The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1867.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 55, 7 March 1867, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1867.

When the English House of Lords threw out the Reform Bill some years ago, a sensational announcement appeared over the leader of the Times, said to have been written by Lord Brougham — " The Queen has done it ail ;" and poor Queen Adelaide was for the day regarded in the most odious light. When Mr. Blackett's unexpected resignation was announced on Monday last, an emineut political partisan from the " land o' cakes," exclaimed with stentorian voice, not unaccompanied with fury, " The papers have done it all, and they ought to be burnt by the vilest Jack Ketch the sleepy hollow can produce ;" aud so for tbe day the poor iuuocent papers came in for abuse that was administered in the most unmeasured way. Mr. Blackett, however, furnished a tolerably satisfactory reason for his resignation, and others might be suggested, without going to the papers, as the moving cause of the determination to which he came. Few sensible electors, if auy, imagined that Mr. Blackett, when he promised to stand for the Superintendency, iutended to retain the office of Provincial Engineer. The duties of the two were known to be so conflicting and incompatible, that his accession to the Superintendency must have necessitated his vacation of the office he previously held, or led to the duties of both, being performed in an unsatisfactory manner. Besides, as Mr. Blackett is supposed to lean to the party whose principles are in favor of strict economy, he could not, with any show of propriety, have lent his sanction to a system of pluralism, always esteemed odious by strict economists ; to say nothiug of the inconveniences likely to arise to the public service from the chief officer in the province havi_g, every now and then, to engage in duties of the most contradictory kind, or get some of them discharged by subordinates uulikely from want of knowledge and experience to reflect credit on themselves or chief.

The candidature of Mr. Blackett and its comical finale, has illustrated the old proverb that "you may take a horse to the water, but you cannot make him drink." The necessity was great aud urgent of finding a caudidate who should be an efficient representative of the policy aud party of which Mr. Saunders has long been the exponent aud chief ; and in the absence of men of influence likely to supply the want, Mr. Blackett was pressed nolens volens into the bard and difficult service. Had Mr. Blackett not been withdrawn from the glancing eye and powerful influence of his chief, the result would have been different; but the moment Mr. Saunders ceased to be at hand to inspire courage, stimulate drooping spirits, and remove the difficulties sure to arise in a contest with strong competitors, the moral courage of Mr. Blackett was too weak to cope with the difficulties of the position, had no consideration of the impropriety, from prudential reasons, of being made the stalking horse of a party, shaken his resolution and paralysed his action. It is uo disparagement to a man, that we know of, to say that whilst culculated to excel in one class of duties, he would be likely to be covered with failure if he encountered another. Murat, Napoleon used to say, so long as he derived his inspirations from himself, was equal to an army of forty thousand men ; but the moment he was left to his own resources, he had not the courage of a woman or a monk. The withdrawal of the influence of Mr. Saunders was a priucipal cause of the vacillating conduct shown by Mr. Blackett, although it may be fairly assumed that a careful consideration of the situation made him unwilling to add another name to the long list of failures arising from vacating positions for which men have been trained, and in which success has left them without rivals, in order, from ambitious or party motives, to encounter the difficulties of untried spheres, in which everything is to be lost and nothing won.

The maxim " respice finem" was doubtless in Mr. Blackett's mind, as well as the criticisms of the stupid papers which made some of his supporters so angry. To retain the Superiutendency he must have ceased to be Provincial Engineer, and he might not have been without sundry qualms as to the future that awaited him. As Provincial Engineer he is immensely popular, is not likely to find competitor or rival, is sure to rise in public esteem, and increase in influence and usefulness when

