subject to alteration. The New Zealand Shipping Company, through Captain Rose, promised a silver cup, as usual ;^«nd the Secretary stated that Mr. Levin had informed him that, though Messrs. Shaw, Savflle & Co. would not give a cup, they would give £15 15s instead, to bs expended at the discretion of the committee. Some other business of a necessary character having 1 been disposed of, the meeting was adjourned until Tuesday next. Our West Coast telegrams recently have noticed the excitement caused by tha discovery of Langdon's reef, on the West Coast goldfields. Specimen* taken by Dr. Hector from the reef, which ia Oft thick, have been analysed at the Colonial Laboratory, and show the stone to be very rich. That from the lower part of tbe reef gave 2&ozs of gold to the ton. and some picked specimens from the centre yielded at the rate of from sozs to SSoxs per ton. The stone in no case showed gold to the naked eye. A lower reef specimen, consisting of quartz and arsenical pyrites, gave 69ozs of gold and 2£om of silver to the ton. < It h our pleasing duty to record a sound thrashinpr, which was administered byonVof our citixens to a young larrikin residinKinSTe Aro, whose speciality lies in annoying figgles This gay young spark followed two ladies home on New Year's Eve, and after annoying them on their way, attempted to follow them into the garden attached to their house. He was then in blissful ignorance of the fact that the husband of one of tbe ladies had come out to meet her, and had been watching his movements with interest for some time. As soon as he got inside the gate, he was painfully awakened from his dream of security, and now explains to his friends that he got two black eyes, a broken nose, and other injuries by falling down the cutting in Willis-street. ¦ Mrs. Redmond, of Conrtenay Place, whwa kindness to the little child found floating in the harbor we noticed in yesterday's issue, write* to us stating (that a boy nimed Dnff rescued the child, and suggesting that » alight testimonial should be presented to him. Mr Redmond adds that last night tbe mother of tbe child brought back tbe clothes it was wearing when the father took it away, and thanked her for the trouble she had taken. TT Mr ", Variey » aw»nog here by the Claud Hamilton to-morrow night en route for Cbrislchurcb, will be able to deliver two more addresses in the Imperial Opera House on Sunday. The subjects advertised are— "Three AeQgbnu Sonets" and " Bating in Christ.',,

On Mondty Mr. Varley sails by Wakatipu far Christchurch, proceeding the following Monday to Danedin. ' A friendly rifle match will take place on Saturday next, the 4th insL, between the Stoke (Nelson) Rifles and the Wellington City Rifles. Ranges : 200, 400, and 500 yardsfive phots at each range. Government prize firing targets and scoring for 1877. Firing to commence at 2 p.m. sharp. The following are the local team: — Captain Crowe, Lieutenant Waldin, Sub-Lieutenant Mintosh, Sergeants Harris, Bowie, and J. Ballinger, Lance Corporal W. Ballinger, Privates A. Ballinger, Croucber, and Cording ; emergencies, Stewart and Mair. From a Press Agency telegram it appears that the Stoke men fired yesterday and made the following scores:— Doige 48, Best sl, Poynter 48, J. Doige46, Beach 41, Thornburn 39, Curry 36, Creswell 31, W. Doiga 29, Norman 27. Total 396. The Nelson City Rifles fired against Stoke and scored 377. "A Ratepayer" writes to complain of a dead horse being' buried not more than 15 inches below the turf in Austin-street. Dogs are burrowing at it, children are playing near if, and in a few days, he says, the stench will be horrible. The Inspector of Nuisances, he adds, has been applied to but takes no action. The sudden change of wind to the southward which took place this morning will probably delay for a day or two the arrival of the Fernglen, which as we stated last evening, has been ordered on from Nelson, where she arrived yesterday, to Wellington, with her immigrants there being no demand ¦ - them at the " Sleepy Hollow." Meanwhile all preparations are being made at the