LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 5, Issue 227, 21 March 1861, Page 2

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Resident Magistrate’s Court.—Marcii ' 1, Thos. YVoodhatn and Chas. ; Mitchell v. j&dward Daniel 1, 4520, judgment for £9 Os 6d*. March 4, 2£dward,Hackett v. David Belt, jgl ss, judgment for 18s 3d. March 6, John Dunleavy; y . Thos. Stanford,, Jgl, judgment for 10s. March llv John F : Kells v. Jas. Barlow, 18, judgment confessed for 4515 2s. MarCh 39. ! FTKeIIS v. i's 9d:, in faVor of plaintiff. J. F. K. lls v. S. Newport i7<, jHd K ment' by default. Marelr M 8; iVahi, a native, was senrenced to two month’s imprisonment, for taking away and using without, the owner’s knowledge, a horse belonging' to another. maori named Wni. Kama. *

Volunteer it ik.es No: 2 Company. —A meeting of this Company was’field in the J But land Hotel, on Monday evening last. A motion was made by Capt. Porter and seconded by Mr. Davis—-“that a committee of three be appointed to wait on Major to collect information necessary to the further management of the company previous- to the expiration of the current year, who shall call a special general; meeting to lay before the company such information, at which meeting the general 'conduct of the company for the ensuing year shall be decided.” /n acenr-

dance with this motion which was passed unanimously, Capt. Porter and Sergts. Powell ami Davidson were appointed, as a deputa- 1 tion to wait on Major t 'ooper. ANTdN Mischief —On Monday night ’a ciw belonging to d/r. (Smith, carpenter, in Victoria' y/venue, 1 which was grazing in a paddock adjoining his house, was ‘ shot by some oiie passing along the road. It must have been done in frolic, and the person who did it ought at once to make compensation. Hie hail had hefen discharged from a muskfet. The affair is in the hands of the police, whose energy and acuteness are too well known to allow the culprit any hope of escape, especially as they have the bullet in their possesion, which affords in such hands ail infallibie clue to the reckless -perpetrator. ihe Wanganui Bkidge —-We beg to draw attention to the advertiseinent calling a meeting of the" inhabitants oir Wednesday next, to ' discuss the proper site 'ofy the bridge; ' ’ ■ ■ ■• • - : :

2'he Aramo Natives.- On : Saturday last a meeting was held at Aramo, for the purpose of settling a. matter which has been pending for some time, and which, as illustrative of native customs, is worthy of notice. About r liree years ago Mr. Cliurtnu, of Mataongaoriga—who is well known for the interest he takes in the native race, and who has offered the Government an endowment of £ 200 ; a year for u native school, to he conducted on a system proposed by himself—sent home a Maori girl to be educated, having first obtained the consent of s'uch'of her relatives as were resident in this neighbourhood. The girl was making rapid progress in her studies, and showed a peculiar aptitude for music, but unfortunately died a few months ago, to the great disappointment of her kind protectors and of her own relatives—death out of New Zealand being to the Maori a peculiarly heavy calamity. It now appeared that the consent ■>f all the relatives interested had not been obtained, some of them having been resilient at. a distance; .and those thus overlooked at the time of her departure made a claim for compensation on learning that, she had died. 7'hey asked j£ IGO from Mr. Clitirton, and an equal sum from Tamati, the chief at Ammo. The claim was at last reduced; and Mr.

‘ burton, though lie might have resisted it altogether, being ahxio'us to give no occasion for ill feeling, agreed to pay £2O in cash, and to contribute towards the expence of a feast., to be given as a general winding up of the whole affair. The claim on 7’amati was compromised by a gift of six cows and a canoe. The feast came off on -Saturday, and there was a large gathering from all the pas-in the neighbourhood,vthere being about 300 present. A couple of cow's and a lot. of pigs vtere killed for the occasion, and at least a ton and a half of rice, sugar, tea, flour, and bread was - bought, the whole expence being not less than £ CO. A discussion arose as to the division of the money. &c. given iir compensation, which was brought to a close by a unanimous resolution to present the whole of it to the mother of the deceased girl.

