The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER.

North Otago Times, Volume XI, Issue 346, 15 September 1868, Page 2

The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER.

AND WAITAKI REPORTER.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 1868,

The "Cummixg struggle" is not coining off just yet — at any r.ite that comforting conclusion is justified by tho favorable news as to the state of Europe brought by the Suez mail ; and the common phrase usually to be found in Queen's speeches as to the satisfactory state of .Foreign relations, as made use of at the lecent prorogation of Parliament, would this ti"ie appear to have even more than its conventional meaning, and may be accepted as an assurance the most satisfactory. The rival eagles of France and Prussia have smoothed their ruffled feathers, and the former has even begun to clip his talons, though the process is by no means so thorough as materially to interfere with their deadly execution, should the Master of that bellicose bird see fit at any time to launch him into mortal combat. Yet, even the first step towards the reduction of those tremendous armaments which have for years rested with an intolerable weight upon the bosom of Europe, and which have disturbed her repose with a hideous nightmare, full of visions of havoc and bloodshed, will be a sensible relief, enablingher to breathe moi^e freely and causing the pulses of trade and commerce to beat with less irregularity. And it was time that it should be so. For years past the Continental Po^ ers have been vieing with each other as to the magnitude of their armies, and the maxim Hi vis yacem ])ara helium lias been pushed to the extreme of absurdity ; millions of men and hundreds of millions of money have been as effectually withdrawn from the working forces of the world as if they had been thi'own into the sea and the progress of the human i*ace has been sensibly retarded. The credit of taking an initiatory step towards the remedy of this abnormal state of things belongs to France, she having, apparently weary of waiting, commenced the reduction of her standing army by dismissing large mimbers of her soldiery to their homes upon furlough. It is to be hoped that the other Powers will follow suit, yet the feeling of ajiprehension can scarcely be expected to be entirely allayed for some little time to come. However, the horizon of Europe is unmistakably brighter. There is still a cloud, if it he no bigger than a man's hand, hanging over Italy ; we allude to the plottings of the Garib.ildian party for the achievement of Rome for the capital of United Italy. The time does not appear ripe for their efforts, and in view of the assurance of General Duraont at Civita Vpcohia thi't his Impeiial Master would never desert Pius IX., it is to be feared that these repeated attempts of the Young Italian Party may one day result in a serious misunderstanding between the Soldier King and tho Statesman Emperoi. Italy cannot have to wait long for the realisation of her aspirations. Pius IX. is an aged man, and Napoleon, so far as we remember, has never pledged himself to secure the sovereignty of Rome to his successor. The motto of Italy should at the present moment be Festlna lente. The same stereotyped sentence which has done duty for months past, and very likely will for as many more, if not for years, viz., "There are fresh insurrectionary movements in Spain, " will be passed over by most readers of the Suez telegrams as a matter of course ; and it is a matter of course, the misgovernment of that fruitful but unhappy country occupying to these disturbances the exact relationship of cause and effect. The only new feature in the intelligence to hand, is the news of the arrest of the Duke and Duchess of Montpensier, who have been conveyed to Lisbon. The Duke i& a son of the late Louis Philippe, and the Duchess the sister of Isabella, and although neither of them appear to have taken part in the thou-sand-and-one plots for the deposition of the female Nero who rules, or rather misrules, the sunny land of the Spaniard, the Duchess is said to have incurred the displeasure and awakened the suspicion of her royal sister by remonstrating with hei against the savage policy of Gonzalez Bravo ; hence the punishment of herself and husband. Of the present position the " Home News" writes : — " The tyrrany of Narvaez was of a better kind than that of his civilian successor, and those who have studied Spanish character are disposed to believe, that should an insurrection break out now it will find moi-e favor with the nation than heretofore." Tho Government have also authorised the arrest of a number of generals and 300 other officers. The assassination of Prince Michael of Servia had, it appears, been planned on a much more extensive scale than was ever suspected, and numbers of arrests have been made of implicated persons. Prince Milan, the son of the murdered sovereign, has been anointed as his successor, and he being a minor, M.M. Milhaeloves, Czenias, andMelojkovics, have been appointed guardians to the young Prince. With reference to what has taken place in Servia, the Emperor Napoleon is said to have remarked, " The man who instigates, or who commits a political assassina-

tion, who makes himself at once judge and executioner, always produces a contrary effect to that he wishes to attain ; it is the punishment of his ciime. The conspirators hoped by killing Prince Michael, to bring another dynasty into power ; they have strengthened for a long period, the family of the Obrenovitch. There is but little news from America. The United States are in all the whirl and excitement of a Presidential election. Horatio P. Seymour is the man for the Democrats, and General Grant is the nominee of the Republican Party ; General F. P. Blair, having been nominated by the former party for the Vice- Presidency. Those of our readers who perused an article headed, "The Petticoat Campaign," republished by us from the " Buenos Ay res Standard" in a recent issue, will read with satisfaction that in the Provincial Chambers of Buenos Ayres, General Alsia lifted up his voice against the Paraguayan war, which, in the manner of its prosecution, is a