The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-14 00:00:00

A TTST R. A TJ A _

By this arrival we receive intelligence from Mel-
bourne to April2s, Sydney to April 24, from Ade-
laide to April 26.
Th ere was no change in the political situation at
Melbourne. Parliament had been engaged during
the E ionth in discussing questions arising out of the
estimates. The house had voted a sum of £79,000
for it nmigration for the current year. Ministers
had E tssented to the second reading of the bill for
the abolition of the duty on gold, but had stated
that they would endeavour in committee to fix the
amount of duty at is. per once, leaving the reduc-
tion t commence in 1862. It was thought this
proposition would be agreed to. Ministers had
intro' lured a bill for the better administration of
law an the gold fields. The bill to abolish state
aid to religion was to come on in a day or two.
Maj or-General Pratt had received the thanks of the
hotute for his services in the New Zealand war.
00 the gold fields the Melbourne Herald writes :
'Tine total amount of gold brought to town by escort
during; this year up to date has been 545,036 ounces. which
at £4 'per ounce would be worth £2,180,144, against 585,695
ounces, for the corresponding period of last year, worth
£2,342, 780. The shipments for the same periods amounted
to 601,138 ounces for 1861, valued at 2,404,552 against
571,288 ounces, valued at £2,285,158. During the past
month the escorts have shown a slight falling off as com-
pared: with last year, the numbers being 141,079 and 150,451
ounces respectively, while during the same period the ship-
ments• showed a considerable excess, there having been
169,10 ounces expected last month, instead of 124,849
ounces as in 1860.
-

Th ere have been no new rushes of much importance dim

ing the month, and with the exception of some floods, by
which: a considerable amount of damage was done, nething
has oo curred to interrupt the even tenor of life upon the
gold fields. The accounts from Mountain Creek are very
satisfac story, and the late supply of water has been taken
advant age of to wash a considerable amount of stuff, much
of whit .h has turned out extremely rich. The event of the
month, so far as the gold fields are concerned, has been the
attention which has been paid to several new discoveries,
having for their object the utilisation of " tailings," as
quart2l from which the gold has been partially extracted is
termeZ by the gold miner. In our last summary we gave
an ace ount of Mr. Porter's patented process of abstracting
gold f .om quartz by amalgamation, from which so much
was th en expected. Repeated trials of this process have
since bo,en made with more or less success, and one or two
other pz ocesses have been brought into competition with it."
Respecting commercial and monetary matters
we rea d

There is little of stirring moment to report in commercial
affairs during the past month. Trade has been quiet, and
fluctuations have been few. There have been no great
changes in our money market during the last month.

From Sydney we learn that the Upper House
was still further altering the Land Bills, so that
the Government will probably abandon them.
An address bad been voted in the Assembly for
£50,000 for assisted immigration.
At the meeting on April 24 of the Bank of New
South Wales a dividend of 15 per cent. was an-
nounced. It was decided to open an establishment
in New Zealand.

The South Australian Parliament was opened on
April 26. The Governor's speech is of a cheering
character. He says :
I shall cause to be laid before you a despatch received
from the Duke of Newcastle, stating that her Majesty will
be advised to introduce a bill into the Imperial Parliament
to give her Majesty power to annex to South Australia the
tract of land lying between our western boundary and the
eastern boundary of 'Western Australia; and also, at some
future. time, to extend this colony northward."
The Adelaide corn market continued quiet, at
former quotations ; the supplies being hardly equal
to the demand.
Th e cargo of sugar ex Stag, from Mauritius,
realised good prices by auction.

TB E RHODODENDRONS IN KEW GARDENS,—
During the month of June nothing can be more glorious
than the fine show of rhododendrons, their soft tints ranging
front crimson to pink, and from the richest puce through
every shade of lilac, to the purest snowiest, white—their
pro.3igality of blossom—tho cloud-like roundness of their
forms, fading and melting into each other in the artistic
arra:ngement of their hues, is a lovely sight under the sun-
shine 'of a summer's day. Then there are minglinc, with
them, here and there, orange and pink and white azalias—
remind Ina; us of Xenophon and mountains of Asia Minor,
which he tells us are covered with these lovely plants, in
the he arts of which lurk poison. Honey, gathered frcm
them :in these regions, it is said, makes those who eat of,
it

CLOSE OF THE WAR IN ETV ZEALAND,

(From the Melbourne Argus of April 27.)
During the truce, which commenced on the 13th
and ended on the 15th of March, terms were
offered to the native rebels by Governor Brown in
the following address :

