POLLING DAY,

Taranaki Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 971, 30 March 1870, Page 7 (Supplement)

POLLING DAY,

The polling for this district took place on Bth March, and i-esulled in the return of Mr. Peter Elliot by a majority of fourteen votes. As will be seen, Mr. Callagban got the majority in town, but Mr. Elliot polled heavy in Ihe country districts. At the Waiiara, very few recorded their votes till late in the day, when twenty-four electors came down in a body from the outdisiricls, and polled for Mr. Elliot. The following returns, we believe, are correct :—: — Elliot. Callagban. Town of New Plymouth ... 41 oi Pell Block 7 1 Waitara 25 4 73 59 Majority {or Mr. Elliot — 14. Accident to Mr. W. D. Webstsr. — We understand that Mr. W. D. Webster, when at the Waitara the other day, superintending the loading of the schooner ' Falcon ' with flax, had a narrow escape of his life. Jt appears that whilst standing near where the flax was being lowered in the hold, the band that was round the bale, snapped, and the tackle flew and hit Mr. Websrer between tho eyes, knocking him- some short distance away, , and stunning him for a few minutes. Had the iron hook hit him instead of the rope it must have been instant death ; but as ie was>, we are happy to say, beyond a good shaking and a black eye, Mr. Webster has suffered no further hurt.

Robbery by a Native Woman. — On March 4, a native woman stole from the private residence of Mr. W. Humphries, several articles of wearing apparel belonging to Mrs. Humphries. The clothes were found in a kit, covered with peaches, in a cart. The party of natives of which this woman formed one, were given in charge to Sergeant Dunn, who took them all to the Native Office. In the absenoe of Mr. Parris, two or three members of the Native Boa-d weie summoned, and the case brought before them, when at the supplication of the husband of the woman, who stated that she had a small family, she was allowed to depart, on the couditiou that she did not to show herself in town for twelve mouths. Should she do so, she would be liable to be faken up for the offeuce.

Illness of Judge Richmond. — We regret to hear that his Honor Judge Richmond is suffering from ill health. He had been staying on the Dun Mountain for a short time, and while there caught a severe cold. His Honor opened the Supreme Court afc Nelson on the Ist Maroh, but the calendar being light, Ihe business was con, eluded before 1 o'clock.

General Assembly. — A Qazetle issued on 4th March, contains a proclamation further proroguing tha General Assembly unl.il Saturday, the 30th day of April next. The Native Question. — The Wellington Independentsaya — "Agentleman who has considerable acquaintance with Maori character, aud is au fait iv Maori talk, tells tbe Wanganui Chronicle that the latest instructions from the King to the natives in these districts is to remain perfectly quiet in the meantime, and to wait the result of the campaign against Te Kooti. If Te Kooti succeeds in baffling his pursuers with his few followers, then — reason the King and his councillors — it will be easy for us who have a large party to take back the Waikato. The natives are therefore to keep this before them as a possible contingency. We do not give the above as authentic information — we give no opinion on it one way or another — but think it well to tell the tale as it was told to us. Certain it is that more than one native has left Rangitikei within the last few days for the Waikato."

Captain Kennedy of the s.s. Airedale. — We understand that the well-known and popular captain of the Airedale has been offered, and has accepted, the command of the pioneer steamer of the new ocean mail service to Honolulu — the City of Melbourne — which is to leave Sydney on the 26th March. We cordially congratulate Captain Kennedy on this upward step in his profession, and although we shall be sorry to miss him on the inter-provincial line, we hope that he may ere long bring his new vessel to this port as his New Zealand place of call. The A.S.N. Company is singularly fortunate in having obtained the services of such an experienced, judicious, and highly popular officer, and it is said that the Company has also secured the services of another gentleman weli-kuown on this coast — Captain Francis, formerly of the Taranaki — to act as Captain Kennedy's chief officer. — Wellington Independent.

What a Change of Ministry has done. — A. Wanganui paper says — " Among the peaceful signs of the times, in so far as Taranaki is concerned, may bo mentioned the fact that last week a lady ti'avelled from Now Plymouth to Wauganui overland and enjoyed the journey capitally. Slip is the first European lady, at least, who has done so for a long time. There was no sight or sound of interruption all the way. This party left Taranaki on Thursday afternoon and were here on Saturday."