THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, APRIL 24.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 419, 24 April 1863, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. " Inveniam viam aut faciam." DUNEDIN, FRIDAY, APRIL 24.

The opinion we expressed on the arrival of the last Mail proves to be correct. The Tataraimaka block has been recovered without the striking of a single blow. It must have been a moment of proud satisfaction to Sir George Grey, as he peacefully took possession of the land, the reoccupation of which it has been so confidently asserted would only be secured by the shedding of seas of blood. Instead of marching over the prostrate bodies of slaughtered Natives, the dusky warriors met him with ' words of welcome and the white banners of peace. In the delicately figurative manner in which the Maoris are wont to express their thoughts, they begged he would not encroach upon their lands, by expressing the hope that he would remain upon his own. And so the long train of military waggons and of soldiers, prepared if necessary to take forcible possession, deployed upon the ground; and the supremacy of the Queen in New Zealand was no longer threatened with the damaging reproach that land which had been bought and paid for iv her name was permitted to pass from her by the alleged right of conquest. A proud moment, we say, it must have been for Sir George Grey, the words so eloquently quoted by Mr. Fitzgerald must have rung in his ears—" the pen is mightier " than the sword."

In offering our congratulations to His Excellency on the result he has achieved, we are not ashamed to confess that it is one which twelve months ago we did not anticipate. It is only since the last six weeks that the real key to Sir George Grey's policy has been made public. The Times defined it with what now one perceives to be faithful precision, as the policy of waiting, and waiting and waiting. Tha excitement which alone could impel the Natives to the madness of opposing themselves to the armed ban-Is of England's resistless power, has been forced to perish of inanition. The Maoris have awakened to the fact of the folly of their hostility. Much trouble, much expense, much annoyance they might cause, but ultimate success they could never achieve. Chief after chief subsided into the wisdom of this knowledge, and then when all means of producing excitement in the Native mind was at its lowest ebb, Sir George marched to take possession of land to which those whose cause he represented had an undoubted right.

Sir George Grey has proved himself as wily and astute as his admirers have always declared him. His waiting and waiting policy was concealed by a thousand devices, because if the Maoris had known that this was the cold force being exerted against them, it would have stung them into madness. The Borgia invented a prison cell, so constructed as to gradually contract day by day upon the unhappy victim immured within its walls, until at length it crushed him. Even so would the Maoris have regarded the toils Sir George was weaving around them. They would have felt the moral force exerted by him as utterly fatal to the demonstrative feelings by which alone they could keep up the excitement that buoyed them to resistance, and in dread of that force, they would have made a desperate effort to resist it. But he concealed the fact that he was exercising it until its silent influence had already proclaimed itself. Neither the Fox Ministry, nor the Assembly, nor the present Ministry, knew that Sir George trusted more to the influence of time, than to all his plans of native institutions and ministerial responsibility. Whilst these were being foughtfor, hisend wasbeinggained. We readily admit that what we have often conceived to be a mere Inisser ■ aller policy, proves to be one of a well-defined and carefully-considered nature. Its success hitherto, we also gladly allow, but we are not blind to the fact that even 3'et it may not prove altogether triumphant. War may yet be not quite averted; but, looking to results up to date, now that we can trace them to a policy, we see there is cause to be satisfied with them. When war appeared to be only averted, lecause from childish ftelings of hesitation, it was postponed from day tv day, the policy seemed as unwise as it was distasteful. But when one sees

that the postponement was part of <i policy for ultimately averting a war, it grows into a very different point of view. Now that Sir George shows himse f to have a purpose and a policy, even those who doubt their succcess and question their wisdom can scarcely refuse to him the time he requires to vindicate them.

One other result of startling significance may be also deduced. Sir George does not give his so-called responsible advisers his full confidence, he is capable of acting without them; let them leave Native affairs to him, and turn their attention to domestic matters, which, to say truth, they are sadly neglecting. There is no reason now why an immediate se-ision of the Assembly should not be held; there are urgent reasons why it should. An act for preserving the islands from the flood of convicts and "ticket-of-leaves'' from Australia is urgently required. Alterations in" the Land Regulations of the Otago and Southland Provinces arc no less imperatively needed. The Separation question may be fittingly brought on, and not least in the category the barbarous Tariff may be amended. Sir George Grey will have time now to devote to the purpose. The obstacles can only lay with the Ministry, and we tell them frankly and openly that with them alone rests the objection to an immediate session, and their object can only be the fear of meeting Parliament. If for no other reason, they are bound to call the House together to lay before it the particulars of the numerous and immense loans which thejr are sanctioning. Parliament may devise some means for saving ihe Provinces the enormous losses to which they will be subjected by negotiating these Loans themselves, instead of with a recognized olonial guarantee. La?tly, we deny Mr Domett's right to fly in the face of the Act, and mis-apply the money for the reinstatement of Taranaki. We have nothing to do with the intentions of the House, the Act is explicit in plain black and white, and there can, be no doubt of the correctness of-the Attorney-General's reading of it. The money expended as authorised by the Act would give the lenders a security in the reinstatement of Taranaki; expended as proposed by Mr Domett, it leaves no security behind, and its use in this manner is a fraud upon the lenders. We do not grudge the Taranakians their compensation, but let (he Act be amended. However good the purpose for which it is intended, nothing excuses he obtaining money from the lender under false pretences.

