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WELLINGTON.

We have "Wellington papers up to the Ist instant. -

The Indapendpnt spates that there is now a speedy prospect of a college being established in Wellington. It has been for some time in contemplation to build a portion of the permanent structure on the reserve at Porirui, but this has been abandoned in favor of purchasing- the Hon. Mr Fox's late residence on the Porirua road. Arrangements for the purchase have been made, as well as for obtaining a thoroughly competent principal from England, and it is not improbable that before the end of this year the institution may be opened. The extinction of the Native Title over the Awahou block is notified in the Gazette of 7th inst. This block is estimated to contain 23,000 acres. There are reserved to the Natives out of this block 2,170 acres.

I'hk Hauvcst. — Heaping has now be.gun in the district. The crops are complained of as light, especially by those who have used for seed wheat grown in the neighborhood last year. New Custom-House and Post-Office.— Hy advertisements in the different papers we sec; that these building are to be contnicted for without delay. Design is the plainest Italian style. Captukkofa Wham: —When Mr. London was about starting from his house one morning lately, one of his men saw a whale in the harbour. London forthwith jumped out of his cart and into a small punt, and with one or two men, including a native, set off in pursuit. On corning up with the whale— a " bottle nose "of about 25 feet long —London jumped into the water and began stabbing it with his pocket knife. Another boat now came up, with something which by a stretch of imagination may be called a harpoon shaped by the blacksmith in the spur of the moment, with which the creature, being in shallow water, was ere long despatched. On being tried out there was a yield of 250 gallons of very good oil, which ie now fast selling at four shillings a gallon. The head has been given to Dr. Knox for preparation and deposit in the Museum.— lndependent. The Search for Gold. — In addition to the statement that gold has been discovered at Turakina, on the West Coast, about 95 miles from Wellington, a report came into the town on Saturday, that the precious metal had been discovered also at Otaki, about fifty miles distant, likewise on the West Coast. Surface gold, the Xew Zealander states, has been found in minute quantities. Some small specks have also been found in the quartz there, and other indications are not wanting. Mr. Coutta Crawford's memorandum, published about six weeks since, speaks of Otaki and Rangitikei as being localities where the drift, extending over large portions of that coast, comes to the surface. As it is underneath this drift that gold is to be searched out, it is therefore hoped that the steps which will be speedily taken to bottom the drift au Otaki in several places, will result advantageously. Tlie Advertiser adds that a private letter received at Wellington from an old resident at Turanga, ftatesthat gold had been discovered by the natives at Poverty Bay, but whether iv payable quantities they are unable to state. Attempt at Murder. — On Tuesday last, a native named Hemi, residing at Whirinaki, Upper Hutt, after a rebuke from his elder brother, deliberately fired a fowling-piece at him. The ball fortunately passed over his head. He again fired, and this time the ball parsed through " the lower joint of his thumb, then through one thigh, and lodged in the other, from whence t was extracted with the assistance of a raror, by the other natives. The cause of quarrel was, we understand, that Hemi was endeavouring to wean the affections of a Maori woman, who is married to a white man, and that upon Riwai expostulating with him on the enormity of the offence, the other acted in the manner described.— Wellington Independent

THE EXECUTION OF COLLINS. The extreme sentence of the law passed upon James Collins, late Color-Sergeant in the (Jjth regiment, for the murder of Ensign Alexander, of the same regiment, at Wanganui, on the Ist November last, was carried into effect in the gaol at Wellington, on Thursday morning. It was finally arranged on Wednesday morning that tlie execution should take place at the time above mentioned. When the arrangement was communicated to the unhappy prisoner, he expressed himself perfectly ready to meet his f.ite, as he was anxious for it-toheovor, the suspense iv which lie had been in, expecting every day to be his last, being wearying. When he learned that the execution would take place within the wulls of the gaol, ho expressed his gratification, and said that it. was a great relief to his mind to think that he should not be exposed to the jeers and insults of a thoughtless crowd. The Bishop of Wel'ington and the Rev. A. Stock have been unwearied in thru- attendance on the unfortunate man since his conviction, and on the day preceding his execution tb'jy remained with him until late in the evening. The ' Bishop left him about half-past nine, when he expressed a hope that tlie prisoner would be able to get some sleep. After the Bishop left, the Warden visited him, who also requested him to get a little rest ; but he declined to do so, as Mr. Stock had promised to call again, which he did about midnight. After Mr. Stock had left, the prisoner made an effort to sleep but did not succeed, but remained earnestly praying to God to forgive him hi? sins, and to have mercy on his poor soul. At his request Mr. Reid visited him again at three o'clock, and again at five, when he found him weeping bitterly and praying to God to forgive him. When Mr. Reid informed him that he must leave him— his duties requiring his attendance elsewhere— the unhappy prisoner hurt into a flood of tear*, and seizing the Warden by tlie hand she shook it most affectionately for some time, and wished him farewell for ever ; he thanked him for the kind mannar in which he had been treated since bis confinement, and" expressed the hope that they should meet again iv heaven. The Bishop of Wellington, accompanied by the Rev. A. Stock, arrived between five and six o'clock, when they administered the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper to the wretched man.