THE ELECTIONS. On Friday last, the 15th inst., the candidates in this district for seats in the Provin- ; rial Council were nominated in the Courthouse. A considerable number of the electors ! were present, arid considering that there was only a nominal opposition made to the font candidates brought forward by the requisition of the inhabitants, a good deal of interest was manifested in the proceedings. ' Major Durie, the returning offtcer, -having caused the election writ to be read, called on the electors to nominate' candidates; whereupon ' the following gentlemen were proposed : Wm. Fox, Esq, by Captain Campbell and Mr. T. Harper. s IV. H. //’att, by Mr. T. Harper and Mr. Watw*."• ' ' : ,

Jas.* vf-llison, ;Esq., by, AV/Patersoii and Mr. yf.: Kells. L ; 1,.;-'.',-',- ■ V. tt.' S. Harrison, Esq,,''by .Mr. John Hogg and Mr. Blyt.li. Geo. ..Roberts, /?sq.,\l>y Mr. Ja3. Broughton and Mr. Jolin Dunleavy. There being one nominated more than the required number, the returning officer appointed the polling to take place at.the various polling places^on Monday the 18th inst. ;/but Mr. Hoberts; who was proposed in his ab'sence from home and without his sanction, having next morning withdrawn, the ■returning officer has declared the first four candidates duly elected. The proceedings on Friday did not take up more than, a quarter of an hour, the proposers and ..seconders having merely named their men, an I none of the candidates having addressed the ,electors.

THE,. NATIVE , MEETING. AT . .; otaki.

r This meeting, . looked ,- forward ;' to; sodopg with njore?: tl,mn! : ordinary.' interest by the natives, as an. occasion on. which they might show tiieir . independence : . of the chiefs who s night to control or modify: the expression of their.-.opinions,, came • off on the. 12th ,inst. Arclidea.coi! HiidfieUl and several chiefs had exhausted all tiieir arguments against, the hoisting.of .the flag ; but in vain ; the flag must.go up. at all hazards. A counter movement was set on foot by Rauparaha, in the Protestant district of Otaki.' In .the square opposite the church a mast was raised, from wliich a Union Jack floated out on the same day, as a rallying point for friendly natives. The rebel flag was raised at Pukekaraka. a village the inhabitants of which were at one time, remarkably industrious and prosperous. .The following extract, from a summer’s excursion of an old Bengalee, about 1858, will show this. “It is separated from Otaki by a creek with a bridge and gate. W.e found a larger amount of. cultivation than at Otaki, and a capital water mill at full work ; the ehapeb a rude hut not capable of holding abo\*e a coupie of dozen, and the village itself uot, to, be discovered. 7’ltey have also a ropewalk,, and, a sehoouer trailing to Wellington, 'and.the,returns are stated to be ample. T’he resident priest 1 heard very, well spoken of; gud, certainly, the. state of the .mill and everything connected evidenced a. master mind.” In 1861 the sun of its prosperity, has set, and bai’harism lias resumed, its reign. . The priest has left f>r Europe;, his former residence, is burned down,, the rope-walk gone with it, and the schooner left to rot in,the Otaki river from divided interests. Heremia, . a minister in their church,; along with one 1 [ape, has brought a flag from the north, by which to show their feeling toward the.government.. ...Ampin provision,was made,for the entertainment of those present at, the ,meeting, of, whom . there were together with a number of pigs ; there werti large supplies of. potatoes and .fish, :an almndr auce iif sugar,and tea, and five, tons of flour. Taratpa of Manawafu. Manihera of Wairarapa, ! Mateiie, Rauparaha, &c. are opposed ; but Mateiie confesses that the chiefs have |«>st much of their influence. The fidelity of these .cliiefsrfn.iy.be relied on. All.business'was at a.stand, and the korero was begun several days previous to the meeting. On the morning of the 12th March a party of Ngatiawa, 160 strong, armed to the teeth

with guns, hatchets, mere mere, ami other native implements of war, were marched in procession around the flagstaff three times, and then w re drawn up in a body opposite it. At 9 o'eloc’; lieremia and llape te whaka- , rawe, the t».o leading men connected with the .movement, took their places in the ring ..around the flagstaff, with Prayer Rook in . hand. A few minutes afterwards .the different ; tribes (hapuj were called upon by lieremia to i; show their allegiance to the King by kneeling and bowing with heads uncovered. Prayers : were, then read by Heremia, and afterwards by //ape, all kneeling. The guard of honor were then commanded to load with blank cartridge, ami salute the flag by firing three Volleys in rapid succession. 7/iie flag was then hoisted with terrific

