Local and General.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 346, 23 June 1869, Page 2

Local and General.

Magisterial. — There were no criminal cases at the Christch'iirch Magistrate's Court this morning. — A Wellington paper notes the appearance of a velocipede — local manufacture — in the streets of that city. Bankruptcy. — The following meetings of creditors, to have bdeh held to-day, were adjourned until Wednesday next : — Alexander Alexander, Tom Wade Kersey, Alexander Cairns, John Smith, and Joseph Batchelor. Distilleries. — The following gentlemen have been appointed inspectors of distilleries under the '" Distillation Act, 1868 " :— Mr William Mills, Christchurch ; Mr William Townsend,' Akaroa" ; Mr C. E. Cooper, Timaru. Culture of New Zealand Flax. — A Wanganui paper of a recent date says that already flax' is being planted in that district. The Wairarapa local journal says: — We hear that many' here are thinking of endeavouring to, make'this hitherto almost useless article a principal export from the Wairarapa. Accident! — About' one o'clock yesterday, a. driver named Job Cartwright, in' the \ employ of 'Mr J. Hailfield, fell from his dray near the Pdsfc-office,"and was ' fun over. The [ dray was laden with' shingle, and one of the wheels passed over "his legs, but although severely bruised, he ' was fortunate enough to escape without having any bones broken.

jThe Maori Prisoners. — A Wanganui paper states that the Ngatiporou who are still in the service of the Government in the Patea district are anxious that the men, women, and children recently captured by Major Noake should be handed over to them as slaves. Thus, say the Ngatiporou, will Hau-hauism be brought into contempt among the Maoris generally. Zealand and America. — A "Wellington contemporary has the following : — Mr W. H. Harrison, M.H.R.- has given notices for Wednesday, to ask the Hon. the Colonial Secretary if the Government have received any information, direct or indirect, from any agent of the Government of the United States of America, regarding the probability of an offer being made on behalf of that Government for the acquisition of the Islands of New Zealand under certain conditions, one of which is the subjugation of the Maoris by an American army. Manufacture of Salt. — We notice that the leading Auckland journal recommends experiments with the view of finding out whether New Zealand can, or cannot, manufacture the salt it requires. Our contemporary says: — A few years ago some of the Auckland residents experimentalised on a tolerably large scale, and succeeded in producing a first-class article, quite equal to that imported, and organised a company for the purpose of carrying out the manufacture; but, when actually appearing to be on the eve of a grand success, internal dissensions caused the dissolution of the partnership, and since that time the matter has never again been taken in hand. The fact that the trial was made and found to give a profitable result should act as an encouragement to othera to recommence operations. Sporting. — We recently stated, on the authority of the Nelson Examiner, that Mr Redwood had entered Manuka, Peeress, and Misfortune for the Melbourne Cup. The Australasian of June 5 notes that Manuka only is entered for the Melbourne and Metropolitan Cups. We quote the following from the Australasian: — 5 to 1 on the field is offered about the Metropolitan, Glencoe being the selected one, and from 100 to 5 to 100 to 7 can be had about outsiders. The New Zealand horse Manuka has come into the market this week, and on Monday was backed to win £1800 at 100 to 1 for the double, Metropolitan and Melbourne Cups. Glencoe is first favourite for the Cup at 100 to 8, at which price most of the books are full. Tim Whiffler and Gasworks are backed at 100 to 6. Manuka has met with some support at 100 to 4, and on Tuesday 200 to 5 was laid about The Barb. ! Gold Prospecting. — The people of Wellington seem to be suffering, if we may judge from the reports in the local papers, from a gold fever. They have satisfied themselves that quartz reefs exist in the province — payable gold-bearing quartz reefs — and they are determined, apparently, to find a goldfield. The following, from one of the local journals, appears to be about the latest: — " Mr J. F. E. Wright, of Goathurst Farm, has shown us a fine specimen of gold of over a pennyweight, procured by one of his men at Otorong, near Terawiti. The man informed Mr Wright that the last prospect he washed was over a grain to the dish, and that he never saw a prettier wash in all his digging experience. The man has been ten years on the Melbourne diggings, and feels confident that the district is rich in gold." While on this subject, we may draw attention to the fact that the two men who recently reported a quartz discovery in the Opuha gorge have again started for the scene of their alleged discoveries. Bankruptcy. — During the sittings in bankruptcy of the Supreme Court, Auckland, on the 10th inst., his Honor the Chief Justice addressed the bar as follows: — I may take this opportunity of stating that there is now some prospect that courts of justice and public oflicers will no longer be employed in winding up bankrupt estates. There is, I observe, a bill before the House of Commons, introduced by the Attorney-General, wherein it is laid down as a principle that there shall in future be no such thing as a voluntary bankruptcy, but that any creditor who has sufficient interest in the matter, and thinks it worth his