THE Otago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, FEB. 23.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2200, 23 February 1869, Page 2

THE Otago Daily Times. DUNEDIN, TUESDAY, FEB. 23.

The proverbial fickleness of public opinion is evidently destined to receive another illustration in the case of Colonel "Whitmoke. Since his unsuccessful pursuit .of the Chatham Island fugitives, that unfortunate officer haa l>een criticised at every step of his career in the bitterest and most personal manner. No allowance was made for the difficulties he had to contend with when forininorfro-ipied.upon him j and no sneering allusion was spared when fortune—even more fickle than the public voice—began to smile. He was represented as an .extraordinary^compound of objectionable qualities."' He was unpopular with, the men under his

command, unpopulur with the friendly [ natives, unpopular with the settlers, | unpopular all over the colony. ...Mia, harshness as a disciplinarian goaded hii men into mutiny; ..his inefficiency as a soldier disgusted th«S natives; his domineering insolence in private life rendered him hateful to' the eettlern. When his promotion to the chief command was made known some months ago, public opinion in the North island was inexpressibly shocked. The fate of the colony was considered scaled. His reverse' at Okutuku and his subsequent abandonment of one redoubt after another, were pointed out as the necessary resuite of liis utter incapacity for command. His sudden and unexpected movement from West to East was denounced us madness. His presence on the East Const was set down as a crowning disaster. He was ' spoiling everything.' The tutelary genius of tfawke's Buy—Mr M'Lean—was set aside; his plans were thwarted; liis authority was undermined; his bmnipotcnt influence with tlie Natives was neutralised : and nil this was done by the incapable and unpopular Colonel WmrtfOKE, acting in concert with an equally incapable and unpopular Ministry. Then came a pause, and suddenly the face of affairs was changed. Ngutapa was captured,—captured by Colonel i WiilTMOitK. Public opinion in the North Island was staggered. The immediate return to the West Coast was criticised with rather more mildness than usual; nnd the capture of Nukumaru tended still further to mollify the critics. It ■ was necessary to object even then; and accordingly it was objected that the success at Nukumaru was not by any means complete. But public opinion was appeased, for the unpopular Colonel had expiated his faults. His failures in the early part of the campaign were redeemed by his subsequent successes. His faults began, to disappear from tlie public p/ize, while his soldierly merits gradually rose upon the view. In a late issue of the Wellington Independent, public opinion expressed itself in the following manner:—

Let us make one more venture then for success in the field, before resorting to the negative action of road-making ; and since Colonel Whitmore has proved himself earnest, cuergetic, and fertile in resources, let ns support him with a people's sympathy and countenauce, and thus render him as free from the trammels of a Government as he is from suspicion of inactivity or want of pergonal enterprise or daring. The difficulties of his position are naturally numerous, and foremost amongst them ranks the jealousy of his senior officers, who see in him a mail of untiring energy, despising all hardship and danger, and sneer at bis little faults where they could not dare to equal his restless activity and fiery eagerness. Thero is indeed a species of man so full of strange power, that tho very restlessness of his-life is but tbe outpouring of his versatility of genius, and such a ono appears Colonel Whitmore to us. co that if he will only concentrate his talent on this one emprise, ho may bo sure of a large measure of success. And that Colonel Whitmore has done this is admitted by all under his command,, and fully certified to by tho gradual veering round of the Wanganui press.

