WANGANUI.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3910, 25 September 1873, Page 2

WANGANUI.

(from a correspondent.)

A new mayor and a couple of new members in the Town Council have put a new — time alone will tell if it is a better — face upon municipal business in Wanganui. At last meeting of the Council a good deal of work was got tlirough in a reasonable time, which in itself was something ; and, with the exception of one or two obstructions, I believe there is a determination to go vigorously and intelligently into the important undertakings of water supply and drainage which lie immediately before the Council.

I have no further changes to note, if I except those impending over the public houses of the town. An epidemic would seem to have seized the hotelkeepers. Mr Chevannes, of the Rutland, is said to have sold to a firm of brewers here, who sold again to the host of the Phoenix, who further sold the lattei? to a gentleman from Auckland. But in this case, or series of cases, a hitch has arisen. Mr Chevannes says he has not sold, and declines to give up possession, and . consequently the other changes dependent " upon this starting point are indefinitely postponed. It is needless to say that, in a law-loving place like Wanganui, a lawsuit has ai-isen over the unfinished taansaction. The nexfc case is that of Mr Pearce, .of the Albion Hotel, who also sold to the same firm of brewers, and they, as in the previous affair, at' once transferred their interest to a third party, Mr Pearce now repudiates his bargain — hence lawsuit number two. Mrs Atkinson, of Atkinson's Hotel, and Mr Br-oughton, of the Provincial Hotel, have also sold out ; but they do not stand on the order, of their going, and in the first of these transfers the new proprietor has already taken possession.

Several gentlemen are here just now looking after the Wanganui - Turakina railway contract ; notably among these, Mr Bell, one of ' Messrs Brbgden's engineers. C(gnplaints are made of the absence of cross-section a in tho specifications ; but the ground to be traversed, I dare say, is comparatively level, so that intending contractors will not havje much difficulty in overcoming thia want. The Highway Boards seem to me to have graver cause of complaint in the fact that roads are .in some cases to be changed from their present course, and this without even the slightest notice having been given to the Wardens of tho proposed divergences. Setting aside these points, the Government will find all parties in the district not only willing, but most anxious to help and co-operate with them, in every available way, hi carrying' out this railway enterprise to completion,. and there is certainly no part of the North Island where it is more likely, to turn out favorably as regards traffic returns. ;i A report on the case of- Mr Worgan, a Government agent dealing witht native, land in the Waitotara last year, as submitted to Parliament, is one of ' the strangest documents that has' got '■'■ into type for a long while. That it unfor-' tunately discredits one officer of the 'ci^ii service, and, to a certain extent, a:tta*ches blame t6 another, 'is only the\- personal" part of it ; - that, it indicates, rather' than particularise^ , certain* shady- transactions in connection' with native purchases is also, very^muohu whatr^h^-jpi^bji^^iiaiyei

■ -, • ■■-. . --■-'"f.^.-f.r J Bl-«yf come to expe'c&cin suchvC^||^l ; B^|io^B^^ and above these; tKin^4 -t^ ns t 'vmj.^E&MißJ^^ strike one in this report isUhe^dravi^|os^ possess land, fas aut nefas, l^ts spf>#Hici|r^g5 pf>#Hici|r^g crop up and' bvery^^re/^^vade^J^fg?; document. This " ealrth.* hJ^er^r^;isi|»SS passion, and seems al^bsfcs^iin^nej;^ The Maoris cling -to lancl=%KSjh; inM^&i^ hands must remain abaMen- j^tq^^&S^:^ settlers seek after land, and are? nojb;.ov^ -f careful at times of the means by "Vf hicli^ • :' they obtain it. "Let us get lan^is.^ everywhere the cry throughout JNew? 2jea- ; land, and while in certain aspects of 'the// case it is gratifying, it shouid/be so,:flie cry may po*ssibly lead us too far.and-tob' fast. There is ho. question, to wiuchjGtovernnfent could turn itself '-witH''.;more\.' permanently beneficial results itlianit£at/ : ■ of a general land -law, framed i upon such liberal principles that the acquisition of at: ;■ moderate portion of- land would be^easy ,' to any man, whereas t^e ;^buini^fioiaj)fr:::. a large tract of country, in the possessibhr of one individual, should -be difficult and--;. V; expensive, if it could not bo entirely^ "^ prohibited. v r

A great deal of rain has fallen dus&S the past week, and I am' sorry to ' le.ara that there is more than the averajfemor^ tality of sheep for some time past.' -The ewes seem to have, suffered specially, and. their loss involves to a certain extent that of the lambs also, which are left without necessary nutriment. I think the wea~ ther has now taken up. =* -; : .