OUR LETTER HOME.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXI, Issue 7222, 23 April 1884, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR LETTER HOME.

POLITICAL. Tub agitation against the grain rates culminated in a grand meeting three weeks a£ro . ~t which the case against the rates was * p'm in a fashion that not only stripped the cloak of sophistry from the case of the ■ Government, but likewise gave very considerable increase of strength and point to the opponents of the raised tariff. For fear that the remonstrance might not produce the desired effect, the meeting arranged very patriotically to keep the agitation going, and, more than that, chalked out the line on which agitation -hould go. Everybody here is agreed that a non-political Board of Management ought to be appointed for each island. Everybody agrees that the rates must be brought down. Representatives on these subjects field the same views as represented. Moreover, in the North Island there is a strong ■opinion in many districts that the political management is played out; very naturally, because the political management tries to please too many people. In the south the feeling is unanimous. Whatever happens, therefore, to the rafes, the days of the political management maybe regarded as numbered, if only its opponents will keep up their determined hostility. When the railways are prospering under properly constituted boards of management, working openly, fairly, with due notice of all charges, with an oyc to the welfare of every interest, appraising at their full value the great producing interests, which are the paymasters of all the other interests in the island, then we shall all look back at the present time of trouble, and say to one another that the uses of adversity are sweet. The Government steadily declines to make any difference. Polities have decidedly become animated at last. The Premier, the leader of the Opposition, and the Minister of Lands have all made speeches. Mr Eollcston came down to make his peace with his constituents, and the Premier is going to follow him with a ■couple of speeches in Dunedin and Christchurch, to be probably followed by Mr Montgomery, who will give place most likely to some other Minister. It is a .curious game, that reminds one something of the donkey races, in which the winner ■is the animal that comes in last. To put it in another way, it is like the famous ruse of war, of which there are a hundred versions in all languages, with which a man draws the fire 9f an adversary (by hoisting his hat on a ramrod), in order to he able to deliver his own with greater effect. This may be a very safe, and therefore clever game, for the leader of a Government to begin, but it is not worthy of his position of trust and responsibility. In a country of decent political feeling, such a speech from the Prime Minister as that delivered at Hawera by Major Atkinson, would seal the fate of any Government. At a time when everybody is talking about the deficit in the year’s accounts, and speculating with eagerness how*the broken finances are going to be mended, the Premier tells the country airily that there is a deficit of considerable proportions, and that something is to be done to deal with it, other than by addition to the permanent debt. The reason why we do not get the latter information is dear enough. If the Property tax were to be the source of the increased revenue of the next year there would be no necessity for keeping anything secret. But if there is to be an increase in the Customs duties, on tea, sugar, and other necessaries, the announcement would cause considerable speculation and large clearances. As there is secrecy, it is fair to conclude that the duties are to be raised. We can understand the reason for secrecy on this point, but there is no reason why the whole truth should not have been told about the accounts, unless the adverse balance is a great deal worse than it is at all convenient to admit. For the rest of the speech, ihere is a curious vacuity in it. “We ■can’t produce any economy in the Civil Service; we won’t economise in Native matters; we have no opinion about the cost of education or the expediency of another loan, or about the charitable aid question, except that we should not be .asked to think about these highly inconvenient subjects.” And that is the Minister’s idea of a policy. Light and leading are expected from Governments. But that theory was invented at the other side of the world, and we are at the Antipodes. There is nothing political in depression •and deficits; nothing whatever. When we had a depression and a deficit in the days when Sir G. Grey was Premier, we remember hearing how awfully badly off we all were. And now that we have a depression .and a deficit in the days of Preniier Atkinson, we hear that it is rather enjoyable than otherwise. The Premier strokes his beard; he smiles; he delivers lectures on economy, thrift, land tenures, what not. He is like the skipper in Thackeray’s ballad,Jwhose mission in life was to encounter a storm, in order that he might show how well “he thought but little of bt.” In Grey this is a crime worthy of impeachment, dishonour of the most sharp and wholesale sort. But in Atkinson it is a virtue of the very first water, Thackeray’s captain, when the storm was at its height, used to call for brandy and water. We should not wonder if the Major were to do the same thing, in the form of an extra few shillings on every gallon of brandy, rum, and all spirituous alcoholism. It is only the other day that he presided at a Blue Ribbon meeting, and out-Foxed Fox.

