THE Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5571, 5 July 1875, Page 2

THE Daily Southern Cross.

LUCEO, NON URO. If I linvo boui extlngaUhtd, }tt ther* rif* A. tliuiuaud budcoiu from tb« apwk I bor*.

MOXDAY, JULY 5, 1873;

It was just ninety-nine years yesterday since the breach between England and her American colonies culminated in the famous declaration of Independence. Viewed from any stand-point that may be assumed, the event of tho 4th July, 1776, was one of the most important in modern history. The landmarks of human history have usually been identified with the rise of great conquerors, or the gain or loss of great battles ; but it may well be questioned whether in their real importance in the history of mankind any of these events have equalled in importance the promulgation of tho declaration of American Independence. The problem of free government had been solved in England before. By successive stages, through war, bloodshed, rebellion, and dethronement, the people of the mother counti,/ had step by step advanced to full political freedom. But that it is one thing to extort freedom for themselves and quite another to respect it in others was never more fully demonstrated than in the case of the American colonies. The facts of tho American rebellion are well-known to our readers. It will be remembered that Britain was put to a large expense in maintaining the position of the colonies against France. How, when the war ended in the loss by France of her American colonies, the English Parliament considered that the colonies so largely benefitted should contribute towards the payment of the debt incurred in prosecuting the war. How, in spite of the opposition of a few, the course of imposing British taxation on the colonists who had no voice in the Government of Britain was adopted, and how its adoption led directly to opposition, outrage, and rebellion. The record is,or nught be,familiar to every colonist, because it marks and determines the rise of the modern colonial policy of England. In colonising Northern America, England had acted upon no settled plan, and had apparently lookod for no particular results. The profit of the original adventurers, the romantic glory of adding, in name at least, vast territories to the English dominions, had been tho.inoving causes in most of the new settlements. The learch by settlers for tolerance for their own opinions, and for absolute freedom for their own religious beliefs, had led to the formation of several colonies. But Britain had no colonial policy in dealing with those young states. Fortunately for them they were to a large extent let alone by the mother country. They had not appeared worth meddling with, except in the way of making grants of land to kingly favorites, which, as land was plentiful, was not felt to be much of a hardship. Thus, most fortunately for Britain herself, and for her colonies, no collision took place until the colonies were strong enough to hold their own, and teach tho mother country the great lesson that the colonies of a country were to be regarded in the light of childron, and not of servants. The Fourth of July is the anniversary of England's greatest national losson. By the declaration of American Independence she learnt the principlo on which the connection between herself and her colonies must in future be maintained, if, indeed, it were to be maintained at all. The statements which that document made were perfectly familiar to the English mind as applied to Englishmen at home, but they were decidedly novel in tho eyes of British Ministers, as applied to Englishmen abroad. That the colonist was as much entitled to the right of taxing himself, and expending his own taxes, aB tho Englishman at home could bo, was a new doctrine, and it may be doubted whether it could have been effectually taught by any lesson more gentle than that of armed and successful resistance. It may not unfairly be said that to the delegates of the newly born nation, who drew up the declaration of Independence, and to that determined people who made good that declaration, and whose triumph is told in the story of a great and powerful people, we are bound to, call our brethren — England at this moment very largely owes her greatness. England without her colonies would be a very different power from the Britain to-day. It is not her trade and commerce, not her arts and manufactures, not her army, or even her navy, not even her vast and growing wealth, that gain htr the wondering respect of thoughtful statesmen throughout Europe. It is her solitary dignity, as the mother of nations that is admired and envied, and which cannot be imitated. Neither France nor Germany, nor Italy can pretend to imitate England in this respect. Each new land becomes tho birthplace of a new nation, and that nation is a child of Britain. In all parts of the world, encircling the globe with n ring of colonies fast growing into States, the British race has achieved the unrivalled dignity of founding every new Empire that has been founded during this century, and colonizing every new country that is opened up to tho enterprise of her civilisation. And all this she owes to the bitter but salutary lesson taught her a century ago by her first great colonies. Far, thorcforo, from feeling any bitterness against the United States, England should, and we believe, upon the whole, most cordially does feel, that she owes much to her eldest colonies. If they refused to submit to injustice, and to a less share of freedom than was obtained by those who had remained in the parent country, they taught the mother country the most valuable of all lessons. If thoy rebelled against her power, and humiliated her arms, they taught her what was better than many concpeitt — to respect in others that free spirit irhioh had long been her own national boast. And it must be confessed that England has shown that greatest qualification for national success since she lias shown how well she could learn the lesson read by the misfortunes which followed on her own errors. The teachings of a century ago have not been thrown away. Her large families of colonies now existing, with their rapidly growing population imbued with a proud spirit of loyalty to the

