The New Zealand Herald. AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1864. THE ENGLISH MALL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 72, 5 February 1864, Page 3

The New Zealand Herald.

AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1864. THE ENGLISH MALL.

SPUCTEUUIt AGD.VDO. Givei ex'ery mun iuu»o cot, tea few vu>- voice: Ti.h > ln ," u ■" ct -*"'-' un '. reserve tliv judgment, 11ns ntonve all.—To thine own>.ilf l>o true; Awl it must follow, ius tlie night the .lnv, lliou canst not tUeu bo false to any mitii,"

Last uight at six o clock, by the" Rangalira' irom the South, wo wore put in possession ot our English and Sydney tiles furnishing us with English news to the 2nd December. The mail ship ■ Madras ' reached Sydney on the 24th, the detention having been caused by the breaking of some J«uw pinion of the -Bengal' in the lu>d Sea. On the arrival of tlie mail at the Manukau, Mr. Brewer. of Her Majesty's Customs, immediately started to inform the authorities of its arrival. The present mail is the largest that has yet been received in Auckland, there being over sixty boxes exclusive of bags. lne news, it will be seen, is important. France and Russia are at issue. There is to be no Congress. The lying of Denmark is dead, and the lathar ot the Princess of Wales has succeeded to the rhrone, and with it to a probable war with Germany. Ireland is said to be on the eve of another rebellion, backed by armaments from the L'nited States. Ihe progress of the American war is again reversed, the Confederates having prmed triumphant in their late battles. lort Sumpter has s~ood a siege, of 120 days, and still holds out. impregnable. A full analysis of the news will be found elsewhere. O-VE of the most practical tests of the prosperity ot the working classes of this province is to be found in the statistical returns of the Auckland Savings Bank for the year IStiS just past, which were produced at rhe general meeting ol the Trustees on Tuesday last. The Auckland Savings' Bank was established in lb>ol3, during which year two hundred and sixteen persons became depositors of a gross sum of £.3,6-10 Bs. 1.0:1. * In (he second year ot its institution the increase m the amount deposited reached to no less a sum than £1.101) 9s. 9d. A steady increase continued up to the year IStiO. when the sum deposited was £10.iStW !}s. Id.; the number ot depositors, tour hundred and sixtv-nine. In lstfl the amount deposited readied over £14,000, and in l{>t>2 to a sum of £20,021) 4s. 4d. Tile depositors in the latter vear reached the number of nine hundred and ren. It these statistics are encouraging and they give, we think, iiie best evidence that "could be atforded of tho thorough prosperity and thrittincss ot the Auckland mechanics and others, those for the year are still more so. In this year the deposits ha\e increased in the largest proportion of any year since the establishment of this institution, amounting to no less a sum than iL'82,607 10s. 7d. : the number of depositors being sixteen litin- ■ dred and rhirry-cight. Wo might go still : turf her. and state that during the past mouth oi January the increased ratio of deposits on ' those of the previous year is even greater 1 than was that of ISO'S over lbG2. The trustees have lately been enabled to 1 build a subtitaatial and handsome {//ace at'l ' business in Queen-street, valued at £3000, ■ and as the accounts of the institution now stand, there is a balance in favour of the .Bank of over £'1000. the assets being over thirty-seven thousand pounds, and the liabilities due to depositors, £'32,607 JOs. 7d. Undoubtedly one great cause of these increased deposits is to be sk down to the ■ very commendable course pursued by many 1 of the Waikato Volunteers, more particularly during the past month of January. The ] increase for l.s'6'2, however, and a large ' amount of tlie extra increase of ISG'J, of ! course took place previously to the mtroduc- : tion of this militia force into the Province, and must be attributed to the growing pros- J perity of the usual class ot' depositors—a state of things most satisfactory to the ] province, and one which we have never known ' equalled in any community of like popula- : tion ; the strongest argument that could be 1 advanced in favour of this Province as a iicld f of emigration for the working classes and mechanics of the hpme country and those of the central and less favoured provinces 1 of Xew Zealand. ' While on this subject, we cannot allow the ' opportunity to pass without giving one word of advice and caution to the men of the 1 Waikato Militia now serving at tlie front. Man}' of them, as we have already said, have 1 become regular depositors in the Auckland Savings" Bank, but the proportion of those 1 who have acted thus wisely to those who 1 have not done so is very small. The pay of J the men of this force is something consider- ' able, considering t-liat they are found in all * necessaries, clothing, &c., and have indeed, if unmarried, no private expenses of their own. It would be easy for a private in this force i to lay by a sum of £10 per annum out of his ' pay, and at the end of three years, or when- J ever the men may be settled upon their ' allotments, even half this sum laid by each 1 year, would be found acceptable, and would, ' with the other assistance afforded by Government, enable the thrifty owner to settle upon his land with every chance of success. < "Without some such fund to fall back upon, . 