THE New Zealand Herald. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1872.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IX, Issue 2691, 12 September 1872, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1872.

A paper lias been laid before Parliament, by command of liir Excellency, showing the " sums expended out of "revenue and loans respectively for " native"and'defence services, during " encli financial year from 1853 to " 1872." The total expenditure, under both heads, from 1853 till 1572 inclusive, that is up to tho 30th June last,• was £4,327,35S Ss 3d, or nearly four and a half millions sterling. Of this vast expenditure, £1,591,782 (>s Id was defrayed out of revenue, and £2,735,576 2s 2d was defrayed from loan. We should explain, however, that the amount stated includes £23,792 17s Id reserved for outstanding liabilities, and £14,70S 6a 2d expenses of-raising loan. But it does not include the expenditure for land purchases and surveys, the introduction and location of military settlers, public works, compensation, for purposes other than defence, or for the relief and reinstatement of Taranaki settlers, these charges having been borne on the loan for native and defence purposes. Thus, a very largo sum expended in connection with defence and native affairs does not ap pear on this return at all. But the result, so far as it is before us, is sulli ciently startling. It is the record of waste aud ruinous expenditure in support of a mistaken policy, and it has .landed the colony iuto difficulties from which there is little chance of extricating it in our time.

Let us analyse the return, however, and endeavour to comprehend it fuliy. Up to 1859 60 there was substantially no expenditure for defence purposes, nor was there any demand made upon borrowed money fcr native purposes till the same year. It was at this period the war expenditure began, and that resort was bad to borrowed money. Till then the ordinary revenue of the colony was sufficient for all purposes It is true that in 1857-56 the defence expenditure was £3,0 *fc- 17s Sd, and in 1858-59, £4,552 Is; but this, we believe, was an outlay for arms and was not in any sense a war expenditure. But after the conflict at Waitara began the outlay under the head of defence increases, and in 1859 GO there appears to have been spent £7,5i5 15s outof revenue, and £21,299 9s 9d from loan. In this year also nearly £3,000 was advanced out of loau for native purposes. The increase in subsequent years was rapid, as the following figures will show:— DEFENCE. From Revenue. From Loan. 1860-61 £7,848 £56,342 1861-62 7,080 46,698 1862-63 10 434 193,247 1863-64 26,967 703,<>87 18R4-65 29.093 423,145 1865-66 28,992 277.582 1866 67 114.390 157.235 18-17-68 23,217 435,758 186S 69 227 417 73,022 1869-70 305962 3,i>85 1870 71 88,684 172.689 1871-72 40,070 160,000 The foregoing figures are highly suggestive. The career of the respective Ministries, and the crises through through which the country passed, may be traced without difficulty by anyone possessing the koy. But this will be yet more apparent when we come to consider the expenditure for the like periods. Thus :— native punrosiss. from Revenue. From Loan. 1850-60 £7,64 L £2992 1860-61 1*5,228 1,572 1861-62 25.315 [57 18*12-63 57,021 1863 64 52 599 1864-65 60.29 L 1865 66 48.625 1866-67 34 132 1867 68 24,316 18K8 69 38.123 1869 70 39,485 187(1-71 51,658 1871-72 48,6^3