mother country, are the proof of this. Had England treated the colonies of America but half as generously and well as she has treated those of Australasia, there would never have been a Declaration of Independence. Yet, it is hardly to be wished that the ndstako had novor been made. A hnlf policy of generosity and of justico might linvo hold the Empire together then ; but it would not hnvo built it up as her present policy. The fruit of experience is building it now. It would be rash to prophesy that all those States now growing up towards political manhood will remain part of the British Empire in time to como. That thia might be so by a wise application of the samo principles which have guided the mother country in their foundation we believe possible. The vision of a great AngloSaxon federation of nations, under the leadership of England, may, however, be too grand a political dream for realisation, although that, too, in the progress of the great march of civilisation, our children may live to behold and enjoy. But, far short of this what may, nay, what probably will be attained, by the reverent enthusiasm entertained for the mother country by a score of nourishing States will form a strength, and will add a lustre to the British Empire, beside which even the mortification and disgrace of 99 years ago must he anything but an irritating memory. The Americans are proud of " the day they celebrate," and well they may be. All who speak tho Anglo-Saxon tongue sfiaro in tho feeling, and the process of years links more and more closely together the binding chain of lelationship and respect which connect free peoples.

"We are now approaching a period when the modem augurs of the State, the wise politicians, and the pervading newspapers issue portentoxis warning!. Now it is that our young men shall see visions, and our old men dream dreams. Now may we look for eloquent leading articles, intimating that New Zealand has reached tho very crisis of her fate ; that never before in the history of tho Colony has thoro been sucli a combination of circumstances as that which now presents itself to the consideration of the Legislature. Never before, we shall be told, did Parliament meet under an aspect so grave, and having such serious issues to determine, as those which offer themselves for solution before the Parliament of New Zealand now about to meet for the last time prior to its dissolution, and previous to a new appeal to the electors of the country. A great crisis, we shall be told in solemn tones, has arisen ; the limit of our borrowing powers has, it will be argued, been reached at last ; a new constitution is demanded, and serious results may flow from the political differences of opinion from which will spring the coming struggle of parties. Public works will soon have absorbed all the new loan; Yet, though a thousand miles of railway will then have been made, the true wants of the Colony in that respect will not have been supplied. Financial and great political changes are on foot, while the chief leader of finance and that policy of constitutional change which will form tho battleground of party, is absent from the Colony. Jji view of these facts, we shall be told of the grave complications that are about to arise, and that there are few men able to cope with the position of affairs. But experience has generally shown that amidst a self-reliant people the circumstances of the time bring capacity to fulfil, with some degree of success — making allowances for the errors to which all human affairs are liable— the rcquirerhonts of th* period. The inevitable crisis lias been the cry at certain times, as regularly as Parliament has assembled, and especially when a moribund Parliament approached its final meeting. At no time were these prophecies of troublous times more insisted on than when loans which had been effected were approaching the completion of their expenditure. It has already been the cry for nearly the last score of yoars that tho limit of the borrowing power of the Colony was reached. It is the cry now among some who ore faint-hearted, and who do not have proper faith in the native vigour and progress of New Zealand colonists, as these qualities have been developed, and tho Colony has advanced in population, and rescued the land from a barren wilderness, established trade, and brought work and food to her people Nineteen years ago, when the Colony, with her few and small towns, with her limited occupation of land and her small population, and the Maori difficulty always staring her in the face as a probable contingency, borrowed a poor half a million, obtained by means of the guarantee of the Imperial Government, it was thought we should never be able to boar tho burden. Six years later, when, in 1863, the three millions loan was floated, people of little faith predicted that the Colony was ruined. Other debts were incurred ; and vast sums were spent in subduing a rebellion, which spread over many weary years, kept back the natural advance of the Colony, checked immigration, and paralysed settlement and enterprise in many fair regions of the North Island ; while, from ignorance of our geographical position, these evils had a reflex influence, detrimental in the eyes of England to the welfare of the whole colony. There was a period of depression felt in New Zealand, partly from this this cause, partly from tho timid counsels of tho people themselves, and their leaders and representatives. Five years ago the prophecies of lost credit were blown to the winds by the readiness with which the great scheme of public works and immigration found favour in the sight of British capitalists. Previously large sums had been expended in what, as regarded immediate results, was worse than waste, a war with the natives in which victory could bring but little honor, and defeat would leave dread disaster. Now a new line of progress was laid out. Works to open new lands and connect the remote districts together, and to people them with with working men and women, works to ■be highly beneficial to the country, and certain to pay largely indirectly, works remunerative to the people by additional and speedy moans of conveyance, the advantage of which wo alroady largely experience — these were the measures which were approved as a wise policy, and found a prompt answer to their appeal to the money market of England. Similarly now when the latest loan whioh has recently been obtained, lire we hearing Jeremiads from some of probable financial disastor, and times of trouble, and Colonial poverty. Yet, as w» havo shown, we shall within the next few months possess nearly 600 miles of railway, tho most cheaply formed in the world, yet fitted for our traffic for many years to come, and by tho time the loan is expended New Zealand will have upwards of a thousand miles of railroads. These are reproductive works which, although they may not immediately and directly pay in full tho interest of the loan required for their construction, are yet valuable assets as part security of the loan, and offer a marked contrast to the expenditure of former loans which were dropped in the unremunerative works of war. Sir George GitEvhas shown that ho does not share in the fear that more monoy cannot

