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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4118, 1 June 1874, Page 2

During the late inquiries in Fiji by the British Commissioners, some information was obtained as to the present population of the islands. It was found that the Natives numbered about 140,000. The white residents were numbered at 178 C, comprised as follows : Males beyond municipality of Levuka, 10C6 ; women and children, 150 ; ratepayers within municipality of Levuka, 200; women and children, 150 ; fluctuating population, ICO. It was estimated that the foreign residents held 862,970 acres of laud, 13,245 of which were under cultivation, and 849,722 not under cultiuation. The Court of Appeal will sit at 11 a.m. today, when their Honors will deliver judgment in the case of Bunny v. the Attorney-General, and in other cases. One or two divorce suits are also to be mentioned. On Tuesday the Supreme Court mil sit in Banco, and on Wednesday in Bankruptcy. Sermons were preached yesterday at hoth the Anglican Churches, morning and evening, by some of the most notable of the Church dignitaries at present in attendance upon the General Synod. At St. Paul’s Cathedral, Archdeacon. Williams preached in the morn ing, and Archdeacon Harper in the evening. At St. Peter’s, the Dean of Christchurch preached in the morning, and the Bishop of Nelson in the evening. The inclement weather tended greatly to reduce the attendance at both morning and evening service, but the Cathedral was nevertheless tolerably full in the evening. One of the'immigrants by the La Hogue, a married woman named Ashton, died on board the vessel on Saturday. She had during the past few weeks been in a very precarious condition, and upon the arrival of the vessel her malady had reached such a stage that sho could not be removed. Mrs. Ashton, who was thirty-six years old, leaves six children. During the day another of the immigrants, named James Payne, a gasfitter, aged forty-one, died at the Barracks from dropsy. The remains of Mrs. Ashton and those of the child Duffield, who died on Thursday, were interred yesterday. Payne will be buried to-day. Henare Matua seems to be active in furthering the mission he has taken upon himself. We observe that after the late meeting at Kaiwaiki he visited the Ngatiapas at Wangaehu, and addressed them on the subject of the representation of the Maori race in Parliament. A sum of £IOO was collected and presented to him to assist him in establishing the Native newspaper which he is said to contemplate starting in Wellington. It is stated that a Maori petition, very extensively signed, will be presented to Parliament during next sessiou. in favor of a better representation of the Maoris, and that, after the session, a meeting of the tribes of Waikato and Ngaphui, and others, will be held on the subject somewhere in the neighborhood of Napier. The Football Club met for practice on the Basin Reserve on Saturday, and though the attendance was small, the play was brisk. Sides were picked up by Messrs. O. Wakefield and W. James, and, after three hours' spirited play, Mr. James's side scored three goals, and Mr. Wakefield’s two. The club members will continue in hard practice during the next few weeks to attain to a proper state of preparedness for the encounter with the Nelson team, and with the object of maintaining the credit of the Province—from the foot-ball point of view—a general invitation is extended to all persons possessing any knowledge of the game to strengthen tie club for this contest. Play will be resumed on Saturday next. Mr. Alexander McDonald, who stands committed for trial ior maliciously shooting one of Mr. Young’s horses, will expatiate upon his wrongs at a meeting to be held at Rangitikei this evening, tie meeting being held at the suggestion of a number of Mr. M‘Douald’s friends. Gordon Cameron, one of a disorderly mob who contrived to create confusion at the Hutt railway station an Monday last, was charged at the City Court on Saturday, with a breach, of the railway regulations. Inspector Atchison, at whose instance the offender was brought before the Court, stated that although the railway station was already crammed to excess by persons returning from the Hutt sports, Cameron, who arrived late, began to jostle the crowd, in order to make way for himself and a woman who was in his company. Mr. A. Scales, who remonstrated with him upon his conduct, was assailed with a volley of oaths and threatened with annihilation on the spot. Fortunately Inspector Atchison happened to he within earshot of the choice expletives used, and observing Cameron’s violent demeanor he at once made his presence known, whereupon Cameron’s pot-valor subsided. The offenderadmitted in Court that he had had a glass or two, and that he was endeavoring to find room for a woman in his company who was not in very good health ; a very lame excuse, as the Inspector remarked, as the female displayed little delicacy of health or manner during the disturbance. His Worship fined the defendant £1 with 19s. costs, ami reminded him that any future offence of the kind would be visited with the full’penalty, namely £5. There were other charges on the sheet for various offences of the drunk and disorderly category, in which, fines of ss. and upwards were imposed. The dramatic season of the Steele-Keogh Company closed on Saturday evening, when “Jack Sheppard” was performed to a fairlyattended house, die part of the hero having three representatives in the course of the drama —Miss Lily May in the earlier, Mrs Walter Hill in the middle, and Mr Douglas in the latter part. Johnathan Wild was personated by Sir Keogh. The afterpiece was “The Conjugal Lesson,” in which the chief parts were taken by Mr Douglas and Miss Mainwaring. The company proceed to the South, and in parting irith them, we must say that they well deserve the success they have met with. They have played a singular variety of pieces during the season, working extremely hard, and doing everything well which they undertook. We trust to hear that they will bo equally successful in the places they are about to visit. The active spirits connected with the llechabite Bazaar enterprise miss no opportunity of spreading the fame of the coming event of tomorrow. The country districts have been canvassed for contributions and support, and the Order receives an enthusiastic response even from a spot so remote as the secluded vale of Westoe, Rangitikei. The little town of Blenheim has also been laid under levy, and a large number of visitors are likely to make their appearance in 'Wellington dining the teetotal reunion of the present week. A meeting of the Education Board will bo held to-day at eleven o’clock.

