NEWS OF THE MONTH

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 214, 11 September 1886, Page 4

NEWS OF THE MONTH

SUMMARY FOR HOME READERS

AUCKLAND. NX-

September 11th, ISB6,

Pakliamknt was prorogued on Wednesday, 18th August, theseseion having lasted about three months, which appears to be the average duration of the session in this colony. There was nothing; especially remarkable in the cloeing Ecene, or in the events that immediately preceded it. The preponderance of Southern influence was unmistakably and at the game time most offensively shown in the last days of the session, by the action which was forced upon tho Government with regard t v tbe representation question. Sir Kobert Stout, and other membera of the Cabinet whose sense of right is not made subsidiary to provincial jealousy and p6tty local prejudices, were pledged to introduce a measure for the re-adjustmont of representation on the population basis, and as the Ecpresentation Act expires next year the necessity of prompt action ia apparent. Tho Premier had a bill pn pared dealing with the question, which proposed to avcid all future difficulty by permanently settling tbe basis of readjustment, and which was also expected to effect a piece of very desirable retrenchment by reducing the present number of representatives Aa the North Island and Auckland in particular would have gained at the expense of the South, owing to the more rapid strides in population made by this part of the colony in late years, the people and press of this district made urgent claims for the passing of tho measure. Tho Southern representatives, however, u jed their combined influence to delay the readjustment, and the Premier, not wishing to provoke " atone walling" tidies and consequent prolongation of tho session, consented to hold back the measure, on tho understanding that tho subject should be disposed of beforo tho ordinary business of next session.

About tho average amount of work has been transacted during the session just closed. The public -Acts passod number 72, the private 4, and the local 15, making a total of 91. Tho sitting days of Parliament were only 65, or a total of 476 hours, 60 that each Act passed only occupied an average of five hours. Tho actual average ia less, for it must be borne in mind that nearly as many measures were "dropped or otherwise disposed of" as wero passed through the Legislature, and these in many cases occupied more time than those that pasecd. Among those that did not become law the most to be regretted are the Limitation of Votes Bill, the Contagious Disoaees Act Repeal.Bill, the Law Practitioners Bill, the measures for the reduction or abolition ot gold export duty, and tho Workmen's Wages Bill—the latter being designed to do away with th 6 " truck " system in oonncctionwith sawmills and ether country work. Tho more important of the Acts passed are those relating to Civil Service Keforin, Loans to Local Bodies, Life Insurance Association, Now Zealand Loan, ISativo Land Administration, and First t ffonders' Probation. The session appears to have been rather fruitful in divisions-there having been 82 in the House and 144 in Committee. Taking the time actually employed by our leeislators, it is found that they aro fairly well remunerated for their labours, as the "honorarium" represents over £3 per day of eoveu hours' work.

Although Ministers are safe in the haven of recess, the country is by no means enjoying that political repoeo which is usually expected to succeed a disturbed Parliamentary session. The North Shore property scandal is still boing discussed ovor the colony, and a' petition calling upon the Government to mako furthor inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the purchase has been very numerously signed in Auckland. In consequence of tho popular feeling, and of the promise of fresh evidence of an important character being forthcoming, ihe Government have resolved to grant another Commission on tho subject, which is expected to sit hero on an early date. Jn this city tho political excitement has been intensified by the agitation of the " unemployed," and by .their action in censuring oortain representatives who wore considered to have been remiss in attending to tho interests of labour in Parliament. Mr J. M.Dargavillo.oneof thecity members, called a public meeting bofore which to justify his conduct, but the result was that a largo and noisy assemblage fully ondorsed the censure passed upon that gentleman. Since that time a requisition has been font round amo^g Mr Dargaville's constituents requesting him to resijin his seat forthwith. Mr Dargavillo's friends, in rgply, have started a counter requisition expressing unlimited confidence in him and requesting him not to resign. In Dunedin, the electors are already thrown into the ferment of nn election owing to tho death of Mr J. BradshaighBradshaw, M.H.R. The deceased gentleman having been instrumental in introducing measures for the benefit of the working classes, a movement is on foot in Dunedin to erect a memorial to him.

