The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 248, 21 December 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1866.

The mail for the Buller, per Ahuriri, closes tomorrow, at 9 a.m.

As we anticipated, the manifesto of Mr. Curtis has caUed forth the friends and supporters of Mr. Blackett, who will meet in the Temperance Hall, on Monday next, to organise a committee and take the other steps necessary to secure Mr. Blackett's election. As Mr. Curtis has promised to meet the electors in various parts of the province, Mr. Blackett will no doubt do the same. This friendly contest will doubtless have the effect of arousing the electors from the political apathy which is so peculiar to. them at present. The ofiice of Superintendent is so important that we cannot imagine the electors will give their votes without having severely tested the qualifications of the respective candidates. Many have no doubt made up their minds for whom they will vote; nevertheless, the discussion of the political questions that the contest will evoke cannot fail to have a wholesome effect on the constituency generally. The annual examination of the pupils in Nelson College, terminated yesterday. The examiner was the Rev. Mr. Poole. J. W. Barnicoat, Esq., distributed the prizes to the successful competitors, whose names and the subjects for which they took prizes are appended .—The Richmond Scholarship, .£3O, Alfred Lewis ; Foundation Scholarship, £20, George Blackett ;- The Stafford Scholarship, £20, Edward Green ; Foundation Scholarship, £10, James Burnett. Class I. — Mathematics, Alfred Lewis, Nelson ; Classics, Harry Gully, Nelson. Class II. — Classics, Mathematics, and English, Lloyd Jones, Wanganui ; Diligence and Excellent Conduct, L. Jones; Mathematics, Fred. Wither, Richmond; History, Wm. Barnicoat, Richmond. Class 111. — Scripture, Geography, and Physical Geography, James Burnett, Nelson ; Arithmetic and Euclid, Harry O'Loughlen, Richmond ; History, (1) Hugh Gully, Nelson ; (2) T. H. Nicholson, Stoke ; General Proficiency, George Jenkins, Nelson ; Diligence and Attention, G. W. Schroder, Richmond ; Thomas Campbell, Nelson ; Arthur Barlow, Nelson. . Class IV. — History, H. Godfrey, Marlborough ; History, Geography, and Arithmetic, F. Severne, Nelson ; General Proficiency, T. Stanton, Nelson ; James B. Hackworth, Nelson. Music Prize, Wm. Nicholson, Stoke. His Honor the Superintendent addressed the pupils, congratulating those who had gained prizes, and urging all of them to dovote themselves to their studies. He also eulogised the teachers, the Rev. Mr; M'Lean and Mr. Mackay. On the conclusion of the proceedings hearty cheers were given for the teachers and the Superintendent. The vacation lasts till Monday, February 4th.

There was no business transacted in the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day. The maxim tbat " Corbies don't peck out corbies' een," seems to be reversed in reference to the Wel-. lington newspapers. The Advertiser has recently had some severe strictures on the parties (principally Dr. Featherston) engaged in the purchase of the Manawatu Block. To these the Independent of the 20th replies in a slashing article of three columns, from which we make the following extract: — "If the writer and publisher of those articles had adopted

similar tactics in Ireland at the time of the late Fenian conspiracy, it is very likely both would have now occupied a felon's ward; while if they had lived a hundred years ago, a long rope and a short shrift would have been the penalty of their treason. It is fortunate that such writers live in New Zealand under the mild sway of a Grey, instead of in Jamaica under the inflexible justice of an Eyre. We therefore denounce as traitors, those who from personal iU-feel ing towards any public man, would falsely accuse him of acts, the bare mention of which to English ears, subjects the colonists to unmerited blame; or who, to defeat the negotiations of a political opponent, would not scruple to spread sedition amongst the natives and to incite them to rebellion. And finally, of these grave offences we assert that the writers in the Advertisers have been' guilty." Now that the Manawatu purchase has been completed, the deed of cession formally executed, and the Rangitikei land dispute put an end to it, it is hardly worth while threatening a brother quill driver with the penalties of treason or invoking the aid of a special jury in the case. The reply of Dr. Burnett, we think it was, to Queen Elizabeth, is in point here. Some pamphleteer had been libelling the Queen, and she consulted the Doctor, as to the propriety of putting him to the rack. No, said the wise counsellor, give me pen, ink, and paper and I will rack his style, but do not rack his person.

The Raglan correspondent of the Southern Cross, writing under date the 6th instant, states that one of the lung natives from Kawhia, where Matutaera and Rewi are, recently said^to him — " The word of the King is: Let Kawhia remain as a refuge for my children and widows ; those who want to fight may go to Taranaki or to Hawke's Bay. If the Europeans give cause of war it will be different."

John Elcock was tried before the Supreme Court, Auckland, for setting fire to his dwellinghouse, persons being in it at the time; and also for setting fire to the dwellinghouse of a man named. Regan, both houses situated in Chancery- street. The prisoner pleaded guilty to both indictments. The first indictment involving a capital charge, sentence of death was recorded against the prisoner; and on the second the prisoner was condemned to penal servitude for life.

