The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 208, 3 November 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1866.

Information has reached us which forcibly illustrates the false economy practised by the present Government. Several officers in the employ of the Government, at Nelson and elsewhere, were last year required to discharge duties in addition to those they discharged before, and slightly additional salaries were promised them, and set down on the estimates for that purpose. The officers iu question are not a little astonished to find that the increase set down in the estimates has not been handed to them either for the last or the current year. If this falsely economical system is adopted on a large scale, and we have reason to think it is, it enables the Government to handle for tho time being a considerable sum of money, and to obtain credit for the possession of that to which they are neither lawfully nor equitably entitled. It is easy to see that this paltry advantage is obtained at the cost of the efficiency of the public service ; and Avhile the parsimonious minister is chuckling over his expertuess iu money-grubbing at the expeuse of a number of poor subordinate officers, they are venting curses, uot loud but deep, at the skinflint policy which puts them to such inconvenience, as well as discharging with reluctance the duties, the money appropriated" to the payment of which is held by those who have no right or claim to it. An exception is made, we are told, iu favor of Wellington, which the papers would soon make too hot for any ministry which would thus meanly tamper with the salaries of its officers. Not long ago we recorded the fact that a postoffice clerk at Hokitika was prosecuted for opening money letters — a circumstance that excited no surprise when the amount of his salary was known. To have a low salary is a sufficiently bad thing, but to have to wait an indefinite time for the payment is worse. This is the case, we are assured, with a great number of Government clerks in various parts of the colony. That it is the case at Nelson we have not the slightest doubt ; and the sooner the miserable policy which takes its rise in a mania for paving at the spigot and losing at the bunghole is abandoned, the better will it be for the Government, the public, and the victims of an absurd system. A correspondent sends the following account of a fire at Riwaka: — On Monday night the 29th October, about 11 o'clock, Mr. and Mrs. Fowler, of Riwaka, storekeeper, were awoke from their sleep by the cries of one of their children calliug out Fire ! Fire ! Upon rushing up stairs Mr. Fowler found the place filled with smoke and the wall-paper and bedding ia the servant's bedroom in flames, from whence it had passed to the children's room. The children were got out, and providentially a good supply of water was at hand, and by great exertion Mr. and Mrs. Fowler succeeded iu getting the fire under, assisted by their eldest son. Upon the alarm being given, some of the neighbours ran to assist, but before they arrived the danger was passed. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler were burnt about the hands and feet in putting out the fire, but great credit is due to them for the presence of mind displayed, and the systematic manner in which they must have goue to work under the alarming circumstances. It seems almost miraculous how the building was saved from destruction, for upon examination it was found that besides the bed and bed clothes being burnt, the red pine bedstead was nearly bui'nt through, and the fire had gone through the partition boards and burnt a hole in a box that stood against the partition in the other room. The origin of the fire is supposed to have been the servant girl going to sleep and leav.ing the candle burning. A few pounds will cover the amount of damage done. Mr. Fowler is insured iu the New Zealand, and upon notice of the fire being sent to the company's agent at Motueka, he promptly went to . inspect the premises, and at once allowed Mr. Fowler the amount of his claim. The. Provincial Government. Gazette contains the following notifications :— The Superintendent has appointed Mr. Arthur Dudley Dobson Assistant Provincial Engineer. The*

