THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JUNE 34, 1879.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5492, 24 June 1879, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, JUNE 34, 1879.

The death of the gallant lad "who has just fallen in South Africa, the last of the Bonapartes—so far as we can judge by present appearances, the last of the family with- Imperial chances and, perhaps, pretensions—isnotan event whicli can. be lightly passed over. Men of every nation liave given a pause of reflection to that news, with its personal as well as political interest, and which recalls and suggests so many things to the mind.

It is only a few short years ago that this dynasty was the one engrossing idea of the Emperor of the French, the ruler of a great and proud nation, the mightiest monarch of his time. But the brief years pass, and bring their strange vicissitudes. And tho Polar Star of Louis Napoleon's extraordinary career — and all that he strove for, planned, hoped for, is at last ended—and the end has come in. a remote, barbaric region, by a wild man's hand. There is always something sad in the untimely fate of the young; and yet, assuredly, a soldier's death wa3 an appropriate ending for a line whose claim on France rested on military feeling—was altogether based on the traditions of military glory. The Orleanists have ever professed, though with but slight warrant from their action, the principles of constitutional monarchy. The Legitimists would persuade the nation that their pretensions are inherited by " right divine" ; but the Bonapartists have had no fixed principles to appeal to. Their reliance was solely on the name and the prestige of the great Napoleon, and the gratitude which a nation always feels to the remembrance of him who has made for it historical renown. This feeling had probably quite run out, so far as its influence could be used in again obtaining the Crown for a Bonaparte. There was exceedingly slender prospect of the throne for the Prince Imperial. Still, he possessed —as we can now see —a genuine military spirit, and to make that quality unmistakable was the surest way to render his Imperial claims popular. But if he could not restore the sceptre to his house, he has taken care to finish its history with honour. The political enemies who lately satirised him in the Paris journals, and wholaughedatliis joining in the Zulu war, as but the sham pretence of a " carpet knight," will now bow to the memory of a high-hearted youth with the regret which men feel when they have been unjust. They will confess that he, too, was a soldier, and if he did not inherit the talents which won Austerlitz and Jena, he was not wanting in the spirit which led the way on the Bridge of Lodi. There is so much of artificiality in the world in which princes aro doomed to live—so many ad captandum devices and such an infinity of positive humbug are made to encircle their action or inaction, that it is often no easy matter to get at the individuality of one thus high-placed, and to understand what lie is really like. So, if a prince writes a book, people are willing to believe that it is done for him by somebody else ; if he is beheld in a military capacity, some clear evidence is required that he has, after nil, participated in the actualities of the business. In certain of the groat wai - 3 which have shaken Europe in our time, divers scions of the reigning Continental families were before public view as in command of the various armies—the chief of the staff in each case doing the real work, the nominal commander-in-chief being but a lay figure, either as soldier or general ! Under such circumstances many people, as well as the writers and artists in the Fbjaro, and the l'c.tit Jmirnal pour Hire, set down the expedition of the Prince Imperial as only a display of this sort. But he hud too much vitality and spirit for that. As quickly as possible he got to the front, and really to the front. If he had lived through the war, he would have brought homo the name and tho scars of a brave soldier, and it would have done more for him in the eyes of • France than his heirship of the double Empire. It may be surmised now that his early death delivers the Republic from its greatest danger. The pretensions of the Bonaparte family ! arc probably terminated, at least their chances of the throne would appear to be certainly so, for there is no other man in the family circle like the late Emperor of the : French, or Louis Napoleon, the name by which he was so long best known. There is no one among them with his large ability, his strong will, and, above all, with that indomitable belief in his destiny which sustained him for so many years of obscurity, adversity and biting ridicule, which carried him through all difficulties and dangers to become tho most powerful sovereign of his day, aud to long uphold him iu that position, and which belief, at last exploding, broke the heart of a man old in constitution, if not in years. As the world goes, success gilds J everything. It is not an admirable characteristic of human nature. Since Louis Napoleon fell, people are too prone to