THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGUNGO. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1874.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3847, 12 March 1874, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGUNGO. THURSDAY, MARCH 12, 1874.

The fact that the news of the late riots in Honolulu on the occasion of the election of King Kalakama has only appeared in our columns has been used by some persons to cast doubt upon the correctness of our information. We.are nevertheless in a position to pledge ourselves to the entire truth of what we have published, and which we venture to promise will be fully confirmed when the next Honolulu mail arrives. The cause of these riots is not quite qlear, but so far as we can ascertain, they are owing to the division of feeling between Hawaii—the largest of the seven chief islands of the kingdom— and Oahu, the island on which the town of Honolulu is built. Hawaii lies about 60 miles south of Honolulu, and is Bugar planting and agricultural, while Oahu is chiefly commercial. The death of King Lunalilo without naming his successor tln-ew the responsibility on the Legislature, consisting of two Houses. The House of Nobles is composed of eighteen native chiefs, while the Lower House is a mixed body of twenty-four elected members. Of the latter, seven represent Oahu constituencies, of whom only three voted for Queen Emma. The remaining four and nearly all the country constituencies voted for her opponent Kalakama, who was elected nearly unanimously to succeed Lunalilo asking. Queen Emma, who is the widow of Lunalilo's predecessor, is partly English by blood, and entirely so by sympathy and taste. She has been to England, where she was made much of at Court, and treated with distinction everywhere. Her liberal charities, especially in hospital and other buildings, have endeared her to the natives of Honolulu. Kalakama, a full-blooded native, represents on the other hand the American and old native party. He is a man of 35 to 40 years old, of whom very little is publicly known. The Legislature met at twelve on the day the Macgregor left, and the election was made known at three. By that time a crowd had collected in front of Parliament House, and the row was begun by a man coming to the front with a spade, and forcing the door open in the presence of the assembled police. The doors once open, the crowd rushed in, freaking the furniture to pieces and destroying every record, map, and deed-book in the Government offices which formed part of the building. The sack was savage and the destruction most complete. A few of the members then attempted to pass through but were thrown over the balcony to the raging crowd below by whom they were clubbed, beaten and trampled upon with savage fury. Three of the members were said to be. killed and many seriously wounded when the steamer Macgregor left. Two of them succeeded in escaping for refuge on board of her and remained till the riot was put down by sa'l.ors and marines from the men-of-war in harbour. Portsmouth landed between forty and fifty men, armed with cutlass and revolver, who were receivedwith cheers by therioters. The United States frigates Tuscarora and Tenedos landed about 120 of their men with a Gatling gun, but they were received in silence by the crowd. Fortunately the public-houses were all closed at noon of the election day as a riot was anticipated by the Government. There are no soldiers now at their disposal, the army having been recently disbanded and fears were entertained that the disappointed Kanakas would carry out their threat and fire the town on the night when the Macgregor left. Whether their threat has been carried out we shall learn when the next mail arrives but with the naval force placed at the disposal of the Government there can be no fear of order being quickly restored. The people are quite unarmed but appear to have the sympathies of the police who looked on quietly while the work of destruction was proceeding and murder being committed under their eyes. The people are divided into two parties, of whom the very great majority are in favour of the Americans and their nominee, Kalakama. There may be no reason to fear any serious result or foreign interference for the preservation of order in the islands but, if the chance offers, the Americans in Honolulu will be likely to meet with strong and ready support from their Government, who would be only too happy to J

secure possession of these fine islands so admirably situated for a coaling station and a fortress that would in their hands command the North' Pacific. The feeling of the people is however shewn in the steadiness with which they have refused to enter into a treaty with the States, although offered the great temptation of having their sugar admitted duty free. They dread the treaty as paving the way to annexation, which their strong national feeling renders distasteful despite the numerous benefits by which it would tje attended. This is the more extraordinary because it is to Americans that Hawaii owes nearly all the religion, wealth, and commerce which have lifted her people so rapidly from the lowest depths of cannibalism to the comparatively high civ'Hsalion they now enjoy. At length tho end. After occupying the tribunals a period of 