Here in a few short'sentences we find Colonel WiimiOKE credited with all the qualities of v first-class guerilla captnin. The accumulation of flattering epithets verges on extravagance. The unpopular Colonel is now described as earnest —energetic—-fertile in resources—free from suspicion of inactivity ov %Vant of personal enterprise or daring ',-. he is a man of restless activity and fiery eagerness ; a man indeed-so full of strange power that hia very restlessness is but the outpouring of liis versatile genius. The people and the Government are implored to give him their support and sympathy. He is the nation's hopo. We have only to trust to his guidance tlirough our present difficulties, in the firm hope that he will lead us successfully through thera. Colonel Wiiitmohk is clearly becoming popular. Our sympathies arc enlisted in his favour. His senior officers are jealous of him, and so is the Government; for it now begins to place him under restrictions. Shoiild lie continue to he successful, liis popularity will increase as rapidly3*** he could wish ; and should lie ultimately succeed in suppressing the rebellion, he will become the most man in New Zealand. 'Certainly' no tribute could be too great foir New Zealand to pay to any man should prove himself such a soldier as ,it now requires. Many brave and able captains have fought and died in theserviceoCthia colony,and neither their names nor their services have been forgotten. $ut none among them will Btand so high; in popular appreciation its the much-maligned officer of whom we speak, should fortune hold him in her favour throughout tho war. 'yßis bitterest critics are now forced to admit that he is a* man of merit, and that he is probably as well fitted for hia present, command] as any officer whose services are within our reach,. Had his critics been less prejudiced, they might, hktve discovered some at least,of those qualities which tliey now eulogise, in tbe man who followed up with, unwearying perseverance the escaped Hauhaus through the mountainous country to which: they retreated. The simple narrative of this pursuit^ pronounced by Colonel i Wnof^diiiSYin the Legislative Council,',was an ample vindication of his conduct; and they who listened to it with unprejudiced attention must have been strongly impressed with his gallantry and daring on that occasion. But this' address was reviewed at the time in unmerciful terms, as if it had been the merest outpouring of vainglory.

So marked a change of opinion in this direction appears to us one of the most cheering symptoms'in the present state of affairs. It is not only gratifying to find; that the injustice done to a deserving is frankly acknowledged; but ii is equally gratifying to observe; YtikatY the a^owledgment springs from public confidence in our military operations; . "The personal success of Colonel. WMhuoke has not been so great or so dazzling as to sweep away the . cloud* of unpopularity by which his m«?rit : has been obscured. He is judged according to

the temper of the, public. The disasters in which our forces were involved some .months ago, filled the minds of the Northern settlers with so much apprehension, as to render them incapable of unprejudiced criticism. They abused their officers because they were unsuccessful. lii old times it was usual to put to death a captnin who returned defeated from the wars. The public now-a-days does not demand so severe an expiation for misfortune; but it is not a whit more merciful in its judgments.

We are authorised to state that owing to circumstances over which Mr Birch had no control, he was unablo to send a formal reply to the requisition presented to him on .Saturday, but that ho complies with the terms of the requisition, and will stand for the City in tho room of Mr Paterson, resigned.

A preliminary meeting of gentlemen desirous of forming a Yacht Club in Dunedin, was held in the Criterion Hotel on Friday evening last. A. J. Barns, Esq., M;H.R., in tho chair. About 20 gentlemen wero present, aud letters of apology were read from other 8 regretting their inability to attend. After a few remarks from tho Chairman and others as to the importance of tho object in view, a code of laws and regulations was drawn up on tho basis of those of tho Tasmanian and Nelson Clubs, copies of which had been kindly forwarded for tho purpose. It was further arranged that Captain Dickie, Messrs Burns, Haggitt, Street, Gibbs, Fisher, and Adam, Bhould be appointed a Committee to obtain members, for which purposo tho meeting was adjourned till Friday, the Sth March.

There was a marked improvement in tho attendance at tho Fine Arts Exhibition yesterday, nearly 100 paying for admission at tho doors. There was also a very large attendance of season ticket holders. Should the present fine weather continue, we may hope to sco a still further increase in the attendance.

The boundaries of tho-Electoral Districts of Duntdin and its suburbs in tho diocese of Dunedin, will be found in our advertising columns.

In. the Port Chalmers Resident Magis" trate's Court, yesterday, beforo His Worship the Mayor, T. Taylor, Esq., and Captain Thomson, J.P., Itobert Gilmore, William Cormack, Charles Pittsley, Charles Workmoister, Arthur Durah, and James M'Bough, all articled seamen belonging to tho barque Dayspring, were charged by Capt; Gilfillan, of that vessel, with continued wilful disobedience to lawful commands. Mr Mansford appeared for tho prosecution and the charge was proved. The defendants tried to prove tho vessel nnceawortby, but failed. In reply to Mr Mansford, the bench wero o£ opinion that they could not stop any part of tho sea. men's wages to reimburse Captain Gilfillan for expenses incurred by employing labour in their room, and sentenced the prisoners to 12 weeks' imprisonment with hard labour each.

