The New Zealander. DAILY. AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 1864. CONFLICTS ENDED IN 1864.

New Zealander, Volume XXII, Issue 2318, 4 January 1865, Page 2

The New Zealander. DAILY.

AUCKLAND, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 4 1864. CONFLICTS ENDED IN 1864.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends tlum ai u'st at, be t'iy Countrv\ Tliy Goo’s, and Truth’s.

In every country and in every age change, arc continually occurring ; and there % scarcely any land of which a year’s chronicle would not comprise some noticeable p :o -Tm sion of events. But without entering into s 0 vast a field of disquisition, we would here merely mention the instances in which determinate results have accrued, during the year, to remarkable movements previously in operation. Such has been the case in Russia, Italy Schleswig-Holstein, and Mexico. l u first named empire the emancipation 0 f the serfs has been followed by the complete crushing out of the insurrection ' resorted to by the unhappy Pole? Many a gallant spirit has in that hopeless

struggle made a vain sacrifice of lif e< Poland has fallen, apparently to rise no more —a signal example of a high-spiriicd people ruined irretrievably, in the first place, by an anarchy the result of civil dissension ami of unwisely ordered institutions. The best hope for Poland now is, a political amalgamation with Russia and her other despoilers, and a speedy advance of these in liberty and enlightenment. The convention entered into between the Emperor-of the French and the King 0 (

Italy, is one of the most important events which have occurred in the past year, By the terms of that convention the Italian Government has undertaken to remove the seat of Government from the extreme Northern city of Turin j to the central city of Florence ; and*' on the other hand the French Emperor undertakes, that within the space of two years the French army of occupation shall be withdrawn from the city of Koine. His Imperial Majesty has been long the protector of the temporal power pertaining to His Holiness the Pope ; and by the consent of the Italians to make Florence their political capital a security is considered to be taken for a cessation of the effort to obtain Romo as the capital of the Italian kingdom. The Italian Government, at the same time, has

engaged to respect the remaining territory of the Church. VVe have always, for our own part, been of opinion that—apart altogether from the ecclesiastical difficulties involved —the liberal party of Italy erred in desiring to establish their Government in Rome. The capital of Tuscany, Florence, we have deemed to be in every point of view preferable. The thing is, on their part, an ' affair of sentiment; but the sentiment lias appeared to us to be misplaced. Rome—- “ the eternal city,” as its ancient inhabitants loved to call it—belongs to the past and (o antiquity ; its name is liuked only to classic and ecclesiastic associations ; and in each of these aspects it has beta the centre ' of a quasi-uuiversal dominion. But the Italian Kingdom is a novelty, a creation of the present, a reality only of the future, and a definitely-limited reality. Fcr sometime to come the Italian question may he regarded as settled.

The long series of controversies and bunglings, in respect to the German duchies ruled by the Danish King, has been practically brought to an end, so far as pertains to extraGerman politics. Schleswig and Holstein and Laueuburg have passed from the Danish sceptre, and are at present ruled provisionally by a Prussian administration. It is shrewdly suspected that the Prussian Government, especially the premier Count von His-

3IAKK, are inclined to retain possession of its prize, and to “mediatize” the rightful heir, the Duke of Augustenberg. Whether the King of Prussia will be persuaded to consider such a result consistent with regal honor, and whether Germany will , acquiesce, it is for His Majesty and his compatriots of the “fatherland” to decide. As the Scottish saying has it, “ among them “be’t.”

The tragical farce of the Mexican Republic has been closed, aud the Archduke Maximilian, brother of the Austrian Emperor, is installed aud acknowledged as Emperor of Mexico, He rules over an extensive and magnificent land, inhabited by a motley and uncultured population. Me has a great task before him, he means well, and we wish him all success.

Many people speak bitter things against the Emperor Napoleon. We must say that we do not agree with them. He has been, at all events, the benefactor of France, and also of Italy and Mexico. We have commenced this article with the heading, “ Conflicts ended in 1864.” It hai been said by some that a needless conflict between political parties in Auckland has been ended in 1864 : has it ?

THE YExAR IBS4. —(Concluded.) In September occurred the escape of the Maori prisoners from the Kawau. They had been previously in safe custody on board of the bulk ‘ Marion,’ where they were guarded by a detachment of Colonial troops; but when they were removed to the Kawau, by permission of the Governor, who is proprietor of the island, t..e Defence Minister withdrew the guard. On the morning of Sunday, the 11th, it was found that the prisoners had escaped to the main land. By the mail from England arrive d, in ibis mouth, Mr. Header Wood, the Colonial Treasurer.

Af the sittings of the Supreme Court, iu September, there were three trials for murder, one of the men tried being Alexander M‘Lean, for the wilful murder of Ids wife at

Pokeno. He was found guilty. The other two were convicted of manslaughter. The first prize fight in New Zealand —aud, it is to be hoped, the last—occurred this month in the neighborhood of Auckland. On the 9th the land of Ngaruawahia was sold at auction by Mr. Samuel Cochrane. On the 30th of the month the Whitaker* Fox Ministry resigned office.

