Hawke's Bay Herald THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1878.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5071, 9 May 1878, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1878.

In one of his recent addresses, Sir George Grey dwelt somewhat strongly upon the impropriety of Government officials trafficking in native lands, and upon the necessity of putting a stop to the practice with a determined hand. Probably Sir George had in his mind at the time the case of Mr James Booth, a Resident Magistrate on the West Coast, who has been suspended for being a party to two transactions in native lands, in contravention of the instructions given on that head by the Government. " The first case," says the New Zealander of last Monday, " relates to a block of 1600 acres of land in the Otaki district, kno.wn as Pikopiko. For this, the Government had, for a long time, been negotiating, and had even advanced to the natives interested a con siderable sum on account of the purchasemoney. A few weeks ago Mr Booth, who was engaged on behalf of the Government, advised that there was no chance of the land being obtained, and that the purchase should be abandoned. This advice was taken, and almost immediately afterwards the block was passed through the Native Lands Court, and was immediately secured by Mr J. Stevens, of Rangitikei, Mr Booth being said to have been well aware of the transaction. The next charge is of a still more serious character. In another block at Otaki there was a section of some 430 acres marked as a reserve. The land on one side was acquired by the Government, and Mr Booth advised the purchase of a small piece, some 50 or 60 acres, on the other side, while his brother, Mr Richard Booth, formerly employed in the Native Department, but whose services were recently dispensed with, quietly bought this reserve himself from the natives, Mr James Booth actually witnessing the deed and giving evidence in regard to the transaction, before the Native Land Frauds Commissioner. This evidence will make this charge against Mr Booth a very serious one. As soon as these facts reached the Government, Mr Booth was called on for an explanation, and we believe that, practically, ho has admitted assisting his brother, who, he pleads, is a poor man with a large family, to acquire a nice little estate which should have been the property of the colony. That a man in Mr Booth's position should have allowed himself to become a party to such a transaction, or to have urged such an excuse, shows clearly into what a state of utter demoralisation the Native Department must have fallen under the late administration, and how imperatively a sweeping reform was required in the public interest. Probably Mr Booth has only done as others have ; he may even be amongst the least offenders ; but we cannot pity him. The case, both in itself and as an example, is so serious a one that we understand a Royal Commission will be appointed to take evidence and report upon it." The recent crisis] in Victoria is commented xipon in the London Times in a tone anything but complimentary to Mr Berry or to Sir George Bowen. "If Mr Berry is daring enough," it says, "to follow out to the end the policy in which he has boldly taken the first step, Sir George Bowen may be asked to assent to and take part in acts even more grave in their consequences than the dismissal without a day's notice of vast numbers of public servants, many of them of twenty and even thirty years' service. Will Sir George Bowen follow the advice of Mr Berry, if that Minister should proceed, as he has threatened, to abolish the police force, to open . the gaols and the lunatic asylums, to stop traffic on the railways and trade in the ports, to suspend the postal and telegraphic services, and to deny currency to bank notes 1 This is a momentous question for the people of Victoria. If there is no point at which a Colonial Governor may refuse to follow the advice of an unscrupulous Minister with a Democratic majority behind him, the laws of the colony and the Constitution which has been conceded by an Act of the Imperial Parliament are little better than waste paper. If Mr Berry advised the Governor to sign documents involving a violation of the law and a departure from the spirit of the Constitution, and if Sir George Bowen complied without feeling himself justified in examining the consequences, there is practically no limit to the mischief that can be accomplished by a venturous Cleon who once gets possession of power. Why, for instance, should a Minister in such a position ever resign? If beaten in the Legislature, he may advise one dissolution after another, as the Due de Broglio would have done in France had Marshal MacMahon been unfettered by the Senate. The difficulty about supplies might be overcome by such expedients as Mr Berry is exhausting now, and the terrorism with which the opponents of the Government are being pressed might be expected to yield results as satisfactory as the labors of the most energetic of French Prefects. Mr Berry's organ has avowed that the dismissal scheme ' is confessedly a revolutionary one, which it would be impossible to justify but for the object that is sought to be obtained by it.' Is a colonial Governor compelled to accept the advice of his Ministers even when it is ' confessedly revolutionary V This is the very grave question which the Secretary of State for the Colonies has now to decide. Compared with this the merits of the original controversy between the two Houses of the Victorian Legislature becomes insignificant."

