The Otago Daily Times. MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1880.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5673, 26 April 1880, Page 2

The Otago Daily Times. MONDAY, APRIL 26, 1880.

The recommendations contained in the interim report of the Native Commission are at least thorough and sweeping. The Commissioners not unnaturally disapprove of a temporising policy, and the only question that arises

iii reading their report is whether they i have not granted even more than ' was asked, and thus played into the ' bands of the wily old fanatic Te ' Wnrri, in whose madness there is much method. Without having the evidence before us, we must for the present accept the statement that prior ' promises and engagements, accumu- j lated during many years, had so com- ( plicated (he question that without ] gross breach of faith we could not alien- ( ate much of the land between the Oeo and the Stony Rivers. After setting aside 10,000 acres to satisfy the c'aims of the Compensation Court of 1866, and dealing with one or two special cases, the available land Avitliin these boundaries is, ia the opinion of the Commissioner.*, too small to quarrel about. There are foui- wedge-shaped blocks comprised within the area thus described. From (he Oeo north-westward to the Taungatara is one block, containing, about 26,000 acre?. Then comes a block, known as the Opunuke block, which, except 1400 acres around the township, had been absolutely surrendered to the Natives; this contains about 44,000 acres. Then comes the Parihaka block of about 55,000 acres, and lastly a block of about 18,000 acres between the Waiweranui and the Stony River, which had also been absolutely surrendered to the Natives. Thus, regarding two out of the four blocks there could be no question, The Parihaka block ia thickly settled by Natives, and it would certainly be unwise to provoke a conflict by interfering with it; so that there remains only one block of about 26,000 acres, and of this, as well as of the other blocks, a large part is mountain. The Commissioners conclude that only about 6000 acres on the whole of available land beyond the Waimate Plains remain at the proper disposal of the Government, and only 2000 of this open land; and against this they set the awards of the Compensation Court of 1866 above alluded to. Along 30 miles of coast, therefore, up the slopes of Mount Egmont, is a country about 146,000 acres in extent, much of it mountain and bush, which will practically be given up to the Maori race. The coast road will doubtless be preserved, and in the meantime reserves of 10,000 acres and 25,000 acres respectively are recommended to be made near the coast—the former to be held in the hands of the Government for the settlement of the compensation claims, the latter to be given over to the occupation of the Natives during good conduct. But these are not the whole of the concessions recommended. Inland of the Waimate Plains—which lie between the Oeo and the Waingongoro—is a fringe of Native settlements. The Commissioners recommend a broad belt of reserves; taking' in all these settlements, and comprising about 25,000 | acres, extending from Normanby to Oeo, but leaving open here and there portions of the bush for European settlement and the maintenance of Native schools. They further make the sensible suggestion that the roads shall be made to suit the proper, line for these reserves, so that the Natives may not have any just cause of complaint on the ground of encroachment on their clearings. These reserves, again, are to be for the occupation of the Natives during good conduct. Thus, in all, 60,000 acres willbe formally assigned to their use, and other 110,000 acres, including a good deal of mountain and bush, practically so. If this does not satisfy them, surely * nothing will. What is left to us is a comparatively small triangular strip of land near the coast, about five miles broad at its widest part, between the Waingongoro and the Oeo, comprising the Waimate Plains proper, and extending along the coasb for about 12 miles. No estimate is given of the area, bub we imagine it cannot much exceed 25,000 acres. This is the outcome of all the magnificent promise of revenue from the sale of land on the Waimate Plains. The members of the late Go-, vernment must be heard in their own defence, but so far as the report of the Commissioners is to be relied on, they never had any just ground for expecting a better result, and their conduct was marked by a mixture of rashness, vacillation, and sanguine expectations, founded on a most imperfect investigation of the actual facts. We must acknowledge that the Commission has greatly cleared the ground for decisive action, and there is now some reason to hope for a final settlement of a muchvexed question, though at the cost of large concessions to the Native race. Fiat justitia ruat ccelum, but we mu3t be prepared for the contingency that Tawhiao and Rewi will expect to be treated in an equally just and liberal manner. The prospect is that, so far as any chance of large areas of Native land becoming available for European settlement, all our hopes of the confiscated lands will vanish into thin, air, as did the memorable three-million loan for Native purposes, and, Like the baseless fabric of a vision, And like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind.

