The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1883.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3831, 26 October 1883, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1883.

Fiji is dissatisfied with its form of government. England's newest colony has attained to a position of population and trade when the want of representative institutions is severely felt. Contributing three-fourths of the revenue of the colony the settlers havo no voice in the administration of affairs or in the expenditure of the money. Tho system of government in a Crown colony is almost unbearable, and can be made wholly so at the will of the Governor. Although the Governor is supposed to bo guided, or rather we should say assisted by a Legislative Council, some of the members of which arc chosen from amongst the colonists, the official vote is always sufficiently strong to assert itself. A public meeting has of late been hold in Fiji, at which resolutions were passed affirming the desirability of altering a state of things under which legislation is arbitrary and one-sided, and the interests of tho colonists unconsidered. A contemporary points out that the caso of tho Fijian settlers is very similar to that of the early colonists in New Zealand prior to the grantingof aconstituton. For instance, the wording of one of a series of resolutions, carried in AVellington in 1849, would with some omissions apply in the case under consideration. It was as follows.—"That the attempts of Sir George Grey in his various despatches to conceal the complaints aud dissatisfaction of the colonists, to mislead Her Majesty's Ministers, and to avail himself of the distance which separates the colony from the parent country, for the purpose of obtaining, by means of suppression and misrepresentation, tlie sanction of the Homo Government to measures, having for their object his own maintenance in tho possession of despotic power, and calculated seriously to retard the prosperity of the colony, render it tho imperative duty of this Association publicly to protest against the unfairness and dishonesty of His Excellency's conduct, and to bring under tho notice of Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies tho general untrustworthiness of his despatches * * * recommending the postponement for four years of tho long promised representative institutions, and the substitution in the interval of Councils which consist exclusively of Government officials and nominees, tbe colonists have no voice, influence, or control in the making of the laws by which they are governed, or in the expenditure of the revenue which they contribute." A Christchureh paper says that the course- which tlie New Zealand

colonists took then is being followed by the Fiji settlors at the present day. A petition to tho Queen is being circulated for signa- -\ ture, giving details of the disabilities under which the colonists labor. It, dwells upon tho fact that the Europeans have no voice whatever in the imposition of taxation, or in the manner in which the money is bein"spent; although, as we have already saic£ they contribute three-fourths of tho amount. It is pointed out that the Governor and his officials are in a majority, and can do just what they please with the lives and property of the colonists. Three courses aro suggested, any one of which, if adopted, would give relief. On the assumption that the Australasian colonies aro about to. federate, Fiji wishes to become an "integral portion "of that federation. Or she would bo content to be incorporated with one or other of the constitutionally governed colonies. The third alternative is that relief of somo kind should bo granted '' from the humilitating condition in which they are politically placed, consistently with the due conservation of all the rights and privileges of the native race." If is suggested that this relief could bo obtained hy "modifying the present severe type of Government, and assimilating the constitution of the Council to that of the mixed one of AVestem Australia, and other colonies of the same type." Tho administration of AVestcrn Australia, we may add, is vested in the Governor, who exercises executive functions. The Council is composed of seven nominated and fourteen elected members, who aro entrusted with legislative powers. It is thought that if tho Fiji Council contained certain representative members, even if they were not in a majority at first, they would act as a chock*" upon arbitrary legislation ; aud, as circumstances permitted, their numbers could bo increased. AVc learn from tho report beforo us that the adoption of the mixed Council plan is regarded as tho most probable outcome of the present agitation. The continued absence of our usual European cablegrams shows that telegraphic communication is still broken between Australia and Java. The fine weather that we aro now enjoj- ring is greatly to tho advantage of shearing operations, and considerable quantities of wool are now daily coming to town. A cricket match is being played this afternoon at Petane between teams picked from tho Napier tradesmen and the commercial travellers now in the district. AYe are requested to remind members of the Napier Dramatic Club of the rehearsal to be held at the AVorking Men's Club tonight. A full attendance is requested, as tho music has been all arranged, and will be thoroughly rehearsed.

