THE SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1873, 17 January 1870, Page 5

THE SOUTH.

j Ex the Ashley, which arrived on Saturday, j we have late Southern files. I The native news from Waii S anu: and j Taranaki conflicts somewhat with what mv know to have occurred, but such as it is wo give it. The following Government telegrams 'ot the 9th instant, were reci-ivel by Mr. I Qisbornc from M'aiigajii.'i:— I " Wangamii, 9th Januarv. I " lion. W Gisborne, 'Wellington. " Telegram of this morning forwarded to Mr. Fox by mounted orderly. "Mr. Booth arrive*! this afternoon, bringing I news of the expeditionary force down to Thursday last. It will be seen from Mr. Booth's memo, forwarded herewith, that he discredits Wi Pukapuka's story. Topia's force was at Kakura, on the Wungnnui iiiver. on Thursday morning, preparing to start for • T.Himuuiiui. By latest advices from Topini's j poople, To Kooli was moving from place to I pkee ; his whereabouts not exactly known. I Two spies, sent out by Topine to watch Te Kooti's nioveinc'ils hare not returned ; supposed to liavo been killed. Mr. Bootii starts on return trip to-morrow morning, with a small supply of pnvisious. Kemp's force, when Lift heard oil', badly oil' for f.,-od, and relying chiefly on fern root. Tamati Waaka and all the Mangameoler.o natives, have come over to our side. " Wμ. Bplwr, K.M." " Wangamii. January 0, 1870. " Hon. W. Gi-borao, Wellington. " In conversation with Mr. Buller, lam informed that Wi Pukapuka has just returned from Tokangamutu, and states that Topia and Kemp had received a message from TawJiiao, by the hands of Aporo, ordering them to desist from following Te Kooti, and that, those chiefs had agreed to do so. 1 think the true version of the story will be found to be as follows: —When Topia and the war party arrived at Whakahoro — as already reported by me—they were met by Aporo, who professed to have been sent by the King, and who made every eil'ort to induce Topia to return, but without efi'ect. He (Aporo) then asked Topia to remain where he was, until ho again iould visit Kooti and Tawhaio.—This, also, Topia refused to do. Aporo then left the war party to return to Waikato; and twelve hours after his departure, a man named Iluaihahi arrived at Maraekowai, with a letter from Manuhiri, by directions of Tawhiao, approving of the course which has been taken by Topia. No further news than what I have above stated had reached Topia's party on Thursday, or I should have heard of it before leaving Ohinemutu last evening. " (Signed) J. Booth." After all, another meeting will have to be called to wind up the JTew Zealand Steam Navigation Company. The Post says:—" It appears that all the noise and vituperation of the last meeting of shareholders of the 3Jew Zealand Steam Navigation Company, were expended in vain. The directors bare been advised that the whole proceedings were informal, and, consequently, that they will have to begin again de. novo, to get liquidators ap pointed. By advertisement in another column, v will be seen that a meeting for this purpose is called for the Bth of February, and fresh proxies will be received at the company's offices up to 6 o'clock on Saturday, the sth proximo." Great prepar itions are being made in Wellington for the reception of the Flying Squadron. Tile Post says: —" A meeting of the flying Squadron Reception Committee was held on Saturday afternoon, at the Town Board office, J. C. Crawford, Esq., in the chair. Colonel Reader said that there would b;. no difficulty in the way of making arrangements about a rifle match, and .Mr. Huntly -Elliott, who attended on behalf of the Match Committee, said that a match could be got up if the necessary fuuds were provided. Tha Secretary said that, a cricket match could be played at the Hutt, provided the necessary funds were provided to defray expenses. It was resolved that £10 should be <;ivpn to the Cricket Club, and £10 to the Kifle Match Committee. The report of the sub committee on the picnic at Mr. IJaing's was read. Mr. Jjain» offered to place hie grounds at the disposal of the committee, to provide a marquee capable of accommodating two hundred persons, witk the requisite fittings, and a band of music ; also a cold collation, with wine, beer, and fruit; tickets to be 10s. each, and three hundred guaranteed. The committee resolved that an attempt should be made to get up a guarantee fund. The price of admission to the ground w is resolved to be fixed at 2s. 6d., and Mr. Laing promised to provide refreshments for sale for those who did not attend the collation in the marquee. Nothing had been decided on in reference to the ball. The committee resolved that it was desirable to hold the picnic in Mr. Laing's grounds, but nothing definite was decided on. Another meeting was to be held this afternoon."

"Wβ take the following paragraph from the Otago Daily Times, of the Bth instant: —

"We understand that the sugar recently taken to Wellington by Detective Thomson has been analysed by Mr. Skey, and that no indication of the presence of arsenic, or any other poisonous substance, was discovered in it. The sugar in question, it will be recollected, was used by Mr. J. L. Gregory's family, and was supposed to hare occasioned the death of his infant. Mr. Skey's analysis consequently confirms Dr. Hocken's. We may add that the sugar was the Victorian Company's No. 2."

LATER FROM THE SOUTH. The Storm Bird, which arrived in the Mtinukau yesterday, brings later Wauganui and Tavanaki papers.

Under the head of " Native Intelligence— Important," the Tα nnnUi JS'etvx of liiu 15th hist, publishes the following :—" The Civil Commissioner htis this week had his first interview witli Hapurona since the imprisonment of that native for some unruly conduct in town about eight years ago. The meeting took place at Paketu, behind Te Arei. Hapurona reports that a large force is assembled with Te Kooti at Taumaruru, but that Kereopa is th» only chief inclined for active hostilities This agrees with the news from Auckland, but the numbers mentioned in the Auckland papers are far too low. Some of the Ngatimaniapoto from the Upper Mokau are with Te Kooti."

It would seem by the following, which appears in the Wanganui Herald of the 12th instant, that it is intended to raise the question in the next session of Assembly, whether the colony shall continue to vote a sum of money for the salary of a colonial Governor : —" The Governor's salary is to be assailed, we noSice, by a petition, immediately upon the removal of the British troops from the colony. We presume it is not on the ground of economy, but in retaliation, that the Assembly is to be called upon to refuse to vote the salary of his Excellency. The question does certainly crop up, of what use is the Governor ? If the English Government refuse to send out a regiment, or guarcntee u loan, and virtually sever all connection with the colony, except tho Governor, there is no reason remaining why that link which binds us should not be cut. The one regiment may be removed, and tho Imperial Government may send another in its stead—the Commissioners may make special terms favourable to the colony, and in that case tho petition would lose its pith aud meaning. We thoroughly agree with the spirit of tho petition, if the Homo Government are determined to alienate us from all material support. But everything depends on this, and wo must hear the final resolve of England, through our property qualified representatives, before adopting the course indicated in the circular."