The Evening Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1869.

Wanganui Herald, Volume III, Issue 575, 7 April 1869, Page 2

The Evening Herald. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 1869.

Preserve Meat.—lt is'stated that the X,ondon firm of John M 'Call arid Co. have tendered one million pounds of preserved meat to the English Government at 6d per lb, and, have ordered at once 35,000 tons of Victorian meat.

Insurance.—-The property destroyed yesterday was insured in the London, Liverpool and Globe Office for £100. Furniture was included in the policy of £300 (amount stated in our is?ue of yesterday), which was not in the building at the time of the fire.

Provincial Council Fly Leavfs.— In the Provincial Council, on Friday, Mr "Watt asked ; whether it was the intention of the Government to provide for building the Wanganui Bridge. The Provincial Secretary replied that the Government could do nothing in the matter at present, but it was their intention to endeavor to raise a loan, of £12,000 for that purpose. Mr Morgan asked if any steps were to be taken to stop the encroachments of the Wanganui river. The Provincial Secretary replied that the Government had no funds for

such purpose.

Tea Meeting.—When we say the tea-meeting last night was a great success ■we underrate it. It was. we suppose the greatest meeting ever held in "Wanganui. The ladies were actually in the majority, and that is something for a Colonial town to say, "but let us save the credit of the gentlemen by stating that the majority was not large. The hall was full, and the "fight" passed ofJPwithout confusion, at the end of which, preparations were made for the speeches, which were as good as usual—one or two very good. The people were told of the plans for raising money for building the new church, by means of lectures, a series, of which was commenced some time ago, by the Rev Mr Patterson. The last lecture of the series has a comical title which greatly amused us. It is to be " The Gnat and the Camel, or the credulities of Scepticism." It reminds us forcibly of the sign fof a public house in Birmingham— ■" The Blue Fig and the Glue Pot," which was evidently chosen for the violent nature of the contrast, and its ludicroua character. If the church could get up a bazaar, it would bring it a good round sum. Bazaars and tea-meetings are two great social levers, hut lectures financially, are generally failures—a well known fact to the " man of the world." The other denominations must now see how great an institution a tea-meeting is; we expect to find a series of such meetings announced. We ought not to omit mention of the Choral Society, the members of which generously gave their services at the tea^meeting, arid although they had no opportunity for practice, sang some very excellent selections from "The Messiah" in a most creditable manner.

Wangantji Latsd atsd Buti/dihg Soctety.—At the monthly meeting of this society last night six shares were sold at a premium of 455, and 10 at 42s 6d. The general meeting to consider the alteration of rules 52 and 88 '• was adjourned till Thursday, at 8 p.m.

Kj^g Potatatj's Mere. —A Sample Or THE HUXTERIWG NATIVE PoLTCT. A meeting of the members of the Auckland Institute was held on 31st March, in the Museum, Princes-street, for the purpose of considering the communication received from Mr J. C. Eich'mond, Minister, relating to the relic now in the Museum known as King Potatau's mere. The Government having expressed a wish to have this piece of greenstone, for the purpose of giving it to the Waikato chiefs, expressed their confidence that the governors of the Auckland Institute would enable the Government "to do a graceful act, tending to the peace of the whole colony." After a prolonged discussion, it was decided, on the motion of Dr Purchas, " That this Society sees no sufficient reason at present for giving up the mere to the

Government."

Coroner's Jury on the two Hatjhatjs Killed by Mr Wyllie.—The Tau- : ranganui Correspondent of the New Zealand Herald furnishes the following interesting account of the Coroner's inquest into the death of the two Hauhaus killed by Mr Wyllie :—"On the 11th instant Dr Gibbs held an inquest on the body of th c native shot oh the sth at Patutahi, the jurymen having to go from this place, a distance of eight miles. Mr. W. S. Green was chosen foreman. The body was partly exhumed, when one wonnd was found on the forehead, which the jury considered sufficient to cause death, so they brought in a verdict of " died from a gunshot wound, but no evidence to show by whom inflicted." The body was proved to be that of an escaped Chatham Island prisoner—one of a party of Hauhaus on their way to deliver themselves to Government at Turanganui. No doubt the Maori sympathisers will make a hue and cry about a rebel, under the protection of a flag of truce, being shot, but we must carry on the struggle with the natives in their own fashion to have any chance of success. Fome of the jury were of opinion if they had been called together to hold a court of enquiry on Mr Wyllie, as to the cause of his missing the man he fired at, their time and trouble would not have been so much thrown away, as having gone a distance of eight miles to enquire into the death of a decomposed rebel. The Government certainly do many strange things, but one of their strangest in connection with the above inquest is, that the two principals in connection with the death of the native, were warned to attend the jury, and the one whom

common report assigns as the person who fired the fatal shot was actually

sitting on the jury,