The secretary has received numerous entries for tho handicap rifle match at Petane to-morrow. Those who have not already entered can do so on the ground. Mr Villers' coach will leave the Empire Hotel at 1.30 to-morrow for the of competitors. The annual eclipse of the sun, which will occur on AVednesday next, is, like the recent total eclipse, observable only from one or two spots of land, the principal being tho Island of Niphon, Japan. The next total eclipse—in September, 1885 —will have a centre line traversing New Zealand, but it will not be observablo from land elsewhere. Efforts arc being made to introduce the hare into Taranaki, to which end an application has been made to the Hawke's Bay Acclimatisation Society to forward four docs and two bucks to 'New Plymouth. Hares aro plentiful enough in this district, but whether they can be caught without injuring them we cannot say. AYe are requested to remind, intending competitors that entries for tho principle events in tho forthcoming fete under the auspices of the Friendly Societies of this district will close to-night with tho secretary at tho Working Mon's Club. Tho prize money offered is liberal, and will no doubt bring out large "fields" for the several events in the programme. Tlie sailing match which was to havo been held amongst; the Sailing Club boats to-morrow afternoon has been postponed, as the various owners havo decided to form themselves into a search party so as to make as complete a search as possible amongst tho numerous islands and bays in the inner harbor with a view to the recovery of the remains of the lad Rearden. As showing tho rise in the value of country properties in tho neighborhood of Napier, wo may mention that, at tho sale of the Korokipo estate, two years ago, Mr C. B. Hoadley purchased sectioil 7, containing 172",- acres, at £13 per acre. Ho subsequently sold it to Mr G. P. Donnelly at £17 per acre, and within the last few days tho section has been bought by Mr C. B. Winter at £18 15s per acre. Tho salo was effected by Messrs Hoadley, Lyon and Co. In the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning, before Captain Preece, R.M., Frederick G. Smith was charged with having been drunk in Napier yesterday. The accused, in answer to the charge, said ho was " not drunk, but tho worse of liquor." He had been feeling unwell, and took a littlo brandy for his stomach's sake. His AVorship : You should not take too much brandy ; you must pay a fine of 5s and costs, or go to gaol for 48 hours. The fine was paid. In consequence of tho distressing illness of the Rev. W. Shirriffs, necessitating withdrawal from his clerical duties, his" family has been left almost totally unprovided for. The following subscriptions of £5 each havo been received from tho Rev. D. Sidey, Rev. AY. Nichol, Messrs J. Anderson, H. S. Tiffin, H. A. Cornford, D. Gollan, AY. Colenso, J. W. Craig, J. MeVay, and Mrs Randall. The Rev. D. Sidey will be happy to receive and acknowledge further contributions. j The Napier School Committee, at their last meeting, resolved to put the compulsory clauses of the Education Act strictly in force, and tho police will be called upon to assist in having this done. Parents and guardians may, therefore, benefit by the present warning, and save both themselves and tho committee a deal of unnecessary trouble. It is rumoured that in one case at least an application will be made to havo a certain boy committed to an Industrial School. A little medicine of this kind should have a salutary effect upon refractory and truant lads. Some time back there was a good deal of talk about widening Emerson-street, but the movement that was then begun seems to have died away. AVc were never so struck with the necessity for widening the street than this morning, when two of Bicknell's five-horse waggons were unloading wool at the stores of Messrs Hoadley, Lyon and Co. These enormous vehicles occupied the best part of the roadway, and it only wanted an express waggon to have been unloading on the opposite side of tho street to have blocked tho thoroughfare altogether.

The cricket match between teams from the Petane and Country Districts Clubs, that was to have been played lust Saturday, had to bo postponed in eoiir sequence of the bad weather. It will, however, come off at Petane to-morrow, commencing; at 11 o'clock. The following aro the names of the players:—Country Dis? , tricts: Messrs J. Smith, M. Ryan, AY. Lord, J. Drummond, H. Gilberd, J. Jcffares, C. L. Tuke, D. Davis, J. Naylor, J. Jeffarcs, and B. Jcffares; emergency, R. Davis. Petane: Messrs H. Braithwaite, F. Smith, E. AVilhers, T. J. Brassey, C. E. AVilliams, G. Bee, Hill, Simpson, C. Tanner, T. R. Gilpin, and W. Harker ; emci> gency, C. Villers and Ticehurst. Messrs 11. Martin and E. C. AValker will act as umpires. Mr A r illers' coach will loavo Mayo's Empire Hotel at 9.45 a.m. sharp. Last evening a circumstance occurred which, though apparently trivial in itself, caused a serious loss to ono of the parlies involved, and served to show the stupidity and heartlesness—not to say thievishncss— of the_ other. A youth who sells fish on commission left his barrow containing a large schnappcr outside the Provincial Hotel whilst ho went inside to sell another to the landlord. At the bar were several young men who had come across from the fancy dress ball at tho Theatre, and these went out in the meantime, the fisher lad following almost immediately, hut only to find on looking into his harrow that it was empty. No doubt the person who took tho fish thought himself very funny. It is a great pity, however, that his numo is not known so that he might bo introducd to Captain Preece, as a practical joker (?) of this description deserves to bo rewarded. If there bo any truth in the statements of a Wellington correspondent to an Auckland paper it would seem that another foolish addition is to be made to the Government