sec only his mistakes —are apt to underrate his capacity and capabilities. Let us not forget how extraordinary was tho opinion which the world held of the resources of his statecraft, courage and energj " while he was in the zenith of his power. ■ And that estimate, however too higli pitched, was far nearer to tho truth than the present opposite one. The sneering remark on Louis Napoleon which is at tributed to Bismarck in the book of his c " Table Talk," lately published, does n not come with a good grace. It is n( d disparagement of tho German leader 1 ! rare powers to say that the task bj which ho has won his reputation was i 7 far easier and less trying task than thai which his rival had to perform, anc which for so many years ho performec successfully. Bismarck accomplishec national German unity, but tho train lai it ready to his hand. It was tho universa desire of the German heart ever since tin days of Goethe. Louis Napoleon had ti _ manage the most restless, impetuous, E and revolutionary people in Europe, ant '> he did it with so much skill and effec 3 that, as Cavour said, " He found Franci after tho fall of tho Orleanist and llepub > lican Governments holding but a secont place among the Great Powers he raisec !. her to tho very first." The exigenciei of his position finally ruined him • — exie gencies with which Bismarck has | not to cope. Tho French Emperoi ] had to amuse his subjects witl

new.gensations,.new foreign wars. _ Hia one .unpardonable mistake was his ignorance of the corruption which, in his latter days, was rife in the management of the army, about which he was blindfolded by a circle of parasites, and which left the I army helpless, both in numbers and equipment, when the watchful eye of Bismarck seized the moment for the annexation of Alsace. We are not defending the policy or the career of Napoleon 111., we simply speak of his political ability and governing power. It needed his intellectual resources and personal hardihood to hold the throne for so long after haying climbed to it. IN o Bonaparte is again likely to have the opportunity to attempt the same thing. About the position of affairs on the West Coast little more can be said than that there has been as yet no actual breach of the peace, although things look perilously near it. The Maoris returned a<rain yesterday to plough on Livingstone's farm, and were again removed without making any resistance by the settlers. It was stated that natives were assembling on the other side of the Waingongoro" Bridge, and that they tw ere armed ; bat this last item has not been definitely ascertained. The settlers took four Maoris as "hostages," but these men were, subsequently, released by the order of the Civil Commissioner, and, apparently, with the approval of the settlers of Hawera. The intelligence which we publish to-day throws a good deal of light on the causes of this aggression, which hitherto have been matters of conjecture. The natives look upon the attempt to survey the Waimate Plains as a " new confiscation," and Te Whiti asks, if Sir George Grey wants peace, why disturb the minds of the people of the West Coast by such an act of aggression, as taking possession of the confiscated land, after the laud had remained quiet for so many years —that is, had not been occupied by the Europeans. It is interesting to find that Te SVhiti holds a similar belief to a good many persons in our own community— he has found, from the study of the Scriptures that he belongs to one of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Oar enthusiasts — we will not call them fanatics —claim descent from the Lost Tribes as the peculiar glory of the AngloSaxon race, and are surprised that anyone can miss being convinced by the proofs they offer. We have no doubt that Te Whiti could make out quite as good a case. Up to the present time the Government have taken no active step to aid the settlers who are being molested in Taranaki. They have encouraged the formation of Volunteer companies, they have strengthened the Armed Constabulary stations, and they have distributed arms and ammunition. But all this has not " cowed" the natives, as it was hoped would be the result. The settlers have at last taken the matter up, and have removed the trespassers and their ploughs, and at Oakura have impounded the bullocks. This has been done peacefully. There was, it is true, a tussle with one native when those typical instruments of peace, the ploughs, were being carted oil, and a Maori threatened to tomahawk a European over the impounding of the bullocks. But if the natives do not abandon the entire attempt, and acquiesce quietly in the land passing from them—which we hardly ' believe they will do —the matter will not end here. Probably they will return in greater numbers, ancl wc think the Government ought not to expect the settlers ' to deal with them. The Government | ought to keep the Maoris from trespass [ and outrage by employing the Constabu- ! lary. It is not fair to the settlers to ex--1 poet them to do police work. These men ' hold their land by Crown grant ; in many ' cases they have paid high prices for their farms ; and