SUMMARY OF INTELLIGENCE FROM THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1641, 8 January 1862, Page 3

SUMMARY OF INTELLIGENCE FROM THE SOUTHERN PROVINCES.

Taranaki. —The advertizement columns of the local journals give indications of reviving activity in trade, and of returning confidence which are very gratifying. Money is once more offered to be lent on mortn-a-e; the New Zealand Bank Agency lately established there is busy, and its operation has, we learn, disclosed the fact that there is still, in proportion to the population, no inconsiderable amount of wealth, notwithstanding the disasters of the last eighteen months. The New Zealand Insurance Company has also opened an Agency theie. t; Seasonable goods” bonnets, silks, muslins, &c., &c., are in the market, and no doubt in demand, as wo observe that amongst the Christmas festivities, there was a Masonic Ball at which IfiC person? inspired by the

c the “ b. be conth nor, as exp. Europeans to Tataraimaka; - M , to prerent their doiin a-, “ H. t , “ Commanu... “ His Honour the Superintendent, “ New Plymouth.” The maintenance of the Taranaki Millie costs the people of New Zealand, at this moment, more than ±'4O,O(X) a year. There appears to ba on the part or the authorities, a desire to reduce this heavy charge, and at length, on the part of the Militia—who are, indeed, the people of Taranaki—there are symptoms of a disposition to do something for themselves in the way of road-making, as an equivalent for their pay, instead of dawdling, unwillingly, over quasi military duty as they have done for some time past.

Wanganui.—The Chronicle of the 21st ult. gives a statement of the’imports and exports at that port, for the quarter ended 30th Sept., which shows a very considerable falling off under the latter head, as compared with the exports for the corresponding quarter of 1860. This deficit the Chronicle attributes to the altered condition of the relations of the colonists with .the native people, consequent upon the state of warfare previously existing, and to the fact that less native produce now comes to market—cultivation by the Maories having been to a great extent suspended during the disturbances at Taranaki. In the September quarter of 1860,-' the exports were valued at £5020 the quarter in 1861, they were £2935 The value of imports for the same periods was, respectively £12,426 afitl ; £l 4,607. From the Local Intelligence of ; the “ Chronicle,’ of the 19 th ult., we extract the followingl ' .

Tub Natives. —A large number of the Ngatiruanuis visited Aramaho, a week or two since, for tho purpose of assisting at a txngi over the body of Nahono, wha was killed, some time, ago, by a fall from his horse. No doubt they discussed political matters, but with what, if any, result has not yet transpired. About 150 came, some of whom remain inVilic neighbourhood. Those who . returned made purchases of tobacco, blankets, &c., from our storekeepers before they left. They seemed a good deal 1 disheartened by the report that the Waikato natives j were peacably inclined. 0/ The Overland Mail to Taranaki. —Kurnoufj were afloat some weeks ago that the conveyance o. this mail was to bo resumed; hut it appears that the Ngatiruanui arc still opposed to its being allowed to pass. The Waikatos are divided on the question, and and it cannot be settled in our favour until they give the command to their allies to open the communication. It would seem that as yet the “ Noes” have it, on the ground that the road was shut during the war, and that the circumstances remaining still the same, no change is warranted.

Wellington.— The intelligence from Wei-, lington offers no points of jjreat interest The Advertiser has now better hopes of the province. “ Wellington,” it says, “ Either enjoys, or will soon have all that a corny racrcial community requires to render it prosperon* It is centrallys ituated ; it has a safe, commodious and noble harbour ; it is in possession of an effective light-house; it will soon have a deep water wharf; it has already two fine local steamers; it is the depot of a large wool, and ought to be of a fine wheat growing country ; and, what is perhaps of equal imk portance,its banking facilities, which are unquestionably llr Hpngat the most potent agencies in the formation and deve»ipp ment 0 f commerce, will soon be second to non# found>; u an y 0 f the commercial towns of Australia.” J We deceived in thinking that our contemporary t. would speedily be brought to see the error of'XJts -way. T be hope of discovering a gold fiehj ] ias no t been abandoned ? An interesting paper from the pen of thi Hon. J. C. Crawford, reference to tbs country near , Cape had been published ; the following are jfc which the writer arrives:—,/i \ V Ist. That gold in this province is to he sought for at the bottom of the drift, where it rests v. n t h e older “ 2nd. That a search in the direction indicated, offers a fair and reasonable prospect of success.^ Xhe services of a professional Geoß^pist are intended to be secured for the Provide