Federation has been a great card with the Premier for the last four months. It 13 so still. He believes in Federation, because there must be Australian Federation, aud if New Zealand is out of it, she will have no control over Pacific islands, in ■which she is more interested than anyone else. The facts happen to be—lst, that there is not going to be Australian Federation, South Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland not caring a rap for the new ..doctrine; and 2nd, there is not any

island in the whole Pacific in which New Zealand has any real interest of any kind. But that only shows that the facts hare not good taste. If there is no depression, and no harm in the deficit, there is, the Premier said, also no Native difficulty. Mr Bryce has taken care of that. And ho intends to keep on taking care of it with 500 men at a cost of £50,000 a year. Ho wants to be firm, and what ho is pleased to call “ just.” Of all the humbugs in the world there is no humbug like the humbug who goes in for the serious and the weighty.

Mr Bryce has worked that vein pretty fully. We have an idea that ho has got all out of it that there was in it. Ho talks now, the Premier told us, about returning to the Government pre-emptive right. If he talked of a railway to Hades we should believe in him just,as soon; in fact a groat deal sdouer, and a great deal more hopefully. The Native policy is always changing, but there is one thing about it which sickens us with its monotony, and that is; the expense. The Treasurer does his best for it by shifting it about from loan to revenue, from capital to interest, and back again; but it has to he paid by the country nevertheless.

Mr Montgomery has been twitted with not having made a statement of the Opposition policy. Mr Montgomery, however, knows the story of Sir Robert Peel, who, when once asked for his opinion on public affairs while in opposition, declined to prescribe until be was “sent for,” Mr Montgomery is quite right, for it has always been recognised that the only duty of the Opposition, when important questions on which they differ .from Ministers are at stake, is to turn out the Government.

Mr Montgomery, at the same time, made a speech most damaging to the Government, the singular thing about it being that none of the Government party, except Mr Kolleston, has ventured on a reply. Mr Eolleston’s attempt was a failure. Since his speech at Akaroa Mr Montgomery’s chances for the Premiership look hotter than ever. It is the best speech Mr Montgomery has ever made; the speech of a man who is master of the criticism proper to his subject, as well as of the tone in which statesmanlike criticism should be couched; of a man, also, who understands a situation, which exceptionally requires from him a clear statement of principles of policy without dissipation of ideas in details, The result is a distinct advance on his part in the public estimation.

Mr Eolleston has obtained for the first time in 16 years a vote of censure at the hands of his constituents. “ This meeting has no confidence,” &c. It is no wonder. These are the charges. (1.) The strong support given to a centralising Government by the Tn«.r> who once declared that Provincialism was the only creed in any way compatible with freedom and patriotism. (2.) The support of a Government whose mainspring of action in the North lie in the interests of the land-swallowers, by a man who denounced the Piako and similar transactions from the Opposition benches with the severest invectives. (3.) The attempted suppression of the West Coast Railway by the man who, when in Opposition, said there was not such a useful work on the railway shedule, or one more likely to be likely to be directly profitable to the public interest. (4.) The continuance in office of the man who said he would resign if the Upper House rejected his Land Bill of last year ; and (5.) The countenance given to borrowing and buying by one who has given no quarter to either. The meeting held them proved and passed sentence. When Major Atkinson addresses us in Christchurch on Friday a similar motion will in all probability be carried. How he has fared in Dunedin appears in another column. In the midst of these manoeuvres and counter-manoeuvres. Sir George Grey is seen calmly going his own way as if there were not a rival or hostile politician within a million miles. Sir George has been invited by the Working Men’s Political Association of Christchurch to give them a lecture, and, in the most natural manner, he has agreed. At the same time, also in the most natural manner, he seems likely to make arrangements that will bring him forward as a speaker after everybody else has spoken. What he will say probably depends on what the others will have said, and on the manner in which they have been received. Sir George is probably going to say over again much of what he said about Federation in Auckland. But whatever other ideas he may have he is wise to keep to himself. The Premier has a knack of appropriating such things without acknowledgment. Politicians of every shade are looking to the general election for relief. So general is the belief that another shuffle of the cards is required above all things, that there is a strong wish in the country for a dissolution early in the coming session. There are’ many aspirants for political supremacy—the Greyites, the followers of Mr Montgomery, the remnant of the party of the present Government, and the people who look to Messrs Wakefield and Ormond as their leaders out of trouble. These will probably be all found divided into two camps by the Separation ideas now gaining favour in the South Island, and consolidating their opponents in the North. The great principle of decentralisation will bo the dividing cry at the elections.

