COLONIAL CONSERVATISM.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7146, 25 April 1885, Page 2

COLONIAL CONSERVATISM.

Says the Anglo-New Zealander :— v The Conservatives of the West of England have found a new argument for Imperial federation. At a conference of representatives of Devonshire Conservative Associations, held at Exeter on the 4th March, and presided over by Sir Stafford Northcote, a resolution in favor of a well* considered scheme of Imperial federation was accepted. The resolution set forth that independently of the national advantages of the scheme, ' the additional weight of colonial experience of Radicalism would under such an arrangement be thrown into the scale of public opinion in favor of loyalty and constitutional rights.' This is another instance of the dense ignorance prevailing at Home as to the real feelings and sentiments of the colonies, if the resolution has any meaning, it is that, disgusted with the effects of [Radicalism, the colonies would send to an Imperial Parliament thorough-going Tories of the old school. This expectation is doubtless founded on the experience of men like Sir Samuel Wilson, who, when they go to spend in England the money they have made in Australia, generally adopt the opinions of the " bluest " of the " blue," as a fancied or real aid to their advancement in " society." These men are no more representatives of the real feelings of the colonies than are the extreme Irish party of the feeling of Scotland. What Sir Stafford Northcote knows as a Conservative is an i almost unknown animal out here. We have a few fossilised specimens in the \ Legislative Council, but no one pays any attention to them. The men who are called Conservatives out here would be considered extreme Radicals in England. Take, for instance, our local member, whom the Napier " Liberals " condemn as a " Conservative." Why, i£ he gave utterance to some of his ideas in the House of Commons the hair of members of that historical Chamber would rise with consternation, and he would be regarded as a subverter of the constitution. We axe ia the oolonies half a oentury

ahead of the Mother Country so far as liberal legislation is concerned, and what is meant by the term Conservatism in England is here unknown. DoubtleßS Sir Stafford and those he addressed were mißled by one phase of feeling in the colonies— that is, their avowed sympathy with what has been the foreign policy of the Conservatives in England for years past. A "spirited foreign policy " has the cordial sympathy of the ' great majority of England's far-away dependencies, but that support is given entirely irrespective of whether a Conservative or Liberal Cabinet is the author of the policy. With Conservatism in politics proper the colonists have no sympathy, and the resolution passed at Exeter was founded on an entire misapprehension of the true political feeling of the colonies.