be obtained if it should be required to give further impetus to such works of peace as are now in progress throughout the country. He told the large audience who listened to him fully three months sinco in the Choral Hall that there was ample security in the country on which to borrow many millions more if these millions were properly spent, and we cordially concur in the belief he expressed. Not that it will bo necessary or advisable to borrow more money for a considerable time to come ; but there is no question whatever that the principle of a railway is extension, and the time will come when the railway scheme, so fur as provision has been made for it, will require to be further extended. Looking to the future, and judging by the past, considering how settlement has spread and labour has found its reward, beholding the elasticity of our revenue and the growth of our commerce, remembering what large and rich tracts of land are yet wasting for settlement and cultivation, and seeing what it has been possible for labor, industry, and capital to produce in the past, we have no no fear for the future of Zealand, and no sympathies with those Jeremiahs who are ever offering up on the altar of their own lamentations prophecies which past experience has falsified, and the accuracy of which the promises of the future tend strongly to deny. As for the political question, which at present points to constitutional changes, that will occupy a much more simple position than that which was attempted to assign to it last year. The General Government, we have reason to believe, will take up the entire question of total abolition of the provinces from one end o* the Colony to the other, so that any side issues will be entirely removed, and the doctrine of absolute abolition of the provincial system of New Zealand will be that which will attract the attention of the House of Representatives. That is what the country has to face. That it will meet it without any of those great crises to which it is, at this time of the year, the fashion to refer we do not doubt. Public opinion has been well expressed, both North and South, on the subject, and the Government will act wisely in substituting, as they must do, the issue of tot.*l abolition for that partial movement which pleased no one ; and was at best an abortive half-measure.

