WELLINGTON.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 668, 15 January 1881, Page 2

WELLINGTON.

(FEOM OUB OWN CORRESPONDENT.) It is almost impossible to describe the surprise which was excited in this city oh Tuesday morning, when it was discoveredthat the Hon John Bryce had■resignnd his position; in the Cabinet, and this interest was not lessened when the reason which led :.o his resignation became known. Several weeks ago I liinted'fchat there were indications of a desire for more vigorous action in native affairs on the pajtqf at any rate a section of tlje Cabinet. But so well was the secret kept that no one dreamed that Mr Bryce" was' 16 Btrbngly in favor of an ■ immediate advance oh Parihaka as to make his retention of office contingent on his colleagues acceding to his views in this respect, The surveys of the Plains- have proceeded without active interference on the part of the Maories, very successful sales of the land have been effected,- and already the work of occupation : and settlerptjnt has commenced. Still,'there are people oonversant with the native and Mr Bryce is apparently one of them, who are not satisfied with the future and never will be.so long as.Te Whiti, Tohu, and their followers are allowed to remain in the vicinity- of the-newly-settled: country. . Whether Mr .Bryoe's very sweeping proposal would have had the' effect of thoroughly settling the .difficulty once and for ever, and whether the proper time for such vigorous action had arisen are matters on which considerable differ-

ence of opinion exists, and as to which the majority of -4he Cabinet evidently were notable to agree with the.late Native Minister. -Gtf.all hands there are general expressions of regret that Mr Bryce a services should be lost to the colony, and it is felt that;his severance is a severeblow to "the' Government.' Rumor has, of, course,'bebn.busy,as to the probable sue-,, ■• cessor to the office, the jiames most freely mentioned being Sir William Jox, and Messrs Grmond and Sheehan. As to .the-,, last.named, there, is, I need; hardly aay,. : not the remotestthe"coming man," But'th^re'is"asmall . section of people who seem ;i to _M IM n * oumbentonthemto bring hjs "name for"ward on every possible occasion 1 j'-iii .fact, it seems to amou'nt-to'apbsitrvrmpnoma-nia in the case of sonurpf/ them. There is also very : good reason to believe- that the choice'.of the Government -will, not fall on either of the Government members I have '.named. As a matter of fact I shall not be-surprised if; soiileone outside the.House were selected for the position—in which case it'/would be necessary for oho :'of .the Gbyerijment supporters,to-resign his,Beit to'vrnake.,' room for the .newcomer,'.'.lpbW.ptmy-' own knowledge that,af any. one man in the colony with fitted for the, position,' and likely.wS»J» acceptable 'to tUe Government if he could s be induced to come forwardi •'<,.■■ ■ Great as has been the interest excited by the retirement of the Native Minister, I am not sure that it has not been eclipsed by the excitement which has prevailed here over the disappearance of Mr. George' North, a well-known sportihg barber, carrying.on business on Lambton Quay, and still better known aB a promoter of sweeps. North had, .been{ ia business for several years, and bore ..the reputation of being thoroughly.reliable and straightforward.. He-has golup.a large number of sweeps,-' which • were always conducted with the most sorupu- - loua fairness and the money always- p'alid over..with, commendable promptitude. Until this year his sweeps never exceeded £2,000 in amount; but this year he started a-'-consultation- of £4,000 on the Wellington Cup. Owing, principally, to . North's-' well-known trustworthiness in the past; the list- rapidly filled up, .and the.sweep.was drawn a few weeks ago; and' North immediately • started; another, consultation'for the same large amount. Those who had drawn hofaes" werO| ! of. course, in the highest state-of-elation, and all began planning what .they would do with the money—when"they gbi it. -, Several made arrangements to go to .the. i Melbourne Exhibition, . Some of them , sold their chano'es^'ln/one .oase .an holelkeeper received the tickets' as security for board, and eveu' rflade pecuniary advan'ces.on theiUi' Many of the winners , "hedged" by laying against the horses they had drawn. No.suspicion-seems to i have .been exoited.Tjy the. f ac.fc ;that jthe , sweep was drara-'so'long befoie'the"race camepflf, pr.'the :ciro'umatahce that, con-' . trary to the general rule, no'treasurer.was- ' appointed to Me ohaige'of .the monies. ■ NorthVhonesty, in fact, seems to havsled everyone to. repose, the (ftlleßjoonfidence ' in him.-Still-no suspicion seemed-to'be i aroused oven when,- or. ifb'nday.week', it ; was found ■ that the .''sporting barber', had left town; - The explanation" giventint he had gone into- the Wairarapa for a few days' holiday, aud to sell tickets'in ' the new sweep seem'ed'a' plausible one, ' and there tlie matter rested for about a 1 week, Then it., waj^discovered."that i North had gone., : to'Auqkiancl-iit the ' Hawea (the boat ¥hioh:oonveyed the.oufcv • ward' Frisco Maityon the'previous Sun--1 day, and at once ugly suspicions' began to • to rush into- the minds of the publio—- ' especially those who had- drawn horses in J the sweep,. Further inquiry elicited the ! fact that North's wife and ohildren had ' left Wellington-for Auckland by a pre--1 vious steamer, under the name of "Mrs 1 Watson and family," that North' himself ' had been seen on board the 'Frisco boat > at Auckland by.a well-known bookmaker 1 at present in Wellington.. That he had 3 also been seen by a fruiterer naraed.Mar--1 Bhall, formerly of Wellington, ; but now. of r ' Auckland, to whom he stated that he had t sold his business and was going to ' 'Frisco. It was also ascertained that, a i "Mr and Mvs Watson and family" did '• take saloon passages to America by the ' last outward bound steamer..; A rush was i, made to North's private residence by ■ ticket holders arid "creditor^'bijt"they s found' it deserted aiid i-3 ture having been sold privately to a Wei- ' lington citizen, and removed from the ' house. Then a meeting of the creditors ' was hastily convened, and acting on legal r advice it was resolved, to take steps to • have the absconder adjudicated a banki rupt. The whole of the debts only • amounted to £174» including £lO5 on 9 bills not yet matured. As for the vioJ timised patrons of the ."Sweep," they • seem to be without much redress, a 1 sweep being an illegal transaction, the 9 law would give them no assistance in. the 3 way of recovering the inoney; and it is ■ so doubtful whether criminal prosecution r . would be successful that it ia unjikely any J trouble will be taken in the matter;'"'4 • ourioijs circumstance has■ come to light: 3 A week or two before leaving Wellington- • North was outting.the hair of a well- ' known solicitor. Several persons were ' in' the shop, when North remarked in an 1 off-hand sort of way, " Supposing I was ' to bolt with tliis £4,000,1 suppose they • couldn't do anything to me." The soli- ' citor laughed at the' idea of. a man of Mr ' North's' well-known integrity even con--3 templating such a. possibility for a r moment, but gave' his opinion freely • enough. He now regrets-he did-not • charge the customary 6s Bd. • .One- good 5 result is likely to acqrue from .this little i fiasco. _ People will probably "look: twice 3 at their money in future .before ;they 9 invest in a sweep, and it: is further-very ' likely the subject will receive the serious ■ attention of the Legislature.