they are entitled to look to [ the Government to assist and protect them. ' The West Coast district can hardly be said to have been in a peaceable state for year 3 past, notwithstanding that no attempt was made to settle a large extent I of confiscated land. In 1873, Mr, i Parris wrote:—"The district from Stoney River to Te Ngamu is occupied J by natives, who are very troublesome p and lawless. They steal cattle, sheep, horses, &c., from Europeans passing along the coast while encamped at night, and take them away to their villages and ' kill the cattle and sheep, and when a( last horses are found in their possession they refuse to give them up withom bein_{ paid an exorbitant sum —half theii value, and sometimes more. They art violently opposed to the extension o public works throughout the district ' and at a recont meeting held to discus: e the question, they threatened to sliool : 0 the first man who attempted it, ' I have nothing to say of T< Whiti. Judging from recent meeting: held at Parihaka, he is still fo peace and quietness, and advocates non interference with land-selling or public j works, which his followers do not ap ? prove of, and it remains to be proved whether he will change his tactics t< it sustain the position he has so long heli ' amongst them." In 1871, on the recom inundation of Mr. Parris, Sir D. McLeai established a depot of arms at Opunake and established a small force to protec it. This was in consequence of the threal ening attitude assumed by Titokowaru „ people. is y The cablegrams to-day are more than nsuall J- interesting. We learn that the new Governc of New South Wales, Lord Loftns, ha reached the United States, and leaves 'Frisc for this port on the 7th prox. by the ma , boat. An Order-in-Council, it is stated, wi :3 shortly be issued, increasing Sir Arthr 10 Gordon's powers over British subjeel 's throughout Polynesia. This is evidentl 'y being done with a view to the preventio a of future miscarriage of justice, such i that of the murder of Captain Moller ; Boutaritari Island. A motion has bee !( j brought forward in the House of Commor iy by the Secretary of State for the Colonic! II Sir M. Hicks-Beach, condemning any inter ie ference of the Imperial Legislature wit to "Victorian afliirs, unless requested to do e '> by both branches of the Colonial Legislatun "J The British Government is evidently d termined that it shall not be set h u the ears with any of the Australasia colonics if it can avoid it, and tl 1 ? motion practically embodies Mercutio's senti ments, —"A plague o' both your Houses. ° s The news from Rome is that Garibaldi i l " seeking to have his marriage annulled, i ls that it would appear the aged patriot's vis >r to the Eternal City had other objects in vie ,h than the promotion of a United Italy an

the craze aboat »Italian Irridenta." Britain has at last joinod France in a vigorous poUoy resDeotine Egyptian matters, _ by demanding the abdication of the Khodive. Francos interest in Egypt is to a»me extent one of sentiments, and has been bo ever Binoe the days of the First Napoleon, but her commercial interests are sufficiently weighty to justify her claiming a consultative voice in all operations affecting the control of the Snez Canal and the great highway to the East. As to commercial matters, news is cheering; the Bank of England's reserve is over trventy millions sterling, while many a home in this colony will be gladdened by the tidings that colonial wool is still advancing in price. Lady "Robinson held an "at home" at Government House last night. The attendance was about 200, and included the principal citizens resident in the suburban districts and their families. Messrs. Hamlin and Hobbs, the members for Franklin, held the first of a series of meetings with their constituents, in the Public Hall, Otahuhu, last night. They received a unanimous vote of confidence from the electors. A report of the meeting will be found in another column. Messrs. Hamlin and Hobbs propose to meet the electors in other parts of this large district, in accordance with the announcement advertised. The s.s. Hiuemoa returned from the Thames yesterday forenoon, with the Hon. the Native Minister, Mr. Sheehan, who had been arranging various matters connected with Government land negotiations at the Thames. As some of the principal natives concerned were absent, he was unable wholly to complete the business in hand. Offing tc telegrams received from Wellington respecting native affairs on the West Coast, the Hinemoa sailed for that port at S o'clock last evening, via Tauranga. The Native Minister was a passenger by her, the Ministry deeming his presence desirable at the seat of Government, and that the Hinemoa should be immediately available for transport of men and munitions of war to any threatened point at an hour's notice. Information has been received that the operations of Howe's Caledonian Company have been suspended, in consequence of some irregularity as to dealing with specimens. Of course, at first sight, an intimation of this kind carries the idea that there may have been some dishonesty, but, upon inquiry, we learn that such is not the