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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IV, Issue 84, 12 April 1869, Page 2

The Empire City and the Prince. — Great has been the disappointment experienced in Wellington during the past week at the nonarrival of the Prince. The choice fruits that have been plucked for the royal lips have been getting stale, the poultry have arrived at a stage of gameiness that is quite inconsistent with the sober character of the barn-door fowl, the evergreens are sadly withered and require renewing from day to dr<y, and blank disappointment has been depicted on every countenance,but these of the Maoris who have been feasted at the Government expense, and who in the fulness of thiir hearts exclaim, '-Kapai the Prince, hopp he no come for 'nother week." The Evening Post thus feeUngly comments on the sad state of affairs: — " Punctuality is the politeness of Kings," said Le Grand Monarque, and the want of it in the arrival of II R.H. is causing great disappointment. Many of the country visitors have already overstayed the time allotted to themselves, and except the Duke puts in an appearance very soon, will be reluctantly compelled to return to their homes. The green boughs are beginning to wither, and the enthusiasm to subside; it is stretched to its utmost limits, and will shortly die away altogether. Among other things it is said that his Excellency invited a select party of gentlemen to meet the Prince at dinner, previous to his public landing; the dinner was prepared, and the guests arrived — with the exception of the all important one; and as nothing better could be done under the circumstances, ifc was duly discussed. Another attempt met with no better result ; and the second dinner was eaten in in the absence of II. IUT. Maoris v. Volunteers —Great dissatisfaction, has been expressed in Wellington with regard to the treatment of the Wairarpa Cavalry Volunteers who, tutirely at their own expense, went to Wellington to receive the Prince, and after being detained some days and finding their expenses becoming too heavy for them,' applied to, the Government for assistance, which was refused ; they consequently made a start for home, but at the last moment were turned hack by Colonel Haul tain, who promised to guarantee their necessary expenses. The Evening Post has t,he following remarks on the conduct of the Government : — " Economy on the part of the Government is highly commendable, but unfortunately it is always displayed in the wrong place. They supply some hundreds of Maoris, many of whom are known to be Hau Haus, and s ime, men who have actually fought against us, withfood aud lodging in the most lavish manner; they expend sums of £20 to purchase fancy guns, for which some chief longs like a small boy for a penny whistle; they pay drapers' bills for gay clothes for them — all out of the public purse ; and at the same time most grudgingly bestow" a pittance: on Europeans, on whose voluntary . exertions they mainly depend for the

