AUCKLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLII, Issue 4322, 18 December 1874, Page 3

AUCKLAND.

{New Zealand Herald, Dec. 9 to 12.) Mr David Stuart, of Lyell, agent for the Bank of New Zealand at Marten, was apprehended at Taupo late on the.night of Dec. 10, on a charge of embezzlement. Eecent intelligence front Katikati states that prospecting parties from Ohinemuri are proceeding unmolested to the ranges at the back of Waihi.

A serious' gnu accident has taken place at Tiki to a miner named Martin M'Donald. A gun exploded whilst being removed from under the , house, shooting away all the flesh to the bone of the right hand and wrist. Portions of the contents also lodged in the thigh. From a private, letter to hand by the Cyphrenes, yesterday (Deo. 10) we learn that it was only known in London about half-an-hour before the mail was dispatched, that a mail would be made up for this colony. The public would send by the Suez mail, which would leave London the day after the mail via California was despatched. Amongst the through passengers by the Cyphrenes on Deo. 10, was Miss Carrie Rickards, who appeared in Auckland with Mr Harry Rickards about two yean ago. Mr Eickards, we learn, has proceeded to England in order to engage a first-class company of comic and other vocalists, for a tour throughout the Australian colonies.

The campaline fire alarm, which has been in course of construction for the last week or two, was carted from its place outside the south front of the Northern Club to the place upon which it is to be raised. It will have a pleasant effect, and being of considerable height. (2o feet), will he both seen and heard from every part of the city. Ohinemuri is at last in a fair way of being thrown open, if our telegram from the Thames may be relied on. The Thames Advertieer had received a pigeon express on Deo. 8, which stated that Mr Mackay had been engaged all day representing the different hapus, laying off goldfields’ boundaries. Native reserves, and lines of roads. In fine, everything is proceeding satisfactorily, and a very much-vexed question is happily on the eve of a final settlement.

A meeting of the Central Board of Health was held oh Dec. 9, at which it was resolved the allow the Archill night-soil depfit to be used for a short) time, pending arrangements for the transit of the soil by rail to a considerable distance from the town. The soil, however, is to be deposited under the superintendence of an officer of the Board of Health, and every precaution will be taken to abate the nuisance. The questions of the slaughter-house) hnd several other matters of less importance were considered. A large number of the immigrants by the Hydaspes have, already received engagements. These include-the whole of the single girls. Of the others, about 25 have been sent to Gisborne. There are several applications on the books, for labour, but the immigration officer, finds a difficulty in meeting the requirements, objections being made by the immigrants at either the wages or the country districts., It may be mentioned that ton-girls are wanted for, Poverty Bay, but only three have been prevailed-upon to go down. Four frte required at Tauranga, bht only, one will .go,.' Twenty ’agriculturists are required by -Mr Coates at Hamilton ; four or five are applied; for at Wangarei. Although there are how over two hundred immigrants left at the depot, employment Will be found for. alfthese in the course* of a -dayor bo, if they are willing to accept work. The ’ship' Assaye it now hourly expected with 854‘immigrants oh ,board. The Dilharee, with. 315 souls, is also on her passage to this port. The-Cospatrick, with a large number on board, may also soon be looked-for.

His Excellency the Marquis of Normanby, Lady Normandy, and suite, left Auckland for Onehunga by special train at 11.16 a.m. on Dec. 10, for the purpose of proceeding in the Government steamer Luna from the Mauukau to Wellington. An arch of ferns had been placed over the entrance to the Onehunga wharf, and the loyalty of the inhabitants of the township was .evidenced by the display, in honour of Her Majesty’S representative, of a quantity of bunting. The vessels in harbour were also decorated with flags. A number of persons were present when His Excellency and party arrived at Onehunga, but no noisy ’ demonstration was made, the gentlemen simply saluting His Excellency in the ordinary way. The vice-regal party at once went onboard the Luna, which was lying alongside the wharf, but as there was a sharp breeze-at the time,-it-was decided to postpone the departure of the steamer. A suite of rooms was taken ‘in the Manukau Hotel for His Excellency and Lady Normanby, which they will occupy until the steamer leaves for Wellington. It is expected that the Luna will leave shortly after eight o’clock this morning, but should the weather not prove favourable, a further postponement wul be made.

