LATEST FROM THE NORTH.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1989, 20 September 1869, Page 2

LATEST FROM THE NORTH.

WELLINGTON,

The Supreme Court was opened on ths Ist instant. His Honor, in addressing the grand jury, said that in addition to the ordinary cases set down for trial at the present sessions, there were three prisoners who had been sent to Napier for trial charged with high treason, hue who had been removed for trial here. The Legislature had lately pmssed a measure providing for summary trials in disturbed districts, which he trusted would prove as effective as it was moderate and reasonable in its provisions. However, it might not be necessary to bring this Act into use on the present occasion, as he understood the Attorney-General would bring them to trial under the Treason-Felony Act of ISOS, and as these would be the first trials brought under this Act, he considered it right to explain what treason was. His Honor then gave a lengthened and most able history and description of the law of treason in England, and as it existed in New Zealand ; and showed the jury its application to the particular eases with which they would have to deal. He laid it down as the distinct law of the land that whatever might be private opinions as to the occupation of the country by Europeans, or the state of the relations which existed between the Im* perial Government and the Colony, Her Majesty exercised undoubted sovereignty over every part of the Colony, and all living in it of either race, or wherever born, owed her the duties of subjects. Even had the rebellion reached the length of a civil war, which it had not, it was impossible that the Maoris could claim belligerent rights. The other ordinary cases in the calendar did not require much special notice. The Independent is informed, on the best authority, that the telegraph line between Wellington and Wanganui will soon be completed, and that the line will be opened for sending messages in about a month’s time.

Referring to the future defence of the Northern Island, the Independent says that this has been the most interesting question of the session. The Government have already commenced to organise their new force, which is to be composed of the picked men of the present colonial army, who are to be worked up into a body of constabulary on the mode of the Irish Force, trained to the highest state of efficiency, and supplied with the best of arms which can be procured. The corps is to be well paid, and none but powerful men of really good character will be employed. It is believed that 100 of this force will, when in thorough order, be equal to at least 300 of those levies with which the late Government was conducting operations. The plan is to defend settlements by outposts, having rapid and constant communication with each other; to wait attack rather than act on the offensive as a general rnle, and to conquer peace or pave the way for future operations by the employment of bodies of friendly natives in opening up roads into the heart of the country, For this special purpose of road making a vote of L 30,000 has been passed by the Assembly, to be charged specially against the Northern Island, and the natives are eager for the work. If England will give us the use of a regiment or two for garrison purposes during the next three or four years, there is little doubt that the development of these plans will lead to the complete solution of the Maori difficulty, AUCKLAND. The arrival of the Hero has been an event anxiously looked for, as it was generally anticipated that many men of means interested in gold-mining would come over by this trip for the purpose of judging for themselves as to the capabilities of the Thames goldfield. She arrived on Sunday last; nor were the general expectations disappointed. Amongst her passengers were a number of managers of claims, and others from the Victorian and Nfew South Wales goldfields. On Monday and Tuesday they went down to the Thames, and, we learn, were most favorably impressed with the extent and richness of the field. As might have been expected, they found fault with the manner in which the field has been parcelled out into petty claims, which, from that very circumstance can many of them never be profitably worked as at present defined. They point out, as we have already done, the necessity of amalgamating several of these claims together into large companies, so that advantage of the unevenness of the ground may be availed of, and the quartz be taken out less by sinking than driving, and half a dozen claims be worked in one under one cost of management. There is much to be said for this view of the case. As it is, in the majority of instances, working expenses defer all possibility of obtaining dividends. This, however, is a matter which will right itself sooner or later. We hear that a party of these gentlemen vi-ited the Golden Crown by torchlight, and expressed the greatest astonishment on seeing such a body of rich stone as is to be seen opened up in that claim. They were, too, much pleased with an examination of the large specimen of the Leng Drive, weighing ISO lbs, which is now lying at the Bank of New Zealand at Shorthand, and which we are glad to learn has been reserved from the specimen crushing now going on, and will be sent to Ballarat for exhibi. bition. The evidence of such a witness to the wealth of our goldfield would puzzle the brains of a Philadelphia lawyer to controvert it.

The Supreme Court is now sitting. Plummer, who was arrested whilst making his second trip to Albertlaml, after partaking of the hofpitality of the Mount Eden establishment, was sentenced to six years of additional servitude.

A specimen from the Long Drive of extraordinary size and value, was deposited yesterday morning in the Bank of New Zealand, where it attracted great attention, and in fact caused a perfect rush of men, women, and children to the spot, all anxious to catch a glimpse of the great specimen, and for this purpose the bank officials, with a praiseworthy desire to satisfy this laudable curiosity, had the stone exposed to view opposite the open window of the melting house, labelled, with the weight of the stone and the amount of gold it contained. The stone weighed forty-three pounds, and on being tested by Mr Smith, hank assayer, was foiind to contain 117 ounces 10 pennyweights pf gold, or at the rate of 2 ounces 14 pennyweights to the pound. The stone itself—a large block—displays very little goldexpept in patches on the surface, but on breaking off a sip all piece the richness of tffe specimen was

at once discernible, for the gold is so evenly and so richly distributed through it that it is difficult to perceive the quartz of which the stone is composed. The go d is of a course heavy-looking character. the same time that this specimen was obtained, a number of others of very extraordinary richness were obtained ; in fact this one, rich as it really is, is more remarkable for its great size than for its richness, for many or the others bear proportionately a larger amount of the precious metal. Several gentlemen who inspected the great specimen yesterday expressed an opinion that it would be a pity to have the stone broken or crushed, but recommended that it should be forwarded to Australia for exhibition.