The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4078, 16 September 1870, Page 2

The Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON UltO. If T have been extinguished,|yet,there lhe A thousand beacons fiom the spark I bore.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER IG, 1870.

The telegrams which weie iecei-recl yesterday per ' St. KLilda 7 have been very much misconstrued, and it has been assumed that because the Government has only taken power to raise a limited sum during the recess in addition to the million pounds guaranteed by the Imperial Government, therefore the Colonial Treasurer's scheme has collapsed. The origination of this silly canard was some writer in a paper, which is unfortunately well known for its uutrustworthiness, and unscrupulous opposition to the present Ministry ; we refer to the Wanganni Chronicle. As that paper may have folio weis, we think it is worth while to point out to our readers that the construction which it puts upon the telegram is altogether forced and untenable. As far as any intelligence yet received is concerned, we may say that the Colonial Treasurer's scheme of public works remains in very much the same position that it was in before we received the announcement of the European war. That immigration is not mentioned as one of the objects upon which the sum to be raised is to be expended will surprise nobody ; for who would expect to obtain immigrants when Europe is in a state 01 war % The colony is not to raise its whole loan at once, but, as we have before said, it was never intended so to do. Of tho whole £5,000,000 for defence and public works, only half a million, over and above that guaranteed by the Imperial Government, is to be immediately raised. It is judged that this will be sufficient to carry the plans of the Government into effect, until such time as the Assembly shall again be called together. There can be no doubt that the war news has created a very great excitement in Wellington, and that, upon receipt of the Suez telegrams, the impossibility of prophesying what effect the war might have upon these colonies was fully felt by every member of the House. On this account it is quite easy to understand the course thai the Government have taken. Knowing that a few weeks, possibly a few days, might place them in receipt of the intelligence that the British Empire was at war, they naturally anticipated the possibility of having immediately to reassemble Parliament. They have therefore only taken power to raise such funds as were deemed necessary to meet any emergency which might arise, and to enable them to carry out such public works as had. toeen already agreed upon. These provisions having been made, tho House was prorogued, but not dissolved, a fact which shows plainly that the news transmitted via Suez -was regarded by the Ministry as likely to affect New Zealand inobt seriously. It must, however, be remembered that we in Auckland have now received fuller and later information. Our views are therefore modified, and we are inclined to think that England will be able to escape the terrible necessity of having to enter upon a war. Whether or not the Government held any opinion as to the likelihood of the British empire becoming involved, they would assuredly have been neglecting their duty had they not taken such precautionary measures against all possible contingencies as lay in their power. Such a measure was the refusal to dissolve the House, and the determination to abstain from commencing any new and extensive public works in the event of the European war lasting for any length of time. All parties must admit that in view of the circumstances the course taken is the wisest which could be adopted. It is impossible to conjecture, with any show of reason, what course England will adopt towards these colonies in the event of her being drawn into war ! with a great Power. It would, therefore, have been unwise in New Zealand to have pressed forward the whole of the measures recently entered upon, in the face of auch information as was brought to us by the Suez mail. What effect the four days' later news which we have n»w received may have upon the decision of the Ministry we are unable to say, but; it seems, from the telegrams, thafc they have wisely determined to await very definite intelligence from England before proceeding to carry out one of the main portions of their policy — namely, the importation of immigrants. We doubt not that it it had been intended to devote any portion of the money which is now to be raised to this purpose, the fact would have been mentioned in the special telegrams received.

Previous to hearing the evidence in the specimen-stealing case in the Supreme Court yesterday, the special jurymen summoned to try the cases against Mr. Francis Innes were called, and discharged for a day. There are three indictments against him—one in January, 1869, for embezzling the sum of £1,000 ; the second for embezzling, as a public officer, various suras amounting to £1, 100 ; and the third for embezzling, as a clerk in the Commissariat Department, a sum of £500. The first case will be called on to-day. At the District Court, yesterday, Wirihana Whiwhi v. John and Maria Shera was oonoluded, and his Honor reserved judgment. During the examination of Maria, she kept strictly to her version of the affair, which was a direct contradiction to all that plaintiff's witnesses had sworn to. She denied all pretence to supernatural power, and rather scornfully disclaimed connection with, or knowledge of, the gods— Te Wahi and Puakerangi — who were supposed to keep their money in "the bank next the Post-office." Maria's husband, a mariner and a settler of thirty-one years' experience, also contradicted the representations made on the other side. Plaintiffs sickness was neuralgia. The two remaining cases on the list were adjourned till next Court-day. Messrs. J. M. Dargaville and Charles Davis should be the presiding magistrates at tae Police Court this morning. :

