Evening Post. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1876.

Evening Post, Volume XIV, Issue 44, 21 August 1876, Page 2

Evening Post. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1876.

There has been much talk lately of an intention on the part of the Opposition to cut down the Estimates, and check the extravagant expenditure of the Government. It is to be hoped that this intention will be carried out, but we confess to entertaining some doubts on the subject. Hon. members are fond of talking about economy and making political capital by loudly demanding retrenchment, but when it comes to matters affecting their own districts, they object in the strongest possible way to allow the work of retrenchment to begin there. Mr. Stafford, speaking with that knowledge which comes of experience, put the case very plainly in a recent speech. " Now," remarked he, "a great deal has been said about the extravagance of the General Government. Well, I say there is no such thing as extravagance of Government being continued unless it is acceptable to the country. Whether this Government has or has not been extravagant is one question ; but that it has been supported in whatever has been done is absolutely certain, or it could not have continued to do it. And I say I do not know a more extravagant set of people in the world than the people of New Zealand. I can speak from a knowledge equal to that of the Minister of Justice, when he told us of the pressure constantly brought to bear upon the Government for fresh expenditure. Now, I have known Governments to be cutting down the expenditure right and left, dispensing with Resident Magistrates and ail kinds of officers, and yet at that very time the greatest difficulty they had to encounter was the private pressure which individual members of this Legislature brought to bear upon them to increase expenditure. Those gentlemen did not bring the matter before the public. They did not get up in their places in this House and ask for votes, but they sought Ministers in their private offices ; and while those gentlemen were making bids for popularity in the House by talking generally about the extravagance of the Government, they were absolutely trying to lead the Government into fresh expenditure." There is a great deal of truth in all this, and it is for the reasons urged by Mr. Stafford that we fear the Opposition may not honestly and earnestly endeavor to secure economy in the system of administration. That large reductions could be effected in the Estimates if the work were gone about in the right way, there is no doubt at all. The Agent-General's Department should be abolished altogether, the vote for Armed Constabulary largely reduced, while the time has come when the country has a right to demand that the enormous disbursements made in connection with the Native Office should in a great measure cease. Retrenchment in expenditure will shortly be forced upon the Colony, simply because the money to be extravagant with will not be at our command. It would surely, then, be more prudent and businesslike to commence the work of retrenchment voluntarily, before the pressure of circumstances forced us to do so whether willing or not.

The Premier, in the course of his speech on the motion for the second reading of the Counties Bill, made some pointed reference to the Province of Auckland, and the style of opposition off red by some of its representatives. He asked that they should have less " hifalutin" oratory, and something liko a plain statement of the reasons for »vhich Auckland was discontented with the proposals of the Government. He said if they suited any part of the country it was Auckland, ».nd members should come down from their high pedestal and explaiu where they were not so, and have their explanation placed on record. It seemed to him that the governing powers of that province were anxious to discourage all rational means of discussing the proposals before the House. If the Government and the House did not deal with the province, they were charged with gross injustice — with '* sitting on " the province — aud if on the other hand any proposal were made to consider its case fairly, as had been done by Mr. Stevens, the ofter was characterised a* a curse and a bribe. It was exceedingly difficult to deal with that province, and he appealed to members independent of peculiar local feelings to draw a line between their political feelings and those of a more practical kind, and say where the measures were beneficial or prejudicial. He thought nil talk of appeals to the people should be disregarded, and that they should fulfil their responsibilities as properly elected representatives. He pointed out that it was the condition of Auckland which first led to the abolition of the provinces, and that it was then objected to only ou the ground that that province should not be dealt with alone. It may not be the immediate effect of this appeal on the part of the Premier, but the disposition of most of the Auckland members is now said to be to act in concert to get as many concessions as possible from the Government, and it is this spirit which is stimulating them to seek a leader who will be more disposed to confer with the Government when conference is desirable. The complaint has been that conference with Sir George Grey wa? never possible, as he resisted rather than invited it. It is probable that, under any new leadership, and with the different spirit prevailing, the Government will have no reason to complain of want of opportunity for plainly comprehending Auckland's claims.