At a meeting of the Napier Artillery Volunteers hold last night at SergeantMajor Gray's, after the company drill, it was resolved that the battery pi-oceed on Friday morning, the 24th instant, to Takapau, for the annual shot and shell practice, and the firing of a salute in honor of the Queen's Birthday. The battery will encamp at Takapau until ■StmidajzLaftflrnnnn. whsix they will return

by train to Napier. There will be a .special train to Takapau from town on Sunday morning to accommodate visitors to the camp from Napier. The battery will attend church parade on Sunday, the 26th.

The Theatre Royal was again well attended last night, when the Royal Italian Opera Company gave their second performance. The concert portion of the programme was highly successful, all the artistes appearing to be in good voice. Signora Caranti Vita sang "Let mo dream again " very charmingly, and gave as an encore the ballad " Bread and cheese and kisses," which was also most tastefully rendered. Signora Venosta and Signori Camero, Paladini, and Tessada all sang with taste and finish. The violin playing of Monsieur Caron was also a special feature in the peformance. The third acb of " Faust " constituted the second part of the entertainment, and it was admirably gone through. Signora Caranti Vita was in splendid voice, and sang the difficult music allotted to Margherita in brilliant style, and in such a manner aa to prove her to be a true artiste. Her singing and acting when she discovered the jewels, and her rendering of the. wellknown waltz song were admirable, and appeared to be thoroughly appreciated by the audience. Signora Venosta, in the double part of Siebel and Martha, sang sweetly and with much expression. Faust was represented by Signor Paladini, and Mephisfcopheles by Signor Tessada, and both sang the music of their parts very eft'ectiveiy. The company as a whole is an excellent one, and they provide high class entertainments which are well worth listening to. To-night another change of programme will be given, including the grand act of Donizetti's comic opera "Don Pasquale."

At the last meeting of the Education Board, when a resolution was passed requesting the chairman to communicate respecting the inspectorship with Mr Hill, of Christchurch, and Mr Dickson, of Hokitika, the was also authorised to consent on behalf of the board that the salary of inspector should be fixed at £400 with £150 travelling expenses. Subsequently there was a discussion on the advisability of amalgamating the offices of inspector and secretary, retaining Mr Fannin as under-secretary. This was agreed to, and it was understood that if the gentleman engaged as inspector accepted the arrangement a portion of the salary of the secretary would be added to that of the inspector. These matters were not published at the time because the board considered it inexpedient that they should be made public. The arrangement is, however, now definitely made ; Mr Hill— as will be seen by a Ohristchurch telegram in another column — has received the appointment of secretary and inspector, and we understand the salary is fixed at £450, with £150 travelling expenses. This is £400 for the inspectorship, as agreed to by the board, and £50 for the secretaryship.

Inch Clutha, in the province of Otago has been constituted a district under "The Hawke's Bay and Marlborough Rivers Act, 1868."

According to a recent Government return, there were only two provincial officers in Hawke's Bay whose services were dispensed with on the abolition of the provinces. The amount of compensation paid to them was £433 18s lid.

Iv the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before J. A. Smith, Esq., J.P., and J. G. Kinross, Esq., J.P., Hugh Scott was charged with drunkenness and assaulting Constable Irwin on the night of the 7th inst. He was fined 5s for being drunk, £1 for assaulting the constable, £1 for damaging the constable's uniform, 10s for cab hire, and 14s for costs of Court — in all £3 9s ; in default, 14 days' imprisonment. The defendant said he would take the 14 days.— John Murray was fined 10s for drunkenness. — Richard Came, of Olive, was charged by his wife, Catherine Came, with having threatened her life by saying he would chop her head off, and otherwise illtreating her. The prisoner said it was he who was in danger of his life from his wife and son, the latter having turned him out on Saturday last. He informed the Bench that if he was treated properly at home, his wife had nothing to fear from him. The case was dismissed.

The new Imperial Opera House, built on the Te Aro foreshore at Wellington, has cost, exclusive of its site, ten thousand pounds. It will hold fifteen hundred persons, and has comfortable seating accommodation for twelve hundred and six. It is fitted with every convenience, also, for the prevention of fire. Mr Harry Eastwood is the manager. The Opera House is to be opened by the Royal Italian Opera Company on the 20th inst.

