The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1873.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 144, 10 April 1873, Page 2

The Waikato Times. "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1873.

Hjs Jlon'or Mi:. Justice Johnston is rather fond of hearing- himself talk. His addresses to Grand Juried in consequence are longer nnil savour stronger of the political uiena tlian i^ customary with Judges in their charges to juries. Mr Justice Johnston, however, when he speaks, always says something worth listening to. His remarks are mostly of a nature that (he majority of thinking and uuprejudicial people euu endorse. On Monday last he alluded to l ' a certain epidemic — to a sort of moral and social disease ;" these terms were applied to <he speculation mania thafc held the people of this province so firmly in its grasp only a fow months back. Let us first consider the mining mania from a moral point of view. There can be little doubt that by its means an entirely new code ot morals was establishe.l. Men who previous to becoming tainted with the " epidemic" would have scorned to deceive their neighbours, in many cases, lost'all |-«elf respect. The golden prize in futurity bo blinded their* moral vision that they no longer hesitated either bv trickery or direct misrepresentation lo deceive the men they had been Hviug on intimate terms with for years. They were hurried on to this course by the men attracted to the spot — men who more than fairly represented the rascality of the colonies. The old saying that '' yoa cannot touch pitch without being defiled " was truly illustrated. With fow exceptions, those who floated great schemes were not Auckland men ; they were men who had bought or gained experience in other places similarly situated to Auckland «i lew mouths back. Mr Justice Johnston was justified in applying the term epidemic to the gold fever as it had the effect of destroying the industrious habits of hundreds. The large fortunes being realised by a few, and a few only, oi the speculators, produced a feeling of contempt for small things — the royal road to wealth was the only one they could dream of treading. Farmers, for instance, left this district ; they sold their farms and invested the proceeds in the goldfields In other words, they gave up a legitimate for an illegitimate means of earning a livelihood. We must nut be understood to mean that gold mining in itself is an illegitimate industry; in ths oases we allude to, however, it was so. Legitimate speculation (in mining at any rate) means risking a sura only that the speculator can afford to lose without detriment to Ihe business by which he ordinarily gaina a livelihood. So far is this from having been the cabe that it was not altogether uncommon for a ci editor to bo told on applying for his diieh. " I have got all my j money invested in scrip; when I can sell at a profit j I will pay you." GoM discoveiy pi obably makes a countiy much more rapidly than any other circunisr.uii'e In the first place, iU procura'ion employs a largenuraberof hairls,and in the second place, a large capital is required to develop the in me. The population when once attracted to a country seldom leaves it so long as a comfortable living i-> to be gamed. It is generally admitted that <>old costs more than it realizes ; the value of the gold therefore lemains in the colony, and with the exception of Jhc amount to be deducted for those absentees 'who are lucky | enough to receive dividends, the cost of labour also. The "epidemic" has now happily passed away, and ] the population has returned Lo the ordinary paths j of indnst: y, many of which would nc\er have been ,' travelled except for our gold discoveries. Population to this colony means wealih, prosperity, and power.

ineie w eiv over 100 lii'udal cnt tlo virdocljL'itoi'din :il rnawitliKt, and aoinc lj horded wore olFei.-d. About 50 head ol" cattle ohnnycd hands at a low figure ; those that hnd a fair reserve- u^ou them wove withdrawn. Horses were nt a discount ; there was n*t mis!, howoor, of any merit ->!io\\i . Tlhtc were wry l'<'»v b.nor* on thu ground, and all the civltlo that cliaujji'il liunds liave gone on ] to tlio luud of local art. leis. The fencing of tho | paddock prowdrd \v:n of huoli a llun-v nalurr Muit nn j old quiet cow all or beni^ lmmsM-d u iiltlo would mo>t ] certuiuly knock it down; it i* mx-dli -<s lo h.ij that tho rails ' jlcw about in all directions If •wle-* niv to he held in Ngnrui - »ttbi:n»ionor stoi-k^ard-* niiiet bt [novided.