lb is a remarkable fact, therefore, that the largest expenditure, botli for native and defence purposes, was during the administration of which Mr, Fox, the late Premier, was a prominent member. There appears to be a fatality about everything he undertakes, which renders it uncommonly costly to the country. His " new in- " stitutions," or plan of governing the natives by means of rur.angas and palaver, which was introduced shortly after he assumed the reins of office in 1861, appears to have been the groat cauwe of this large unproductive expenditure. From £7,611 in 1859-60, the expenditure out of revenue on native affairs jumped to £ 1.6.22S in the following year, and to £57,000 the next; and in the financial year of 1862 63, when the " new institutions" were in full blast, although Mr. Fox had temporarily been driven from office for pledging the colony to the whole cost of managing the natives and relieving the Imperial Government of all charge, the revenue was taxed to the extent of £57,021. During the short tenure of office of Mr. Domett's Government, when the three million loan and the confiscation and military settlement policy sanctioned by the Assembty, the expenditure for native purposes fell off slightly, while the expenditure for defence, out of loan, was enormously increased. Again, when the Coalition Government was formed, in which Mr. Fox was Colonial Secretary and Mr. Whitaker, Premier, the pressure on the public funds for native and defence purposes was \ery great. This was the beginning of that life and death struggle in the Auckland province which ended so disastrously for the natives, but which has crippled and impoverished our province ever since. To spend money and uphold the supremacy of our arms was then inevitable; but much that was spent 'in native districts might have been saved had there not been the " local " institutions," self-government, or Maori runangas started by Mr. Fox, iu IS6L-62, to feed and maintain. Our present object, however, is not to find fault with .any Ministry or set

of men ; it is simply to show hruv the ! money has been squandered. But we cannot shut our eye 3 to l,!u; fact that (here appear publh: men in N«w Zealand, whose whole administrative career has been marked by failure and a vast expenditure of public money. Such a one, in a peculiar degree, is Wm. Pox. He appears to have been at all times a Minister under whose wing new and costly experiments have been made Even in his late tenure of office this peculiarity is conspicuous. When he took office in 1869-70 the expenditure for native purposes from revenue was £38,123, as against £24,310 in ISGS-69; and we find that it had increased to £51,658 in the year following (LS7O- - and that £18,623 was the outlay under the same head for the year ended .Tune 30, 187 1. It has been well said by certain members during the recent want of confidence debate, that " how- " ever extravagant jve may bo we " cannot ruin New Zealand." If the country had been easily ruined, there is little doubt its ruin would have been accomplished long ago. But we should not, on that account, make too free even with our boundless resources It takes both time aud capital to develope the natural resources of New Zealand; and while the former rolls on forever, the latter commodity will fight shy of a country ground down by taxes, and denuding itself of its wealth to pay interest on loans which nave been turned to no reproductive or permanent use.

AN IMPORTANT JUDGMENT. The practice of transferring share property upon blank forms with a geuuinu signature has led to a good deal of uncertainty at times in conveying such iuterests, and an authoritative legal opinion was long looked for as a desirable guide for honest dealing, and a warning to the unscrupulous. His Honor the Chief Justice gave judgment yesterday in the case of Manners v. the Caledonian Company. Although His Honor's reasoning is clear enough, it is doubtful whether sufficient can be gathered from it either to guide or to warn in respect of the employment of this kind of investment for money. Dealing with shares will slill be accompanied by risk, and a certain amount of obscurity will continue to tempt and to delude the unwary. But looking at the real result of this judgment, as it affects the Caledonian Gold Mining Company, it cannot fcil to make these corporations more exacting in their examination of transfers sent in to them. His Honor's judgment yesterday sug gested in a mild form that the company itself might have been more vigilant, and the discovery of the fraud might have been anticipated by tests which are known to be effective for disclosure when applied in Government offices. Whatever may be the weight of this part of LI is Honor's judgment, he has given a very wholesome hint to public companies. He has laid it down that in the progression of a fraudulent transaction, the proximate cause of its commencement, and the ulcimate, though ua conscious means of its success, have similar duties, and that is to have a care that their neglect or omission of some duty shall not facilitate the wrong. JKach is responsible, though in a different sense. The doctrine is sound. We purpose giving to all our readers interested in share business an opportunity of reading this judgment in full. It cannot fail to have a beneficial effect, for although no positive dictum has been pronounced, the grounds of the opinions formed are substantial, and the opinions themselves, so far as they go, lucid and sound. Companies will, in future, have to substitute somo stronger test than mere routine, not merely to prove that the signature is genuine, but that the form itself is really what it pretends to be. We cannot think the precautious that may be found necessary will be .very cumbersome, but an advantage will be gained more than proportioned to tho extra trouble.