The Parliamentary Committee on Native Aflairs have dealt with a number of petitions, the reports upon which have been printed in English and Maori. Most of the petitions relate to private claims or grievances, but one represents the wishes of 300 petitioners on four rather incongruous subjects. They pray that Maoris be allowed to sit on juries, that all the laws be translated into Maori, that the number of Maori members in the House of Representatives be increased, and that greater facilities >h<>uld be given to them for the purchase of gunpowder. In reference to the right of Maoris to sit on juries, the Committee are of opinion that the Juries Act, 1868, makes ample provision for the existing state of things. These provisions had not, however, been brought into force, and cannot be brought into force until the Governor, in exercise of the powers vested in him by the Act, shall make certain rules and regulations. The Committee recommend that the provisions of the Act should be put in force, and Maoris be admitted to sit on juries in the limited number of cases provided for by the Act. As to the request that the laws should be translated into Maori, the committee do not recommend compliance with this request to the extent asked, but they are of opinion that all laws specially affecting Maoris should be printed in the Maori language, and be widely circulated amongst the Maori people. In reference to the demand of the petitioners that the number of Maori members of the House should be increased, *nti that greater facilities should be given for the purchase of powder, the Committee consider that these are questions of policy upon which they are not called upon to pass an opinion.

Referring to that " perfect failure " of the Government, the Karamea Special Settlement, the Nelson Daily Times of yesterday remarks : — ' ' The Provincial Secretary has returned from Wellington, and we understand that he has been successful in obtaining funds for carrying on that remarkably expensive enterprise entitled the * Karamea Special Settlement.' It is stated that Mr. O'Conor threatened to follow the example of the poor widow who obtained from the unjust judge that which she sought by importunity, and the threat that he (the Provincial Secretary) would wait in Wellington, and by continual solicitation obtain the money, had the desired effect. The General Govefnmentpromised to meet present liabilities, and pay out yet another £2,000 towards the maintenance of these special settlers. We are powerless to do more than protest against this shameful waste ef the public money, that is being actually dragged from the men who are able to earn their bread, to feed those who, after being supplied with land, tools, and ration* for yeaJß, have given unmktakeable proof that they cannot. If any further money is to be spent in this costly experiment, it should certainly be expended in chartering a ship totake, these special settlers back to the place from whence they came."

The latest political rumor in circulation is this : — Vogel, at the close of the session, is to take the Agent-Generalship, and leave New I Zealand for good. Then there is to be " a reconstruction " of the Ministry, Mr. Stafford forming it, and taking the office of Premier, while Mr. Whitaker also takes a seat in the Cabinet as Attorney-General, thus making that office a political one.

