The Marlborough Press. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1868. SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Marlborough Press, Volume IX, Issue 607, 2 September 1868, Page 2

The Marlborough Press. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1868. SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

POLITICAL. The Stafford Ministry have gained a decided victory over the Opposition, and should the Financial Statement of the Government prove acceptable to the majority of the House, in all probability every effort of Mr Fox to upset the Ministry will prove unavailing. Such, in a few words, is an explanation of the position of political affairs since our last summary, with a prediction as to the future. Such a meagre amount of information to readers interested in our political progress is as tantalising as the curt messages conveyed by telegraph, which convey only the pith of require supplementing by detailed accounts to -make them intelligible.

To make our opening remarks selfexplanatory, we will give a brief account of the most important events in the General Assembly for the past month, and our reason for supposing the Ministry will retain office. The Government threw down the gage of battle by introducing a Road Boards Bill, and declaring their intention of standing or falling with that measure. As the said Bill was intended to give local District Boards power over their own roads, without being subject to the interference of Provincial Councils, it was calculated to raise at once the question of Provincialism v. Centralism, and determine at the commencement of the session the strength of each party. On the second reading of the Bill the majority of the House was so unmistakeably in favor of such a measure that the leader of the Opposition did not waste time by opposing his forces against it, and the Bill was Committed, with only a small number adverse to the principle it would introduce into the Colony. Finding he could not gather round him sufficient members of the House to form even a tolerable opposition to the Road Boards Bill, Mr Fox tabled a motion—very long, very verbose, and very Machiavelian —which, with fewer words, would have appeared simply a motion for a vote of “ want of confidencebut the rehundancy of words used in the motion half destroyed its true meaning, and waverers were likely to swallow the bait so skilfully cast by the leader of the Opposition. Speakers on the ministerial side, at the commencement of the debate, exposed the tendency of the motion, and it resolved itself into what it really was—a debate on a question tantamount to a want of confidence motion. After one of the longest discussions ever held in the House, the division, by a majority of nine, declared in favor of the Minis try. Mr Fox is compelled to bide his time, until some act of the Government make their followers dissatisfied,

when, doubtless, he will again try to regain the position of Prime Minister. He is at present organising an Opposition to act under his guidance, so that, should chance favor him, he will be able at once to take advantage of any opportunity which may occur. The Colony certainly will not suffer by having in the House of Assembly an organised party watching to detect an error on the part of the Government. It will make Ministers wary, and the interests of the people will be more secure through having bidders for popularity scanning every movement of the party in power. With all the wisdom in the House, there must be a considerable amount of blindness to the true method of increasing the amount of knowledge respecting the Colony. When, last year, it was announced that' a postage rate would be charged for carrying newspapers, it was looked upon as a movement back wards, and all parties of every shade of opinion, except members themselves, protested against the innovation as one militating against the true interests of the Colony. A return recently issued by the Postmaster-Gene-ral shows how far the fear entertained has been realised. The circulation through the post-office of newspapers has decreased by about a million copies in the year, and if we allow that each copy is read by only two persons, there are two millions of people not so well posted up in the affairs of the Colony as they would be if the postage on newspapers was not enforced. This is a vast number to remain unacquainted with the progress of affairs, but it would matter little if the Colony reaped a benefit by withholding the news; hut the reverse is the case, because some very few thousands are received for the payment of postage stamps for news-papers-—and for the sake of these few thousands the Colony is to a certain extent unrepresented in other countries. We should not have alluded to this matter at such length, had it not formed a subject for discussion in the General Assembly. Mr Vogel, and who knows better the impolicy of retaining the postage on newspapers, brought forward a motion to do away with the present system and return to the old one, by which newspapers were carried free. The members were not convinced by his arguments, and rejected the motion by 33 to 22. It scarcely could be because of. the amount it adds to the revenue, as that is not worth mentioning. Perhaps some of the members know they are not conspicuous for intelligence, and wish to prevent other people from learning the same truth. A meeting of the representatives of outlying districts has been held in Wellington, and resolutions were agreed to to the effect that the provinces should be deprived of legislative powers ; their debts paid out of the consolidated revenue ; and that counties shall be formed wherever required. The Ministers have adopted these resolutions, and a wordy war is expected- when they are brought before the House.

SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC,

Since our last the escaped Maori prisoners have been well watched by the Colonial Troops, and though the force opposed to ours was too great to permit any decisive operations, there have been several skirmishes, the Maoris have been harassed very severely, and they are reported to have lost a number of their fighting men. In two engagements, one at the Runkaituri river, and the other at Whaka-pu-maki, the native loss is supposed to he very great. There is always great difficulty in ascertaining what the loss of the natives really is, as they generally manage to carry off their dead and wounded during retreat, unless they are totally defeated, when the dead are left behind. Reinforcements are being sent to assist in the capture of the Chatham Island prisoners, so that perhaps next month we may have to tell a different tale respecting their proceedings. If things are not progressing satisfactorily in the extreme North, affairs in the neighborhood of Patea look more promising. Colonel McDonnell appears determined to give a good account of the natives in the district where he commands. He has had a sharp fight with the rebels at their stronghold at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu, and has driven them off with the loss of nine, discovered, killed. The actual loss in killed and wounded is not known, hut the victory was certain, as the stronghold was destroyed. Our loss on the occasion was four killed and seven wounded. It is the intention of Colonel McDonnell to follow up the natives, destroy all their places of refuge, and, if possible, quickly and surely force them into unconditional submission. A few more such engagements as this at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu will do more to convince the rebels of the superiority of British rule, than the bestowal of tons of flour and sugar, a mode hitherto adopted to make them peaceable. In another part of our columns will he found a full account of the loss of the s.s. Taranaki, at the entrance of

Tory Channel. The causes that led to the loss of the steamer need not he discussed ; but for the prevention of a similar disaster means should be taken to clearly point out the entrance at night. With the number of vessels arriving and leaving our port, it is almost a wonder that we have had no occasion to chronicle an accident previous to this. The Channel is perfectly safe, and the entrance not bad to a boat that will answer her helm properly. As steamers usually manage to arrive and depart in the night time, it would be a-judicious expenditure on the part of the Government to place on the Estimates a sum for the erection of a light house at the heads, or if this would cost too much, to have the entrance well buoyed. In the absence of more stirring topics an event that happened on the 15th i It, forms a staple of conversation and surmise. A great marine disturbance in the shape of a tidal wave, ebbing and flowing the whole day throughout the coast-line of New Zealand, was something to speculate upon. What were the causes, and what was likely to be the result ? Nothing more disastrous followed the unusual occurrence than that of a moderate shock of earthquake two days after. It is expected there has been some great convulsion of nature at a distance from our coast, as at the Chatham Islands the wave was felt more severely than here. We shall wait with some anxiety for news from abroad to enlighten us what it meant.

We have had another unusual visitant in the shape of a snow-storm, which put'in an appearance the early part of last week. The winter altogether has been very severe, rainy and cold, convulsions under the earth and disturbances above make it quite exceptional to winters usually experienced here. Our whalers are still gathering in their harvest, the largest whale of the season having being captured a short time since. Considering the hardships they have to undergo, and the perilous nature of their undertaking, our whalers deserve to be well paid for their labor, and we are glad -to hear that the present season, has proved very successful. VVe regret to have to announce that deaths have been very common amongst our neighbors in Blenheim. Diptheria, in a most malignant form, has caused sad havoc. In one family as many as six deaths have taken place, in another four, and several families have lost one or more of its members. A glance at our obituary column will tell the tale in a more impressive manner than any words we could employ. We are informed that the disease is on the decrease, and that the number of patients suffering is not so great as for several weeks past. Such a number of deaths in a small community like ours cannot take place' without the loss being noticed, and the rememberance of aching hearts left behind causes a sad feeling of pity for the bereavement they have sustained.

The news from the various goldfields are satisfactory, especially from Auckland. The accounts from the Thames are most encouraging. Most of the reefs being worked are yielding well, and new reefs discovered have given most promising results. There are reports of gold having been found close to the city of Auckland. Large numbers of miners and others are flocking there from other parts of the colony.