parcel of land known as the Totara Flat, afc present held under depasturage license by ■Mr. S. A. Pike, has been withdrawn from such license, for the purpose, of settlement. The following abstract of receipts and disbursements of the Nelson Provincial Treasurer, for the quarter endiug September 30th, 1866, is from the Provincial Government Gazette. Receipts, ordinary revenue : — Customs § gross revenue, £3,538 83. 4d. ; gold duty, £4,-147 6s. lid.; harbor, £493 Ba. 10d.; Government wharf, £215 ; education, £251 os. ; publicans' licenses, £305 15 ; Scab Act, £983 ss. Bd.; Dog Act, £51 4e.; Colliugwood Gold-fields, £26 ; South-west Gold-fields, £806 os. lid.; incidental receipts, £210 6s. Bd.j total receipts, £11,193 6s. 4d., balance from last quarter, £18,763 ss. 5d.: total, £29,956 Us. 9d. Disbursements — departmental, £5,136 Is. 6d.; public works and purposes, £10,185 16s. 6d. ; total disbursements, £15,321 18s., balance to next quarter, £14,634 13s. 9d.: total, £29,956 11s. 9d. The following ia the amount of Customs Revenue, collected at the port of Nelson, during the quarter ended September 30, 1866:— Spirits, £2609 7s. lOd. ; tobacco, £1015 Is". 3d.; cigars and snuff, £232 3s. 5d.; fixed duties, £2445 10s. lOd. ; duties by measurement, £2019 15s. 10d.; duties by weight, £377 7s. Bd. ; warehouse rents, £5 25.; incidental receipts, £13 145.; export duty, 7s. 6d.: total, £8708 10s. 4d. Mr. J. S. Cross, Harbor Master, notifies by direction of the Superintendent that a bellbuoy, painted and surmounted by a black beacon, has been placed as a fairway-buoy at the entrance of Nelson harbor and Waimea river, and now lies in 3£ fathoms at low water spring tide, with the following compass bearings, viz.: — Entrance to Nelson harbor, E.N.E. ; entrance to Waimea river. S. by E. i E. The following persons were fined in tho Resident Magistrate's Court, to-day, under the Cattle Trepass Act : — Ambrose Ricketts, 2 cows, 203.; W. Osman, 1 horse, 10s.; C. Harley, 2 horses, 205. ; Johu Frazer, 1 horse, 10s.; C. W. Moore, 1 cow, 10s.; S. Wadman, 1 horse, 10s.; T. Milner, 1 horse, 10s.; J. Wilson, 1 horse, 10s.; J, Langford, 2 horses, 205.; W. Absolon, 1 horse, 10s.; Andrew Devaney, 1 horse, 10s.; Audrevv Malcolm, 1 horse, 10s.; T. Snook, 1 horse, 10s.; R. K. Turner, 6 horses, 605.; costs were added iu each case. G. L. Greenwood was fined £2 and costs under the Scab Act, for allowing 2 sheep to stray on land not in his own occupation. A case of assault was settled out of Court. His Excellency the Governor is now iu the interior of the Wauganui district, and has visited the front. He is expected to return to Wellington for a few days, previous to visiting Auckland. Wi Hapi and Ngairo, the leaders of the warlike native party in the Wairarapa, have, through Mr. Varnham, written to the Superintendent, denying that they or their followers are actuated by feelings hostile to the pakehas in delaying their departure from the district, and expressing their desire of explaining their intentions to the Government, if a free pass to Wellington, is granted them. It U the intention of Dr. Featherston, to see the two chiefs on the occasion of his coming visit to the Wairarapu. The Petase correspondent of the Hawke's Bay Times gives some further particulars of Major Fraser's expedition. It appears that in the skirmish described by last mail, the loss on the part of the Hau-Haus was 12 killed, 3 wounded, and two prisoners. Two others are believed to have fallen into the river, but their bodies have not been recovered. There were several horses laden with kits of ammunition taken as loot. A party of volunteers left for Pakaraita shortly after the engagement, returning at night, after having made a fruitless journey. Titiokura was the next place the force went to, but on their arrival it was deserted. Te Haratoa had also been deserted, and at length, after Lieut. Colonel' Whitmore had joined the force, the end of the Hawke's Bay Province was reached. , A very fine Hau-Hau pole was standing in the centre of a pah there — the last pah in the province ; and which had for

its' garrison one miserable looking old man and one old woman. The pole was shot at by all hands, and was then cut down ; and thus ended the expedition, which may not, however, be without its good results. j? The Wanganui Times of 23rd inst., says Major M'Donnell met hi3 Excellency, the Governor at Patea on Saturday last, arid they both proceeded that evening to.;Eetemarai. It is doubtful whether Captaiu' M'Dpnnell will ever again be fit for active service, 1 certaiuly not during the present campaign. In Captain M'Donuell and Captain Ross, the force has, at least for some time, lost the services of two of its best officers. Major Brassey proceeded to Patea, overland, on Saturday last, and we shall not be surprised to hear of him taking the place of one of those officers, at least during the campaign. We call this " the Governor's campaign," because we believe he left Patea on Saturday night with the full determination of putting an end to the rebellion in those districts by a short, sharp, and decisive campaign against the rebels. Very few of our readers will think as we do upon the subject, but we can't help. that. Sir George Grey is now in possession of the news from the East Coast. Oq his arrival at Patea he found that the rebels at, Ketemarai were in force, and instead of that submission which