while to do so, may proceed to act. It will no longer be in the power of a person to say, " I will throw myself through the Court," and by merely petitioning get discharged from his debts. Looking at the statistics of bankruptcy, out of 8000 cases that were heard, fully 6000 of them were cases of persons who came before the Court to make themselves bankrupts without having one farthing of assets. There was some reason, therefore, to believe that would be put a stop to, and the whole question at issue would be between the bankrupt and his creditors. Ip5 REBEKVED Milk. — We find the following ru an Auckland journal : — An item appears to have been lately added to our list of manufactures, or preparations, perhaps, we should rather say. A farmer at the North shore has hit upon a. plan of preparing milk in such a manner as to ensure its perfect soundness for a period of two years. We have been shown a sample of the milk thus prepared, which we are assured had been in bottle for five months, and it was certainly not in any respect to be distinguished from new milk, and was perfectly sweet, and without the peculiar nauseous flavour attaching to all preserved milks we have hitherto tasted. Mr Wallis, the inventor of the process, supplied the Galatea with a large quantity of it, and has entered into contracts with several qjjmr sea-going steamers for a regular suppiyj At present the method of preservatiorrfs a.secret,, as Mr Wallis has not yet protected his right ; but the taste of the article assures us that boiling has. nothing to do with it, and we are told that the inventor spent considerable time and capital both here and at Canterbury in experimentalising on the subject before he arrived at the satisfactory result we have the pleasure of now noting*

Madagascar. — By a letter published in one of the latest numbers of -the. Commercial Gazette, Mauritius, fiom Tamatave, Madagascar, we learn that a Scotch doctor, in conjunction with the Prime Minister and some other chiefs, has established a sugar plantation at a place called Nasoa, and is working it profitably with slave labour. The Prime Minister and his " Caledonian" friend, or friends (observes our authority) wish to moke sugar cheaper than the Mauritius planters, who pay coolies ; and if one of the missionary societies, or any friend in England, could be induced to make them a present of a mill, the mill would be cheap, and they will start clear of debt. Australian Governments. — The clever series of letters on these colonies which appeared in the London Spectator the year before last, under ths fanciful signature of '■ Wild Ass," has been collected into a volume by their author, Mr John Martineau, and published by Messrs Longman. In his preface Mr Martineau dwells at some length on the working of the political institutions of this colony, and supports the views advanced by the Westminster Reviewer. Our system, he says, "is not only the opposite of an aristocracy of birth, wealth, talent, or merit, it is not only the repudiation of hero-worship in any form — even of that lowest form of it, the worship of the demagogue of the hour — but it is a deliberate attempt to set up what the world has not yet had occasion even to coin a word for — Kakistocracy, a Legislature composed of the meanest and worst chosen as such." Saxby's Weather Theory.— The following are the elements on which Lieut. Saxby's theory is based : — l. The extreme limit of the moon's declination north or south. 2. Her passage of the celestial equator. 3. Her apogee and perigee. Saxby does not assert that on all these days violent changes are to be anticipated ; but that careful observers will notice indications of disturbance in the appearance of the sky, which though disregarded by the many, will be sufficient evidence that a change has or is about to take place at no great distance. When the moon is at her minimum declination, at the time of change or new moon, and also happens to be in perigee (nearest point of her orbit to the earth), the indications of the sky will be strongly marked, and remarkable changes in the direction of the wind will take place, two elements of disturbance being in action at the same time. The Way the Money Goes. — A correspondent of an Auckland paper, writing from Ngaruawahia, says : — " ;The Government need not make any mistake in supposing that Tawhiao and his chiefs are any more desirous of making peace than ever they were, unless upon their own conditions. Ido not think the friendly natives will object to attending one or two more such meetings under similar circumstances ; upwards of five hundred of them have been living here for the last fortnight at the expense of the Government, the chiefs, to the number of about thirty, being boarded at the hotels, and living in first-class style. These natives have generally conducted themselves very well considering the facilities they have had for obtaining liquor, and the amount of money they have apparently spent in this way; the hotels have generally been crowded from morning till night, yet there has been no crime, although a deal of riot and drunkenness. I understand that a large quantity of dried shark, brought up from the Waikato Heads for the benefit of the expected visitors, is now to be sent on to Tokangamutu as a present to bis Maori majesty." The Central Pacific Raimvay. — The Econom'M of April 17, says : — We may expect very soon to get nevrs of the running of the first through train between San Francisco and New York. By the Jast mail from America the information has