1 he men when discharged will lind themselves, except in very fortunate instances, unable to iarm their land with advantage, or will remain dependent upon the employment of . their labour by others for the means of t so. : "We cannot but urge upon the officers of 1 the "Waikato regiments the duty which ho j evidently devolves upon them of using every argument with their men to induce them to adopt a system of frugality and thrift. It is i.ot only their duty but their interest to do so. and to do so in the best of of all manners by setting the men an example in their own persons. Men and otlieers, when settled as civilians, will become neighbours, landowners hi the same district, and the prosperity of each one will necessarily react upon that of the rest. We have been led into these remarks from the very opposite course which appears to be pursued with regard to these men. Scarcely a day passes but what one or more of them are brought up before the resident magistrate, ill Auckland, charged with drunkenness, and sometimes with more serious crimes. The resident magistrate has frequently drawn iiUeatiea to this fact ia ssurt, cad has ca»

pressed hia surprise at tlie lacitities aii'ordc ° ' CMO lueu h.V their ollicers for procurin _ passes to {qww, im m erous avo 110 j );lsst given, 111 at we do not believe we .should b guilty of exaggeration in slating, that seJdoi are there less tJiau a company of these men i tow n. \\ hy these passes should be given at a c we are at. a loss to know. Pew of these mo can have private business of their own i - Auckland, (he transmission ot' theif pay t friends and relatives in the colonies or else ' whore being undertaken for them by th x Government. They are paid, and liberall- _ paid ior doing a certain work, and that worl 1 J"°y eannot perform while on pass in A tick > land. A'o merchant or tradesman or am ( employer of labour would allow this waste o ( time to occur at his expense, and we see nc , reason why the public purse should not be , as jealously guarded. . ihe worst feature of the case, however, is , the fact that it throws the men into the way of f einptalion, which results in their owii impoverishment and the disgrace of tlie whole force in their persons. We blame the men less than those placed over them who, having neither the Christian charity to save their fellow-men from evil, nor the p.iprit ilc corpx to preserve the honour and credit- of the force to which they belong, atlbrd their men ihe opportunity of falling into temptation. MILITA lx T MOV KMEXTS. l'on some days past the men of the second class Militia have been kept on the tenterhooks of expectation, uncertain whether or 110 their .services would be required at the front;. Orders were issued last night that one hundred men of t his class should march this morning to Otahuiui, to enable as many men to be pushed on from post to post towards the front. During the last two or three days business has almost become temporarily suspended in many oiiices and shops in the City, owing to the absence of the entire forces of the. Ist class Militia and Auckland lxiile Volunteers. One large budding establishment has been closed, the master, himself a volunteer, leaving town with the last detachment of that force this morning. "\\ e ourselves have sull'ered .severely, having lost no less than seven men on Wednesday last. Should the second class be all called out, two at least of the banks will, we hear, have to be closed. As it is, their business is being carried on with the greatest dillicultv. M e make tnese remarks in no spirit of grumbling, 'the people of this Citv have never liinched. when occasion required, from giving their services in liehalfof timir adopted country freely and willingly, and thev may long turn with a feeling of "just pride "to the months of last winter and spring, when, with their young men in the field, the heavy ; duties of the garrison were performed hv the I men of the second and "Third classes. The j present necessity is we believe as sharp and j as imperative as was that of any previous j occasion, and will be as willingly anil as i freely met, but we urge upon the Govern- | uient tlie desirabiiity of recalling the local j forces the very moment thev can safelv do I so, and ol detaining' ihem from their homes -' and business no longer than ihe exigencies of I the ease demand, and that in the event oi'i only a portion of the second class being' re- j quired, care may be taken in their selection. ! so as to press as lightly as possible on the business of the City, nor taking all from oue csiviWishHjcy/r am) none tram another, but making mi equitable selection I'roui each. A deserter from the Goth regf., who has !