ARRIVAL OF THE AIREDALE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 246, 3 October 1862, Page 5

ARRIVAL OF THE AIREDALE

IMPORTANT NEWS

COOL RECEPTION OF THE

GOVERNOR BY THE NATIVES.

PURCHASE OF THK LORD WORSLEY

BY THK

GO YE RN MEN'S.

By the Airedale we have later news from the Northern Provinces. The Lord Worsley has been purchased by the Government, to prevent complications arising between the natives and private purchasers. The Governor has been received very coldly by the Otaki Natives. His Excellency's attempts to win over Wi Tako, an influential chief of the Kiugites and an old friend of Sir George Grey's, utterly iailed. The following letters from our own correspondents contain particu lars of the most important news :— WELLINGTON. (JFKOM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) Wellington, 26th Sept. A fortnight has elapsed since the sailing of the last steamer, and very likely you have heard indirectly of the closing of the Assembly. It was prorogued on Monday, the 15th, by Sir George Grey reading the speech herewith. When I last wrote you there was a serious fall out in the Ministry. Mr. Russell bad resigned, because Mr Domett hnd offered a seat in the Cubinct to Mr. Sewell, and Mr Sewell had resigned because Mr Domett (having got nlarmed «t Mr Bell threatening to follow Mr Russell's example;, had announced to the House on Saturday, 13th inst., that hia offer to Mr Sewell had beeu reconsidered —was, in fact, then under consideration. On Monday the House met at eleven, but it was not until twenty minutes hail elapsed before it was able to proceed to business, from want of a quorum. The minutes were long in reaiiiug, conn rising, as they did, the address to the Queen, agreed to on Saturday. Two notices wtie on the motion paper, one by Mr J. C. Richmond relative to the audit—a mere forma] tiiiair, and the other by Mr. Pox, relative to the intentions of the Government as to the permanent constitution of the Ministry. On its becoming evident that Mr Richmond was speaking against time—an appeal from Mr. Pox only meeting Vfith luughttr—-the lattfer gent.tman took up his " tat, wad walked out, On this, Mr Richmond*

concluded his speech, and no one answered to the bpeaker s call when motion No. 2 was announced from the chair. After a'short interval, Mr Fitzherbert moved it for Mr. Fox, the clock then indicating that in less than ten minutes His Excellency might be expected to arrive. ' Mr. Bell was most obtuse, and asked if his honorable friend the member for the Hutt. who occupied the place of his honorable frit ml, the member for Rangi" tikei, meant so and so, or whether his honorable friend, &c. As the clock struck twelve, Mr. Bell began to have a faint comprehension of the information required, but beating about the bush for two minutes, was relieved from further explanation by the entrance of Major Dwver, requesting the presence of the members in the Legislative Council, where Sir George sat awaiting them. There was a goo 1 attendance of ladies and councillors, but a miserable remnant only of the Commons. A tew brief minutes were occupied in signing some bills and in reading an address by Mr Speaker, after which HU Excellency delivered hU speech proroguing the Assembly to December next; that date, of course, being only a fornjal one. At/ter a flourish of trumpets, and the presentation of arras by the line of military, the Governor passed on t) Government House, vhere, divesting himself of his uniform and'assuming his travelling suit, he was soon ready for starting to Otaki.

Meanwhile Mr. Sewell had explained his position to the Legislative Council, and there can be no doubt that he lias been very badly treated. It is customary for gentlemen to treat one auo< her differently to the way Mr..Doinetc has treated Mr. Sewell. A distinct off_-r in writing and a distinct acceptance of that offer, ought to have been considered conclusive; and the question certainly was not in a position to be reopened by either without the consent of the other. As to Mr Bell's threat of resignation, no one believed in that, any more than they di i in the pretended intention of some of the Auckland members to bring forward a want of confidence vote on the la3t day of the session. 'However, the matter has now ended, and there is no use in pursuing it further. Mr. Russell's resignation was not accepted, and he retained his seat. Mr. SeweilV resignation was accepted, and he lost his. Mr. Whittaker, it is supposed, will be the new Attorney-General..