yellings, shoutings, and firing, of guns. The flagstaff is 80 feet high, composed of two sticks each 45 feet long, the dower pm* being two feet thick at the butt. There, were throe flags run up. The first, “ Ntiku te whatewha” from Wi, Tako,-—a white oblong flag.with a Mack cross, and red star at each extremity of the .cross; the .second, “ Tiki,” the. king ’s flag,— a long black pennant, with a white border ami red cross ami stars ; and the third and lowest, the .French, flag. These flags having been , lioisteil, there was a war dance (Tu wae .wae) . on a.grand scale. The. uueiartlily yells ami grimaces, intermingled with cries every now aml again of—“ Hua ora a Nu Tireni ! (New Zealand is saved!)” were frightful in the extreme. . Great excitement prevailed at this stage of the proceedings, The chiefs of the different tribes then harangued the meeting, interspersing their speeches with songs (waiata) and war dances. Heremia addressed the meeting during the day. The import of his speech was.—that he wished to live in peace with the Europeans; he did not wish to fight; if.lie were desirous

of .doing so he would go. to Taranaki; he. did not think he had done any. wrong in raising the flag; if any arise .'from it, it will come from the Governor; his intention in raising the. flag was to put a stop to land selling. As it was getting late, the talking was pat a stop to for the day, and,they proceeded, to divide - the food amongst the different tribes. This occupied them dill sunset, yyhen the'flag was lowered with the same ceremony as'that "used y , . in the raising of it. The meeting then dispersed to their different encampments for the • ,ynight.'.;l .■ .... • Tile" second flajjr’s (I3"tb March) proceedings

Were ushered-ih- with to thotie : of thenprevious : morning.. 'Two; flags otiljr were' hoisted •, King’s being omitted. At 3 p.m. they lieljl a sham fight ami korero. The adherents of the Queen were invited to attend, and they .arrived during the day. The numbers on the ground were estimated at 900'to 1000. Nospeeches of any ’importance were made,to-day, except, in one instance, when Hereinia te Tuere gave the meeting: to understand that he intended raising the flag on the 12th March, 1852. It wasvery satisfactory to see the great cordiality and good feeling that, prevailed d uring the meeting., between the Europeans and Maoris. Wi Tako did not arrive. The Kiiig : ites are constantly keeping a body of armed men.to protect the flagstaff from being cut down by the loyal natives —hints having been thrown out. that they would do so. . It is amusing when you are walking round their encampment'of'a night to be challenged, by a party of armetl men; to ;give your name and business there; the patrols are relieved every hour ; they are to be paid a shilling a day and found in clothes and food., I’he Ngatiawa and Ngatikaiiungu started for their homes on Thursday. A native, lately come from Taranaki,; went, through the exercises of the Waikatos, arid the English exercises and evolutions, in which he displayed much dexterity. The natives, he said, would fire continuously from one part of a pit until the attention of the English was attracted to it, and then vanish to the other side ; and he described the English as mere boobies at stratagem/ ' 7'hnshas this meeting which has excited so much interest in the W anganui district passed over in the quietest manner; showing that, the notions held by some regarding the vehemently hostile feelings of the tribes between flits and Wellington towards Europeans are without foundation. That a majority of them are in the meantime opposed to the selling of land is evident, and that if they lmd die power they would use it to dispossess the Europeans of their property is possible, but a regard’ to their own interests prevents them from action just now; and will probably ere long induce t' era' to> part with their land as freely as they now hold it firmly. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. March 12th, 1861. Sir, —I was much astonished to see by your last week’s -issue,--that ymir journal had become the abettor of religious discussion and controversy, which is much to be regretted, as public journals cease to serve the end they are established" for whenever they pander to the narrow-mindedness which is generally displayed

by parties in defence of their own crotchets and creeds whenever they unhappily enter into religious dt-cussions;- ' Of course you will perceive at once, that I allude to the letter of ■“John Stephen Pezant, Resident Catholic Clergyman,”—a letter which 7 consider very unworthy of any clergyman, whether Catholic or Resident; for while it would try to make voiir readers believe that, it is throwing oil on the troubled waters, it is actually sowing the seeds of the most rancorous discord and ani mosify, and instead of being couched in the mild and temperate language of a minister of the Gospel, it assumes the most presumptive and hitter animadversions against all who have thought proper to sympathise with the greatest man of oiir age. engaged in one of the most, noble struggles f*>r civil and religious liberty that, has yet been placed on record. . Hut, sir. were it not that the Rev gentleman’s country pleads his excuse for attempting to censure a clear headed, liberal, and enlightened statesman (Uord John Hassell), I might claim the indulgence of a littl© more space in your columns to refipe the allegations of the Rev.