>ce;i living, according to his own statement, nine years among riie maories, has been cap- j !nred nr Tarannki. Jfi.; name is George Purdon, and he was apprehended near the lieimi, on the 2!) th ult. He had come into Xew Plymouth to sell pigs and was about to return to Mokau, where he has hitherto lived among the natives, lie stated that if taken to the General he, could impart valuable information. The man was at once placed on board the ' l\angatira' in charge of a guard under the command of Lieutenant lirutton of the <37th, and forwarded to Kaglan, as the nearest point to Head-quarters. The ' liangai ira" touched at Kaglan on her passage to the Maoukau, and the deserter and parly were landed yesterday at'fernoon, and siarted at once for (jrener.nl Cameron's quarters. The ship 1 Empress" which has the Military Tra in on board, and has sailed for Auckland, was compelled to put back owing to an accident which may not however occasion much delay. The ' Silver Eagle' was to take on board 350 men and a quantity of stores for Auckland. .From the ' Shipping and Mercantile Gazette' of the 2oth .November; from our London Correspondent's letter; and from other sources, wu learn, thai; the Ist Battalion of the 10th, the Ist Battalion of the I 7th. and the 12nd Battalion of the 12th regiments, are ordered for immediate despatch to Xew Zealand. The 33rd regt., now stationed at foona is also said tube expecting orders to proceed to JS'ew Zealand. We learn from a reliable, though a private source, that the Mounted Artillery at the front, while out foraging oil the Ist, fell in with a party of natives and shot two of them dead. The bodies were brought into camp. The attack was commenced it would seem on the same day and we may therefore look hourly for further particulars. * TH. 10 FRONT. Thk following second, third, and fourth editions were issued yesterday : — xYi;w Zjujaxp HjviiA.fi i) Ollice, Thursday, ]o'J.r> a.m. Intelligence has just- reached (own that Lieut. MitebelC °t' II.M'.S.S. ' Ksk,' but who commanded on board the ' Axon,'' was killed by a shot from the enemy's position. The particulars of this sad event are meagre, but- as far as wc can understand, the * Avon was recommiteriug iu rear of the enemy's works. when some stray shots were fired, and this gallant young ollicer fell a victim. His body will be brought to town for intermt'iifc this evening. The whole of the Royal Artillery who landed from the • Sea Xing' are now starting for Otahilhu, cu route lor the front, taking with them three Armstrong guns and a quantity of ammunition. :s.]"> p.m. We now are enabled to publish more definitely the facts connected with tlie sad event which we published iu our second edition of this morning. Lieut. Mitchell commanded the Avon' up the Waikiito, and had been cmloycd for the last two or three months in bringing up stores, ifcc., to the advance arm}'. It appears that the gallant commander wasi at his post- giving instructions, when a volley was j tired at "the 'Avon' as she passed the bunks j of the river near to tome very high scrub, the ; eaemj' lisTing ewiuefllsd tiie&sulv'isa tlwi-9 isv j

d that, purpose. The ' Avon ' lining more servii g able and a bettor steamer than Lhu 'Pionee ■s (which Ims Woken down), and as everything); to l.io carried on i'roni IVgnruawahia by water i the General's Head (Quarters, .she was used I that pnvpo.se, and as she is not so well protect from rille-balls. it was very easy l'or the etien to pick our men oil' at their leisure, and tl ii brave young otliccr was the first fo fall, i His body is now being accompanied lo tov j by an escort, of Blue -J tickets, who are on the _. to Auckland. The funeral will take pla 3 on Saturday, at 1. p.,in., and his remains will 1 deposited beside th ise of Midshipman AVatkin 1 late oi the 'Curaooa.' The loss of this galla; 1 ollicer is regretted by a large eirele of friends. Wo have also to announce the death of Lieu Monteitii, of 11. M. 7011. Begiment. f.liis mori t ing, at, Queen s .Redoubt. .It will be reuieinbert i that this gallant. ollie.T was sent home to .Knj , laud about twelve months ago very ill wit dysentery. He returned lo this Colony agai , with the detachments which arrived by tl ' Chariot of Fame,' and had not been above week at the Front, w hen he was taken ill agaii and expired this morning. Our citizens soldiers who marched from AucJ land for Otahuhu have goue on from that str tion to -Drury, and it is possible that they ma bo pushed further on, as all the available regt lavs are being sent, t... the front. Jt appeal's tJin file General wishes to be ready for an emergency when he strikes the effectual blow m fact, we may now expect, to hear of it ever moment, as the crisis is at hand. The latest news which-, we have received froi. the tront is to the etlcci. that the artillery" ar firing on the enemy's position and that a tin hours will tel! the result. There is no doubt but that our citizen soldier niav have a chance of this time being engagei with the enemy, as it has been reported tha natives have been seen in (be peach groves ilea M cremere. 