Hawke's Bay Herald. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1879.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5305, 12 February 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1879.

There is undoubtedly a great deal of apathy prevailing just now on political questions throughout the colony, and it has been so almost since the session terminated. Now and then there has been some little interest excited, as when the Premier spoke at the Thames, or Mr Stuart at Dunedin, but it has been scarcely more than local in either case, and the effect in both has been very transient. Of course, the utterances of members of the Legislature of less importance have attracted even less attention. It is difficult to account for this apathy. Probably, it is due to a revulsion of feeling in the public mind, after the excitement that followed the advent of the Grey Ministry to power. The exexpectation of the people had been raised to a high pitch by .the addresses delivered at the various centres by Sir George Grey, and when the session came and closed and those expectations were not realised, all enthusiasm on political questions was quenched. This view of the matter was probably in the mind of Mr Saundors, the member for Cheviot, when he lately addressed his constituents at Waikari. Speaking to them of his having been disappointed by the conduct of the Ministry, he said that when he was returned for Christchurch he considered that Sir George Grey was going too far in the measures of which he gave indication in his addresses to the people. "With some of those radical changes Mr Saunders had partly agreed, but he was not inclined to go to the same extent as Sir George Grey proposed. Mr Saunders, however, found that so far from there being any necessity to restrain the Grey Gov( rnment in the liberal forms of government sketched out by_ its leader the Ministry needed spurring on. Mr Saunders had gone into the House a moderate Greyite, as a follower who expected to hay?, yery hard work in putting the bir^iie -on the Ministerial coaoh,, but to his astonishment he. discovered that wi^b. all the pushing

on behind that he cotild give, the vehicle . moved slowly. This was disappointing, > doubtless ; and it really appears to ex- • plain the reason of the small interest' the public show in political matters. People naturally feel that there is danger of disappointment if they allow themselves to {entertain expectations of liberal legislation, and so they remain impassive. Mr Saunders, it would seem, does not admire the mode that some of the supportersjof the Government adopt of explaining the shortcomings of the late session. He deemed the barrenness of the session to be due to the want of "go" which had been evinced by the Ministry, and yet he found such Ministerial adherents as Mr DeLautour telling their constituencies that the House of Representatives was not liberal enough, and that pressuremust bebroughtto bear upon them in order to make them support Sir George Grey's liberal Government This was certainly very unkind Of Mr' DeLautour, considering that — as Mr Saunders told his constituents — the member for Cheviot was even more liberal than the liberal Government. But then — as Mr Saunders explains — Mr DeLautour is one of the three " scorpions"—the other two being Mr Rees and Mr Barton — whose business it is to whip with their tongues the members who show signs of wavering from allegiance to the Government. Mr Saunders must have suffered pretty considerably under the scorpions' lash, for pretty nearly the whole of his speech to his constituents was devoted to pulling the Ministry to pieces.. The. curious part of the matter is that the same electors who warmly approved his supporting the Grey Ministry, quite as warmly approved his defection.