been received that there only remained a gap of 82 miles between the two constructing parties — the one working Westward from the Atlantic side, the other Eastward from the Pacific. Trains are now running all the way between the Atlantic and Pacific, except over this gap. The reports are renewed as to the bad construction of the line, and ?f it is like other Western lines in America it will not be well constructed ; but a few months ago a surveyor, appointed by the United States Government, reported rather favourably on the line as st any rate not worse than the generality of works to which it belongs. The promoters may have wished only to do enough to make a title to the United States bonds and lands promised them, but at any rate a line has been built that will be much tetter than none. Even contractors' lines in England are many of them not bad things for the public, though the mode of findiug the money was ruinous and corrupt. A New Mail, Route. — The Economist has the following : — lt is announced that " arrangements are complete, and the requisita Conventions have been signed, for running a through train, without a change of carriages, from Ostend to Brindisi. via Innsbruck and the Brenner Pass." We trust this will be the definitive break-up of the monopoly of overland transit b2tween England and the East, which France now enjoys. Hitherto tliera has been every reason to complain of the stinginess of the French railway companies in refusing to run special trains on the arrival of the steamers at Marseilles, as well as to run continuous through trains in connection with the Brindisi route. Now we shall not be quite at their mercy. The competing line through Germany may be somewhat longer, but the map shows it is not so much. so as to lengthen materially the journey between London and Brindisi, compared with the journey through France. When it is seen that even with imperfect arrangements in France it will be possible to traveL.from .London to Alexandria in six days, the superiority of Brindiai over Marseilles, by which the journey between London and Alex,:mdria occupies seven days or rather More, is at once apparent.

Protection in Russia. — Constrained by the inexorable logic of necessity, Russia is precipitately abandoning the policy of protection. When the tariff was at its highest, smuggling was carried on to an astonishing extent, the severest laws against it proving to be wholly useless, £15,000,000 annually of contraband gcods being brought into the empire. Meanwhile, the free-trade treaty between France and England came into operation ; the trade of France increased seventy-five per cent., and in the same year the trade of Russia decreased thirteen per cent. The Russian Government were not blind to the lessons taught by such facts as these ; an examination of the whole question was ordered and faithfully made ; commie • sioners were sent to inquire into the results of free-trade in other countries ; and, finally, a complete revision of the tariff was effected, to come into operation on the 13th of January in the present year. Absolute free-trade is not established, some concessions being still made to the manufacturers, but a long step has been taken towards it. The reductions in the duties on manufactured articles imported range from 9 to 77 per cent., and it must be understood that these duties had already been reduced several times since 1850. An Indian Currency. — Sir R. Temple made an interesting statement in his Budget speech regarding the progress of a paper currency in India. It has now risen, he said, above 10 millions, and it has more than once approached 1 1 millions. He added : — When the Government took this matter up six yeata ago, the total note circulation of the several Presidency Banks amounted in all to 3£ millions. Within this period, then, the circulation has trebled, and has now reached to about one-third of the amount, 30 millions, which its founder, Mr Wilson, contemplated as the possible limit to which paper currency in India might ultimately expand. It has established itself not only at the Presidency towns, but at the great centres of the interior of the country, such as Allahabad, Lahore, Nagpore, and Kurrachee. During the year we have, by purchasing f -million of public securities— virtually reducing the nationr'. debt by that amount — raised that portion of the reserve from 3} millions to 4 millions, the limit allowed by law. This measure was justified by the steady expansion of the circulation. The gross profits to the State from the currency department will amount to £170,000 annually. The notes, too, are used by merchants to the value of some millions annually, for purposes of remittance, whereby great convenience has accrued to trade. Further improvements in the arrangement of circles of issue in order to facilitate the convertibility of the note 3 are under consideration. Ad Valorem Duties. — The Sydney correspondent of the Argus says : — We have had a short experience of ad valorem duties, and we do not like them. We have not a single local industry that has gained by them, not one that would suffer by their removal ; and so far as the tax has pressed on the import of machinery and raw material, it has been a burden. It has also been a very great drawback to our re-export trade. The first immediate want of our merchants, therefore, is to get rid of these ad valorem duties. Would a Customs Union help them to that ? They fear it would help them the other way. But we have in office now a Government which has pledged