The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, MAY 30, 1870. GENERAL SUMMARY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2929, 30 May 1870, Page 2

The Lyttelton Times. MONDAY, MAY 30, 1870. GENERAL SUMMARY.

At the date of our last summary, the unexpected contest for the Superintendency was about to close. The poll was taken on Monday, May 2, and resulted in the return of Mr Rolleston by a majority of over nine hundred. The detailed returns will be found in our supplement, and it is not necessary that we should make any lengthened comments on the contest itself. With little exception, it was conducted creditably on both sides, and Mr Moorhouse will no doubt find consolation for his defeat in the knowledge that he gave the public a full opportunity—of which they everywhere availed themselves—for expressing their wish to see public works resumed and vigorously carried on. The Provincial Council elections are almost completed, and unless in one or two cases they have excited little interest. The most notable fact in connection with these elections is the rejection of Mr Andrew Duncan, Mayor, by the Christchurch constituency. Mr Duncan had the temerity to say that he was in favour of an alteration in the Waste Lands Regulations, and to this alone is his defeat attributed. The public are beginning, nevertheless, seriously to inquire whether a change iu the land laws will not be absolutely necessary at no distant date. In colonial politics there is not much of importance to note. Mr Fox addressed a public meeting at Dunedin on April 28, and again at Christchurch on May 12. Ou both occasions he was very well received, and, so far as can be judged from the expressions ot opinion usual at such meetings, the policy of the Government met with hearty approval. We refer, of course, more particularly to their Native policy, as that formed the chief subject of Mr Fox’s speech on both occasions. With very few exceptions, the press of the colony appears to be satisfied with the conduct of the Government during the recess, and the success which has attended the administration of the Native and Defence departments is generally recognised with marked commendation. The General Assembly is summoned to meet for the despatch of business ou June 14. We are not in a position to state what the Government programme will be, but there can he no hesitation in saying that finance will demand a large share of attention. Whether the usual struggle for place will occupy the first three or four weeks of the session is somewhat doubtful. Those who profess the ability to forecast events say that Mr Stafford will most probably wait for the general election, which must take place in the early part of next year. Then, it is alleged, he and his party can go to the country on some well-defined cry, and endeavour to regain their place at the bead of affairs. It must be understood, however, that these are mere conjectures, and that the course of events may be shaped in a very different manner. There is no indication, so far as we are iu a position to judge, that the public desire to see the Fox Government turned out.

It may be said that the Native war is over for the present. Te Kooti is still at large, but he is not in a position to bring a force into the field, and a considerable number of his quondam followers have recently given them* selves up to the Colonial forces. It was feared that some difficulty might arise if Te Kooti sought shelter among the King Natives, and if at the same time the Government made a demand that he should be given up. There was also some danger that our Native ally, Sopata, might hunt Te Kooti into the King territory, and thus bring himself into collision with the more violent section of the Kingites. These, it was alleged, were determined to give the arch-rebel such shelter as