disgrace to civilization. An Americo-Chinese treaty of Commerce has been signed by which, we are told, the Chinese ports, rivers and territory are to be opened to America ; this promises well, and it is to be hoped that the provisions of the treaty will be kept in better faith, and more promptly acted upon than has been the case with a similar treaty some time ago made with Japan. Turning now to Home news the most important item, or if not the most important certainly the most interesting, is the promise of the early visit of EKE Prince Alfred to this Colony. His welcome will be as enthusiastic as the loyalty of New Zealand is deep, and the news of the sailing of the Galatea will be anxiously looked for. According to the wording of the telegram, His Royal Highness is first to visit China and Japan, so that his advent in the Colony will probably not take place for the best part of a year. Sir Robert Napier has received a great ovation, and has been rewarded by a grateful nation with a liberality of which John Bull is sometimes profusely 1 ..vish and sometimes blindly chary. In this instance the man whom the nation has delighted to honor with a peerage and a pension well-deserves the honors which have been showered upon him. Thus one of the most chivalrous and bestmanaged enterprises undertaken by England in modern times has been brought to a satisfactory conclusion, and the record,, appropriately closed as it is with the rewards of the brave old soldier who conducted the expedition so skilfully to a victorious issue, will be one of the most pleasant chapters in the history of the Victorian era. Mr Eyre too has, we are glad to see, not been utterly handed ovei to the persecutors who delight to vex his soul, having recently been presented with an address signed by a large number of gentlemen connected with the West Indieb. England will, we suppose, l>e " lot in" for another compensation award, the blockade of Mazatlan having been declared to be illegal and ordered to be raised. Feuianism appears to have been extinguished, or effectually quieted, tit Home, but news is to hand that the evil organization still excites the apprehension oi the authorities on the other side of tlie water, a Fenian raid on Canada being still anticipated. However, it is comforting to hoar that if the miscreants repeat their foolish efforts in that direction they are likely to meet with a warm reception. The approaching general election for the Home Parliament is said to be causing great excitement, and there is proof of the fact in the disorderly meeting held at Guildhall. The meeting had been called to obtain the public sense upon Gladstone's Suspensory Bill, but a scene of such disorder ensued that it had to be dissolved without any resolution being come to. We exceedingly regret to perceive the evident lowering of tone evinced by the "rowdyism" exhibited at the meeting referred to in the assault upon the Lord Mayor and in the general disorder. Socially things are not looking well in the old country, society is becoming immoral in its amusements, sceptical in its creed, absurdly-extravagant in its fashions, and now it would appear mobbish in its politics, a social revolution in entirely the wrong direction, and which is deeply to be deplored. Two Acbs have passed the Supreme Legislature of great importance to New Zealand ; one of them in the present circumstances of the Colony especially so. The Act to validate appointments to the Legislative Council was lequired to set at rest a legal doubt which had arisen ; the other, which is an Act empowering the General Assembly to abolish Provinces, or to alter their boundaries, will dispose of the Westland difficult}', and will pave tho way for dealing with the County question generally ; it will also greatly strengthen the hands of the present Government, in carrying out the policy which they have laid down, viz., the legislating for the various districts of the Colony, according to the requirements of their respective situation. Tt is satisfactory to find that the services of the Imperial forces in this Colony are not to be entiiely shorn of the honors which are granted to those who show conspicuous bravery in other campaigns, the Government being said to intend to grant a medal to the troops engaged in the New Zealand war, and we think that some similar recognition of the bravery shown by men of the Colonial forces, the Militia and Volunteers, should be made. There have been many instances in which a decoration has been well deserved. The Society proposed to be founded in London, under the name of the Colonial Society, for the extension of the knowledge of the Colonies, and strengthening the good feeling between them and the mother country, will, in the first-named branch of operations, find a wide field open for them, and we would recommend the Society, as a first step, to circ\ilate a few hand-books of geography gratis, in order to inform people at home that Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand, for instance, are not small continguous islands, and to extricate some of the home journals from the mire of ignorance in which they

floundei*, as to names of places, distances, and other matters. So far as Australasia is concerned, we think that the proposed endeavor to strengthen the good feeling between these colonies and the rnother country is entirely a work of supererogation. There are two items of intelligence in church matters which will be read with interest viz., that Lord Shaffcesbury has introdnced" a Bill for the regulation of clerical vestments, in which diiection legislation was urgently needed, in order to put a stop to the absurd millinery of a young party in the Church of England ; and that all objections to the appointment of Mr Macrorie, as Bishop, vice Colenso, having been removed, that gentleman is on, his way to the Cape, where he will be consecrated by the South African Bishops. The contemplated new line of Atlantic telegraph from France to Boston will probably help to the cheapening of communication, and will thus indirectly benefit ISTew Zealand. The money market, and the wool reports are satisfactory ; New Zealand securities looking well, and wool promising a steady price.