7.30 p.m. The body of Lieut. Mitchell, 11.2*., arrived ii town 11 lis evening at 0 o'clock, and wiis at onci placed in one of (lit- huts in the Albert Barracks The iullest particulars we have been able ti learn are these :— On Tuesday afternoon ato'clock, the 'Avon was proceeding up the river, when upon neariiu Waipa. a volley of six shots was suddenly pouret upon her. .Lieut. .Mitchell at the time wa: standing on the bridge between Lieut. Kastei and .Midshipman To!jamb when lie suddenh sprang on to ilie deck.exclaiming " 1 am wounded." lie was immediately carried aft. and ; medical gentleman being in attendance, the bal was extracted, but he expired at 1) o'clock on Wednesday morning. The ball struck just below the heart, lodging in the kidneys at his back. The [loor fellow w;is perfectly sensible It the last, and requested that all his shipmatesmight assemble round his lied during his hist moments. Lieut. Mitchell was a young man universally esteemed by ail w ho knew him. The funeral will take place to-morrow (Saturday) afternoon at ■!• p.m. The ' Av on' had been previously fired upon the day before. The !>.>. ' Jiangatira.' Captain Mnndle, arrived in the ,\lanukau from the South this afternoon, bringing the long looked l'or hnglisli Mail. The Lngiish news is altogether unimportant : the cause ofifel-iy teas (lie breaking doiin of'the s.s. ' .Bengal' in the Hed Sea. - A desericr from (lie (loth regt"., had been captured at 1 arnnuki. He staied that if he were once conveyed to the General, he could impart most valuable information to him. The man was at once placed on board the ' Kangalira' in charge of a guard. under the command of Lieut. Bruttoh, TiTtli vcgin.-L-ni. and as the road from Kaglan was considered the shortest route to General Ciuncvou's head-quarters, the steamer touched there and lauded tue party, who at once started for the tront. This deserter stated that lie iiad been living amongst the natives for the last nine years. The .S..S-. • Kiuiffiroo.' from Sydwy, nil)/ ml tie, and another steamer, supposed lobe the ' lienutiinl Star,' with the other gunlioat. from Sydney, also arrived in the Manukau yesterday afternoon. Pjtovjxc'TAi, C'otrxcji..—-Vlr. J. O'Xcill, yesterday, moved two resolutions relative to the subject ot immigration. The first was that the sum of .l' l4,(Xjti proposed to be appropriated tc iiinnigviHum ouglit to be so divided as Hint tiu amounts devoted to expenditure iu (he introduction of immigrants from Litgland. Ireland, am Scotland respectively, should bear the same proportion lo the wle>le sum as persons of the huglish, Irish, and Scottish races settled in (In; Province respectively bear to the whole Luropean population of the Province, as shewn ir the latest census. The second resolution was tc the etiect that three paid agents should be appointed, instead of one as proposed by Government, one for Jingland, one for Ireland, and tin other for Scotland. Loth resolutions were affirmed by the Council. The adjourned cleliati on the resolution that the issue of land order.under the provisions of the Waste Lands Aci IS-38. should cease on the IS!si day of ivlnrch 1805. was discussed at considerable length : ii was carried on motion of Mr. .1. O'iS'cill, thai the issue of land orders should not cease soonei than the 31st March, On the Counci proceeding to discuss Mr. May's motion to tin ell'ci.-L that, the Council were of opinion tha Mr. Dahly should be I he immigration agent loi the Province, it was discovered that a quorun was not prescnf. The arrival of the Jinglisl mail necessitates the postponement of the repon of yesterday's proceedings. Ai'cklam. Haii.mo.nii; Socif.tv.—The society met for practice yesterday evening as usual, am mustered in good strength notwithstanding that several of the gentleman . members have beei called away to the front by Military duties. Mr Brown conducted, Miss Bealis occupying hci usual position at the pianoforte. We are happy to notice the incresing popularity of the society which is evinced by the accession of several valuable additions to the lady voices. The practice of last evening was a great improvement on the former one, and should the time; allow of the quick return of those members whe have been cailed away on duty, we are of opinion that the concert- in prospect, w ill from a decided success, show ing that the ainateui musical world of .Auckland only required ai effort to bring it. forth lo bo second to none ii the colony. Mii.itaiiy.—Y\ e take the following Prom the fyiiiici/ Ai"/'/;/ Of/ 11 em hi of the -sth ultimo :— " lieiuiorcements have been ordered for .New Zealand. 'J he Ist battalion of (he lUlli and 1711 and the '2nd battalion of the 12th .Kegimenl art under orders. The -lord has been ordered iron; Bengal, the 08th from llangoon, and the 33rc: from Poonah." Mom: .ltKfii-iCTOHY Sham—Yesterday tlu crew of the American barque 'A. W. Stevens, eight in number struck work, and refused to dc any more duty oil board their vessel. Tlu captain immediately came on shore, took warrants out against, them, and last evening, the} were safely lodged in the lock-up. They wii lie brought up at the Police Court to-morrow when they will no doubt receive their dm reward. ltiri.u Voi.rNTKEtis.—Yesterday there wa< another mustering of Volunteers in the Alber Barracks, when about twenty-live were got- lo gethei' and inarched out under the command o Lieut-. Ton Ii s. To-day n. further collection wil probably be made and" despatched to the front. Masonic. —An emergency meeting of tin Lodge St. Andrew will be held this evening, a half-past seven o'clock, w hen it is requested tha as a considerable number of the brethren roe en gaged on military dutr, that those in too u " i!

