The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1868. GENERAL SUMMARY.

North Otago Times, Volume XI, Issue 359, 30 October 1868, Page 2

The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1868. GENERAL SUMMARY.

Pabliament was prorogued by His Excellency the Governor on the 20th, being one hundred and five days from the time of meeting, the house having sat during sixty-two days, on an average nearly eight hours per diem, more than half of the time having been spent in discussions upon motions of want of confidence in one shape or another. Out of a hundred and sixteen bills introduced, «ighty-one were passed by both Houses^ twenty received their quietus in the House of Representatives, and fifteen in the Legislative Council. Of the eighty-one bills passed, scarcely one embodies any important politixsal principle, most of them applying only to matters of detail, or being applicable only to particular Provinces. No readjustment of the Representation has been made, nor has any provision for the extension of the principle of Local Government. After the numerous petitions sent in in favor of what is called the County System, which were twenty-seven in number, and contained fifteen thousand signatures while there were Jt>u£ two counter-petitions, containing to-

gether forty-three signatures, it will be readily understood that great disappointment has been felt in all the petitioning districts at the shelving of the subject. The " Eoad Boards Bill," which was intended to provide for the case of outlying districts, but only partially did so, was at its last stage quashed by the Legislative Council, on the ground that it was too late in the session to consider it. The conduct of the present Ministry (after championing the cause as they did at the outset), in making a sort of Parliamentary truce with the Opposition by withdrawing or forbearing to bring forward any measures likely to cause a conflict of -parties, is severely censured, and although Mr Stafford promises the country that the cause of Local Government is not abandoned but will be fought next session, it is generally felt that his beating a retreat in the way he has done is a blot upon his political escutcheon, a departure from the straight course which he should have pursued as an honest politician. The "Otago Settlements Bill is among the list of massacred measures, as also is the " Libel Bill" which proposed to secure to the Press certain much-needed immunities in the publication of reports of the proceedings of public bodies, but while nothing has been done towards giving a satisfactory definition of newspaper responsibility in these matters, a " Printers and Newspapers Registration Bill" haa been passed, simply, it would appear, to give a little more trouble. Altogether, the session has been an eminently unsatisfactory one, and it is to be hoped that ministers will take the course of advising a dissolution before the next assembly of Parliament, so as to give the country an opportunity to make its voice heard. Public meetings are being held in various parts of the Colony in favor of a dissolution. The General Synod of the Episcopalian Church is now in session at Auckland, and has elected Bishop Harper, of the diocese of Christchurch, successor to Bishop Selwyn, as metropolitan. He is however to take the title of Bishop of Auckland instead of New Zealand. A motion brought before the Synod, for the appointment of a Select Committee, to draw up and report to the next Synod, the bases of proposals for a union of all the different churches of New Zealand, was, after considerable discussion, lost. That the matter should have been mooted however augurs well. The farewell address to Bishop Selwyn has been numerously signed in the various Provinces, and his Lordship's departure, en route for his new diocese, has been the occasion of a great demonstration of the esteem with which he is regarded in the Colony. Native matters are still in a very awkward position. Numbers of friendlies have gone over to the rebels, and it has been found necessary to abandon many of our outposts. Parliament has resolved to petition the Home Government for the retention of the only Imperial regiment now remaining in the Colony, and t.h© various companies are now doing garrison duty. There has been little fighting since our last, but a number of outrages of almost unprecedented atrocity have been committed by the rebels. The prisoners taken by them at Ruaruru were tortured, roasted, and then torn to pieces and eaten by the women and children. Others who have fallen have been horribly mutilated, and others again cut to pieces, salted down in kegs, and sent as provisions to different Maori hapus. Bad management has made the Colonial forces very discontented, and on the expiration of their term of engagement many of the men have refused to re-enlist. The Colony has a time of trouble before it, but there is no disposition to shrink from the difficulty ; and there can be no doubt that the present state of things must ere long culminate in a war of extermination. Subscriptions have been set afoot all over the country to raise a fund for the widow and children of the late gallant Yon Tempsky and other officers who fell in the disastrous engagement at Te Ngutu O te Manu, reported in our last Summary, which promise to realise a handsome sum. The Thames Goldfields continue to yield largely, though we do not now hear of such large finds at the time of their first opening. It is also found that there is a large proportion of silver mixed with the gold, which reduces the value per ounce to considerably less than that of the gold found in this Province. Great indignation has been felt at the discovery that a slave trade, or something very like it, is arising in Queensland and elsewhere, out of the present system of importing labor from the South Sea Islands. This matter will be found referred to more at length in another column. Considerable surprise was awakened a few days ago by the intelligence that it was proposed to entertain the question of the annulment of the Panama Mail Contract; but the explanation of the Hon. the Post-master-General fully convinced the House of the great mistake which this course would involve, and the proposition was immediately withdrawn, to the great satisfaction of every well-wisher of the Colony. Daring the month the weather throughout the Colony has been unsettled and stormy, floods and high winds having done considerable damage, and several shocks of earthquake have been experienced — severe ones being felt in Christchurch, Lyttelton, Kaiapoi, Hokitika, Nelson, and Wellington, on the 19th inst. The efforts of the Acclimatisation Society for the introduction of trout have been, so far, crowned with success ; some hundreds of fish having been hatched, and continuing up to the present time in a healthy condition ; rooks have been seen, and starlings and chaffinches are reported to be building in the vicinity of Dunedin, while the welcome news comes from the Province of Marlborough that the rooks are founding a colony of their own in the Wairau Valley. There are few local matters of interest to report. The local racemeeting came off at Kurow on the 2nd inst., and the Oamaru Garrick Club have given a most successful performance, The new jail is nearly completed, and the Volunteer "drill shed has been roofed-in and the flooring is now going on.