Insurance Department. As it is now a medical man receives a fee for examining applicants for policies of life insurance, but it is contemplated to substitute a salary for fee. Thus tho doctors employed will become members of tho Civil Service, and as they will receive a salary whether they havo any work to do or not the expense of administration will be increased The one great object of the Department seems to bo to sco how much money it can spend, and how closely it can imitate in its style of carrying on its business the catch-penny announcements of "cutting" tradesmen. All tho advertisements, tlic circulars, tho post bills, kc, are put forth at tho cost of the Department, whereas by rights they should be paid for by Mr G. Thorne, to -whose very great interest it is to bring in lives. AYe do not believe for a moment that any respectable office in England would stoop to what the Government office is constantly doing.

At the final meeting of the session of tho Clive Square Improvement Association, held last evening, a most interesting and instructive lecture was delivered by Mr H. Hill, B.A. There was a very good attendance, both of members and visitors, who listened with marked attention throughout, and by frequent applause showed their appreciation of the lecturer's remarks. After some general observations on land tenure in the Old Country, the lecturer proceeded to discuss tho New Zealand land system, referring to the enormous blocks of land held both by resident and absentee owners, and especially deprecating the existence in tho colony of what he considered one of England's worst lawcj iv relation to land, that of entail. The lecturer strongly advocated a land tax as a much more just means of raising a revenue than heavy nd valorem duties, and contended that no more Crown lands should be disposed of. While admiring greatly the writings and views of George, AVallaco, and men of their school, Mr Hill gave it as his opinion that land nationalisation was wholly impracticable. The lecturer then referred to a scheme which he considered would meet the caso. He advocated a system of terminable rental by which the tenant after, say, 25 years would become owner of the land, his interest in the property increasing in proportion to the time he had occupied it till the expiration of the term fixed upon, when he would be sole proprietor. For this scheme the lecturer claimed the advantage that, while it would give the poorer classes a better chance of acquiring' property, it would not injure tho landowners, as must be tho case were land nationalisation adopted. Mr A. B. Thomson, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr Hill for his excellent lecture, replied ably to some of his arguments, as did also Mr P. Bear, who seconded the motion. The decentralisation principle, avc notice, is introduced into the new Land Act of New South Wales, but Router docs not give us much information about the bill. The limitation of the annual auction sales

of land to 200,000 acres is a valuable feature when the wholesale alienation of V years is remembered. Although we take it for granted that "free selection before survey is extinct, Sir John Robertson will find somo consolation in the fact that conditional purchase is provided for. It must havo been very disheartening to this veteran of Sydney politics to find tho work of his lifetime and his claim to the admiration of posterity crushed out of existence all of a sudden. It is not surprising that tho revelations of the Land Commission have failed to convince him that his child has proved a bane to tho colony, and a blessing to the very " squattocraey " whom ho wished to lay low. It is curious to call to mind that ho had to threaten to flood the Council

with supporters to pass the Act which was really so anti-democratic. Alas " tho best, laid schemes o' mice and men gang aft agley." Mr Rochefort, who in such a matter is perfectly disinterested, with little predisposition towards any creed (says the AVanganui Chronicle), speaks very highly of the Catholic ""mission work amongst the Upper Wanganui Maoris. The party of Kemp's men whom Mr Rochofort took with him on the survey were all Roman Catholics, and he was astonished at the knowledge they apparently possessed of tho services of their church, and of its prayers and hymns. He is of opinion that the work now being carried on by Fathers Soulas and Morcau, and the good Sisters who are established up tho river, is directly and materially for good, and, apart from questions of creed or dogma, has a real civilising influence. As to this, tho wonderful decrease in drinking customs, and the spread of total abstinence