The Sheriff and the Provincial Surgeon having arrived at about a qnarter to eight o'clock, the prisoner was infoimed that the time for his execution had come. He was perfectly calm and collected; and, having been pinioned, he" walked to the scaffold with a firm step and serene countenance, perfectly resigned to his fate, and apparently less affected than any of the fpaetators. He was attended to the scaffold by the Bishop and Mr. Stock, the latter reading the burial service of the Church of England, commencing "1 am the resurrection and the life." The executioner having adjusted the rope, the signal was given, and the unhappy man wa3 launched into eternity. After hanging the usual time, the body was cut down and placed in the coffin to await the coroner's inquest.

The prisoner having expressed a wish to die in h's uniform, the lequest was considerately complied with. Ths body was viewed by a number of persons during the clay ; the appearance of the deceased had undergone little or no change, the expression of the features being quite placid, and the bkin wholly ucdiscolored. The conduct of the unfortunate man from the date of his entering the gaol, had l>een uniformly exemplary ; the Warden informed us that he was the best behaved man lie had ever had under his charge ; and the feeling that he was justified in sending a fellow creature unprepared into eternity was loug before his death considerably modified, and in the end, under the^ influence of theministration of religion, apparently obliterated. He was known to have been drinking freely some days previous to the perpetration of the crime for which his life has now been forfeited, and to ita influence, and his forgetfuluess of God, he ascribes, in part, the cause of his unhappy end.

ADDITIONAL PAUTICUIiARS.

It will be in the recollection of our readers that up to the trial of Color Sergeant Collins for the murder, of his stperior officer, he could not be brought to see the enormity of his offence. He said, in other words, that " his purpose was to kill an enemy, nor was he the less prepared to undergo the punishment than lie was to perpetrate the deed." This feeling was observable in his conduct before the committing magistrates at Wanganui, and was evidently predominant in his mind up to the time of his conviction. He felt that the tyranny to which he had been subjected, in some degree, morally if not legally justified him in the terrible course he adopted. He wished his trial to be postponed in order to obtain witnesses to the truth of the statement he made before the magistrates as to the treatment he had received from the deceased. An application was made by his counsel to that effect, but the Court ruled that a post-pone-ment of the trial conld not be granted on any such ground, as no amount of verbal provocation would justify any one in depriving a fellow creature of life, or reduce the charge of murder to one of manslaughter On a day of two previous to the trial he wiote to an old mend to ask him to see the witnesses of the prosecution. He wished them to speak the truth and the truth only ; but he reminded them of numerous occasions and instances in which they had themselves been witnesses of the threats and harsh treatment to which he had been subjected. These facts he evidently expected to be brought out on the cross-exami-nation, and which would show to the jury and the world that he was not altogether the cold-blooded monster the bare facts alone might lead them to suppose; and that there were extenuating circumstancs in Ins case which, though they might not be sufficient to clear him of the charge of wilful murder, were yet calculated to create some sympathy in his fate. After th.c trial, time and his impending execution, assisted, as we have said, by the religious ministrations lie was afforded, made a great change in his views This will be at once seen in die following letter addressed to a comjade and a "dear old sehooWellow:"—

24t'i January, 13t>2. . Dear Bon,— lt is with rorrov/ that I \v'i Re ' (.iur.c few linfs, but hopinrr they wiil h) a caution io v«u. Oil! tnink uf my unhappy fate, i« you inu-t consider it.^ Oh! IJol), beware of my unfortunate career in this world. Do— do refrain "from Liquor and bad company, as they will bring- you to ruin iv the end. Take warning- by me. Do— before its too Into. D>>n't lot the evil one t^et such a bold of you, as I did. Oh ! 8.,b, do refrain. Do— for Goi's sake, and forth" sak'j of your uuh.ippy OM Sch )ol Follow. Little d: i I t'iiiik tiseiu hiipj), 'lays was to end iliis way.