Mount Cook Immigration Barracks for their reception. Nearly all the Hermione's immigrants already have found Employment, and the barracks are being thoroughly cleansed, &c., in readiness for the new comets, who may be expected to arrive about Sunday or Monday next. The takings at the gates of the Basin Reserve on the occasion of the Caledonian Society's sports on New Year's Day amounted to £165 78 6d. The secretary informs us that after the conclusion of the sports, two persons, whose names did not transpire, insisted on entering tor the tilting at a ridg, and threatened the directors with legal proceedings if they were were not allowed to compete. The desired permission, therefore, was accorded, on which the two claimants went through the form tilting, and, in the absence of any other com petitors, necessarily carried off the two prizes. Samuel John Hill, who has for several weeks been in gaol for breaking an order of the Supreme Court, and molesting his wife, was this afternoon released on the order of the Chief Justice. The regular monthly meeting of the Wellington Lodge of Freemasons, No. 1521, E. C, will be held this evening at the Masonic Hall, Boulcott-street. The Immigration Officer at this port, Mr. J. B. Redward, has received 83 nominations of Government immigrants for transmission by the San Francisco mail, which will be despatched to-morrow by the Tararua. Complaints have been made to us that certain expressmen, notwithstanding tbe stricfcregulation to the contrary, persist in keeping their vehicles standing in Grey-street, just in front of the Pier Hotel, thus blocking the thoroughfare, and taking an unfair advantage of those expressmen who obey the law and keep to their appointed stand in Panama-street. The Inspector should look to this, and compel the due observance of the regulation. The Secretary of the New Zealand Rifle Association, Mr. F. Stevens, has forwarded to us a copy of the rules of the association, which are printed in a neat and handy little pamphlet of 28 pages. The criminal statistics of Wellington for the last three years are instructive, and they must be gratifying to lovers of peace and good order. Notwithstanding that the population of Wellington has nearly doubled in this period, the number of criminals has decreased over 30 per cent. The committals were as follows:— 1876— men, 512; women, 104; 1877— men, 436 ; women, 91; 1878— men, 358; women, 72. The inmates of the gaol now number 70, or about three in every 1000 of the population. The Town Clerk, through our advertising columns, warns householders that the provisions of the Wellington Waterworks Act, relating to the waste of water, will be rigorously enforced. For the information of those who are ignorant on the point, we may explain that watering gardens, unless there is a special garden meter, comes under the head of " waste," and is punishable by a fine of £20. A number of friends have made generous gifts to the Hospital patients during the holiday season, in addition to benefactions recently acknowledged. Mrs. Bright, Mrs. Clapbam, and Mr. Clapham, jan., contributed donations, which were highly prized and most acceptable. The Hospital patients desire also to acknowledge the liberality of the Wellington newspaper proprietors. The Wellington Star Club have disposed of the racing whaleboat Orion to the Taranaki Club, and it was forwarded by the steamer Wellington yesterday afternoon. A large quantity of shot, shell, and other ammunition arrived by the Otaki It is intended for the guns at present in the colony not for the new Armstrongs, which are now on their way from England. Mr. J. F, E. Wright and several others recently pald.a visit to the Golden Point mine, and brought back with them several bars oi stone taken from different part of the mine. Some very indifferent looking stone, which did not skow a single speck of gold, and which was found in a break in one of the reefs, and thrown away with the mullock by the miners, shows the astonishing result of36ozs. of gold to the ton, and this with a rough test of crushing and washing. Another