Monthly Summary FOR HOME READERS. GENERAL SUMMARY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4180, 6 January 1871, Page 6

Monthly Summary FOR HOME READERS. GENERAL SUMMARY.

DuniNG tlie courae of the past month we havo been enabled to form some estimate of the feeling with which the new postal contract entered into with the American company is regarded throughout New Zealand, and in Sydney and Me' bourne. We are glad to say that in this colony the opinion is that the contract is a most judicious one, and it ha 9 met with very general approval. This is so, because, ■while ifc secures to .New Zealand those advantages which will undoubtedly accrue from a well-conducted mail service via San Erancisco, it does not exalt one province at the expense or to the exclusion of another. Prom Canterbury we hear that the contract is considered to be one of an eminently satisfactory nature, and|that it will stand the test of meeting the requirements of the whole colony as a first-class mail, passenger, and commercial service. In Ota :o, too, where Mr. Vogel is not usually accorded his due, the expression of satisfaction at this contract is unanimous. At Napier, the chief town and port of the province of Hawke's Bay, on the eastern side of the North Island, which the contractor's agent refused to allow the steamers to call at, a meeting was held on the 13th ultimo to memorialise the General Government to endeavour to make Hawke's Bay one of the ports of call for the new mail service; and the following resolution was passed :— " That the meeting con- " gratulates the Hon. the Postmaster- " General upon the advantageous postal " contract he has made with the North " Pacific Transportation Company, but " desireo to express its regret that no " provision has yet been made for the " mail steamer calling at the UoH "of Napier." There can we think be no doubt but that the contract under Line No. 2 will be the one adopted as soon as the new Assembly meets, for from every portion of the colony thin has been the expressed desire. Neither is it to be supposed that, because the arrangements for the new mail service meet with such general approval, and are spoken of as beingso highly advantageous, we in New Zealand rejoice in thinking that we have made a good or sharp bargain. We pay, or rather are ready to pay, a good sum for a good service, efficient, and well conducted; find at the same time we mean to reap every benefit from it— and those will be not a few — that we fairly and. honourably can. It will be only the juab reward of that spirit of enterprise which has characterised every step that New Zealand has taken in the effort to draw nearer by the ties of commerce and friendship to our American cousins. Whilst we are able to speak favourably of the reception which the contract has met with in this colony, it is with no small degree of regret that we notice the tone adopted by the Press of Sydney and Melbourne in writing on this subject. No pains have been taken to conceal the annoyance that is felt at New Zealand having obtained such favourable terms, whilst the consciousness that it is solely through their own fault that they have been quietly passed over, and the service entered upon without their having been consulted, makes their disappointment the keener. Melbourne, through the Argus, admits that " this intentional " snubbing was not to be wondered at,con- " 3idering that it has been invited by the " inexplicable apathy of our own Govern"ment;" but yet takes encouragement, vainly however as we know, in the idea that it is at the option of Victoria to connect with the service at Fiji, for that is impossible under the terms of Line No. 2. New South Wales appears to be equally indignant at the precautions that New Zealand has taken in securing all the advantages to herself, and the leading journal suggests that the newlyappointed agent for that colony should go home by way of Washington, and try to overthrow the arrangements entered into with New Zealand. A more ungracious act has seldom been urged in the columns of a newspaper of the high standing of the Sydney Morning Herald. We only hope that in this case it ia not thfl index i of the feeling of the people of Hew South Wales. Putting this aside, however, as the outburst of the moment, we are sure that in a short time our sister colonies will come forward and contribute their due proportion towards arrangements which, though to the common advantage, this colony has been obliged to conclude single-handed, and the responsibility for which is hers alone, but which she will equitably carry out in the interests of all the Australasian colonies. In our last summary we had to record the murder of a surveyor in the Wailcato district, at the boundary of the confiscated land, and we then expressed our opinion that it would turn out to be the result of personal animosity on the part of some natives towards Mr. Todd on account of some wrong, real or imaginary. There have been conflicting rumours as to the cause of this murder, and some have even said that it was a " take " or ohallenge by the Maoris, and was a signal for the commencement of another outbreak. This statement would appear to receive some colouring from the intelligence lately received in town, that some turbulent natives have been reported as assembling in the vicinity of our outsettlements. Tills may Ho accounted for by the following : Certain friendly chiefs -^Rrere se'nfc up to demand the surrender of the murderers, aud were met with a refusal by Manuhiri, who is styled the King's Prime Minister. Since then Mr. McLean, the member of the General Government who ia entrusted with the charge of native affairs, issued a proclamation, a parfc of which is as follows ;— " Let those murderers be delivered up that they might be tried according to law, that this evil may be carefully investigated, lesfc the many may be punished for the crimes of one individual, of two men, or more." The natives appear to hare construed this to mean that bodies of the Armed Constabulary would be sent into their territory to take the murderers, and this they are apparently determined to resist ; hence the mustering. Item, the leading chief] of the Ngatimaniopoto, is reported j to have expressed his disapproval of the murder ; and various other tribes on the East Coast and at the Thames have j strongly dissented from ifc. Whatever may be the result, we cannot and do not shut our eyes to the fact that some few .of the native race are in an excited state ; I and great care, combined with judicious firmness, must be exeroised in dealing with them. * The Provincial Council is still in session, and has a considerable amount of Work to get through. As it was upon the EsfctmAtee fop the 6up#enfc y«a* thai tk« late Executive Tfaa- defeated, it was to be expected that upon them also there would be with, the present holders of iomc^, -and a vote of want of confidence in the new men wag moved.