The N.Z. Times, ot Monday, says :— "The steamer Arawata brought down from Melbourne one ram and three ewes, merinos, of the purest blood that could be obtained in Victoria. They were purchased for the Hon. H. R. Russell, Mount Herbert, Waipukurau, Napier. As may bo imagined, they are as near perfection as it was possible to procure, and are really beautiful animals. We understand that they will cost their owner upwards of £400 by the time they reach his station. They were consigned to Messrs Bethune and Hunter, and parties who take an interest in sheep of this breed will have an opportunity of examining them if they call at Mr Hunter's residence, Dixon-street. They will be forwarded on to Napier by the steamer Kiwi in the course of a few days."

A special telegram to the New Zealander says that Mr DeLautour, M.H.R., was presented with a purse of 180 soys. , at Naseby, on Friday night by his constituents to his departure for Napier.

Mr Allan M'Lean, of Napier, who is at present on a visit to Christchurch, yesterday disposed of his well-known horse Javelin to Mr James Gilligan for 1000 guineas. — Press.

I hear from Berlin (says " Atlas " in the World) that Prince Bismarck and his Imperial and Royal Master do not quite hit it off on the Eastern Question. Kaiser Willielm is completely absorbed by his attachment to the Czar of All the Russias, for whom he has just testified his affection in a very practical shape, by making him a present of a hundred Krupp guns, a trifle in the way of surplus artillery which he happened to have on his hands. As for the German Chancellor, he is England's very good friend ; but ho has been bound to remark that the Turk is dead in Europe, and that the future of Bulgaria will prove a hard nut to crack. The Ranyitiicci Advocate states that the Hon. Mr Campbell, of the Douglas block, has already constructed 33 miles of railway in tho Middle Island, under the District Railways Act of last session, and has expressed Iris determination to carry out the proposed Foxton. and Sandon line.

The WairariyHi Standard states that a section of land, Coles estate, containing 37 porches, with frontage to three chain roads, was purchased by the Masterton Club Committee as a site for their proposed club, at a cost of £300— nearly £10 a perch.

Early on Monday morning (says the LytteMon Times) three prisoners attempted to make their escapo from the Lyttelton gaol. The plan had evidently been a preconcerted one. One of the men succeeded in netting out of his cell, and endeavored to overpower the wai-der on night duty. The warder, however, managed to secure his man and hold him until some of the other warders came to his assistance, but not until he had received a cut on the head, which fortunately was not very serious. The other two men had managed to remove a part of the door frames of their cells so as to open their doors, but the scheme was frustrated. An enquiry was held before the visiting justices,

which resulted in the men being severely | punished. ! Referring to the discovery of gold near j Mount Cook by two photographers in the employment of Messrs Burton Brothers, of Dunedin, the Greymouth Evening Star sa y a : " They were very reticent on what they had discovered, but the simple fact of their making such a perilous journey for mining tools alone would fairly lead to the inference that it must have been something very good to have induced them to no so. One of the Burton party had an almost miraculous escape. He was passing either round one of these dangerous places when he slipped and fell, but a small tent that was strapped on his back caught in an overhanging branch, and held him suspended till his companions released him from his horrible position. On their return they intended to go up the river Totara ■with the hope of being able to get up at the back of Mount Mueller and thus avoid a great deal of this Alpine travelling. As a proof of probability of an enormous rich goldfield being situated about the head of the Waiho, to which point the adventurous party has gone, we are informed on reliable authority that far lower down, at the foot of the righthand branch of the rivor, some huge boulders covered with moss are found, and in this moss, to the very top of them, a good prospect of gold can always be found, on one occasion a piece nearly an ounce being got. This has evidently been brought down from the head of the river, and seems to prove conclusively the existence of a goldfield of vast extent and richness. In connection with the right-hand branch of the Waiho, a singular natural phenomenon is found. The water of the river is icily cold, and the glacier is only two miles from it. Between the two, and within a quarter of a mile of the main branch of the river, is a hot spring that boils incessantly."