" Hapurona and Ngatiawa,—For 12 months you have
been carrying arms against her Majesty the Queen and the
authority of the law. You have now laid down your arms,
and expressed your desire for peace. Believing you to be
sincere, I have come from Auckland for the purpose of
stating the terms upon which it will be granted, and upon
which her Majesty's gracious pardon and protection will be
extended to you. They are as follows :-1. The investiga-
tion of the title and the survey of the land at Waitara to
be continued and completed without interruption. 2. Every
man to be permitted to state his claims without inter-
ference, and my decision, or the decision of such persons
as I shall appoint, to be conclusive. 3. All the land in
possession of her Majesty's forces belonging to those who
have borne arms against her Majesty to be disposed of by
me as I may think fit. 4. All guns belonging to the Go-
vernment to be returned. 5. All plunder taken from the
settlers to be forthwith restord. 6. The Ngatiawa who have
borne arms against the Government must submit to the
Queen and to the authority of the law, and not resort to
force for the redress of wrongs, real or imaginary. 7. As I
did not use force for the acquisition of land, but for the vin-
dication of the law and for the protection of her Majesty's
native subjects in the exercise of their just rights, I shall
divide the land which I have stated my intention to dispose
of among its former owners, but I shall reserve the sites of
the blockhouses and redoubts, and a small piece of land
round each, for the public use, and shall exercise the right
of making roads through the Waitara district. On your
submission to these terms you will come under the protec-
tion of the law, and enjoy your property, both lands and
goods, without molestation."

Those terms were not accepted, and on the 15th
hostilities were renewed. On that morning 370
men of the 57th and 65th advanced to the front,
and divided into working parties and coverers.
The sap leading to Te-Arei was resumed, and a
branch sap carried from No. 8 redoubt to sweep
the rifle pits on the verge of the valley. About
7 o'clock Captain Mercer arrived from Waitara,
with 60 of the Royal Artillery, three Armstrong
guns, and two 8-inch and two 10-inch mortars.
All our works went on without the slightest
sign of opposition from the enemy until
11 o'clock, when the white flag was lowered from
the Maori staff, and replaced by a blood-red
war flag. In a few minutes it was lowered,
and one solitary shot from the natives in-
vited to the combat. The troops were not yet
allowed to reply, and the Maories, after hoisting
and lowering their war flag three times, opened fire
in good earnest, and poured volleys from their pits.
Our fire was excellent, and fearfully destructive.
The firing continued throughout Saturday and Sun-
day, and up till 5 o'clock, when it ceased, and the
natives yielded again, and this time finally, hoisting
the white flag. The Waikatos retreated to their
own country, owing to a loss of 300 out of 1,500
men, and Wiremu Kingi retired, though without
accepting the terms offered. These results are
announced in the following letter from the
Governor :

" New Plymouth, April 9.
" Sir,—ln reference to the terms of submission offered by
his Excellency the Governor to the insurgents of the
Ngatiawa tribe at Waitara, a copy of which was enclosed to
you on the 4th inst., I have the honour to inform you that,
as finally decided upon, they contained an additional sen-
tence to the following effect In conformity with the de-
claration made on the 29th November, 1859, the right of
those who may prove their title to any part of the piece of
land at Waitara will be respected.'

" I have also to inform you that the terms laid down by
his Excellency have been accepted by Hapurona and his
followers.

" Wiremu Kingi, after having declared that the Gover•
nor's words were clear, and endeavoured to induce his Ex-
cellency to make peace first, and discuss the terms after-
wards, has finally left Waitara Waikato, with a small
number of followers, without accepting the terms, from the
benefit of which he will consequently be excluded, accord-
ing to a notification previously communicated to him.
" I may further state that his Excellency the Governor
has despatched messages to the Taranaki and Ngatiruanui
tribes, informing them that if they desire peace they must
immediately come forward, in which case he will be pre-
pared to state to them terms upon which he will accept
their submission.

" I have, &c., "F. A. WELD.
" To his Honour the Superintendent of
Taranaki."

General Cameron arrived on the 30th at Waitara,
and proceeded on to Auckland, Major-General Pratt
left Waitara on the 3d of April, in her Majesty's
ship Victoria, and arrived at Melbourne on the 12th
inst. On his return to Melborne, to reassume the
command of the forces ii, Australia, the Legislative
Council and the LegislatiTe Assembly resolved to
present addresses to the Mtior- General, compli-
menting him for his gallant seli7ices in New Zea-
presented
ol Zea-
land.
the
2T3hde
iands dt e
isns othfetheehatsbeemr presented
on twha.s
Assembly,
the standing orders having been suspender for the
purpose. The Speaker, Sir Francis Murphy, read
the following address ;

