LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3307, 20 September 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS

Motueka. Election Enquiry. — The hearing of evidence by tho Committee of the House of Representatives, with regard to tho election of Sir David Monro for the district of Motueka, was concluded on Monday, and yesterday tho counsel engaged, Mr Travera and Mr Allan, addressed the Committee on the question of alleged personation by James Hagan and Henry Tornlinson. Shortly before one o'clock the Committee adjourned until a quarter to two o'clock, when it was understood that the presence- of the clerk of the House of Representatives was required for the purpose of opening the ballot papers, to ascertain whether the two votes in question had been given for Sir David Monro, and at half- past two o'clock-r-the hour at which the House sits — the Committee was adjourned with out any decision being announced. An adjournment was made until eleven o'clock this forenoon. Our space is so much occupied with reports and correspondence that we find it impossible to give ia this number the addresses of counsel. The Luna. — A paragraph appears in yesterday's evening paper, in which the following remarks are made with regard to the departure of the Luna for Nelson : — " It is singular that just at the very time the witnesses in the Motueka election case, who were adverse to Sir David Monro, have finished their business, and want to go back to Nelson, the Government steamer Luna requires scraping, and consequently will proceed to Nelson for that purpose." The facts are that the , Luna proceeds to Nelson for the put-pose of undergoing an overhaul, which she has not received for two years ; that her departure was arranged altogether regardless of any witnesses in Wellington ; and that, among those who sailed by her last evening, there were three of Sir David Monro's witnesses, and only two of tho " adverse" side. There is one member of the House a passenger by the Luna, and it was expected that three or four members would proceed to Nelson. The Flax Exhibition. — We have to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the catalogue of the samples of fibres and manufactured articles prepared from phormium tenax, and exhibited by the flax commissioners in the colonial museum. Like the exhibition itself, the catalogue is very perfectly arranged, and, assisted by it, we shall bo able to give a much more accurate description of: the exhibits than wo were able to give when the exhibition was opened. The Highway Bill. — A considerable portion of the time of the House was occupied last evening on this bill. The Maori mombera offered a considerable amount of opposition to tho passing of certain clauses afiecting the race, and, beins* beaten in argument or in votes, availed themselves of the forms of the House, with which they have now become quite familiar. On tho question being put from tho Chair, the Maori members, who had never before given any viva voce indication of the course they intended to adopt, came out with a unanimously stentorian " No ;" and on the chairman declaring that the " Ayes" had it, Taiaroa, regardless of the presence of the interpreter, declared in the orthodox manner " The 'No' have it," but was persuaded from the extreme course of insisting upon a division. Very little business was done, the members of the House evidently having oome propared for moro important work, and the bill was reported with amendments after much cry but little wool. Petitions. — Among the petitions presented yesterday was one by Mr Bunny from Mr Richard Kibble White, asking for compensation for losses sustained during the Maori disturbances at theHutt. New Zealand Wool. — On looking over the wool catalogues we notice that a decided advance is apparent, especially in greasy wools. Of the finer qualities the Castlerock brand realised tho highest price for New Zealand fleece wool, reaching 27|d for the best parcels., A Nuisance.— The best of all roadmakers, old Sol, has done a great deal towards repairing the pathway running along tho front of tho Museum, which during the winter was nothing better than a quagmire on a small scale. Tho mud has now almost disappeared, but there still remains a most aggravating nuisance in the form of a continual "weeping" in front of tho gateway, caused by the draining of the higher ground on which the Museum itself is