The Rev Samuel Ironside, in a letter to the editor of South Australian Register, concerning the late fight at Hawkes Bay with the Hau-haus, remarks: — Both west and east of New Zealand the murderous Hau-hau fanatics are being defeated and severely punished. There is no fear for the settlers of that colony. Nor is there any necessity for British soldiers and large commissariat expenditure. The volunteer forces, with the Loyal Native Contingent, are quite capable of effectually repressing any murderous outbreak of the fanatics. This they are finding out to their cost. I have always been persuaded that this would be the case. Had the course now pursued been adopted in Taranaki in 1860, the rebellion would have been quashed in the beginning, and never have attained the impudent height it assumed two or three years later. A short, sharp, decisive struggle then would have saved hundreds of precious lives and millions of the public money which that unfortunate colony has now to provide for. The Taranaki volunteers, if permitted by the authorities, would have done then what Major M'Donnell in the west and Major Fraser in the east are doing now, and the colony would long since have been at peace. The foolish natives having learnt their lesson would have found peaceful industry to pay better than war, and they would have been striving with their pakeha neighbors in developing the resources of that magnificent country. I hope yet that the remnant will be spared, and will grow up prosperously side by side with the better educated colonists.

We (Dunedin E. Star) regret to have to confirm the rumors that have been in circulation with respect to the breaking out of fever at Waikouaiti. In the Council, the Provincial Treasurer read two reports upon the subject, one from Dr. Hulme, and the other from Dr. Hocken, from which it appeared that 50 cases had occured, 14 of which had unfortunately proved fatal. It also appeared from the same reports that everything has been done that could be done to arrest the further progress of the disease (which, according to Dr. Hocken, is not epidemic), and no cause of alarm existed.

The Episcopal Church at Hokitika (says the W. E. Post) is in debt and difficulty, and, to relieve the pecuniary pressure, one of those pious frauds known as " gift auction " has been had recourse to. A committee has already actively canvassed the town of Hokitika, and amongst a heterogeneous mass of articles, have been promised thirty-six boxes of pills, a live monkey, and a stuffed mermaid.

A correspondent at Masterton, writing in reference to the converts to Hau-hauism in that district, says: — The Hau-haus in this vicinity have received a letter from Hapuka. He threatens to pay them a visit with his natives and compel them " vi et armis" to abandon their new faith.

An extensive mill for the manufacture of New Zealand flax is being erected at Whangamarino, near the Waikato.

The first wool sale of the season was held in Auckland on the 7th instant, and was well attended.

Flour in Auckland is selling as low as £\3 10s to £14 a ton.

A telegram to the Sydney Empire says that the office of Government printer at Adelaide has been given to Mr. George, publisher of the Melbourne Argus.

We learn from South Australian papers, that notice of a motion has been given in the Assembly of the colony to stop immigration there for six months. This offers a subject for speculation, with the known fact of its wealth and good credit, while Otago, with its. poverty and debt, is urging on ah increase of immigration.

The Auckland journals say that. the climate in the north the present season is unexampled for its geni-

ality. Farming operation have progressed without check, and the return bids fair to exceed all expectation.

' The Southern Cross has been favored with the following extract from a private letter, dated Russell, November 24, which may be of interest : — There has been an affair at Kaikojie , some ten men, headed by the assessor, chasing and shooting a man, whom, when dead, they disembowelled. The murderers have absconded ; but, as influential people are concerned, trouble may arise from it. The pakehas are not in any way implicated. Mr. Clarke, of Waimea, may manage to keep the natives from fighting. Another correspondent writes on Dec. 3rd :— -The only startling event I haye to record has happened on the side of the bay, at Kaikohe, where a Maori has been shot for trying to shoot some one else. I have not bern able to get at the rights of the story, having heard several versions ; but all agree in representing him as a great blackguard, of whom society is well rid. The instigator of this murder is a great chief and assessor. The Resident Magistrate has, I believe, appointed to hold a meeting on the subject'at Waimate, where nearly all the Maoris in the district are collected, attending Mr. Mailing's Land Court.

The Hokitika E. Star says: — A very large number of our readers will remember the Stevens' troupe, and no doubt can vividly recall the apparently impossible feats that the different members so easily accomplished whilst on their professional tour here. Professor Stevens on leaving fulfilled several engagements, and, as in Hokitika, in every case both astonished and terrified the spectators. We are deeply grieved to hear, however, that a frightful misfortune has happened, that will cause painful memories in connection with their feats for some time to come. It appears that the troupe were fulfilling an engagement in Victoria. As will be remembered there were two intelligent active little fellows, about six and eight years of age, sons of Professor Stevens who were in the habit of going through certain exercises with him. One of these was throwing the youngest in the air when he alighted on his feet without hurt or apparent danger. This no doubt had been done hundreds, if not thousands of times in safety, but unfortunately on the last occasion the little one came to the ground on his head instead of his feet and dislocated the vertebra of the neck, causing instant death. The horror of the lookers on was only exceeded by that of the unhappy father, and the fearful event so preyed on his mind as to render him insane. He is now confined in an asylum as a dangerous and probably an incurable lunatic. We are indebted to Mr. Bentlett for these particulars, and are sure there are none who saw the troupe's wonderful performances but will deeply deplore so melancholy and fatal a catastrophe.