" There can be no doubt," said Mr. Gladstone at Newcastle, " that Jefferson Davis has made " a nation of the South." Although the prudence of sued a remark from one in Mr. Gladstone's position was much doubted, there is no question that he stated what was substantially correct. The North and the South cannot resume their former relations; and, but for the repugnance which is felt throughout Kurope to countenancing or encouraging the formation of an independent Slave Power, it is probable the inauguration of a new nation, constituted by secession from the original association of republics which themselves seceded from England nearly a century ago> would already have received recognition.

The last secession is founded substantially, on the same ground as the first. It id not that compacts were broken, but that tempers were discovered to be incompatible. It is plain that the parties formally united found it no longer morally possible to live together under one political roof. What sort of union could continue to exist between States whose Congress could not be guaranteed from such philippics as Mr. Sumner's, and such reprisals a^ Mr. Brookes'—whose " little wars" ibr the rival occupancy of new territories generated raids like John Brown's ; —and by one section of which John Brown was hanged as a malefactor, by the other commiserated as a martyr? What sort of union could continue to exist between States, between which (as Jefferson prophesied, and with prophetic eye foresaw the issue), a definite geographical line had come to divide hostile opiuions ? All on that side of the line Northern-Republican —all on the other, Southern-Democratic.

The exclusive partisans of the North in this quarrel enlarge much upon the unreasonableness of those who, having always before succeeded in domineering, broke ofF from the Union when they found they could domineer no longer. But, as a matter of fact, we believe that it is not accurate to say that the South domineered over the North in all the elections which preceded that of President Lincoln. There can be no question that if the policy of the South guided the destiny of the nation up to the election of Mr Lincoln, this end was attained through the instrumentality of Northern Presidents, and with the sanction, aid, and approval of the Northern States.

It is a matter of history that, for the first time, at this election of President Lincoln, that coincidence of a geographical with a political line of division, which Jefferson predicted would produce the severance of the Union, was unmistakeably manifest. , The entire North ranged itself electorally on one side—the entire South on the other; and the " platform " oa which the nominee of the Republican party became the elected chief of the Federal Executive, was, in the estimation of the South, directly hostile to its vital interests. That platform was the restriction of the "peculiar institution" of the South to the area over which that institution is ia fact at present extended. The Republican party proclaimed, like the Tribune in Coriolanus, that Southern slavery and slave labor

■* Shall remain a poison ■where it 13, Not poison any farther."

This was, in effect, to sentence Southern culture and Southern power to torpidity and decay. The North has scattered its peoples over virgin soils ad libitum, wherever climate aud production tempted the immigration of white labor. It is not in human nature that the South should submit to a cordon being drawn round it, beyond which it must seek no fresh fields aud pastures new.

This is what these demand, however, who would dictate re-union or peace ou terms wholly Northern. And they demand it

avowedly, to " hasten the doom of slavery." But would such result be brought about by any such method ? There are some 4,000,000 slaves in the Southern Stites of America, and in spite of President Lincoln's edict of the Ist January, neither Southerns or Northerns'will, withivi any period that can rationally come within the prevision of practical policy, admit them on an equality as citizens. There . they are, and there they must remain under circumstances consistent with the interest of the stronger race. Can those circumstances be any other than circumstances of subjection, however modified by humane laws ? and is subjection of one race to another anything else than some modification of slavery ? We are justified in concluding that there is neither any royal nor any republican solution for the immense problem entailed on slave-holding America in this age by slave-trading Europe in the last. The euthanasia of slavery is a consummation devoutly to bs wished as a future fruit of time, but so fiir as can be seen it still looms only in the distauce.