he might require f rom his and it was also said that wouW probaWy find himself pel ed to forbid «U ponuit dmtnct owning his S overJ nt 7> no complications have arisen But Te Kooti s hiding pl ace do ’ and appear to be known. Ther ■ ° ot reason to suppose that he will 5 18 110 trouble for the next few mor!Ii aDy any rate, and even should he 8 at find himself in a position V gaiu the peace of the North Island no doubt be promptly and f met by the forces’ at the the Government. The Govern companied by Mr M‘Lean ac ‘ visiting the tribes in the R 66611 Islands, and he appears to haj* K ° f everywhere met with exn res J been the most devoted loyalty. Xii ° DS we think, be no doubt that theY question generally i 8 now i n ‘' atlfe satisfactory position than it h* ? ore for years past. as We mentioned in our last sum that proposals were about to on behalf of Mr Webb, of X e „. y^ e to run a line of large and n' ow 3 steamers between San FranH W6r u the Australian colonies. agent has met the Chambers merce at Wellington, CVm l , ’ and Dunedin, and his scheme 11 favourably received. At first, the tion was to run the trunk lirmf San Francisco to Sydney ! ? Fiji Islands, with a branch service frn the latter to New Zealand. But V Webb’s agent has found that there? no hope of any contribution f ro m New Zealand to the subsidy require? unless the colony is included in the direct route. It is generally believed that Melbourne will be the AuS terminus of the line, but this ma y depend to some extent on the amount which the Victorian Government may be prepared to pay as subsidy. j/ r Webb has intended from the outset that Melbourne should be the terminus and it is probable that the Government of Victoria will be inclined to behave liberally. The port of call i u y ew Zealand will necessarily be Wellington as no other place offers the same ad’ vantages for the collection and distribution of mails. The first boat of the recently started line between Sydney and Honolulu arrived at Auckland on her return trip on May 9, having made the distance both ways in satisfactory time. She brought no mail, and very little news, but this was anticipated, as the arrangements were not quite completed. ' The news brought by the last and the preceding mail with regard to flax baa had a discouraging effect on the new industry, and in some cases mills 1 have been stopped. On the whole, however, there is no reason to believe 1 that those who have made up their ’ minds to engage substantially in the preparation of flax will be deterred by the reports of the English market. In I the meantime, there will be disappointment, and to some extent loss, but the fibre of the Fkormium tenax will yet become a staple export from most parts of the colony,—when English manufacturers have found out for what purpose it is best adapted, and when we have discovered the best mode of preparing it. Most of the ' English-bound vessels have now left our port, and winter has set in, the weather having been unusually wet , for the last three or four weeks. Trade is by no means flourishing, but 1 there are fewer complaints about “ bad times.” This may arise, it is true, 1 from people having made up their minds to the stagnation which has prevailed so long; but we think there are signs o’ a more hopeful spirit 1 being abroad, and a growing belief in a not very distant revival of that prosperity which the colony has hoped anxiously for in vain. In our political notes we omitted to mention that a resolution was recently carrried in the Otago Provincial Council to the effect that it is desirable to unite this province with Otago. The subject has not received any notice in Canterbury. It may interest some of our English readers to know that the condition of the Fiji Islands is engaging the attention Oj. our neighbours iu Victoria and South Wales. The settlers in these islands—about 2000 iu number, an nearly all British subjects — naturally desire some form of government, an the refusal of Great Britain to assume the sovereignty, or definitely o say what she will or will not do, 1S perplexing them greatly. Th o ® r3 are divided into four parties. By ar the largest section, with whom are joined the principal Native duets, y hope that Great Britain will assunr the protectorate of the islands or time, with the view of ultimate » ’ neiation to Australia. Another s t tion desire immediate annexation New South Wales or “Victoria. - third advocate a protectorate y United States; and a fourth, no , ceeding one hundred, it 13 . eI T , have declared for a Republic, impossible to say what the resu the agitation will be, but there c no difficulty iu coming to the co' sion that “ something must be The islands are attracting nuffl“, of settle*, from the Au.t»ta« colonies, and the cultivation o appears to be a paying B g£“ ¥ille ' g Notwithstanding Lord G refusal to aid the colonv, or terfere at all in our i Majesty’s birthday was most ioy J celebrated in Canterbury other provinces. We our however, that the J uestl " mot ber future relations with the country is beginning to, ffi u cussed. Our English not be surprised when we s y lete spoken of in some quarters. It is possible that there • few people in England j d g e ids. terested in the Aucklan |L rn that If so. they will be glad * revithere are substantial 81 g f ro m val there, though the reco Jf be such a collapse m ines very gradual. Ihe thoge are considered very pro S - n i o n. The following remarks, m »

communication by the Thames correspondent of an Auckland contemporary, are not, we believe, exaggerated;— The depression that has existed here ever since the sudden collapse of the scrip bubble is slowly but sipely wear. y ing away, and, if the preseqf asp 6& of affairs is any criterion to go by, I for one feel very confident that a sound and healthy tone will ere long be one of the chief characteristics of Thames business. Mining matters are decidedly reviving, thanks to the wholesale weeding out of the dead stock that has so long encumbered the market and choked the growth of many a goodly undertaking, which but for the selfish greed of short-sighted speculation would now be far advanced towards maturity. However, these ills, which all quartz goldfields are heir to, will soon be numbered amongst the things of the past, when sober reality has supplanted feverish visionary excitement, and steady work, with moderate interest upon invested capital, and fair wages to the labouring miner, is the established order of every-day life. This desirable consummation is not so very far distant; from six to twelvemonths in point of time should suffice to bring about the needed reformation. Meantime, as indicated by current events, a great increase in the yield of gold may be expected. This is warranted by the daily increasing breadth of ground brought under mining crop, and the introduction of improved appliances for saving gold during the process of extraction from the matrix. The cheapening that has taken place in the cost of that process, and also in that of the carriage from. the mine to the mill, exercises an immense influence upon the welfare of the field by encouraging prospecting and the re-occupation of ground of the poorer sort by individual parties of miners, who for the sake of independence and the hope of “ patches ” prefer taking their chance of success by a dip into the “ lucky bag ” to hiring themselves out as mere day labourers. Such enterprise is commendable, and well worthy of encouragement, for without it the development of a goldfield must needs be both slow and uncertain