itself to repeal these duties, and it is even hoped that this pledge may be fulfilled this very year. There ia, therefore, hope for New South Wales if it acts for itself ; but what would the case be if it goes into a Union ? The Government of Victoria might peremptorily insist that its tariff should be taken as the model ; or if a compromise were proposed, it would still leave the obnoxious duties in force, and perhaps raise them beyond the present New South Wales Btandard. We could not with clean hands ask the other colonies to throw overboard duties which we still hold to ourselves. It is said, therefore, " Let us us first return to free trade, and then we shall be in a better position to negotiate." The ad valorem duties are more popular, or perhaps it would be more correct to say less unpopular, in the other colonies than in New South Wales. They have the least firm hold here, and we can the most easily get rid of them. It is best, therefore, in the interest of all the colonies that we should attack them. The Hudson's Bat Compant. — ■ Tne Economist of April 17 has the following: — The Hudson's Bay Company have at length acceded to Lord Granville's terms in exchange for their territorial rights, viz. : £300,000 cash ; 50,000 acres of land aroHnd their posts ; and the twentieth of all land in the "fertile belt" set out for settlement within the next fifty years, by which they may finally get ten or twelve million acres in a settled country and will probably get very soon about a million acres in the country to be immediately opened up. They have got a very good bargain — a large sum of money and an estate in a colony in exchange for a property which was only of use to them when waste, and could not possibly have remained waste much longer. The shareholders grumbled that the Canadian taxation they will come under will absorb as much as the interest on the £300,000 they get, but Sir Stafford Northcote answered this very well. The taxation will come out of the pockets of settlers rather than their own, and in any case it is not in their power to escape Canadian taxation. Her Majesty's Government may lawfully transfer at any moment the Government of the territory to Canada. They have besides the assurance that the £300,000 will be used in developing the country — that is; largely in the improvement of their own estate. They could not have begun a new order of things which had become inevitable on more favourable conditions. The impulse the event must give to the consolidation of the Canadian dominion, whose statesmen are displaying great energy and consciousness of their importance as founders of a new nation, will be very great.

The Wairau Massacre.— A Wellington contemporary, in noting that Thursday last, June 17, was the anniversary of the above unhappy event, says : — We are glad to find that the Government have authorised his Honor the Superintendent of Marlborough to replace the slab on the monument that was incorrectly inscribed, by a larger one allowing more space for the names according to a carefully corrected list. We have been courteously furnished with a photograph, and are glad to furnish our readers with some further information on the subject. The stone, which is six feet high by 4 feet ten inches wide, is let in to the inclined face of a pyramid built of brick and cement ten feet square at the base and ten feet high, surmounted with a stone capping and a cross. The pyramid is immediately behind the graves, and overlooks the great plain of the Wairau. The monument and the graves will be surrounded by an iron railing surmounting a brick and cement wall. It is now some three years since that a reserve of eight acres was fenced in around the graves, partly for a district cemetery, and partly as a 'site for a school house ; and the arrangement has been found very convenient for the neighbourhood. The whole reserve will be planted this season with two hundred pine and other trees, liberally given for the purpose by Messrs Epps and Hale, the nurserymen of Kelson. Sir William Martin and the Natives. —It was stated, recently, that Sir William Martin had been endeavouring to win the disaffected natives back to loyalty. A letter of bis to Tamati Ngapora had been made use of in a way that was not intended, and Sir William publishes a tianslation of the text as follows, in the Auckland papers :—Auckland, March 6, 1869. Oh friend Tamati, greeting. — Here am I mindful continually of you (plural), who are dwelling in the distracted land. lam seeking a way whereby the two races may dwell in peace, and whereby we two may see one another again, though I am fearing lest the fire which is now burning spread and cause trouble. The only thing which causes a gleam of light to arise in my heart is the report which is now current that Tawhio's people have exerted themselves to repress the senseless men, the shedders of Dlood. For this my heart rejoiced. Friend Tamati, you listen to me. These words of mine are for you to consider, you, you and our friends. I have been employed for a number of years in observing the persons who are conspicuous amongst the Maoris and the pakehas. Formerly their thoughts lay apart, there • was no point of contact. Now they have come nigh, and they are seeking alike for some plan whereby this island may be at peace. Therefore, I thought it would be well for me to put forth my proposal to the chiefs for '■•hem to approve or disapprove. My proposals are three: — 1. The land on which you are living let it be made a separate district. The laws of the pakeha to have no force there, but you to make laws for yourselves. 