The iirst of Sir Julius Vogol's libel suits has been decided, and in a way advorae to that gentleman. On the 3rd iust., at the Supremo Court, Wellington, the civil action brought by the Colonial Treasurer ngainst Oio proprietors of the " Evening Pi ess " to recover damages ior libel wat, heard and dauided by the jury in favour of defendants, with costs The alleged libel consisted of couiLaents upon what is known r^ the railway debentures purchase scandal, and a summary of the allegations and defence will bo found in anothercolumn. In thoactionfor criminal libel brought against an insignifi;

above.

cant weekly print, he has got the defendent committed for trial, and his determination to defend his public character against "attack is further shown by the fact that he intends moving for a new trial in the " Press " case.oti the ground of misdirection and that the verdict was against the weight of evidence.

During the la«t-three or four week?, weather of almost unparalleled severity ha 3 been experienced throughout tho colony, in many districts tbo like not having been observed for twenty year?. Heavy and continaona rains caused disastrous floods in the South Island, and there was afterwards a wave of eovero cold accompanied by an exceptior.ally heavy fall of sno>v. In this part of the colony wo are glad to fay no damage was couicd by tho rains or by Bevc-ral violent gales vhich f uocecded them. Snow fell on the hilld in the Bay of Plenty, where it is a very raio right indeed. Just as the weather has become moro settled, the central portion of tho colony has been visited by a succession of earthquakes, which wero alarming because of the reports received of the destructive shocks experienced in Greece and the United States about tho same time. Thero has been no damage whatever inflicted, however. Exactly at midnight on September 2 a severe check of earthquake was felt ab Gisborne. It stopped all the clocks, and alarmed the inhabitants It was one oZ the heaviest felt in the district At Doon on the following day, a heavy shock wan experienced at Wellington, as well ac throughout tho provinces of Nelson and Marlborough on the opposite side of Cook Strait. The vibration caused some alarm in Wellington city, where some bouses rocked dangerously, and there was very nearly a stampede from the Supreme Court, where Mr Julius Yogel'a libel action waa being heard. It is worthy of especial note that not the slightest vibration of earthquake has ever been experienced at Auckland, not even during the volcanic eruption at Tarawera, and this fact shows the northern capital to be the moat, secure, as it is the moat beautiful and salubrious, of Now Zealand cities.

Mr Center, of the Oceanic Company, has ' bsen as good aa his promise with regard to the efforts of that Company to reduce the timefortbe delivery of the mails. It has been !' many times pointed out through our columns that the best wa3 not made of this service. That with ateamera of the very highest class it would eclipse all other routes ia obvious, but tho tine eteamshijg already employed on the service are aa good aa we have a right to expect, and with them, by a littfe re adjustment of the timea of departure from Auckland and San Francisco, it ia expected, under the new "■; railway time-table, that the homeward mails will bo delivered in thirty-five * dayc, and the mails to New Zealand in 33 " or 31 days. The transcontinental railway ■' journey is to be performed in four days ' twelve hours. Messrs Spreckles Brothers '■ have co strongly represented to the New :• Zealand Government the wisdom of sending their mails regularly by the fast steamers ' leaving Now York every Saturday that their \ representations have accomplished what thwe of Mr John Milno and the Auckland '- Chamber of Commerce failed to secure. Onr ' Government have arranged with that of New '• '> South Wales for the departure of the maQ' a day earlier, in order to take advantage of i the Atlantic greyhounds, and as soon as the American fast trains start running, onr - mail service will bo accelerated as etated

