WELLINGTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3949, 14 December 1880, Page 4

WELLINGTON.

(From t?i« Special Correspondent of tha Lyltelton Times.)

WBIiINGTON, Dec. 10.

Perhaps it is rather too early in the day for Sir Arthur Gordon to exclaim, with Imperial Casar of old, oeiii, vidi, vici. Nevertheless, he has come, he has seen, and he has done something towards conquering. He has given a levee j ha his attended church; and he has teen to ti:. thjatre. Now, those three thing' may appeal* insignificant in themselves, but in' Wellington public interest— anticipatory— was considerably exercised thurcanent. Humour L..J boen hcay. It was stated tbnt white in thoFijia Sir Arthur had never held a lavea. i'uis ia quite true; but it was wrongly argued tnerefroin that a similar policy of isolation would ho followed here. Beasons (that is to say, what appeared to be good and sufficient reasons to His Excellency's mind) existed in Fiji why he should not > o "at Lome" to the settlers ; reat-jt... thatcooKl not possibly have any existence in ihisColoi.; . "Whi^ thtse wtvo, it i3 unntc. -:ary here ; ■ enter into. By going to chu:v'.! 3irArtl.uLhas settled a question relative to :.;■ orthodtij , that has bc.n a subject of considerable dispute in religious circles in Wellington. He lii;> be<n re^resoated as a "hard-shell ii:ij.l.i*9fc," a " particular Methodist," a " iiilleritc," in fact, everything hut what he is (and what all the Gordon family are) a member of tlio Scottish Episcopalian Church. Then we weio told that Sir Arthur so hated the pomps and vanities of the wicked world that theatres and actors were an abomination ■to him. But) he has attended the theatre, and appeared heartily to enjoy himself. I am inclined to think that our new Governor is Much as othor governors have been. By-the-way that levdtj was not altogether a success. 'Abe citizens did not roll up, and there was sotao sad bungling in connection •with the introduction of thoso who had the private enti-cs. The honourable the Premier undertook tho duty of presenting to His Excellency tha privileged individuals just referred tj, and made rather a i'.:.--a of ifc, tha funniest part of it being thu ho got the UnderSecrttar:e3 inextricably .■■ iiedup, and left a bishop completely out iu ■ o cold. Tha bishop, however, was equal t- e occasion, and introduced himself. Sir Ai^Lur somehow did not exhibit that " calm repose " which we associate with royalty and vice-royalty ; and hia exit from the prcjonco-cbamber was suggestive rather of a happy escape fromaboring ceremony than of either dignity or ion"hommie..

Next to Sir Arthur Gordon the most interesting arrival we have had in Wellington is Tuhi, tbe murderer of Miss Dobie. Notwithstanding that he purposes pleading " Sot Guilty," and that, therefore, technically his oase ia still sub judice, I do not suppose I shall be called to account for speaking of him aa 11 the murderer of Miss Dobie." He has confessed to tho crime ; the evidenco is • overwhelming, a lid his trial can only be a legal fiction, unl-93 indeed the plea of insanity should be advanced and established. And then ho would s! ill be a murderer. From the first I have been under the impression that Tuhi waa identical with a Maori iv";>. ni I employed at Opunake to find a atraj -:A 1 orse for mo ; and to-day a conversation v-Hi> my old friend Hone Pihema, who ha3 arri- . ii in Wellington as a witness in the case, confirms thatimpreasioa. If so, ho is a young nun or intelligence considerably beyond tho Maori average. "When I Bay " intelligence " perhap3 l should be more correct in writing it down as low cunning, gained by close contact with a certain class of Europeans described by me iu previous letterß.

Thero is one matter in connection with the murder of Miss Dobie which I have not yot Been commented upon. Presuming tho published telegTain3 to have been correct, then the murderer was arrested at Punehu. Now, in order to reach Punehu he must have passed by Parihaka, ia very close proximity to ifc. This would seem to indicate that Te Whiti •was not a party, directly or indirectly to tho crime. It would naturally bo avgued that if he were, Parihaia, and net Punehu — Mbtu's place— wouli have been the safest retreat for the murderer. I merely mention this from a desire to plaoa before your readers every fact upon which to form an opinion as to tho significance of the crime. Hutu, it should be mentioned, is a rival of lo Whiti.