In consequence of Mr Hislop's lecture at the Mechanics' Institute this evening, tho rehearsal for the concert at the Masonic Hall will take place on Wednesday evening, at half-past seven o'clock. The annual meeting of the members of No. 8 Company, O.R.V., takes place at the Star and Gaiter Hotel, to-morrow (Wednesday) evenicg, at 8 o'clock. We are requested to desiro all the members to be punctually in attendance, as theie is a good deal of business to be transacted. The meeting has been postponed from this day, the date advertised, so as not to interfere with Mr Hislop's lectuie. The oidinary fortnightly meeting of tho Municipal Council takes place on Ihuisday evening, at the usual hour. Mr Brunton will deliver his third lecture on Thursday evening; subject — "Tho Gentile." The ci icket match announced for Saturday, did not come off, the attendance not lieinglaigc enough to mako up two teams. The membcis of the (Jlub piesent and a few outsiders spent an houi or two in piactice. There were only six or eight members of tho Club on tho giouud. Tina won't do, aud we hope that the raembeis generally will see to it that ci icket m Oamaru is kept up during tho season now opening. A meeting of the Otepopo School Committee was held last Fnda3' evening, foi the purpose of electing a District Schoolmastei . The Cleik reported that nino candidates had lodged applications for the appointment. After caieful consideiatiou of the testimonials in favor of the several candidates., tho Committee unanimously and unhesitatingly made choice of Mr Alexander Puie, formeily a master in the JSunimerhill Clasical and Commercial School, Biuningham. Mr Pnie was educated at the parish School of Keith, Bauffshire, Scotland, where he served five yeais' apprenticeship as a public teacher. Ho aftei wards taught in England for some time with gieat acceptance and success. The testimony borne by competent judges to Mi Pnie's personal chaiacter, scholarship, and ability as a teacher is highly satisfactoiy, and fullj -warrants the expectation of the Committee, that he will rai««e the Otepopo School to a high clegteo of efficiency. Mr Hislop, the Inspector of Schools, was piebent at the meeting of the School Committee, and eoidially appioved of the choice made by then.. One of tho caigo boats loaded with o-\ts was swamped jesterdaj morning, and the cai go capsized into the sea. All the baijs wero recovered. In tho Resident Magistrate's Con.t on Friday, Peter Wtitson was bi ought up on lemand from the oth instant, charged with lunacy. Pnsoner had been lernanded on the supposition that ho was piobably suffeiing fioni dclinum ti emeus. The medical evidence showed that dm ing the intel un he had been much worse and that he was unquestionably of unsound mind, he was dangerous to lunioelf and otheia. He was committed to the Lunatic Asylum. William Hooper was chaiged with being of unsound mind. Prisoner was the writer of some eccentric letters lately published by us, and was laboring under the hallucination that a respectable tiadesman of Oamaru is in the habit of piactising tho black arts. So thoroughly does the idea seem to have got hold of him that not many days ago he laid a charge against the individual in question of murder and other heinous crimes, and we aro informed that some time ago he actually went all the way to Melbourne to get advice as to what steps he should take to counteract tho spell of hi3 imaginary wizard. Tho medical evidence, viz., that of Drs Wait and Fleming, showed him to be a dangerous lunatic, and he was ordered to bo sent to the asjlum. Watson on Saturday morniug endeavoied to escape fiom the Police Camp, having been very noisy during the night, laboring under the delusion that he was going to be thrown into a deep well with sixteen othei niuu'ered peisons, and subsequently that he was going to be loasted alive. He was lecaptured in the garden. This piisouer gave a great deal of tiouble to the police in putting him on board the boat of the Landing Seivice Company, Sergeant Bullen getting a good wetting in doing so. The other piisoner went with great alaciity, under tho belief that he was going down to Duuedin to consult the Provincial Solicitor as to the piosecution of the alleged wizard, aud very cheei fully undeitook to assist the constable in looking after Watson. On Monday