AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1360, 16 February 1865, Page 6

AUCKLAND.

By the Airedale we have received our files to the Bth inst. We extract the chief items of importance: —

The Waiicato Military Settlers.—We are informed that it is the intention of the General Government to have the Waikato military settlers placed upon their lands as speedily as possible; and that this having been effected, the active service pay will be discontinued. The supply of rations will, of course, be continued for the succeeding twfen6 months, in conformity with the regulations under which the settlers were enlisted. We also understand that it is the intention of Government, so far as it is possible, to place the settlers in possession of their Crown grants upon their settling upon their fifty acres.—Southern Cross, Feb. 4. William Thompson.—There was a vague rumour in circulation on Thursday that William Thompson had surrendered, but not being able to trace it to any authentic source, we refrained from publishing it, believing it to be untrue. As the statement is positively made in a contemporary that Thompson has surrendered, we deem it necessary to contradict it, as we are assured on the best authority that there is no truth whatever in the statement. Captains Baker and Blewitt had gone to see Thompson, but not, we believe, with the impression that the wily chief was going to surrender himself.—lbid. TelegbaphicExtexsion.—Probably in a week from this time Auckland will be in telegraphic communication with Onehunga. The line has been completed to within two and a-half miles of that port; and immediately the wire, which is now on board the Viscount Canning, is landed, a day or two will be sufficient to finish the work. We need not urge the advantages of this communication, because they are self-evident; and it is astonishing that the Provincial authorities have not made an effort to connect these two ports by that agency before now. At present Onehunga is practically speaking as far removed from Auckland, after four or five o'clock, as the most remote parts of the Waikato. The " last 'bus" either way is the last opportunity of communication, and either town might be sacked and burned down before the inhabitants of the other could be made acquainted with the fact. Looking at the milder results of the absence of this very necessary work, one of them has been that when important arrivals have taken place during the evening, they have not, unless at considerable expense announced in the newspaper press, become known in Auckland until the following day. At the present time, when important military movements are taking place on the West Coast, this communication will of course be invaluable. We need hardly say that it is part of the scheme of military telegraphs, of which, with the Onehunga line, there will be more than one hundred and seventy miles in operation. Immediately that line is completed, the detachment of Royal Engineers who have been engaged in its construction will proceed to Wanganui, and connect that place with the General's head-quarters and as the troops advance, the line will be continued until Wanganui and Taranaki are connected. That being done, a month will suffice to connect the terminus of the line in Waikato with Taranaki, and ultimately, Wellington will be connected in the same way with Wanganui, completing the chain of communication with the southern extremity of the island. As the telegraphic extension in the Southern Island is being rapidly proceeded with, it will not be too much to say that Auckland will be within a few hours' communication of Otago and Southland within a year from this time; and that is allowing for the necessary time to cross Cook's Siraits, which,until the submarine cable is laid, will be the only bar to the through communication from North to South. As it regards the telegraph lines in our own province, they will, when not required for further military purposes, be handed over to the Provincial Government, and become a very important source of provincial revenue. At the present time, the use of these lines for commercial or private purposes is necessarily not encouraged; but, notwithstanding that, we understand that they produce a considerable revenue. If they were a Government institution, however, the charges might be very considerably reduced, the revenue increased, and the telegraph made available to a larger number of persons. With respect to the Onehunga line, we trust that, while being made available to the general public, no unreasonable restrictions will be placed upon its use; and if so, it will be a great boon.— Ibid.

Military.—Major-General Galloway, having resigned the command of the local forces, for the purpose of proceeding to Europe, Colonel Haultain has been appointed to succeed him. It is hardly necessary to say that our local forces are comprised in the four Waikato regiments, and that Colonel Haultain's intimate knowledge of their requirements and duties, and the popularity which he possesses will preeminently fit him for the post. Of Major-General Galloway, we may say we believe, on behalf of the public and those who have served under him, that he will carry with him their good wishes, for he has rendered much valuable service at a very critical time.—lbid. Dr. Hochstetter's Book—We understand that the committee of the German Association have taken up the suggestion made in this journal on the 30th uifc., with regard to the translation of " Dr. Hochstetter's New Zealand," and have determined to wait upon the Superintendent to request him to place a sum of £500 on the estimates for that purpose.— Ibid.