The secretary to the Napier Harbor Board received a telegram last evening from the Government, stating that his Excellency the Governor had nominated Messrs John Buchanan, Wm. Common, and the Hon. J. N, Wilson to seats on the new board. A social tea was held last evening by. the members and friends of the United Free Methodist Church, for the purpose of welcoming the Eev. Mr Wilkinson as successor to the Eev. W. Lockwood, and also as a farewell to the Rev. J. Parkin of Waipawa, formerly of Napier, who is appointed to a Circuit on the West Coast. About 7 o'clock a goodly number sat down to partake of the good things provided, which having been disposed of, the Rev. Mr Wilkinson called upon the choir for " Hold the Fort.'' Thejßev. J. Parkin having engaged in prayer, Mr Robert Graham was called to the chair, and aftor a few remarks from him the choir sang " I will guide the«," which was followed by a short speech from the chairman. "I left it all with Jesus" was well rendered by the choir. The Rev. Mr Parkin delivered an excellent speech, referring to the help and encouragement needed by their newly arrived pastor. "Safe in the arms of Jesus" having been sung, Mr Wilkinson addressed the meeting. He said it was with some diffidence that he consented to come to Napier, but as he had come he hoped that he would receive encouragement to remain. He told the congregation what he would expect from them, also what they might look for in return. After the singing of " Stand up for Jesus," Mr W. Tuck well delivered a short and earnest speech. The choir were then called on for "Work, for the night is coming," and then the Rev. Mr Wilkinson closed with the Benediction. The choir were led by Mr Rees Watkin, and Mr Henry Fuller officiated at the harmonium. A man named Thomas Long was brought down from Kopua last nigKt, to undergo a week's imprisonment for fighting, and for a breach of the railway byelaws. The latter offence, which consisted of the use of filthy language, was committed in the train while' the prisoner was being taken from Kopua to Waipawa. The magistrates at Waipawa seem to have been in error in their sentence in respect to the breach of the railway bye-laws, they having fined Long £1, with the alternative of a week's imprisonment, whereas £10 is the minimum penalty, or a month's imprisonment. Robert Vinsen reached Napier yesterday from Christchurch by the Taupo. He was remanded to Napier at Christchurch, to appear here on the 15th inst., but was admitted to bail, himself in £200. and two sureties in £100 each. There was a smart shock of earthquake in Napier at 12.33 this morning. There were, in fact, three shocks, but they followed each other in rapid succession. Denis O'Brien, who was remanded on the charge of setting fire to the Konini Hotel, pending the result of the inquest on the fire, was brought up at the R.M. Court again yesterday. Inspector Scully informed his* Worship that he had no evidence to offer in the case, and the accused was therefore discharged. In the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday morning, before R. Stuart, Esq., R.M., John Smith and William Gainey wero charged by Constable Laurenson with having been found, at 2 o'clock yesterday morning, covered up in some shavings in a shop now in course of erection in Hastings-street for Mr Bryson. Both prisoners pleaded guilty. Inspector Scully reminded his Worship, of the serious naturo of the offence, and of the damage that might result from persons in the state prisoners were in lying about amongst shavings and other inflammable matter. His Worship said that as it was Smith's first offence, he should sentence him to one month's imprisonment. In Gainey's case, however, as there were several charges against him previously for breaking glass at various times, he would be sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labor. We are requested to draw attention to the alteration advertised in the time of the Rangatira's departure for Wellington. She will leave this afternoon at 5 o'clock instead of at 11 this morning, as previously advertised. Our Porangahau correspondent writes: " On the sad news being received here of Captain Smith being washed overboard from the Mohaka, one and all volunteered as a search party for the recovery of the body. Messrs Waud, C. Hales, J. Choot, J. Humblebee, W. O'Neil, C. Moore, H. M'Mullin, Dorm, T. Lambert, Ferringer, Dempsey, and Boyle went in canoes, and had twelve hours' very hard work in getting the body. They found it about a quarter of a mile on the north side of the river mouth. Captain Smith had endeared himself to the settlers by his 1 urbane and kindly manners, and his loss will be greatly felt." The attention of the members of the Artillery Volunteers is directed to thp company orders in another column. A company drill will take place this evening, at 7.30, at the usual place. As the inspecting officer is shortly expected in Napier, members are especially requested to attend all parades called before his arrival. We hear that the stockade at Mount Vernon was burned down on Monday night. It is supposed to have been an act of an incendiary, and it is probable that an inquiry will be held. \ Inspector Emerson, from Blenheim, paid a visit to Napier yesterday, being a passenger by the Taupo for Tauranga, to which place he was transferred. Detective Farrell was also a passenger by the same steamer for Auckland, where he succeeds Detective Jeffory, who proceeds to Hokifcika to replace Detective Browne, transferred to Wellington. Recently a lady bequeathed to Mr Spurgeon several thousand pounds for his own personal use. Mr Spurgeon was induced to enquire into the circumstances of the relatives of the donor, and, finding they wero needy, and that nothing had been bequeathed to them, he very generously divided the legacy aiaong; them.