Thomas Jon<j3, contractor, was finncl 10s. and os. Gd. costs for leaving an obstiuction in Tyne-stieet. Chailes O'Donnell wai fined 2s. 6d. for allowing his horses to trospass. Wo learn that Mr Mason, Otepopo, brought up from Dunedin by yesterday's coach, from tho Acclimatisation Society, seven biace of China partridges and three braco of Calif orman teal. The paitudges are to bo let loose on the east side of tho Otepopo "Bush, on Mr Mason's property, where there is plenty of waste grain, and as he has evii.ced great interest in the subject of acclimatisation, we have no doubt that eveiy care will be taken of them by him. We aie informed that if the present lot thrive well somewhere about seventy brace may bo expected as their increase. The teal are to be set at liberty on the Otopopo side of the Kakanui. The following telegr.m, dated the 1st inst , appears in the " Waikouaiti Herald" : — " In reply to a question asked in tho House of Repiesentatives, the Colonial Secietary said that if tho Government find that tho laud sold in tho Province of Otago at 10s. per acre has not been open for sale seven years, they will prevent tho issue of Crown Grants." Regulations for tho competition for four Provincial Scholai ships to the High School, appear in tho "Gazetto" of tho 8th instant. Schoolmasters aie requested to forward a list of the names and ages of intending compatitors to Mr John Hislop, before the 1st November next. Tho "Daily Times" notices a recent publication, handsomely printed in demi octavo, of "Reports of Cases decided at Nisi Prius and in Banco, in the Supieme Court of New Zealand and on appeal to the Court of Appeal," edited by James Macassey, Esq., Barrister-at-Law. It is to be continued as a legular series, in the usual style of Law Reports, and will thus ensure for itself a place in every legal library in the Otago aud Southland District. Notice is given in the " Pi ovincial Gazette," of the 8th instant, that the assessmont roll of the Totara District can be seen at the residence of Mr William Derrett, for fourteen days from that date.

A meeting of the members of the Northern Agricultural and Pastoral Association took place on Saturday afternoon. Present — Dr Webster (in the chair), Messr3 Black, Filluel, Derrett, M. R. Miller, Hassell, Aitcheson, M'Aulay, Hunter, Gilchrist, J. Holmes, L. G. Fenwick, and Mr Lodce, hon. sec. The prize list prepared by the Progiainmo Committee, was, after amendment, adopted. A discussion look place as to the prizes to be offered for long-woolled s>hf ep, and it was ultimately decided that two piizes be given for Leicester rams and two for Leicester ewes, also that L2 be given for the best ram and LI for the best three ewes in each of the following classes, viz. : — Cheviot, Romney Marsh, Lincoln, and Down. "With regard to the prize for the best long-woolled ram in the y aid, Mr Miller said that having in view the difficulty which the judges must experience in deciding the lespective merits of animals of sevotal different breeds, each of which might be unexceptionable of its kind, lie thought it would be far bettor to omit this prize ; it would be impossible to give satisfaction to exhibitois, who might eacli pride themselves xipon the excellency of their specimen of any particular breed. After some discussion this prize was struck out. Mr Miller wished to bring before the meeting a very valuable suggestion which had emanated from Mr Julius, viz., that iu the prize for the best pen of merino tarns it was deshable to secure that the rams shown should not be picked stud lams, but a fair average of the exhibitors' stock generally. He proposed to do this by a fixed upset piico being fixed for the pen shown, say thiee guineas or four guineas. No exhibitor would send his stud rams to be sold at that price, while although the successful exhibitor might value his sheep somewhat higher ho could snstain no loss, as he would reap a much gieater advantage m the proven excellence of his flock. He thought that the number bhown should bo ten, and the piico thiee guineas. He would not insist upon that. The uma to be sold after the show, and any surplus over the upset price to go to the funds of the Association. In answer to a question fiom Mr Black, Mr Miller said that this was on the piinciple of a selling stakes in racing. Mr Haascll