The Public Library question ? has advanced one stage. The Board of Governors has very sensibly appointed a Committee to discuss tho question with a Committee of tho deputation from the public mooting, which it has requested that deputation to appoint. The matter will, we fool sure, he settled without fuss and flurry, after a discussion of the legal and other points, without the introduction of extraneous matter.

Tho Colony has been very much amused by a paragraph of news which the Press Association was induced to send out broadcast tho other day. The criminal sessions have been put off, owing to the illness of Judge Johnston, a thing that may happen

to any man at any time. At once someone “understood” in Wellington that Judge Johnston had sent in his resignation, and that Mr Conolly would have the vacant Judgeship. It is no doubt quite right that a most respectable lawyer should hanker after a moat respectable place. But if Mr Conolly is to got the place, he will have to manage matters quickly. The days of this Government being numbered, ho has not many weeks of Attorney-Generalship, and its off-chances, to look forward to. It would be really very interesting to know who it was who originally “understood” that Judge Johnston had retired. It would also bo interesting to know whether that person, after the “ understanding ” was contradicted, apologised to Judge Johnston. There is a case in the Christchurch police records of the week which should be suggestive to hold responsible positions in the country. It is the case of a youth of nineteen, who had been an inmate of the Burnham School. He has done a sentence of twelve months for theft, he has been convicted of horse stealing, and the charge of larceny on which ho was convicted was accompanied with house-breaking. The Inspector, in giving the Bench the history of his career, said that when ho was at Bumham, he was regarded as a bad boy. Why do they send such bad boys to Burnham ? Why is there not a Reformatory as well as an Industrial School ? While, the two are combined, we may be said to have discovered the secret for manufacturing criminals, and to be beeping it in good running order. At present, theft and immorality are no bars.

Tawhiao and his friends have been enjoying themselves in Australia, making themselves familiar with civilisation on a larger scale than they have hitherto seen it. Savages are always expected to return from the contemplation of such things with a rooted conviction of the impossibility of ever coping with the resources of a civilised nation. But the experience of America and Africa, as well as New Zealand, shows that this is precisely the effect which foreign travel does not have upon men of aboriginal races. Basuto chiefs, Kaffir chiefs, Maori chiefs. Bed Indian chiefs, by the thousand, have been out on the war-path, after visiting all the wonders of material civilisation. The reason probably is that they had conceived a contempt for their hosts, as people who, with all their cleverness in the crafts—menial occupations not worthy of noble nations whose games are war and the chase —had forgotten the great art of fighting. Happily, Tawhiao and his friends acquired the necessary respect in 1863, by stress of actual fighting, in which, by the way, they bore themselves like men of high race. Since then they have been resisting, not the might of the Pakeha so much as his selfishness and greedy injustice. The Review at Little River is described as having been so practically successful, that one regrets that there were not more than 250 of the citizen soldiers at any one time mustered together. Oamaru and Wellington saw greater displays of numbers during the holidays, but less practical work. If these displays ware of the whole manhood of the nation turning out to practice the grand duty of defence, they would form a spectacle at once sublime and effective and a guarantee against foreign conquest, which is on® of the disagreeable possibilities of the future. What has been will be again; that is the summary of all histories.

A naval inquiry has one thing in common with a police-court investigation into an alleged breach of the Licensing Law. Both show clearly how dreadfully immaculate are the people into whose conduct the inquiry is being made, and both put everything else into an impenetrable fog. Unbiassed passengers, for example, on both the Adelaide and the Wairarapa, united in describing what they regarded, in the simplicity of their rather frightened hearts, as a race. The mariners and agents, however, knew very much better. They are unanimous on the main question. According to them there was no race. In details they differ with the infallible dogmatism which is the special province of that remarkably fine fellow, the British sailor. One set of mariners swear that the other set steered their ship in the most infamous fashion ; the others swear that they steered as straight as a dart. We pity the poor Court that had to decide between these infallible mariners. It is to its credit that it did decide clearly, and punished someone. We also feel for the poor passengers who got so terribly alarmed. The upshot of the whole thing is that people who sail in ships must get accustomed to the playfulness of hardswearing sea dogs.-

