Monthly Summary FOR HOME READERS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVI, Issue 4154, 6 December 1870, Page 6

Monthly Summary FOR HOME READERS.

GEN T Ell\L StTMM.UIY.

In laying before our readers our usual summary <d" intelligence for tho pist month, we must give tho first, place to v brief digest of the urrangemenis for a now Pacific postal sorvie\ which have been made between the PostmasterGeneral of this, colony aud Mi*. W. H. Neilson, the representative of tho .North Pacific Transportation Company. The present servi.-s, as carried out by Mr. Hall, has always been regarded as a temporary one, and, while it has shown the practicability of tlio route, it has also demonstrated the conditions which are required to make that route, n success. To effect this end, it was resolved in the last session oi' tho Assembl}' to vote £40,000 as a subsidy to a line of mail steamers running from Sail Francisco, and making a Now Zealand port the terminus. This colony had been at the expense of opening up the San Francisco route, ut a tima when other colonies held alooi', and it . was felt that she was justifiably entitled to retain tho. position whi.h alio had won. The arrangements, which arc to come into operation on the 16th of February next, will in all respects enable her to do this. They are fov a service of ten years, or i'ov three years only, if within six months from the arrival of the first vessel of tho new linn at Wellington the Legislative Assembly shall so decide. There are four different schemes sketched out, and designated, respectively, Lines 1, 2, 3, and 4>. In each it is arranged that the mail-boat shall call at Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, and Port Chalmers, this last port being the terminus. This plan alone, willeiisure tho favourable reception of the contract by the whole of tho colony, for it will do away with the jealousies which have always existed relative to being made the " port of call." In each lino also two ports, may be visited for coaling purposes between San Francisco and Auckland, but they are to be within the Hawaiian, Society, Navigator, or Fijian groups of islands. But here the points of similarity cease. Line No. 1 is only to be temporary, as one of the other three will have to be adopted under conditions set forth in the contract. The payment for this line, is to be £40,000 for twelve complete services. There is to be no connection effected between either of the coaling ports and any port iv New Caledonia or in Australia. And any subsidies received from other colonies arc to bo equally divided between the New Zealand Go vernment and the contractor. Line No. 2 differs from the foregoing in that it provides for thirteen complete services in the year, and the contractors are to establish a branch steamer from Auckland to Sydney. They may also establish nny other branches, but only fro n New Zealand ports. The payment for this line is to be 60,000 per annum, and all subsidies received from the Australian colonies or from New Caledonia are to belong wholly to tho New Zealand Government. If the Post-master-General does not give notice within six months after the arrival of the first, boat at Wellington to adopt this I line, the contractors may elect to carry } out either Line No. 3or No. 4. LineiNo. 3 is similar to No. 1, but the contractors j receive all subsidies, less 10 per cent, to I the New Zealand Government, and they j may establish any branches they please, but only from' ports in this colony. The I payment for this is to be £40,000. Line No. 4 differs from the previous one, in that the contractors may establish branches from the Fijis to Australia or New Caledonia, and may make such arrangements as they please regarding subsidies. For this line £30,000 is to be the payment. There are of course the usual bonds and penalties indicated in the contract. The steamers are to be exempt from all port, light, or wharfage, dues or charges in New Zealand. Tho time between San Francisco and Auckland is to be twentyfour days. The contractors agree, subject to a penalty of £1,000 per annum, to procure from the United States an exemption from all the charges for mails between San Francisco and London, and between New i'ork and San Francisco, as ' now imposed under tho convention between the United States and Great Britain. Tbey also agreo to use their best endeavours to secure a concession, under which wool, the produce of any colony contributing to the mail subsidy, and the fibre of the phormium tenax produced in New Zealand, shall be admitted into the States dutyfree. The memorandum of the Post-master-General on these mail contracts, which will be found in another part of this issue, indicates the many advantages which will accruo to this colony by adopting Line No. 2 ; and, though the amount is apparently larger than that which the Assembly sanctioned, yot we think that our Legislators will act in the same spirit which , they have already evinced in this matter, and, by agreeing to the increased expense, secure to New Zealand the power of treating with the various colonies for the transmission of their mails. The new line ia to be called " The United States, New Zealand, and Australia Steam-Packet Line," and the first steamer, the ' Nebraska,' i 3 to leave San Francisco on the 16th February next.

In the Provincial. Council, business matters are just now at a standstill, the Government having been beaten by a majority of four on the question of the Estimates, which were not deemed satisfactory. In accordance with the theory of responsible government, the Executive have resigned, and the mover of the hostile vote has been sent for. Now, more time will he, wasted, five weeks having already been spent to very little purpose, as a new Executive will hardly be expected 1 to be ready to meet the Council at once, unless they take up their predecessors' work. Meanwhile, the province is waiting for the passing, of several important measures which are absolutely necessary for its Well-being. About hhlf- of : the - Highways Act has passed through the committee, and a few clauses'of the* Education Act, The former will possibly- b&jepried on by the new Government; .hUtin th& latter the main features will,, we^Yaney^he altered. Jl very iihpbrtaht alscussionlately took place in the Council relative to the disposal of two portions of this city known as the Albert and the Fort Britomart Barracks, formerly belonging to the j Imperial Government, but handed over to ? the General Government since the temoval of the military. They are to be la^)|OT^r^|pi^;;ii % tbjßi disposal" of the ProTinciad Government, when the Council hassettle^what to do with them. This #&f <le^^^ '.';' Fort Britomw^^^^ Bis^s&^il^ tov: the; Harbour. Endpwmehtsjubut a question arose as to