Ib failed, however, for there were but 14 for it, whilst 20 voted against it. Hie Rstimates as brought down afresh do not present any great difference as_ to- totals of income and expenditure. What ditfereneo there is in the latter consist m the amounts set apart for the vanwis requirements of the province, and the chief feature is the cutting down ot wfe*t may be called the departmental expenses, whereby a greater sum has been rendered available for other things. The Estimate* , have now been passed without any con-j siderable alterations. The only other, matter of outside interest is the progress, that has been made in the new Licensing; Act, some clauses of which are of vrtat' importance to the well being of the comniunitv. One, the 22nd, embraces what is knovru by the frienda of .temperance as i the permissive clause, and upon it there j has been a warm discussion. Ine ClaUfle was postponed, but there seems to > be every likelihood of its passing. Other clauses bear reference to the adulteration of liquors, and provide for the analysis Ol | such. The machinery, however, a* devised , does not seem to be all that is required, and there will doubtless be found a difficulty in dealing with the question as to who is to be made responsible for the adulteration. That the present Act is lamentably deßeient is self-evident, and it is to be hoped that our provincial legislators will pass suck a measure aa will be a credit to themselves and to the province, and will do something, though it may be but little, towards checking the giant curse of the colonies. The G-eneral Assembly has at last been dissolved, and the'new writs are issued, returnable by the 25th of February, at which time also the new members are to assemble. Thia election will be' held under the new Act, and will be by ballot. At present there seems every certainty that the Fox Government will be materi ally strengthened in the number of its supporters. The goldfields continue to furnish considerable supplies of gold, and just before Christmas there was an unusually large number of small parcels troughs in, the produce of various claims all over the field. The new track from Tararu to Coromandel northward through the peninsula is to be started at once, if indeed it has not already been commenced, and will be of great service in opening up the country. The Duke of Edinburgh arrived in Auckland on December Bth from Sydney, via New Caledonia. His Koyal Highness has paid a rapid visit to the East Coast District, where he was warmly welcomed by the settlers and by the loyal tribe of Arawas. While in the neighbourhood he took the opportunity of visiting the celebratod Lakes and Hot-springs of the Taupo district, at which he was highly pleased. On the 23fa December, the Prince, who is President of the Auckland Choral Society, took a leading part in the performance of the oratorio of" The Messiah," and on Wednesday last the officers and crew of the ' Galatea \>ave a very successful concert in aid of the ' Captain ' Eelief Fund The hall, which is calculated to hold at least 700, was crowded, and numbers were unable to gain admis sion. In consequence, H.R.H., when thanking the public for their attendance, promised a repetition of the concert in aid of one of the local charities, and this^ took place last evening. The ' Galatea ' remains in harbour, we believe, till after the arrival of the mail from San Fran cisco, due on the llth. We are sure that the good people of this town will have many pleasant reminiscences ot the second visit of this noble vessel and her royal captain. By the mail steamer which leaves tomorrow, the Hon. J. Vogel, Colonial Treasurer, proceeds home. Herr and Mrs. Bandmann, who have been playing to crowded houses, and who have well maintained the reputation which preceded them, are also passengers. The ' Timaru,' from London, arrived on the Bth December and the' City of Auckland ' on the llth, after a very rapid passage. The ' Aboukir ' took her departure for the same port on the 10th, with a cargo valued at £26,800. Of this, the value of the wool was £6,835; cotton, £8,870 ; cotton seed, £1,000 ; and kauri gum, £7,450. The ' Countess of Kintore is also ready for sea, and takes home a cargo of the estimated value of £21,000, and 15,4470z. of gold, worth £49,600. Gum and wool are the chief items of her cargo, and are set down at £11,725 and £5,000 respectively. The ' City of Melbourne' arrived behind time from Honolulu with the English mail, on the 17th December. The telegrams to November 28 via Suez and Melbourne, arrived on Wednesday last, and the mail itself is due to-day.