sample taken from the reef at the foot of the 40ft. shaft, gives an average of about 6ozi. to the ton, when roughly tested. . A terrible accident, says the Herald, occurred at Chadwick's Wanganui Hotel last Friday evening, to a man named Harry or William Webb, s resident of Halcombetown, who entered the hotel in an advanced state of intoxication and called for liquor, which was repeatedly refused him. The man then rose to leave, and fell forward, thrusting his head through the pane of glass at the side of the door, and cutting his throat in a frightful manner. The wound, stretching almost from ear to ear, bled protusely, and the poor fellow was rapidly reduced to a state of the most profound weakness Dr. Soriey was sent for at once, and soon arriving, did his best to allay the sufferings and the flow of blood. Webb was removed to the hospital, where he now lies, though not dangerously ill.. The Star of Wellington Lodge held its first session for this year last evening, at the Atheneum, when there was a large attendance of members and visitors It was a most succeasfbl meeting, there being a considerable number of candidates, tbe greater portion of whom were ladies, who were admitted into all the rights and privileges of the order. A number of suitable pieces were sung, and a very good recitation was given by a colored brother of the order. On Nsw Year's Day ho less than 6315 passengers were carried on the tramway. There was one of the best houses of the season at the Imperial Opera House last night, when " Henry V" was again performed with great success. ' The whole of the single girls who arjivod per the Hermione have been engaged at wages varying from 8s to 15s per week, and a number of the men have also been engaged. The invalids on the quarantine island are progressing favourably, and will probably be The excursion to Picton by the s.s. Wellington on New Year's Day was largely patronised, about 250 excursionists taking advantage of the opportunity. All the arrangements were satisfactory, and the trip was a very pleasant one. The annual cricket match between ths Past and Present Collegians of Wellington will be played on the Basin Reserve to-morrow at 2 p.m. Some stone from the Rangitoto silver mine, recently tested, yielded soz gold, and 4oz silver to the ton, besides 5 per cent, of rincj and another sample from tbe deepest level gave 4oz 15dwt gold, and 4oz silver to the ton. The eighth and last tramway engine (of the first order] " Anglia," has arrived by the ship Pleiades, from London, and will be landed in the course of a few days. The seventh engine, ••Scotia," was landed yesterday from the barque Alexa, and was towed to the Adelaide Road Terminus by one of the working engines last Evening. We understand that it is the intention of the directors so soon as these , lastarrived engines have been pntin working order to try the experiment of a 10 minutes service both ways. An appropriate and tastefully got up presentation almanac tor 1879 has been israed by Messrs. R. Hannah and Co., bootmaker*, of this city. The principal feature is a large chromo-lithograph view of a handsome boot* shop, where coma gorgeously attired ladies and gentlemen are being fitted with boots and shoes of marvellously varied fashions by assistant* of both sexes, who also are attired in splendid array. The whole affair b very well and artistically executed. Colonel Fending has presented a very handsome "communion" service to the Anglican Church at Feflding. The Manawitu Times states that tbe man Monk, arrested on a warrant at Waipawa an charges of forgery and perjury, arrived by coach on Monday evening in the custodjr of Constable Harvey, of ths Napier police.- The same constable had also care of a man named Cunningham, wanted at Wanganui on a charge of larceny as a bailee. The latter was given over to Detective Farrell, by whom he was taken on to Wanganui, while the former was locked up pending the return of Mr. Ward, R.M., who is at present in Wellington. We learn from a later telegram that Monk was brought before the Resident Ksgbtnte yestev.

