The Press. MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1872.

Press, Volume XIX, Issue 2705, 1 January 1872, Page 2

The Press. MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1872.

The telegraphic summary of news by the English November mail resembles those we have been receiving for the last few months. -It contains little or

ference. Tefc no eooner does be present himself to epeak on a /formal /occasion, in hie twofold capacity of Etemier of Great Britain, and leader of the. Houae of Commons, than the crowd of reporters, required to satisfy the demands of the audience to which his speech is actually addressed, is enough without an) addition to constitute a moderate meeting. By the next morning there was no part of the American Union, even to the remotest regions of the West, to which, not only the general bearing of the speech, but the very words of the orator, had not been transmitted. The telegraph wires will shortly extend to Australia, and the utterances of English statesmen will be echoed at the Antipodes. So rapidly are men of English-speaking race dominating the globe, and so immense has grown the circle within which the words of a great English Minister are received with respect and

interest. Another remarkable speech is recorded, made by Mr Butt, the newly elected member for Limerick, who, it seems, has endeavored to enlist the people of Glasgow -in the cause of Irish independence. What connection there is between Mr Butt and Glasgow, or why he chose that town of all places in Great Britain to ventilate his doctrine of home-mle, is more than we can guess. Mr Butt is a bold man to meet Mr Gladstone on his own ground. We should like to know how a serious proposal to disintegrate the United Kingdom was received in the first commercial city of Scotland. We are glad to hear that Mr Bright's health is so restored as to enable him to return to public life. His loss was severely felt by the Ministry last session. It is not likely, we think, that he will take office again; nor, so swiftly has tbe tide of opinion run of lale, that he will occupy the same leading position, or represent so exactly the prevailing political sentiment of the day, even among the working classes, as he did before bis retirement. Still his intellectual force and eloquence must make him a power in the Senate and the State. In some respects the influence of a statesman whose zeal for progress is undeniable, but who knows how to avoid pushing forward too fast and too far, will, in the present condition of affairs, be peculiarly valuable. The news of another convalescence will also be received with pleasure. The Queen's health has so much improved that she has returned to Windsor. It is to be hoped that henceforth she will be induced to iudulge less persistently in that habit of seclusion which has exercised so prejudicial an effect on the public mind. All that Mr. Disraeli said of her Majesty's indefatigable application to business is no doubt perfectly true; but the most conscientious performance of the private duties of Eoyalty will not con pensate for the neglect of those public duties of which alone the people can take cognizance, and which play no small part in maintaining the Throne as a public institution. We hear nothing, by the way, about the proposal to establish a Regency or to empower tbe Chancellor to affix the sign-manual to documents, which were stated in the last American telegrams to be under discussion in the Cabinet. In all probability both reports were merely specimens of the canards which are usually to be met with in the news we get via, San Francisco. The Continental news is singularly scanty. Of France, we only hear that the Government continue to raise funds enough to meet the successive instalments of tbe war indemnity. The other noticeable items are, that the cholera has made it re-appearance in Constantinople, and that the Pope prefers remaining at the Vatican to accepting an asylum in France, which has been offered him by M. Thiers. But the main feature of the mail's news is the commercial intelligence. This is exceedingly favorable. All the staple produce of New Zealand, and everything almost in which the colony has any interest, have risen in value. Of the advance in the price of wool, at the October sales particulars were "••■■ "tx _rr 3Kp £!i3rato*<'" a " 3! *^*^

not be confined to thelk'glisn-spealring race who have already.''encompassed the globe, but by all the civilised world who follow the samereckoning and adopt the same eusW 018 - For the world at the preaen6|B»oment is in n very different conditit? fr ? m wbs *t il va* a year ago. At tip ll t-ime all eyes were anxiously turned§ n the direction of France. There the gfeateat struggle which modem times fHave witnessed was being fought out t| the bitter end. The Germans had overrun unhappy France, and after defeating her annie.in every encounter, had settled down round beautiful Par& resolved to starve her into In otherdirections, also, the prospect was all too alarming. Russia appeald resolved on precipitating an open- rupture with Great Britain, while out relations with our American cousins" were far from satisfactory. We, in New Zealand, were naturally full of aoxiety as to the outcome of events, on which pur very existence so largely depended, and the news brought by each succeeding mail was eagerly devoured- Since then events have reached *their climax. France has been forced to acknowledge herself conquered, and ie'.Dow endeavoring to retrieve the loss* sustained by the war. Eugland andtAmerica have settled their difference^ and entered upon more intimate audfrieudly relations than ever. An era of commercial prosperity appears abjjut to set in under which we in thtf , colonies are likely to be largely benefited. But notwithstanding all this, has the world advanced one step towards that age of peace, for the d«wn of which we all fondly look ? It 1 ie more than eighteen hundred year* since peace and goodwill towards mn were proclaimed on the plans $: Bethlehem, but with all our boastei civilization, has our progress in that direction been very marked ? Does thffworld at the present moment appear; really like entering upon " the thousand years of peace," or on learniijg the art of war no more? We are afraid not. Every nation is arming Jo the teeth. Kussia, iv the opinion of joany is only waitiug an opportunity tojounce upon Turkey as a preliminary towards obtaining possession of our great Indian Empire. Othertcontinental nations are also anxious tf have their national boundaries adjusted, and are straining every nerve to b>. ready for the n'rst encounter. In |.c midst of all this it is surely the duty of Great Britain to use every endeavour to maintain the peace of tho«world ; but she can only secure this end by being perfectly prepared for war£

A MEETING was held on Friday last at Duvauchelle's Bay, to memoriilise the Government to adopt some mejras for permanently lowering Lakes Forsyih and Ellesmere. We can confidently recommend to the Council the consideration Of this question at their approaching meeting. Those who have not travelled along .the lakes to the Peninsula can have no idea of the immense amount of land that is rendered comparatively useless through the overflowing of the lakes, and which could be utilised at a comparatively trifling annual expense. Besides this, the road to the Peirinsula when the lakes are high is in almost an impassable state, rendering the driving of stock and the transport of all produce avery difficult matter." The Government are now constructing a good road from the Head of the Bay to Akaroa, which, until some means are adopted for lowering the lakes and rendering the road from Christchurch tojthe Head of the Bay passable at all seasons, Hiust be comparatively useless for through traffic. Were this done, a drive from Christchurch to Akaroa and Pigeon Bay woild doubtless become a favorite one, and there are few places which would then be so accessible, and which our Christchurch holiday seekers would enjoy so thoroughly as a trip round the Peninsula. Of course the advantage to the inhabitants themselves would be still greater.