I refer you to the Spectators report of Mr. SewelPs statements on the Saturday aud Monday; and I need only add that the root of the matter*is the difference of opinion which Mr. Russell and Mr. Sewell have as to the introduction of the Torrens legislative scheme. Mr. Sewell, as Registrar General of Lauds, was unwilling to be thwarted in carrying that system into operation, and therefore insisted on his having a seat in the Executive, which gave oftl-nee to Mr. liusJJ, who, as a solicitor, is unfavorable to the system, and supposed to be not over anxious to facilitate its introduction. Mr Sewell returned to Auckland with Mr 801 l and the Assembly staif in the early part of the present week, Mr Russell, Mr Wood, and the northern members having left the day after the prorogation. Only Mr Dome't remains behind, and he goes, via Nelson, to-morrow or next day. If the Ministry press Mr Sewull to take charge of the introduction ot the new registration system, he will consent to continue in his Registrar-Generalship for a time, as his heart is in that work.lt having long been a hobby of his. In England he published a pamphlet advocating something of the same principle twelve years ago. He appears thoroughly determined to have done with Cabinet work in future, and intends to follow his profession in Canterbury, where his abilities as a lawyer, and the esteem in wh'ch he is held, will secure to him a practice which must compel him to say, as your Mr Gillies and some others say—' I can't afford to take office." The news by the last mail of the power given by Parliament to deal with the 73rd clause of the Constitution Act, settles the legality of the Native Lands Bill, and gives assurance of its being assented to by Her Majesty. I have no doubt that those who intend purchasing will so;m be busy in negotiating preliminarily,such aproceeding having been declared by Mr Bell to be not contrary to the wishes of the Government, as it will only be out of advances so made by intending purchasers, that the Maories will be able to pay for the cost of the survey necessary to be executed before a certificate can bo issued. The coincidence of legislation at home and in the colony is matter of surprise to many ; but they forget that Sir George Grey's plan always contemplated the waiving of the Queens-right of pre-emption to a limited extent, and that, to the limited extent originally contemplated by his Excellency, it formed a feature in Mr. Fox's B'v), so that months since, say last December or January, the necessity for power to legislate on the seventy-third clause being granted to the Assembly, was communi-' cated to the Home Government.

The Church of England synod opened on Tuesday and closed on Thursday. Having in the two former annual sessions pretty well moulded and fashioned their laws, there was not much to be done. Many lawyers have no very great opinion of the legality of the Acts of these Synods, and the recent proceedings in So tland in connection with the Free Church, known as the " Cardoss Case," seem pretty, clearly to indicate that the civil power would view very jealously the action assumed by our General and Diocesan Synods.

The London papers mention the death, on "June 25th, at Harnsbury Park, Islingtou,-. of Lieut.-Coiond J. Howard Wakefield, retired list, Bengal Army, aged 57." It may be interesting to state that this officer was the last surviving brother of the Wakefield family—a sister being the only member of that generation now living. Liout.-Colonel Wakefield had spent some twentyfive years in India, and during the whole of that time hud, I am told, never been under fire, gaining his promotions by seniority of service. Like all the members .of that celebrated family his disposition was ot a decidedly diplomatic turn, and when not employed on missions, he was stationed as a magistrate in the interior, for which his proficiency as a linguist greatly qualified him On one of these missions he became attached to a princess, who was subsequently baptised and married to him. He retired from the Indian service a few years ago, with the hope of spending a lengthened life there, a satisfaction he had lon^ looked forward to possessing, but which he has failed to realise. When he retired, the Indian service lost one of its most thoroughly Christian and able civil servants.

The Governor has been absent since the 15th up the West Coast. Mr Craeroft Wilson, above all others, has accompanied his Excellency, possibly with a view to becoming personally acquainted with a people about whom his friend Fitzgerald and himself have such opposite notions. The Hon Mr and Mrs Tollemacue.the Superintendent, Mr Carter the Union Bauk Manager, E. Puni, and a few other natives, went also. We have yet received but" little authentic Intelligence, but from all I can make out the Go^. ernor met with very indifferent success at Otaki. I believe he had hopes of inducing the King party to give him their flag and recognise the Queen's authority. If he might reasonably expect it anywhere, he might do so at Otaki, where he was personally known to every oody in the old days, and where he is still regarded with more l-ersonal goodwill than perhaps anywhere else. The report of his doings at Otaki lead us to look upon his visit as most discouraging, but we shall learn full particulars to-morrow. Leaving Otaki, the Governor went on to Wanganui, and the partyare expected to return to town some time tomorrow. Of the proceedings at Wanganui, we have not yet heard a syllable.