The relations of political parties in the North wonld seem only to have been rendered more bitter by the emancipation policy adopted by the Government. The democrats who approve it, and there are some, affect to see in it an attempt to save the South, by inducing the " rebellious " States to re-enter the Union. The inJucementoffered is certainly an odd one, and no one can imagine that it will be effectivj. The democrats who do not approve of the proclamation object to it, because they see that it ruins utterly their chances of reforming the old democrats party. None but some of the extreme abolitionists and reasonable democrats see that the restoration of the Union has long parsed beyond the bounds ef possibility. Yet the war cannot end until the South gives up its pretensions to the, wh"le of the liorder States, and the North gives up its insane design of restoring the Union. .The Union and the Constitution are, undoubtedly, gone for ever, and until the fact is recognised, and the war waged avowedly for boundaries, territory, and international relationships, the wasteful fighting

must go on,

Madame Charles Cook did not deliver her lecture on the Cblonies, which was announced for last evening, at the Oddfellows' Hall; for, howerer enthusiastic she may be oahcr subject, no lady could be expected to talk for an hour and a half to fifteen parsons. That the number was not greater was doubtless due to the attractions of the Concert at the Theatre, and of Professor Bushell's entertainment at th<! Masonic Hall, and the gustiness of the evening no doubt had it« effect in persuading people to stay at home ; but it is useless to ignore the fact, that lectures on ordinary subjects are not likely at present, under any circumstances, to attract good audiences in Dunedin.

Professor BiishelFs entertainment in electricity and electro-biology was very fairly attcndc-1 lust evening, the Masonic Hall being about threefourths filled.. Some fifteen volunteers submitted themselves to the inductive test; and of them eight or-nine, were retained for further experiment. One finely-built, healthy-looking young fellow, who . had not before been experimented, upon, proved as plastic a subject as any with whom the Professor has met here; two lads also proved very susceptible; and the young man who was so successfully handled on Saturday, and on one or two other evenings, was again present. The entertainments passed off with complete success, and there was an abundance of laughter and

applause,

The following directions for the treatment of scab in sheep are taken from the Sydney Empire of the 25th ult., and are asserted to hare proved very effectual in stopping the ravages of this scourge of sheep-owners:—"A boiler and dipping tub must be got. Over the dipping tub place a triangle, and to the triangle fasten a double pully block, through this a rope and a hook. The legs of the sheep being fusteued together, the hook is attached thereto, and the sheep lowered into the tub, taking care that the medicinal preparation does not enter either the mouth or nose; for this purpose let one hold the animal's jaw fast and out of the liquid. After the sheep is thoroughly soaked,hoist it up and fasten the rope; then squeeze out of the wool as much of the liquid as possible, and allow the animal to drip there s while with another apparatus you may dip another sheep and so on. Never allow the dipped animal to rest on its side or back or anything, for the liquid in the tub being as hot ai can be borne by the hand, the part resting would be scalded. The liquid is to be made up thusi take one pound of arsenic, two pounds of washing soda, and boil them together in forty gallons of water until they melt; then putting this in the tub, immerse the animal. You may add one pound of creosote, for this having a nasty sineil prevents the sheep from licking each other, andtrom eating the grass where the drippings fall off the sheep after being set free. But the secret of success lies in having the liquid hot, so that it may penetrate the yoke. Shearing and washing the sheep will add to the certainty of success.

There was a somewhat thin audience at th« Princcss : Theatre List evening, which we regret although we cannot but believe that the remaining performances of M M. Poussard and Douay will draw full houses. Last evening was gusty and raw; but it should be remembered that thore are faw if any, equals of our present visitors to bo found in the southern hemisphere, and that their stay amongst us is sure to be in proportion to the patronage given to them. The programme last evening was the same as on Wednesday; but even more markedly than before, M. Douay's performance of the invocation and theme from "Lurline," stood out as the gem of the evening. This evening, there will be a change in the programme; and to-morrow will be given the last instrumental aud vocal concert, at the the the theatre, as " Lady Audley's Secret" is to be produced on Monday next.

The Lytlelton Times of the 18th says :—'• From a return of diseased Bheep in this province for the quarter ended 31st March last, it appears that a sum of no less than L 2,450 has been exacted from our sheep owners ns the penalty for possessing scabby sheep. This tax, which we inflict upon ourselves partly for private reasons, in no way connected with any department of Government^* continually increasing, and may perhaps yield a very large' return before long. To inflict and collect it we have to support-a somewhat' expensive machinery at our own special cost.-1- It would seem only fair that our representatives in the General Assembly should bring the matter forward, and claim for the Province what really should belong to it."'