240 days, or equal to 40 week's consecutive sitting, the biggest legal bubble of modern times has collapsed, and the butcher of Wagga Wagga has received his deserts at the hands of Lord Chief Justice Cockburn in a sentence of 14 years' penal servitude. There fire are those—many such—who will presume to questirn the justice of the sentence imposed upon the Claimant; many will still believe that he is what he represented himself to be, the rightful heir to the Tiehborne estates; but their belief can only be founded on a prejudice, for there can be but a comparative few who have either had the patience or the opportunity of watching through all its varying phases the intricacies of this monster trial. Tho majority of people, however, will be content to believe the verdict of the jury a juat one, and the sentence of the Judge an act of leniency. That the Claimant ha 9 had a fr ; >- trial in the most extended meaning of the phrase, there can scarcely be a question, ihe very ends of tho earth have been ransacked for witnesses both for and against; the greatest latitudes have been pUowed the accused, his counsel and partisans, to get up his case ; he has had, by a too-vrlVng-to-be-gullrd and sentimental public, ample means placed at hi 9 disposal for the conduct of his defence; he 1-83 had an earnest and eloquent pleader in Dr. Kenealy, a gentlempn who has worked in his caueo as perhaps never any barrister did in the most memorable case on record ; the ablest Judge in ha 9 patiently watched the case at every point, and impartial and intelligent jurymen have attentively listened to the arguments advanced for and against, and if after all this any one believes justice has been denied the Claimant, thon they must own to a doubt that justice can ever be obtained in a Court of Law. Tho stake the Claimant was playing for was a high one, and, therefore, wo | rr.n scarcely wonder at the unscrupulousness of portions of his defen'o : but the infamous aepertions. he attemped at one point of his case to ca9t on tho fn : r fame of Lady Kadcliffe was the worst feati—e in It's defence, far worse than b : s peiju.ies or his attempts to rob the widow and the orphan. There is a satisfaction in feeling that the grossest imposter of modern times has at length been run to earth, and that one who scrupled at nothing to attain to fame and fortune has found h>9 end to be infamy and his rewr-d a penitential /. The first case of a claim for compensation on account of Government taking land for rail, way purposes was heard before the Resident Magistrate and two Assessors on Tuesday last. The f -ts of the case-have b. ;n detailed, and we refer to tho heading, not to express an opinion upon this particvW case, but rather to direct attention to the iuqu : ~y, which cannot fail to be instructive to r M who may be similarly concerned with the claimant. It has been determined that the Court shall inspect the ground, and tho decision wi'l, in all probability, bo determined by the inspection of what the lawyers ce 1 ' the locus in quo. Both tho form and substance of the euqairy follow closely upon the practice in England, although foimerly tho assessment of disputed value was made :v a Parliamentary Committee had auihorhed the taking of tho land. In New Zealand, tho land is taken upon the motion of the Government formed by their officers, a distinction upon which it b not now necessai j to dilate. But by the 38th clause of the Act it is open to the Government to offer evidence as to tho manner, nature, and probable extent of valuable improvement that may result, either from the passing of the line, or the erection of buildings, to the land upon account of taking which the claim ia preferred." The separate grounds upon which tho claim is made wore stated very clearly by the clr : mßnt, and tho ground of opposition offered by tho Government was also plain!y intimatod. Tho case will occupy the attention of the Court for some dDJEi Tl> ii news brought to hand by the Rangft tira yesterday is generally of an description. Tho chief item of note is that in reference to the Tiehborne claimant, who Jaas received a sentence of fourteen years' pens- 1 .servitude for forgery and perjury. To-day, tho 12th of March, their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, will make their entry into London, and will be accompanied by Her Majesty tho Queen. The next telegrams will givo us full particulars aa to tho illuminations, tho addresses, tho crowds, &c., &c. New South Wales ia in the vau of loyalty amongst the colonies, arrangements having been made in Sydney for holding a public holiday in commemoration of tho event. This Btep will probably be followed by Victoria. From Australia we have the regular course of suicides, murders, embezzlements, and matters of minor import. The most impoi iant news ia that in reference to the Palmer rush. Wo publish elsewhere portions of the report of a special correspondent sent thither by the Sydney Empire, and he confirms the woret accounts which have been telegraphed. The reports of the golden prospects have been greatly exaggerated; food —what little there was of it—was at famine prices, and travelling impossible. Those who have left New Zeo'and will by tb : s time be cursing their folly, and heartily wishing themselves back to their old haunts. !