for a period of two years. At the Session of the Supreme .Court, Colour-Sergeant Collins, H.M. 65th Regiment, was tried for the murder of Ensign Alexander of the same Regiment, at Wanganui, and, having been found guilty, received sentence of death. A public meeting, at which the Superintendent presided, was held, with the view to the establishment of a “Pastoral and Agricultural Society”; in the course of his observations His Honor referred to the appeal which bad been recently made by the Bradford Association in favor of coarse wools, and said “ that advices had also been received from eminent wool-brokers, cautioning them from falling into the trap that had been prepared for them, and counselling them not to give up the growth of their fine wools.” Nelson. —The nomination for the Superintendency took place on the Ist ultimo, when Mr. Robinson, Mr. J. L. Mrey, and Mr. Barnicoat, presented themselves as candidates. The show of hands was largely in favour of Mr. Robinson. Before the polling dav Mr. Wrcy withdrew from the contest, and Mr. Robinson was finally returned by » very large hiajority—s93 against -18. The West Coast Coal had been put to the of experiment on board the steamer “Tasmanian Maid” whilst that vessel was employed in towing the “ Gladiator, a s ip of 600 tons, out of the Nelson Harbour. The trial was highly satisfactory. ine Examiner says, that “ Steam was got up on this occasion after the boilers only fifty ’ ft , m time than steam ■ .team about three hours.

.nd .inal , 2nd ial, one mrapts at _ to Timaru from .j l in their search for odys the “ Press, the Council reearner should be laid on to Dunedin, j twenty-four hours in each harbour ; and .itract made with Messrs. Miles, and signed, the Council was actually in session, without consulting it —to run a steamer fortnightly to Akaroa, Timaru, and Oamaru, shall be altered and be extended to Dunedin.” A proposalmade by the Superintendent to establish direct steam communication wit.* Melbourne at a cost of £7OOO per annum, was rejected by the Council. In the estimate of the revenue of the Province for the Uncial year 1861-2, the receipts from the Land sales are put down at £60,000. Pasturage Licenses £15,000. Customs £15,000. It was understood that, after the session closed, a dissolution of the Provincial Council would lie asked for, in order to an increase in the number of Members. Otago. —The feverish uncertainty of the gold returns has settled down into a weekly product of some 15.000 ounces, and as the number of men engaged in mining pursuits cannot at preseut exceed some 10,000, the average earnings appear fully as large as they were on the Victoria gold fields when at their best.