"Major-General Pratt,—ln pursuance of the unanimous
vote of this house, the pleasing duty devolves upon me of
conveying to you the thanks of the house for your gallant
services in New Zealand, and our congratulations upon
your safe return to this colony. You have conducted to a
successful issue the operations of a war of a peculiarly try-
ing and harassing nature, the difficulties of which, I am
well assured, have been but ill-understood at a distance, and
auit
rnmi
under
es
rah
such
crbho
been
f ni
ressuaumtsitssatia.ancnetedieosn6tto yourcountrybyeoureapnudtattihone
borftaovt khe nemo
British
iiythioasuht
commanded with a distinguished valour and spirit worthy
of the historic renown of the army and navy of England.
" I have to request, Major-General, that you will convey
the thanks of this House to the officers and soldiers of all
arms, as well as to Commodore Seymour and the naval forces
under his command engaged in this war, for their intrepe-
dity and zeal, and that you will assure them of the high
sense this House entertains of their bravery and of its deep
sympathy with the widows and children of those who have
so gloriously fallen in the service of their country.
" An unintentional omission has occurred in the proceed-
ings of the House, from our being unaware at the time that
the colonial armed steamship Victoria had not been placed
under the orders of Commander Seymour. It would ill be-
come me, on such an occasion as the present, to overlook
the gallant volunteers of the Victoria, or for me to avoid the
responsibility which I now assume in asking of you, Major-
General, to present the thanks of this House to Commander
Norman, and the officers and crew of the Victoria, for the
conspicuous courage and ready energy which they have on
all occasions so eminently displayed during this war, both
by land and by sea."

Major• General Pratt replied in the following
germs

" Mr. Speaker—l beg to return you my most sincere
thanks for the honour done me in your conveying to me the
thanks of this House for my services in New Zealand, and
its congratulations upon my return.
" Sir, at any time this would have been an honour most
highly prized by me, but under existing circumstances it is
to me, at this moment, most acceptable, and the gratifica-
tion is much enhanced by my being permitted to return my
thanks in person at the bar of this House.
" You have also delegated to me a most pleasing duty,
and I shall not fail to convey to Commodore Seymour and
the Royal Naval Brigade, and to Commander Norman and
the officers and the crew of her Majesty's colonial steam_
vessel Victoria, and to the officers and soldiers of all ranks,
the high sense which this honourable house entertains of
their bravery and good services in the war in New Zealand,
and of its deep sympathy with the widows and families of
those who have fallen in the service of their country during
the war."

THE TVEATIIER.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORTS.

-71-iin DAY. , n ,
tetween 8 an. B. E. v
a.m. i Iv.
D. IF. C. L S.
—__
Nairn 30.27 61 60 N.W. 21 b Aberdeen .. 30'25 60 57 S. S. W. 31 . 1
b. 1
Leith ..
Berwick 30.18 63 59 s. E. 1 2b. 1
A rdrossan .... 30'21 63 62 E. S. E. 2 2 b. 2
Portr:.Bll .... 30'16 68 62 E. 3 3b. 3
Shields 90.26 61 57 S.E. 2 2 b. 2
Galway ...... 30 02 69 67 S. E. 7 1 b. 6
Scarborough.. 36.24 61 58 N. 2 Ib. 1
Liverpool .... 30.15 71 63 E. 2 1 rn. 2
60 ESE. 4 4 b. 3
Queenstown... n• 96 61
Yarmouth,,., 36.20 62 60 E. s. IC. 5 1 b. 3
London. 30.11 67 63 E. 4 1 b.
Dover ........ 30.10 60 64 E. 2 1 b. 1
E 3 5 tn. 1
Portsmouth .. 30.01 70 • 66
E.5.E.161 1
bb.. g
11:10yrnuiaonuctth ::::
2390..9032
6626
66.12
S.E. 3 3
c. 4
Penzance .... 29 93 64 6
Jersey ........129 97 73 66 E. 2 1 • 1

EXPLANATION.—B. Barometer, corrected and reduced
to 32 deg at mean sea level; each 10 feet of vertical rise
causing about 1-100th of an inch diminution, and each 10
deg above 32 deg causing nearly 3-100ths increase. E.
Exposed thermometer in shade. M. Moistened bulb (for
evaporation and dew-point). 1). Direction of wind (true—
not magnetic). F. Force (1 to 12—estimated). C. Cloud
ci to 9). I. Initials :—b , blue sky; c., clouds (detached) ;
fog. ; h., hail ; 1., lightning ; m., misty (hazy) ; 0.,
,vercast (dull) ; r., rain; s., snow • t., thunder. A letter
repeated augments—thus, r,r., much rain. S. Sea disturb.
once (1 to 9).