Our Wellington correspoDdent has been positively informed that Mr T. W. Hislop, M.H.R. is about to resign his seat for Waitaki. Ha has also heard that Mr John Reid, of Elderslie, will be a candidate for the vacant seat.

Di Lemon, commissioner of Telegraphs, has during the past week paid a viait of inspection to most of the telegraph-stations throughout Otago and Southland south, of Dunedin, having Journeyed via luvercargill, Qaeenatown, and Lawrence. He will go North without delay, being at Oamaru to-day.

Mails for the United Kingdom, via San Francisco, will close at Auckland at 11 am to-morrow. Maih for Sydney per s.s. Te Anau will close at Auckland at the same time.

We are glad to hear that thera is a probability of a Scientific and Literary Institute being started soon in Invercargill. Mr J. T. Thomson, so long an active member cf the Otago Institute, has called a meeting- of those •who are in favour of the establishment of such a society. Mr Jaaaea C. Thomson, of the Bai;k of New Zealand, also formerly an active msmber of the Otago Institute, and Mr P. Goyen. inspector of schools in the Southland district, are associated with him in this movement. Wo hope the efforts of theaa gentlemen will meet with succoes, as we believe ihs establishment of such, a Bodsty will give an intellectasl stimulus to Invercargill, and prove a bemfii to the Colony at large.

A meeting of ladies willing to assist ie the effort which is about to be made to raise fund* for the Benevolent Institution was held at the Atherssum on Saturday. The attendance was very small, the only Indies who were present being--Mrs H. J. Walter (the Mayoress), Mrs W. Douglas, Mrs Jago, Mias Jago, Miss I. Gillies, Mias T. Gillies, and Mrs Geddes. Mr J. L. Gillies, the hon. secretary oE the Committee, submitted a plan for tha division of the city into districts, and suggested that the business portion of the city should be canvassed by gentlemen, and the other portion by the ladies, for contributions of goodi or money. It was agreed to adjourn the meeting in consequence of the BmaUuees of the attendance, and to re-

quest that ladies who are willing to assist the Committee will send in their names to Mr J. L. Gillies. The meeting was then adjourned until 4 p.m. on Wednesday next, when it will be hsld in the Committee's room, opposite the Garrison Hall.

The Rev. John Ferguson, an old Otago student, occupied the pulpit of Knox Church yesttrday morning, taking for his text Hebrews iv. 5, from which he preached an able and eloquent sermon. In the evening the Eav. Mr Inglis, lately arrived from Home, preached from Genesis xx.vi. 25.

A buggy in charga of a man named Moora collided with a tramcar near Knox Church last evening, but with no seriousi result.

The Hospital returns for the past week are : —Remaining from previous week, 122; admitted, 12; discharge, 28 ; total remaining, 106.

Me J. F. Watson received a telegram from Refton on Saturday informing him that the yield from the Ke^p -it - Dark Company's mine was 375 ounces of amalgam from 180 tons of quartz. The total yuld f■ r the fortnight was 179 ounces of gold.

Charles Sampson was charged at the City P.lice Court on Saturday with, a breach of the Slaughterhouse Ordinance on the 12th instant. Amos M'Kegg, iuspector of slaughterhouses for the Taieri County, stated tbat he had inspected the slaughter-book of tha dsfendant on April 12',h, and his last entry was dated the 17.h February. He hid received weekly accounts from the defendant of cattta slaughtered in his yards, but these accounts did not appear iti the defendant's b joks. The defendant, for whom Mr Sarri3 appoared, pleaded ignorance of the Act, and was fined 10s and coata. Messrs J. Logan and A. H. Koss, J.P.s, preside! at the Police Court on Saturday, and disposed of various cas9S. For disorderly condact Ja,uj33 Stewart Murdoch was fined LlO, ia default three months' imprisonment, Detec. tive Biin giving the accused a very bad character. The half-yearly meeting of the Shakespeare Club was held in the Normal School on Satur day evening, when there was a good attend" ance. The Vica-pre3ident (Mr T. W. WUt* son) occupied the chair. The followiog gentle. men were duly elected by ballot:—President, Sod. H. S. Chapman, re-eleeied ; vice-pre. Bident, Mr T. W. Wuitson, re elected; secretary and treasurer, Mr 0. M. Whittington. Committee : Messrs A. H. Burton, E, S. Hay, J. Stone, Wathon, aud Lennon; auditor, Mr Hay. It was resolved to read the following playß in the ordir named:—" Tempest,1' " Richard II.," " A Winter's Tale," and " Anthony and Cleopatra."

