LOCAL NEWS. WAIRAU MASSACRE MEMORIAL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 7, 12 March 1866, Page 2

LOCAL NEWS. WAIRAU MASSACRE MEMORIAL.

Mr.~ Wakefield -deserves the best -thanks of this veryslow community, .for the zeal; and energy he has displayed, in bringing the. affair, of the Tuamarina memorial to a satisfactory completion. The maxim that everybody's business is nobody's, was weir illustrated in this matter.' A fund for the purpose, of a memorial has been available since 1844, yet, strange to. say, no; active measures w.ere taken by the provincial Government to .cause the monument to beerected. It is .now finished,., however, thanks .to Mr. Wake-' field's untiring industry, and in a manner .creditable [ to .the province and. pleasing to the .surviving friends of , the unfortunate victims.. Mr. >Yakefield having, been requested by the • General Government .some, two .months, ago to cause. the. memorial to be com T . pleted, proceeded to the Wairau, and 'in .connection' with the Provincial ; Go.vernmen^ of Maryborough pro-' yince,"tpbk the steps he'de'enied- necessary in reference to ia site- for "the iiit'ended- monument. -The site chosen: -was the five-acre ■'block/allotted by the Marlboiough Provincial Government for the- Tnamarina j ■cemetery^ .adjoifi'u^^ is an educational reserve !pf'thre6- acres granted' by the ; same " authority. ' -.The •JafrdVas^ in a few iveeka fromtlfe^^nie^M\^WSkofie'[ii'proceede"d to carry -out' 4he Instructions of the General Government; and- .within |:lir.ee:months,fro:Jtn,.thj3,tkne of commencing .opera?- : tions; : the ..monument .was erected, its inauguration being celebrated, on Friday last, the 9th instant. The inhabitants, of the.'district, both rich and poor, vied with. each..other in rendering all the assistance they could in facilitating the .operations of the promoters of the undertaking, and came forward with their subscriptions oa behalf of the school and church it is intended to erect on the educational reserve. j The monument is a four-sided pyramid, built of solid brick and cemented. It is ten feet square at the base, ten feet high, surmounted with stone poping at the top, oil which is erected a cross three ' feet six inches high"; A" slab! is inserted containing the names of 'the "victims 'of the massacre. The monument is placed immediately adjoining the common grave of nineteen persons who were buried there. 'The slab contains the following inscription: — ■Sacred to the memory .of twenty-two Englishmen, who were murdered by the natives of New Zealand, on the 7th June, 1843. The names on the slab are as follow : W. Alex. Thompson, Arthur Wakefield, Geo. R. Richardson, Wra: England; J. T-.-Patchett, ;Jas. Howard, F. Cotterell, Christopher Maling, James •Coster, Win. Gardiner. Edward Stokes; Eli, Cropper, Wm, -Northam, Henry Bumforfch, Thos. Tyrr.ell, Isaac. • Smith, Thos. Pay, Wm. Clanzey, Jas. McGregor,;. John Brookes, John Burton, Thos. Ratclifie. Psalm '.86th, verse 6th. Messrs. Brown and Burnett of.N.elson prepared the slab., cross, and coping, whicli .were Conveyed /to the spot by. the Panama and N.Z. Co. in . the .'Phoebe,' without charge. ,Mr. Dakey.of Blenheim, executed the brick work, which is covered with polished cement, and painted white, so as to give the work a most imposing appearance. It stands on a site one hundred . and eighty feet above the level of the sea, from which there is a command- ' , ing view. Pencarrow Head, forty-five miles distant on the other side of the Strait, is distinctly visible, as well as other features on the Wellington Coast. It is also a conspicuous object on. the land side. The imonument stands on the. road between. Picton and Blenheim, and is thirty.-eiglit miles from Nelson, \ twelve miles from -Picton, and eight; from Blenheim. The site commands one of the' finest Views iii' New Zealand; and the monument is an object .highly attractive to the surrounding .settlers., , . ■ The monument having' been completed, ■ a public meeting was convened on the site, on the 9th instant, at which his Honor "the Superintendent" of Marlf" : borough' presided. Having delivered an appropriate and feeling address, the chairman called on Mr. > j Wakefield to addressthe meeting! '"'That gentleIman explained the manner, in. -which 'he had carried Jout .the . instructions, of othe Ge.n.eraL government, I dwelt on the painfql reminiscences called forth by the •scene,, and .urgetfthe^meeting to promote the educa^ jtion'al..ari"d'.religLQUS.. .endowment, which it was Usr_ j tended Jo establish on the site of tiie"sad*"catastfdpHe". I ! T£d ■meetiiig ; wls?ada^ss6(l# ■thty^»T&B^usj|;"

