TARANAKI.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 10, Issue 630, 25 July 1866, Page 2

TARANAKI.

The s.s. Storm Bird brings us newspapers from Taranaki to the 21st inst. The ‘ News ’ doubts the wisdom of the Government in publishing Dr. Hector’s report upon the petroleum of the province, and goes on to say —“ If Dr. Hector wera an authority whose decision could be taken without question, then by all means, should it be known and spread abroad. If the certainty of oil or no oil, or oil in quantity or not in quantity, can. be so inexpensively ascertained, it were useless to spend large sums of money, which we can ill afford, in getting at the truth by laborious experiment. But it is so doubtful whether Dr. Hector be a reliable authority, that tho prudence of the Goyamment in publishing his report may be called in question. Oil is certainly- c|iiite a distinct mineral from gold, and althiugh Dr Hector may have made mistakes in pronouncing districts devoid of gold, which have been f mnd to be auriferous, still he may be perfectly right in the verdict ho has given upon the oilbearing capacities of Taranaki and the island in general. But if he have been found to have been in error twice—notwithstanding all his geological lore —ho must pardon the people of Taranaki and perhaps the people of the colony in general if they laugh a little at his surmise (for wo can call it nothing else) and wonder at his imprudence in committing himself by deciding upon what he knows less about than gold. Modesty does not seem to be tho Doctor’s forte. Has he forgotten that after that examination he reported that gold would not be found in payable quantities in Westland ? His opinion of Coromandel was not perhaps so great a mistake, but quite sufficient of a blunder to make Sir R. Murchison or any other eminent geologist at home smile, and probably, without saying it, think ‘ there are pretenders amongst us too !’ Sir R. Murchison had foretold long before gold was discovered iu Australia, that it was highly probable it would be found there. The same authority had predicted that the central districts of Africa weuld be found to be mountainous ; and Dr. Livingstone has proved the truth of the prediction. But, between Dr. Hector and Sir R. Murchison, what an interval ? And would even the great authority above named have given his opinion or mentioned the brown coal formation as the origin of our oil so authoritatively, as our Government Geologist has done, and too at a distance, without the severest examination of the ground on which the indications of petroleum are so apparent ? It is scarcely probable. Men who have nothing to lose are not generally chary of their opinions ; men whose reputation is high are generally most careful in expressing them, and it is perhaps for this reason that no definite opinion has been pronounced on the origin of petroleum ; that no great authority has openly declared how it is formed or where it is likely to be found in large or small quantities. But a gentleman whose blunders are notorious, who is the butt of every practical gold digger, can settle the whole matter, at a distance, in a moment. All that has to be done is to start a theory and to back it up by a display of geological learning, and the oil question is set at rest for ever. If the hypothesis be correct the inference drawn follows necessarily. If the hypothesis be not correct nothing, however, follows, but imprudent publication of it, and a damaging of the interests of the colony. Dr. Hector, however, charitably throws out a hope that valuable oils may be found in tho neighbourhood of New Plymouth. If there be gratitude amongst us it ought to have full sway. It is nothing that every oil shareholder should wince and every pressure upon the spring pole he given with a heavier heart; nothing that the capitalist should hesitate still more to invest his money, or whole districts which had smiled cheerily yesterday, look, blank to-day; the opinion of a dabbler in science must be published, containing a superfluous quantity of useless, if not absurd explanation with a clause thrown in to humour the interested that it .may be possible that valuable oils shall be found in the neighbourhood. The ‘ Herald ’ takes the same view of the case, and considers the report as not only premature but incorrect.

AUCKLAND. By the s.s. Storm Bird, which arrived here on Sunday afternoon, we have Auckland papers to the 20th inst. There is no news of special importance, but we make the following extracts It is a pleasing sign of the times (says the ‘Southern Cross.’) to find the Waikato military settlers uniting to promote the cause of religion. A meeting of the Cambridge military settlers was recently held, Captain Clare presiding, when it was resolved to raise a fund to augment the salary of the Lev. Mr Taylor, Presbyterian Minister, and the question of undertaking to build a church was deferred to a subsequent meeting. We are glad to observe this movement amongst the military settlers, and cannot but attribute a good deal of it to the earnest zeal and usefulness of Mr Taylor, £2l was subscribed on the spot, and £l6 promised annually. The half-yearly general meeting of tlie proprietors of the Bank of Auckland, which was numerously attended, has been held in the banking house ; David Nathan, Esq., in the chair. Mr C. F. Johns, manager, submitted the report of directors and statement of accounts, which gave much satisfaction to the shareholders present, as indicating the stability of the bank and the successful condition of its anairs. They were unanimously adopted. lhe thanks of the shareholders were voted to the chairman of the company, the directors, and. manager, for the efficient and satisfactory manner in' .which they managed tne business of the bank. A special general meeting was afterwards held for the purpose of authorising the directors to call up the remainder of the capital of the bank. After some discussion, the following resolutions on the subject were severally proposed, and unanimously adopted :—“ That the directors be empowered to call up the remainder of the capital of the bank in accordance with the deed of settlement, namely, by call of 10s per share, payable at intervals of not less than three months between each call.”—“ That the directors bwee pdr eeoto receive the whole of them calls from any shareholder, and allow interest thereon after the same rate as on other paid up capital.” _ • .... The 1 Cress ’ expresses its satisfaction with Mr Manteil’s attack'on General Chute, is opposed to any Wanganui campaign under Major M‘Donnell, believing that, unless every disaffected natives m the country was put to the sword, such things will occur from time to time. The ‘ Herald ’ does not see why we should have a correspondent at Raglan, and moreover thinks the one we have a very pestilent fellow, but our contemporary not having the censorship of dhe .press, must content himself as best he can, and if there is anything incorrect, he has the power of setting it right.