For potne considerable time the advanced . moral sentiment in our community has been ij protesting against the workii g of the Contagious liiseasea (Women's) Act, and tho uaintenaace of a Lock Hoppital— measarea i which were adopted in imitation of English . ; procedure and on the ground of Auckland I being a giept shipping port, and often visited by war ships. The battle against tba | Act was fought out in the City Council, and i has at last been won, Cr. Ooldie's resolution suspending the Act being carried by 9 to 7. We are glad that this was done without . <■■■ r f orence to a poll of the ratepaj ers, and ir- : rofp°ctive of the vot' Bof the new Councillors ;: who are known to be against the Act. The I decision bae been arrived at from convie-'" '•■ tion brought, about by a full debate of tho ;' whole question. Councillor Cooper, who i voted with the minority, confessed that' he had begun with a strong opinion ■ in favour of the Act, but this bad & been very much ehaken by the discussion. I It is not likely that the agitation on the ' question will stop until tho Act is removed from the Statute Book.

The Customs returns for the month show :\ (rreat falling off. The receipts at the aj principal ports were as follows: —Anck- j land, £21,161; Wellington, £20,687;;,. Chrif-tchurch, £18,501; Dunedin, £27,578.: f; Total for the colony, £105,641 ; against ■ £121,020, for August last year. Estimated,^ monthly average, £117.500 The beer/;"" duty receipts are : Auckland, £Bf's ; Wa!«!;. ai lington, £344 ; Christchurch, £632; Dun-" cdin, £6SO. Total for the month, £3,-166; if, against £3,755. for August, ISSS, Thees-, .' timated monthly average is £4,584. . ■ -;

The outcome of a recent conference of,'' the Executive Council of the Auckland,, Chamber of Commerce and a delegation , from the Brokers' Association has been the , forwarding by tbo Chairman, Mr J. Lamb,.,, of a letter to the Minister of Mines urging,,1' tte Government to import an expert from' , America or elsewhere to ronort on the, various classes of ore in the Hauraki gold-^ fields, and inquiring if the Government^* ■\voull subsidise liberal local contribn-^ , tions to Euch an object. Mr Lamb,, in his letter to tho Hod. Mr Larnacb,', ga y g .— " From -the various reports of experts received from San Francisco;^ and elsewhere, we have abundant evidence. '• that somo of our quartz is very valuable, and it is further clearly demonstrated that ;1 no one process will bo found Bufficiebt,.•'' to deal with our varied class of ore's, aricj ; £J that it will be found necessary in practice,.; to use stampers, concentrators, parisy aid,; ' furnace.", sc. The great drawback felt tit 5 present is the want of the necessary rjracd',1' 4 cal experience of the many processes in use.. in America and elsewhere, andthe scientific^"'* knowledge required in connection with them. It is therefore believed that a very ;' great benefit would be conferred upon the*'* mining industry, and would be the meWj . of reviving tbecommercialintereststhrbrign- „ out the country if the Government could *BB^ their way to secure the services of ;»['*• thoroughly practical man, with the special J knowledge required to deal with thifi'l subject." V Our readers have already been supplied ] with particulars of the volcanic island 11! which has amen in the Paoific fn tha«» neighbourhood of tho Friendly Islands' The following interesting information, f" courteously supplied us by thff Intelligence Officer of the U.S. Mohican; r): will be iead with interest: t-In T. compliance with instructions received in July from Admiral McCauley, thou; I American Corvette Mohican (Commander..;? Day) made a special trip to the islands formed by volcanic action since October a last. At a distance of 15 miles eteam could1 f be discerned rising in the air, above tbo 1 former site of Falcon Shoal. On arriving at i tho spot the Mohican steamed round taking; .> boarings of ifs position, and sketches ana photographs of its contour and nppearance^ m '»he Island ia of circular shape, two ht>n* -. dred and thirty feet high, a milo and a-r.. half wide. It has a steaming crater on the;.----ea.-t side. To the extreme west there Ufdj noticablo a wreath of smoke. On takipg.'. soundings good anchorage was found.:.) on the north side of tho Island. Tha!; longitude is 175 deg. 20min. west, lab-■■. tude, 20deg. 20min. south. Tbeislanda.fi situated 4S miles N.N.W. of Nukualofa. ; Tho impression conveyod by its appearance was that the bod of the ocean had been op^* lifted out of the water. "'!