The necessity for establishing telegraphic communication on the raUway from station to station no one will dispute. If such necessity exists on a double line of rail ; it is far more pressing when but one line is laid down. If any proof of the urgency of such a telegraph were required it would be found in a circumstance which occurred at Newmarket station on Saturday morning, and the particulars of which are supported by a passenger of whose veracity and accmacy we can entertain no question. The train from Waikato clue at Auckland terminus on Saturday morning at 10.8, was stopped at Newmarket by the station-master there, who told the guard that a goods train was expected from Auckland, and that he (the guard) should not have left Penrose Junction until that goods train had arrived there. Obedient to the instructions of the station-master, the guard stopped tho train. Ten minutes elapsed, and at the end of that time our informant states that the station-master told the guard that as the train had not come, he had better go on to Auckland. This the guard declined to do unless he first had the statiomnaster's instructions in writing. These were given, and the train went on, passed through the tunnel, and arrived at Auckland station where the good* twin was ready to start. Probably this train may have been waiting for the arrival of the passenger train, although, if we mistake not, the regulation is for a train to start at its appointed time, but this on* from some cause or other was late. But supposing even that it was waiting at Auckland for the arrival of the up train ; there was the up train also waiting for the arrival of the goods train at Newmarket, thus creating a double delay. We argue only from the circumstances told to us, ami theicappears a complication which might have turned out seriously. Had the goods train started five minutes earlier, as apparently it might have done, seeing it was expected at Newmarket for some time, — or had it not been waiting for the paisenger train (and we do not know that it was. - The station-master at Newmarket evidently did not know whether it was so,— it was only know n that "there was a train somewhere" ) there would most probably have been a rather awkward collision. If the up train should have stopped at Penrose, Why was it permitted to pass that station? If a down train was expected from Addkland at Nowinarket, and the station-master at the latter place detained the up train ten minutes because of that looked for arrival, why was the order to proceed given at tlie expiry of the ten minutes, when the expected train had not made its appearance, and its whereabouts did not seem to be known, while this very delay would naturally reduce the time between its advent and the despatch of the up train, and thus add to the possibility of the two trains meeting, to avoid which danger the up train was detained? Some blundering waa evident, and it might have been a dangerous blunder, which telegraphic communication between each station would almost, if not wholly, prevent.

The following are the analyses of three samples of limestone submitted to Mr. Tanuy, the Provincial Analyst, by Mr. Q* M'Leod, of tho Bay of Islands. The stone comes from somewhere in the vicinity of the Bav:—

The quarterly sitting of the Supremo Court for criminal business will be opened thia morning at the C'ourt-liouae, by his Honor Mr. Jmtico Gillies. There is a very light calendar, and his Honor'o charge to the Gaud Jury will, therefore, not be likely to contain any features of special interest. We mentioned a few days ago that there was on exhibition at Mr. Chapman's, bookseller, a very artistically executed painting of flowers, by Mrs. Stratford, of Paruell, and which hail been greatly admired by all who had inspected it. The flowers are true copies of nature's productions, grown at St. Barnabas Point, and we have now to mention that a companion picture has been finished, and is on exhibition at Mr. Chapman's They are well worthy of an inspection by all true admirers of art. A narrow escape from drowning occurred to Constable Day, of Ohinemuri, on Saturday night. He was hurrying down the wharf at Tararu, carrying a portmanteau in his hand when, in the intense darkness, ho missed his way and walked over the side. Fortunately the portmanteau was not over full, and, as he retained it in his grasp, it served as a buoy upon which ho Hoated for some time, uutil drifted agaiust one of the pilos of the wharf. Hero lie was rescued, nothing the woise for his immersion. Mr. W. Hampton Thorpe, of Wairoa ■writes denying the statements which have been published to the effect that his sheep were drowned in the late Hood, and that thoir drowned carcases were lying about on the roadside near Lindsay's. The statements, ho says, are entirely incorrect ; he says, also, that it is untrue that he lost 20 or 30 sheep by the flood. A correspondent, writing from Ohineinutu, says : — A great deal of sickness prevails at present, most of our European population being laid up with some ailment or other.

