THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1881.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 1651, 4 August 1881, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, AUGUST 4, 1881.

Ak important and unwelcome telegram from Sydney appears in another column. It relates to the Detached Squadron, having on board the two Royal Princes. It will be remembered that a few days ago a message was received from the Admiralty, requesting the Admiral to defer leaving Sydneyuntil he received further instructions from. London. These came yesterday afternoon, and are to the effect that he is to proceed direct to Fiji in the. course of a fortnight,' and not to call at any port in New Zealand.

This will cause genuine disappointment to many of our citizens, who were looking forward to the arrival of the squadron with the keenest interest; and will be a source of disappointment also to the public bodies who have been making preparations to give the Royal Princes and the officers of the squadron a hearty welcome. The citizens of Auckland would have been glad to have seen so many splendid specimens of British warships in the harbour of Waitemata. It will also be no small cause of disappointment to the Maoris in the Lake district, who have been making their arrangements to give the Royal midshipmen a hearty welcome according to Maori fashion. When the doubt as to the coming of the squadron was first raised, it was hardly entertained, for it was not thought possible that the British Admiralty would send out a fleet to these seas to represent the majesty of England to the colonists, and that the vessels should sail past the shores of so important a colony as New Zealand. The only reason for omitting to touch at any New Zealand port which we can think of would be the matter of time. The dates at which the vessels were to be at the different ports has long passed, owing chiefly to the accident to the Bacchante, but the squadron is to remain a fortnight in Sydney, in which time they might almost have got over their New Zealand trip. Possibly the decision has been influenced in another way. Sir Arthur Gordon would inform the Home Government that he was at the seat of Government at Wellington, where the Legislature was in session, and that he could not possibly attend at Auckland to receive the Pz-inces and the Admiral. Perhaps this has been the chief reason why the fleet is not to visit Auckland as intended. The Admiralty have been guilty of something like a breach of faith, for it was officially stated that the fleet would visit Auckland, and such a promise should not have been broken.