The Evening Post. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1871.

Evening Post, Volume VI, Issue 294, 27 January 1871, Page 2

The Evening Post. FRIDAY, JANUARY 27, 1871.

"VVuetiieu the Fox-'Vogel Ministry renwins in office for a long or a short" period, its membfira will certainly make their mark on the history of New Zealand as being among fcho most unscrupulous and timeserving men avlio have ever swayed . the destinies of the Colony. Their chief aim and object seems ever to have been to secure themselves in their offices, and they have used the resources of the country without stint or scruple to buy off opposition where it was venal, and to coniirm wavering support. In proof of this assertion we need only point to the legion of " billets'' which they .have created and filled from Minister of Justice down. But not only have they used the public purse in this manner, they have been guilty .of unworthy tricks, utterly derogatory to the offices they hold. Almosttheir first oasay in government was a triek — ¦ the sham panic which they got up for the purpose of obtaining the consent of the House to their petitioning General . Chute for the retention of the 18th Regiment — and it succeeded so well that they " put the fashion deeply on," and ever since "have worn it in their hearts." They have done what Ministers never did before, undertaken "stumping" tours through the Colony,expatiatingonthemeritsof their own schemes, and bidding various prices in various places for support. Wherever a spirit of enquiry was awakened, and j)eople showed a disposition to discuss the Ministerial proposals and ascertain their true worth, a Cabinet Minister swooped down \ipon the spot at once, and repelled the enquiring minds who would fain look too closely into the ark of promise. " Back ! back ! my good fellows ; action is for you, not speculation ; trust to us and

all will be well." .\u<l -till f'iirHi';)- to stifle opposition oven iU<- JVc-jni'-r and iliu Colonial Treasurer <H<l ji m V^it.ii" t<> <i<--scGJid to violent pei'soim! .-ilrci-.MiiMii with newspapers and imliWiinnU. .;:.<i with unblushing effrontery ( )u\c-- \ oin- iv f;-]-,ify figures and f?ioi.->, wliic'i v.-t-.v pmwd immediately ufterwurds. .Still the same .v/.steni is persevered in, and v,-<.- 3»ov, Jiu-t iliut: the Ministry tire )j't';rf'*rhi£ vrrh th" five com -mo of t]\a elections. We Jj.ive uh"-;idy called attention to the cireulnr issued to the f.loveriinienfc employees here, cjintionin# thorn agiiin.st interference, while interference u\i the') i' side was winked ai, and to the fice of .Mi*. Kemp,- and we nov. w-e by the (Hugo papers that <«overnnient interference in the elections there is so marked as to form a subject of common talk. Immediately before the issue of the Avrits, Mr. Vogel, evidently dreading the state of feeling in Dunedin, went down there electioneering, and by a little artful dodging contrived to .set the inhabitants quarrelling among themselves, in the hope, no doubl. that they would thus be less able to consider impartially the true aspect of a flairs, or that awakened faction would i\\ jill events give him a stiong party. Immediately after he left Duncdin, fhe Times informs iis. "an advertisement was published, inviting tenders for the construction of the first section of the Southern Trunk Kail way, extending from Dunedin to the suburban village of Oaversham, while it was ostentatiously announced that the line was to be proceeded with at once." This trick was too palpable, and "was seen through, losing its effect in consequence, but we learn from the same journal which Aye have quoted above, that a glaring instance of interference has just, been .shown : " Mr. Ileid, addressing the electors at the Masonic [fall as a candidate for the .Superintendency, thought fit to remark that a gentleman, who for Koiiio extraordinary reason has boon permitted to temporarily abandon las duties as cleric to the Resident Magistrate's Court for the purpose of acting as Government agent for the purchase! of land on the Southern Trunk Railway, had come to a standstill for want of money. Whereupon, the gentleman in question writes to the newspapers that the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Gi&borne) has authorised him ' to draw public attention to the fact that by erroneous statements Mr. Reid is doing his best to obstruct the opening of the Southern Trunk Railway, and to damage the Province. ' *' Such conduct on the part of the CloA'ernment is deserving of the utmost reprobation. Jf there is one thing more than another which any '.Ministry having a proper regard for their character ought to study, it is to avoid the slightest interference at elections ; and yet here we find the Cabinet almost, openly showing themselves partisans of particular persons, and using the influence of their 2 >os >ition to assist them. If the electors entertain a due respect for their own rights and privileges, they will flatly refuse to record a vote, in favor of a man thus unfairly assisted, however eligible in other respects he may be. Allowing Messrs. Fox and Vogel to waste the public funds in the manner they have done is bad enough, but when they actually attempt to influence elections so as to have a House of Representatives of their choosing returned, it behoves the electors to bestir themselves, nnd to show that tiiey will not so permit iheir privileges to be trampled upon.

