WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XX, Issue 2239, 1 August 1865, Page 5

WANGANUI.

(FROM OOIt OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

The yarns about native matters, " Wereroa 1 ' and " Piperiki" to wit, you. can get out of our local luminaries. At last we can use that word in the plural, for the "maiden issue" of the Wanganui Times was on Tuesday last. Wheiher it has any connection with the "good times," that were always coming, remains yet to be proved. I have not seen any provision made by the Council, for the supervision of our net work of roads. I hope they will do something in the matter. I have repeatedly, in your columns, drawn

the attention of the Government, to the way x n which they were served here by their officials, but they seem almost callo any protests whatever. This however cannot go . on any longer. They have no excuse, for the whole affair was repeatedly brought under their notice, and now what is the result. Their only line of road up here " No 1 line," is completely gone and impassable. It is more like some ot the old Australian roads, where several carts always go together, so as to render assistance to each other, when required, so it is here.* A line of road, the equal of which was not in the Province, has ty neglect, been allowed to go entirely to wreck. I must give due credit to Mr Hogg, for his endeavors to make the r oad passable for the winter, he is employing all the hands he can get, and laying fascines of manuka in the mud-holes, and had he always had the looking after it, things might have been different. This leads to the question ; — " Who had the looking after it?" I am told that Mr Nixon had. Well then, does it not serve the Provincial Government right, if such a state of affairs ensues as I have described above. It is perfectly clear, that a man cannot be a Major of Militia in one place, and be doing his duty in another. It is not a fortnight ago, that a person came and complained to me there was no one in the Sub-Trea-surer's office, and that he had been there three or four times. Now if the Go vernment really mean to attend to the administration of their affairs, let them do as the General Government did, and not allow any one in their employ to hold a Militia commission. Should any one prefer to be a gaudy butterfly of an hour or two's duration, let him keep his commission, and cancel his Government appointment. lam glad to see that in the present Council there is an earnestness, which augurs well for the future of the province, and therefore I am induced to make these remarks while they are sitting. Ido not wish to give offence to any one, neither will I suppress or exaggerate aughfc ; but I must say the truth, and that is, that any discontent that may exist in Wanganui, is entirely the fault of the Government.

They have the chance and a good chance too, but if they throw it away, they are themselves to blame.

Now the £5000 for the electric telegraph, would be of far more benefit to this district if divided amongst roads, why, the No I line would swallow the whole of it. Such things as the telegraph, are all very well and I am very glad to see it introduced, but I maintain that it is entirely a General Government matter, and that, when the country districts are so greatly in want of roads, using provincial money for such things as telegraphs, is an entire mal apportionment of provincial revenue.

Then there is the bridge over Nixon's Creek, which wants a thorough repair, and on the same line of road are two more bridges very much wanted, one of them being over Churton's creek. The settlers using that line are sometimes entirely hindered from coming to town, as at high water the creeks cannot always be crossed.

Last, but not least, the Sergeant of Police here, ought to be allowed some additional remuneration, and appointed as Inspector of Weights and Measures. It, is a duty owed by a Government to their subjects, to provide laws for their protection, and at the present moment there are plenty of weights here, which the owners have no opportunity of testing, and these differing considerably from each other, the public suffers, for the chances are not in favor of their being above weight.

I am yrell aware the Provincial Government is not the only party in fault. The Ministry seem to be in a worse plight or else the fault lies in our Militia Department. There is a contractor who supplied the Militia with groceries in last February, cannot get a fraction of his money.

* This last week Von Tempsky's men had not been paid for, I think, three months. I have often seen Militiamen for weeks and months without their pay, so I hope that the members of the Assembly in. the revision of the Militia Act, and Colonial service regulations will make provision for this. I will give you my reasons for the necessity that exists for the revision of that act in another communication.