Three or four more wine and beer sellers were yesterday fined LSO each and costs, for selling spirits without a license. In ono case, the Resident Magistrate postponed his decision until this morning,—counsel having urged that as the defendant had been in gaol for debt for six weeks before the alleged offence, and was not liberated until more than a lortnight after it, he could not be held liable for "allowing" the sale of the spirits.

The " Government Gazette" contains a notification that the nineteenth list ot applications for publican's licenses will be taken into consideration nt the Provincial Secretary's Office on Tuesday, the sth prox.

The sum deposited yesterday in the English and Scottish Belief Fund box, amounted to 12s 6d.

Mr Rochfort, who has been making a geological', exploration of the country between Nelson and the Grey and Buller Rivers, reports most favorably of its coal and gold bearing character. The indications of the former mineral are most valuable and extensive, and Mr Rochfort considers the whole district to be more or less gold bearing.

The following list of accepted and non-accepted tenders, which have been received since the 30th ult., is published in (he Government Gazette for general information:—Three bridges on the road from Dunedin to Port Chalmers by James M'Michael; Road from Ta;eri Terry to Tokomariro, Robert Henderson; shed at landing place at Oamaru, M. Grenfel; construction of about 6-jf miles of road from Tunpcka to Dunstan, D. M'Farlane; butchers meat for Hospital, Dunedin, William Pollock; blasting powder and fuse for Provincial Engineer's departm"nt, James Mills; bridges over the Waipahi and Waikoikoi Rivers, S. Craven-,, bridge over Kilmog Creek, Blueskin Bay, Barnes and Sigbey, bridge over Tokomariro River, J. A. Ross; Jetty at Molyneux township, D. M'Lean; schoolmaster's house, Green Island, additions and alterations, W. Henderson; cottage for the Geological Survey Department W. Cameron; police Farriery, John Myer. No tenders for the school and masters house at Blueskin had been accepted.

The following paragraph from the Gechng Chronwle, of the 31st ultimo, contains particulars in connection witl^ the supposed loss of the steamer Citizen, on the New Zealand coast, which •we do not remember to have heard ot before. We are inclined to question the correctness of the reported finding of the " stern plank" by tho Maoris of the S. E. coast, " A short time ago a subscription was about to be raised for the purpose of relieving the wives and children of the voyagers by the ill-fated Citizen. Some doubts being raised as to whether the vessel might or might not turn up in some of the ports or indents of the New Zealand group, the matter of the subscription was allowed to full into abeyance. Since then, reliable information has come to hard that the stern plank of a vessel, having letters ZKN painted upon it, was picked i»p by the Maoris of the Middle Island, on the soujh-eastern coast, and bronght to the notice or st-veral of the European inhabitants "f the same district. After this it may be presumed that all doubts as to her fate nre dissipated, and that the relations of the unfortunate sufferers, who are very numerous in Geelonp ? Dolly's Creek, and the suburbs of Melbourne, are for the most part left in a state of destitution from th e loss of their husbands, fathers, and- brothers."

Several accidents have occurred at the river Oreti, in the Southland Province, resulting in two cases in the loss of life. . The Southland News, of the 15th, gives the following account of these occurrences :—" On Friday night last two unfortunate accidents occurred, by one of which a r»an lost his life. It appears that a dray, loaded with two tons of potatoes, was on its way to Kiverton, and while crossing the Oreti, which was a "little up," the horses lo3t their feet, the dray was upset ; and the driver and horses were- drowned. The other accident was in the Makerewa, where two horses were drowned in crossing with an empty :sray returning from the diggings. We trust that this will be the last accident on the Makerewa, as the bridge is fast approaching completion, and will be ready for traffic in about three weeks. Tor the Oreti, an iron bridge has been sent for to England, but it will be about eight months bsfore it reaches here." The Riverton correspo dent of the same journal, says :—" lam sorry that I have to report to you that another poor fellow has been drowned, and two horses the property of Mr Martin Campbell, of South Riverton. Mr Campbell's driver (generally known by the name of Yorkie), was crossing the Oreti on Saturday last and has been washed away ; neither the horses nor man have been found as yet. Mr Campbell was in the dray at the same time, and was picked up on the side of the river insensible ; but I am glad to say he has recovered and is now gone in search of the other poor man. A team had crossed half an hoar before, and the men hearing a cry, ran back, but too late to be of any service."

