THE Bay of Plenty Times AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1694, 5 June 1884, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times AND THAMES VALLEY WARDEN.

"TheSpiritofthe Times shall teach me speed.' KING JOHN, ACT IV.

THURSDAY, JUNE 5, 1884

FENIANISM IN ENGLAND. The news which the telegrams bring us of the outrages committed or attempted in London a few nights ago are unquestionably of an alarmingcharacter. Worse than the pestilence that walketh at noonday is this spirit of insidious destruction that chooses the hours of darkness for perpetrating its deads of fiendish hate and revenge. It awakes the feeling of general insecurity, and tends to arouse the feeling in the bosom of a people, exposed to the effects of its minions plotting, an unmodified desire for the extermination of its inhuman agents. And this is the most distressing consequence which could possibly flow from this wholesale system of assassination and ruin. Buildings could be replaced, columns of historic interest -be again repaired, useful lives ruthlessly cut off might even cease to be missed through the substitution of lives equally valuable in the persons of successors ; but, when a whole nation is goaded into a state of settled antipathy towards a race whose miscreant representatives have caused a universal feeling of insecurity, a moral injury is then both sustained and inflicted which it' is quite impossible to estimate. Yet that such a frenzy should seiae the English public seems at present inevitable. These heartless attempts to involve life and property in indiscriminate destruction will soon exhaust the feeling of national endurance, and lead to a severity of policy which it is not desirable to see resorted to. . This policy, moreover, it once adopted, will of necessity be such that Its effects will be felt by America as well as Ireland. England cannot much longer stand by and see the territory and commercial capital o2 a neighbouring 'and professedly. friendly Power employed as a manufactory of destructive forces meant to be afterwards directed against hex public institutions and her

public men. , it is a disgrace to tlie 2jreat Republic that her authorities either connive at or are unable to repress such outrageous procedure ; and, if this state of things is allowed to continue, it will become the duty of England, whatever it may cost, to withdraw from political or even commercial relations with the United States. This would be a bold and as some might deem it an alarming course, but yet such as is called for by the alarming character of the proceedings which rendered it necessary. It might in- 1 deed be said that in so acting England 1 would only be inflicting further injury on herself. But, after a time, the loss entailed would not bfc by any means so great as some people imagine. England is not now so dependent on America as she was a few years back. All the products she obtains from that quarter could be supplied from her own colonies, supplemented by other countries, and there not a few of her own industries which would benefit by the exclusion of American goods. In fact even now such a withdrawal of England from existing relations with the Republic would be welcomed by the great body of her artisan and labouring population, and it only requires the patience of the populace to be tried -a little further by evidence of the jalots of these dynamite clubs harboured across the Atlantio, such as was witnessed in London the other evening, to compel the adoption of a complete isolation. The undesirability of resorting to such a policy will be admitted by all reflecting men ; but, in times of emergency, the maxim of human action is that necessity has no law. Bui; worse than its effects in the relations between America and England would be those produced by this necessitated policy of severity on the relations subsisting between the English and the Irish peoples. The racial antipathy which formerly prevailed, and which it has been the aim of recent legislation to allay, would be revived with greater intensity than ever, and very possibly might on both sides exceed legal control. ' The people of Ireland owe it as a duty to themselves to resolve as a nation to extinguish the spirit of secret destruction of which some, who are a disgrace to that nation, are the accredited agents. If the people to a man are true to themselves and their honor, it ,would|not be long possible for these men who are a curse to society to escape detection. Until this national resolution is taken the conspiracy of darkness will extend itself and render more hopeless than ever any attempt to establish between the two countries that feeling of amity which all the real well-wishers of Ireland desire to see, It thug lies with the Irish, people themselves to make the future of their country.

Oim cables give more cheerful accounts of General Gordon's position at Khartoum. His success against the besiegers is announced. The Governor of Dongola states in his despatches that that country has been pacified, and that an engagement between the garrison and the rebels has been fought, resulting in the defe.at of the latter. The rebels are reported to have raised the siege of Berber, and retired from the neighbourhood, leaving that portion of the country in comparative quiet. Souakim telegrams report that a f usilade had been kept up by the garrison of that town against an attacking force of the rebels. The latter retired after two hours' firing. The Cretan troubles are assuming a serious aspect, and the Governor of the island has resigned his post on account of the present state of affairs. . The modifications of the IVench Recidiviste Bill are only slight, and the idea of sending criminals to the Marquesas Islands is rejected by the oommittee of the Senate. They recommend that six years' good conduct shall entitle a oonviot to release.

At the R.M. Court on Tuesday, there were no cases of any particular interest heard. Two cases out of the four set down for hearing were adjourned to the next Court day. The funeral of the late F. W. Armitage, Esq., M.D., will take place this afternoon at 2 o'clock. The cortege" will leave the i late residence of the deceased at the above named hour punctually. A meeting of the Directors of the New Zealand Manure and Chemical Co., Limited, was held on Tuesday afternoon at the Company's offices. Business of a routine character was transacted. Correspondence read and accounts passed for payment. Owing to the season of the year, it was resolved to change the hour of meeting from 2 p.m. to 10.30 a.m. for the winter months. The Managing Director reported that the works and wharf were progressing as fast as possible. A resolution was passed to request the County Council for the loan of some iron rails for the use of the wharf now in course of construction. The Managing Director reported the result of his visit to Auckland on Company's business, where he had met with cordial support from the Managing Director and other Officers of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Co., and had also received a promise from the Managing Director of the Sugar Refining Co., Auckland, to have the refusal of the bone char or black of their establishment when they produce the same. The bone black or char is an excellent raw material for the manufacture of artificial fertilizers. The Manage ing Director also thought the company was '[ rapidly rising in public favour and initial steps had been taken to secure reliable analysis in Auckland before placing their products upon the public market. One of the largest shareholders in the Waikato Land Association has expressed his satisfac~ tion in the steps taken re analysis.