On the fourth page will bo found articles entitled "English and Foreign Labor," "An Eastern Story," and "A Modern Nostradamus." The subject of the Rev. J. G. Paterson's sermon to-morrow morning will be "Lifted." The subject of the evening lecture will be " Poisoned Arrows." There is no end to anomalies. The lessee of an hotel not .100 miles from Napier, who has been in the habit of taking his "bitters" regularly during the last 30 years, has recently become a total abstainer. At the next meeting of the Naval Brigade for drill a working bee will be organised for the purpose of erecting a boat-shed. The brigade's boat is completed, and will be sent from Auckland as soon as the shed for its reception is ready. The art exhibition and museum of curios at St. Andrew's Hall, Spit, vras fairly patronised last evening, and a series of vocal and instrumental seleotions by lady and gentlemen amateurs was much appreciated. The exhibition will re-open this day. / At a recent meeting of the committee 'of -the Napier Working Men's Club, Mr *vT. Sidey presiding, full arrangements for carrying out the usual winter season of entertainments were decided upon. We understand that this season's programme will prove even more attractive than the successful one of last year. Sportsmen are reminded that the shooting season for native and imported game commences on the Ist of May. Shooting licenses are now reduced to £1 Is, and can be obtained from the Chief Postmaster, Napier. It will be a close season for pheasants in Hawke's Bay County, but with that exception the regulations apply equally all over the district. •^The provisional directors of the proposed Hawke's Bay Woollen Factory Company met again yesterday, but in view of the probability of war between Russia and England it was considered that an attempt to float the company at present would be inopportune. The meeting was therefore adjourned sine die. The next meeting will be called by advertisement. The annual statutory meeting of the Napier Municipal Council was held in the Town Hall at noon yesteiday, his Worship the Mayor and Crs. Neal, Graham, Cornford, and Margoliouth being present. A rate of Is in the £1 on all ratable property in the borough for the year commencing April 24th, 1885, was struck, and the rate-book and burgess roll for the same period were signed. At the meeting of the Hawke's Bay Rugby Football Union last evening Mr R. Dobaon, the president, stated that Mr Ormond had authorised him to promise a handsome cup for competition between the clubs this season. The president stated that Mr Ormond had intended to offer a cup last season, but had been prevented from doing so by the fact that he was at that time contesting an election. . \ • ,•/■ At the Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday, before Messrs E. Lyndon and T . K. Newton;.. J.P.s, William Wilson was charged oh the information of Constable Weathered with wilful damage to of Mr J. P. Smith, of the Farndon Hotel. The prosecutor wished to withdraw the charge, as defendant was willing to pay for the damage done, and after some explanation as to how the damage was caused the Bench agreed to this coarse being adopted. The Jessie Nichol, which sailed on Thursday, took 600 crossbred ewes from Mr George Seslop's station and four merino rams bred by Mr John Anderson, Moteo. Her destination is Sunday Island, a small island of some 20,000 acres in extent, about 500 miles north of Auckland. It is an American dependency, and is leased by Mr Bell, the present occupier. He and the schoolmaster are the only two Englishmen on the island, the natives doing all his work. Over 300 bales of wool were shipped from Sunday Island this year, and every year the clip is increasing largely. Mr Bell will shortly visit our port again for another cargo of sheep. A meeting of the temporary directors of the Napier Park Company was held at the Caledonian Hotel last evening, Mr J. M'Vay in the chair. The secretary reported that the articles of association had been duly signed and registered, and it was decided to call a meeting of shareholders at an early date, to elect permanent directors, &c. Tenders for ploughing and harrowing the company's ground at Taradale were opened, and that of Mr M'Pherson was accepted. Tenders for the removal and re-erection of fences, &c, were also considered, and that of Mr George Neal accepted. Shares in the company were allotted as applied for, and the meeting terminated. Oar Waipawa correspondent writes as follows, under yesterday's date :— " The meeting of creditors in the estate of Robert Sporle was held in the Courthouse, the Deputy Assignee presiding. There was a large attendance of creditors, and the debtor's examination by Mr Guy was rather '• lively." After considerable discussion it was decided to wind up the estate at once, and to realise the assets as soon as possible. — A number of the friends of Mr J. T. Carr met at the Empire Hotel last evening, for the purpose of presenting him with a token of their esteem in connection with his leaving the public service. The presentation, which consisted of a purse of sovereigns, was made by Mr H. J. Baker. Mr Carr responded in suitable terms, and the company afterwards sat down to an oyster supper and a following social evening. The new conjurer, M. Verbeck, when lately entertaining the Savages, asked five of the company in different parts of the room to draw each one card from an ordinary packet after M. Verbeck had handed a sealed packet to the president. He then asked five other gentlemen to put down any single nnmber (except 0) on a slip of paper, after which he handed a dice-box, with five or six dice in it, to another, requiring him to make a throw. He did so ; the numbers turned up came to 28 ; the total of the figures on the slip of paper was 28 ; the cards drawn were then declared by M. Verbeck, and they also amounted to 28 ; and lastly, he rei quested the president to break the seal of the envelope, and inside it was found a paper with, in large figures, the same number— 2B ! The Vienna correspondent of the London Telegraph writes .—The sorting of Archduke Rainer's valuable collection of papyri has led to discoveries of the greatest interest. In the Greek section are a number of fragments attributed to Aristotle. In. the old lite of Imperial papyri written in Greek are specimens attributed to Marous Aurelius, Severus Alexander, and Phillippus the Arabian. Among the,, jaye Latin papyri are two

receipts of the actuary Bergius, dating ,' from a.d. 398. They are the oldest dated ■;*:> Latin -documents in existence. la the '{ same group figures a decree of a pro- „ vincial governor dating from the fiftlr : century. In the Arabic section there is a revolutionary proclamation, dated a.d. 867. This part of the collection further includes ten well preserved letters in, ;•■ Arabic, dated from a.i>. 812. They^areHfc . orders from a tax-gatherer for writing '■■ material and papyrus rolls. They show how at that time papyrus was an expensive and rare commodity in trade, having . been superseded by cotton and linen , fibrous paper. According to these letters a roll of papyrus about two and a half yards long cost something over two shillings.