generally appxoved of the proposition, but suggested that the number should be twenty, and the upset price four guineas. Mr Miller having modified his proposition in accordance with Mr Hassell's suggestion, it was adopted. It was resolved that instead of a prize for the second best mare in the yaid, a piize bo given for the best biood mare in foal or with foal at foot. Mr Hassell drew attention to the necessity of some anangcinent being made for the piotection of the daily pioduco exhibited. Last year the booth was cleared almost immediately after the admission of the public. Mr Locke agreed that something should be done in the matter, and stated that it would have the attention of the Yard Committee. With reference to the prizes for giain, Mr Derrett raised the question as to the advisability (seeing that at the time of the show there would be few holders) of leaving out these, so as not to clash with the Grain and Seeds Show. After some little discussion the prizes as scheduled weie adopted, it being thought that being of tiifiing amount they would in no way interfere with the Giain and Seeds Show. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr Gilchrist, that an additional prize be given for the second-best reaping machine. The meeting then adjourned. A meeting of the Dinner Committee of No. 8 Company, O.R.V., took pRce after drill on Friday evening at the Oddfellows' Hall. It was ljsoHcd that the dinner take place .it the Masonic II .ill, on Friday, October tlie 2nd A sub-torn mitt ee was appointed to make aiia..gesncnts for the same, a list of toasts was drawn up, . nd the Band were furnished with a list of tunes to bo given in connection therewith. Messid Anderson, Baudmet, and Sheppnd woie appointed a Decoration Co'iiimtlee. It was r^-olvcc 1 that the dinner be a.lvei ttsert in the Oau.yku Times until duto, aud that the Seciet.uy be m&tructed to get 200 tickets pi itited, the <-ame to be di->tnbuted for sale among the different hotel and stoiekoepers. After a vote of thanks to the chair, the Committee adjourned. The Rev. Father tlickie, who has arrived in Dunedin, being commissioned by the Head of the Roman Church to collect fuuds for the establishment o f a Catholic Univeisit\' in Ireland, will, we undeistiud, visit Oamaiu at an eaily date. We believo it is in contemplation to lay the foundation stouo of the Catholic C'huich dm ing his visit to this place. A correspondent informs the " Waikouaiti Herald" that on Friday, tho 4th September, " a number of tho settlers resident in the Shag Valley disti ict turned out in true neighborly spirit to give a start to Mr Black, a now settler, in the shape of a day's ploughing. The morning being rather showeiy, no doubt several were prevented from being present who otherwise would. Notwithstanding this diawback, however, a little after the usual hour of staiting fourteen ploughs had arrived on the ground, and commenced in good earnest to turn up the virgin soil, which was m excellent condition — each ploughman viewing with his neighbor both in neatness and the quantity of woik performed; and so unexpected was the turning out, that Mr Black had not cleared and prepared sufficient land to keep the teams going all day. As to the qualifications of the ploughmen engaged, tho fact that one man ploughed all tho afternoon with one stilt (the other having bi^ken) speaks for itself. About five o'clock all the land cleared was ploughed, aud thf pleasant task of tho day w is completed, when the ploughmen wished their neighbor, Mr Black, in his new ventuie, eveiy success, over the stirrup-cup, and sped their way to their respective homes." A telegram in tho " Daily Times" states that on the 5th inst., a shock of eaithquake was felt at Taranaki ; it was the smartest ever expei ienced at that place. The Wellington con espondent of the " Daily Times" telegraphs as follows : — " It is reported that the Government have offered compensation to several Piovinoes with regard to tho new financial arrangement, as follows—Nelson, L150,000 ; Otago, L38,000 ; Westland, L15,000. Other Provinces also are to receive compensation to large amounts, but as the amounts stated vary fiom day to day, tho reports must be roceived with caution. The salmon at the Waiwera are said to be doing well, we hope that tho wish is not " father to the thought."