was tendered some time ago, they had determined to fight it out. This places his Excellency in a position from which there is no retreating. We do believe that iu such an emergency, and with the recent occurrences at Hawke's Bay before him, he will not flinch from the performance of a duty which he owes to himself and the colony. The Hawke's Bay Times, of the 25th ult. states : — During the progress of hostilities, both on the East and West Coasts, it has been observed that Europeans are occasionally seen in the ranks of the enemj^. One of these, Newberry by name, has at length come to grief, having been found at Titiokura, and taken into custody by LieutenantColonel Whitmore. He was brought into town on Weduesday last, and lodged in, the gaol at Napier. There does not appear to be any question of his guilt. On the other hand, he appears, as we hear, to have gloried in it. We have no question but the crime of which he has been guilty is one of the worst possible, and meriting more than others the capital sentence. We trust that his fate will be a warning to others, if such there yet bo, and induce them to quit their treasonable and diabolical courses. We understand that this man has given information respecting another traitor, and that a warrant has been issued for his apprehension. We see by the Canterbury papers that a meeting of the electors <tf the Avon District has been held, the object being to present Mr. Crosbie Ward, their representative, with a testimonial in appreciation of the services which he has rendered, both to the district and to the colony at large, by his conduct iu the General Assembly. Notice is given in the Auckland papers that on after Wednesday, the 3ist ult., the electric telegraph stations atPapakura and Whatawhata will be closed. The Evening Post of the 27th ult. states a slight shock of earthquake was felt iu Wellington yesterday, at about half-past 10 o'clock in the forenoon. Another of these upleasant vibrations, we learn from the Hawke's Bay papers, took place in Napier on Saturday last, at 4 p.m. The shock did not last many minutes, but was pretty severe. H.M. s.s. Challenger, the flagship on the New Zealand station, recently arrived at Auckland from Sydney, is expected shortly to visit Wellington, in order that the new commodore, Captain. Rockefort Maguire, may pay his respects in person to his Excellency the Governor. | ItTwill be well for too devoted followers of |the bacchanalian deity cai'efully to study the inew Vagrant Act, as they will then perceive [■with what severity, the offence of too free I- libations is punishable. The Act provides ( that any person having been thrice convicted ; of drunkenness in any one year shall be liable ; to imprisonment for any time not exceeding 1 three months, with or without hard labor.

fit affords us, E. Post, much pleasure to be ,a^|e to state that not only is the rumor of .Captain M'Donnell's death without foundation, but that the wound received by that 'gallant gentleman is not dangerous, and that he is fast recovering. i The Wellington E. Post, says: — His Honor ■the Superintendent purposes visiting the Wairarapa in order to present Mr. Cundy, the champion shot of the province, with the prize cup valued £25, for the purchase of which a sum of money was put on the estimates during the last session of the Provincial Council. The cup was ordered in Melbourne, and is a most chaste and elegant piece of workmanship. It consists of a silver gilt eggshell supported on "piled arms," or the muzzles of three rifles, and is surmounted by the figure of a silver rifleman kneeling with his firelock at the present. The following from an editorial Brutus, appears in the Auckland penny journal : — Hear us for our debts, and get ready, that you. may pay ; trust us, we have need, as you have long been trusted; acknowledge your indebtedness, and dive into your pockets that you may promptly fork out. If there be any among you — one single patron — that don't owe us something, then to him, we say, step aside, consider yourself a gentleman. If the rest wish to know why we dun them, this is our answer : not that we care about ourselves, but our creditors do. Would you rather that we went to jail, and you go free, than you pay your debts, and keep us moving ? As we agreed, we have worked for you ; as we contracted, we have furnished the paper to you ; but as you don't pay us, we dun you. Here are agreements for job work, contracts for subscriptions, promises for long credit, and duns for deferred payment. Who. is there so ignorant that he don't take a paper? If any, he need not speak, for we don't mean him. Who is there so green, that he don't advertise ? If any, let him slide, he ain't the chap either. Who is there so mean that he don't pay the printers? If any, let him speak, for he's the man we're alter.