NORFOLK ISLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10418, 16 April 1897, Page 5

NORFOLK ISLAND.

[from our own correspondent. 1 April 9. The missionary vessel Southern Cross arrived last Sunday afternoon from Auckland, and it was intended she should leave for the Islands to-day, but unfortunately Captain Bongard is very sick, and at the last moment it was decided to send the vessel back to Auckland with the captain, and she leaves at mid-day for your port, The Southern Cross brought a large mail, indeed previous to her arrival our latest news was the 15th January from Sydney, brought by the ketch Dewdrop in February. The subsidised vessel Alice May, has, it seems, been sold out of the trade, so that now our communications appear to be all adrift again, in fact, our last state is worse than ever. There is a talk, however, of a trading company or syndicate being formed in Sydney to trade with Lord Howe and this island, hut so far nothing certain has come to light, but we live in hopes. The new executive just now don't appear to have much business on hand. There was, however, a serious case tried by a jury two or three weeks ago. A man was charged with attempted rape, and his wife with aiding aud abetting. The alleged offence took place at Bullock's hut, over 14 months ago, and the parties until lately were living in friendly intercourse, when there was a squabble and this episode came out. The jury acquitted the accused. The evidence disclosed a most remarkable state of morals, not much to the credit of the parties concerned.

The new laws proclaimed by Governor Hampden, in November last, were, strange to say, made retrospective, and the first month or two there was a considerable run on the small debts Court. The principal customer was the firm doing business with the island for the last two years or so, and as they are retiring from the business their representative took this means of gathering in Ilia debts, The Council of Elders has not done much in the way of legislation since its inception. It has, in fact, very little power, and this is confined to reserves and municipal matters. Changes in the laws, and now ones, is beyond them altogether. Anyway, its a vast improvement on the old public meetings. Mr. F. M. Nobbs succeeds Mr. John Forrester Young in the Council by appointment of the Chief Magistrate, Mr. Young having vacated his seat by absence from the island. The damage done to the Cascade and its approaches by the late hurricane is still long way from being finished, and is sadly in want of skilled labour. The islanders are' doing what they can, but the work goes on slowly- In fact, since the beginning of the year, what with roads and other jobs, the men havo had severe doses of public work, enough to dishearten anyone. The Whaling Company's sheds, or rather the remains of them, are much in the same state as when the hurricane left them. The postmaster, however, has resurrected the post office, and invested in a new sash and other improvements. The edifice is not an extensive one for an important Crown colony, six by ten, and strangest of all the official himself has to pay the cost of its erection and repairs. Nearly all the matrons of the island have joined togother and formed a Woman's League, a kind of co-operative partnership for work and mutual encouragement. Mrs. Spalding, the wife of the Chief Magistrate, is the president and organiser, and is very enthusiastic about its accomplishing much good, and no doubt it will if carried out on the prospectus lines. The League meet once » week, and is in full working order. Its object really, as far as one can make out, is to procure cloth at wholesale prices, which is made up into garments for young and old, sewn by and sold to members of the League at cost price, Mrs. Spalding taking payment in kind. The first parcel of stuff is provided, but help is needed to give the concern a good start, and then afterwards, it is thought, the League will be self supporting. There was a good deal of croaking at the beginning of the year about the want of rain, am) of course a drought was prophesied. As a matter of fact, at that time the ground was terribly parched, and vegceation fast drying tip, but since then, instead of a drought, we have hud the best season experienced for years— inches of rain in the three months, spread over 47 days, and as a consequence the craps and grass never looked better. Strange to say, we bad no equinox this year —that is to say, we had no hard blow. About the time (21st March) the weather was gloomy and threatening for two or three days, but it passed off, and since then we have had a spell of beautiful weather. It seems that the drastic measures enforced and carried out by Governor Hampden himself last November, when he came to the island and summarily abolished our constitution, laws, and officers by his own proclamation, does not meet with the warm approval of the Imperial authorities. Indeed, it would appear from the opinion of the Crown law officers that he acted outside his authority and power altogether. Our constitution was granted to us by Her Majesty in 1856, and one would think could not be set aside at the will of any governor. Howover, this much, if a plebiscite were taken, any change in the autonomy or annexation to New South Wales would be vetoed by a large majority. We have not heard anything lately about the chaplaincy of the island, and so far we i are dependent on the mission staff for our spiritual food. Two or three months ago we wore told at one of the Church meetings that there was a parson coming from Tasmania, but he has not turned up yet. By the last mail the news was received of the death of Mrs. Welchman, wife of the Rev, H. Welchman, of the mission staff, which took place at Siota, the mission stationat the Solomons. They were married only a few months ago and left this for their island home with such brilliant hopes. But alas, " Man proposes and God disposes." Meteorological: Weather for March—Barometer highest on 27th, 29'9S6deg.; lowest on 2nd, 29'370detr. Thermometer highest on 19th, 74d0g.; lowest on 13th, 68deg. Winds, easterly 21 days, westerly 10 days. Rain, January ll'29in, February 6"55 in, March 3'4oin. During the hurricane on the 28th January the glass went down to 2S'3odeg,