LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3341, 9 November 1871, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL NEWS.

Te Kootl— It will be seen by reference to tbe telegrams published in another column, that Te Kooti's long career of rapine and murder is likely to have come to an end. Our telegraphic advices state that there is every probability of bis having surrendered himself to the Urewera tribe, his followers having left him. The vigorous and incessant pursuit of Te Kooti that has been for some time past maintained must have convinced tbe few infatuated adherents to his standard that the Government has been determined to punish crime and to assert tbe majesty of tbe law. Disappointed in bis bopo of sympathy and aid from the Waikato and Ngatimaniopoto, Te Kooti must by this time bavo become convinced that further resistance is in vain, and it is probable

that be bos surrendered to tbe Urewera tribe, in tbe bope of escaping tbe summary vengeance of bis relentless pursuer Kopata, and of disappointing bim of tbe credit of the capture. It ia certain that Te Kooti would prefer to surrender to the Urewera, if he surrendered at all, on tribal grounds, tbe fact of tbe Urewera being bis captora involving less disgrace, in tbe native mind, than if he fell into* the hands of his sworn foe Ropata. The English Mail.— lt will be seen by our telegrams that when Greville's messenger left Taranaki yesterday for Opunake, tbe Phoebe was in sight, and that she intended proceeding direct for Wellington. She may, therefore, be ex- . pected to-day, and will probably have | on board a portion of tbe English mail.. The House. — Almca": the whole of yesterday's sitting was occupied in committee business, tbe bills considered being the Immigration and Public Works Bill and the Railways Bill. The discussions were of an interesting nature, but were of a discursive or conversational character, to which our report does not protend to do full justice. It will be seen that the proposal for a Board of Works has been rejected for tbe purpose of introducing it in a modified form. Tbe Wellington Railways were passed as proposed in the schedule to tbe Railways Bill. Holiday. — This being tbe Prince of | Wales Birthday, tbe Banks in town will be closed, and, no doubt, the day will bo generally observed as a holiday. Besides tbe competition among volunteers for Captain Pearce's Cup, the presentation of numerous prizes by other citizens will, no doubt, lead to the presence at tbe Adelaide butts of many expert riflemen, and numerous spectators. R.M. Court.— Yesterday, Anne Butler, whose husband is at present undergoing a sentence of two months imprisonment, was sent to prison for a month for habitual drnukenness. The Late Boat Accident. — A boat was yesterday despatched by the Harbor Department to Ward's Island, to search for the two brothers Judd, who have been missing for some days, but, though a diligent search was made, no traces of the missing men were discovered. Correspondence. — We have to bold over several letters,including onefrom Mr Smith, in reply to Mr Davis, on the subject of "iron and steel." We have also to acknowledge tbe receipt of some lines on the death of Bishop Patteson, by Mr G. H. Wilson. The San Fbancisco Mail Service.— Further papers relating to the San Francisco Mail Service have been laid before tbe Assembly. They include corresponpence between Mr Gisborne and tbe Chief Secretary of New South Wales, and between Mr Gisborne and Mr Duffy. The report of the Intercolonial Confer ence, as transmitted by Mr Duffy, is also printed. Mr Robertson, in his first letter, refers to the offer of the New Zealand Government to carry, free of cost, the mails to New South Wales to the end of the present year, but expresses regret that, in anticipation of such an offer and its consideration, "a member of your Government should have thought it desirable, if such really be the case, to stay, somewhat prematurely, as it seems, the transmission of mails to this colony by a service for which Parliament has voted a subsidy, to the inconvenience and dissatisfaction of the public here." Mr Gisborne, in reply, sava : — " I have tbe honor to assure you that you have been misinformed. On Mr Vogel's arrival in Saa Francisco, in July last, Mr Webb stated to him that he had telegraphed to Washington as to whether mails for New South Wales, then to arrive from England, wore to be for- , warded to the colony by Mr Hall's line, j or by the line under contract with tbe New Zealand Government ; and that the reply had been that the matter was left in the hands of the postmaster at San Francisco. Mr Yogel strongly advised Mr Webb