The annual meeting of the ratepayers in the Point Chevalier Highway District, is advertised to be held on the 20th instant at the Northern Hotel, Great North Road, at seven o'clock in the evening. The footpath on the south side of Cookstreet, opposite to the Christian, Meetinghouse, is iu a most disgraceful and dangerous state. The quantity of water that at times runs down that street has washed away the clay by the side of the footpath to the depth of 4 or 5 feet, and a large portion of the footpath has slipped away making it very dangerous to travel after nightfall. The authorities responsible should look to the matter before some serious accident happens. On Friday evening a meeting of Germans was held in the Thames Hotel, for the purpose of reviving the German Club in Auckland. Mr. Bucholz, the German consul, occupied the chair. On the motion of Mr. Diethelin it was resolved that a German Club be formed in Auckland. Mr. Bucholz was appointed president of the club, Mr. G. Von der Heyde, M.H.R., vice-president, Mr. Butschkove secretary, and Mr. Schwartz, treasurer. A committe, cons : sting of Messrs. Bucholz, Von der Heyde, Diethelin, Alexander, Schwartz and others, was appointed to draw up a code of rules and regulations to be submitted to a meeting to bo held on Thursday evening. The quarterly subscription was fixed at 7s. 6d., payable in advance. The annual meeting of the ratepayers in the Ararimu Highway District is advertised to be held iu the school-house on the 22nd instant. In the watch-house last night there were eight unfortunates charged with being drunk. They will be brought before the Resident Magistrate this morning, when the poultrystealing case (adjourned from last Wednesday) will also be dealt with. On Saturday next the nomination of candidates to fill the seat in the Provincial Council rendered vacant by the death of the late Mr. Macready, will be held in the Newton Academy, and the poll (if necessary) will bo taken on the Tuesday following. The following is the weekly statement of the Auckland Provincial Lunatic Asylum for the week ending July 3 :— Remained last statement, 135 ; admitted since, 0 ; discharged since, 2 ; died since, 1. Remaining at present : Males, 93 ; females, 59 ; total, 132. Yesterday, being the 4th of July, was the anniversary of American independence, but, as it was Sunday, no public display was made. Th« Wiuujanui Herald regrets to notice that the N. Z. Time*, has revived the question of "Hansard" printing, for the purpose of urging its own interests. The Pakuranga hounds are to meet at the kennels on Wednesday morning at half-past tea o'clock. The public (the Canterbury Prett says) have every reason to be satisfied with Mr. Bowen as Minister of Justice. So far as concerns the special duties of his post his appointment has proved a success. Since he has been in office, the two most important subjects that fall within his department— the iraprovemut of the insolvency law and the regulation of prison discipline — both of which have been scandalously neglected for some years past, have received earnest attention. This is what the correspondent of the Charleston Herald writes of the Nelson girls: — " Notwithstanding the iu pouring of three or four batches of female immigrants, Nelsou is still the worst place in New Zealand for procuring domestic servants. One wonders at first what becomes of all the young girls with which Nelson seems to abound. Careful enquiry has enlightened me. It seems that domestic service is voted low, and it is considered a step higher in the social ladder to be an apprentice to a dressmaker, or a milliner's hack, or a barmaid. Even those that cannot reach either of these rrnnacles of distinction like to seem to have done so. I met a young girl iu the street to-day, and said, ' Well, Susan, do you want a place ? ' ' What sort of a place, please?' 'Oh, a nursery maid's.' ' Well, sir, if you would not nund oalling me a nursery governess, I would come ! ' " The Bay of Plenty 7W*says :— Theraupo whares in course of erection on the special settlement block at Katikati are rapidly progressing under the energetic supervision of Mr. Peter Grant. The Whakatane correspondent of the Bay of Ptenty Time* thus refers to the recent tragedy at Richmond : — " Our natives here, especially tke Ngatipukeko tribe, were very much engaged last week in bewailing at Matata the death by suicide of the young chief Heniana. It would seem that he died a victim to domestic infelicity, as hia wife and father-in-law were constantly quarrelling with him, and bringing his sins to remembrance, or what is commonly called called "raking up old grievances." An old writer says. " If there >t a hell upon earth it is an Vl-aisurted marr'uuje union ;" and probably poor Heinana hail made up his mind "to take up arms against such a sea of troubles, and, by opposing, end them !" It is to bo hoped an inquest will be held. I believe the body is still unburied for these eight days." There are GO, 484 lunatics in England and Wales, that is, out of every 300 persons, one is mad. , The Wellington Tribune says:— "The plan of attack on the Government, we learn, has been arranged. The four Superintentendents of Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago (his Honor of Nelson rather fights shy of the combination, and the Superintendents of Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, and Westland will have none of it) have put their keads together and settled it. When the Imprest Bill is brought forward, probably on the second or third day of the session, Sir George Grey, as leader of the forlorn hope, will move that supply be only granted for six months. It is impossible that the Government could agree to such a proposal.becauseapartfromotherveryobvious reasons, such supply would not carry on the public business until the elections were over. We shall therefore know the strength of the provincial party at the outset, and most likely the work of the session will thereafter be permitted to proceed without much factious opposition.' The Melbourne Age states that Mr. G. B. Allen's English Opera Company has been engaged for Calcutta. The contemplated visit of the Prince of Wales is causing theatrical speculators and managers to turn their attention to India, and there is some probability of Mr. Lewis engaging a dramatic company, and of the Caraudiuis paying a visit to the East during the next cool season. A return obtained by Mr. Mellorof "the cost of the several colonies ©f the British Empire at the expense of the British Exchequer for the years 1869-70, 1870-71, 1871-72, and 1872-73," shows that the net total cost was as follows :— In 1869 70, £2,745,980; in 1870-1, £2,228,304; iu 1871-72, £1911007; and in 1872-73, £1,817,471. Canada, which in 1869-70 cost £434,223, in 1872-73 only cost £3,552. In 18G9-70 the cost of New Brunswick was £8, 192, in 1872-3 it was £3. Prince Edward Island, South Australia, and Queensland, in 1872-73, made no demand on the British Exchequer. In Ceylon the military contribution of the colony and other receipts exceeded the expenses by £17,803. The heaviest items of expenditure shown in the return for 1872-73 are :— Malta, £378,320; Gibraltar, £306,433; and Bermuda, £193,015. Word has been received at Brisbane from the party under Mulligan that started from Cooktown for the purpose of exploring the country inland from the Palmer River, Cooktown, the Mitchell River, &c, in Northern Queensland. They report having found a level and beautifully grassed country where they expected to find it broken and rugged. Some 3,000 square miles have been traversed, and amongst other discoveries they havemade is a tract of country variously estimated at from 120 to 150 square miles in extent, covered with excellent kauri pine trees.