This is the only day, which, if we are to judge from the excitement on the part of the camlidnl.es for the three vacant seats in the City Council, and their respective supporters, is fraught with the future weal or woe of Auckland. Messrs. Hurst, Dargavilie, Mhoready, Holdship, Bugden, Stevenson, and King, are each mid all prepared to sacrifice themselves upon the altar of their city's welfare. It is somehwat hard that only three out of sis natriots can by any possibility be returned. Four must, perforce, remain in the obscurity of private life. It is for the ratepayers to decide to-day on the moiety who ohull bo the victims on the aforementioned altar, and who shall win .in in outer darkness. The profession? of all are lavish, and if there be any doubl, therefore, in the mind of any voter, let the qualification of respectability decide him. The polling will take place as usual, between the hours of 8 and 4, at the Mechanics' Institute.

In another column will be found a letter by Mr. J. C. Firth on the subject, of the smoke nuisance.. Wo grant all tuat Mr. F rtli demands in the way of liberty to manufacture, and yet wo still think, as we before stuLed, that it should be iu the power of two-thirds of the inhabitants of any district to insist upon the removal of any nuisance of the Kind. Our remarks on reasonable compensntion -.till, wo think, remove any suspicion of injustice. ilia Honor the Chief Justice sat in banco yesterday, and gavu judgment iu the of Manners v. Caledonian Cr.M.Co. That judgment relates to the effect of b.'ank transfer of shares, out ol which bavo risen so in>my diltiouities. Two otherwises mere argued, Beddoes v. Cochrane and others, and Mohi v. Ma«~ farlaue. The former was a demurrer and wa* overruled, the latter was adjourned for a week. A cab accident occurred iu Symonds-slreet, at 2 o'clock yesterday morning. Some four persons were returning, in one of Q;ick'a. cabi, from a party, and when just beh>w St. Sepulchre's Church the driver, in making room for another vehicle to pass, drove too near the side of the road, and tho cab toppled over on to the path, some four feet beneath the level of the road. Fortunately ao one was hurt, although considerable damage was done to the cab. The condition of the road whero tho accident happened is in itself audicient to exonerate tho cabman from all blame ; and it would be well ff the authorities woul esert themselves to make this street a little leas dangerous for truffle than it is at present be aeon by advertisement that a call of sixpence per share has been made in the Yon Tempsky Grold Mining Company; aul notice is also given that all shares ou which the second call is not paid by the 20th, will be advertised for forfeiture.

A nipc.'ing was OHivtiied in the largo room of WliiUo'.i'* brewery, yestardny afternoon,, to Uk'o tMto consideration tho question of giving l<> Captain I'jjgnj, of the s.s. Hero, a cordial reei-plion on his next arrivnl at this port, as a mark of the estimation in which ho is liohf by Ml.; cit \z mis of Auckland, aud as an expression of sympathy with him in his late hardship of having been kepf, for six weoks in quarantine ia Sydney. About twenty gentlemen wore present, and Mr. Whitson, senior, was voted to the chair. The ChairmaD shortly explained the object of tho meeting, and, after some discussion, Mr. Hurat, ino'ed, " That Captain Logan be invited to a banquet on his arrival." i Seconded by Mr. D. Burns, and carried un- ] animously. The following gentlemen from among thoße present were appointed a committee to carry out the arrangements : — Messrs. Beveridgo, Cosgrave, Shera, Whitsun, Stevenson, Barber, Walker, &nd Captain Anderson. It is proposed that tho dinner Bhall take place on I'uesday next., if possible. Tho H.to is due tomorrow, and will leave about Wednesday. A pro re. nala meeting of the Auckland Prosbvtery was hold at St. Andrew's Church yes.'erdny morning, to consider three cads which hud boen presented to the Rev. Thomas Stewart, who lately arrived from Scotland. Tho first call was from the residents of Cambridge, Hamilton, and Ngnruawahia ; the secjnd fr >m the lvsa-inntß of To A*amutu and Alexandra, and the third from tho residents Coromandel. Mr. Steward elected to accept the firs' -mentioned call, and it was accordingly placed in his hands. Tho induction will take place at an early date. A report of yesterday's proceedings will be found elsewhere.