I)>-ar Bo!), I could not expect anything else, I took deliirht iv oUjndimr that great and good "God who 1 have to appoai 1 before now, to ask for pardon. Th> Lord have mercy on my poor soul, and prepare ni« t'n? that s^rcat day. While we have health and strength we are ;ipt to forirot God, but recollect what God say 3 — that th ■ wicked shall be cast into Hell, and ail nations that forgot him, ?o dear Bob, do seek the Lord white he is near, and you will find rest for your soul.

Oh ! for God's sake, do take warning by th" unhappy life. I led. Little do we know the moment that tli'i Lori will rail us in fvive an account for our past life. What an awful thin;j it would lr then to say that we are too Lite ! ] [ovv many havo wo road of crating for one day more tolho, and that would not be grated thorn ; but thanks hi to God, I have pot a long day to seek for pardon from m> heavenly father. Ah! my dear friend, it b much more tiun f deserve for allowing the evil ono to tompt me to do what I did? What could I expect but God's an^r to lie kindled aprainst me? What can I say for mviolf ? Oi-.lythat I trusted in the cL'vil, and despMi'rt "God's holy power I have aot no excuse at all But I hojv the Lori will be merciful to me and fos-frivo me. Oh ! if I had to commence my lire aaain, I would lead o different one ; but too late to think of that now. Oh Bob, if you are l<-a'Jiii<2f swell a lie as I have done, change from it — do change from it ; pt>iy to God to give you health and sh-eVifrfh to {nurd against it, for any man that leads such a life cannot expect the love of God to be with him. Drunkenness — drunkenness and women will briuie a niau to tin gallows, as ir has the um'ortunsite writer of this note Do — do. dear Bob, for God's sikn, do — lead a different life — do. Bear in mind that God is looking- down on our coii»' duct here on earth. Although we can't see him, h.^ sees us. I know it is a hard task to lead a religious life in the sorvici, but there is a many bad habits that you can guard against. You should be very thankful to Almighty God for being- so kind to you ns to spare you when your comrades were falling" wound you at Taranaki. I hope that has taken some effect, upon your But I know a soldier's life too well. The moie danger, the le3s Go lis thought of. Oh, Bob, I ask you one request. When you are writing to your loving sister , don't mention anything about me, as she is sure to know some of my relations in . Most likely, whea they see it in the papers, they won't think that I am the unfortunate man, (1 hope such will be the case,) for it would be a grievous blow to my dear brother.-! and sister.s if they knew that their brother died such a death. A» for my dear father and toother, I expect they are dead and I hope in Heaven.

Oh, God ! Oh. God ! what have I brought mvsplf to at last ? Little did I think that this was the "way that I would have to leave this world ; but there is nothing left now for me to wish to remain in it any longer. I am qnite reconciled to my unfortunate death. Dear Bob, I would have waote" more, only I could not, I feel wretched ! God only knows the thoughts that flash through my unhappy mind, expectiug every day to be the last." But God help me, that day will soon arrive.

Dear Bob, this is a, very short note to them thnt I loved as a brother. I did not intend vmtiiu sit all, but I feel wietchel when I think of _\oik I hope these few lines will be valuable to you when I am cold iv my grave, and that will be before you receive this. 1 hope you will e\eu;e me. for 1 can't write any more. May the «reat God be with \ou. From your dear old school-fellow. Farewell, Bob, farewell ' May the Lord be with you. May he give you health and strength to seek him. Do — Jo, Bob, seek tlie Lurd while' he is near. Farewell, farewell, dear Bob, may Gol ble.,s you, my dear old friend.

From the unfortunate, James Collixp. In another letter, of an earlier date, he thus addresses another comrade ;—; —

" Oh, for God's sake— and the sake of the unfortunate—beware of drunkenness and b.id eorapanv, for they are the ruination of man. Dv, do, seek the Lord, seek him while he is nuar — and you will find happiness at the la^t — I hope these few-lines will be valuable to you hereafter. In th'j midst of life we are in death : of whom may we seek for succour but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins are justly displease 1 .' I would have written more, only my mind fuels wretched. Farewell, farewell — may the Lord be with you— may hu i?ive you health and strength to seek Him nnd do His will. Adieu, dear friend, may the blessing of the great God bo with you. — Neio Zealand Advert itf r, Feb. 1.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/OW18620215.2.26.1

Bibliographic details

Otago Witness, Issue 633, 15 February 1862, Page 7

Word Count
2,819

WELLINGTON. Otago Witness, Issue 633, 15 February 1862, Page 7

WELLINGTON. Otago Witness, Issue 633, 15 February 1862, Page 7

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