It is stated that 11.M.5. Blanche will he stationed at Wellington dining the coming session of Parliament. The Painters’ Trade Protection Society hold a meeting this eve one. at eight o’clock, at Dixon’s Itefrcslmicnt Rooms, Lambtou Quay. Yesterday was decidedly a wintry day in Wellington.' The wind blew strongly from the south-west throughout the day, and rain fell heavily, deluging the streets, and effectually clearing them of pa.-M. j ngers. The drains poured out such (Vinous streams of muddy water that the blue ot the harbor was speedily changed into a much less attractive color. Mrs. Hill, Mr. Steele, and the other members or the theatrical troupe who have played here with such success during the past six weeks, Were passengers in the Ladybird, which left for the South ports yesterday. The company commence a two mouths 1 season at the Princess’s Theatre, Dunedin, upon their arrival in that City. We observe from the Melbourne Aiyus that tenders have been invited in Melbourne and Sydney for .£OOO,OOO of Non- Zealand Government debentures, bearing interest at four percent. Madame Anna Pus-hop, who was expected to leave San Francisco by the last mail steamer for Honolulu, on her way to Australia, was detained in consequence of a lawsuit, which had been submitted to referees, hut had not been finally settled when the steamer left. A murder in the island of Tnnna is reported from Sydney. The victim was Mr Eoss Lewis, an old resident there. Ho was murdered by the Natives. His family escaped in an open boat, but his two brothers died of exhaustion before being rescued by the schooner Donald McLean. We observe that Sir John William Ploos van Amstel, Bait., K.C.0.0., K.N.L., his Netherlands Majesty’s Consul-General for Australia, Now Zealand, and Tasmania, leaves Venice by the April mail-for Melbourne to resume his official duties. An agent of the Indian Government has arrived in Victoria, and is now in Gipps Land. It is stated that he has been commissioned by the Indian Government to visit the various colonies on the Australian mainland, in order to ascertain the capabilities they possess of furnishing a regular supply of properly bred horses for the remounts of the Indian army. He requires horses possessing special points and qualities. The Melbourne journals contain advertisemenfe asking for information as to the where'‘Sbouts of Samuel Eichardson, of Bootle, near Liverpool, who, in ISG6, was discharged from the Ist Waikato Eegiment, and was afterwards on the Thames goldfield. We learn by way of Sydney that when the mail steamer Macgregor reached that port from Fiji after her late misadventure she was found to be leaking very little. Her repairs were to be commenced at once, and she is to resume her place in the service this month. - Some time ago Sir George Bowen instituted a prize at the University of Melbourne, with the view of encouraging the study of literature. ■ We notice that the subject selected for the prize for the year 1875, is “The Influence of the Scandinavian Language and Literature on Britain.’’ A sample of prairie grass, grown in Gipps Laud, Victoria, has been shown in Melbourne. It measures eight feet -in length, and was the product of seed sown two years ago. The mission schooner Southern Cross, which is about to be handed over to the Government as a training vessel for hoys at Auckland, has been examined and reported on. She has been found to be in a good state of preservation. Her new rig is to be that of a brig. ’ Shareholders in the New Zealand Titanic Steel and Iron Company are notified that today is the last day upon which payment of the third call of 10s. per share can be received. Amounts must be paid into the Bank of New Zealand. It may afford the reader a lively if not a very favorable view of the state of mining matters in Victoria at present when we state that a late number of the Melbourne Arr/us contains a notlficn-fciou of not less than 145 calls, and only one dividend. A resolution has been agreed to in the Taranaki Provincial Council that it is necessary to have an immigration agent in England, in order that the Province may participate in the benefit derived from the expenditure of a loan for immigration purposes. Some very good yields of gold are reported by the Auckland papers. The Moanatairi had 3-11 ozs. at a crushing, and- this would give a profit of ,£IOOO on the last month’s workings. The Queen of Beauty had 510 ozs. as the result of the fortnight's work. American exchanges received by the mail tell that bounce is getting tbs better of discretion, and the Yankees