lay and committed for trial at the ensuing lession of the Supreme Court at Wanganui. Mr. Barton is apt to get into little "tins" ibout things which no other man in his position would notice. An instance of this occurred when he voted against the Thorndon Reclamation Sale BUI, because ha had not been formally "consulted" about it by the Mayor and Councillors. Another example was furnished this morning. He was present at the deputation which waited upon Mr. Macandrew; but was careful to explain, for the information of Mr. Macandrew in particular and the world in general, that he had not been "invited." Now, the simple fact is that Mr. Barton was appointed as oue of the deputation at the public meeting on the railway terminus question, and he, therefore, required no " invitation." It was not until yesterday that the Town Clerk received intimation of tho time at which the deputation would be received. He immediately sent tbe Corporation messenger round to inform the different members of the deputation, but the messenger could not find Mr. Barton and two others. All three, however, were present, but the others did not think it necessary to make themselves ridiculous by raking up a frivolous and imaginary grievance. The second prize in Hughes' sweep on the Melbourne Champion Race has fallen to Wellington, Mrs. Bennett, of the Commercial HoKil, having drawn Warlock, and thus taking second money, £400, a very agreeable windfall. Mr. S. Jarman asks us to mention that he was the leader of the band who supplied the music at the Arcade Ball on New Years night. A cricket match will be played to-morrow afternoon between the United Second Eleven and the Oxford Clubs, at Mrs. Leitch'B paddock, Polhill Gully. Tbe following are the names : — United — Messrs. Astell, Doyle, Wylle, Keefe, Chatwiu, Brown, Linklater, Jones, Stewart, Howe, and Elder; emergencies, Justin and Brandt. Oxford — Messrs. Davis, Boyd, Moran, M'Caull, Emeny, Kilner. Roberts, Mason, Watson, Greville, and Nicholls; emergencies, Rowlands, Burton, and Frost. Flay will commence at 2 o'clock sharp. Tbe new timetable of the^Union Steamship Company for January has 'been issued. It includes, of course, a wide extension of services, owing to the company having taken over Messrs. M'Meckan and Blackwood's boats. The railway timetables also are given, but not correctly, the times on the Wellington and Featherston line being; wrong from beginning to end. This should be corrected at once, as it is apt to mislead and cause inconvenience to travellers. An extraordinary charge of threatening to murder was heard at the Palmerston Resident Magistrate's Court on Friday last. From a long report in the Manawatu Times we gather the following particulars :— The complainant is a milliner in Palmerston. and has passed under the name of Mrs. Levin.' She was believed to be a widow, and had three children, one of them a baby. Her real name is Rosa Jarvis, and she is unmarried. The defendant is a hawker named Robert Long, and he is the father of the children. For some reason Jarvis appeared to have left Long when ia Wellington, and he recently sought her in Palmerston. Either with or without reason he became very jealous of a Mr. Blythe, and on Christmas Day he went to the house occupied by Rosa Jarvis, saying he expected to meet Blythe there. He found the woman by herself, and after some conversation he pointed a revolver at her head. She sent the servant for the police, when he caught her by the throat, and under threats she was obliged to call the girl back. He soon afterwards left the house, when she gave information to the police, and he was arrested. When the constable took him into custody he had in his pocket a revolver loaded in five chambers, but he stated that it was not loaded when he presented it at Jarvis. Even in the presence of the constable he attempted to strike the woman. The prisoner was committed to take his trial at the next sittings of the Supreme Court at Wanganui. In an article on recent wrecks, the Wanganui Herald says : —" We read of boats taking twenty minutes or half-an-hour to get into the water; of their being very littla better than sieves when there, of there being no rowlocks or oars to be found, of the lowering tackle being systematically painted umtil it has become stiffer than a wire rope, of compasses that have not been tested for years, of clocks that have been tampered with, and are always open to being so, of patent logs which record twenty miles when the vessel has run forty miles, and of a variety of other things of a similar kind. Captains are bound down to stringent time tables, officers from captain to cook overworked, the captain often not having his clothes off or a nights sleep for ten days or a fortnight together. The crew is larpely composed of men who are net; seamen but thorough land lubbers, who are trfven a lift up or down the coast if they work thflir passage, it being of course much chuaper to give a man a passage than to pay a man who understands his work even the poor pittance which coastal seamen get. The wonder is not that there are so many wrecks, but really that there are so few. If an accident happens — well, the vessel is insured. The provisions of the law are in many respects habitually neglected by the officers charged with their enforcement. Coasting steamers should be compelled at any time on the demand of an officer of Customs to lower all the boats forthwith as if she had struck, that this demand should be made at least once a month while the vessel is running up and down the coast, and that no clearance should be given at any port until a certificate that this provision has been complied with within the previous month is shown. The time taken in getting all the boats lowered should be accurately taken, and be stated in the certificate. A heavy penalty should be inflicted unless the first boat touched water in five minutes after the alarm, or if more than twelve minutes elapsed before all the boats were afloat."