His Excellency having refused to accept the resignation of Ministers, they at length recommended the calling of the General Assembly at Wellington. As his Excellency, however, deemed it inconsistent with

his duty, that he should personally be absent from the Province, during a crisis of such a kind as has existed here, the Ministers found themselves at last compelled to advise the convening of the Assembly at Auckland. A proclamation to that effect was issued. On the 25th was promulgated a proclamation of the Governor—not countersigned by any Minister—inviting the submission 0*

the tribes in arms against the Queen, and announcing t,lilt I,is Excellency and General CaMERON would conjointly decide upon the lands to be returned to the Natives after the cession provided for in the proclamation. The time allowed for that purpose wild to expire on the 10th of December eusu--Boon after the Ministry had recommended Wellington as the place of meeting of the Assembly, came the report of the Seat of Government Commissioners, who selected Wellington as the Seat of Government of the Colonv. On the 21st of the month occurred the execution of Alexander McLean. Strenuous efforts had been ineffectually made for a commutation of the sentence. The Provincial Council, having met An the stb, continued in session during the month. The most generally interesting of its procedures was the expose made in the matter of M". William Crush Daldy, who, in viola tiun of a specific promise, had accepted a lucrative office as Provincial Agent in Britain. The General Assembly was to have met on the 21st of October ; but owing to the negotiations going on for the formation of a new Ministry, the Assembly was prorogued to the 23rd, and again to the 24th. In the interval Mr. Weld composed the Ministry as follows:—The Premier. Mr. Weld, Colonial Secretary aud Native Minister; Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Fitziierbert ; Attorney-Ge-neral, Mr. SBWELLjTostmaster General, Major Richardson ; Defence Minister, Major Atkinson. Previously to undertaking the task of forming a Government, Mr. Weld submitted to his Excellency certain propositions, which contained the main elements of his policy, and which were accepted by the Governor. The policy of the Government comprised the immediate removal of the Seat of Government to Wellington ; a request to the Imperial Government that the Imperial troops be withdrawn from the Colony as soon as possible, so as to allow a termination to the system of divided government ; the making of roads throughout the Northern Island ; aud the adoption of the Panama contract, with some modifications. The Provincial Council remained in session until the 17th, when they adjourned. Mr. Hugh Carleton succeeded Mr. Newman as Provincial Secretary and Treasurer. In the first week of December, Mr. Whitaker moved in the Legislative Council, and His Honor the Superintendent of Auckland, Mr. lIOBERT Graham, in the House of Representative?, resolutions in favor of the establishment of a separate Colony in the Northern portion of New Zealand, and in favor of requesting the Imperial Government to assume the undivided control of Native affairs. These resolutions were negatived in the Council by a majority of 10 to 9, and it; the House of Representatives by 35 to 18. All the Auckland members in each House voted in their favor. Both Houses accepted the resolutions proposed by the Ministry. The New Tariff, whereby the customs taxation is increased considerably, was enacted, aud came into operation, on the 9th of December. Mr. Buddie placed on the uotice paper a vote of thanks to the Whitaker-Fox Ministry, but the notice of motion was withdrawn. The Provincial Couucil, having been specially prorogued for the purpose, was summoned to meet on the 21st. The Council uuauimously adopted a petition to the Queen, praying for the establishment of a Northern Colony of New Zealand. On Friday the 9th, an aggregate public meeting, convened by his Honor the Superintendent, and attended by several thousands, was held in Queen-street, at which it was resolved that au Association, to be called the Northern Association, should be formed, for the purpose of carrying on the movement in order to the establishment of a Northern Colony. This body mot for the first time on the 20th, and elected a " Council." On the 17th was issued a Proclamation of his Excellency the Governor, countersigned by Mr. Weld, confiscating those lands iu the Waikato country, which bad been occupied by the Queen's troops, or by the forces of the Colony. Mr. ManteLl was, during this mouth, appointed to the office of N T ative Minister, — an office which he had previously held in the Government of Mr. Fox. The night of the first of December was that appointed for being recorded in the census returns of New Zealand. The Bank of Auckland obtained its charter, aud commenced its operations as a Bauk of Issue, with notes printed in this city. On the hist day of the year was issued a IVeiv Zealand Gazette, imposing a postage of otie penny upon each transmission of a newspaper in this Colony.