THE WEATHER AND THE CBOFO. Thanks to a material improvement in the weather during the past four weeks, the harvesting of our grain crops has at last been completed, and fair progress made with threshing. The result of the latter is satisfactory as to quantity; but not so as to the average of quality; the damage done to grain while in stock, and in many cases while in stack, being greater than anticipated. About twenty-five per cent of the wheat crop is in a more or less sprouted condition, while oats and barley have also suffered. In another column we give the agricultural statistics for Canterbury compiled by Government officials, and it may be said that the estimated yields given therein have been fully borne out by the threshing returns. VOLUNTEER ENCAMPMENT. The Volunteer corps belonging to Christchurch and the Canterbury district generally, went in for hard work at their encampment, held during the Easter holidays. Many men in the five City companies sacrificed their spare time, and, together with detachments of the Yeomanry Cavalry, the Timaru Artillery, and Ashburton Rifles, got under canvas late on the evening of Thursday preceding Easter Sunday. Colonel Lean, tho officer commanding the district, had chosen a spot on Birdling’s Flat, not far from tho Railway Station, for tho site of his camp, Mr Birdling, the owner of the surrounding property, having given permission to occupy it for that purpose. Easy access by rail was, therefore, secured, and a special train brought tho men down from town on the Thursday evening, the distance from Christchurch being somewhat over 30

miles. The spot was fiat, but picturesquely situated for all that, close under some lofty crags. On one side lay the sea, on the other Lake Forsyth, where, by leave of Mr Buchanan, the Artillerymen indulged in shot aud shell practice. The same gentlemen generously provided stabling for the cavalry horses. The following system of camp routine was adhered to-Reveille, 6 a.m. j Company drill, 7 a.m. to 7.45; breakfast at 8 a.m.; Commanding Officers’ parade, with battalion and skirmishing drill, 10.30 to shortly before 1 p.m. In the afternoon, after dinner, more skirmishing and light infantry drill. In the evening the inevitable songs and merry-makings wore indulged in round the camp fire. Saturday brought about a review and sham fight of the whole fores, which advanced to dislodge an enemy supposed to have taken up a position in Buchanan’s Valley, some six miles distant. The cavalry having “felt”, for the enemy, and discovered his whereabouts, retired, and the attack began with a cannonading from the Artillery, followed by a flank movement on the part of two of the Rifle Corps, and a direct advance of the remainder, t All having at length occupied positions commanding that occupied by the imaginary invader, he was, in compliment to his discretion, supposed to retreat, and the cavalry dashed f orward up the valley at the charge to turn the retreat into a rout. After a hard day’s work, the men returned to camp about 5 p.m., and enjoyed themselves until “lights out” put an end to the singing at half-past 10. On Easter Sunday, a church parade was held. Archdeacon Harris acting as chaplain. Monday was spent partly in ordinary drill, but the chief event was another sham fight on the Christchurch road, ending with a charge of -the whole battalion. This finished, tents were struck, bedding, &c., packed, andpreparations made for returning to town, which was reached by special train about 11 p.m. Marked results in the improved steadiness and correct marching of the corps were soon apparent at the camp, and all three arms of the service—cavalry, infantry, and artillery did good work.

FIRES. Several fires have occurred since our last summary was despatched, but luckily none of them have been of an extensive or dangerous character. The most threatening was one which broke out in the Triangle, one of the oldest blocks of wooden buildings in tbe town, on March 27. This was, fortunately, extinguished before it gained a firm hold, or the results might have been serious. The rest were smaller occurrences, and most of them in the suburbs. GOLD AND OIL. ■ Mining and boring for petroleum have not been flourishing of late. Work is suspended at the oil wells for want of pipes, but a« these have just arrived in the N.Z.S. Company’s Tongariro at Dunedin, we shall probably hear of renewed activity on the east coast of the North Island before many weeks are out. Goldmining, however, has been getting on better than the industry to which we have just referred. Mr Travers has been sent to report on the gold-bearipg quartz reefs lately discovered at the head of the Wilberforce, and which have attracted prospectors from all over Canterbury. The specimens he brought back to the Colonial Museum prove, so ruff’s the report, that there is nothing exceptional in the character of the reefs themselves. They are of a nature similar to many other like formations already tested in various parts of New Zealand. The yield of gold obtained from different samples varies very much —as much, indeed, as from 7dwts to 2oz sdwts per ton. He considers that if an average of lOdwts to the ton could be obtained, the field would pay well, as it is easily accessible for machinery, and there is abundance of water to be obtained. Since this opinion was given, the local Commissioner of Crown Lands sent up 361 b of quartz to the Colonial laboratory for analysis, and the returns from that were splendid, namely, lOozs 4dwts to the ton. This came from the Moa Creek Company’s reef. A test crushing was tried at the beginning of the month, by the North Creek Company. The result was half an ounce to the ton, the quartz being taken from the outside of the reef. _ This result was considered so encouraging by the Directors that they have decided on driving into the reef in prder to test it thoroughly.

