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Auckland Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2333, 7 September 1877, Page 2

OUR special correwpoudent's cablegram <mi Wednesday last with reference h> Sulieman Pacha's defeat on tho Gabrova road diroctly contradicted Router's despatch announcing a victory for the Turks at the same place. A Router's telegram to-day says that Sulieman has virtually abandoned the attack on Shipkft Paws, thus confirming our correspondent's report of the failure of the Turkish operations there. The Turks have also evacuated Soukhum Kaleh, on the east shore of the Black Sea, where the appointment of a Turkish Governor and tho rising of the Abakan tribes w;is celebrated hy public rejoicings and the liberation of prisoners. The Caucasian expedition has, therefore, ended in complete collapse, the Russians retrieving their first failures in that quarter.

Tub Government experiment in newspaper management lias ended in a protty little bill of costs, which the colony will havo the pleasure of paying. Tho enjoyment of libelling political opponents at the public expense must be little inferior to ih«t of having the Colonial Treasury and Government influence at one's back to fight all outside a^Bailnnts. The " Wak.i Maori" case, and the State prosecution against the proprietor of the "Oamaru Mail," shews what a Government may do and yet lind a majority of a. representative Assembly to endorse its action. Haply, the Ministry would resevve to itself the right of trumping up and publishing false charges against private citizens ; of comparing them to serpents, to Tanewhas, and Paratas; of stigmatising thorn *s "evil doers," and " deceivers" who obfciin native lands l>y "cajolery," and "intimidation," and bring "great affliction" on the Maori people. Such are tho terms'that were specifically applied to the Hon Henry Russell, in connection with a narrative of certain land transactions, which it was alleged lie had boon concerned in, but the jury have by their verdict declared to be false, the Chief Justioo directing them that if the allegations in the letter wore true they must return for the defendant. The order of the Court for £500 damages and £3,000 costs will raises the nuoation whether the game is worth the candle.