A very important case came before the Supreme Court on the 19th. For some months past, legal proceedings have been going on againstone of our largest, if not the largest, firms here,—Messrs Bowler, Son, and Co., instituted by Messrs. Matheson and Co., of London,—through their specially accredited agent, MrPearce. The question before the jury was—-whether, on a certain day, the firm wj»s solvent or not; as, if not, the business was to be hainied over to Mr Pearce. A counter action was on the paper for damages sustained by loss of reputation through the institution of the proceedings first alluded to. The'trial was expected to be a fierce one, but happily, a week or so previously, a verdict was agreed to be submitted to in Matheson's favor for 1,76,000, which was accordingly carried out on the day of trial, and the mercantile business handed over to Mr. Pearce. Of course the counter action fell to the ground. Bowler and Co. could have postponed this inevitable result for a long period, bad they chosen to

selves of the formalities or opportunities of the law; but they wisely adopted the more straightforward course of submission, so as to enable the business to be worked up a rain to what it once was. To this course, I ap: told, they were advised by Mr. Scwtl! v ;irho. /or old acquaintance pake, latterly lent his professional assistance. Of course'the .firm's credit is now of the highest character.

Monday, 29th September.

I am now,able t» give you some details in reference to the Governor's visit up the "WestCoast. The feast at Otaki was all that could be wished ; there was an enthusiasm about the whole which augured we!lf>r the accomplishment of the design which Sir George Grey had, it is said, long meditated of putting down Kingism in that neighbourhood by a coup de man. The feast was attended by the Ngatihuia, in celebration of whose abandonment of the Kin«- it was ostensibly got up, but non 3of the King natives prop.-!- attended. Their pah at Otaki is half a .mle or so to the north of the township, and they were very desirous that Sir George Grey should visit them on their own ground, but this he firmly declined doing, consenting, however, to meet them half way, but on the loyal side of the stream which divides the two parties Sir George, asked for the King's flag to be given to him, and made other demands of a similar nature ma fashion which can only lead to the conclusion that he was fully convince! that he had only to ask and have; but he hal unfortunately miscalculated the rength of the King feeling, and his demands were met by a persistent refusxl. Wi Tako whs the principal spokesman, and replied most firmly to all the Governor's arguments, teiling him that the only course for His Excellency to pursue was to dry up the fountain' (Waikato) and the streams would cease ; to root up the P')tatoe, and there would be no mote sets, and so forth. Only once was WrT.iko foiled, or at least obliged to admit that he was so. The Governor, after alluding to Wi Tako as the man whom, in former times, he could always depend upon,; that he had always been ready to strip to the waist, and execute* the Governor's wishes heartily, urged him to associate himself again with the Governor for the welfare of the Maori race, and to do it at once—to renounce Kingism that very hour. Wi Tako replied by a parable ; that a woman, having left her neglectful husband for several years, and being suddenly met by him, could not be expected to return to his bosom, without first seeking the man who had been all that a kind husband ought to be, and consulting with him. Sir George immediately asked whether adultery were not such a sin that it ought to be abandoned instantly ; to which Wi Tako replied that the Governor was right and he was wrong. I hear some reports that Wi Tako is prepared to join the Governor on His Excellency's return from Wangarui ; but I scarcely think it is correct. I regret to say no immediate effects have flowed from the visit, and I hear that the Governor is very much annoyed. That he must be so, I gathered from one little circumstance, if from no other, viz., that he spoke out relative to tlje Roman Cathoac natives being at the bottom of the disaffection wherever he went. Whatever his Excellency may have heretofore thought, he has studiously avoided saying anything on a subject which, whenever alluded to, was almost sure to bring him into the ba.l graces of the denomination mentioned.