LAND SALES. The general depression of trade has made itself felt in land transactions. There has not, however, been any sacrifice in properties recently offered at auction, and vendors* both for public and private sales, show a disinclination to lower their reserves. There is little speculation just now for rising values, but several good sales have been reported both of town and country land. One town property, having 133 ft frontage, part in Hereford strpet and part in Manchester street, but not including the corner, was sold for £35 per foot frontage. There is a dwelling-house on the land, but the site is one for business purposes. An improved block of country land (760 acres) seven miles from Waikari, was sold on Saturday last by auction, and realised £9 per acre. The present is a good time for investment by novy colonists, as there are both large and small country properties in the market at very reasonable rates. This is owing in great measure to the sub-, division of several large estates. Money rates vary from 7, for choice securities, to 74 and 8 for large loans.

StTPEEME COEET. Pew cases of extraordinary interest or importance wore set down for hearing at the last criminal sessions of the Supremo Court. As usual, there were several examples of the offence so common in this part of the world, known as "forgery and uttering.” In two instances a sentence of four years’ penal servitude was inflicted by the presiding Judge, his Honor Mr Justice Johnston, and two more offenders received three years. A boy of about 13 years of ago, who had more than once robbed the mail-van while on the journey between Lyttelton and Christchurch, has also boon sent to prison for the same term. But the case which excited the most attention was that of Ann Boil, wife of a carpenter living in Sydenham, who was charged with having drowned two of her children in tho Heathooto river on Match 13. They were mere infanta—a boy aged two and a-half years, and a baby girl only nine months old. She had also, at the same time and place, attempted tho destruction of a third, a little older than the other two t but he had saved his life by clinging to some willow branches which hung across the stream. Thence ho was dragged by two men who were attracted to the spot by the screams of tho woman and the drowning children, but who arrived too late to save the lives of tho infant boy and girl. The defence sot up was that the woman was not responsible for her actions when she committed tho inhuman deed. Tho evidence of the medical men, the nurse, and neighbours, all went to prove distinctly that since her last confinement the woman had been in a more or less insane condition.' Even the Crown Prosecutor did not press tho charge of murder, and the unfortunate creature

has now boon lodged in the Sunny aide Asylum until the pleasure of the Colonial Secretary shall bo known, SHIPPING SUMMARY Business in the shipping trade at Lyttelton has, during the present month assumed a brisker aspect. Ten vessels, including the steamships lonic and Ruapehu, have been despatched since March 29, and several more will, in the course of the next few days, clear for Great Britain. The next two wheat ships to Icavo will probably be the barques Rialto and Selkirkshire, in the order named. The Shaw, Savill and Albion Company’s ships Wellington and Invercargill are both loading frozen mutton, and the former of these is advertised to leave Lyttelton for London about April 30. The New Zealand Shipping Company’s steamers which have loft Lyttelton for London are the lonic aud Ruapehu. The former vessel sailed on March 29, and took a large number of passengers, altogether amounting to over 120 persons. The same Company’s steamer Ruapehu was despatched exactly a week later (April 5), and with her fine steaming power should pick up'a day or two in a fast voyage. The now well-known Tongariro has added another quick passage to her good record, arriving at Port Chalmers on April 17, after an experimental voyage through the Suez Canal of 45 days and 13 minutes duration. The actual duration of her voyage was considerably less, being only 41 days 9 hours and 33 minutes. Still it seems that there is no special gain in the voyage out to New Zealand as regards time, when coming through the Canal. All the passengers seem much pleased with their treatment, during the voyage. 4 The Tongariro is expected in Lyttelton on Sunday, April 26, and is advertised to leave for London on May 3. The sailing ships Oamaru and Opawa, the former with 9,871 frozen sheep, and the latter with 5608 carcases of frozen mutton, sailed for London respectively on April 4 and April 10. As the latter ship was docked and painted in Lyttelton, she may be expected to make a quick run home.