Our readers' attention is particularly directed to that portion of Mr Stewart's letter bearing upon the delay in the railway negotiations caused by the Agent- General's refusal to take the responsibility of accepting any contractors for the railway. Immediate steps are necessary to consider what shall bo done in view of this new difficulty. The annual Licensing Bench sat yesterday, in the R.M. Court, to hear the applications for licenses, renewals, and transfer of licenses. Applications were granted in all cases. The .application for renewal of license by John Menzies was granted, subject to his conforming 1 with the instructions issued by the Bench some time ago in respect of drainage. A full report of the proceedings will appear in our next issue. It has transpired that the Khedive of Egypt has addressed a letter to Her MajestyQueen Victoria, soliciting that Baker Pasha (Colonel Valentine Baker) may be reinstated to his former position in the British army. This, though a very unusual proceeding 1 and unlikely ii- some respects, is nevertheless I quite possible when taken in connection with the way in which the British Government interfered ' with Colonel Baker as a servant of the Khedire.

It is believed that, a number of the Tauranga natives proceed to Wellington this present session to lay a petition before Pai'liament, concerning certain grievances they have on some late decisions in the Com-, missioners Court. A very ancient Biblical M.S., written on -10 rolls of vellum, has been brought to light by Dr Harkary, o£ the Imperial Library of St. Petersburg. The parchments appear to have been very much worn, and parts will have to be subjected to some restoring process. The investigations thus far have proved the fragments to relate to Isaiah, loel, Hoseav D'badlan, Haggai, Zuchariah) Ruth, Lamentations, Esther, and Bahi'el. The name of C. T. Tunks, Tauranga, appears in the gazette notice of May 29, as having successfully passed the Civil Service Examination — junior class. From a possible 2,400 marks he obtained 1,351, and appears as No. 20 in the order of merit, out of 44 which passed the .examination. Eighty were examined. The ordinary meeting or" the District School Committee took place on Tuesday afternoon, at the Secretary's office, Strand. The ordinary routine business was transacted, there being nothing of special public interest.

We arc glad to notice the arrival of a representative of the New Zealand Tobaccogrowing and Manufacturing Company, Limited, to" confer with the farmers and settlers of the district on this all important industry. Mr Maafen has brought with him a supply of pure seed, which- he can furnish to intending growers. We hope the interest in this industry will be kept alive, and those settlers who hav6 hitherto had some experiences in the cultivation of . the leaf will support the efforts of the Tobacco -growing Company in their endeavours to spread the more perfect knowledge necessary for the development of this branch of farming throughout the Colony. No climate is better adapted for its pursuit than our own. The fishing trade in these waters is forcing itself upon the attention of all. Mr Robert Galloway, one of our enterprising fishermen, made a grand haul of fish at Bowentown, Katikati, on Monday last, and secured a large number of schnapper, which he is preparing to fill large orders he has on hand for inland buyers, and from Grisborne. The smokedfish industry is one which must sooner or later command public attention ; and our local fishermen should be supported, and a move made to erect proper fish-curing houses, so as to profit by the experience of these men. Mr A. W. Fisher writes to us as follows : — " Canon Johnston has given notice that at the monthly meeting of the Katikati School Committee, upon the 14th inst., he will move that the Board of Education be petitioned to remove No. 1 school from its present site to the Tuapiro River. At present the school is so placed, that it only benefits one family — that of Captain Macmillan — whilst, should the site be changed, several families will be placed within convenient distance of the school. The Rev. mover and another settler, residing near the Tuapiro River, have offered free sites for the school on their properties.

Akuhata Tupaea, native assesor, of Rangiwaea, Tauranga, donned the blue ribbon on Monday, and is very much pleased at the pledge he has taken. He is anxious to obtain the necessary papers that he may enrol the members of his hapu. Tupaea is the eldest son of Hori Tupaea (deceased), who was the highest chief connected with the Turanga natives, and personal friend of Sir George Grey. It is impossible to avoid making some comment upon the discussion at the Borough Council meeting on Monday last, touching tho constitution of the Harbour Board. It seoms to us suicidal policy to upset the results arrived at by the Committees who met in conference on this subject. Will experience never teach our good citizens that the cat and dog way of conducting business is what has strangled every effort that has been made here towards real advancement ? The satisfaction with which we recorded the unique occasion on which a harmonious conclusion was reached seems to have been premature. But we certainly thought that our councillors were above such pettinesses as squabbling over mere words. The result will simply be that the County Council will tell the committee of the Borough Council to mind their own business, and it will be a well-deserved rebuke. What it oan possibly lead to is difficult to say, but we feel constrained, in justice to those members of the Borough Council who, with the Mayor, constituted the first committee, to say that they have been treated very cavalierly, and the wiser counsels prevail the better for everybody. The loss of time to the district means very much more to the ratepayers than the supposed loss of prestige by the dignified oppositionists. A whole afternoon wasted in useless wrangling will never advance this place. We sympathise with the late committee in this instance, but have none with the newly formed one.