The Evening Post. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1871.

Evening Post, Volume VII, Issue 177, 2 September 1871, Page 2

The Evening Post. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1871.

That some,material alteration in the Vaccination Act is needed is unquestionable, and it is in the highest degree desirable that the. Legislature should effect such changes as are necessary. As the existing Act stands, it is virtually inoperative. •It is not to be supposed that the public vaccinators are to be public prosecutors, and that gentlemen of the medical profession, as they must necessarily be, would condescend to become, as it were, informers. The consequence is that a very large proportion of the' children of the Colony are unvaccinated, and it may be that at some date not far distant, New Zealand may pay bitterly for neglect in this direction. The old plague and curse — small-pox — has made its appearance again in England, in America, and other countries, so that it will not be at all surprising if it reaches New Zealand. One or two isolated] cases have already occurred, but thanks to the vigilance of the authorities the evil has been limited, and no harm has eventuated. Should, however, the disease obtain a foothold, the most disastrous results could not fail to result, and neglected, or rather, imperfect, legislation would bear its

own fruits in death and desolation in many households. It is, therefore, above all things necessary that every preventive measure possible should be taken, "and that no stone should be left unturned to provide for public safety in a matter of such grave importance. On this account then the amended measure introduced by the Government is specially worthy of the consideration and support of members, and we trust that it will meet with both. It is a subject on which we can meet on a common platform.—that -platform being in fact public security. Within a short time the question of vaccination has been warmly debated in England, but its beneficial and, indeed, life-saving effects have been more than ever triumphantly proved during the discussion that has thereby arisen. The defects in the present New Zealand Act seem to be that it does not ensure the; object aimed at, inasmuch as it cannot be strictly carried out, and that it imposes on the vaccinators duties of supervision that should be more properly, undertaken by the police or other authorities. The proposed Bill will rectify these matters,will also compel stricter attention on the part of parents to its provisions, and will, at the same time, no doubt prove a safeguard and protection. But whilst heartily agreeing •with any legislation that has such ends in view, we cannot shut our eyes to the fact that during the correspondence that has arisen in the old country, some very serious things in connection with public vaccination have been brought out. It was alleged that some of the vaccine used was taken from diseased children, or at least the children of diseased parents, and that owing to this cause further disease was communicated by means of vaccination, to otherwise healthy children. As a matter of course, these statements were denied, but were repeated again and again, and without offering any positive opinion, there certainly seem grounds for believing them to be correct. As a matter of course, parents hesitated, or absolutely refused to subject their children to such a risk ; and the Vaccination Act in Great Britain, notwithstanding its perfectness, and the absolute presence of small-pox, has been but imperfectly carried out, and has in a very large number of cases altogether evaded. This should, j and no doubt will, influence the promoters of the present Bill to avoid even the possibility of a repetition of \ the evils referred to. Whilst on the one hand the Government have a right to compel people to take steps for self protection, on the other hand parents have a right to be satisfied that any compulsory measure by which the health, and indeed the very existence, of their children may be imperilled, should be .attended with conditions that would reduce the risk to a minimum. The only conditions necessary are that provision should be made for obtaining healthy lymph only, and that far greater care than appears, or at least is alleged, to have been the case in Great Britain should be taken. If this is done, and parents can be assured that it is so, there will not, neither should there be, any objection to vaccination. .■'■ That the discovery has been an uumitigated blessing to the human race is of course admitted ; but the manner in which its operation is carried out may alter its effect altogether. In making such changes as are now found necessary, it is to be hoped that the Legislature will bear this fact in mind, and will amend th% Act before them so as to render it at the same time both popular and beneficial.

Several motions which were down on the Order Paper of the House of Repre- I senfcatives yesterday, lapsed, in consequence of the members who had tabled them not being in their places when they came on. The Speaker has decided that the business of the House shall be conducted strictly in the order in which it is placed on the .paper. Yesterday one or two members endeavoured to obtain a little grace for, those who were absent when their names were called, but the general feeling of the House. wa3 that the rule laid down should be strictly'adhered to. As one member said, some would be none the worse fora hint as to a more careful attention to their \ duties. -■v ■'"' ". o The Council of the University; of New Zealand has lately been holding meetings in Wellington, and has been endeavoring to act as it were as an arbitrator between the Government, and the Otago University, in the matter of the affiliation of the latter with the Colonial University. From the published minutes of the proceedings of last month it would appear that the Council have, as the Government are advised, misapprehended some of the moat important provisions of the University Act. It appears that the Government interpret the Act as providing that the University shall be established; at some given place, and that the amalgamation of the Otago with the Colonial University having fallen through, the CounciVhave-taken no steps to found it anywhere. In other matters the Council seems, according to a letter from the Hon. W. Gisborne, to have misapprehended the provisions of the Act. In consequence of this a deputation of the Council has been appointed to wait upon the Government, but with what result we have not yet ascertained. ■ -; Mr. Locke left for the Hutt yesterday with the intention of proceeding to Masterton to-day, in order to enter into negociations with the natives in that district for