Aa every tiring relating to Tu ' •. i w of inter es fc at the present moment, I qivAc the following from tho latter of an Opunaki! correspondent of the Neio Zealand Times .-—To Karea, or as he was recently called Tnhiata, after his mother's brother, wlio died some months ntjo at Oxnatvirangi, one of Titokowaru's settlementa, is the son of Tuarea, his mother's narae being Wakauri, both belonging to the Ngatiruanui tribe. He is of notoriously bad character, even amongst his own people, and subject to fits of uncontrollable passion. Only a week before tha murder, he had an altercation with his father, whom he threw down and attempted to strangle, and the Natives Bay he would havo killed him had he not been taken away by some who wero present. Ho waß given to gatting drunk whenever ho had a eliance, but upon the day of the murdor he •was sober, ag was proved in ovid"" 00 i>»fuie the coroner. Hia mother, who ha3 had a large family, of whom To Karea is tho eldest, 13 the handsomest of Native women. She has f aw of the distinctive features of the race, her lipa being thin, and her nosa of Grecian type, whilst her whole expression is amiable and pleasing. Te Karea came from Parihaka about a fortnight ago, accompanied by his wife, qni!e a young girl, h-* father and mother, and about a dozen > thera, all of •whom went to the aettleineuc, about seven miles from Opunake, where they haTe been residing for years, for the purpose of working amongst their potatoes and planting corn. This murder, however, scared them all away, and they returned to Parihaka before the prisoner confessed his crime. Speaking of murders, a very ugly rumour (contradicted in Ministerial organs) is about in well-informed circles, to tho effect that certain information has been received in high quarters, to the e fleet that there is reason to believe that Ah Lee did not murder Mra Young. Ab Ah Lea has already been hangod, these "subsequent proceedings," of course, "interest him no more;" but what about the individual to whom, it is said, suspicion now points ? In the political world there is absolutely nothing moving, nor is there likely to be until after tho holidays. Still, speculation as to coming events is not altogether wanting. The Post, the other day, worked it3elf into an altogether unnecessary fury, because Bomeono — perhaps the reference was to your correspondent—had dared to express the opinion that Parliament would meet for the despatch of business in the ensuing year earlier than uually is the case. I accept this as an indication that tho report which the Post contradicts, is correct. But, whether earlier or later, there is little doubt that the session will be a long and a stormy one. Much may occur in the interval to modify this prognostication : but at present tho signs of the times are uu znistakeably in the direction indicated. I observe that many journals (eome published in the Australian Colonies) aro exercised over a hint given by me some month j ago, to the effect that it was not quite impossible that Sir Julius Vogel is moro or less mixed up with a movement for tb.o formation of a Syndicate) to deal with New Zeeland finances. In my last I quoted from a letter •which had thon just been received from Sir Julius. The reference was to Press matters, and I do not for one moment wish it to bo thought that I have the late Agent-General's authority for stating what 1 am now about to state. ' But the same mail brought me another letter from a gentleman occupying a good position, who ought to know something of Sir Julius Vogel'a intentions ; and on tho strength of a hint given me therein, I yen turn to prodict that Sir J. Y. will be out in this Colony in time to take a very prominent part in connection with the next general elections. I do not ear will present himself a3 a candidate. And, speaking of the next general election, I havo good reason for believing that Mr Hobert Stout, late Attorney-General, will be in the field. Ho is at present in Wellington, professionally engaged at the Court of Appeal. Dec. 11. As your readers are a-xn. r counsel (ilr Forwood) I:a3 been assigned to fulri. Toubtloss, under any ciroumatance^ Mr Forwood would have done his very best for his client, but thero is reason to believe that some of Tuhi's friends havo also rotained him, and that in conducting the defence money will bo no object. If I am correctly informed in to the person who is instructing the learned gentleman — a half-caste — there is little doubt in my mind that vary jnatoriol monnlnry assistance is forthcoming from tho Wainrite Plains. In this morning's Times 13 published a latter on Native affaira, evidently written by

some one well informed as to tho situation on the West Coast, in whioh he Bays : — " The recent minder at Opunake shows plainly the reckleesly rash disposition of some of the young Natives. Had this young murderer escaped it would have probably been impossible to capture him, as the Natives would not have been likely to assist. His object in murdering thiß yoirog lady has not yot transpired, but had he murdered a surveyor, a momber of the Constabulary force, or occupant of confiscated land, and escaped, ho would have beeu pvotociod or concealed by his race. Murders among tho Natives themselves are of unfrequent occurrence, and when committed are in defence of land, or excited by jealousies in connection with their women. Those who commit murder in defence of their lands ore yiewed by their countrymen as patriotic heroes protecting thoir rights, and as such are sympathised with and admired by their people. With respect to other murders amongst themselves thoy are not regarded as tribal, they are of a private nature and loft to the relatives of tho murdered individual to avenge, and others -iro considered as having no right to interfere ; if they do they bring down on themselves tho enmity of tho murderer's relatives. Hence the difficulty in persuading a tribe to meddle with or give up a murderer. The late murder has had tho offect of intimidating many who previously intonded building and taking their families to the Waiamte Plains." Next to the " Nativo difficulty," the principal items cf intelligence from tho West Coast of this Island, received with " damnable damning iteration," relate to Wanganui lunatics, and abortive attempts to utilize tho Taranuki iron-sand. This seems to have considerably riled tho editor of the Chronicle, who gives vent to his feelings thuily : — Usual West Cast items — '"Another" lunatic has arrived in Wellington from Wanganui ; and "another " attempt to smelt the Taranaki iron saud is to be made. There is a decided mouotony abotit news from this part of the island. Couldn't they ring the cban;,rs a littlo by way of variety ? For example, the announcement of " another attempt to amelt a lunatic " would have tho merit of novelty, and it would give food for reflection to be informed tha?; " another iron sand (er) had been DBnt to the Lunatic Asjlum." We pity our contemporaries tho paucity of tho information at their disposal, but even with only two items the changes might, as we have jußt suggested, be rung a little. Happy thought ! "Lunatic Number 783 has just been shipped to Wellington, supposed to be suffering from iron sand on the brain. The directors of the company want to smelt him, and will apply to tho Government for the necessary permission."