In our advertising columns will be found two requisitions, numerously signed : oue to Mr. W. J. Hurst, and the other to Mr. D. Stevenson, asking tliein to become candidates for election as members of the City Council. We had understood 11 nit these gentle.non h>id been aindidut ;s from tlio first. Tiio election will take place 10-ilay, at the Mechanics' Institute. Wo notice by advertisement that Mr. B. N. Jones «ih shortly produce the play of " Hazard " at the Prince of Wales theatre. A lecture will be delivered this evening, nt the Baptist .Sunday scliool, W.-llesley-street, by the liev. Mr. J\>ues, subject, " Head and Hi-art, or True Culture." A special g-neral meeting of tho Hamilton Flour Mdl Comp-iny is conTined for thi? 2dth instant, to be held at ihe Court-house, Hamilton. There was another very good attendance at. the City Hall last evening, when the programme of the previous evening was repeated. There will be un entire change of programme t.-.is evening. The Thames Industrial Exhibition has proved very successful as far as the Mechanics' Institute is concerned. A report of tlie committee, brought up on Monday eveninjj lust, showed that there would be tt clear profit to the funds of the Instil ute of £120. Xne sule of the Industrial Gazette realised £L 2 I7s 6J. The members of the Central Board of Education met yesterday, for tho purpose of holding their monthly meeting ; but a quorum of members not being present, the meeting was udjourned until JU a.m. tomorrow (Friday). A report of the meeting of the Auckland fresbj lery, held yesterday, will be found reported in another column.

A criminal trial at the Assize Court of Rome bus just been brought to a most unexpected end. A woman from Aibauo, named Appollonia Hatocoi, was charged with the morder of her child, aged two year?. Tho trial came on recently, but it was soon found that thera had been some foul play in the matter. The evidence tendered by the witnesses in court was widely different from the written depositions. The precideut ordered further inquiries to be made, and it soou appeared that Appollonia Matocci had been the victim of a diabolical conspiracy. It seems that her good looks had attracted the attention of a legal functionary in Albano, aud that tier peremptory rrj"cti<>u of his overtures had converted love inio hatred, and desire into a cruel thirst for revenge at any cost. The disappointed lover, it would appear, had influence enough to induce several p rsons of seemiug respectability to become his accomplices. The poor creature was accused of infanticide, and in the absonce of the usual examining judge the case was got up by a stranger, who put his signature to the documents set before him, without knowing what they contained, and, indeed, without having taking the trouble to interrogate a single wituess. When these fads were brought 11 light, the prisoner was at once set at liberty (after probably many months' imprisonment), and the authors of the conspiracy —two magistrates, a medical man, and a nurse —were put under lock aud key, where they will remain uutil they shall be called, sooner or later, to tive an account of their misdeeds.

At a public meeting, held at Caversharn, one of the candidates for a. seat iu the G-entjral Assembly (Mr. Cutten) said "that the.motives which induced electors to vote for a particular candidate were sometimes extraordinary. He had found a man who would not rote for him because he (Mr. Cutten) 'pounded his cow. In one district an elector was particularly asked to TOte for him. "No; I won't rote for Cutten," replied he. " Why t" asked his (Mr. Cutten's) friend. " Well,"' said the free and independent elector, " Cutten is a devilish clever fellow, you know, and he's going in for a billet. The other fellow is such a fool, thnt they can never give him a billet, so I'll vote for him."