fact. It was simply a breach of a regulation which required the tributer to deliver to the mauager's office any specimens or' picked stuff —that is, any ore shewing gold—to the manager before it was transmitted to the crushing mill. This proviso was not carried out in one instance, where some rich stone was obtained at night and forwarded to the battery. The fact was in l due course intimatedtothe manager, and, considering the action taken a breach of the terms of the agreement, he suspended the tribute™' operations, and the matter has been referred to the directors, by whom the circumstances will be considered at their regular meeting to-morrow. A sale of rural waste lands of the Crown was held yesterday, but although the attendance was fair, the bidding was spiritless, and the prices realised for the blocks sold iu few instances exceeded the upset price, while, on the other hand, for many of the blocks offered there was no bidding at all. One of two things is evident, either the upset price fixed by the Waste Lands Board or the Minister of Lands, is too high, or speculation in land at present is at a very low ebb. We incline to tha opinion that the latter is the real cause of the dullness of the sales. Land is a glut on the market at present, not only in Auckland, but throughout .New Zealand, and the reason is that there has been over-speculation and a tightness of the money market. A report of the business transacted will be found elsewhare. There is nothing of more vital importance to the welfare, peace, and liberties of a community than the equitable admiuistration of the laws which affect personal freedom, and the rights of property. There have been some notorious cases in New Zealand, in which the machinery of justice has been set in motion, and the country saddled with useless expense, simply to gratify private malice, and to satisfy personal revenge, and in which the public had not the slightest possible iuterest. Without at all inferring that the prosecution of Mr Alexander Neal Ogilvie, which terminated yesterday in a complete breakdown, is, strictly, "on all-fours " with the cases we have alluded to, there are, still, peculiar features in it which concern every citizen, as being liable to the same treatment. The following narrative will give Bome illustration of the above remarks, and, as it is the latest instance of " whit may happen to a man iu New Zealand," will be read with interest:—A young man, named Alexander Neal Ogilvie, of respectable connections and ' antecedents, acting as manager of the ICawa- ■ kawa Co operative Society, was reeently charged with embezzlement. It appears that he was never called upon for an explanation s of the alleged deficiencies, but an informai tion was at once laid, without warning, by s • private prosecutor, and a warrant issued and [ executed by the police. Mr. Ogilvie was arrested in Aucklaud on a Saturday night, and ' detained in the lock-up until Monday morning, when an application for a remand tc ! Kawakawa wa', after consulting autho 1 rities, refused by Mr. Barstow, th( r Resident Magistrate. Mr. Ogilvie wai - again brought up on remand yesterday, ! at the Police Court. Sub-Inspector Pardj had meanwhile gone to Ngaruawahia to sei , what evidence he could obtain for the prose j cation from witnesses stated to be residen' J there, and on his return he proceeded t< Kawakawa to make further inquiries. H< a came back to Auckland on Saturday morn ing last, and the case being called on yester ' day, statedthat from enquiries he had madi tlicra was no evidence whatever against th accused, and that the time of the Cour 8 would simply be fruitlessly taken up ii investigating the matter. Mr. Theo Cooper, -who appeared for the accused called the attention of the Court to the hard y ship and injustics which had been inflictei r ou Mr. Ogilvie, by having brought agains s him an accusation which the prosecution wa 0 obliged to admit was without fouivlatioi His Worship remarked that it was not police prosecution, but instituted by privat " parties, and, therefore, he did not think i r wise to make aoy comments. Had it bee ;s a police prosecution, he might have expresse „ an opinion on the matter. Mr. Ogilvie wa then discharged. The above statement, c n far as we can learn, discloses the salier 13 features of this remarkable case. Withot it venturing on further comment, we contei n ourselves with observing that it is a groi s anomaly that such judicial Bcandals shoul be possible under the ordinary administn '> tion of ju-tice. We presume, howeve that Mr. Ogilvie has his remedy at law. k The Resident Magistrate mentioned in tt 0 Police Court, yesterday, that it was n< !. agreeable for one man to appear and plea 3. guilty for another. He knew an instanc „ where a man did so, and was sentenced 1 fourteen days' imprisonment with hai labour when he ought not to have been so. The prize of £2 2s, offered by the Exhib " tion Committee for the best essay on tl a resources and future prospects of the Thami !0 district, has been awarded to the pap< it signed " Quidnunc." Tho prize essay w: w written by Mr. James Philp, of the Thanu d Evening Star staff.