defence and tranquility of a large district. It seems painfully evident that whoever holds the reins of power in New Zealand, the false philoMaori sentiment, which has ever been our bane, will creep into their counsels. Let us treat the natives with justice, even-handed and open,. but at once, and for ever, trample down the habit of pampering and petting them like spoiled children — a habit which has been one of the most active causes of our present deplorable position. Partners fob the Fein cc. — The noble savage race, of which our rulers are so justly proud, and whose preservation is an object of so much solicitude at Exeter Hall, are not to be altogether unrepresented at the Prince's ball, the Government having arranged with the committee for the admission of a select number of'the most presentable Hangitiras and their ladies. While the Maori has all the privileges of a British subject, i;' he chooses to use them, he shirks the duties which that position involves. If it were not fbr indirect taxes he would entirely escape any contribution to the cost of Government. He pays no road rates, although he is a great landed proprietor ; as a rule he objects to cut thistles ; and if iie violates the laws and escapes to sor^e remote tribe, the law does not look him up with the same unerring instinct that it does the European. All this no doubt is wrong, and although humanity-mongers always insist on the Maori, or other aboriginal, having his full measure of privilege, we never on any occasion hear of their insisting thathe shall perform his duties. — TaranaJd Heraldgß* The result of the late racing meeting at Hokitika is stated by the W. C. Times to be, that at a meeting of the Westland Jockey Club, held on Saturday evening, at Dj'son's British Empire Hotel, amongst other business it was decided to disqualify Reay, the jockey of Flying Jib, from riding on any course the property of the Westland Jockey Club fbr two years. No doubt this procedure will meet with the approbation oi the public. Local Industry.— The Canterbury Government offer a premium of .£3,000 for success in various matter of local manufacture. The vote of £3,000 has been divided into three parts, one of which is offered as a premium for the manufacture of 5,000 yards of woollen cloth; another for the production of 100 tons of beetroot sugar- and the third for the establishment of a manufactory for the export of preserved meat. Applications for these premiums must be made to the Government before July 1 next. The offer of £1,000 in each instance ought to stimulate capitalists and others to accomplish the objects in view, but it is questionable whether a distribution of the vote to a greater variety of industries would not have been attended with more beneficial results. Auckland Islands. —In the Government Gazette of Bth instant, is the following notification by Captain Montgomorie, of 11. M. S. Blanche: — I declare that I, in the name of, and on behalf of Her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen of Great Britain, and Ireland, do now re-enter and take possession of the Auckland Islands, and all other lands demised by Her Majesty to certain persons of the name of Enderby, by lease dated on or about the Ist Marcb, 1847, the rent thereby reserved not having been paid. Dated at Pig Point, Port Ross, or Sarah's Bosom Harbor, Auckland Islands, this sixteenth day of March, a.d. 1869. . John E. Montgomobie, Captain, Royal Navy. A Political Caricature. — We were shewn to-day at Mr. Wayte's a i-lever sketch in Indian ink, illustrating the supposed attitude of England, j France, and America towards New Zealand at the [ present time. John Bull is sitting half sleeping at a desk writing out orderr for the removal of troops from New Zealand. " Johnny Crapau " j is remonstrating with him and telling him he does not deserve to have such a fine colony, wliich would have received better treatment uuder La Belle France. Cousin Johnathan also is there, cool and calculating, and telling Mr Bull that if he can't or won't protect the colony the Yankees will take it from him, — Auckland News. A French journal reports the discovery of a book of theological discussions written by some of the early monks, upon such questions as these — " What was the shape of the wings of the Acrhangel Gabriel ? Did Pilate use soap to wash: his hands ? . r How much wine did they drink at ''the 'marriage in Cana?? Are there any angels with baritone voices ? Could Christ have turned Himself into a devil or into a pumpkin ? If a priest should be interrupted during the baptism at a moment when about -to pronounce the name of the child, and should pronounce Sapristi, should the child bear through life the name of Sapristi, and the baptism be valid ?" It is said that the discussion of these different questions fills three volumes of 500 pages each. We record the discovery as an evidence that the subject of theological discussion has not been much changed iv these latter ages. Most of the topics now agitating sectarian churches are of little more value , to the cause of true religion than the whimsical propositions of the old monks. — Exchange. Problem : Given the beginning and the ending of a letter, to guess all the contents. It is a riddle almost as difficult as the old nautical joke, " Given a ship's course and the height, of the mainmast, to find the Captain's name." Some of our conquering countrymen have had a puzzling experience of this kind. The postal department attached to the Abyssinian expedition has broken down; letters have been unaccountably lost; bags have come to hand. containing only a mass pulp, or a collection of letters minus covers, and covers niinus letters. The Post -office people are now taking steps to discover the addresses of. the various fragmentary epistles in their possession; lists are published, giving the opening and concluding words of each letter. Asa consequence, there have been long lists of " Darling Bobs" and "BelOvcdjFreds." audit must require some.coolness to say to a Post-office clerk, "If you please, I'm the darling Bob referred to in. fragment 593" It appears that the letters home have been mixed and mashed in the same way, so that the whole camp knows that they have amongst them an " ever faithful Tom, who ha's at home a "darling Kate," to whom he " sends a thousand kisses'." One 'letter -from home ends, with**"; Susan and the kids -send their love." We can quite

iancy that some endings must be strongly provocative .ot all kinds of-emptions — such terminations as " I am however otherwise quite well," the rest wanting; or " The other children are all right," the preceeding part illegible; or <( Let me know at pnce what I am to say to him ever yours," the remainder pulp. Then two or three gentlemen may have " Susans" and "kids," and fight for -the nearly unreadable fragment. It would be much better had the letters been utterly lost, for then it would only be a rewriting and great patience; now vexation is added, and the "general camp, pioneers, and all," have learned the sweet syllables of Amelia's name, with the exact terms in which her devoted Bob addresses her. Nothing but the crowning victory of Magdala could have compensated the poor fellows for such a cruel yet comical catastrophe in correspondence. — Daily Telegraph. An American in England, when expected to praise the country, said he liked it, only he was afraid to go out at night, for fear he should step off. "Do>tt trouble yourself to stretch your mouth any wider," said a dentist to a man who was extending his jaws frightfully. "I intend to stand outside of it to draw your tooth." An auctioneer advertises a queer mixture for sale at Nelson — hops and onions ! We heard the other day of a man near Christchurch breakfasting on shrimps and stewed peaches. But hops and onions ! The Nelson auctioneer must have been thinking of what a sell some hops are which end in unions ! Or, perhaps, of a less serious result, — hops and bunions ! — Christchurch Evening Mail.