Colonial News.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 620, 20 June 1866, Page 3

Colonial News.

An action for defamation cf character brought by Richard Steliing Barker against Mr. Janies Lyden was tried in the Supreme Court this day before Mr. Justice Johnston and a jury. Mr. ft. Hart, with him Mr. Buckley, conducted the case for the plaintiff, and Mr. Boiiaso appeared fertile defendant who was absent. It appeared from the evidence that the defendant, who is a i-oad contractor, liad wjritten a letter to the Provincial Government, in which lie had specifically stated that the plaintiff, who was an engineer, had accepted a bribe of £5, and had then refused to pass some work. The Government liad, on receipt of -this letter, suspended Mr. Barker until he could disprove the accusation. Mr. Barker in order to do so liad brought this action. When placed iir the box he swore that upon one occasion the defendant had offered him a bribe which he had indignantly rejected, and thrown away, that at no other time had he either asked for or received any money, whatsoever. In support of the statement relative to the offer of some money, witnessess were examined who swore to finding a roll of notes (produced) in a bush bordering on the Wades Town road. Then members of several road boards swore that the work done by Mr. Lydon had been imperfectly finished. Ho witnesses were called for the defence, and after learned counsel on both sides had.addressed the jury, his Honor recapitulated the evidence, and pointed out what libel consisted of. The jury then, after a short deliberation, found a verdict for the plaintiff, damages £lO. Fires are occurring in Taranaki. The 1 Herald’ of the 9th reports the total destruction of. a six-roomed house belonging to Mr. J. L. Newman, insured in the Now Zealand Insurance Office for £2OO. Mr. Newman reports his loss at £4OO. The origin of the fire is unknown. The ‘ Herald’ thus reports a second fire : —“ We regret to state that a fire broke out early this morning in the store of Watty and Co., which was completely destroyed. It was first seen about 2.30 a. m., but by the time assistance had been got, it had gained too great-a hold to be stopped. The adjoining house, lately the Native Office; was soon enveloped in the flames beyond hopes of saving it. Fortunately it was empty. A small store, belonging to Mr. A Hood, between his large store and the Native Office, was pulled down, and thus the -fire prevented from spreading in that direction; but this large store and Mr. W. 11. King’s were only saved by the strenuous exertions of the people present. The small military fire-engine was brought upon the ground, and did good service in preventing the spread of the fire, but the want of a fire brigade was much felt.

Auckland is going in heavily in the work of C( floating’’ new companies (liraited). A company Inis issued a prospectus in Auckland. for the construction of a substantial bridge across the Manukau to connect the important district of Mangarei with the port of Onehuugu ; capital, £IOO,OOO, in 1000 .010 shares. Another prospectus is published of a company to be called the “ Central Native Agency Office” for ' the purchase and disposal of native and other lands ; still another, the Waihau Gold Alining Company, capital £7500 in £5 shares. The company is not altogether new, having already paid up £3535 which is to be included in the stock of the new company now proposed.

“ Tasmania,” says the 5 Cornwall Chronicle,’ £ ‘ will soon be in a position to offer the attraction of deer-stalking, in addition to those of unrivalled climate, scenery, fishing, hunting, shooting, and boating, to visitor, from the adjoining colonies. We frequently see prime deer alive or killed shipped by the steamers for Melbourne, the former to stock parka in Victoria, the latter a 3 presents to friends ; or occasionally to grace the tables of first-class hotels. One day last week Mr. Richard Saltmarsh, of Sandridge, found deer so plentiful that he killed two with one ball, which took effect in. the loins of a fine buck, and then lodged in the neck of a doe. Both fell dead at the same instant. In life they had wandered through the wild woods, and grown and fattened together, and in death they were not divided, in this colony, though, if they are the same we saw shipped by the Black Swan, on Saturday last, they are pretty well dispersed by this time, as they were on their way to tlie proprietor of a celebrated hotel.”

By a recent order from Wellington, says the ‘ Taranaki Herald,’ all military settlers are to remain permanently upon their land, and not to leave it for the purpose of making a living in town or elsewhere. Hitherto, when any company w*as struck oil' pay, the men were allowed to find employment where they could, the only stipulations being, if they left the block, that they should forfeit their ration allowance and parade once a month. It seems that some of the men, by falsely representing themselves as living on the land, got theirrations when not entitled to them, and to stop this practice the clumsy expedient w ; e have mentioned has been adopted. The men lose by being debarred the chance of making a little capital—the great want in all the military settlements : the province, of course, loses to about the same extent 5 the Government loses by having to pay the full ration money, and who is the gainer ? We trust the Government will be equally prompt to issue tho Crown grants to these men when they are due. The ‘ Marlborough Press’ of June 6th, reports that a land sale has been held at Blenheim, which, it says, was beyond a doubt, tho best that has been hold before in tho Province of Marlborough ; not on account of the amount realised by it, but on account of there being more competition than any other former one, which is owing to tho system of compromising, not proving so successful as usual. —Section 180 Town of Picton, was the only lot disposed of, and that at the upset price. Of the suburban sections, Nos. 64 to 79, 469 a. Or. 4p., were unrehased by Mr. James Speed, lately of Wanganui, for £1876 2s tho upset price, which we perceive is at the rate of £4 per aero. The block is timbered land, and is situated on the west side of the Picton Road near the Koromiko Stream, a distance of about five miles from Picton. Air. Speed intends immediately cutting the timber on this land for the supply of the mills lately erected in the locality Iby Captain J. H. Dalton.— A considerable quantity of pasture and country lands were disposed of at good prices the amoum realised being £1,053 i)a 3d ? which, when it reaches the Treasury, will leave the Province a credit of above £6,500.