The WaikatoSettlements.—The correspondence laid before the Provincial Council by the Superintendent,on the subject of the Waikato settlement scheme, demands some remark from us—some attention from the public. Since the war broke out in this province, there has arisen'nothing of a like importance with the scheme which is set forth in these letters, or, at all events, nothing over which the province has had any control. The papers before us are full enough for our purpose, taken in connexion with a few indications which are no secrets to the majority of our readers. The question, let us bear in mind, which we now seek an answer to is this, do the members of the present Government honestly and conscientiously mean to do the best they can for the safe and prosperous settlement of Waikato under the new conditions of the colony ? In the first place, they hand over the working part of the scheme to the province, only retaining the supervision of its general characteristics in their own hands. So far good. The reasons given for this are satisfactory, and, if fairly and honestly done, no one can doubt that the province would be vastly the gainer by it; and not the province alone, but the scheme itself, and, therefore, the colony at large. The question is, are thg Ministers anxious fairly and honestly to carry them out? In one of the letters before us the Superintendent lays his views before the Government as io the proper course to be adopted for the sale of the lands, to provide at once funds for extending the scheme, and a certainty of its being successful as it goes on. This plan was the system of deferred payments, making improvements an essential condition of completing the purchase. The Government did not approve of this, although not absolutely disallowing the plan; They called attention to its unsatisfactory working when tried before, and intimated that they thought it dangerous. We presume the reference was to its failure in the South,and we believe there is no doubt that there it did fail. The cases, however, were vastly different. Here it has been tried before, and here it was, if not in all cases completely successful, yet quite sufficiently so to prove its vast superiority to the plan which gave free scope for a system of buying and locking up large pieces of land until the value should increase by the gradual settlement of such pieces as were not placed in this position. And here it is no trifling question to be put aside at pleasure. The very existence of a Waikato settlement depends, not upon Government works and Government returns, but upon the rapidity with, which both- can be dispensed with entirely by the new settlers. Of course difference of opinion is allowable as to the proportions of such a regulation as that proposed; but nothing short of imbecility could possibly remove the suspicion of a dishonest intention on the part of Government to overthrow the scheme they profess to forward if they do not give way to some such plan as that of the Superintendent. In 110 other way can labour be certainly, provided for the class—necessarily large, if the Waikato country is to be occupied—whose labour is their capital; in no other can we find

persons in sufficient numbers ready and willing So take up the Waikato farms ,as they are ready for sale. We do not give the present Government the credit for being Solons in the management of any of their affairs, but we do give them credit for wit enough to be able to see this. And, connected with this, we give them credit for seeing that their sanction of a refund to the Colonial Treasurer from the earliest lands sold by the province in Waikato is either empty talk or the most reckless folly. It would, indeed, tally well with the idea of selling all lands for what they will fetch in ready money without any reference to how that would affect the future ; but it would tally well with nothing else, unless, indeed a political madness, which must eventually end in suicide. We know that money is scarce, we know, too that the Ministry are reckless of what happens to Auckland and Auckland interests ; but we do not for a moment believe the Government to be careless of its own future destiny. Let it, then, beware of this Here is a rock which will inevitably wreck its frail bark, if not avoided. It has plenty of strong opponents, and not a few very lukewarm friends, who will not support it in the hour of its shame ; and that hour it will certainly bring upon itself soon if it persists in these two things. Every farm sold in Waikato must be sold with a view to the future, and not to the present—least of all, with a view to the present replenishment of the Treasury, instead of the carrying on to a safe stage of development the settlement scheme. This is of the first importance to this province—yes, and to every province—and here the Provincial Executive must take a stand.— Ibid. , . ,