The London correspondent of the Mel' bourne Aryus says : — "Dr. Kenealy, exQ.C., and actually M.P., was committed to prison for cruelty to hi» illegitimate daughter, and had his term of punishment shortened through the benevolent interference of Lord Chief Justice Cockburn, over whom he now pours vials of his vulgar wrath. Why so many people who were acquainted with this fact have had tl^asj delicacy to conceal it, notwithstanding thisTB fellow's audacious conduct, for so many months, is * problem that Dr. Kenealy himself would, of all men, be the most puzzled to answer. But, as it seems to mej the time has »ow come when no quarter should be given to him." It is mentioned as a remarkable coincidence that Sir John Gray, of Dublin, and his brother Wilson Gray of New Zealand, both expired within a few hours of one another. John Lancaster Graham, the heir-at-law of the well-known Collingwood brewer, and who succeeded to the large fortune left by his father, was lately sued in two actions at the Beverly County Court. In the one, Graham was defendant in an action brought to recover the rent of a pig-stye, at the rate of 3d. a week, which resulted in his having to pay 3d. without costs. In the other the plutocrat's solicitor wriggled out of the debt on a point of law. A man worth £80,000 who will be sued rather than pay threepence, and refuses to pay his just debt for goods sold and delivered, would have found very pleasant and congenial society in Victoria.

We notice by adrertisement that Mr. John McLood, late of Henderson's MU1, has commenced business at a butcher in the Whau district, cloie to the Whau Bndge. No doubt it will be a boon to the district. A call of 3d. per share has been made in the Sandhurst G.M. Co., payable on or before the 14th instant.

1 Minple. Urbonutc of Liiuo . . 79*33 Kide of Iron . . 2*05 3 irbnuutc of Mag-iieiia Traco iihca 18-02 2 sampU. 7203 237 Trace 24-70 3 sniupl*. •80 100 3-00 inn-no inn*nn inn-oo