A destructive fire had broken out in Princes-strect, Dunedin, on the morning of the Ist of December. Several places of business, including the offices of the “ Witness” and the “ Daily Times” journals were destroyed, but fortunately no lives were We regret to say that none of the principal sufferers were insured. The working of the Provincial Government had nearly come to a dead-lock owing to the temporary inability of the Superintendent, to fprm an Executive. This difficulty had no sooner been overcome than a resolution expressive of want of confidence in the Superintendent was passed by the Council, and coupled with a recommendation that the Superintendent should advise the Governor _t o dissolve the Council. The effect of a dissolution would be to place the-election of > both Superintendent-and Council in the hands w of the “.old party” which seems disposed to Sacrifice the present Superintendent for the "T’sake of retaining their grasp of power to the last. , In a month or two the new electoral roll will have invested with votes some of the /housands who have lately arrived and settled at Otago, whereby the “ Cameronian” element will be very largely diluted. It is not in the least likely, we think, that a dissolution will be granted under present circumstances. Several wrecks of coasting vessels have taken place on the bar; and the total loss of the s.s. “ Oscar” is reported iu the New River, Invercargill—all hands, however, together with the gold, passengers’baggage, &c., had been saved, though the vessel itself was said to be a total wreck. The steamer was in charge, of the pilot, so that no blame whatever attaches to the Captain. Mr. Win. Lambert for many years proprietor and editor of the Colonist, died on the 21st ultimo. A general meeting of the Presbytery bad/ been held at Dunedin on the 16th ult., y The following proposals were agreed upon, 7 j - ‘~T First, That the Presbyterian Church of New. 1 aa a , n , , should have a General Assembly, rneeti’* 1 ® P®noaipaliy \everv two or three years, or agreed upon; secondly, That it shall con«f ot tiT the Southern Synod, conipre' jet ’ (1 ‘ 1 « O ago, Sout land, and Stewart’s Island Middle Synod, com- ,, . . „ i,„n, Marlborough, and Weiflnrrtnn the Northern vnot b embracing Auckland, Napier,’ and TaraL* l > thirdl A That the Church should take up ad* . s , om ® Foreign Mission Schemc—thattoH® New Hebrides being specially recommended if which l£ is - supposed she may at least support two yiissiotiHries; fourthly. That the Church should also' originate a Home Mission and Church Extension ® c^cme t0 a ’ d * u establishing ordinances in more rcir' ote and thinly peopled districts; fifthly, That the Cliu 4rc^1 should originate, by collections, donations, or oth^ fcrw ‘ se > !l Widows’ and Orphans’ Fund. These proposals were agreed to, and, along with the basis of nicfju, were ordered to be sent to the various Presbyjries and Kirk Sessions for their consideration. Subjoined wo publish a return of the amount of gold exported since the commencement, of the Otago diggings to the 28tb ult. The amount of gold exported from the beginning of the diggings to the 20th December is 166,794, oz., 11 dwts. ; of which 76,190 oz. have been shipped by the Bank of New South Wales ; 62,022 oz. by the Union Bank of Australia ; 1235 oz. 13 dwt. by the Oriental Bank Corporation ;, and 4520 ozs. by the Bank of New Zealand. This is exclusive of shipments per Oscar. The. balance shipped by-private hands is 22,826 ozs., 2 dwts. ' “ . ■ Since the sth October, 159 persons have departed from the port of Dunedin, taking with them a total of 5539 ozs., 16 dwts of gold, being an average of 34 ozs. 1C dwts. to each person. There arc 33 who have taken under 10 ozs. each, 43 who have taken over 10 oz?. and under 20, 27 who have taken over 20 ozs. and under 30, 21 who have taken 30 ozs. and under 50, 23 who have taken 50 oz. and under 100, 4 who have taken over 100 ozs. and under 160, 1 took 333 oz., 1 210 ozs., and 2 856 ozs. From a statement furnished ns by the Bank of New New South Wales, the amount of gold in the receiving office on the 19th December, was 44,367 ozs. 3 dwts” of which 31,882 oz 13 dwts. were the produde of the Tuapeka gold field, 12,464 oz. 10 dwts. from Waitahuna.

WAIKATO. We were enabled, through the kindness of a correspondent at Waiuku, to place our readers in possession of the principal circumstances attending the visit of Governor Grey to that place, on his way to Waikato, and we now propose to give, from the best information we have been enabled to obtain, a sketch, necessarily imperfect, of the occurrences at the Native Meeting on the Waikato. On the 12th inst., Sir George Grey with his party, reached Kohanga, and here his reception by the Natives was of the most gratifying description. The usual wardance and shouts of welcome greeted him by the water side; arrived qu tho rising

mg place, escorted ;st met him, there aal arch, decorated , and having in its ters “V, R.” and the words ria,” and, on one side, the George Grey.” From the ouses of the settlement, the by Natives —men on one side, he children of the Native e other. As the Governor 'h the lines, the school chilli, sang , “ God save the Queen energy and effect: indeed it that every form of Maori weldkewise lavished by the Natives , old friend, Sir George Grey. In uing of the same day, an interview le Governor was sought by a number ,e Chiefs. On the 13th and'Htlrthe

.ather was wet and stormy, hut on the 16th me great meeting was held in the open air at Waata Kukutai’s place, Taupari. From seven to eight hundred Natives were present, about two huudred and fifty of whom, it is said, represented the King party and the Upper Waikato. Takerei was there, and Tipene, a redoubtable Kingite. The Governor explained to the meeting assembled the line of policy which it was proposed to pursue towards the Natives. This has in great part been set forth in the document circulated amongst the Natives, which we reprinted a few days since. The exposition was listened to with grave and silent attention. At two o’clock the assembly broke up; a request was made by the Natives and accorded by the Governor, that there should be a second meeting at three o’clock. An eyewitness has described to us that a singular change appeared to have come over she spirit of the men in the interval, and which made itself evident in the expression of their countenances. They spoke freely and with apparent frankness to Sir George Grey; declared that they approved of his policy; that they recognized him as their friend—as the skilful doctor by whom the evil which afflicted the land might be healed. The Waikatos could not, they said, make any promises for their own people, but they would return and report all that they had then heard and learnt. Then, a conversation took place between Sir George Grey and Tipene, of which this is, as we ' are informed, the substance: —Tipene asked “about Taranaki, “what was to be done?” The Governor replied, “that the plunder taken from the settlers at Taranaki must be restored, and that if a large tract of land were given in payment by the Natives for the wrong committed by them there, then they might come to ask grace at his the Governor’s hands. The Governor would not, he said, allow these Natives to close up the old