We are informed (says the Tuapeka Times) that the railway works at Waipahi are being pushed ahead. The ballasting on the first section will be finished in about a fortnight's time. Two of the three spans of the Pomahaka bridge are almost completed ; but it will take some time to complete the centre one, which is of considerable length.

Tho construction of the Windsor-Livingstone railway will be resumed on Wednesday next (says the Mail). To the members for this district is in no small measure due the resumption of this work, which the Minister for Public Works seemed to have forgotten in the turmoil of Ministerial life in the North. From what we can gleam it is probable tbas the whole of the men who have been waiting for employment on this line will not be engaged upon it, as there would not be sufficient work to take them through the winter. But it is satisfactory to know that those who -will not be required here will be offered employment on the Otsgo Central railway. While on this subject, we take another opportunity of impressing upon those working men whose intention it is to endeavour to make this Colony a permanent home for themselves and families that they should at once register their votes, in order that th6y may secure the privilege of having a Bay ia the return of mea to carry on the government of the country.

The following is from one of the letters of the Lyttelton Times' correspondent on the Waimate PJains:—" About a mile from Parihaka we met Te Weta, a leading man from Waitara, who at once claimed us as his guests. Arrived sft Parihaka, he sent boys to look after our horses, and took us to his own whare, where food was in due course prepared, apologies for the absence of tea, sugar, and bread being profuse. A Maori's idea of hospitality towards a European appears to be to give him as nearly as possible what he is accustomed to at horn?. For my part, I prefer, when in Rome, doing aa the Romans do, and so was not sorry to sup Mairi fashion on the hos-t-itable floor of Te Weta's whare. And here I must digress one moment to narrate an instance of Native honesty and sobriety, even although some of your readers may imagiaa that it tells somewhat agaisst myself. While in the whare I produced a flask of spirits, at the same time intimating that in Colonial parlance ie was to be ' drinks round,' Te Weta, pouring a small quantity into a pannikin, handed it to me. He then measured out moderate 'nobblers' to those present, carefully leaving a remarkably stifCone in the bottom of the fhak. • This,' he said, • is for " mako taniwha" in ca3e he should want a drink in the morning.' The flask was then put in a corner, where at any moment of the day or night it could have been reached without observation, and in the morning a Maori woman brought it to me intact. I care pot if thi3 incident implies a satire upon the manners and customs of the Pakeha ; it is, at all events, a true story redounding to the credit of the debased and debauched Parihaka Maori and as such should be told." As the time for the proclamation of the 4000----acre block of land near Naseby approaches (says the Mount Ida Caronicle), interest in different mattew connected with it increases. A petition has already been circulated in reference to the site, while the questions of whether a portion of the block will be on agricultural lease?, and whether that portion will be cut up into sections of different sizes, say of 50, 100, 150, and 200 acres, as well aa the maximum area of 320 acres, are being discussed. Many cattle-ownera, who are not prepared to give up their present occupations to turn farmers, have made tip their minds to apply for a small agricultural lease section, if the chance is offered them, on which to gra,z3 their cattle. There are a good many men who might be able manage a small section, and th«ss should have &n opportunity for doing so giren them. From what Mr Rolleston swd when here it is to be inferred that he is anxious to see cattleowners become land proprietors. Here is an opportunity for him to have his wishes met, at least in part, and we truat that he will avsii himself of it. It will be creditable to himself if he does so; and, what is far more important, it will be the means of benefiting the district, by having some of the present unoccupied Crown lands taken up and improved, and it will also assist to relieve in a small measure the existing impounding difficulty. The Blaok3 correspondent of the Mount Ida Chronicle write? .—The steam thresher is kept i busily at work, threshing wheat principally, the farmers as a rule not caring to thresh their oats —the demand being limited and the price low. I heard of 2000 bushels being offered at la 9d a few weeks sinca. We saw gome very glowing accounts in several papere of the yield of wheat from several paddocks. lam sorry to say that expectations have not been realised. Instead of 40 bushels per acre, all that have as yet threshed have had to be content with 25 busheh per acre, with the exception of Mr Lao, who had something over one acre which yielded 95 bushels of clean wheat. It was grown close to the Manuherikia River, near Blacks. Our Miller, Mr Jones, is giving 4a per bushel for wheat, and charging 3Ds and 32j per sack for flour, which some of the farmers object to, considering that either the pries charged for flour ia high, or the price of wheat low. It is the general opinion that wheat will rise in price, owing to the quantity that will be used for destroying rabbits, and without a single bushel being used for this purpose there is not more than enough grown in the district for its own consumption. TLere will be a much larger breadth sown in wheat this year than formerly. Accidents on racecourses have been somewha frequent of late. Several have been reported in our telegrams from various parts of the Colony, but more severe than any of these, or the collision which resulted in the death of Templeton, was the catastrophe in the Doncaster Handicap during the recent A.J.C. Meeting. The following account is taken from the Sydney Mail:—" A3 the horses were ap-