The prevalence of diphtheria in Nelson and its neighborhood, has before been noticed. The disease seems to have recently been very general and frequently fatal, in the Motueka district; and the Nelson Examiner reports a public meeting held to decide what steps should be taken to secure the removal of nuisances which were believed to be "of such a nature as to account for the disease." One of the resolutions adopted does not give a pleasant idea of the state of Motueka; but it states very plainly some truths, wliich though many times rt-peated, will yet bear repetition to others than the inhabitants of the Motueka district. It is as follows :—" That the closo neighborhood of stock-yards, slaughterhouses, pig-sties, and privies to private dwellings, the drainage therefrom into the public roads, the emptying of slops of all sorts near the doors, and the accumulation of filth at the bottom of wells, are great sources of, disease." The remedy is proposed to bo sought by the creation of Local Boards, "for the regulation of "country townships and the abatement of nuisances."

The past few weeks appear to have been characterised by£elementa! phenomena all over New Zealand. A correspondent ■writing to the New Zealander, April 7th, gives the following account of a singular atmospheric phenomenon at Mongonui, Bay of Islands:—" A very singular atmospheric phenomenon occurred a few days ago. As I was ploughing I heard a singular rumbling noise resembling thunder, and on looking round I saw, about two miles away on the hills towards Wangaroa, a whirlwind, on a rather large scale. There happened to be a 'arge fire in that direction, which might have been the producing cause; the smoke seemed to be collected together and, formed an immense pillar, reaching from the ground to a dark cloud immediately above, exactly like the representation given of ■waterspouts. The noise, though at such a distance, was very considerable; it seemed gradually to break up and disappear. If it had come over here, I don't know what the effects might have been. I imagine, rather serious.—Mongonui, March 20th, 1863."

A peculiar tree, called the " lace bark tree," has been discovered by Mr Rochfort on the West Coast, and a specimen of which, and of some cord manufactured from its fibres, he sent to the Superintendent of Nelson. He describes this tree a3 being about six inches in thickness, and lias a bark a quarter of an inch thick, composed of a clean fibrous material suitable for many purposes for whiuh flax is used, and luted together with a very sweet substance something resembling sago in taste, and often used by the natives of former days for food.

The recent discoveries on the West Coast are being rapidly followed up by actual occupation for pastoral purposes. The A'elson Colonist of the 10th instant, says :—" We have just been informed of the successful conveyance of large bodies of sheep from the Wairau across districts of the Province never before traversed by flocks. Mr Isaac Freeth, a stock-owner, has just driven a flock of sheep from a run in the Wairau across the country to the Grey -district, south of the Buller river—a distanceof iiboufa hundred miles. In this journey, out of the large number of animals in the drove, only five were lost, which is a fact speaking well for the character of the country as being not difficult of passage and affording herbage to sustain the sheep on their way. Another owner, Mr Mackley, also very recently drove a flock (the number we have not ascertained, but we understand it was large) fiom the southernmost part of the Province, by way of the Hanmer Plain, to the Grey district, through a part of the country also for the first time attempted. The latter, if not both, of these routes was discovered by the indefatigable explorer, Mr Rochfort, who received a reward trom the Government for his discovery. The successful accomplishing of sheep driving shows how well the explorer earned his reward, and will no doubt induce the Government of the Province to continue its efforts iv the direction of opening up the country, which is the great desideratum of the time."

The ludicrous avidity which the journals of the Northern Island frequently evince in seizing upon the most improbable canards with reference to the movements of the Natives, has Decome a matter of notoriety. A most amusing instance of this proclivity has lately come to light. It appears that the New Zetland Advertiser, in its issue of April 2nd, announced on the authority of a son of the well-known Caief, E Puni, that a large body of Waikatos had set out for the South, doubtless, prepared to "cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war," and in a subsequent issue, published a lettar,; purporting to be the translation of a Native one; received by Captain Rhodes, aud couched in the most threatening terms against the European inhabitants of the Island. It appears that this rumor, promulgated by the Advertiser, became known to Heuare Puni, who thereupon indited the following pithy and characteristic letter, indignantly disclaiming the authorship of the report in question, which,,to be duly appreciated, must be read intact. Pitone Pa, April Bth, 18C3. To Thomas (M'Kenzie,^ residing at (he office of the Paper. Friend, —I have hr nrd it reported by the Europ-ans (hat I spread a report that the Native peopic were going to kill the Europeaus. This report is utterly false. The Europeans we a people of lies. Friend, —If this report origiu.ited witii a European point him out to me, and if With a Native;, point him out to me.

I demand the sum of ten pounds from the oviginti tor of these lies, Knough. From you!' friend, Henare Pusi.

"We are ignorant whether the Maori Chief has yet claimed the solatium, which he demands for the injury done to his reputation in this aflair.