Evening Post. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1878.

Evening Post, Volume XVI, Issue 284, 30 November 1878, Page 2

Evening Post. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1878.

An urgent telegram from our special London Correspondent, which we received late last night, states that Russia threatens to intervene between Great Britain and Afghan, because our forces have occupied Quettah. Coupling this information with a previous dispatch which we published yesterday, to the effect that the Russian Commandant, General Kaufmann, had urged his Government to request the British Government to give a guarantee that we should not permanently occupy the Khyber Pass shows what a keen interest Russia takes in this Anglo- Afghan quarrel. That it is not an unselfish interest, any one who knows the history of Russian aggression on readily comprehend. It cannot be solicitude for the Afghan Ameer alone which induces Russia to ask for England's ultimate withdrawal from the Khyber Pass, or to object to her occupation of Quettah j and, remembering the close union which exists between the Ameer and Russia, and the insult offered to Sir Neville Chamberlain's mission by the order of the Ameer, prompted and encouraged as he was by Russia, there can be little doubt that the latter power is now scarcely even a concealed foe to Great Britain, and these proposals prove it. After tbe British experiences in India of Afghanistan, the treachery of its rulers, the lessons learned in the Khyber Pass some forty years ago, and especially the intrigues of Russia against Britain's power on her Indian frontier, it would be an unparalleled thing for England to make any promise,' especially to an adverse power, of relinquishing that important pass which results might show it msy be necessary permanently to h"ld. Thfc pass is described as a narrow ravine about thirty miles long, passing between almost perpendicular rocks from 600 to 700 feet high ; and it forms the key to the regions on both sides of the long defile. The Kbyberere hajre rjsen against Sherb Ali, and our forces are adyaneing unopposed. Ali Musjid, which was taken by storm, stands at the eastern or British end of the Pass. IJakka (not Dacca as telegraphed, which latter is a city of Bengal, situated on » tributary of the Ganges), which has been occupied without opposition is close to the Afghan end of the Khyber P»«s. Thence to Jellalabad tha road is comparatively easy, and that city the Afghan troops bad evacuated, and were on full retreat toward iCabul, to which our forces will undoubtedly follow them. Why, in such circumstances, Britain should give any pledge that she would give up the key and gatja of her own territory, especially with suspicious persons ppowmig about the vicinity, is a new question in diplomacy. As tot the oppupatjon of Quettah, which is just beyond the Bolao Pas*, and about 140 miles south of Kandahar, it is a strategic point of great importance ; for from thence the Southern Column of our forces can operate, and tbpnee, if necessary, on Herat, the most western capital of Afghanistan, close on the confines of Persia. Probably, the reply to Russia will be a very brief one, to ths effect that Britain knows what she is doing, and means to punish the Ameer, * ' gainsay it whoso list, ju,st as she punished the " KiDg ot Abvssjnnia. It is very much to be doubted that Russia, with what she has already to contend with at home and abroad, will make any I active intervention between England and Afghanistan.

It must be gratifying to Mr. Wood, of Wainui-o-mata, and to the numerous circle of friends which such an exemplary settler as he has gained during nearly thirty years' residence ip the colony, thaj a court of law kw

cleared him of the vile libels and reckless ] charges which a foolish seeker after unhealthy sensationalism sought to throw upon him. The proceedings in Court yesterday completely refuted the cruel accusations that he had treated I harshly an imbecile sister, whom he and his relatives had for years tended with marked j care and affection, and who had, indeed, been banded to him as a sacred death. bed legacy by bis mother. Every charge of improper treat- I ment, which had been so sedulously published for no possible purpose of good, was entirely overturned. All tbat, at most, was contended for was that Mr. Wood, in fulfilling the special request of bis parent, that he would keep his sister beside him and look after her as long as he could, had unwittingly contravened a section of the Lunacy Act, of which very few persons, even some medical men, have till now been ignorant. The section is one which provides that in tbe case of a lunatic or idiotic person being detained in a private bouse, whether by friends or others, tbe person so detaining sucb lunatic or insane person shall, within three months, give notice ot such detention to the Colonial Secretary. This is a necessary precautionary law, for the records of the courts abound with cases in which, in the old time?, sane persons were unlawfully detained in private asylums, through sbameiully dishonest motives on the part of selfish relations. And no doubt in those days there were many examples of this kind, which never came to light, and where the victims died in UDjust captivity. It is to prevent the possibility of occurrences of this kind that the clause referred to was made part of the law; and the recent prosecution was undertaken mainly to give full publicity to the existence of this law, and the necessity, under penalty, of both the person detaining the lunatic' and any medical man who may attend professionally, giving due notice of such detention to the Colonial Secretary, in order that proper means of examination may be open at all times to tbe authorities. Beyond omitting to give this notice, which he did not know was necessary, Mr. Wood committed no offence. Every witness, and they were numerous, and most of them had known him for many years, testified to the uniform kindness and affection with which he had always regarded and treated all her life his unfortunate sister. The Court confirmed this view and, with concurrence of the Assistant Law Officer of the Crown, dismissed the case, thus at once clearing the reputation of a worthy man, and by consequence censuring those who sought to cast unmerited reproach on kindly and self-denying actions.

The new time-table of the Union Steam Ship Company for December is the most important which the company has ever issued, inasmuch as it now contains tho names and dates of sailing of their new and valuable acquisitions to their fine fleet, and also nominates the tonnage and power of another large vessel, now in course of building, and which will be 1800 tons register, and possess a steam power of 2000 horses. In addition to the regular line of steamers down South and up North by the East Coast service, and besides boats in the Sydney service, all of which vessels in both these services ca'l at Wellington twice every round trip, there are two special services, of which Wellington is the terminal point. These are the Wei ington and Manukau service, calling at Picton, Nelson, and New Plymouth; and the Melbourne service. There are, it is true, one or two small local services, from Dunedin to Oamaru, Dunedin to Timaru, and from tbe same place round the south end of the Southern Island ; but these are small boats, very useful, but not directly connected with the great lines. Practically, on looking at this new time-table tbe pre-eminence oF Wellington as the central port is made specially apparent. Time was when it was stated that the Union Company was less of a colonial concern than an Otago combination. But tbe extension of their ventures, the important additions to their fine fleet, and their growing direct connection with Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart Town make them now really colonial and intercolonial. It is evident, too, tbat tbe course of events is pointing to the time, and that not far distant, when the requirements of the company's steamers will necessitate the establishment of head-quarters at Wellington. Various causes combine to this end. Amongst them are the central position, the conveniences offered for communication hence to both ends of the various lines,and the patent fact which those in authority should never forget that Wellington has in itself the power to be the distributing port of the whole of this colony. It seems quite clear that the directors of the Unioa Company do not overlook the importance of Wellington position; and it rests with those who have the administration of our wharfs and harbor to offer the best inducements to the company to make this port their permanent head-quarters.

The wreck of the Taranaki suggests one question which it is necessary to put in a public fashion and for future public safety. We are told that it was only after a good deal of delay and with no small amount of trouble that the tour ship's boats were got out safely ; and tbat it was " three-quarters of an hour after the ship struck that the first boat with the women and children got off from the ship." It would be well if we knew exactly— What caused this delay?