the public works arise on which men of all parties have set their mind. If, however, provincial institutions are doomed, the office of Superintendent is doomed with them, and the gentlemen who now look forward to it as an object of the highest ambition, may, in a few years, have to pronounce a long farewell to all their greatness. Better a thousand times, therefore, be respected and eminent in a subordinate position, in which your importance is sure to increase witli the importance and wealth of the community among whom you labor, than ascend to an elevation which makes you for a moment the observed of all observers, aud theu tumble to one of insignificance to be to dumb forgetfulness aprey. Without imagining for a moment that hostile newspaper criticism has had anything to do with causinc Mr. Blackett to abandon the influential position of leader of a powerful political party, we think he will admit at no distant period, that he has had a fortunate escape from a false position in which he was temporarily placed, by the injudicious kindness and pressing entreaties of his friends. We heartily concur ia the feeling of satisfaction that, although Mr. Blackett is lost to the Superintendency, he is not lost to the province, and that if he has voluntarily refused to ascend the eminence pointed out to him by party, he has escaped the disaster of a fall, the consequences of which are more easily imagined than described.

The cricket match between the Albion and Wakefield clubs began this morning at 10 a.m. Nelson won the toss, and sent in Wakefield, who scored 152 in thenfirst innings, Mr. Sellon carrying out his bat with a score of 51. After dinner, the Nelson players went in, and had scored 13 when we went to press.

f ' At Richmond fair, on Wednesday, some good bullocks realised £40 per pair, and cows £12 to £14 each. Horses were not

The Wellington papers intimate that a party of excursionists are likely to visit Nelson on the 19th and 20th inst.

The total of the polling- for the Superintendent of Otago was, Macaudrew 2259, Dick 1392. Grant 2.

Strong proofs are coming to light, connecting the Chinese with the murder on the West Coast road.

The Otago Daily Times states that a discovery has been made which promises to restore the fees and fines to the Otago Municipal bodies, which they *were supposed to have been deprived of by an Act passed last session. The Act was informally worded.

The township at Tauranganui, Poverty Bay," has been surveyed, and there is every prospect of an industrious and thriving population settling in that locality.

The Wanganui Times strongly advocates the formation of an Agricultural and Pastoral Association, as a sure means of improving the stock and cattle of the province, and attracting hundred of visitors from various parts of the colony.

The Wellington Evening Post of 27th ult., says a most n^sterious disappearance of a respectable citizen has taken place in this city, and the police are actively engaged in prosecuting a search for the missing man. It appears that the night before last, Mr. Cooper, a ginger beer manufacturer at Thorndon, who some short time ago underwent a severe family affliction, left his home, and went to the Thistle Inn. Shortly after 8 o'clock he left that establishment, and was supposed to return to his home, but has never since been seen. As soon as it became known that he was not in any of his usual places of resort, information was given to the police, but the force have as yet failed to discover any tidings of the missing man. The body has since been found in Wellington harbor. The jury returned a verdict of found drowned.

The Alexandra correspondent of the Southern Cross, writing uuder date 20th February, says : — " The withdrawal of the military from Te Awamutu and Te Rori will, in a few days, be an accomplished fact. This has led to sundry rumours of more men being placed on pay in this settlement. All is quiet in pur immediate neighborhood ; indeed, we are often at a loss up here to guess the origin of the conflicting rumours reported from time to time by some of your correspondents. Alexandra is steadily and permanently progressing, and it is gratifying to see bona fide settlers finding their way up here for the purchase of land.