We also notice a considerable number of buildings in course of erection for business firms and private persons. Yet times "were never so dull in Oamaru before, the markets are quite stagnant and everyone is eagerlyjlooking forward to the approaching shearingtime in hope of realising a renewal of activity. What the place most wants is improved shipping facilities, and public attention being now specially directed to this point, we hope to be able to report in our next monthly summary, that active steps are being taken to secure the adoption of one or other of the many dock and canal schemes now before the public.

Oar notice of the concert which, took place last evening is unavoidably held over till next issue. At a meeting of the Totara Local Road Board held on the 27th inst., at the residence of 0. de Y. Teschemaker, Taipo, tenders for the formation of the Kokanui Fort Road, were opened. That of Messsn Fr&ser and Kirkwood, vis., L896 19a. lid., was accepted. R. Paterson, Esq., has been gazetted to the command of No. 1 Company O.R.V. (City Guards), vies Captain Frederick J. Moss, whose resignation has been accepted. Jas. Elder Brown, Esq., Mayor of Milton, and Alfred Douglas, Esq., of Glenham, Mataura, hare been appointed to the commission of the peace. Letters Patent have been granted to Mr John Mason, of Auckland, for improvements in quartz-crush-ing machinery. Hugh Inglii, Esq., M.R.C.S., hat been appointed Honorary Assistant Surgeon to the East Taieri Rifle "Volunteer Corps. A correspondent sends the "Southern Cross" the following from the Upper Thames, which would seem to show that New Zealand possesses immense attractions for one who has seen so many lands : — " Mr Schafer, the German traveller, has become enamoured with a young dark-skinned lady of the Native race, and, therefore, he proposes to settle down with the lady of his choice in this or some of the adjacent districts, finish his history of travels through all countries that he has visited up to the present time, and then publish the same. After which he proposes to return to Germany, and finish the rest of his journey or travels through Russia, Siberia, &c. ; and finally, after finishing all his travels, return to become a New Zealand colonist." | The " Tuapeka Kmes" of a recent date has the following :— " It is rumoured that Mr J. G. S. Grant has applied for the principalship of the proposed University. It only need this to complete the absurdity ,of the whole affair. A requisition is in course of signature in Timaru to Mr Stafford, requesting him to allow himself to be put in nomination for the representation of that place in the House of Representatives. A transit of the planet Mercury across the sun's disc will take place on the 5th proximo, it will be partially visible here. A correspondent of the " Bruce Herald" makes the following suggestions, relative to the exhibition of sheep at shows, which are worthy of consideration by Agricultural and Pastoral Societies : — " 1 have been considering what might be an advantage to judges and exhibitors of sheep at all shows. I think it will be very difficult for judges of the Merino breed to tell whether wool is one year's, eighteen months', or two years' growth. It is not so with any other breed of sheep that I know of, at least to such a degree. I have thought that it should be the rule at sheep Vhow*, that exhibitors ought to put' over the sheep pens those portions of the following questions that might be applicable, and to be ready to answer before a Justice of the Peace such of the annexed questions as might be put to them, if any doubt should arise. It is the custom of the home country both in regard to the exhibition of sheep and wool. 1st. If over two toothers state date of last shearing, and whether high or low shorn. 2nd. Whether imported and when, or whether New -Zealand breed. 3rd. How the sheep have been fed, whether New Zealand grasses, or artificial grasses, and if on the hitter, the names common and botanical to be stated. 4th. W hether running all the year in the open air, or whether housed and stall-fed, or whether partly in the open air and partly under cover, and if so, what portion of the year." The address to Bishop Selwin received from 150 to 200 signatures in Oaxnaru, and was duly forwarded to its destination by His Worship the Mayor, who has given us permission to publish the following acknowledgement of receipt : — "Judges Chambers, Wellington, 19th October, 1888. S. Gibbs, Esq., Oamaru, Sir, — By desire of His Honor Mr Justice Johnston, I beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th of October, enclosing therewith lists signed in connection with the address to the Bishop of New Zealand, together with a Post Office Order for three photographs, amounting to fifteen shillings, and to thank you for the ■ame. I urn, Sir, yours obediently, Ernest H. Ingpin, Secretary to Mr Justice Johnston." We take the following from the Bruce Herald t — " It is rumoured that a new daily paper is to appear, under the management of Messrs Vbgel and Fox. We observe that the ' Daily Times' has recently changed its views on the land question. If it persevere in this course it will have little to fear from any opposition on the part • of the friends of the squatter interest. The " Timaru Herald" says it is rumored that Mr E. C. J. Stevens, of Christchurch, is likely to join the Ministry in place of Mr Hall, who is shortly to retire through ill health. We give this as a mere rumor, and are unable to say whether there is any truth in it.