Gentleman ; lmt as they are only made to flatter a few of his adherents, and are entirely without a shadow of reality, I content myself by merely alluding to them. Aw<\ in penning these remarks I have carefully avoided making any allusion to church or creed ; but as Father Pezant winds’up by •assuring us that the Pope

is well protected, ami has the iSource of all Power'at his hack, m'ght / ask him how lie is so much disquieted at the doings of Garibaldi. The fact, is, that liberty must triumph, and he knows it; and the deeds of the Italians will be handed down to posterity, ami survive the temporalities of the Pope through ages yet uuborm , Galileo’s Ghost. [We have received more than one letter referring to M. Pezant’s. but as occasion is taken to animadvert on religions points we decline to insert them, our columns not being the place for controversy respecting religious dogmas:]) March 11th;

Sir,—-Will you permit me, through the medium of -the Chronicle, to make inquiry respecting a curious specimen of New Zealand Entomology, which I have repeatedly found in the bush, but the name of which I have not yet discovered ? I will endeavour to describe the insect beside me, in the hope that from my imperfect description some one better versed in entomology than I wilt recognise and name it; for al.hough-an admirer of animated nature, I am an ignoramus respecting the scientific names and technicalities pertaining to this interesting and useful study. Length of body, 4 inches; girth, \ inch.j head,, small, with, protuberant eyes,- and long autwuse-; anus, forked ; legs, four in number,, very Jong, jointed, anil terminated by minute claws ; colour, rich grass green, (but I have seen it dark brown); aptera. This inject is harmless, slow and unsteady in its motions by reason of its immense legs. One might fancy it belonged to the same genus as

the Hydfometra-staynorum frojiji.. its j?hysical resemblance. 7 shoiihfTtke* to kilo vf Irs~niimey common or.scientific, an.d,f.\yiH feel obliged to any one who will with it. Is it. the Mantis ? Yours, &c. . ... r Math Val. .:..-A.-.y.. -- %% [Telungt.onV J . . ■ (From our own Correspondent.) Thursday, 14 th Jtlar(ih;.Tß6l, .. 3 o’clock, p.'in. , The elections are now ; oyer asljar'as the city is concerned. I was rather .within the mark ..when I stated nine at ieast. of the Featherston ticket would .die' ! rettn , ned : ; we have obtained eleven, and had the party exercised ordinary diligence allwo'uld hive been returned ; in fact, they were far too saTiguine, which suggested an oppo ition ; hot-only that, but, through a misunderstanding, 'a' gross hhinfler WaS committed 'Pharazyn and 7M wards, which nearly f led tb'a'iplit., had not. caution and judgmentjieen exercised. 1 now hand you the real shite of the poll -

JV. Spinks ... 292 . Vn It Taylor .I, A2is3 ; G. Hunter... ... ,262. G. 7’urnhiill ... 239 . G. Crawford 228 W. B. Rhodes 227. . J. 11. Wallace .... ... . 204 R. J. G. Allen ... ... ... 196 C. B. Borlase ... ....j.......195 W. Fawcett ... tA. ' 182 R. Stokes ... 181 Mclntosh .... ... ,167: Carpenter ... ... -■;.,g.C>9. Quin Martin ... Pharazyn If) ■ Edwards 4$