highways, or to interrupt the course of communication from Taranaki Southwards. If that were again attempted, he the Governor, would establish Military-posts along that line, and it would then be for him to say who should be allowed to come or to go.” The Governor had also heard, he said, that a runanga of Waikato had come to a determination to prevent persons travelling in that district. Any arrest of or interference with Europeans travelling would be an offence punishable by law, and the offender, if caught, could be prosecuted in the Courts of the Colony, whatever might be his position, even if he proved to be the person himself whom they called a king. At this meeting the kingites sat immediately round Sir George Grey, they having in the morning located themselves on his left hand and apart. At the exclusion of the conversation Tipene, we ai ’ e told, expressed his contentment; and that “day was beginning to dawn.” When the Governor left he was loudly and heartily cheered, in British fashioV by the assembled Natives, On the I7tfr there was another meeting; those assembled were representatives of five tribes; Ngatitipa, Ngatiteata, Ngatitahiuga, Ngatimahana, and Ngatipou. The place was a

large Native building erected, we believe, for the purpose, and gaily decorated. At one end ther/ was a door by which the Governor entered; at the other end was the entrance for the people. Above His Excellency’s seat was fixed an image of full length carved in wood, the tatooing exquisitely performed; /Others of the pigeon ingeniously put together represented the hair; the feathers of I the Huia, so highly prized by the Maori, I were used as ornaments; the body of the figure was covered with a Native mat of the finest texture, and a stone axe of great antiquity hung by its hand.’ Again, Sir George Grey stated to the Erecting the things that he proposed to do. He was answered by the Natives, one by one, oath individual expressing, in language more or '.ess figurative, his loyalty to the Queen, and his attachment to her Representative, the Governor. When all had thus spoken, one Chief, the principal, stood up and, pointing to the figire which vc have above described, said, “Governor Grey, that is our ancestor. We all, these five tribes, take our origin from him; he is our mana ; he is our ancestor; we give him to you; we give also his mat and his battle axq; we \Jpot give you more.” The Governor said, “ I accept him, and I will keep your ancestor with me.” The periti say that there is no form in which fealty can be more solemnly offered by the Maori than this one, and that the ceremony has a deep and real significance. On the evening of the 17th, forty young men were selected to take the Governor up to Maungatwhiri, and in the early morning the party started in two large canoes, that one in which His Excellency sat being distinguished by carrying the flag of Tipa, the , “ ancestor” of the tribes, -Whose image figured in the ceremony of the previous day. From Maungatawhiri the Governor came into Town by the Great South Road. The new Institutions of civil Government have been accepted by the people of Lower Waikato. On Monday next, some two thousand soldiers will be employed in completing the road to the Waikato river, at MauugataAvhiri. On last evening, the following notification in English and Maori was published in the General Government Gazette : Auckland, Dec. 19th, 1861. His Excellency the Governor directs it to be notified that on his recent visit to the Waikato, he had the pleasure of ascertaining that the sentiments of the Lower Waikato Natives are of a very friendly character; and that he has good reason to hope that those of the Upper Waikato will before long be known to be of the same character. In order that no misapprehension should exist regarding the movements of the troops about to take place. His Excellency further directs it to be notified that these are only made with a view of placing in security for the future Her Majesty’s subjects, Native and Enropean, inhabiting the country lying between 1 Auckland and the Waikato river; and of completing the roads which are now in process of construction through land belonging to the Goyefment, and which

will prove of great advantage to all the inhabitants of the Waikato: and that no intention exists of interfering with the Native inhabitants of that river. By His Excelledcy’s command, H. Sewell. — JS/eip Zealander, Dec. 21.