proach.ng the home turn, Santa Cruz dipped and came down heavily, throwing his rider (a lad named Clark, from Maitland) violently to the ground. Auckland, who was running close behind, stumbled over Santa Cruz, and also threw Hoy, his jockey, heavily to the ground. Xhe stumbling of these two horses caused three otngrs in the race to come to grief, namely, Warhawk (ridden by Munro), The Dean (ridden by Davh), and The Star (ridden hy Cuff). Clark, who rode Santa Cruz, was picked up insensible, and it was found that he had received a fracture of the skull, besides concussion of the brain. The horse he rode was killed almost inntantaneously by the force of the fall. Hoy, the rider of Auckland, was also rendered insemible, and was found to be serioudy injured ; while Cuff, the j.-.ckay on The Star, was picked up in an uucoareious condition, although he was not so seriously hurt as his two companiocs. The other riders received a severe shaking, but were not much injured." Free passes on a line of railway or tramway for the term of the whole existence of a company (cays the New Zealand Times) may be | regarded as a very good tbing, aod this slice of luck seems to have fallen to ihe lot, of the directors of the Wellington Tramways Company. So much was elicited yesterday from Mr Kennedy Macdonald, while under examination at the Supreme Court. It was aW elicited that instead of having common leather passes they really possessed golden medallions, which were struck for the purpose at a cost of L 4 17a each, but it was not stated.whether the " fortunate r? shareholders had to pay for tbeae, or whether the cast was defraysd out of the pockets of the directors tHemselvas. Mr Ollivier asked if there was any condition attached that they .'ire to be handed down as heirloomß to tha families of the various directow, when Mr Macdonald langhingly replied ia the negative. He added' "But they would not hi worth much, as the company has now ceased to exist." They wili, doubtless, form a pleasing meiteuto of the late company—its struggles in incubatioD, its early vicissitudes, and ita somewhat sudden and unI timely demiae ; and it may be looked upon from another poiufi of view, for the happy possessor of a golden medallion, should he fall iuto difficulties, will always be able to "realise" upon it.

The bitterness of feeling against the Jews in Roumania (says an English piper) i B curionaly shown in the story told of a murder at a place called Foltfczr?. A Greek murdered a Jew there uiider the most disgraceful circumstances, with no excuse whatever to be pleaded for him. Nevertheless a jury acquitted the Greek, and tbe ruffian was aft* the verdict paraded through the Jewish quarter amid general popular rejoicing. There U no doubt that there is a growing hatred of th.g Jewa, not only in Ruumauia, bat even ia Germany and Austria, and the reasons for its prevalence in those countries are well worth examination. Whatsver they may be, they are not likely in civilised communities like the German and Austrian to lead to outbreaks of popular violence ; and it ib to be hoped that among the nalf-barbsroua nationalities of South-eastern Europe the wisa provisions of the Treaty of Benin in their favour will ba rigorously enforced.