At Wanganui Sir George has been well received by t'-ie'local natives, but the up-river natives (Kingites) have not as yet had an interview with him. They have come down in force to a settlement a few miles from Wanganui, where they have requested the Governor several times to visit them, urging that for them to come to Wanganui would be coming into the midst of a tribe who are old enemies, to which Sir Gc-orgt* has replied that he <-annot go to where they have hoisted the King's flag in opposition to his government. The Governor intended to have returned by the Wonga on Friday, having detainer! her for that purpose, but he wifl not no teave Wanganui nntil Thursday. It is possible he may determine to meet thsm ha'f-way, as at Otaki, and go a short distance up the river to-day. There is an absurd story about their having obtained one of the Governor's coats, and publicly stamped upon it till it was all rags and tatters, bay ing thus and thus, will we do to the owner hereof. As it may reach you, I may as well say that the only foundation for it is some lunatic native having done something, of-the sort, somewhere on the coast. At present there is reason to fear that there is as little real good effected at Wanganui as at Otaki.

The Wanganw Chronicle of the 25th inst.. will give you all other particulars you may want to know.

From Taranaki we learn that the Lord Worsley has been sold to the Government. It appca- s that Mr. Rob. Graham and another intended to buy, on the faith or the Natives allowing them to make the best of their bargain unmolested; but on subsequently learning that their faith would probably be misplaced, the Provincial Government purchased it on behalf of the General Government By this means the fears entertained by *ome, and the hopes entertained by others, that the taking possession of the wreck by the purchaser would lead to ulterior operations, are alike quieted. The natives will, I presume, be left in undisturbed possession. The vessel fetched £235, and the cargo .£l9.

I see the Taranaki Herald mentions the proba bility of his Excellency visiting Taranaki very shortly; and that he had made ktiown his intention of putting the settlers on their farms this summer. Let us hope that this may prove true.

Little Marl borough is in trreat trouble just now. The new Council on meeting were about to pro ceed according to law to elea, first a Speaker, and then a Superintendent; but as it was understood that the latter was not to be the one already in power, the Council was indefinitely prorogued before it proceeded to business. Mess-s. Eyes and Sinclair have come over to take advice as* to what is the best course to pursue.

I conclude with a few Wellington items. Major Dyer, the commander of the troops here, has gone to Auckland to assume command of the Regiment (the Uth), in consequence of the Colonel, Sir James Alexander, having gone home. Your military readers may be interested in knowing that Colouel Charles Wilson Austen, of the 83rd", is expected to succeed Colonel Alexander permanently. The garrison here is now under Brevet-Major Lepper, distinguished for recent services in India. Colonel Alexander is expected to add another to the many works on this Colony, having kept his eyes wide open whenever he journeyed, with this object specially in view. .

The Superintendent and some others were to leave Wanganni to-day to visit the Taupo country. It is said they will be stopped by the upriver Natives,** made to pay toll.

The foundation of the new Supreme Courthouse and Resident Magistrates' Offices, is about being erected on" the beach, it is to be laid by Sir George Grey on his return.

The Harrier arrived yesterday to take the Governor to Auckland. It is said he will leave here about the 12th, but no one knows. The arbitration of the dispute involved in the late Kaipara feud was fixed to take place at Auckland iti October, and I have not heard of its being postI psned, so that you need not look for* a visit from his Excellency just yet. Soundiufjß arc being taken with a view to the .consideration of ordering from England the plant for a patent slip. Everything is now so rapidly tending to make this the centre of steam communication, that something of this kind will, at no very long date, be urgently necessary. It here occurs to me to say that in your article of the 22nd September, on the Panama route, you have misunderstood what Mr Sev/eli said. £100,000 was what he said be believed would be the cost of a two-monthly line from Southampton to New _ Zealand (via Panama), not a twomonthly line from Panama to New Zealand only. This misapprehension you will, I am sure, thank me for removing. The Storm Bird will sail to your port tomorrow, where it is thought likely she will continue a few weeks, if busine.-s is brisk with you. There will be no necessity for me to write by her. unless something very unforeseen should napjpen.