MONTHLY SUMMARY FOR THE ENGLISH OCTOBER MAIL. GENERAL SUMMARY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2865, 1 October 1866, Page 5

MONTHLY SUMMARY FOR THE ENGLISH OCTOBER MAIL.

GENERAL SUMMARY.

The events of the past month have been singularly devoid of interest. In genera] politics ' there is little or nothing to write about. ; The "reformed" Stafford Government has managed to 'fhang together," and ' be allowed to conduct the affairs of the colony on sufferance during the recess. This .singular 1 piece of fortune is principally ■owingto the fact that no set of men could be got. to undertake .the Government, and in partals^) to a sense of propriety, which would be slightly outraged if we had more than one of Government in a twelvemonth. •For no other reasons than these has the " reformed " Administration been permitted to, retain , office. The British public can hardly estimate these considerations at their Teal value, but those in the. mother country ( who 'have had a little " colonial experience " will have no difficulty whatever in doing so. The House of Representatives refused to reduce the public establishments, but agreed to increase the burdens on the toadiug and industrial classes, taking care to make special exceptions in favour of runholders and 1 lawyers. If a Government would set resolutely to woi*k to economise, the public establishments might easily be reduced one-third, and the service itself improved. But no politician will venture to- attack the army of officials, who are represented by a majority in the Assembly. Ando that' which is true of the General Asseihby'js likewise true of provincial, institutions.- ' "Unfortunately for the progress of the colony, the official class has monopolised legislative and administrative functions, and the whole tenor of repent legislation goes to prove that this class is deterred by no nice scruples from pushing itsf advantage to theutmost extremity of popular forbearance. Stomp duties have been imposed to keep up costly establishments, and 'these fall on ordinary trading transactions, exempting mortgages, and transactions in wool, under a special law passed for the benefit of the squatters. The Government assume that a revenue of £50,000 per annum will be raised from stamps. Legacy and succession duty comes within the schedule of the bill. The Government likewise propose to levy a duty of Bs. per gallon on spirits manufactured in the colony, the duty on imported spirits being 12s. per gallon. An amended Post-office Bill has been intooduced by the Government, which will have the effect of greatly restricting the circulation of newspapers. The postage on newspapers will be as follows : — On all newspapers posted within the colony for transmission via Panama or Marseilles, threepence ; and on all other newspapers posted within the colony a charge of one penny each ; together with an approximate charge, equal to the actual amount paid by the Government to any other Government or company for their transmission, which additional charge is to be fixed by order in Council, published in the New Zealand Gazette, As the session is drawing to a close, the business Before tl«> House increases, and the real work of legislation is being scrambled through. Itis quite hopeless to attempt tosteni the tide of extravagance, which nothing but the extraordinary elasticity of the country has enabled it to bear up against hitherto. So long as the goldfiejds are productive, and the great bulk of the population remain indifferent to politics, so long will the official classes and the squatters uphold a lavish expenditure ; but should any sudden change for the worse take place, there must be a total collapse of the administrative system. It now costs one million sterling, in round numbers, to govern two hundred thousand souls, and yet the average of crime is lower, in proportion to the population, than in many countries more economically ruled. The province of Auckland is taking power to raise a fresh loan of £250,000, to enable it to complete the settlement of the Waikato and East Coast districts. The news from native districts is not of any great interest. There is still something doing oh the West Coast in the way of destroying life, the latest report being that the Hauhaus had fired upon a convoy and killed one man. Major McDonnell, who commands the colonial forces there, is expected to give a good account of them. The Auckland natives are generally pacific. We are glad to state that the work of beneficial settlement is steadily progressing in this province. The season has been favourable for farm operations ; but during the past month there has been rather more than an average fall of rain. Trade is dull. The health of the community is good.