The Auckland members were to have held a meeting at half-past 2 o'clock to-day, to consider the political position, but the proceedings thereat have not yet transpired. Mr. Rowe, M.H.R., and Mr. Macdonald, Mayor of Grahamstown, had an interview with the Premier this afternoon, when they were understood to submit several local and district ¦wants to which they desire the attention of the Government. There is an understanding abroad that the East Coast Election Committee will report that they hold Capt. Read's election to be invalid, and that the seat should be taken by Capt. Morris. The Hon. the Speaker 'gives a dinner this evening to the members of the House in one of the committee rooms of the building. We believe that a memorial will shortly be got up and addressed to the City Council praying that the Te Aro Ward may be divided into two wards, and that a representative may be granted for the new ward thus to be created. We think the outlying portion of Te Aro might fittingly be created into a separate district, to be called " Mount Cook Ward.'- Clearly, this part of the city is not properly represented in the City Council. It has wants and interests in a great measure distinct from those of the more central portions of Te Aro, and it would be well that it should have a special representative of its own in the City Council. The movement has our wannest sympathy and support. A correspondent writes expressing deep regret that the names of " the 183 others " who are alleged to have signed the requisition to E. T. Gillon to come forward as a candid te to represent Te Aro in the City Council, have not been published. He declares that some sceptical people will persist in saying, in the words of the immortal " Sairey Gamp," as applied to the apocryphal "Mrs. Harris," "that there were never no sich persons." If this be the case, then certainly " The Double-dyed One " doesn't stick at a trifle. The local football players have invited the Wanganui and Wairaraja Clubs to send their best players to supplement the metropolitan men in forming a provincial team for the coming interprovincial match with Canterbury. The game will be played with fifteen a side of which number it is probable that in the Wellington team ten will be town players, the other five being selected from the best players in the various country teams. The advantage in haviug a large proportion of town players is the convenience of practising together, and the consequent knowledge of one another's play which such practice gives. In our opinion this advantage is so great as quite to counterbalance the gain derived from five outside players, who are invited to take part. The famous cricket mateh — Wellington v. Auckland—showed that these outside reinforcemeuts are a source of weakness in a team by lessening that cohesive power and unity of action which are so essential to success. We have little doubt that the football players of the City of Wellington would hold their own creditably against any New Zealand provincial team which could be brought to contend against them, provided, of course, that they practise properly. The match is likely to take place early next month, and it is suggested that it should take place at the Hutt, as affording a better ground than the Basin Reserve. Two very ordinary cases of drunkenness were the only ones brought before the Resident Magistrate to-day. Fines were imposed. Henry Lusty, who had been remanded for a tew days for the recovery of his senses, was discharged from custody. Among the several small debt cases then was a judgment summons against J. T. Wiliamson. The defendaut, who had been employed in the Telegraph Department, did not appear, and it was stated that he had clandestinely taken his departure for Sydney by the steamer Easby. Two of the iron anchor-plates, which, by their yielding to the strain, caused the recent collapse of the Brunnerton railway bridge, are now lyiug in the lobby of the Public Works Office. They appear immensely strong and massive, being in no part less than five inches thick, and strengthened by a projection or rib, which increases the thickness in the centre to fully eight iuches of solid iron. Yet those ponderous iron plates have snapped right across like a piece of rotten wood. It is noticeable that the fracture is exactly in the place where each plate is weakened by twoinch holes. The iron appears to us to show signs of crystalisation, but we do not care to hazard an opinion as to what extent this may account for the unexpected breakage. The plates have been sent over for the inspection of the Commission, by which the whole affair is to be investigated. During his speech upon his land resolutions, Mr. Whitaker stated that private advices he had received from London justified the opinioj that the colony had nearly got to the end of its tether as regarded tho borrowing of money. Commenting upon this statement, the Lyttelton Times remarks :—": — " Hesays that his private advices from Locdon — and we may safely include one of the leading authoritiesof the Bank of New Zealand among those correspondents — told him that New Zealand securities were much lower than any colonial securities— that we had gone beyond our tether, and that capitalists saw our position, that if a check occurred, we should not be able to pay our debts. .Such is the opinion which our fiuancial administration has earned for us on the Stock Exchange. Well might Sir J. Vogel have exclaimed, when he heard of those advices, that it was not an open enemy that had done him this dishonor, ¦ nor was it his adversary, but one with whom he took sweet counsel, his companion, hi* guide and his own familiar friend. 'Et tv, Brute/ must have been his mental apostrophe to the absent Russell." The total expenditure of the Colonial Architect's Department during the year ended 30th June, 1876, was £96,024 6s lOd, and was incurred in respect to the following items: Post and telegraph offices, £24,939 Is lid • offices for public departments, £26,555 8s 6d • Court-houses, £4318 18s lid; immigration £2337 12s 6d; Customs, £442 2s 3d : miscellaneous, £27,429 2s 9d. The fourth anniversary of the Wesleyan Church, Adelaide Road, will be celebrated to-morrow evening, when a tea-meeting will be held. Tea will be on the table at six o'clock. On Saturday afternoon some very clever watercolor drawings by Mr. Eustace Brandon (whose skill and promise as an artist we have had the pleasure to notice on previous occasions) were disposed of by art union. The ] prizes fell as follows :— First, Mr. G. Friend • second, Mr. William Hickson ; third Mr. J. Saunders; fourth, Mr. J. Cherrett; fifth, Mr. J. Saunders; sixth, Mrs. Cemino: seventh Mr. C. P. Powles. ' At the Theatre Royal on Saturday, " Lend me Five Shillings" and "The King of the Peacocks " were repeated with entire success to a good house. This evening "The King of the Peacocks " will be given once more, by special request, and for the last time, preceded by the farce " Poor Pillicoddy." The Hegarty Troupe, of whose talents the Southern papers speak in the highest terms, will appear at the Theatre next Saturday evening witn the present company. A memorial has been addressed to tho Government by pastoral tenants, agents for investment associations, bankers, and others, respecting the future tenure of the Canterbury runs. It was frequently referred to on Friday in the debate on the Canterbury Pastoral Leasing Bill, and was described by some members as a claim for compensation for losses caused by the fell in the price of wool. Mr. Millar, F.S.A., after leaving Wellington for his home at Nelson, six weeks ago, was taken seriously ill, and continued so for some time, but is now slowly recovering. Leave of absence from their Parliamentary duties has already been granted to Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Reader Wood, and notice is given of the same requesc being made on behalf of Mr. Larnach, and Mr. Bastings. At Mr. F. Sidey's land sale this day, town acre No. 3-9 was sold for £360 to Mr. Easby. Town acre No. 1094 fetched £115; also several allotments sold at fair prices. The dwellinghouse in Majoribank-street was purchas- d for £500. The prices obtained were not considered the full value of the properties. The Hopperstreet property was withdrawn for private sale. St. Mark's Church, Sussex Square, was lighted with gas last evening for the first time, when evening service was held there—also for the first time. The lights, which consist of tworinglights of twelve burnerseach in the body