If all the old statutes which are still unrepealed were suddenly enforced a revolution in mo em dress, habits, and pastimes would be the result. Social and domestic life would be convulsed in all grades of society, but not altogether without some beneficial euects. In the J7th century alaw was in force in England that "alt women of whatever age, rauk or profession, or degree, whether virgins, wives or widows, that shall, from and after this Act, impose upon, seduce, and betray into matrimony any of his Majesty's male subjects, by scents, paints, cosmetics, washes, artificial teeth, false hair, Spanish wool, iron stays, hoops, high-keeled shoes, or bolstered hips, shall incur the penalty of the laws against witchcraft, sorcery, and the like, and that the marriage, upon conviction, shall stand null and void." It would be interesting to knew wh.-ther this enactment has been rerjea!ei; If not, should some enthusiastic advocate of the "rights of man" light upon it, and emulate the retrospective genius of Sir Thomas Chambers, the House of Commons may some day be asked to discuss a difficult and delicate question calculated to work wild havoc among the too clever champions of 'the rights of worn in " and try ungallant, and perhrps unfair reprisals on the fair sex.— Globe.

Por ; < (tousuiiiers may take courage. At * mooting of the American Scientific Association ut Salem, M-isa., last week, Professor Kdwarrfs, iif Canada, read a rather melancholy paper upon Trichina Spiralis, which is Latin for the rascally little worm that infests pork, and is supposed to kill pork-eaters. But after the readiag of the paper, the ever-cheerful Professor Agassiz arose, and " hoped these disclosures would uot disturb the appetite of the public. Every kind of meat," the Professor said, " contains such inhabitants—fish, flesh, and fowl." About Qsh, of course, he spoke as one having authority; and lie averred that i nobody could partake of that article of food "without eating some hundreds of such little creatures."

Tuking the French war indemnity in its English shape of £200,000,000, payable in iiOid, it appears that the sovereigns composing it would weigh 1,568 tons 17 cwt. 2 qrs. 5 5-7 lbs. Piled one upon thi other, they would reach a. height of 197 miles 2 furlongs 11 poles 1 yurd 2 fe..fi 2 iiielnw. Placed edge to eilge, they would extend 2.,762 miles nearlr ; used for paving they would rover more than 19 acres of ground ; molte I down rhey would mauo a mass containing 2,811 cubic feet'of solid metal; and, finally, supposing one man to count them over a: the riste oi 100 a minute for 12 hour* u day, it would tuke liim over 222 days to complete bis task.

I VO LUNT m R Itf TELLIGICNOE. Thp. usual monthly competition by the member of'the Artillery Bifla ■ Club, for several mouer ni-izes, came off on Tuesday morning last. "The firing commenced at daylight and in consequence of it being so early, there were not so muuy competitors present as there usually are. The morning was a very bad one for shooting, there being a drizzling rain falling most of the time. The scores were pretty fair, considering the disadvantages the competitors had to contend with. The ranges were 200, 400. and 500 yards, five shots at each j range. The following is the score: — 200 400 500 Name. yds. yds. yds. Total. Sereeant Watson .. 13 14 is .. 42 Gunner Goudie .. Its 12 14 .. 42 Gunner McMasters IS IS 10 .. 40 Gunner Payne .. 11 O 10 .. SO Gunner Norrie .. 13 16 i .. •*", Gunner Kelly .. U 15 11 •• 35 Corporal t J eddes .. H « ''. "' on Gunner Camp .. 5 7 t> .. -0 The return match between the Artillery mid the Victoria Company is to take place on Monday morning next, at Iho Mount Eden range. We understand leave of absence has been granted to Lieutenant Harrison of the Eifle Brigade for a mo*th. A very flattering address has been presented by the officers and members of the flobson Company to Sergeant-Mnjor Plynn, their able drill instructor. The usual weekly parade of the Victoria Company and Cadets takes place in Princesgtreot Drill-shed, this evening, at half-past seven o'clock.