The Westport Times of the 27th ult. states that a party of Maories have struck gold, in great quantities, at the Karamea. Mr. O'Hara, storekeeper, sold 27 ozs. to the Union Bank, and stated he could have purchased four times as much if he had cash. The population is only about 100. The gold was struck 25 miles up the river. At Little Wanganui the miners are making a liviug. The difficulty of getting provisions prevents the ground at the Mokihinui from being properly worked. At the Waimangaroa Mr. Dixon has purchased 12 ozs. of good rough gold, and a heavy parcel is expected from that place. Au unusual stir has lately been witnessed amoug the miners on the Buller river. Many have written to their mates to join them. A parcel of 20 ozs. of nuggety gold was sold to the Bank of New Zealaud, a few days ago, and since theu a parcel of 12 ounces and other lots have been sold to storekeepers. The Maories on the Karamea boast that they can make from £15 to £20 per week each. The country is very rough, and provisions dear. On the sea beach the gold is fine, on the river beach it is flat, scaly, aud large, some of the pieces being nearly as large as a sixpence, but a great deal thinner. Up the tributaries of the Karamea, it is fine, beautifully pure and very heavy. The papers urge the Government to open tracks along the principal rivers. If this were done, prospecting on a large scale would soon set in, and the population be greatly increased. The track from the Buller to the Pakihi aud Fox's is in excellent order. Dr. Hector has gone to Mount Rochfort to make a general survey of that locality. His researches will be specially devoted to the coal formation. Whilst crossing the Waimangaroa he dislocated his shoulder. He will publish the result of his researches. A quartz reef has been discovered at the Waimangaroa. The specimens brought in would yield sozs to the ton.

We learn from the Brighton Times that Dr. Hector, the celebrated Geologist, has arrived there, in company with Mr. Kynnersley, from the Buller.

The Brighton Times speaking of the auriferous nature of the claims in the neighborhood says : — As an illustration of the richness of the ground, we may mention that Geordi's claim yielded last week no less than 90 ozs. less 3 dwts of fine gold after undergoing the purifying process of retorting. This was the result of eight days work of four men, aud from the nature of the ground the shareholders anticipate a dividend of no less than £1500 a man.

During the month of January 1405 acres of land in the Wellington province were disposed of at the Land Office for £3,201 15s 9d.

A brewery, the first established in the province of Hawke's Bay, has been opened in Napier, and. is largely patronised.

The wreck of the Star of the Evening was on the 25th ult, sold at Napier for the sum of £30, the purchaser being Mr. Mundy.

Mr. George Ritchie and Mr. Thomas Buddie, of Auckland, have successfully passed their examination before his Honor Mr. Justice Moore, as solicitors of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. The examination extended over three days.

The Rev. George Morice, of St. Paul's Church, Napier, has been presented by the ladies of his congregation with a pulpit gown, cassock, and an easy chair.

A singular circumstance, says the Wellington Evening Post, is reported by Mr. W. Buckland, of Auckland, connected with an up-country trip. On the Bth and 9th ult., there was a very severe storm of rain accompaniedby thunder and lightning, at Rotorua. Twenty-five miles from thence, the lightning was visible, but the thunder could only be heard very faintly, and that occasionally; but instead there was a succession of very heavy earthquakes. There was no earthquake at Rotorua. At one point, the electric force was at work underground ; twenty-five miles distant it was apparent in the atmosphere.

By au advertisement which appears in the Wanganui newspapers, we (Evening Post) observe that a prize consisting of a cup, added to a sweepstakes of 20 sovereigns, will be given to the owner of the best pen of ten sheep, to be exhibited at Wanganui on the Ist November. As the competition will be open to all sheep owners in New Zealand who may subscribe to the stakes, the notice is a most important one, and doubtless many sheep breeders in other parts of the colony will enter the lists to contest for the prize.

" The Church Society of the new diocese of Golbourne held its meeting last week. The Bishop of Sydney made rather a belligerent speech. He complained of the clergy of other denominations picking holes in the liturgy and ritual of the Church of England, and then proceeded to provoke controversy by virtually condemning the unapostolicity of those Churches who did not recognise that the threefold order of bishops, priests, and deacoDS was the primitive style. A despatch has been received in Victoria from the Imperial Government, to the effect that Lady Darling will not be allowed to accept £20,000 so long as Sir Charles Darling remains attached to the Imperial Service. The Victorian Government have placed upon the Estimates for 1867 the following items : — Compensation to the family of the late Mr. Henry Facey Hurst, who was shot by the bushranger Burke, £400; and reward to Joseph Abbott, for the capture of Burke, £100.