of the Church, and one of eight burners over [ the chancel, are arranged very judiciously, and give ample illumination to all parts of the Church, the effect also being: very good. The cost, we understand, was only £21, which will be cleared off very speedily by the evening offertories. The Rev. F. Sherriff read prayers last evening, and the Right Rev. Bishop Hadfield preached. The newly-formed choir sang an anthem (Himrael's " Incline thine ear"), their first enort in that direction, very successfully, the able choirmaster, Mr. Edwards, presiding at the harmonium. Mr. G. H. Vennell will, to-morrow, sell the buildings in the occupation of Mr. Max ton, baker, Lambton Quay. The sale will take plack at 1 o'clock. Mr. Thomas Turnbull, the well-known local architect, has been instructed by the committee of the Wellington Club, to prepare plans and designs for a new club-house to be erected on the site known as " Drake's Acre," on the Terrace, which was purchased recently by the Club. The building is intended to be both ornamental and commodious. The B.s. Tui will call at Foxton on her next trip to the West Coast, going in and out on the same tide. She sails to-morrow. A heavy S. W. gale was experienced yesterday in nearly eTery part of the Middle Island. The gale extended to the southern portion of the North Island and blew very strongly in this city during the greater part of yesterday. The members of the Wellington Chess Club have secured the use of the room in the rear of Mr. Budge's Cigar Divan, for their meetings, feeling disinclined to trespass any longer on the kindness of Mr. Hunter, who hitherto has allowed them to use his large room. It is satisfactory to know, as we do from the Inangahua Herald, that the cloud which has overbuug several of the companies in Reefton to all appearance is fast disappearing. Several that had to suspend operations some time since , are now making a start, and no doubt when they are once more in full swing they will be in a far better position than ever they were. The Courthouse at Masterton must be a nice place. At a recent sitting, Mr. Stedman, on behalf of the solicitors practising in the Wairarapa, called attention to the raeatcre provision existing for the despatch of business. He and his professional friends, he said, were actually compelled to apply at a neighboring hotel to borrow chairs for their accommodation. Not only that, but they were reduced to the dire necessity of conveying the chairs to the Courthouse themselves. Pens, paper, and ink were likewise scarce commodities in connection with the Court. To make bad worse, a hen-house, or stable, or some kind of a menagerie of that sort, had oeeu lately erected as a lean-to, almost right against the judicial bench (laughter). The result was that when the fowls, or pigs, or whatever they were, took it into their iieads to hold a levee of their own, it was simply impossible for his Worship to be heard. The .Bench concurred in the observation, Mr. Wardell adding that between crowing cocks and bowling dogs, he really had a sore time of it when he came to Masterton. Recently Mr. Guinness made the remark in the Court at Ureymouth, in the case Trustees of K. Canavan v. Temperly, bailiff, that the present Bankruptcy Act was the most rotten and unworkable one that ever disgraced the statute book; aud his Honor Judge W'eston seemed inclined to coincide with the learned counsel's opinion. The Taranaki Budget of the 16th inst. says; — "We are glad to hear that Captain Skcet, who it will be remembered went with a party on an exploring expedition inland, has returned safely. He arrived at Waitara yesterday, having come out by the Turumoko track. Captain tikeet has been away about a mouth, and we hear has been within seven days journey of the Waikato plains. He has during that time had a good opportunity, we should imagine, of seeing some Hung of the country. We are glad to hear that he has returned without auy mishap. Mr. John Walker, of Wanganui, has disposed of the two-year-old chestnut colt Marquis of Normanby, by Kavensworth, out of Sweetmeat, to Mr. William Sauuders, of Christchurcb. The price is 13200 on delivery of the horse at Lyttelton, and should the colt win the Canterbury Derby £100 will be added to that amount. The Taranaki Budget has the following paragraph, which is substantially correct: — "A telegram received in town yesterday from Mr. E. M. Smith, mentions that his departure from v\ elliugton had been delayed, but that he would ,be here by the next steamer, on Saturday next. The directors of the Titanic Company have agreed to give him the use of the furnace, aud have expressed themselves williug to spend £300 on a trial uuder Mr. Smith's direction." Auckland papers