Tbe I/moke's Bay Herald says the Volunteers of Napier expect to be armed with the Martini-Hem i rifle as soon as a supply which has been ordered by the Government is received. This evening, in the Young Men's Christian Association Hooms, Albert-street, the llev. Mr. Bree will deliver his lecture on "Popular Education : Religious and Secular.'' It is to be hoped the weather will be favourable. The weekly muster of the Auckland Battalion of .Rifle Volunteers was held last night in the Drill Shed. After being praotised for some time at company and section drill they were dismissed. The num ber of recruits seems to be fast increasing. The IlawMo Bay Herald has abandoned its announced intention ot publishing til- ' "weekly and weekly editions, but is enlarged to 32 columns. On the telegraph news reaching Port ; Chalmers that Mr. Macandrew's resolution, ! making Port Chalmers the terminus of the ! San Francisco service, had been carried by a large majority in the House of Representatives, the Port was jubilant. In the evening the Naval Volunteers fired a salute in celebration of the result, and blue lights and rockets were simultaneously displayed all over the town. Some of the vessels in harbour also sent off rockets in compliment to the townspeople. The Ihiwle's Bay Herald reports Tongariro still active. A slight shock was experienced in Napier at twenty minutes to 12, ou the night of the 3rd inst. i There are other people besides Maoris who believe in witchcraft. A strange case of j superstition has been brought before the ' magistrates of Wincanton, in Somerset. A young man named Lamb, fancying that a certain young woman, Mary Cress, had bewitched him, rushed upon her, seized her by the throat, and, pulling out his penkuive, attempted to wound her. In reply to the Bench, he said, " She overlooks I — that's as true as the hat's in my hand — and I wan bed to draw blood to stop her." Two years ago he fell down in a fit on seeing her. A movement is being initiated by the Germans in Hokitika, for the purpose of forming a club, the principal object of winch ■will be the rendering of assistance to such of their countrymen as are overtaken by sickness or who are in distressed circumbtances. From bhe llawke's Bay Guwrnmuit On.it Ut, we learn that the following is the amount of land revenue received by the Government of Hawke's Bay during the months of May and June of this year : — Maj , land sales, £264 Gs. ; assessments on runs, £394 3a*. ] Id. (£658 83. lid.) ; June land sales, £456 12s. • assessments on runs, £142 6s. (i's9B 18s.); making a total tor the two months named of £1,257 Gs. lid., less £12 10s., the salary of the Receiver of Land Revenue, thus leaving clear available balance of £1,244 16s, A meeting of the shareholders in the Piide of Parnell Goldmining Company is advertised. We have been requested to state that visitors to the • Ite&aca ' will be received on board on and after Sunday next between ten o'clock a. in. and sunset. A great many Maoris were assembled in the vicinity of the District Court yesterday, all deeply interested in the pioeueclmgs theie going on. Later m the afternoon a do/en or so of the Maori girls, getting weary of inaction, engaged m dancing, and occasioned much merriment by thoir strange and uncouth attitudes. We have to acknowledge the receipt of parcels of papers for the Lunatic Asylum and the Hospital, from Mr. P, A. Philips. At Tahiti the officers of the U.S.s. Tlesaca gave a dinner to Admiral Clouet and the officers of H.I.M. ship 'L'Astiee,' and to the officers of the Russian frigate 'Almaz, 1 , shortly before leaving that place for the Fijis. Coir matting is to be laid in the vestibule and passages ot tne Supreme court. William Brown was acquitted, at the Supreme Court yesterday, of stealing goldbearing specimens from the Long Drive Company's ground. A terrible storm occurred at Cape Town on the 12th July, At Wynberg, trees wcie torn up, houses were damaged, and horses i weie killed. The sea rose to a great height. i At Cape Town, the lightning destroyed looking-glasses, and seriously injured a little girl. A telegram from St. Petersburg of August 6 reports : — "A great diplomatic reception i has taken place here. The Czar addressed the Belgian Minister on the occasion with great cordiality. " Touching immigration, the European Jfail of July 15bh says :—": — " The directors of the Emigrants Aid Corporation are drawing in their horns and cuttmgdownexpeuses. They have promoted Colonel Maude, V.C., C.8., from the secretaryship, to a seat at the Board. The gallant colonel's scheme for the establishment of Military Industrial Settlements in New Zealand is again being discussed by a section of the Pi ess litre, and it certainly appears worthy of consideration. It is calculated that a force of 2,000 men would occupy and defend a frontier of 40 miles with a depth of 5 miles m like proportion." Colonel Maude offers his services | to aid in the formation of such a settlement. Many persons here think that they have not received that attention thej' deserve at the hands of the New Zealand Government. There died in Edinburgh, the other day, Mrs. Barry, the sister of Midshipman Stewart, of the 'Bounty,' who perished 30 years ago iv the ' Pandora,' when she was wrecked off the north-east coast of Australia on her way to England. The Institution of Civil Engineers have awarded a Telford Medal and a Telford Premium in books to Mr. Edward Dobson, Assoc. lust. C.E., for his paper on ''The Public Works of the Province of Canterbury New Zealand."