Camp Te Papa. — The correspondent of the Southern Cross, writing under date of Jan. 29, says : —" Nothing worthy of note has occurred amongst the Pai Marires further than what I wrote in my last. There seems to be no inclination on the part of these foolish people to return amongst us, but, on the contrary, they are taught by their lius (teachers) to remain and treat us with contempt. The principal Tiu who is initiating the Ngaiterangi in this infernal belief is a son of the late chief Puaka, of the Nga te Korokinite, residing at Maungatautari. This vile man is possessed of a thorough knowledge of the art and nature of mesmerism, and is engaged practising on these infatuated wretches. I saw one of those returned Pai Maoris who has been labouring under its effects. In fact, though he has been fourteen days mingling with us in camp, he still possesses in his general deportment and disposition a wild, forbidding and fantastic appearance, and when he is questioned as to what the Pai Marires are doing, it is then that you will see to advantage the demon spirit working within him. Still he is endeavouring as much as possible to make himself agreeable; but he cannot. The brain is evidently suffering, and though quite a young man, he will probably go down to his grave an injured weakminded creature. A coasting vessel recently came in here from Whangamata, a small river about forty miles to the northward, and from a friend of mine, who was a passenger by her, I learn that a portion of the natives at that place were embracing the faith of the Pai Mairie, and are most devotedly performing the duties imposed upon them by the Tuis day and night. He says they have carried it so far that he saw several women, who had become deranged, and could be seen perched on the pinnacle of some rocks with their arms extended, muttering in some unknown tongue something that no bystanders could understand. These poor deluded beings could be seen early in the morning till late in the evening, always in the k same position, and performing the same antics. Report says that Wi Thompson, King Matutaera, and 300 followers are in the neighbourhood of Kai Mai; what their intentions really are is a question that time alone will unfold. Wi Thompson is said to have joined the Pai Marire. King Hori Tapaia, the principal chief of this district, is leading them; it is said they are drawing boundary lines for the friendly natives (who will not join them) not to cross over. Europeans, whether military or civil, will be treated the same. Messengers are flying to and fro to all the settlements where natives are living inside the harbour, immediately for them to leave for the mountains, in order to see and hear what these great and influential men have to say to them. I have not heard what the intentions of the Ngatirangis are. Mr. Com. H. T. Clarke Ms keeping a strict supervision over them and their actions; and Colonel Greer, commanding the forces for this district, has requested Mr. H. E. Rice to visit the districts where these natives are expected to be. Mr. Rice left yesterday. A sad and serious accident occurred to one of our old and respected settlers, on Monday last, the 23rd instant, Mr. Thomas Black, senior, who, while attending to the shipping of some stores to Maketu, observed a cask of cider leaking at the head, upon which, whilst he was endeavouring by a slight tap to get the end of the head in the chime of the cask, the head blew out; and an awful explosion took place-as that of a heavy gun, and the cask head struck Mr. Black on- the head, inflicting very serious injuries. Mr. B. was instantly taken to the residence of Captain Sellars, where he received every kindness and attention which Jay in the power of Mrs. Sellars and Mr. McMillan to afford him. Dr. Applin, of the 68th L.1., was soon in attendance, but by this time Mr. B. had lost an immense quantity of blood ; still Dr. Applin, with his usual skill and self-possession, soon closed the streams from whence all the effusions of blood were proceeding, and in company with some of Mr. B.'s friends remained with him till a very late hour at night. I regret to say, on inquiries this morning, that Mr. Black still remains at Captain Sellar's, unable to be removed to his house. Dr. Applin is very assiduous in his attentions on Mr. 8., and expresses a hope that he will be able, unless something unforeseen intervenes, to bring him about again. The new. schooner Rosette came into harbour in splendid style, on the 27th. She is a Arte comelylooking craft, and is commanded by an old friend, Mr. Edward Sellars. We have great pleasure in welcoming this addition to our Tauranga fleet, and we sincerely hope that her enterprising owner and captain will receive a fair share of an increasing trade to this place. Dr. Wright, of Parnell,and Mr. Vercoe, are passengers by her. The schooner Rose Ann, with our flies of papers, and which sailed previous to the Rosette, has not yet arrived."

Separation.—A deputation from the Council of the Northern Association waited on his Excellency Sir George Grey, K.C.B.,'yesterday, for the purpose of presenting the petitions from the members of the General Assembly and the inhabitants of the province of Auckland for the separation of this province. The latter, though incomplete, owing to some returns not having come to hand from several of the outdistricts and the North, numbers notwithstanding some 7,920 signatures, which speaks and augurs well for the Northern Association and the separation movement.—lbid, Feb. 7. Military Movements.—No orders have been received in Auckland for reinforcements for Wanganui, but. about one hundred men of the 43rd and 57th Regiments, who arrived by the Nelson, will leave to-morrow in the Alexandra to join their respective regiments ; the former for Taranaki, and the latter for Wanganui. The Prince Alfred left the Manukau yesterday, for Wanganui, with dispatches for General Cameron.—Ibid. Sanitary State op the City.—We are informed, upon excellent medical authority, that there is at present an alarming increase of cases of diptheria, and that all complaints are assuming a low form, in consequence of the heat of the season and the bad drainage of the city, the exhalations froni which cause what is known as low blood poisoning Indeed, the sultry and humid condition 6f the atmosphere for the last few days has been unwholesome in the extreme. Many robust persons have been complaining seriously of indisposition in consequence, and many of the faculty are apprehensive that an epidemic may .suddenly break out.—New Zealunder, Feb. 7.

The Mana Light.—This light was lit for the first time on Wednesday evening week, when the steamer Rangatira called at that " Island of content," and deposited certain barrels of oil and Captain Sharp to assist at the ceremony of illumination. Captain Mundle celebrated the occasion by firing rockets, while Captain Reynolds, in the Storm Bird, who was passing at the time, did the like, with the addition of burning several blue lights. The light is very bright, and can be seen at a distance of 25 miles. We doubt not this -will be a great boon to shipmasters, and will prevent many accidents. One thing is still wanted, a boat No doubt this will soon he supplied; in the meantime the Messrs. Erasers kindly lend their boat when required. A code of signals would also be acceptable.—Marlborough Press, Feb. 11. Disadvantages of being- Agreeaijlh,—l was once cal'ed an agreeable man, and the consequences of enjoying such a reputation were as follows I was asked to be a godfather 48 times, and my name is recorded on as many silver mugs, value each £4 10s. 6d. I gave away 56 brides, and as many dressing cases. I paid in the course of H years £37") 2s. 6d. for cab fares in excess of what I ought to have done. I lent 264 umbrellas, and never received them back again. I have had ' 300 and odd colds, and retain a permanent rheumatism from consenting to sit in draughts to oblige other people. I have accepted 204 accommodation bills for friends in Government offices, and I am now going to Basinghal'lstieet to declare myself an insolvent preparatory to my departure for Australia.