The Evening Herald. TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1869.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 545, 2 March 1869, Page 2

The Evening Herald. TUESDA Y, MARCH 2, 1869.

The Position op Titokowaru.— 'Titokowaru's main body is at present ■within three miles of Okotuku, having in his rear a dense bush and almost impenetrable gullies. "Hymns Ancient and Modern."— "The Rev. C. H. S. Nicholls gave notice Sunday that after Good Friday the words, as well as the music now used at Christ Church, would be adopted, in place of the New Zealand Hymnal. This alteration is made by request of many of the parishioners, the present Hymnal being so badly arranged. [/" Ovebland Mail to Patea.—Mr E. Lockett has proposed to the Government to convey the mail to Patea once a week, and is willing to risk the journey if the Government will accept his services. We think the road will be much safer in about a fortnight, when Tito will probably be at Te Ngutu o te Manu. /" Operations at the Front.—OperanT, tions at the Front are suspended for a ' few days on account of the heavy floods not only in the Waitotara river, but in the numerous streams running into it. The pontoon bridge, which Col. Whitmore had thrown across the Waitotara, has been washed away. The Colonel has taken the opportunity of visiting Wellington, and as he will return on Thursday, he expects by that time that the rivers will be in a fit state for crossing, and-when they are, he intends following up the enemy without cessation. Building Society Shares. —Twelve shares, representing £240, were sold in the Wanganui and Rangitikei Land and Building Society last nigtft at a premium of 35s per share. The previous month, they realised a premium of £5 per share. What does this extraordinary decline in the demand for money indicate ? In one short month the rage for money ceases, and people appear indifferent whether there is any of the precious metal in existence. Perhaps the politi- I cal horizon has something to do with it; ' we cannot satisfy ourselves of the true cause. / k The Loss of the Woodpecker.—We Jf --■nave.received particulars of the loss of the Woodpecker from Captain Fairchild and Mr ladder; of the Sturt, with the following particulars relative thereto :— About 7 a.m. on Sunday last, the Woodpecker, which lay a little below the Sturt in the Patea river, dragged her anchor and drifted on to ' the bar. The circumstance was reported to Captain Fairchild by the man on watch, and without delay the Sturt's boat was manned, and proceeded to the assistance of the little -vessel Before

reaching her they perceived the flag "of distress hoisted, and on approaching nearer found her, aground on the south hank, and Capt Morris and her crew on a sand bank anxiously waiting to he relieved from their perilous position. They were taken off and landed, hut were advised to go on board again and get up steam, but did not do so. The boat then returned to the Sturt for the purpose of getting ropes to try and save the vessel, but by the time they were procured it was found impossible to get them made fast without endangering life, and she shortly afterwards went to pieces. After the wreck, Capt Fairchild, Mr Lidder, and the Sturt's engineer, managed, by taking, the machinery to pieces, to save all but the boiler. The officers of the Sturt say that if only the captain and one man had remained on board, and got up steam, the steamer might have been saved. We do not know that this is an unprejudiced account, and we are anxiously awaiting the Captain's own report of the circumstances. We presume there will bean enquiry, when the facts will be known. The loss is a heavy one to Wanganui at present, as the means of a regular communication with Fatea are cut off. Kingism. —The Superintendent of Taranaki, writing to the Colonial Secretary, refers as follows to Kingism:—l need not tell you that our community, stung almost to madness by the atrocity of this deed, and by the loss of such life as that of Mr Whiteley, which has been mainly devoted to the welfare of the very tribe by which he has been cut off. This, of course, is not unparalelled in our annals, but it seems, if possible, worse, than anything else that has happened, and I think the 'excitement of the moment is not urging me too far if I say that either the Maori King must declare positively against such deeds, and help us to bring the assassins to justice, or we must give up the hope of living in peace with the centre of the island a harbour for the most ruthless murderers and must devise means of combating the evil even if it be necessary to appeal again for help to Great Britain. Measures at Taranaki.—The'following resolution has been passed at a meeting in Taranaki:—" That this Council well knowing the circumstances of the great body of the settlers and the condition of this Province, is of opinion that the best method of protecting it from the incursions of hostile Natives, which there is every reason to expect after the late dreadful murders, is to put small parties of armed men in the block-houses on the frontier settlements, and that an efficient bush party of not less than 150 men should be formed and worked on the principle of the late Taranaki Bushrangers, who strueli such terror into the rebel Maoris; and is farther of opinion that the present rate of pay would not be at all sufficient, considering the great danger they would be constantly exposed to, and the arduous duties they would have to perform ; arid it would strongly impress on ithe Government they will not get the spirited support of the great body of the settlers, which we think should be given, without a comprehensive—Native policy is put before them and adhered to, as from the want of such j the settlement is now in a much worse position than in the year 1860." Colonial Decorations.—ln awarding honors for distinguished conduct, the Government should exercise the greatest care, lest by any chance a gold or silver cross might come into the possession of some one whom his comrades knew to be unworthy of it. The crosses may be given for political support, or some mad freak in action, showing no courage; or to some one, who some one else said was "a very plucky fellow," and thus become contemptible in the eyes of the really brave men. The bravest and best men make no show of their bravery, and certainly never speak of it. When these men distinguish themselves, as Constable Black of Frazer's division did at Ngatapa, officers and men can easily testify to it, and then honors should follow. We have heard of gallant this,

and daring that in the papers,—and these gradually become subjects of ridicule and contempt among men of the same corps who saw no extraordinary bravery dis-. played; - If colonial decorations are to be of the slightest service, there must not he*a single mistake in awarding them. We suppose there will be, degrees of merit, from the fact that gold and silver crosses are to be issued. It can hardly be that the gold is to be for the oflicers, and the silver for the men. Such a distinction would ever present the most unpleasant features. Bravery in an officer, is not distinct from bravery in one of the men. The quality, it is true, of courage, may in one man be finer than in another, but officers have not a monoply of only the hest, and as long as this is the case, no distinction should be made. The Victoria Cross has less intrinsic value than if it were made of either silver or gold, for it is only made of bronze; but a field marshal would be proud to wear it, though it hung on the breast of his servant. The star of the Legion of Honor made no distinction. In the British army it is settled among the members of the corps, who was bravest on any occasion, and the individual, or individuals, chosen are recommended accordingly for decoration. In cases of noted valor, however, - where it comes under the eye.of the commanding oflicer, a recommendation for the Victoria Cross may be made without emanating from the men. The Athenians had a happy way of disposing of such questions. Wanting to know who distinguished himself most among the officers at Salamis, each one was allowed to cast in two votes for the first and second in honor. Each voted for himself as the most valiant, but for the second honor the majority voted Themistocles, who was therefore declared the most valiant. We object to degrees of bravery as represented by gold and silver crosses, unless the latter are to indicate general good conduct, and for this a stripe or two on the arm would be sufficient. All soldiers are supposed to be of good behaviour and of average bravery, and it is too much to think of a decoration for these alone. In each case we intend canvassing the merits of the recipient of a decoration.