Taking advantage of his Excellency’s presence in, Auckland, - a deputation consisting of His Worship the Mayor, Captain Daldy, Mr Firth, and Mr William Swanson ■ waited Upon his Excellency the Governor, at Government House, on Deo. 7, for the purpose of presenting the memorial which has been signed ,by nearly all :the members of the Legis|ative Council and General Assembly for this province, and a copy of which we recently published, protesting against the removal of the Native Lands Court from Auckland to Wellington. Mr Firth acted as spokesman, and pointed out to His Excellency, first, the many difficulties which had been {raised with regard to' land'transactions "with'the Natives by,the Native Lands ‘Amendment Act passed during last session; and secondly, the; inutility of and j unfaiftesk'to 1 Nnti 7o3 in wishing to ■ remove 1 the Native Cptiii to* Welling* .-tonkin (hafacebf timiaoc that more than three-fourths of the business of that Court bad . connection with . this province. His Excellency listened to the grounds ’6f ’ tie protest . setforth,- .made! the only promise he could possibly do, under the circumstances, and that was, upon his arrival at Wellington’ he Wouldlay the memorial Jbefore, the, Executive Council .for ounjjdera‘tion. We cah sesrioely thin k’, in the face of the representations made, that the proposition •54'itn OnginahitaWl#j irtpSwU the dljp to iii■ JS’''«ntiretjr, w® ;be. carried out by the Government. If such is (he case, they may fnllyreckon upon occasionally much dissatisfaction and discontent amnng the_NaUm.j»nd., juoh. .an,, act .would probable engender in their minds suspicions, that the removal was - intended to subserve other than their interests—that, in fact, there was an intention atthe bpttom to do ti*em an injustice or suffer injustices to be done to them

, The correspondent of .the Southern Cross writes from Bussell that there has been aHttle rumpus with 'eight men connected with the whaler Splendid, who had Broken into the storeroom and taken away a quantity of spirits in one of the boats. The Maori* were quickly upon the scent, and met with the runaways some distance up the ooast.. On returning with-them to Bussell the-Natives were handsomely rewarded try the captain. The Masons of the Thames suffered, a severe disappointment on the arrival of the Marquia of Normanby, the new Governor of colony. It appears (says the Thames Advertiser) that the lodges claimed His Excellency as a fellow-craftsman, in consequence of some paragraph; vthioh Vent the rounds of the papers to that effect, and sent congratulatory messages to Auckland to await the steamer’s arriyal.. There .was, some rivalry as to which :lndgn shonld be the first to congratulate His Excellency on arrival, and some disappoint-

ment was felt 'that no ill|md'#ledgment was received® reply by either lodge. ■ .On Monday an officer of one lodgaplaeedhimselfm communication with a prominent, member of the waft in Auckland.and the Governor's aide-de-camp was interrogatedj When the reply was that Hie Excellency was obliged, fortheoompliment, but he was not a Mason. . The Rotorua correspondent of the Bay of Plmy Times writes to that journal a 8 follow* t^-We'were startled the other morning by the astounding intelligence that a geyser had burst With terrific force< through the incrustation at Watariwariwa, and is sending up a column of water to a height of from twenty to thirty feet. This will form another inducement to the tourist, who should never miss seeing, this, • wonderful spot. Some wretched vandal has _ knocked a hole through the bottom of the oil bath close to the new geyser. Such occurrences will he obviated if the report be true that Mr Young is engaged in negotiations for the purchase of land surrounding the Ngawhas' frbki the natives on behalf of the Goyenynient, with a view to having them fenced in- for the protection of life and the preservation of the baths. The ultimatum of the wily savage in this matter has not yet been ascertained. On the passage of the Cyphrenes from Honolulu to Auckland, a contretemps occurred between a well-known comedienne and a gentleman who was a fellow passenger in the saloon. It appears that on crossing the line the usual ceremonies. in honour of Father Neptune were observed, and, as usual, gave rise to much amusement, and tended to relieve this monotony of the voyage. One of the ladies on board was annoyed, and finding that one of her silk gowns was slightly damaged by a few stains, immediately accused her fellow-passenger of having done it, stating that she knew-it had only been done out of spite, and produced a horsewhip, with which she inflibled one or two outs on the hack of the astonished passenger, who quickly wrested the lethal implement - from the dame; and, having done so, explained—not to her, but to his other fellow-passengers that he was blameless in the matter, a statement which, as we are informed, was accepted as truthful. However, it may be useful to learn Mrs Eickards’ side of the story. Several cases have occurred of late in the colonies where feminine theatrical artistes have assaulted gentlemen against whom they had, or fancied they had, a grievance, and it is quite time that such irascible performers should learn that insults to their sex, when really existing, are in nearly every case more effectually wiped out by true hearted gentlemen than by the use of the lash.

The following is from the Waikato Times : —Complaints have again reached us of the extreme inconvenience caused settlers by the uncertainty which prevails in reference to the return of confiscated lands to the Natives by the General Government. It will be remembered that not long since a disturbance threatened to arise in relation to the land held by the Piako Swamp Company. A portion of this block was claimed by a Native on the ground that Mr M'Leau had promised to return it to him, and that it had since been sold to the company. This was smoothed over. But now we hear of several settlers along the Waipa river fearing that a strip of Government, land, about 300 acres in extent, and which should be open for purchase, will be handed back to the original Native owners. As this course would cut off the river frontage of several farms, the settlers are naturally anxious that the question should be settled. We are informed that numerous enquiries have been -made as to the intention, of the Government, without obtaining a satisfactory answer. Naturally the settlers are unwilling to proceed with their improvements in view of such a state of affairs. The Government should at once come forward and state precisely to what extent they have gone, in making such promises, and thus settle all doubts about the matter. Possibly they have gone so far as to fear to divulge the whole truth, and we may 1 yet learn-that the “.peace” policy has cost the country more than it bargained for.