WELLINGTON.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 7, Issue 486, 30 April 1864, Page 3

WE L L I N G T O N.

(From our own Correspondent.) v -- ; ; ;; ; ; April 20th, 1864. We were very much disappointed here on Saturday when, the Lord Ashley steamed into harbour, without -the. English mail*- but a few hours later the Lady Bjrd arriy.ed from Sydney, withpapprs ;to the 14th, one of which contained the telegraphic , :fiwu«wtry", had just been received ere she .&". "■■■ "' : " ' j :; .■-.■■■■"■■ ■■"'■■ ■"■ " ■ ■

.started. I enclose a slip of "the news in case it should not have reached you by some other way. The political prospects of Wellington, on the Seat of Government and Panama questions, are again- looking brightly. Information of the most reliable character has been" received from the South that the appointment of the Commissioners by the Australian Governors, is at length unfait accompli. A general statement on this subject appears in the Otago Daily Times, but Mr. F. A. Weld, who arrived here on Saturday, furnishes more definite information. Sir Charles Darling, the Governor of Victoria, has appointed Sir Francis Murphy, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, as one of the Commissioners. The Governor of New South Wales has. nominated Mr. Deas Thompson, while it is understood that Governor Browne of Tasmania, has agreed to appoint one also, if indeed he has not already done . so. There will be great lamentation in Auckland and Otago at this news. The political cliques there have tried hard to get Governor Browne to decline, in the hope of upsetting the whole plan ,• but fortunately there is every reason to believe they have been defeated. Wellington, therefore, may yet hope to gain the coveted boon. Again the Panama question has cropped up. A public meeting was held in Canterbury on the 18th inst., which not only awarded a vote of thanks to Mr. Crosbie Ward, but also strongly condemned the action of Government in refusing to ratify the contract. Some of the speakers expz-essed an opinion that the Province of Canterbury alone might guarantee the required payment to the contractors, and thus get the service carried but ; trusting that the Assembly will ultimately ratify the proceedings. A petition is at present in course of signature there, addressed to the Superintendent, which states " that the importance of not abandoning the contract made by Mr. Ward is so argent that it would be expedient that the province of Canterbury should .guarantee the whole cost, and that Your Honor the Superintendent should write to the Intercolonial Company by the next .mail, to acquaint them that as time does not permit of communication with other provinces, Canterbury will adopt the contract, and bold the company against loss to the extent of the contract." x In connection with this Mr. F. A. Weld arrived here on Saturday to seek the co-operation of the Superintendent, and from Dr. Featherston's feeling in the question, I have no doubt but that he will afford all the aid in his power. The course adopted by Canterbury is the only one which can save the contract. The Government has not legally repudiated it, but the refusal to ratify amounts pretty nearly to the same thing, because the contractors cannot wait a year in suspense till the decision of the Assembly can be given. Canterbury says : — '' We will adopt the contract in the mean time ; the contractors will then carry it out, and the Assembly can decide afterwards in any way it may think fit. What will Auckland politicians say to this ? Public feeling in Wellington has been pretty clearly declared on -the question.. The monopoly clauses are universally condemned, but as the choice apparently lies between having the contract as it stands— these disadvantages included— or not at all, the suffrages are decidedly in favor of the former alternative. Our Chamber of Commerce -=-or rather its committee — has acted rather inconsistently in this affair. The members had a c6rnmittee meeting some seven weeks ago, when Capt. Rhodes made a speech against the 27th clause, and a draught of a resolution was prepared protesting against it, which was to be submitted to a general meeting to be held thereafter. The committee, however, got alarmed at the strong expression of feeling in favor of the contract, and like frightened schoolboys dropped the whole business. Somehow or other, their proceedings got into the newspapers at the time, and atthe last meeting held on the 18th, a great fuss was made about the breach of privilege thereby committed. Indeed they had better have left the matter alone, as one of the newspapers came down rather sharply on the committee for their inconsistency, hinting pretty broadly that they didn't know their own minds. There are some items of native news from Wanganui, both horrible and interesting. The head of Captain Lloyd, who was killed and decapitated in the late skirmish at Taranaki, has been brought down the Coast to Waitotara near Wanganui, and passed from pah to pah to excite the warlike ardour of the natives. The head has been "cured" in the fashion described by the :" Pakeha Maori," the skin having become much darker through the process. There is a deep tomahawk cut on one of the temples. When this became known in Wanganui, Mr. White sent eight native assessors to try and get it, but their errand was fruitless. Some native policemen followed, but met with no better success. It is an excellent indication of the real feeling amongst the natives, and of the utter powerlessness of the Jaw, that in a district with a garrison tovvn, with rseyeral hundred soldiers, and, with a sturdy population armed and drilled, this relic of a brave .ojficer should not have been taken at once by force. " What I " cry the wise»acres, " endanger the peace of the district." In sooth, lam sick of this twaddle. The head was in possession of a handful of natives, and could have been secured with perfect ease by 50 troopers. A prophet has arisen amongst the Maoris called Epaniai, whose madness has affected all the natives from Wanganui to New Plymouth. He declares himself the special favorite of Heaven, with whom the Angel Gabriel- holds frequent intercourse. He has revealed to him that the English nation has been in spiritual . darkness ever since the death of a Queen named Mary, and that they should endeavour to rectify the past by driving away their false-teaching missionaries and burning their bibles. This prophet has also declared that Mungatautari has been retaken by the 'rebels, and that in fcne fight, Bio and Kepa have been killed. two chiefs went a short time since,, at the iflvitation of the (Government, on a visit to the Ffont, and this 'supposed revelation of their death has naturally called forth great anxiety, and occasioned much; excitement, amongst; the loyal tribes at Wanganui. An expedition Southward had. been organised at-Taranaki. •„ , ( ' J'A fine younjj man named Henry Hay ward, the son' of Mr. Aitkdn Hay ward in the Wairarapa, has accidentally'shbtinitnself. : A little cutter, the Mosquito, arrived here the other day bringing great news of continued gold '", ' ",■':■•'<■: ' ■ ■ '■' . '

discoveries at the Pelorus.' " Eight pounds weight of gold, in ten days," was a capital senaation heading, but, as often happens, it was scarcely true. Nevertheless, the Wakamarina Diggings are a great fact, and the later news by the Lady Bird is very satisfactory. The Mosquito took 14 pas-* : sengers from Wellington on Friday, while the - 8. s.Wanganui and Rangatira are already laid on and will probably take a good many more. Should the field afford support to a large population, a splendid trade will be opened up for Wellington, which the merchants will eagerly avail themselves of. I have enclosed you. full particu- : lars of the discoveries, and as it is possible I may pay a fortnight's visit to the new El Dorado, : I will in that case furnish the Herald with a special report thereon. The Shakespeare Tercentenary Celebration has dwindled down to a conversazione to be held in the Odd Fellows' Hall to-night. It should have been held on Saturday, the actual day, but it doesn't matter much. Mr. Standwell gives some dramatic readings. 12 o'clock. The Provincial Government of Wellington have agreed subject to the approval of the Provincial Council, to provide half of the £30,000 required by the I.R.M.C. Thus Canterbury and Wellington are determined to fight . the battle together. I fear, however, as these provinces cannot guarantee the contractors a monopoly of the Interprovincial services, or that the contract shall remain intact, the I. R.M. Company may iv their turn repudiate.