amongst tho Upper AVanganui natives, speak for themselves. Somo idea of the work undertaken by the priests up the river, and of the attention given to it by tho Mnoi'i.s, may bo inferred from, tho fact that five religious services are held every Sunday and three every week day. In a very " warm" article on Sir Arthur Gordon, tho St. James' Gazette exposes the flagrant untruthfulness of his imputations on his Responsible Advisers and on the gentleman who was Aministrator of the Government in his absence. It, goes on to say that Sir Arthur Gordon's grave accusations have been mot by a public statement on tho part of the New Zealand Ministry which " completely demolishes Sir Arthur Gordon's facts, and convicts him of what in any other than so devout a disciple of Mr Gladstone, would be open to the imputatatiou of gross disingenuousness."

In the South Australian Assembly the Commissioner of Lauds has made rather a startling statement regarding the deficiency of tho land revenue—namely, that in the In-spectors-generals ofliceof thoLand Department no proper cash-book was kept, and it was impossible to tell what the exact balance should be. The last audithas revealed a deficiency of £427, but the Inspector general said the deficiency could be easily exjdaincd. In reply to questions a further revelation was pnado that a deficiency had been discovered in the accounts of the late receiver of reventio of £170, but this was refunded as soon as discovered, and tho defaulter allowed to resign, but not to draw the retiring allowance whioh he had tho audacity to claim.

Mr. Gaunson, who has just been elected for the working men's constituency of Emerald Hill, was looked upon throe years ago as ono of tho coming men of Victorian politics. He has the " gift of the gab "in a marked degree, and if ho had not shown himself so violent and self-seeking might havo gone far. His downfall, however, was chiefly duo to the disgraceful part he took in raising a popular agitation for the reprieve of tho notorious Kellys. It is true that subsequent to that his friend MiBent got him tho Chairmanship of Committees, but his reputation was gono, and his constituents at Ararat would not listen to him. Whether ho will be able to live down his past is doubtful.

Summing up his views regarding New Zealand, "J.L.D.," a Ceylon planter, says in a letter to a friend;,—" Tho working man ffots high wages ; the capitalist gets good interest; the middle-class man is, however, not well paid—tho remuneration offered being as a rule not better than obtains ■at Homo. It is a paradise to the capitalist and working man, but not so to the middleclass man. In the meantime he is not wanted except to a very limited extent. The result of my observations and enquiries in regard to New Zealand as a home for the Ceylon planter is this—he is better in Ceylon if he can knock along in any kind of a fair way; if, however, he is so situated that ho can get but a, hare existence, then, he could get that in Now Zealand, and carry on the strugglo for existence Avith more likelihood of a successful issue than ho can in tho tropics." An American paper remarks :—"The trade to Australia and New Zealand shows a healthy ancl sound growth. It is not so large as we could wish, nor will it bo until the unnatural restrictions upon trado now imposed by tho United States aro removed. We export to these countries more than three times as much as we import—a difference which is paid in money—although one article is produced there of which we arc greatly in need, but which is now kept out by heavy duties, namely, wool. AVc import much of that commodity in comparison with the other articles that are brought in, but could as easily use millions of dollars as we now do hundreds of thousands. The trade is confined to this point and Boston, no-other American seaport sending out vessels in this trade. In 1881, 87 vessels sailed from this country to Australia and New Zealand, carrying 106,530 tons of merchandise ; in 1882, 108 vessels sailed, carrying 138,154 tons." At the inquest upon a Chinaman who died suddenly in Adelaide, the jury added a rider to their verdict to tbe effect that the premises /- w'hero he died wore horribly filthy, and utterly unfit for human beings to live in. Thoy drew attention to the fact that this was the second time a house in that neighborhood had been found in such a state.