Authority has, been received here for the immediate erection of the necessary offices and police buildings at Napier, Danevirk, Taraclale, Clive, Hastings, Woodville, aucl Tologa Bay. The Otago Daily Times, of the 31st ult., says : — " It appears, if our telegram is correct, that the wool export of the colony actually decreased in quantity as well as in value last year, and we know that gold has fallen off considerably, especially in Auckland. When the full details reach us we shall be better 'able to arrive at a conclusion as to where the chief causes of the reduction in the wool market lie. "We may hazard the conjecture that the rabbit in Southland has to answer for a good deal of it, and this yea* we fear the ravages of this pest, 1 combined with the bad winter and spring, will tell still more heavily on that district." The circumstances in connection with the death of the Princess Alice that were related in the House of Lords were very incorrectly given in the telegraphic summary of the Suez mail news. According to that version the Princess, embracing her son just prior to her decease, gave him the kiss of death, whereas the Princess's death Was caused by her embracing her son then suffering from diphtheria. She had, it appears, been in assiduous attendance upon several of her family who were suffering under the malady, and had been warned by the medical attendants against embracing the sufferers. She was careful in complying with the warning, but having to break to her . young son the death of his little sister, he was so overcome with misery that the agitated mother clasped him. to her arms, and thus received the kiss of death, for though the young Prince recovered, he had communicated to his mother, with the kiss, the malady which caused her decease. The Evening JZcho (an Ashburton paper) says : — ln the nineteenth century, when we are all engaged in the insidious pursuit of the almighty dollar, a case of commercial liberality commends itself to our senses, not alone for its munificence but also for its sweet rarity. One of our landed aristocracy (as I wish to do him unqualified honor I may perhaps reveal his name— -Allen M'Lean) has, in consideration of the poor season, reduced the rents of his tenants from 50s to 15s per acre. Mr M'Lean has taken the initiative in a course which will be highly appreciated by those directly benefited, and which I hope to see largely imitated by wealthy landlords occupying similar positions. The Auckland Star humorously observes : — " Another Mulcahy Brother has joined the Baker and Farron Combination. "We learn that Mrs T. J . Farron yesterday presented her husband with a bouncing boy, The great comedian may now rejoice in being 'the daddy of a Scotch-Irish laddy.' The nurse has pronounced the infant to be the very image of Tim Flaherty." The company left Auckland for Sydney on the 4th hist. •We take the following paragraph from the report of the Greymouth School Committee for the past year: — "With the conclusion of the year's work, the school has sustained a great loss by the resignation of the head master, Mr Thomson, who has accepted a more lucrative appointment as head master of the Napier school. Three years ago Mr Thomson began his work under many and great disadvantages, with insufficient accommodation aiid defective apparatus. The generality of the pupils were extremely backward, most of them having received but little school training, and others none at all. That this has all been changed, and that we now possess a school inferior, we believe, to no primary school in the colony, both as to efficiency of instruction and excellency of discipliae is mainly due to the great tact, untiring energy, experience, and practical ability, with which the school has been conducted by Mr Thomsoa." The San Francisco correspondent of the Wellington Chronicle states that the Californian testimonial to Earl Beaconsfield was got up and largely promoted by old colonials. The chief duty of the presentation, which was a grand success, devolved upon Mr W. G. Harrison, for many years in the Imperial service in New Zealand, and latterly a business man in Auckland. You will perceive, therefore, that absence from your shores j does not weaken the sentiment of attachment to the mother country. It is something to know that the most conspicuous, as well as the most artistic and valuable, recognition of Earl Beaconsfield's services to the empire during the late European crisis, namely, that from Anglo - Californians, is in some measure at least identified with New Zealand colonists. A writer in the Wellington Chronicle, signing himself "Auditor," protests in the following terms against the reception accorded to Miss Jones, late of the Wellington College, who is now employed as lecturer for Carey's Arctic Panorama : — " Sir, — I felt pleased to notice your condemnation of the disgusting behavior of some of the persons who were at the Arctic Exhibition on Wednesday. I have witnessed many performances of the kind in England, but never saw a lady so grossly abused, insulted, and tormented by rude epithets as Miss Jones was on Wednesday last. Such, vile conduct on the part of illiterate and uncouth roughs was bad enough, but it was still worse on the part of persons dressed as gentlemen to act in such a way. They ought to have had a little more decency and selfrespect for a lady, if not for themselves."