the purchase, on behalf of the General Government, of a block in the Manawatu Bush, about 160,000 acres in extent. Mr. Locke last month purchased another block of 230,000 acres in the same block, 200,000 acres being situated in Hawke'a Bay, and 30,000 acres in the Province of Wellington. The whole of the block which Mr. Locke is going to negociate about lies in the JProvince of Wellington, and borders the block already purchased on the south-vesb. The purchase is of the greatest importance in connection with the proposed railway between Wellington and the East Coast. Mr. Locke is very sanguine of success. Mr. Macandraw, we hear, is sanguine that he will carry his resolutions in reference to the dismemberment of the colony, on Tuesday next. We certainly do not agree with him and feel sure that on his bringing them forward he will meet with nothjiig other than humiliating defeat. The whole subject is one that should be remitted to the Assembly to deal with when it considers the whole Provincial question that must be determined during the present session.

The Colonial Secretary introduced a bill last evening, entitled the Convicts Forfeitures Act. It contains 29 clauses, and provides that though forfeiture be abolished, conviction for treason or felony shall be a disqualification for any office under the Government of New Zealand. It also enacts that any person convicted of treason or felony may be condemned in costs, and a provision is made whereby any person aggrieved may be compensated to the extent of a hundred pounds from any robbery or other injury that he may hare been subjected to. After the full term of penal servitude to which a convict may have been sentenced has been served, the act, exempts him from its provisions. No convict is empowered to sue or alienate property, and the Crown is empowered to appoint administrators of any effects of which a convict may be possessed. The said administrators may be remnnerated, and large powers are proposed to be vested in them. All property is to be handed over to the administrator, but to revert to the convict on completion of sentence or pardon. - Execution on jugdments recovered is provided for, and other equities are contained in the bill, whereby the convict will not be unduly harmed. Altogether the bill in question is nothing but fair, and we have little doubt will pass with but slight alterations. The criminal session of the Supreme Court will commence on Monday morning next at 10 o'clock. A meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society will be held in the Colonial Museum, this evening, when the attention of the members will be specially devoted to the question of flax. Those interested are reminded that the raffle for the entire horse Invincible, takes place at M'lntosli's New Zealander Hotel, this evening, at eight o'clock. £ An old woman, who gave the name of Mary Maloney, and at another time Burns, has been for the last week going about to almost every house in town and suburbs begging, and saying she was in great distress, and wanted to makeup £3 to take her to Dunedin, where she had friends. She called yesterday on the Resident Magistrate, and was referred to the Inspector of Police, to whom she told t^he same sad tale of distress, stating that she came from Napier, where she had a daughter, named Mrß. Fitzgerald. The inspector, to test the woman's statement, telegraphed to the police at Napier, to find out something about her. An answer was received to the effect that she was not known there. On this Mr. Atchison cautioned her to cease begging, and to get to Dunedin as soon as possible. This advice it appears was disregarded by the old lady, and she was again this morning seeking aid from the charitably disposed. She was taken into custody, and on being searched the sum of £54 8s 10s was found concealed in various parts of her dress. The money consisted of four £10 notes, six £1 notes, 30s in gold, and the rest in silver, amongst which £1 3s 6d was in sixpenny pieces and threepenny's. She objected, and resisted by various dodges to being searched. She was brought up before Major Paul and H. Lyons, Esq., J.P.s, and on the application of Mr. Inspector Atchison, she was remanded on the charge of vagrancy for one week. It was ascertained where the old woman had her lodging, and an investigation of her quarters resulted in the discovery of a large quantity of tea, sugar, and comestibles of various kinds, also boots ■ and clothing, and other articles, forming in all a very tolerable "swag."

There was a very fair attendance last evening at the Odd Fellows' Hall on the occasion of the repetition by the Press Amateur Diamatic Club of the programme which they gave under unfortunate circumstances on Wednesday evening. The performance consisted of "The Farmer's Wife" and " Diamond cut Diamond." The characters were very fairly represented, and the efforts of the Club were attended with a considerable amount of success. Among the actors we noticed several new faces, who appeared to be decided acquisitions ; but gradually the Club seems to to have ceased to be a " Press" Club, pure and simple. To the public, however, that fact will be of small importance if the actors are able to put pieces on the stage so as to give an occasional evening's good amusement.

