THE PATETERE LANDS.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1319, 11 December 1880, Page 2

THE PATETERE LANDS.

Wjg have been requested to publish the following address to the Governor, drawn up by the committee appointed at the second meeting held at Te Awamutu, on Saturday evening last : — To His Excellency Sir Arthur GorJon, K.G.C.M.G.,— Sir, — The following resolution was parsed at a public meeting, held at Te Awamutu, on the evening of Saturday, 4th mat : — Resolution : That a re.-puctful address be drawn up and forwarded to His Excellency the Governor, showing that the action of the Government in withdrawing 1 the proclamation over all the native lands, and more especially the Patetere Block, before the meeting of Parliament, is detrimental to the progress and interests of the Colony. We, the undersigned, have been appointed a committee to give effect to the same, beg to point out to your Excellency, that the native land-3, from which the proclamation is about to be withdrawn, have already been partly purchased by previous Governments, and that the withdrawel of the proclamation will be throwing the land into the hand of speculators, to whom farmers who may wish to purchase will have to pay an exorbitant price. With regard to the Patetere Block, we beg more especially to draw Your Excellen vy's attention. This is a block of some three hundred thousand acres, in forwarding the purchase of which, the Government have expended about fourteen thousand pounds, and during the whole time previous Governments were negotiating with the natives for the purchase of the said block, they were obstructed by certain Europeans intriguing for the purchase of the land on their own account, notwithstanding they had been cautioned by a late Ministry to desist. As those most prominent in the purchase of this land are members of the House of Representatives, and they having obtained, a prior claim over it by the acquiescence of the Ministry, your memorialists therefore beg that you will retaiu proclamation over said lands until after the meeting of Parliament, to allow an opportunity of investigation. Wo are also of opinion that the removal of the proclamation will deprive the colony of a large revenue. Hoping your Excellency will give the matter due consideration, we have the honour to be your obedient servants, J. Cunningham, Chairman of Meeting. H. Roche, Member Waipa C.C. R. Bosanko, Settler. Te Awamutu, Waikato, Dec. 8, 1880.

The latest method of destroying rats comes from New York, and is reported to be the discovery of a Mrs Benedict of that city. The lady's modus operand!, which was discovered by accident, was as follows: — A vessel containing a mixture of flour and plaster of Paris was placed, side by side with another vessel containing water, in the locality frequented by the rodent species. The ratn, attracted by the smell of the flour, speedily assembled, and after eating their fill of the dry substance, proceeded to dilute it with ! copious libations from the adjoining ! vessel. Everybody who has had to do with plaster of Paris will guess at once what happened. The water drunk first wetted the plaster in the rats' stomachs, and then, in technical phrase, " set " it ; that is to say, the plaster thus made into a paste instantly grew hard in each rat's stomach, making a cast of all its convolutions. The event proved that with such a cast in existence it is impossible for a rat to retreat even across a kitchen. The next morning thirteen of them lay dead in a circle round the water dish. Mrs Benedict, like a wise woman, kept her counsel and made a profit of it by selling the secret to various agents throughout the oountry, and it is stated that the remedy was never known to fail in a single instance. Messrs Longman and Co., the publishers, have paid £12,000 for "Endymion," by Lord Beaconsfield ; and a journal has offered £1000 for an early copy of the novel which deals with events previous to 1832, and alludes to Wellington, Palmerston, George Smythe, George Hudson, Cobden. Napoleon 111., and Cardinal Manning. There are few allusions to the events of to-day. H.M. steam Corvette Emerald left Sydney, on Wednesday, for the Soloman Group direct to avenge the murder of the Commander and several of the orew of H.M. Schooner Sandfly.