are beginning to grumble at the Polynesian policy of Great Britain in proposing to annex the Fiji Islands. If the Americans will but wait they will find some other grievances of a similar character in the South Seas. A very well-known person, Carter, the driver of the Auckland and Waikato coach, is about to kayo the Colony for his native land, America, and is to receive a parting testimonial from the settlers of the Waikato ■. for his uniform courtesy and obliging clisposition. Carter was well known and highly popular in Victoria as a, handler of the ribbons between Melbourne and Sandhurst before the days of the iron horse. The Government of Victoria seem particularly anxious to find the defaulter O’Ferrall, and have taken not a little pains to discover him. A detective visited New Caledonia amongst other places, where O'Ferrali was supposed to be located, but returned without finding him. The officer had scarcely reported himself in Melbourne, however, when a telegram was received via Sydney, stating that the absconder was on the island, where he had purchased a large share in a mine. This must have boon pleasing news to the detective. Efforts are being put forward on the American side of the San Francisco and Australasian Steam Service to render the line as popular as possible, and to ensure the comfort of passengers by it. A San Francisco paper says that Mr Hall is sanguine he will obtain a mail and passenger train specially to meet the mail steamers. An hour after the arrival of the Tartar the mail was being conveyed across the continent, and two days afterwards every passenger was cn route. The first party that left were “provided with two palace cars exclusively for their own rise, no other passengers being admitted to them. The next day another party left, and they were similarly accommodated. They go by the quickest route to New York, and during the journey they will have all the comforts of a first-class hotel. The passengers are highly pleased with their treatment, but when they roach New York they will have still more reason to bo pleased with their trip. The palace cars at their disposal are luxuriously finished and furnished, and more resemble drawing-rooms in hotels than apartments in railroad cars." This is the way to make the service popular. Wo _ take the following from a Wanganui contemporary ;—“ The refusal by the Native owners or their representatives to conclude negotiations for the lease of the Murimotu is still maintained, and matters are therefore iti utrdu quo. Kemp has telegraphed to the Government informing them of the present position of affairs. The Natives scorn to labor under the impression that they are being forced to lease to the Government, and have therefore turned rusty. If matters arc not definitely arranged* within a day or two, the chief owners and representatives will return to their respective districts, and the negotiations will consequently have failed. The new Native Lands Act is universally regarded by those whose interests it principally affects as harsh and unjust in the extreme, and numerous deputation;; will proceed to Wellington, during the ensuing session, to endeavor to bring a pressure to bear which will result in extensive modifications.”

What its promoters term “An evening party” will he given this, evening at St. Joseph’s Schoolroom, The party begins at half-past five with the orthodox “tea.” Mr. Wigo-ins will afterwards entertain the assemblage with a display of dissolving views, which will bo followed by singing, &c. Regarding the rice famine in Bengal, Messrs. Macldnuon, Mackenzie, and Co., of Calcutta, in their circular of April 1, say : —“As the matter of the much dreaded Bengal famine has been more carefully inquired into, a feclinc has gradually gained ground that the question will resolve itself into one of severe scarcity—perhaps even of partial famine, though this is as yet uncertain—in Tirhoot and a portion of tho surrounding districts. The area, therefore, likely to suffer being smaller than was at first anticipated, it is now almost beyond doubt that there are ample stocks of grain available throughout tho country, and it is probable that tho extensive operations the Government have already altered into will he sufficient for their requirements. Tho difficulty appears to be not so much in seem ing a supply of grain from outside, as in transporting the stocks already purchased into the suffering districts in time to bo of service, and it is in this latter direction that the exertions of Government are chiefly employed.” _____________