situated, and which is conveyed by means of a drain ingeniously devised for throwing the whole of the drainage on to the pathway instead of avoiding it. The necessary expense, which would bo very trifling, should at once be gone to for the purpose of remedying such an unpleasant, introduction to the curiosities of the Museum. Otago Free Fiairrs. — Yesterday, two of these parliamentary entertainments came off. In the afternoon the Superintendent moved the second reading of a Dunedin Water Supply Bill, and the Provincial Solicitor moved that it be read that day six months. The latter gentleman was perfectly sure "he had the Houso with him." His own colleague in the representation of the city was, however, against him. The Provincial Secretary denied his Honor the Superintendent was requested by the Provincial Executive to take charge of the bill, to which the latter replied that he would telograph for the minute of the Executive and the names of the members present. The next occasion was one of those land bills which Otago sends up now every year. This time, rather significantly, the bill is not brought in by the Superintendent, but by the Provincial Secretary. The reason of this appeared in the debate when it was explained to the House that the Executive " had locked out the Superintendent" and sent down resolutions to the Council he had never approved of 1 We have it on good authority that even after doing this they had the effrontery to ask his Honor to propose the bill to the acceptance of the House ! What added a zest to the entertainment last night was the sparring between the Provincial Secretary and the ex Treasurer. It seems that these two gentlemen, by a private arrangement, settled the question, so that what the former described in his stump oratory as " a great blow to the Province," was, after all, not so importnnt i ns retaining his seat (and his salary) as Provincial Secretary. The country would be ruined by the Hundreds Bill passed by the Assembly, but the loss of Mr Reid's services on the Government Benches was much more ruinous to the province (and to himself!) New Zealand without a Richmond, we have been often told means chaos, but from this private compromise on the most vital question conceivable we learn that Otago without a Reid means ruin and disaster. We are puzzled however, on learning further, that this compromise between Mr Reid and Mr M'Lean was only worthy of being respected so long as it suited the convenience of the former ! Reid on the benches, and Reid at all sacrifices of honor, seems to bo the only thing necessary to save Otago, We begin to understand now how Mr Gisborne's circular excited littlo attention. It was unpardonable in the Colonial Secretary to say so much of actual settlement and say so little of present settlers and the settlers' friend. Ilia ideas of village settlements might have gono down had he only said he meant to settle them in hundreds! Verily these Otago representatives are a peculiar people. The " liberal" party are in the ascendant, and they have just sold 50,000 acres of land in one block to one of the richest squatters in Victoria, to whom they had previously sold the Island Block, one of the fairest spots for settlement in the interior. The views of the "illiberal" party may bo gathered from those of Mr Macandrew, whose liberal proposals for the settlement of large numbers of immigrants from Scotland, Orkney, Shetland, Cornwall, Norway, Sweden, and Germany, on free grants of land, was referred to in our columns recently. "Liberal" in Otago seems to mean narrow-minded ; illiberal is applied to those possessing the largest share of a colonising spirit. Great fun may be expected next time, five or aix being nl- l ready anxious to make speeches. The bill was deferred, and comes on again on Thursday. So ends Otago Land Bill, chapter one ! " The Poor Man."— The ultima tJiule of "poor man" advocacy in the House has been reached ; the sentimental ardor of some hon members, who " gush" so frequently on the wrongs of the " working man," the hardships of " the poor man," and the deep drawn sighs of " injured widows and orphans," has received a wellmerited satire. On more than one occasion lately Mr John Hall, as tho only means of putting down a member who sits near him, and who is subject to uncontrollable fits of cacoethes loquendl, has found it necessary to set up his claims to the " championship 1 ' by denouncing all pretenders to tho title and declaring that he, and he only, is the real " working mau's advocate" in the House. Of course this kind of (t sarkasum" is of the most telling kind, and in some degree exerts a deterrent effect on tho frequency of the " bunkum" speeches which have such a painful influenco on those who are compelled to listen to them. But even Mr Hall's lustre has been dimmed. In the discussion in committee on the Highway Boards Bill, Wi Parata, who objected to the imposition of rates on Maori land, claimed the votes of several members, whom he named, on the ground that he heard them continually advocating in the House the interests of the " poor man," and the " poor miner." He now claimed that as he had a grievance they should vote with him on behnlf of " the poor Maori." The hon member seemed aware that he had made a coup d'etat, and was cheered on all sides. Perhaps we shall hear no more of " the poor man" for seme time. We are requested to state that all car riages proceeding to Government House, this evening, will enter by the gate in Lawrence street, opposite the Museum, and leave by Molesworth street. Supreme Court. — There is to be a sitting of the Supreme Court to-day for the hearing of as many a 8 twenty-three applications in bankruptcy. The following is the list of persona whose cases have to be considered .—Charles Taylor, Thomns Wilson, John Glover, John Carroll, Edwin Hoskins, Farrell O'Reily, Matthew Vero Hodge, Louis Charles Richards, Kenneth Douglas, William Robertson, Henry Charles Mandy, William Kirk, John Henvy Schmidt, Henry William Nickless, Bowater and Holmes, Henry John Perham, Parish and Bradbury. William Henry Pascoe, Win, M'Naniaru, Thomas Atkinson, and To Hapuku. Fatal Accident. — A fatal accident occurred at Nelson Creek, in the Grey Valley, on Saturday week, by which a miner named James Burke was killed. He waa engaged with his mates erecting a flume about live miles above Hatter's Terrace, wheu ho fell a depth of about 150 feet, and was killed instantaneously. Colonial Governors.— "iEgles" in tho "Australasian" writes: — Some of those who know more than their neighbors, or who pretend they do, say that the Marquis of Normauby is meant for the governorship of Victoria as soon as Viscount Canterbury's tenure of office expires. I think some hint of this from Mr Verdon has reached tho colony.

Others say that Earl Belmore will have the refusal of Toonik and perquisites, presuming that the Hon. W. E. Gladstone be Premier when the vacancy is available. Gas in Gueyiiouth. — The town of Greymouth is now lit with gas. One firm, Messrs Thompson, Smith, and Bnrkley, are now lighting up sixty-two burners each evening in thoir establishments. The price charged is £l 2s Gd per 1000 feet, and 10 per cent discount on accounts paid within three days after being rendored. Water Races. — We notice that the various water race companies in the neighborhood of Hokitika intend to hold meetings to confer together for the purpose of digesting a plan for carrying on their works with. Government subsidies. The Champion Pedestrians. — The champion pedestrians, Messrs Hewitt and Harris, have arrived in Greymouth, and arrangements are being made for several races between them and local pedestrians.