record the death of James Moore, another old colonist. Deceased arrived iv Auckland with the first settlers in tho Duchess of Argyle in 1842, and was for many years a sawmill proprietor in the Manukau, near the Huia, and owned several vessels. Deceased lived at Ouehuuga for many years, and was a large property owner in that township. The Marlborough Times, in chronicling its own demise, says: — "The company under whose proprietorship this paper lias been issued have been publishing it at a heavy loss ; they bore with that for a long time — the time, in fact, that the paper has existed — in the hope that eventually the support accorded would be sufficient to maintain the journal, but, disappointed in that expectation, they have at length felt bound to discontinue the enterprise." The Times is not without hope that it may be repu Wished under a different pro- ' prietorship. [ There is an enterprising Maori up Taranaki i way, who is a coach proprietor, and wln.se name is Mr. Honi Pihama. He has lately had about four miles of fencing erected on his laud down the coast. The next operation will be to subdivide the land into paddocks, which work will be immediately proceeded with. Mr. i Pihama expt-cts to shear at least one thousand i sheep this season. He does not see the use of letting his land lie idle. It is said that other Maoris, stimulated by the example thus set, are inteudiug to follow suit, and fence land for sheep and cattle runs. The Nelson Times learns by private advices from the Coa«.t that "everything is dull." At Westport it is stated that able-bodied men are walking- about the streets idle, waiting, Micawber like, for something to turn up ; and this iv a country teeming- with minerals. Many of the men (who have the means) are leaving for Melbourne and Sydney. Miuiug matters are looking a little better at the Lyell. According to the Argus, Alpine shares offerred a few days since at sixpence cauuot be purchased at two and sixpence; the Break o' Day men are getting out soz stone, aud the Maruia crushing has turned out more than payable. The Pospectors also go to mill with some firstclas-. stone. Blenheim papers chronicle the death of Mr. John O'Sulhvan, an old settler and a much valued public servant. The late Mr. O'Sullivan was one of the pioneers to the Nelson province, having come there under the New Zealand company in 1841 or 1842, with those who were sent out to found a settlement. He was occupied there in the conduct of public works for about fifteen years and then he removed to Marlborough, which at that time was a portion of the Nelson province. There he was employed under the Nelson Government in various public works, and on separation taking place he was immediately appointed Inspector of Works to the Marlborough Government. The Wellington correspondent of the Wanganui Herald writes :—": — " Mr. Johnston has applied for 25,000 acres of laud as an endowment for Fox ton harbor, and Mr. Ballance has sent in an application for £15,000 for the Rangitikei harbor. It had been agreed that 30 per cent of the proceeds of such endowments should go towards the construction of roads through the land." The Wanganui Herald is responsible for the following :— Mere Paka, the celebrated chieftainess of Pukerangiora, has made an offer (through the late Crown Commissioner) of hand and heart to the chief Patohe, brother of Hone Pibama. It is probable, says the Herald, that Wanganui will be asked to send representatives to join the Wellington team in the football match between Canterbury and Wellington, which will take place at the Lower Hutt in about six week's time. Some very interesting letters from San Francisco have lately appeared in the Dunedin Star, and there is evidence in them^that they proceed from the pen of Mr. R. J. Creighton, lately editor of the New Zealand Times. The ! writer evidently does not believe in the permanency of the present San Francisco service, for in one of his letters he says : — " And one word regarding Trenor K. Park, who has beaten Jay Gould at his own weapons. He is a mighty speculator, not over nice or par-

ticular, and was the operator who went to London and worked the Emma mine swindle. He has presently control of the Panama Railway and Transit Companies, and has been able to run Gould to earth ; but these are not the parries with which the colonies can deal for a mail service for a long term of years. They may be ' dead broke' any day, and even this now combination may repudiate, and what then ? That postal connection with England via San Francisco should be kept up I have no doubt, but 1 fear that the present arrangement will not continue much longer. There is no < stability about anything, and the company's staff is demoralised."