A letter from Blacks informs ns that the result of tho harvest in that locality will be about 300 acres' under oats, and about 60 aarca of other produce, chiefly potatoes, barley being small in quantity, and turnips ooming next to potatoes in both quality and quantity. The farmers aay that if tho weather had been favourable tliere would M" double the quantity of. produce. A week agd*«d?£feil for a day' withiloSYintermißsion. The wotthe* iV now oppree^My warm, and T mayadd that during the present-season we baVe had, with little interruption,"» long succession of oppr< isively warm day*. At the sitting oa the Police Court yesterday, beforo Mr J. Gillies, J.P., the following persons were .fined fcr drunkenness : — John Lambdon, William MiUer, Georgo Watt, William Fennicg, Thomas Maine, William England, Jamea Simpson, and Anne Dunbar. The rest of tho day waa occupied in hearing a number of small debt cases, for the moat part of an entirely ur important nature. In Bird v. Heir the defendant was sued for groceries supplied to his wife. It seemed that he had advertised in the papers that he would not be responsible for her debts, and he loudly expressed his surprise when the magistrate told him that that was no protection.

The following is tho report of tho state of tho Hospital for tho week ending Saturday last .-—Patients in the Hospital at the beginning of the week, 109 men and 20 women; total 129. Admitted during tho week, 15 men and one woman; total 16—of'which cases three were the result of accidents. One was admitted with a fractured arm and loss of. six fingers, ono with a fractured leg, and the third, a boy, through being run over by a cab. 13 were discharged cured, vz., 9 men and '4 women, and 2 deathß occurred, one from cancer, and the other from an accident. The out-patients during the week averaged 29 daily, of whom 13 wore men and 16 women. The number of patients at present in the Hospital ia 130, of whom 114 aro men and 16 women.

Mr C. B. Fisher, the importer to Victoria of the celebrated sire Fisherman, and at one timo tho owner of tho hzst Btud in the Australian colonies, is at present on a visit to Dunedin.

The Provincial Government of Canterbury, acting upon a suggestion lately made by Mr T. Potts, M.H.R., through the medioni of the Lyttelton Timet., have, according to that journal, directed their gardener to make experiments in the culture of Phormium tenax, with the view of finding out how.to obtain the best quality of fibre, the proper time and age for cutting, the probable yield, and other things which it is veiy desirable to know.

. The Kelson papers aro urging tho claims of tho Ballot on the attention of the electors, and a public meeting of ita advocates haa been caUed for the name purpose.

The oldforJLacroaa the Mataura riverknown as Menziea'a—ia, according to the Southland News, gradually shifting and becoming unsafe. Under these circumatancea, Mr D. M'Farlane haa at considerable expense formed a good dray road from the terrace to a new ford somewhat hither up tho river, where a catting givea acoasa to a much better crossing than the did oho. /T Tho same journal saye:—The Mataura ia at present'lower t£aa it haa been at any time daring tho J«a* threo .J**l*' A» tho riverbedia known to be aorifeitoua, it ia probable that prospectors setting in just now might make good find*. The wen* would have to be vigorously-proeocuted,Y"*^'"■*bo: knowledge that tlie ordinaiy yolmne of •water precludes the Ynae.of lother "than..verytemporary qr very substantial wing dams, &c—tho first to serve the purpose of the hour, and,li£ .washed away, to:b« no tragr' serious loss; tho latter to withitand enor-

mous pressure without injury. Wo must confess that when the liver does "como down," artificial obstructions stand a poor chance of reum'uing in statu.

Tho West Taieri Volunteers' quarterly competition for th'ir challenge medal took place there on Saturday last. Tho weather was all that could bo desired, with the exception of tho sun being oppressively hot, and a slight breeze Irom tho right rear. The match throughout was a very keenly contested one, especially between Corporal Robertson and Ensign Richardson, the former winning it with a good average score of 50, and, as far as wo are able to judgo of the competition, i"; will compare very favourably witb those matches that have gained to tho West Taieri Volunteers their great reputation for rifle shooting. The conditions for this very valuablo medal are—ranges, 200, 400, 500, and GOO yards, Hytho position at 200 aud 400 yards, any position at 500 aud GOO yards ; Wimbledon targets throughout.