In another column we re-publish an in. tereating article on " Insecure Buildings," from the National Fireman's Journal, which we commend to the attention of the civic authorities, and of the citizens generally. It is rumoured that the building regulations are not so strictly enforced as they ought to be, and Superintendent Hughes said, io his speoch at tho last annual gathering of the Auckland Fire Brigade, that there were buildings in the commercial sections of the city of Auckland so insecurely and unfaithfully built that, io the event of their being a fire, he would not permit hia men to ent6r them. At a resent fire the men of the Brigade actually abandoned their posts on the top story, fearful that the chaired beams woald give way and bring the side walls about their ears. Walls, of single-brick thickness, and insufficiently secured struts of auffieient thickness, are araongst the cheap and nasty devices complained of. Rainer's diorama of the Ru^so-TQrkisV war was exhibited again yesterday evening to a very good house, considering the bad state of the we ither. Mr. Hairy Stanley's songs were loudly applauilel. At the close of the exhibition several valuable presents were given away. The exhibition will be repeated this evening, and in a few days will go to the Thames. At the meeting of the St. James's Discussion Class last nighc, Mr. J. D. Schmidt delivered a lecture on "State Support to Education." Schmidt, first showed that it was the dnty of the >tate to see that people were educated. This education should comprehend the cultivation "f the physical, intellectual, moral, and spiritual faculties of man. He showed how important it was that all these powers should be developed, instead of one or two being cultivated, to tho neglect and detriment of the rest. He, however, believed that the State itself should not attempt to teach religion to anyone, as it was altogether beyond its province. Many of the argument* a'lduced were not only ingenious, but clear and conclusive. Portions of the lecture displayed great humour, and were highly relished by the members present, who criticised the lecture very favourably. N xt Monday evening, a series of original sketches «i' 1 be read by Messrs. J. Blackman, G. A. King, and W. Brigham respectively. A large attendance is anticipated. A battalion drill of Victoria. Hobson, Scottish, and No. 3 Company of Volunteers, will be held at the Drill Hall to-night. Tt is probable that a m-eting will be held afterward, to arrauge abo;t forming a battalion, and for the consideration of other matters of importance to the Auckland Volunteers. We expect to see a full atteudauce on this parade ; as, if our information is correct, the business will be "f great importance. Great dissatisfaction was felt among the jurymen at the coroner's inquest at the hospita 1 , yesterlay, that Dr. Audrews, of the Thames, did not attempt to dress the wounds of the p~>or fallow (King) who was so severely injured. Dr. Pbil*on stated that when the deceas<d was admitted into the hospital, sixteen days after the injuries had been received, nothing had been done towards lclieving the pain of the sufferer, but a few clothes wrapped round by his mates. At a meeting of the Board of Governors of the Thames High School, held ou Friday, an application was received from Mrs. M. Alexand r.. assi taut at the Auckland High School, to be allowed to take charge of the young ladies' branch of the Thames High School on a guaranteed income. A suggestion for procuring the services of a dnly qualified master, being a B. A. of one of the Universities, was also discussed, and it was resolved to insert a notice iu the newspapers asking families to send in offers of support on behalf of their chddren, conditional upon the best t j ac'ning