The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1879-04-19
Threatened Trouble in New Zealand,

The New Zealand Herald (AuckIand) of
March 81, saws:
Within the last few days a somewhat
threatening difficulty has arisen with the natives
in the district between Wanganui and Taranaki.
Several years ago a tract OF country called the
Naimate Plains was confscated COR the rebellion
of its owners. 1t was, however, never taken
possession Of. and the natives were allowed to
cultivate it. and TO deal with 1t in all respects as
1t their ownership was unquestioned. The land
Is OF very fine quality, and as this has become
known, and settlement has made progress in the
adjoining country, the value of the land has of
late been greatly enhanced. 1t was known,
however, that the natives were sore at the idea
OF its being surveyed and sold, and Sir d. Nc
Lean, during his long tenure Of the Office of Ma
tive Minister, never ventured to propose the sur
Vey OF the land. The present Government, how
ever, determined to put the land into the market,
and with this view the survey was commenced on
the 29th of July last. The natives met the sur
veyors and made a formal protest against the
survey to Major Brown, the Native Commits
sloner. There was, however, no attempt to in
terfere with the survey at the time. On the
18th OF March a great meeting was held at Pari-
hakn, a settlement in Taranaki, where q great
many disafected natives have congregated of late
years. The principal man of the place is TIE
Whit, who is a fanatic, protesting to be a pro-
phet, a messenger from the Most High, and even
himself a god. He has attained great influence
over the minds of the natives generally. The
Native Minister, Mr.. Sheehan, attended the
meeting, and made a demand that Hiroki, the
murderer of Mclean, at Moumahaki, should be
given up, which demand was refused. He then
stated that he was going on with the survey at
Waimate Plains, when Tie Whit interrupted
him by abusing the Government. Mr.. Sheehan
then left. On the 9th of March, the survey
parties were all met by bodies of Natives, and
escorted to the south side of the Waingongoro,
the river which bounds the block. There was
no violence used. On the contrary, the natives
brought carts for the surveyors materials, and
carefully packed them in straw, while the theo-
dolites were carried by horsemen. The survey
ors are now all off the block. What action the
Government will take is not known
AN IRIsn sPEcULATIoN.-A couple of Irish
men, thinking to combine pleasure with profit by
doing a little unlicensed traficking in liquor on
the Derby Day, bought a small jar of whisky and
started for EPSON. Knowing they would want a
drop themselves on the way, it was agreed that
neither should drink without paying. They had
not travelled far on the road when one drank a
glass and paid his partner threepence he fol-
lowed suit, and handed the money back again.
1t was q dusty, toilsome journey, and upon
reaching the Downs they were dumbfounded by
discovering the whisky was all gone, and that,
although they had honestly paid for every dram,
they mad only threepence between them as the
final result of their speculation Chambers
Journal.
Luz ANefdud COURTS are wrestling with a kOOtty
ecclesiastical case, which bids fair to defy all
their legal acumen. A Methodist Church recent
ly expelled one of its members, and as he thought
this action was the result Of the pastors spite
against him, he set about conducting his devo-
tions in a rather original, manner. He owns a
saw-mill near the church, and on Sunday he
attaches to the engine an immense steam calliope,
upon which he performs divers sacred songs with
such volume of sound that the voice of the
neighboring parson is drowned. When taxed
with disturbance of the Sabbath peace and divine
worship, he responded that he had as much right
to sing praises By steam calliope as the minister
and congregation had by organ, and the temporal
courts are now discussing the case on an appeal
from the local magistrate, who sustained the plea
of the communicated saw-mill owner.