SUMMARY FOR EUROPE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2593, 30 May 1870, Page 2

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE

IN't&ODUCTORY,

The narrative of events at the scat *>f war duriag the past month) though confused and, inconclusive^ is on the satisfactory. No great victories, it is ferae, have been gained by o«r forces, laut a number of petty successes are reported to have been, obtained in tke shape of tho capture of fjirisoners, aad the destruction of the 'enemy's planta- j %ions. A number of Hauhaus, «,lso, 1)0th men and women, $iave voluntarily themselves, though their object in doitog so :rs in all probability to obtain sustenance during the ay inter. The chief active ■m-dvement made dm%ing the month fa&s an expedition undertaken hy 'the Ngatiporou chief Bopata, -at the hea<l of 'upwards of 400 of Ids tribe. He scoured the t XJriwera 'country from Poverty Bay ss far as -Lake Waikatemoana, capturing thirty -men, one "woman, and two children. ?27 men 'and 38 women also voluntarily gave themselves up to him. After being absent for about a fortnight, KoTAta returned to his settlements :to resfe on his laurels. It is

stated ithat he' is! prepared to start on another expedition against Te KooTr on the 'of spring, on the principle of'no cure no pay? Simultaneously with Ropata's irom Poverty Say, .bodies of men (under Colonel St. and Captains Mair and Preece . «tarte\l in search of Te Kooti from the Isay of; Plenty. Begarding Colonel St. Jgeksts movements nothing has as yet transpired ; while the achievements of the other two officers named were confined to the capture of three horses and $he taking into custody of a few voluntary prisoners. The catalogue of expeditions, however, is nob yet concluded. 'IV(S forces, consistingoffriendly natives, -and commanded respectively by Mr 'Witty and Mr Hamlin, scoured the •country from Mohaka to Lake Waikare"moana. Beyond killing two or three of the ■t&ietny, however, and capturing a small quantity of ammunition, their campaign ■was barren of result. An idea of tne actual results achieved by the six ex- j peditionaiy forces which have taken the field during the past month, can. be best formed from the following statement:—Killed, 6 men; captured, 30 men, 2 women, 2 children, 3 horses * with their saddles,' 1 rifle, 1 double-barrelled gun, 'some' ammunition, and 300 caps; destroyed, ' several canoes and some plantations;' voluntarily surrendered, 40 men, and 38 women. According fco last accounts, the enemy had been felt in some force, near the Waikaremoana Lake. The probability is, however, that with the exception of desultory scouting expeditions, active operations -will be suspended until the return of spring. In the meantime Te Kooti ■will recruit and prepare for the ensuinocampaign. The subject which has, perhaps, occupied the largest share of public attention throughout the colony during the last few weeks, is that of steam mail - communication with San Francisco. The visit of Mr Collie to New Zealand, as referred to in our last Summary, has no doubt been the primary > cause of this; but his representations .liave been powerfully seconded by the failure, at the outset, of the existing line to perform what was expected from it. The return of the Wonga Wonga, the pioneer vessel of the line, tto Auckland, has abundantly proved 4he inadequacy of the existing arrangeanents to the requirements of the colony. 3tfot only was the time occupied by her in the passage to and from Honolulu -considerably in excess of that allowed .antlie contract, but her passenger accommodation was miserably insufficient. ..__ Pathetic accounts have been published of -:■ the sufferings endured by her passengers during the voyage to Honolulu, while the subsequent voyage to San Fran- . Cisco seems to have been entered upon under by no means improved auspices. The desirability of the establishment of the proposed line of steamers Jbetween San Francisco and Australia, #£aaHew Zealand port not further north ,r, than Wellington, was affirmed by the •r .-Chamber of Ootniuei'ce at a special •meeting held on the 16th inst., at which Mr, Collie was present. A similar -resolution has also been passed by the merchants of Wellington and Chris tjj^hurch;^ ".'"'...'..'..."" '....v'."' . : ' ■ ; >Che, Provincial Counc.il ,is still ; in. session, and an abstract, of its proceedings_will. be found : in another column. "Wie maj remark here, however, that /'"the Council has "voted the sum of ~£l^oo,o to be expended during the ■ ...■': year in the introduction of immigrants from Great Britain, as well -as- -fronr "Sweden "and ISTof w&f.~ '~~ The Government also proposes to send home. "anAgeEt to place the. advantages offered . :: .l>y,Otago to emigrants more prominently I>efore the labouring1 classes and small capitalists' of the mother country. The other items of news are unimportant. Two elections for seats in the House of Representatives have taken •.-place in. the North Island, viz., at P&rnell (Auckland), and Omata (Tai-a-aaalri), when Mr Reader Wood and Mr J l. A. Carrin<?ton were refeurned in tho stead of "Major Heaphy,. V.C., and Major Brown respectively. In this Island, also, Mr M'Gillivray has been elected for Riverton (Southland) in the room of Mr Hakkinson. The Ministry have also been strengthening their position in the Legislative Council by summoning several gentlemen to that body. In Otago, Captain Thomas. •-^baser and Mr Kobert Campbell ""■^-e; received this honour.—Serious have again, we regret to say, province, by which*a • • =-, _, X^ropevfcy,: both public "^-destroyed. ' The generally, in