r ' w| J /| E "f' AJru!A -Aff-wr.—As wo stated in our t'vo weu Abbots uikl iicnlev, have been or • by the Police, mid yesterclayinorn■o- • , y , bvou up at the 'Hissiilont ,?i 'w" r;i e 8 with firing at curtain iv In n e " U l nfltlvcs w il!i intent to kill and murder. I » i a^ sc,,co .9f ilr. Lmub, a most material as " Ilm;ss > tl >« prisoners were remanded until toluoiroyx. Mr. Bcveridge appeared oil behalf of £ T r i T Cr ,jljols - i "" 1 IWHeiiW: • v «ii '? ( Ull i Was Uy prisoner's counsel to be .o allowed to be put. in bail, and the Court alter 3d sonic consideration consented to accept two s, Mil-cues of £300 each, for each prisoner. Tlie it bail however «as not forthcoming. Xhxheu* have beencalled for bv the Superint- teuuent for reforming and ini-1 allinp- a road l- leading from tl.e Onchungn road to the Governed ment AV harf at Onehunga. The lenders must ,- be sent in by noon of \\ eibiesday, the lUth inst. , • Wasb Coin.—We learn from tiieOta™papers n thai, a quantity of base coin has been brought te into circulation in that Province, principally a halt sovereigns. These are for the most part i, electro gilt, and could not be. passed except to very careless persons, at night. The slightest -- inspection would discover the fraud, many belli" i- sixpences electro gilL. Those base coins are said } to be an importation from Victoria, and ive take - this opportunity of cautioning our readers lest t any ot them may lind their way to Auckland. V Ijik JiiaiuiiHA Volcxtkmw.—At the com- ; nieiK-enient ot the j'l-e.-eut war tlie residents of >" Jveiuuera with commendable zeal formed themselves into a A ohinteer I'.iile Company, for the l defence of that district. The greater number of the J members of this company were men who would i' either have been altogether exempt from militia duty, or who at most would have been liable to 5 ser\ icc ill the third class. The assistance thus rendered by the liennteru Company in the patrolI inijj period oi I lie war was vory irreal, tiie clisi- tnct OVOI-which they patrolled" being perhaps tho Meukt\sl point about- Auckland, hjk! the thanks ot t-ho community are duct o llirm for i sun was nightly rendered wliuu thev Lad they chosen, have been sleeping quietly in their e regret to see that a letter appeared .yesterday m the columns of a tri-weekly Auckland journal, evidently, home production, rellectting most shamefully on the members of this lorce, applying to (hem the epithets of shirkers, .Iti:., and backed by all editorial foot-nole. for the purpose ol dragging in which the letter itself was evidently written. A large number oi'gentlemen who arc members of this corps arepoiitieaih- opposed to ihe editor-proprietor, and hence we fear the scurrilous and unjust attack made upon them. While on the' subject, of shirking duties, we would ask, has (his censorious gent leman ever himself assisted, in Ihe patrolling of the town during a time of danger, or has he not sheltered himself behind his senatorial dignity and privilege. Our attention has also been drawn by a member of the Cir.y Hoard to the unlrutlifwl iv port ot 'luesduy'y sitting, >vliicli is given in the same issue of our tri-weckly contemporary. Throughout, the report, a I'ceiing ot dissatisfaction against the Superintendent is sought to be insinuated into the speeches of the several members, which is totally at variance with the facts of tlie case, and Mi\ J'avid (Iraham is iiunlelo say " my brother the Ciuperintendenl,"—words he never used. Kcport.s if nor given in Inil should at least be correct and free from personal bias. I