In a letter ad.3r-:s3ed to the Rangttikei Advj - cate, Major W>Uis, after explaining that the enforced residence ia Wellitgton duricg the session was injurious to his health nud 6ntailed more monetary losses than he felt justified in incurring, and hence his resignation, contradicts in the most positive terms that there was any pre-arrangement with Sir William Fox. He says :—" With regard to Sir William Fox'b candidature, I was rot aware till after my resignation bad been sent in whether he would conEent to staod or not. But I was perfectly aware that if he did offer hircself my lesignation at the present time would give colour to all the false assertions of an arrangement between vi, and would materially weaken his cause by givirg a pretext to those who disliked him for reasons which, they did not care to b:ing forward to oppose him. Now as to tbe seme ef talking of a pec-arrangement. Twenty years ago such a thing might have been done. It is a case of another kir.g having arisen who knows not Joseph. The old settlers are in a minority ; more than half the electors of Rangitikei are new-earners and strangers to Sir Wilham Fox and his antecedents, and with whom he has no personal influence whatever. A resignation in favour of Sir William Fox is therefore a moat patent absurdity."

Signor Morley repeated hia csneert on Satur ■ day evening to a saialkr audience than previously, not more than 100 persons bein<* present. Mr Morley wa3 again unable to appear. The programme was the aame as on Friday night, with the exception that Mr Murray saner "II Balen" in place of the Village Blacksmith." Miss Lack's "II Bacio" was splendidly rendered, and the siDger had to respond to a most enthusiastic encore.

Mr and Mrs Hart's drawing-room entertainment at the Princess Theatre on Saturday evening was a very eDJoyable performance. The musical selections were good, and were harmoni. onsly rendered ; and in the chacgas of character much versatility waa displayed. It is to be regretted that Mr and Mrs Hart's musical abilities have not been more liberally recognised. c

Another meeting of those willing to assist in the effort that is now being made in aid of the Benevolent Institution is to be held this evening, in the Council Chambers at 8 o'clock, when it is hoped that a larger number will offer their services than has yet been thecase. .

The programme of the Intercolonial Regatta to be held at Auckland on the 29th of January next will be found in our advertising columns. Simonsen's " Froliquea" will make their first appearance in Dunedin at the Princess Theatre tomorrow night.

A special general meeting- of shareholders in the Permanent Building Society of Otago Mill be held at the Dunedin Athen<eum at 8 p.m. on May 12th. At Sloan's Hotel, Dee street, Invercargill, on Saturday May Ist, at 2.30 p.m., Messrs M'Ardell and Co. will offer for sale by auction the township of Lonewood. °

The applications for sections 12, 15, and 10, block 111, and section 5, block VI, Mount Hyde district wilt be decided by auction at the Crown Lands Office Dunedm, at noon on the 6th of May next.

?s familiar to all, accompanies the troupe. The "concerted piece* we most Hdmired w«r« —" Lo, theEailyß«smof Mornir g," frsmthe "Siege of Koch He," by .tel&ttw O*raudiiii, Misi Marie -Oaraudini. Messrs Sh^rvvin and Gordon Gooch, who sang iv splendid burmouy, and with great ■effect; and tha quartet to (unaccompanied), ','The Blue Bells of Scotland," in which the iicbg notes of Madsme Oarandiui's voice were Aeard to advanla^>. la the a-<n«, "It was a JJream, Miss Mario Carandini tv:aie her first Dowasusjloish, itr.d in ita rendition her fine sweet voice, tlough a littb marred by a cold, waa broughh uut admirably. Iv the second part1 she sav.g tho v pretty billad. "I ■cannot mind my Wheel, Mother," with exquisite taste and t*l\n S , Mr Gordon tUooch Kave " I Fear no Fo?,» •< Jack's Yarn," •*nd 'EWmg on, old Pendulum," with the -artistic nmsh bis solandid voiea now po'seases, -and which calla : forta renowod applause. Mi?s Deftken ieiule;e I the bimg " In the Gloaming " pleasing effect. The singing of th» eava *via VVaUtt-g," by Madame Curandini, was •only excelled by the beauty of the charmi?)g ■ScotcVi ballad, -'JflHsie. the Flower of Bum blane,"'winch wjs a perfect tre^t; to li=.trn to. Mr Sherwin craved the indulgence of the audi ■once on baiialf «f Mi>s Mario Oarandiai, who was evidently Buffering from n, bad old, thus occasioning tho mission tf her lit sonf— Cwis-ima." Th> solo »nd chorus, " Toe -Merry Gnu 8," br-jught a most enjoyable euiertammtnt so a closo. "