The citizens of Wellington and the supporters of Messrs. Travers and Richmond may alike be congratulated on last night's meeting. Its orderly character was a credit to the city and to all present, while the intense interest with which Mr. Travers was listened to during his speech of two hours and a half's duration showed the deep interest taken in the subjects he spoke of, and Ayas no slight compliment to the ability with which they were treated. Mr. Carpenter well expressed the feeling of those present, when he said that a clearer, more eloquent, convincing and able political speech had never been heard within the Avails of the Odd Fellows' Hall. Mr. Travers entirely carried the meeting with him, and not a single individual out of the hundreds present was bold enough to hold up his hand to gainsay the proposition that Mr. Travers was a fit person to represent the city. The proceedings of last night cannot fail to exercise a powerful effect on the election, and Messrs. Hunter, Pearee, and Martin, who were present, must have listened with dismay to the genuine and general expression of assent given to Mr. Traver's eloquent appeal not to be content with returning him, but to do the city honour by giving him a colleague in the person of Mr. Hichmond. It will be seen by referring to the advertisement which appears in another column of the sale of a portion of the Manawatu-Rangitikei block by the Provincial Government, that the place of sale has been altered from Wellington to Rangitikei. The reason for this change is, we imagine, that amongst the small farmers of the Rangitikei and Wanganui districts, and the agricultural laborers and employees of the ranholders in that neighbourhood, the readiest purchasers will be found for the land which the Government have for sale, and much better prices are expected to be realized by competition among the buyers on the spot, than if they had to employ agents in Wellington to purchase for them. We hear that there are likely to be purchasers found readily for the whole of the 18,000 or 20,000 acres about to be submitted. A match of cricket will probably be arranged for to-morrow afternoon between the Wellington Olub and the officers of H.M.S. Clio. At the Resident Magistrate's Court to-day, James Wilkins was charged by Francis Stevens with using threatening and abusive language towards him. There was a cross action, bnt the matter resulted in Wilkins being bound over to keep the peace for six months, himself in £20, and two sureties of £20 each. A man, named John Ward, was arrested by the police the other day while in a state of drunkenness, and remanded from Saturday to Monday, during which time he was kept at the gaol. He seemed to have been very favorably impressed with the domestic economy of Mr. Read's establishment, for after being brought before the Resident Magistrate and discharged, he went home, and having packed his traps, took them on his back and went up to the gaol. He rung the bell, and announced that he had been sentenced to three months' imprisonment, which he had come to " put in." Mr. Read, however, declined to receive him in this questionable manner, and he was forced to take his departure very crestfallen. The Sydney correspondent of the Melbourne Argus writing on the San Francisco mail service says: — "The present service will positively cease with the boat that leaves here in March, md a new service by the direct route, via Fiji, will as positively commence in April. Mr. Preddy, the agent for the American railway,