The Airedale has arrived, ~,The; war witli Taranaki still goes on in thesanieihiiipbugging manner ; see newspapers and jiidge. Maeandrew has been removed from- the,Stiperintendency.at,Otago by- the Governor, hjs name lias been erased.from the Commission, qf the Peace, and his dwelling house has beenMisaljowed as a public j.iil : ;-from this we may. gather; that Dr. Knight’s report has not jbe.en fiivonrahle. I’he amiable Mr. Dillon Belbisfa passenger by' the steamer-this time for Otago, whether for getting a seat, in the Assembly.jto lopk after the sheep run in which he and Stafford and Richmond are partners; or;>the new Auperintendency, I know not; .the latter I suspect he lias a sneaking ambition for. .Mr. Clarke, the chief manager for the Coleman Company, has been at Nelson, and had a full investigation into the.gold robbery ; .the.; remit is,.that he lias dismissed captain. an*l ( ,§iU. : han > df > witli t)ie exception of: the secoii(l:;e i ngineerM’ It seems there have-been no less , than five or six cases -if theft on hoard this vessel. Captain Johns lias sailed for Sydney. Mr. St. Hill,, senr, is dead, so 'is poor old. Peter 7’utchen, an old resident. On Dit, —the natives have intimated to General Pratt, that they are tired waiting for his sap, and are-;prejiared to do the job either by day’s work or contract. 7’he llast bell is ringing; adieu, till ARmday. ■

A/onday, 18th March, 18G1

The TTutt: nomination went off very quietly on Saturday..•...-■ The five Featherston candidates were, elected without opposition. The members returned, were Fifzherhert, old .Barton, D. McEwen, /Thitewood, and George Buck. The nomination for two members for JFuirarapa was to take place last Thursday. I’liere is a report that old Masters;- the cooper, was to stand ; if so. it is no .go intelligence come into tbwir yet?.'TheXCdnltitutional card for the Wellington coifftt.ry districts are, Brandon, Woodward,Wcliultze, John Johnston, ami Wright, Gouthurst farm, f, Afe- Pickering, < -ommissariat clerk,, a fam<ui%.royvdy. is in .the field; he is only? putting the country to expellee and trouble, as lie has no earthly chance whatever. I hear froirr good authority that the General Assembly will meet at Auckland in May. I also, heard that a meeting of the Executive was held for the purpose of proclaiming Martial law in -Auckland, but the motion was lost by one vote. I have never seen it mentioned in any of; the papers, that the schooner Phantom, Captain- ,7’ooliig. from Canterbury on the 7t.h January- -for,.this port, lias never been heard of; Mr.- Jones, the owner, and family were .on board, also the Master’s wife, ,7’iiey. yere last seen in that, terrific hurricane that the brig Shamrock was wrecked in. 'The lit.tie, vessel was on her way to the Fiji islands, and \Mis v to call here for passengers.aiid a boat; there was also some business the owner lmd to ttansaet ; it’s to be he hoped that she may have been blown j ast —still it looks alarniihg. ; Your packet Sea Gull'arrived here yesterday morning. T iie Huh races was a tame affair ; ; being a fine day many left town more for a .holiday ; the second day- very fesv were- present. jV/ajor Traffbrd’s Sybil won three: races; the mare seems much improved since-Jast I-saw her. It seems-that General Wynyard’s.friends at home tried to put him in as our new Governor'; fortunately Walter Brodie r the Auckland Sparrow, who is in Engjjuid, wrote an admiratde letter to the the Colonies, which was published,- the manifest unfitness of the man, as well as exposing, a. few of the peccadilloes, winch- had the effect of* knocking JJfe ; Sffair on the head;, one might .almost^’infer•'fffiiri' this that M busters contemplate' &'(sbaiige. 'Owing to the fine weather the stea, Avail and breast work are progressing rapidly £ about 80 feet of the former is laid below low: water-level, and some 70 of the latter completed ; the filling in in also rapidly advancing;-/ about SQ ;

men ‘are employed on these works. Many of on : Te Aro -FI atn l'e.. i nt} i ec(» ti r§<* of formation and metalling G* the; residents.find one-half the amount 5 required, and -the /.Government the other; in addition to which the prisoners from the jail are allowed to do the earthwork under the direction of an overseer. Dixon street, Manners street, and Able Smith street are just now being attended to, and I am informed that Wellington Terrace road is to be made, in the same manner ; the present number of prisoners so employed averages about 20, and it is found that they perform a fair day’s work. 7/ow do you dispose of your prisoners? Take this hint, and look after your magistrates as we do. Captain Sharpe, who is here, must have seen them at work, so has Major Durie in olden days. I think your folks want a little stirring up, also an infusion of braun new J. P.’s