Th« following extracts are from the Chronicle of the 26th inst : —

Pipiriki. — The only intelligence in addition to what we mentioned on Saturday, received from up the river, has been the information that there was firing at Pipiriki during the whole of Monday. Yesterday, the Sandfly was placed, by Mr Buller, District Magistrate, at the disposal of Major Rookes, to take stores up the river, and proceeded to within six miles of Parakino, not being able to get further, and there landed the stores, which Captain Jones' Bushrangers and the friendly Maoris were expected to convey first to Parakino, and then to Pipiriki. For this purpose, a number of the friendly natives started in canoes yesterday. These natives were at first unwilling to go, believing that their services could not be dispensed with, but ultimately, through Mr Buller's firmness, they saw thero was no hope of any exorbitant demand being met, and proceeded. These men were volunteers. But the bushrangers and Native Contingent were also disinclined to proceed, unless their pay was given them, which was in arrears — in respect to the former for three, and in respect to the latter lor two

months. The sub-treasurer here was applied to, but, in the absence of authority, declined to advance any money. Captain M'Donnell threatened to dismiss his officers, and sent one of his men to prison, for refusing to proceed; and this had the effect intended. Major Von Temsky also indnced his men to go, but £100, lying in the Militia Office, was given them. They proceeded this forenoon, ia the Gundagai ; thatis Major Von Tempsky's colonial force, Capt. M'DonneH's native contingent, and a number of friendly natives, making|in all, with the armed natives that left yesterday, in canoes about 500 men. Major Eookes is in command. Major Von Tempsky was not sufficiently recovered to take the command, but accompanies the expedition. The river is considerably swollen by the late rains, which will greatly impede the progressjof the force.

We redo a Fugitives. — It is doubtful whether the enemy in the pa mustered, ■when they left it, more than sixty or seventy. Five of these rebels — evidently concluding that the war was nearly at an end, and that nothing could be gained by continuing longer in the ranks of the enemy — took refuge among their friends and relatives in the camp of our native allies at Nukumaru, and came in with them to Wanganui. As these natives would in a few days have retired to the remote settlements in the Upper Wanganui, no time was to bo last in securing them , and as Mr Buller. had no opportunity of immmediately communicating with the Government on the subject, he ordered their seizure on his own responsibility, and sent them to the Rutland Stockade prison, to join their companions-in-arms. It is clear that these men are deserving of the same punishments, or even more severe punishment, than those captured at Areiahi. The case is different with Pebimana and Aperahama, who voluntarily gave themselves up to the Governor, on the evening of the 17th, and who have been allowed to retire quietly to their own homos.

Maori Prisoners cf War. — The Maori prisoners taken at Areiahi, on thier way to join the Wereroa rebels were inarched into town on Monday last, under a strong escorfc of the 18th regiment, and were landed over by Colonel Hnmley, commanding the garrison to Mr. Buller, E.M. The p.s. Sandfly, which is to convey the prisoners to Wellington having been placed by Mr. Buller at the disposal of the Pipiriki expedition (for the conveyance of supplies to Parahino), they were sent up to the Rutland Stockade, and a military guard placed over them. The Sandfly has returned from Parakino, (or a settlement within a few miles of that point) having rendered good services to the Colonial Forces under the command of Majors llookes and Von Tempsky. She ia now coaling at the wharf, and as soon as the weather moderates, will receive the prisoners. We understand that Mr Boiler will proceed himself to Wellington per Sandfly and that Brigadier General Waddy has furnished him with a military guard for the safe custody of the prisoners on board. The captives number 52 men, the women having been liberated by order of His Excellency. They include several rebel chiefs of some note, two natives who a short time since, subscribed the oath of allegiance before Dr Featherston and Mr White, and several Uangitikei men (one of whom was lately a constable, and dismissed from the force of Mr Buller.) Of the above number 21 are Whakatane men from the Bay of Plenty ; 3 are Ureweras ; 16 are Ngatirauni and Waitotara ; one is from Taupo ; and the rest are from Wangamii and Kangitikei.