Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1879.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5292, 28 January 1879, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1879.

Some idea of the ulterior object of Mr Graham Berry's embassy to England may be gathered from an article that recently appeared in the Melbourne Age. Ostensibly, Mr Berry's purpose is merely to obtain a reform of the Constitution, so as to prevent the Legislative Council from obstructing the will of the Lower Chamber, but the actual purpose is to strip the owners of land of their property, by using the power — when obtained — of overriding the Council's objections to any particular measure which the Legislative Asembly may pass. This is what the Age says: — "No theorising is necessary to prove to the people that the large estates were swallowing up the small, and that a country in which cattle and sheep displaced men and women could never reach beyond a certain stunted prosperity. The evidence was presented to them in a way that they could not help seeing it, and the result of this evidence is the land tax that was so laboriously wrung from the representatives of the territorial interest. That tax was notoriously only a half -measure ; it was the outcome of a compromise ; and, in order to make it serve the purpose that it was intended to serve, it requires to be readjusted. A readjustment of the kind that is wanted is impossible, however, while the representatives of the territoral interest possess the power of rejecting taxing bills ; and thus by a strictly logical process of reasoning we are brought face to face with the necessity of solving the problem of reform as a condition antecedent to dealing with tho malignant cancer of land monopoly." Nothing could possibly be plainer. MiBerry has it in mind to tax the largo land owners in a progressive scale until he compels them to give up their land ; but as the Council may oppose the imposition of confiscating taxes, its power of opposing must be taken away from it by the Imperial Parliament, and hence Mr Berry's embassy to England. Indeed, ho said as much, almost in so many words, at the banquet given to him prior to his departure from Melbourne. "We have no quarrel," he aaid, "we can have no quarrel with the Imperial Government. We are part of the British Empire, and there is no portion of that vast and wonderful empire more loyal to the traditions, more thoroughly loyal to the Crown, than the people of Victoria. We will ask them to give to the whole people what has been usurped by a section, to carry out the real spirit of the gift, and to let the lands of the colony come into the hands of the vast majority of the people." This is the miserable point of degradation to which Mr Berry is endeavoring to drive the great colony of Victoria — robbery and confiscation, so that "the lands of the colony may come into the hands of the vast majority of the people." As we have said before, Victoria is serving a good purpose to this and other colonies in the Australian group, by showing how easy is the descent, and how soon it may bring us to the lowest depths, if we are not mindful that we enter not upon the path leading to it. — Avernus' gates are open night and day, Smooth the descent and easy is the way.

Information has been received from Danevirk that a man named Yockum Skott, a laborer and butcher, was arrested last Saturday on the charge of stealing some sheep, the, property of Mr Daniel M'Master, $h,e^pfapw.er, Tahpraite^

In reference to the chief Karaitiana, we find that we were in some respects misinformed. Karaitiana is not and has not been at any time under the survellance of any private person, but has been and continues in his own house under the care of Drs. Hitchings and Spencer, who are still in regular attendence upon him. Baker and Farron's farewell benefit at the Theatre Royal last night drew a croAvded audience. The drama of " Lisa Eccles" was capitally played, and Baker and Farron were repeatedly encored in, their songs and dances, while Mr Farren as Michael Slattery, " fresh from the old sod," kept the house convulsed with laughter. The company leave to-day for Auckland by the Hawoa, after a successful season in Napier. We hear that there will be an inquest held in respect to the fire at the Konini Hotel as soon as the attendance of the necessary witnesses can be obtained, the persons who are supposed to have any knowledge of the origin of the fire having gone to Patea. We are informed that Mr Sheehan will be in Napier on Saturday next. The amount of dog tax collected during the last fortnight in the Borough of Napier was £63 ; in the Hawke's Bay County it was £53. Wo are glad to learn that Mr W. Couper, of Havelock, who has been for some time dangerously ill, and assiduously attended by Dr. J. M. Gibbes, of Hastings, is now progressing so favorably as to justify hopes of his immediate recovery. The cricket match between an eleven of Hawke's Bay County and a Poverty Bay eleven is to be played to-day and tomorrow at Gisborne. The following representatives of Hawke's Bay left in the Rangatira last evening :. — Messrs Sladen, Fitzroy, Gilbord, J. Rhodes, T. Moore, Sainsbury, Liddle, R. Rhodes, Tanner, and Edser. The sale of both Mr Joseph May's and Me3srs Maclean and Co.'s Lincoln rams will take place at the Spit yards on Friday next at 2 p.m.