talent being obtained, and the terms not exceeding tho Auckland charges. It is expected that ab least 75 pupils will be gnaraote- d by this means to commence the school with. Mr. (Teald was elected seeretay to the Board of Governors. Mr. O'Sullivan, Inspector of Schools, who is on a visit to the Thames, attended the meeting of the Board of Governors, and made some practical suggestions re the establishment of the High School. Last night Mr. Iticcardi's troupe repeated, at the Th aire Itovai, the opera of " H.M.S. Pinafore," with the same cast as on previous occasions, and the performance was highly appreciated by the audience, which, owii. 6 no doubt to the bad wea her, was not large. The opera was preceded by "ll * operetta, " The Kose of Auvergne," in which Miss Leaf, Mr. Burnham, and Mr. C. Harding took part. The entertainment throughout was of a most pleasing character, the singing being clear and distinctive, and the acting shewing a careful and appreciative study of the parts by those who impersonated the various characters. Mr. Chaplin, the eminent actor, and Miss Rose Osborne, the charging actress, are expected to arrive by the mail steamer to-day from Sydney, under engagement to Mr. Do Lias. They will shortly appear at the Theatre Itoyal. The Cambridge farming Club ploughing match is advertised, to be held Mr. A.A, Fanthanrs farm, near Cambridge on the | 9th July. Four classes of urix -s will be awarded, besi les champion and-<pecial prizes as the funds will allow. Entries have to be made not later than the Svli .)ulv. The s.s. Glenelg carried to Tauranga yesterday six 100-tons hydraulic lifts, which 1 the contractors have secured t-j assist in raising the steamer Taupo. The Customs authorities, we understand, have made search on Raugitoto tor any casks , of spirits that might have been run ashore by . outward bound vessels. The search, how- ' ever, proved fruitless. - The arrests made by the police yesterday , were not so numerous, nor were the offences i such as are likely to cause the Bench much . trouble to-day. Two drunkards were the . only fresh occupants of tho police-cells, i The city assessment rate notices now 3 being issued (for the year 1579 SO), will cont tain all the amounts due during the curl rent year, so that ratepayers may not be confused with a multiplicity of notices, and , by paying them shortly after delivery, they save any further annoyance in that direction 1 for another year, verb. sap. t A correspondent writes:—-"Sir, —l hope 3 the citizens of Auckland will half-mast the flags in memory of the foreign Prince who a died in England"s cause. —Ax ExGLISHe mas." The following is the state of Her Majesty's J? gaol, Auckland, for the week ending 22nd June, IS79:—On remand, 4 miles ; await--3 ing trial, 9 males, 3 females ; penal servi--0 tude, 27 males ; hard labour, 79 males, 31 females ; imprisonment, 1 female ; default l ' of bail, 4 males, 1 female; received during the week, 20 males, 5 females ; discharged, 18 males, 6 females : total in gaol, 123 males, 36 females. [' The following is the weekly report of the Auckland Luuatic Asylum and vdd Men's Auxiliary, for the week ending 21.st June :— ,e Remaining from la3t week, 200 ; admitted >t since, 3 : remaining, 203. A subscription-list was opened £o:r.e time 13 ago for Mrs. Littlecbild, to enable her and 0 children to get to her friends in England. It appears that the sum of £1S was collecte 1 in the Kaipara district, but had not been i- forwarded before the list was closed, and the io amount is still in hand. A correspondent is asks us for her address. \> e are not in a :r position to give the in r ormitinn, but would a suggest that tho money might, with advanb tage, be handed over to the Ladies' Benevolent Society, or some kindred charity.