!, A report from Gould's country, in Tas- . mania, to the Meteorological Observatorj t shows that shocks of earthquakes were fob : almost every day last month, there being . sometimes I hree and four a day. Eightcei i were described as severe and very severe. ' Tlie French papers announce that a mar named Hilarion ,I3alsan of tho village oi Millan, in the Aveyron, is on his way tc America to make the same attempt as thai in which Captain AA r ebb lost his life. Balsan i-s a powerful young, man, 25 years of age, who lias a great reputation as a swimmer. He asserts that Captain AVebb perished because he was a swimmer instead of a diver. At the Thames (London) Tolico Court, recently, Margaret Kane, thirty, was charged with being drunk and disorderly outside the Leman-street Police-station. Mr Saunders (to tho prisoner) : You are charged with being- drunk. Tlie prisoner: Of course I was" drunk. I am always drunk, and I mean to get drunk as long as I live. The Constable: She is newly out of prison. She has been here dozens of times. The Prisoner • I know I have, and I shall be here a lot more times. Mr Saunders: AVell, you will go to prison this time for seven days. The Prisoner : AVhat! Only seven days 'i I made sure you would have made it a month. Good luck to yer ! The following particulars as to the extent of some of the interests vested in pigeon-shooting aro sent to a London paper by a correspondent:—" In London alone an enormous business is done in powder and shot for pigeon-shooting. One firm of gunmakers keep about 50 men employed upon pigcoTi-guiis alone, and four others are constantly engaged in cartridge loading. They send out over 2000 cartridges a weclc. In each 1000 cartridges there arc on an average 801b of shot, 1211) of powder, and 4,000 wads. In tho districts in which blue rooks arc reared one thousand men are employed in tlie breeding and packing, and the purveyors of pigeons pay annually upwards of £8000 to tho breeders. At pigeon matches shooters pay 2s to 2s Od for every bird they shoot at, and the dead ones aro sold to costermongers and poor people for about 3s a dozen, though in warm weather the price is sometimes as low as a penny

apiece. The other day (writes a Home paper) tlie Royal Princesses paid a visit to The Times office. They were welcome, of course, but in a private way. Unless you arc a personage of great importance—a prince or a famous litterateur —neither love nor money will admit you into the almost sacred precincts of Printing-house square—that is to say. the members of the editorial staff are permanently "not at home " to strangers. In tho office itself, too, an atmosphere of the strictest mystery prevails. No man dare trespass into the territory set apart for any portion of the staff with which ho is not connected. There are message boys to go from the sub-editors to the editors, and thence to the domain of tho "comps."; they are tho means of communication, too, between the reporters and tho gentlemen of

the departments mentioned. But so great is tho secrecy with which the Times is managed that the editor alone of those connected with it knows "who is who" throughout the establishment. The learned judge of the City of London Court, who is nothing if not outspoken, told n. suitor recently that " a jury is at all times tho most incompetent tribunal known to the law of England." However that maybe (adds a Home paper) it must lie admitted that individual jurymen sometimes do strange things ; and the conduct of one of the coroner's jury which has been inquiring into " the AValthamstow tragedy " was rightly described by the doctor concerned in tlie caso as " scandalous and indelicate." Tlic jurymen iv question had visited the mother of the murdered children, and ho admitted that ho "might have used" such observations as that "it was no use trying to get her husband off the rope," and that "in the opinion of the jury she had driven her husband to commit the crime through jealousy." It is not at all surprising that the poor Avoman's recovery should have been retarded by the juryman's visit, although he assured the coroner that tho visit, was "of a kindly nature, to sco if he could be of any service."

A swindle of a novel kind has been perpetrated by a newspaper corrcapondent in Paris. This gentleman advertised iv the Paris papers that he had hired a well found steamer, which was going to make a month's cruise in the North Sea, and that he was prepared to accept 200 passengers at .€2O each, this sum to include all board, lodging, and travelling expenses for the four weeks. He ivas not long, thanks to the favorable notices in the Figaro and other complacent journals, in making up his complement, and tho 200 passengers, each of whom had paid his £20 in advance, were conveyed by special train from Paris to Havre last Saturday afternoon. They found the ship waiting for them and went on board, but the newspaper man did not put in an appearance, and tho owner of tho vessel said ho could not start until he arrived and paid him for the hire of the vessel. Telegrams wero sent in all directions, but nothing could be heard of him, and tho unfortunate excursionists wore compelled at last to leave the vessel and return to their respective homes, the ingenious hirer of the steamer having in the meanwhile got clear away with something like £4000. No article, imported or otherwise, which is alleged to possess similar ingredients to AVolfe's SenxArrs, is aught olso than a pernicious humbug. The public will be guided accordingly and shun the trap.— [Anvr.]