LATEST NORTHERN NEWS.

West Coast Times, Issue 1004, 10 December 1868, Page 3

LATE ST NORTHERN NEWS.

fnf SUBSiARINE CABLE]. (From, tlie Christchurcii papers,) Wellington, Dec. 4, 8 p.m. Auckland. — At a preliminary meeting held in Auck'and, preparatory to a public meeting, it was resolved to "petition the Queen to suspend the Constitution in the .North Island. At a meeting of the Justices of the Peace in Auckland, Dr Pollen was requested to procure Imperial troops to he stationed at Ngarnawahia. East Coast. — Letters from Napier express the greatest alarm at Whitmore again taking command there The Herald says :— •" To send Whitmore here at the present time with no matter how many men at his backj would be most disastrous. He possesses neither the confidence nor the goodwill of any part of the community, European or native ; and assuredly none -would be found to work cordially under his command. We sincerely hope that his reported comiHg is a mistake. He has blready been largely instrumental in drawing down ruin on this province, and it only wants his presence here as commander to precipitate the dnnger which at present only looms" in the distance." West Coast. — Captain Herrick was promoted last week to be LieutenantColonel, and to take the command vice Whitmore, on the West Coast. A verdict of wilful murder has been given against the Maori who tomahawked the pedlar. Wellington. — A densely crowded meeting was held ac the Oddfeilows' Hall last night. The Superintendent took the chair. The first resolution expressed sympathy with the East and West Coast sufferers. _ The second conveyed the thanks of the meeting to Mr M'Lean and the Maori allies. The third was as follows : — " That in the present emergency, the colonial forces are inadequate to deal with the difficulty, and that in the opinion of the meeting it is essential for the preservation of life and property that assistance should be obtained from Australia ; and that the Governor be requested to place the Imperial troops at the disposal of this colony." An amendment was moved — " That this meeting declines to admit the inability of the colony to punish native outrage and to protect life and property without assistance from Australia or elsewhere." The numbers being nearly equal, a division took place, when the amendment was declared to be carried. Robert Hart, Dr Grace, and the I Hon John Johnstone spoke for the resolution; Messrs Anderson, Travers, Pharazyn, and Borlase, for the amendment. The meeting closed at near 12 o'clock. A memori il to the Governor in the terms of the resolution is in circulation. The Assembly is prorogued till the 26th February. The Rifle competition next season is to be divided. The Southern competitors are to meet in Dunedin. £500 to be given ir. prizes in each island.