The ‘Lyttelton Times,’ writing on the expense of governing the Canterbury Province, says':—“ The ono great danger of nrovincialism is that it i 3 apt to develope each province into a miniature England. The dear old mother country, on turning her affectionate regards to lier young colony of New Zealand, "and expecting to see her own comely visage reflected as in a mirror, finds instead eight or nine diminutive images, reproduced as in tho facets of a decanter-stopper, all very like but very insignificant. This is specially seen in the aping of.constitutional forms, and in their multiplication to a degree far beyond the wants of the) settlements. We do not for a moment, wish to object to this, so long as it is confined merely to tho manifestation of that Stnes3 for'official life which lies latent in so many colonial minds. We by no means object to it. It lias its uses. Let us repeat, if we choose, the proportions of the German Prince’s grand army—three'privates, a coporal, a sergeant, a captain, and a colonel with general , officers ad libitum to Mr. Commissioner Lamplighter. But there is one limitation on which we must insist: —we object to the salaries. The cost per head for governing the 30,000 inhabitants of Canterbury (we omit tlie West Coast) is something which would make the tax-ridden populations of New Zealand aghast.” The ‘ Nelson Examiner’ thus summarises the Melbourne news :—“ The political intelligence received from the colony of Victoria, although of a far more satisfactory than wo have lately been accustomed to, is still somewhat gloomy ; the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council are still.at variance, the difference in* this instance arising out of the actions which were brought against tho McCulloch Government by different persons for illegallylevying Customs duties under the rejected Tariff. Verdict for the plaintiffs in these actions having been obtained in the Supreme Court, the M‘Culloch Government refused payment of the amounts. Since the recall of Sir Charles Barling, and the assumption of the Government 'by Brigadier-General Carey, the latter has-been applied to for a warrant, on the Treasury for these sums, but the Acting-Governor referred the subject to his legal advisers. Until these judgments are satisfied, the Legislative Council refuse to give their consent to the Appropriation Bill, which now only awaits its final reading in the Upper Chamber to become Jaw, and the Council have determined on memorialising his Excellency to issue his warrant, if Ministers persist in withholding the payment of these sums.” The ‘ Taranaki Nows’ contains a wellwritten article, apropos of a coronex , ’s inquest on a poor drunkard who died in the gaol there, commenting on the little feeling and les3 result of such inquiries generally ; and of the ‘wretched practice of confining all sorts of prisoners—debtors, drunkards, and double-dyed criminals together in pur small wooden prisons.

We take the following from the ‘ Hawke's Bay Times ’ of the 4th inst. : —A correspondent at Waipawa, under date 25th May, sends us the following account of a terrible encounter with a boar, which we trust will serve as a warning to all v, ho may,— whether compelled by necessity or for pleasure, —happen to be travelling in the bush. Our correspondent says : —“ A Mr. William Loughton, a shepherd in the employ of A. Chapman, Esq., was one clay lately going round the boundary, when his attention was attracted by the fierce barking of his dogs in an adjoining scrub. Naturally enough, he went in tho direction from whence the noise came, to see the cause of the barking. What was his surprise to see his dogs engaged with a very large wild boar. Loughton immediately cocked his rifle and fired ; the boar dropped; and he (Loughton) thinking that he had killed the brute, went up to him, when to his consternation, the wounded animal made a rusk at him. A terrible encounter ensued - men (for there was another person, ’yclept “ Titterus,” with Loughton) boar and clogs, all rolling on tlie ground together. The contest was, however, of short duration. Titterus, who also belongs to Air. Chapman’s station, and is an universal favourite, was frightfully mutilated, and regret to add very little hope is entertained of Ilia recovery. Loughton, fortunately, escaped with but slight injuries. The courage he exhibited in this affair was most praiseworthy, and deserves consideration. Further particulars, I am unable to give, but trust enough has been said to prove to everyone the great danger in travelling in the bush in New Zealand. In conclusion, I may state: that 1 cannot vouch for the truth of the above, but send it to you just as I got it from an eye-witness.” .