what was to be done with the Albert Barracks and reserves, which -are nlfco gether about 40 acres in- extent, and suitably situated for a park. It, was decided .to hand them over to the Harbour Cummisjioncrs,', provided that one-half, be reserved as a. public recreation ground; and that the residue thereof be let, or otherwise disposed -of by the Harbour Commissioners, according to plans, to conditions as to the streets and the character of tho buihrnga, and all ojher necessary matters, to be approved of by the Council. We should not" havo noticed this matter at length, but that, the intention is that, with the proceeds derived, either by salt! or lease of, or by borrowing ujv>n, the property, a large graving-dock shall be constructed iv this harbour. While we are about, it, wo intend to have a big one, such as will admit of the largest of the large vessels likely to be employed in the new mail line.

The. growing importance of the trade with the South Sea Island*, and the necessity of drawing it to ourselves; are forcing themselves upon tho notice of our merchants and settlers generally. The Superintendent, in a raessago to the Council, suggested to that body the propriety, of sub.sidisim, a steamer to the Fijis. Tho question, however, was postponed till the consideration of tho Kstimates camo on, and ii not yet decided. Seeing that the want is likely to bo supplied by the American boats calling at one or other of the islands, the province will, we imagine, be enabled to save the item requisite for the proposed subsidy, viz., some £3,000 a-year. We regret to have to record tho murder of Mr. Todd, a surveyor, by sorae natives, on Sunday, the 27th ultimo. It appears that Todd's party were surveying at Pirongia, in the Upper Waikato, a block of land granted as compensation to tho Ngatihikairo natives by the Government. There had been jealousy expressed by the Kingites at this land, which is within the boundary of the confiscated territory, being given to tho tribe abovenamed, and it seems that some sort of a warning was given to the survey party that they would be fired upon if they crossed the line between the confiscated land aud the Hauhau property. This warning was slighted, and some trespass has most likely caused tho lamentable occurrence. That the affair is rather a personal quarrel on the part of the natives than an outbreak, is evidenced by the fact that the body was left untouched, and nothing but a theodolite taken from the tent in which Todd was sitting when shot. The general aspect which native matters present is satisfactory. In proof of this wo may mention that those natives who were engaged in the murder of the Rev. Mr. Whiteley, the missionary, some years back, are regarded by the King natives as outcasts, and not allowed to dwell with their tribe. A rumour is current that Te Kooti is about to put in an appearance in the scene of his former exploits (the Opotiki district!, but whether bent on mischief or not is matter of Uncertainty.

It ia not decided, so far as wo at present know, when the elections for the Assembly are fco take place, and there is just now a cessation of the excitement which prevailed a {ew weeks ago. The contests will bo fought out between the supporters of what is known hero as a modified protection and the supporters of the principles of free trade. This protection, if it can bo so called, is simply a temporary means of fostering and aiding the establishment and growth of colonial industries, until they are able to compete successfully with foreign rivals. During the month, two leading members of the House who look an active part in the opposition to the Ministerial policy, viz., his Honor the Superintendent and Mr. Header Wood, have addressed the electors of tho districts for which they are candidates, and defended the action which they took in the Assembly. It is expected that the general result of the elections will be largely in favour of the present Government.

A movement has been set on foot having for its aim the development of local industries, and is called the New Zealand Local Industry League. The Thames goldfield continues to progress, though at present but, slowly. It is suffering a recovery from the insane speculation in bubble companies, which are now being wiped out of existence with tolerable rapidity. From Coromandel the news continues to be from week to week most satisfactory, and we believe that ultimately this will prove to be the richest part of the field.

We are happy to be able to report the increasing demand for the coals from our Kawakawa mines at the Bay of Islands. They are quietly yet surely displacing the Newcastle coal in general use throughout the city and suburbs. As a late instance of the favour into which New Zealand coal is coming, we may state that the A.S.N. Co., of Sydney, have determined that their steamers trading, to this port shall' call at the Bay for the "coal requisite for the voyage back. It is also arranged that the coal shall be tried on the new line of mail steamers, where we have no doubt the result will prove satisfactory. We should not be doing justice if we omitted to mention that glassworks, though on a small scale, have been successfully established in this town. We have here also a distillery lately set in operation ; and, a few days back, Messrs . Whitson and Sons, who have been for some time in Auckland, opened their new brewery, which is perhaps the largest in the colony. The Duke of Edinburgli is expected here to-morrow, the 7th, from iNoumea, New Caledonia, having left Sydney for that port last month.

The Supreme Court commenced its sessions yesterday. The calendar, though rather long, contains no very serious cases.

The English aud European mails, via San Francisco, were delivered in Auckland on November 11, the ' Wonga Wonga* having occupied a little more than 16 days in the run from Honolulu. The 'James Paterson' arrived from Sydney on the 28th ultimo, bringing telegrams of European news dated November 2. The mail has not, however, yet arrived.