— Russell, and J. W. Wallis, .and "Messrs.". Emp son,."" Arthur Beiuchamp, and H. Redwood, who concu rred that the most.suitable mode of commemorating the disastrous "scenes enacted on that ground,_was to -endow institutions in which a loving Christian spirit should be inculcated, and the Maori children instructed alongside of those of the European settlers. 1 Resolutions; were passed expressing gratification at the action taken by the General Government ; enforcing the. necessity of embracing that opportunity to furnish Christian instruction for all denominations; binding the meeting to .proceed with the collection of subscriptions forthwith ; and. thanking his Honor the Superintendent for presiding on that occasion. The sum of £60 was subscribed on the spot, and it was announced 'that subscription lists would be opened at the Banks, of New Zealand at Nelson, Blenheim, Picton, and Wellington. It is proposed to raise £300 in favor of the establishment of the church and school previously referred to. We regret that our .limited space prevents us from doing more than. furnish a bare outline of this very interesting ceremony,, the proceedings at which were alike creditable to all concerned. Interesting "Relics. — A gentleman has shown us two highly polished native mereSj which were, found by Mr. Smith, whilst ploughing on the. site of the Wairau massacre. They were found close to the spot where Patchett was buried, and had no doubt been employed in the murderous work of that fearful day. " The Lbnton Troupe. — This celebrated troupe announce their intention of giving one of their celebrated drawing-room entertainments, in the OddFellows' Hall, this evening. Marvellous feats of gymnastics are mentioned in the programme. From the way in which the troupe are. spoken of in the .New Zealand and Australian papers, the public will be justified in anticipating an entertainment; of no mean order. We see the Lenton trbup'e announce only one entertainment. Nomination at CoLLiiiwooD. — Oii Friday, the 9th irtst.; the returning officer proceeded to the election of candidates for the General Assembly. Mr. W; Gibbs proposed, and M. J. E. Price seconded, the nomination of Mr. A. J. Richmond. Mr.- James McKenzie proposed Mr. Win. T. L. Travers. No seconder having come forward for Mr. Travers, the returning officer declared Mr. A. J. Richmond duly elected." The" nomination yas well.attended, including a number of electors from the Taksika district, who came for , the express -purpose of supporting .Mr. -. Richmond. , , , . . ■ . -. :■ Recovery of Stolen Horses. — In December las.fc two horses were stolen from Canterbury and Brought to iNelsaJa inhere they --were sbld:- 'One .of 'them "w.as : shortly after identified and restored. We understands j that the other .has recently: been claimed;- ,tlie. jparty- I purchasing it haying ,to restore it a? well as losing a- i large sum, in expenses -to 'Canterbury: ■This^ should,, -j make persons cautious in buying from-gtratjg^s.J., j'J Accident-- nej4.r Stoke,— Qn Saturday last as a"j man named Marcus Havey was driving a horse and cart near Stoke, some one cracked a whipy which caused his horse to start forward. In the excitement of the. moment, the driver got under the wheels of the cart, and sustained a. fracture of the leg. . He was carried to the Nelson hospital, where he is doing '• very well. •• , . : Coach Accident. — On Saturday last, as Mr. Holden was proceeding with his coach to Fox-hill, when some distance beyond the College the axle broke, and : travelling came to a stand-still. • No. other inconvenience was felt than a" slight .delay. Another coach ■was procured-, and the passengers arrived at their destination only 10 minutes later: than the usual time. Opening of the Provincial' Council.— The" Provincial Council commences its sittings to-morrow, at one o'clock. We presume the. chief business will be the-swearing in of-.new-metnb.ersy and the. delivery ,of the "address of his Honor the "Superintendent. : ' ■'■ The Wonga Wonga brings as passengers to this port a Mrs., Wootariand and her. four children. It will be remembered that this, woman's husband was drowned in, the, Buller, river' last Christmas. A sum of money was subscribed at- ; Greymouth to pay her and her children's. passage to Nelson, where she has some friends. A subscription was got up in her behalf, during the voyage of the.- Wonga, among, .the passengers, and over is 10 was collected to assist her ; it is, hoped .that- the inhabitants of Nelson will not be benind hand in relieving real misfortune.. We are' requested to call attention to a fine collection of Italian Statuary, &c., which may now be seen at Messrs. N. Edwards & Co.'s old stores, Trafalgarstreet.,. These splendid works of art are to be sold on Wednesday next; '

Our dates from Sydney are to the 27th ult. . The Empire gives the following account of the sticking- j up by four armed bushrangers of a store at Araluen, j from a private letter:— Eaton's store, and publichouse opposite, was stuck-up yesterday (Friday), obout 8 o'clock, by four armed men. They took Mr. Eaton's , gold watch and chain, and £15 in cash. Eaton's brother-in-law rushed out for assistance, and knocked down one of the ruffansi who stood in his way. This caused the bushrangers to be rather, hasty in their movements, as they did not go' behind the counter, where, the till • was openv with -money in it. From Baton's they went to Morris's publichouse, about three miles distant, where the mounted troopers had arrived before them. The troopers, four in number, . captured the man who came in' first, said to beßerriman, and tools: the cash/ and- Eaton's gold watch from him. The other three bushrangers subsequently challenged the* police ip come put and fight,- which they | declined to do" 'The ruffians then fired three "shots .' into $he buildiig, and |b.en went in anddisaVm'ed&hepolice';'" taking their rifles' and 'revolvers, and the booty* Il sliey ""Ka'd ' recoverecl '"froni"Berriman. •' 'They then'linjulii'o'ae 1 of the police; serve but grog; ••.■:•■•!•' :P-!--.1-. ■■>}''„''. .;.■"•/ .',.'. .•' . ■. • ": I ..•{