At n meeting of the committee of the I nitedPrc^bUcrinn Congregational Church, held in the church at To Auamutu, during March !S7-i, it was unanimously resolved to commence <i subscription (o p.l3' for the. land in To Awamutu which had been purchased by Mr Scot!, for the erection of 11 minister's hoiue, the subscriptions to bo paid in on the Ist April. According to appointment, the committee met on the Ist of the present month, when it was found that the sum of £12 10s hnd been raised to pay for the land, which cost £10. It is pleasing to remark the cheerful alacritx manifested on tint- occasion. A trotting match came oil* at Xapier on the 26th ultimo : — " The trottiag match (Mr Ste\ens' horse Fred Green against time), Mr Stevens backing his horse to trot sixteen miles within an hum*. He rode his own horse, the weight being about 13* t lOlbs. Starting from the eighteenth milepost at half-past five o'clock, he accomplished the first four und a-half miles in fourteen minutes, eight miles in twenhfive minutes, and came in at the second nulc-post, having beaten time by six and a-half minutes. Mr Ste\ens rode splendidly, and the horse went his distance without ones breaking — ID raid. Sir David Monro, in his recent speech at Waikouaiti. speaking of nali\c representation, said :—": — " I want to see the Maoris treated with all justice, and with every consideration for the peculiarities of their position. But I don't think tint a special representation is the way to do it; while I am { perfectly certain that it may be made the instrument of an 'mmenscdcal of corruption and bad government. I have seldom experienced a stronger feeling of disgust than I had last 1 session at seeing the way in which the Maoris were be" slobbered by both sides of the House. (Laughter.) A boa con«trietor could not haie done it better. Hut then parties were very nearh balanced, and a brown vote counts in a division as a while one " At the Supreme Coiut yesterday, when His Honor Mr Justice Johnston was sentencing a woman who was convicted for illegally pawning, he asked Captain Eyre, the governor of tho gaol, if there was any classification in the female department. Captain Eyre repliod that there was not, but that all women were associated together. His 1 Honor then remarked that some ye us ago steps were I taken towards ascertaining the true condition of the prisons I in the colony ; and he had had the honor of presiding j over the enquiry, which was a very full one. The result was, that it was indicated to the Legislature of the public that the state of things existing at the time was serious ami alarming ; but he was not aware that any material steps had been taken since in the matter. To his mind, it was one of the most pressing and urgent claims upon the Government of the colony to have pi oper penal establishment!. He knew himself, fioin personal obseivation, the amount of mischief that could be done by one profligate fem.ile among a lot of less hardened women; and their classiti cation in the gaols was a matter which should not be overlooked. — Cross. Tho late telegrams from Wellington notify that Mr Gisborno is likely to occupy the position of representative of the Government in the Upper House, and to fill his old post of Colonial Secretary. A scat in the Cabinet is also, it is said, offered to the lion Mr Stokes, of Wellington. With sonic alight re-arrangement of portfolios present Ministers «ill, it is understood, retain office. It might be remarked , here that occasional telegrams disclose a lack of that reticeuco which etiquette and ordinary confidential intercourse alike | require. We see statements now and then made to the effect that certain gentlemen have been offered seats in the Ministry and ha\e declined It is customary in England, if such declination takes place, to maintain a profound silence 011 the subject, and an obvious delicacy respecting future arrangements would suggest such a course. It is a pity that a newspaper should require to draw attention to tho fact. — Cross. The following telegram appears in the X. Z. Herald of yesterday ; it emanates from our contemporary's Alexandra correspondent: — " Ngatiraukawa intend fighting among I themselves immediately, [respect iig a road now being made to Taupo. There is great excitement in the neighbourhood and district. It is not surmised how the affair will end, or whether there is likely to be bloodshed. Gold has been found hi the neighbourhood of iNgatir.iukawa, specimens of which are in the hands of Tawhiao. There ntobe a great native meeting at Te ICuiti on the 28th of April. The Governor, Native Minister, and all pakchas are invited to tho meeting " This is startling news, as regards the fight1 i"g ; we are tolerably certain that the correspondent ha B I jumped at a conclusion, or rather has been cajoled by