A Fine Art Exhibition is about to 1 c held iv Melbourno, respecting which wo tako tho following from the Argus :—Thc trustees of tho Melbourne Public Library propose to hold an exb'bition of works of art, art treasures, and c-rnatnental and decorative art. With tbis intention they will invite tho^e who possess objects of this description to lend them, in order tbat they may be displayed in tho groat hall during the ensuing months of April and May. Preparations will bo made to open the exhibition about the end of Maroh. We may add that it will be held in the New Exhibition Building.

The prospecting, paity.which left Invcrcargi'l for Stewart's Tsland, a few days ago, havo not made much progress as yet. The News gives the fo'iow ing account of thuir proceedings :—They airivcd safely after a severe buffeting at sea— completely drenched, with much of their provisions spoiled. Under these circumstances they could not get to work so soon ay at first expected. Sergeant Morton and the boatmen stationed at Port Willia-n havo been busily engaged in cutting lines to facilitate access to other parts of tho island, and have already succeeded in opening up about twenty miles of tracks.

Somo discussion is carried on in tho Tuapeka papers 1 cgarding tho exceedingly high and rapidly increasing price of wood in tho district. Tho Times urges that immediate stops should be taken by planting to provide against an evil which threatens to increase with the lapse of t<uic ; and tho Press advocates the construction of a good road or tramway to tho bush, Which is some miles distant. Complaints of a similar character are alto made at Tapanui, and may be expected to bo made in other parts of tho province if tho present reckless destruction of our forests is continued.

His ExceUency Sir Georgo Bowen has succeeded in obtaining the confidence of some Of the friendly chiefs near Wanganui. Tho Chronicle relates the circumstance as follows :—During his recent visit to this town, four of tho Futiki chiefs—Mawao, Tamati Buna, Aropeta, and Haimona Hiroti—in token of their loyalty, presented him with aomo very handsome embroidered mats. Sir G< orge Bo wen has marked his appreciation of these Maori gifts, and gracefully acknowledged them by forwarding to the Resident Magistrate, for presentation to these chiefs, four very handsome gold rings.

Payment of members is strongly advocated by the Melbourne Argus in a leading article -of tho 10th Inst," which remarks :—Wo are disposed tb conclude that if payment of members were adopted in Victoria,, the constituencies would bo more circumspect in their selection of candidates, and moro oxigont in respect to their conduct. They would be apt to insist upon obtaining value for their money. They would feel that they were conferring comcthing more than an empty honour upon the representatives of their choice ; and that, in return for tho substantial advantages connected with the position, its occupant should offer such qualifications as intelligence, character, and an honest determination to promote tho public weal. We may be mistaken in our anticipations, but our experience of a system which discountenanced payment of members has not been such as to justify us in recommending its perpetuation.

A shabby practice among some members of Parliament in Victoria of franking letters and parcels for thou* own private purposes, has recently been exposed. Instructions were given lately to open aU suspicious looking letters an'l parcels, and the result proved tho correctness of the suspicions. Tho Australasian says :—Ono gentleman bad sent bottles of medicine kegs of brandy, aad so on. Another—a family man—sent up pattern baby clothes to his -wife. A third franked to England 12,000 copiea of a speech of his (a very good speech too, by the way) to 12,000 several relatives {he belonged to an Irish family), and received tbem duly returned by the Government officials.

Crowded houses aro the rule at tho Polytechnic, and last night proved no exception The. present panorama of "Tho American War" will be presented for positively tho last time to morrow evening, when Mr Eastwood, tho agent for the company,'takes his benefit.

The perfoimancea of the Cjourlay family are not at all on the wane at the theatre. The,house.was..well attended last evening, and the acting of Mr Gourlay, andthosinaing of Little Johnny and Mrs Gourlay, wero applauded to the echo.