svho Is nov/ in Sydney as n^itt for tlir.t line, .say -j that lie say- -Mr. Webb just before hj&vicg .via I'raucisco, and that that gentlemr:; stcttd must di>tinetly that he would not run his \v-s-v;l.-i on +!]•- Xe'.v Z^.h.nd coast, Ir.t that he v.as quite willing to run. them direct to Sydney f».r a suiliuic-nt subsidy. RußQuuis are also current la. Sydney to the eifect that Mr. Xeilson M'C.-.iiu (or Mr. M'- '?nn Neilaon. whichever may La t'.kj the proper way of reading tiie name on inls side of tli<-: Pacific-) wili be foun.l to have exceed- 1 lii-j powers i:i-making a provisional contract:- v.'izh. Mr. Vogel, and thnt the New Zealaiii statesman will find that, instead of stealing a mireli on the Australian Colonies, he has Mrn.-;al£ Letti cm'-sidftiably let ia. Howevei that may be, ;md whecher tiie American service coicoeuec-s <»r not, it is quite certain that the route v.-il 1 not be closed, and that a direct service^ will eoimntnce from Sydney i* 1 - Ap-'il nc- 1 -:^. A contract has been drawn up between the A.S.N. Company and Mr. JJ all, which is to be signed this morning, by whir*h the three — City of Melbourne, Cit3 r of Adelaide, and Wonga Wongs. — are chartered for the .service. All three are to be reiittf-d with upper decks something in the .style r<i the Cnf>u;«nliarr.". ; and the Cit}* of Adelaide i.s :>ho to Ik- fitted with surface condensers. Th"-<; 3 altvi;»'.ions will greatly increase the cabin aecojtiodatioii, -and enable the boats to carry 100 passeiigc-rs comfortably. The Queensland Government has been appealed to to support the project, and from the tone of a debate, which tested the feeling of the House, it Is clear that Parliament there is willing to go as far as £10,000 a-year. What your Colony will do in the matter we wait to know, but that it will give a reasonable assistance is not doubted. The new service is t«> be four- weekly, and will alternate with that by -Sue/, and eve ry confidence is felt that from and after April next we shall have an effective fortnightly mail to England that will bringus letters and newspapers in fortylive days, and telegraphic news not more than thirty days old/ We observe that Mr. Martin has laid on the favorite steamer Phrebe for fax excursion trip to Nelson and back at very low rates «»f passage money — the tickets being only 20s and 10-s, and refreshments being provided on board at equally low prices. The l'ha*be is a very commodious vessel, has large and roomy saloon and cabins, and can carry a great many passengers wifchont inconvenience from crowding ; and we have little doubt that those who avail themselves of the opportune will enjoy a very pleasant excursion. She will loave on "Monday next, at noon sharp. The Caledonian Society have presented the Wellington HenevoleLt Society with a donation of £V& A cricket match was played on Monday last between an eleven of the Hutt and eleven of the Taita Clubs, which resnlted in an easy victory for the Hutt men, who beat their opponents in one innings by r>7 runs, which the scores will show : — Taita, Ist innings, 35 ; 2nd do, 13 ; total, 48. Hutt, Ist inning 3, 105. We learn from the Hawke's Bay Herald that a severe accident occurred at Porangahan on the 19th inst. As Mr. Crcsse, settler, was mounting his horse at White's hotel, the animal plunged and threw him so Yi<<!enily that lie had to be carried io the hotel in a slate of insensibility. Dr. Todd attended the unfortunate gentleman up to Saturday the 21st nt which, time he died. The unemployed at Auckland, embrace at present a considerable number of the population, and what i.s to be done with them is rather a pujude to the authorities. The Southern ( 'ross endeavours to soothe them by "comfortable words," saying that in a few weeks the railway works will be in progress, and then there " wil. be bread and work for all," but these assurances are not received as gospel, and meanwhile meetings are held, and a petition has been sent tithe Victorian Government praying for a steams to carry the unemployed to that country. It does seem to us that while such is the state oi affairs in the Province which vaunts itself the most important part of New Zealand, it would be as well to settle domestic grievances before going so far a-field as Sweden for recruits to our population. The Wellington Independent and Nelson Examiner are now issued as daily papers. Tht Welmxhtox Post has been enlarged, and is far the best penny paper published in the ( *olony. The Oamaru Herald has stopped publication, and is amalgamated wit'i the Times. An evening paper has been started at Blenheim, but it does not promise to last long. A tri- weekly paper is also to be started at Port Chalmers shortly. — Timara Herald.