to use his influence with the Postmaster to send tbe New South Wales mails by the Wonga Wonga, upon the ground that it was not certain that there would be connection at Auckland, so that the mails could be forwarded at once to Sydney. Had there been such communication, the mails ♦rould have reached Sydney sooner than they would if shipped on board the Wonga Wonga. Mr Yogel is not able to speak positively as to the course taken by Mr Webb, but he is under the impression that that gentleman, without further re- j presentation, left the matter to the dcci- j sion of the Postmaster at San Francisco." Mr Duffy's letter, written on September 14, informs the Government that the Victorian Government would be happy to receive a representative with respect to tbe mail service, to be present at the Colonial Conference, which was to hold its sittings on the following Monday. Mr Gisborne, in reply, regrets that the invitation was received too late to send a representative in time to,be present afc the Conference, but states that " the earliest opportunity will be taken of accrediting a representative to the Victorian Government." Mr Duffy, in acknowleding the reply, and in forwarding the minutes of the Conference says : — " I tako tbe opportunity of mentioning that tbe Conference was summoned by the Government of New South Wales. Had the initiative been taken by this colony, the Government of New Zealand would have been moved to send delegates to represent her interests at it." The Chinese in New Zealand.— The Chinese Immigration Committee of the House of Representatives made their final report a few days ago. From it we learn that on the 19th October, 1871, the total number of Chinese in New Zealand was 4,215, distributed as follows (by provinces), viz : — Canterbury, 9 ; Wellington, 17 ; Nelson, 3 ; Marlborough, 1 ; Auckland, 2 ; Westland, 24; Otago, 1,459. Of the whole number, 5 are set down as carpenters, 3,570 as miners, 103 as storekeepers, 1 as an botelkeeper, 49 as gardeners, 3 as agents, 3 as cooks, 12 as laborers, 12 as hawkers, 6 as cabinetmakers, and 451 as " occupation not stated," the bulk of these last being new arrivals, and probably bound for the gold fields. By comparison with the last census of tbe colony it will therefore be seen that the Mongolian element is rather less than If per cent of the whole population ; though in Otago, whore the Chinese are principally located, they form nearly 6 per cent of tbe population. The evidence and information taken and collected by the committee was very various in its character, showing wide differences of opinion as regards the various points of the committee's inquiry, but the committee find that the balance of evidence is largely in favor of the following statements, viz : — That the Chinese are industrious and frugal ; that they are as orderly citizens as Europeans ; that there is no special risk to the mortality or security of the community to bo apprehended from their presence in the colony ; that they are not likely to introduce any special infectious diseases ; that they are well adapted for menial and light mechanical and for agricultural occupations ; but that nearly all those who come to the colony do so for the purpose of mining for gold ; 1

that, as a rule, they occupy and turn to good account ground which atpresent would not pay the European miner ; that, as a rule, they return to China as soon as they have amassed a net sum of from £100 upwards ; that no considerable number of them are at any time likely to become permanent settlers in the country ; that they spend less per head than the European population ; that the presence of Chinese in the country has not hitherto entailed any additional police expenditure. In view of the foregoing the committee are of opinion that there have been no sufficient grounds shown for the exclusion of the Chinese ; and that no sufficient case has up to the present time been made out to require the committee to propose that legislative action should be taken having for effect the exclusion of the Chinese or the imposition of special burdens upon them. Mr Haughton recorded his protest against the recommendations of the committee upon the ground that they are inconsistent with the evidence taken and the facts of the case. Sutherland Gold Mining Company. — A meeting of the shareholders of the above company was held on Tuesday evening last at the Literary Institute, Blenheim, when it was resolved that the Company shoulp proceed by making the calls as previously proposed, and that the works at the mine should be pushed on without delay. Mr T. M. Humffreys has been appointed legal manager, vice Mr Nosworthy resigned.