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Star (Christchurch), Issue 283, 10 April 1869, Page 3

Movements op the Prince. — The Independent of April 8 says: — The Duke of Edinburgh, we understand, will be accompanied in his visit to the South Island by his Excellency tbe Governor, but not by any member of the Miuistry. His Royal Highness is expectei to reach Dunedin on the 20th instant, and will remain about ten days in Otago, leaving direct for Auckland about the 30th. General Assemrly. — The Independent is responsible for the following: — An unusually large infusion of new blood is likely to be apparent in the House of Representatives next session. In addition to Messrs Hull, George Graham, Cox, Hepburn, and Paterson, whose seats are already filled up, we believe that Mr Mitchell has resigned his seat for Waikouaiti, that Mr Gallagher is about to resign his sea 6 for Westland North, and that Mr Campbell, the member for Oamaru, has left the colony on a visit to England. It was understood that he would resign his seat before he left, but it seems doubtful whether he did so. If not, Oamaru will be unrepresented j next session. It is said that the newly-elected member for Newton, Mr Creighton, is likely j to resign immediately, having accepted a situation in the " fourth estate" in one of the Southern provinces. The Campaign in Taranaki. — The Independent of April 8 says.* — By information received on the Sth, we learn that the Ngatimaniapoto are in force (400 or 600) at Mokau, intending to occupy Pakearuke, or oppose its occupation by our men. Colonel Whitmore, on receipt of this intelligence, abandoned his intended advance on Ngahere, and moved his main body behind the mountain towards Waitara. The Ngatimaniapoto are short of food; their cultivations are supposed to be on the Upper Mokau. The volunteers — European and Native — are eager to meet the enemy. Old natives think this a very great ancestral take, and want to revenge Pukerangiora. Most of the natives are well dis- 1 posed. The report that the Ngatimaniapoto are acting under orders from the King is not confirmed, and is not thought to be true. Cantekhcry and Westland. — We extract the following from the Independent : —Mr E. C. J. Stevens, M.H.R., and Mr W. H. Harrison, M.H.R., the arbitrators in the matter of the adjustment of the debt between Canterbury and Westland, have for some time past been engaged in taking evidence on the subject in both Canterbury and Westland. A considerable mass of evidence has been accumulated, but the arbitrators, while agreeing that territorial value, and not population, should be the basis of adjustment, differ greatly as to the debts incurred by Canterbury which may fairly be brought to account against Westland. Being unable themselves to arrive at a satisfactory decision on the points at issue, they have adjourned to this city, and arrived here by the Lord Ashley on Tuesday, for the purpose of referring the matter in dispute to the decision of the umpire, Mr J. E. FitzGerald. PaizE Essays. — The following is from the Independent -. — There must be a large mine of undeveloped literary and political ability in this colony if we may judge from the fact that the offer by the Government, on the recommendation of the House of Representatives, of three prizes of £50, £30, and £20 respectively for the three best essays on the means of promoting the permanent settle

! ment of the Goldfields has induced some forty individuals to compete. The judges who i have the pleasant task of picking out the i three best of these forty essays are Messrs J. , C. Crawford, W. B. D. Mantell, and A. Domett. The absence of the latter gentleman has interfered with the adjudication being made yet, but as he is expected from the South to-day, he and his colleagues will, no ' doubt, at once address themselves to an examination of the respective essays. If they can make an award satisfactory to themselves, or to any one else except the fortunate winner of the £50, we shall be much surprised. It will be interesting to see how the different essayists have dealt with the premises laid down in the latter part of the theme, and which affirm some very original ideas in political economy. 3? The Thames Goldfields. — The Southern Gross of April 3 contains the following : — At a meeting of shareholders of the Golden Crown Claim held at Shortland, on Wednesday, a dividend of £700 per share was declared, as the result of a little less than three weeks' crushing at Souter's battery. The total return of smelted gold was 22140z. The last dividend of £800 per share was declared on the 13th of March, so that the above dividend is the result of two weeks and three days' crushing^ The total quantity of quartz crnshed for the above claim from Ist July, 1868, to 31st March, 1869, has been 1267J tons, yielding 20,U00z.,0r 16oz. to the ton. We also learn that about 6 cwt; of very rich specimens were taken out of the claim yesterday, and the face of the reef, which is over nine feet thick, is studded with specimens. We are informed that on Thursday a very rich find of gold was made in this Company's ground, on what is known a 9 a continuation of Barry's leader. An experienced eye-witness reports that he had been shown from this leader some of the richest specimens he has yet seen on the goldfield. On dit that a patch, the richest ever yet found in the claim, was taken out of the celebrated Hunt's on Wednesday. Its value is quoted at £1600.