The following items of Sydney theatrical news are from a correspondent of the Melbourne Leader-.— "At the Queen's Theatre 'Our Boys,' by the ScottSiddons' Company, has reached its 18th night, and has met with the most unquali- , fied success. Yesterday (Friday) every seat in the dress circle was taken at Nicholson and Ascherberg's in the morning. { Our Boys ' will be played up to Wednesday evening next, and on Thursday Mrs Scott-Siddons plays her last night, and takes her benefit in ' As You Like It.' Mrs Scott-Siddons has taken the Theatre Royal, and the also, from Sam Lazar for three months. Of the company Mrs Siddons brought to Sydney, the Deorwyns only go with her to the Royal. Mrs Siddons endeavored to persuade Mr William Andrews to join her Royal company, but the facetious comedian having other views, declined. Mrs ScottSiddons opens the Royal on Easter Monday with the extravaganza of ' Ivanhoe,' by Lydia Howard, Miss Navarro, and their troupe. Miss Florence Colville, at the Royal, has been playing Lady Teazle, and Mrs Ormesby Delmaine in the 'Serious Family.' Mr Defries, a local amateur, played Hamlet at the Royal, and was praised by the Press, but to speak kindly, he should never attempt the part again. He made a few attempts to imitate Dampier, and failed. At the Victoria Mr Creswick has been playing Richard the Third for seven nights, and got sadly pulled to pieces, together with Miss Helen Ashton, by the Sydney Morning Herald" It has been determined by the Acclimatisation Society to make an effort to introduce the sugar maple into this colony. A sum of not more than £50 is to be expended, and probably the plan adopted will be to have young plants sent out in Wardian eases, as it appears impossible to obtain seed which has preserved its germinating powers. Through Canada, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, the sugar maple (acersaccharinum) forms immense forests, and frequently reaches a height of from 60 feet to 70 feet. It is stated that in Great Britain, the tree requires a dry and aheltered situ'tion, but the climate of Canterbury would probably prove far more favorable to its development. The tree when pierced during the opening of the season yields a copious flow of sap, which is readily converted into sugar, and the flow is stated to be more abundant during a hot sunshine, which has been preceded by a frosty night. Isolated trees are richest in the saccharine matter. The tree has a highly ornamental appearance, and its wood is particularly valuable for cabinet work. — Lyttelton Times. We find the following in the Evening Post of Saturday last : — " Some time ago we mentioned that the Government were making a searching inquiry into the Piako Swamp transaction, in order that the validity of the sale might be tested. Mr Rees has, we understand, now been instructed to proceed in the Supreme Court, by way of scire facias, to test the validity of the Crown grants issued to Mr Whitaker and others, for the Waikato Swamp and the Pepepe Coalfield." A most distinguished visitor arrived at the Colonial Museum a few days ago, and has taken up his abode there permanently. His name is a nasty one to pronounce or write at first — Palimirus Silgelii — but it is not so bad when one gets used to it. He is a gigantic crayfish, measuring nearly three feet in length, and about two feet across his outstretched legs. This crustacean monster was one of several caught when the Hinemoa was at Wangaroa Harbor, in the extreme north of this island. All were eaten but this one, Avhich was preserved for the Museum, and has been duly installed in its case by Dr Hector, who pronounces it a very great rarity, and the only specimen of its kind in any museum. Hitherto it has only been met with occasionally in the Indian Ocean, and it was not known to be among the denizens of these seas. It is worth a visit. — Post.

In reference to the Vice-regal scandal in Victoria, a correspondent of the Otago Times writes : — " What is all this Don Giovanni-ism and Gay Lothario-ism charged to Sir George Bowen 1 Is it not possible for any public man in Australia to be chaste as snow and pure as ice, and so escape calumny ? Two years ago a woman in Collins-street, Melbourne, deliberately pulled Lady Bowen's back hair clown. She was mad. Another lady was sent home, and a subscription for her husband, by two gallant knights and a merchant, realised £3000, it is said. Astounding liberality i Now people have been going about and saying that Sir George Bowen got both his eyes blacked by a gardener. This is the precious statement which was forwarded, by various dastards, to Lady Bowen. Her Ladyship complained to the Ministry, and the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Mr Cuthbert, referred to the matter in the Legislative Council, apparently charging this malignancy to the Conservatives, of which Sir Charles Sladen is the leader. Sir Charles Sladen got up, and fiercely repudiated it. There is not tho shadow of a doubt that Lady Bowen determined to proceed to England, and she went on board the Royal mail steamer to select a berth. She was persuaded to remain and avoid scandal, and it was given out that she only went down to lunch with the captain ! — such a thing has never occurred before in the whole history of the colony — tho Governor's Lady going ton miles (from Government House to Williamatown) without her husband to lunch with a ship captain ! Bosh !"

The Samoa Times writes: — "It is somewhat significant of the critical state of European politics that, in the preparations of one of the leading military Powers, even so out-of-the-way a portion of the globe as that we occupy is not forgotten. This is shown by the fact that such officers of the Imperial German army as are here resident have received notification to hold themselves iw readiness to rejoin their respective corps at the shortest notice."