Among the flax exhibited in the Colonial Museum, are two bales recently sent in by Mr. Constable/of Waiuku. This gentleman has probably devoted more years to flax-dressing and growing than any other man in New Zealand. The flax he exhibits in the Museum is beautifully done up in bales, of about two feet in length and one foot square, miniature samples of the bale?, weighing two and a half and five hundred-

weight, in which he packs his flax for the home market. The fibre is f rpm samples of the split and whole leaf of the ngaro waka, rotaroa, and oka oka, scutched and unscutched. It is all the twelve month old leaf of the cultivated plant, dressed by Price's three roller machine, and prepared in four disys. On last Thursday week the fibre was growing, and on the Tuesday following it was cut, dressed, and packed on board the steamer for Wellington. A late Queenstown telegram stated that a collision between the Europeans and Chinese was threatening in the Lake district. The Wakatip Mail writes on the subject as follows :—" It is useless to deny that there is afloat amongst the European miners a very determined opinion as to the Chinese. At present it is finding vent in speeches at public meetings, in signing strongly worded petitions, in muttering curses at the Celestials whenever met with, and occasional fights at claims. The Chinese with increased numbers are assuming a defiant air, and the European is becoming more dogged and determined. .

We hear that petitioning is no good ; we must have another Lambing Plat affair. Some add it is the only thing that will do good, and that the Government have no soldiers now to defend them. It is stated, by one who ought to know, that the Chinese, in anticipation of an outbreak some time or another, have been quietly arming themselves. We do not, however, give much credence to this particular information. What we do know is that an Anti-Chinest Association has been mooted, and that the public are soon to see it in active organisation. Funds have been promised, and we are told that a paid agent will shortly be despatched to visit all parts of the districts to enrol members. Our informant declined to give further particulars. The movement is not a Queenstown one, but essentially a miner's one. We trust, however, that no departure from moral force eftorts will be made. A collision between a compact body of Europeans and a marauding body of Chinese in quest of claims might be, however, the spark that would fire the mine. We trust, however, that this will not happen, but if ' that heathen Chinee' resorts to some of his Australian tricks, summary justice will assuredly be meted out to him. In other respects their presence in large numbers is exciting an uneasy feeling. The old feeling of security is passing away. People no longei like to leave their homes shut up or open without being in them. A continual fear of pilfering is becoming prevalent. Sluice boxes have to be watched, gold bought narrowly scrutinised. All this was absent before. Then' people are beginning to bother themselves as to the effect these people are producing upon the value of real estate, and agricultural operations. The solutions are not re-assuring. We believe that a tax as large as £10 per ton upon rice would be a wise remedial. measure. Except the garden produce he grows, 1 John' consumes but little other of our indigenous products, and he has taken lately vigorously to pig and poultry breeding, and and is not so extensive a buyer from the farmer as formerly. . . . The difficulty is becoming so great that something must be done. In the Magistrate's Court, to-day, a charge of. assault against Thomas Urwin by Ellen Williamson, was dismissed, further costs being remitted. Joseph Glover, for deserting from the barque Tell, was committed for seven days with hard labour. Two or three unimporbant civil cases were • also disposed cf. ; . The next musical and reading entertainment in aid of St. Peter's Church Organ Fund, will be given on Tuesday evening next. In referring to the Heligoland dispute the Yolks Zeitung, of Berlin, the organ of the Prussian Radicals, says:—"We observe with grief and deep indignation how already the first days of the restoration of peace are being poisoned by the easily excited propensity to get up new conflicts as the seeds of future wars. Scarcely has the Geriran Fatherland beeu amalgamated into loosely formed unity without any real organisation, when busy hands scatter ruinous plans for bringing about the downfall of Austria by her disruption, thus excluding her German territory from the great task of transplanting German culture on Slavonic soil. We hardly know yet how the reconquered part oi Germany is to be organised in order that Elsass and Lothringen (Alsace and Lorraine) may not be a thorn in our sides like a piece of conquered Poland and Venetia, and already over-zealous hands cast their nets in the direction of Heligoland in order to add England to the enemies whom we have made, during the last ten years—England, who has never disturbed our peace, and has for generations been our master in culture and industry as well as in the legal establishment of the political rights of the people. Our mission should be labour, not the sword ; our happiness the fruits of industry, not military contributions. For the war, happily as it has ended, has given us wounds in a single year which hardly ten years will suffice to cure.