2. Let some of the lands of Waikato be given back again as a dwelling-place for such persons as are willing to live under the law ; they themselves to administer that law between Maori and Maori. 3. Let all join in one plan for the putting down of murders and barbarous deeds whereby this land is disgraced. Oh, friend, make it clear to me what you approve, make it quite clear, for these are important matters. But it will be for yourself, yourself my friend, to strengthen my hands for this work. — From your friend. Political. — Mr Howarth, the newly elected representative of the Taieri (Otago) district in the General Assembly, expressed the following views in his address to his constituents : — I am entirely opposed to the policy of the present Government. This policy, as recently announced, consists in vigorously prosecuting the Maori war, and raising money for this purpose by means of a loan and further taxation. Already, three-and-a-half millions, or half the debt of the colony has been expended in suppressing the rebellion, and we are as far off peace as ever. I shall, therefore, if elected, oppose any further loan or taxation for war purposes ; and I fully believe, if the provinces in the North Island are left to their own resources, and allowed to take the matter into their own hands, they will soon find a way to settling the native question ; and if they cannot succeed and are compelled to abandon their property for a time, I propose that the Middle Island should offer them, if they desire it, a home and employment, whereby their time and labour would be utilised and our money expended in reproductive works. I have carefully considered the question of separation, and am satisfied it is our only safeguard against the aggression of the North Island upon our resources. A federation between the islands may exist with advantage to both, but there should ■be no common purse. I should be prepared to make a great sacrifice to effect this object, if it can be accomplished at the present time. Comparing New Zealand with the neighboring colonies of Victoria and New South Wales, I find the indebtedness is as follows: — for every adult, New Zealand, £32 ; Victoria, £20 ; New South Wales, £15; and when it is borne in mind, that the loans of Victoria and New South Wales have all been expended in reproductive works, while one half of the New Zealand loans have been sunk in war, it is manifest that we cannot bear any further taxation, and should the present Government succeed in their policy we may expect to see every industry paralysed, and disaster and ruin brought upon the whole colony. I shall object to any innovation of our provincial institutions, if attempted by the Stafford or any other Ministry. The Provincial Governments have done' good service to the country and they still are the best form of Government we can have for the present.' When our Municipalities and District Koad Boards obtain greater efficiency, doubtless some modification will be necessary; but, whenever that may be, let the proposed 'charige emanate from the Provincial Council.

Taranaki Iron Sand. — The Taranaki Herald of a recent date gives the following information about the pioneer steel works : — Such is the name Messrs Henochsberg and Co., have given to their works ou the Great South Road. We paid another visit to the place the other day, and found that the furnace had already reached the roof of the building ; also, that the water-wheel had been fixed and was revolving. It is supposed that everything will be in readiness for the first smelling in about a month or six weeks time. Other provinces that happen to lmve what they imagine to be steel sand lying on their shores, are apparently jealous of Taranaki, and are boastful in their remarks of the quantity they have on their coast, but they forget that the flux which causes the sand to pmelt, they may not have, and which they would have to get from this province, namely, a peculiar clay to be found only at Urenui. On Saturday last, says the Southern Cross we were kindly favoured by Mr Von der Heyde with a view of a small bar of steel manufactured from iron sand taken from the beach at Taranaki, and smelted at the works just completed of Messrs Henochsberg and Co. While returning from the South the week before last, in the s.s. Phoebe, Mr Von der Heyde visited the new smelting works ; and a small portion of iron sand — about two handfuls, which he had taken up from the beach — was placed in the crucible, and was converted into a bar of superior steel, which was afterwards brilliantly polished. The steel produced from the iron sand, as most of our readers are aware, is a most valuable commodity in ail parts of the woild, and we have no doubt that before many years are over titaniferous iron will form one of the principal exports of this colony. Most fortunately for the province of Auckland it has been bountifully supplied with iron sand on the West Coast, being especially rich in this metalliferous compound from the Waikato to Manukau Heads, and on to the Kaipara. The smelting operations being now so successfully exhibited at Taranaki, we shall speedily no doubt have many imitators in Auckland, and a commencement cannot be made at too early a date. We have no doubt that Mr Von der Heyde will be happy to favour any person interested in such matters with a view of the small steel bar on application. Being the first of the kind we have had in Auckland, it is well worthy of an inspection.