native j " bounce." ! We take the report of the follow ing case from an Auek1 land contemporary • — James Wilson was arraigned on an indictment charging him with having on the 12th March last, at Xgaruawalua, stolen a pocket-book, containing money 'to the amount of £1, the property of James Harpor. The ! prisoner pleaded not guilty. — The prosecutor deposed that [he was an hotelkceper, residing near Jfgaruawahia. On the 12th March last he went to town to be present at the native meeting, when Sir George liowen was there. The meeting (.01111111 need at 2 o'clock. There was a large crowd, and at I bout ten minutes to 3 o'clock he missed his pocket-book. Tho cheques it contained were all endorsed with his initials. Tho one produced was in the pocket-book when he lost it. — John Garmonsway, baker at Jfgaauawahia, deposed that on the 12th March the prisoner purchased five loaves of bread, and in payment gave tho cheque produced, which w.is dr.iwn by Colonel Lyons and endorsed by the prosecutor. — John Mullius, private in the Armed Constabulary, deposed that he detained the cheque produced from tho last witness, and apprehended the prisoner, who said that the police would not get the other chequca. — Sergeant Mathieson gave f\ idence as to the finding of the pocket-book with the other cheques. — This was all the evidence. — Tho prisoner had nothing to say in his defence, and, his Honor having briefly summed up, the jury without retiring found a verdict of Guilty. — His]Jllonor scitonced tho prisoner to twelve months' imprisonment with hard labour. The lollow 11115 business was disposed of at the criminal jttmgs of the Supreme Court 111 Auckland of tho 7th and th of April, as reported iv the Daily \Southera Cross: — Mary Anne Bird plc.uled guilty to a charge of unlawfully pawning a coat, and was sentenced to a fortnight's imprisonment, having already undergone three months' confinementJohn Williams was convicted of stealing £23 from tho permii of William Powell, ami was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment with hard labour. Francis [Falcon and John J )!in-,on were found guilty of breaking, entering, and stealing frjm the warehouse of A. Clark and Sons on the 19th January, ami were each sentenced to li ycirs' penal servitude winch was the oxtent allowed by law. Thero were numerous previous convictions against both prisoners. James Wilson, for stealing from the person, was found guilty and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment : Robert Hagau, for a similar offence, received a sentence of six months' imprisonment ; and Peter Carroll, for carnally abusing a girl under 10 years of age, was found guilty and sentenced to penal servitude for ! life. The prisoner ever since his incarceration has kept up the appearance of madness, and when brought into the dock conducted himself iv a \evy extraordinary manner. A jury was euipannelled, and e\ idence taken to decide whether he «us capable of pleading, mid after hearing the testimony of Drs Plnlson and Uoldsboro', Warner Beattie, and Detective Jeffrey, the jury dccidad.that he was sano and capable of pleading, andjtlieeaso was proceeded with. His Honor in passing sentenco t»aul that li the law would have allowed ho would have ordered periodical Hoggin.,' ; but it seemed that, although that punishment could bo inflicted in cases of indecent usdault, it was not provided for in cases of rapo, which no doubt was 1111 oversight on t! c p.irtof tho Legislature. Piioro-ZiNCOGKVi'HY. — T!ic Evening Post says — " In the I rear of the printing office, .1 photographic gallery, thirty feet by twelve feet, is being erected, to enable tho system of pho- | to zincography to be fumed on. JJy this means, .\etsof Parliament nnd papers of sucli a bulky nature- as to render it difficult to carry them about, can be photographed in a greatly reduced si/ >, and then printed s > as to be conveniently curried in an ordinary pocket-book. A beautiful specimen of this work has been shown us. It ia h complete copy of !

the Vx-tori.m Lan 1 \c', which, a-> mury of our readers ar aware, w print o I m a large sizo and makes a bulk) book, iiitt tlie photographed copy, though reduced to a- nzc biimllc.i tlmn tiny t\ po in exutcncv 1 , is clear, legible, arid can be etisilj carried in oi.u's \v ite'i pot'ket. B\ tin* syntem it is intended to produce copies of the more important of the papers and Acts parsed through Parliament, so that the joke of mombeiw being obliged to charters special steamer to car»*y a«ay with them thoir printed documents will no longer be currrnt The cxpensjO of pro.lucm^ sul-Ii LO t >ie> will, we understand be remarkably small — quite in keeping, in fiiet, with t'.io size' of the production^. When once the photo-copy is made, any liimbei* of impressions cad bj w orked ofl' with, the greatest ease."