Tauranga.— The intelligence from Tauranga, eonreyed in our correspondent's letter printed in another column, is most serious. Almost the whole Maori population, to the amount of about 1000 (a thousand) souls, has, under the influence of the Pai Mariri superstition, migrated to the mon itains ; and the Tauranga settlement is imminently threatened with a hostile invasion. FAfAL Accident.—The man who was run down on Monday evening in returning from the races died in the hospital yesterday morning. A Mistake.—A man arrested on the racecourse on Monday as a deserter, and whose capture was thought to be rather clover, turns out to be the wrong man and cannot be identified. The North.—A rumour obtained currency yesterday that a Native had been shot dead by a European. We have no particulars whatever of the occurrence, further than the fact stated, and that it was in the North. The Mail.—The steamer *Egmont,'with the home mail sailed a little after noon yesterday. Kobberv.—Robert Lary was yesterday taken into custody for robbing a man named John Hoban of money to the amount of about £\ ss. He was seen by two or three witnesses to put his hand into Hobau's pocket and take something therefrom. Assault.—A man of the name of M'Manus was arrested yesterday for assaulting Conata' le Merrigan, hy striking him with a stick over the head and shoulders outside the race course gate. The constable was at the time endeavoring to quell a disturbance. Thb Maid or Erin.—The fore-and-aft schooner recently built in Freeman's Bay, and which has been christened the " Maid of Erin," was to have been launched yesterday, but in eonscquence of one of the ' ways " being somewhat rotten, the vessel could not oe got off at flood tide. An EscAPt.—Two men taken up as military deserters, escaped from the Albert Barracks on Tuesday morning Rcdb Assault on a Wife.—As constable Calwell w m on his beat in Queen-street yesterday evening, he jas startled by shri!l cries of " Murder" proceeding Jrom the " William Denny" public house. On obtain-

ing an entrance and going upstairs he was met by ihe proprietor, J. Pilkinton, who, instead of allowing him •to ascertain the cause of the outcries, threw him down. The constable immediately recovered his feet and rej newed his efforts to ascend the stairs and showed the proprietor the absurdity of attempting to oppose a constable in t!ic discharge of his duty by proving to him in an unpleasantly practical manner that it was a much less painful operation to throsv a man down stairs than to be the man thrown. After Pilkinton had made his ra;dd but unpleasant descent he found the constable contemplating the brutal work that had caused ihe cries of murder which attracted the constable towards the house. Mrs. Pilkinton was lying with her face completely disfigured. The constable was about to take Pilkinton in charge when he was forcibly ejected from the the house aud his further entrance barred. Determined not to be defeated he obtained a ladder to affect his entrance by a window. He was hardly upon the ladder when it broke about two feet from the bottom, and the upper part of it crushed into the bar window. As the ladder by this accident was too short to enable the constable te enter by the window he removed it to one nearer the ground. He was obliged to be rather hurried in his movements as he heard threats of " shooting " with some expletives more remarkable for being forcible than polite. He obtained entrance in time to prevent the carrying out of such throats and handcuffed Pilkinton and afterwards safely lodged him in the lock-up. Government LuMrosAXTS.—The ' Motoaka ' 103 days out from London, arrived yesterday, with 441 Government Immigrants on boards. She hj d two deaths and six births during the voyage. The whole of the immigrants appear in good health ; they are principally Lancashire people from Manchester and Staleybridge. Housed hj baking.—A. man was arrested at Epsom last night on a charge of housebreaking. At the time of his arrest he had in his possession a cheese, some pickles, vinegar, and bank notes to the amount of £2O. A Fatal Pall from a Maw-topgallant Yard. —Dr. Stratfonl held an inquest yesterday on the body of a sailor named Hans Christian Lawson, who was precipitated from the main-topgallant yard of the barque ' Sir George Grey.' The body of deceased presented a dreadful appearance, the legsbein* literally pounded to pieces wi'.h the violence of the fall, and the face was that of one who had died in the most intense agony. From the evidence, it appeared that the bolt connected with the topsail lift gave way, thereby throwing deceased and the carpenter of the ship from the yard. Deceased fell to the deck, but the carpenter saved himself by clinging to some of the rigging. Deceased bore an excellent character for sobriety and attention to his duties. A verdict of accidental death was returned. Lectures at St. Barnabas' Church, Parnell. —A course of lectures on the Apostle's Creed (which was begun some week's since) is now being delivered in the above-named Church by Bishop Patterson. We would particularly call attention to an advertisement which notifies that another lecture will be delivered this evening—and as it is not generally known, that the sittings in the Church are all free. Inquest.—Some further evidence was obtained yesterday relative to the death of the late Win, James Harcourt at the adjourned inquest held by Dr. Stratford. It appears that the cart from which deceased met his deuth, was driven by a boy from Onehunga, and the horse taking fright, they were both precipitated into tlie road. The boy escaped by falling under the cart, while the wheel unfortunately passed over deceased's temple, killing him almost instantaneously. A verdict in accordance with the evidence was returned. CinasTMAs passed off very quietly here. The Wv ather being, as usual at this season, favorable for going from home, pleasure parties to the country were the rule ; and the exception—a very pleasant one to note —was an intoxicated man on the street. If there was one of this class to bo seen yesterday or on Monday, there were no more, and it is much to be able to say this, when it is considered that in addition to the ordinary population there are a thousand soldiers who had yesterday as a holiday. Wanganui Chronicle, Dec. 28.