GENERAL SUMMARY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2822, 11 August 1866, Page 5

GENERAL SUMMARY.

The task of writing a supplemental summary of news, for the Suez mail, in continuation of oursummary edition of the Ist instant, is an easy one. Were we to say that we have nothing to report worth the space necessary to chronicle it, we should be very near the mark. Our latest advices from Wellington inform us .that Mr. Whitaker's resolutions, for the better government of this province, were rejected in the House of Representatives by a majority of 44 to 19. Amended resolutions, drafted to meet the objections of a Southern section, were to be introduced; but inasmuch as we know nothing of what has been doneregardingthem, we abstain from comment. The position of the Separationists is not, however", worse than it was before the debate on these resolutions, because the majority was obtained by the management of the Government. Old members familiar with the financial condition and requirements of the colony, and otherwise opposed to the political Separation of the islands, voted with Mr. Whitaker, and are prepared to go farther. "We look forward to the financial proposals of Mr. Stafford's Government as the very best argument that could be used in favour of Separation.' The South must prepare itself for fresh taxation to conserve the misgovernment of the native population of the North ; and that is what we are hardly prepared to think it will consent to do. Better to escape taxation, and manage the municipal affairs of the South, than to neglect home interests, and to pay through the nose to enable a few ambitious men to air their vanity, by conducting a foreign department of Government. With the exception of the frequency of fires, there is no local news to chronicle in Auckland. The natives are "quiet," and were the management of them left entirely to the Northern settlers, we should hear nothing more of war. The notorious fanatics, Kereopa and Patara, are said to be recruiting in the TJriwera country, and a descent on Opotiki is not improbable ; but anything like systematic warfare on the East Coast is out of the question. Murders there may be — massacres even — but war on a large scale cannot be undertaken by these natives. By way of Panama, we have been able to publish details of the bombardment of Callao, and defeat of the Spaniards ; we have likewise had London evening papers of the 2nd June. If this service could be so carried out as to give us a fortnightly mail with England, in conjunction with the Suez service, it would be of the greatest possible advantage. As it now stands, we fail to perceive any equivalent for the heavy money expenditure, which is now entirely borne by this colony. The weather is very fine, and those engaged in the country settlements speak highly of the progress of agricultural operations. Trade is dull.