The Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1901. THE WEEK.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume VX, Issue 7101, 25 January 1901, Page 2

The Star.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 1901. THE WEEK.

Delivered every evening b 6 o'clock iv Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltham, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuua, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutahi, Alton, Hurleyville, Patea, and Waverley. 1

During the latter part of the week the cables have been so fully employed conveying expressions of grief from the people and Governments of the world, in consequence of the illness and death of our universally lamented Queen, that little news has been forwarded. Since invasion by the Boers has carried war to the very portals of the chief town of the Cape Colony, for obvious reasons little information has been allowed to pass the censor. Though a very large section of the Dutch population have identified themselves with the cause of the Boers, it is pleasing to see that no large rising of the Boers of the colony baa taken plaoe. On the contrary, late news says that they are surrendering arms no longer legal for any but officials to retain, and freely selling horses to the Government. The majority of those who have joined the invaders are what are called "by-woners," labouring men of a more or less migratory habit. Were the true situation known to these, the native caution of the Dutch would override the rebellious inclination.

It will be Been that late fighting has taken plaoe quite near Capetown, but in very rough country. The western invaders have made no headway towards conquest, have indeed attempted nothing but looting. It now appears that as De Wet was to have led the eastern contingent of invaders, so De la Rey was to have met the western in the colony and commanded them. British tactics defeated the progress of both generals, who are still detained in the Orange River Colony.

As regards Chinese affairs, The Times correspondent a short time back pointed out that there .was a great misconception in calling the procedings at Peking peace negotiations. No such were possible till the Joint Note, but now signed and sealed, had been accepted. That was done last week, after two additional proposals had been agreed to and incorporated, viz., that of Sir Ernest Satow, that China should reoast the commercial treaties, and that of Italy, that she should agree to such a measure of financial control as, if aacepted, would mean the appointment of an international board of control resembling the Egyptian Caisse or the Constantinople Council of Administration. The work now to be undertaken is thus stated : — " First comes the extreme difficulty of enforcing the sentences (death was not asked for in the Note as amended) on the princes and officials, of compelling the Court to return to Peking, and of removing the Empress and the Emperor from the domination of Tung-Fuh-Siang, who most unreasonably appears unwilling to execute himself, even in deference to the commands of the German Emperor. The next problem will be how to secure the payment of the indemnity, which on the lowest estimate already amounts to £60,000,000. The third task will be the recasting of the commercial treaties, including the Thibet Convention."

Labt year Newfoundland renewed the modus vivendi with France, not because any section of its people approved of its piovisioas, but simply as a loyal concession to the Empire in time of stress. As the present situation is by no means as satisfactory as it might be, a special session of Parliament will be held to again renew the measure. But it is significant that the Minister for the Colonies has invited the Premier to a conference in London, from which it is hoped that the proposal to cede Gambia to France in payment for the French rights is something more than a newspaper report.

It is quite remarkable that in two international affairs in whioh Britain was antagonistic, in the first to America and in the second to France, she is now giving assistance to those Powers which respectively were so bitter against her. The Venezuela boundary squabble and the unwise prosecution of the Monroe doctrine by Cleveland brought America and Britain to the verge of war, avoided by the acceptation, by the latter, of arbitration. Now when Venezuelan revolutionaries threaten American concessions, British and American men-o'-war act in concert. So, ignoring French nastiness, British capitalists are finding money for a Frerch railway from Jibutil to Adis-Abeba.

It is noticeable that just when Australia is doffing the knickers of a colonial status and donning the dress clothes of nationality, disturbances should arise in more than one island of the Pacific the ultimate control of which is considered necessary to Australia's security. Though opposing Premier Seddon's scheme of federation with Fiji, Anstralia is quite on his side in the quarrel which has arisen through the Fijian Governor's slanders on New Zealand methods with natives. The Governor is still, by late accounts, continuing the agitation against federation by distributing the speeoh oomplained of among the tribes of his islands. With the colony of New Zealand and the new-born potency of Austra'ia against him, it may be safe to conclude that all the influence of Lord Stanmore, with Exeter Hall at his back, will not save him from censure and possible removal. And this will be assisted by the wretched state the native Fijians have been brought to during his administration, whioh state is little short of slavery.against whioh rebellion is imminent.

Fob some time now French traders have been exceedingly aggressive against both natives and British rights and influence in the New Hebrides. The islands are under joint control, but where British ships assist the natives when their rights are encroached on by British subjects, when a like aggression is undertaken by French subjects French cruisers assist their encroaching countrymen. The consequence is that if all French illegal claims were given effect to France will own the freehold of the islands. It is to be hoped that when dealing with Newfoundland and Gambia the New Hebrides will be part payment for the latter, but in any case Australia cannot afford to allow foreign dominion or a state of anarchy in the Pacific. i

Never in the memory of man has there been so wide-felt a feeling of depression as that now universal, and the shroud-like clouds which envelope the district add to the sadness whioh pervades the community, and is intensified by the news of the sadness of others in every quarter of the globe. But few, very few, of those now living have heard the cry " God Save the King " now for the first time in 63 years first heard in London. None can yet utter the cry with the intrinsic joy which belongs to it, because none can yet view with complacency the loss which makes that cry possible. But it argues well for the confidence of all in the monarch whose reign has thus been heralded that not one whisper of misgiving has ever reached human ear, and such would be prominently in evidence were not public confidence so well grounded. Were the enthronement of a king left to popular plebiscite there can be little doubt that the very man called to that throne by the provision of Providence would receive the nation's mandate. For the favour with which the King is regarded is one well rooted in the hearts of the people, of slow and steady growth, and not a capricious endowment from sudden infatuation. There have not been wanting in the past birds of ill-omen, men of republican, socialistic, or communistic proclivities, who have prophesied general disturbance on the death of our Queen, which according to them would be England's last monarch. In no capital of the world are there more political creeds, more sectionaries, more faddists, than in London, and it is probable that in no such city could so momentous a change have taken place without demonstrations other than those of the deepest grief, whioh is the sole and dominant note of London's voice, of Britain's action. And yet, as our late beloved Queen, oven in the throes of death, remembered the joys of her grandson the Kaiser's people, and begged that the news of her death should not tarnish it, so for a moment the British nation will lift its multi-million heads from the grief which bows them, and strive to be smiling as it cries " God Save the King."

A.s evidence of the destruction csb of eels in our fresh-water fisheries, Mr W. H. Tisdall exhibits an eel brought in from Trentbam, measuring sft long and 16in in girth, and weighing 251b. In i\a interior was found a half-digested trout, 15in long, probably one of many which had gone to satisfy the appetite of this hungry water, rover,— Wellington Post,