NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9581, 4 August 1894, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The Hon. John McKenzie prides himself on calling a spado a spade whether he is right or wrong in a constitutional sense. It is useless to argue with the Minister of Lands. He is impervious to logic and reason. But when he asserts that the Government can force a dissolution upon the country should the House refuse to pass without amendment his Land for Settlements Bill he betrays his utter ignorance of parliamentary and constitutional procedure. If the House were to refuse to pass unaltered his pet Bill, the Premier, might advise His Excellency the Governor to dissolve Parliament. But Lord Glasgow would refuse to do anything of the ' kind. He would say there has been a general election ; a new House has been elected ; if you are not in accord with the House you had better resign. There would be no dissolution. A strong and honest Government would be formed, and Seddon, McKenzie, and Company would be heard of no more. 'Men of their stamp only geb into power once. The threat, therefore, of a dissolution is a mere piece of bounce. ; —— — In an article on the silver question, the San Francisco Chronicle says that Australia lias long been" endeavouring to establish closer relations with the United States, and thinks that perhaps the settlement of the Silver question may afford the opportunity desired. The writer says :—*• Like the United States, the 'Australian colonies are suffering greatly through the appreciation of gold, due to the demonetization of silver. They have been compelled to surrender a constantly increasing quantity of their special products to meet the interest account of credits held in England, and have been j driven to the verge .of bankruptcy in their efforts to keep up a show of what the world calls commercial honour. Why should a country thus suffering not take steps to protect itself against the deliberate scheme of I England to increase the value of credits by appreciating the value of gold No reasonable person can blame Australia if she joins with the United States in demanding a re. turn to the monetary condition which I existed prior to 1873, and thus prevent the I further depreciation of her staple products | by the sale of which the money to meet her i weighty obligations to English creditors is acquired. If Australia refuses to embrace this chance to right her wrongs, she will be , shortsighted."

Says Senator Hill of New York :—"The j unfortunate tendency of the times seems I to be drifting toward the adoption of j English laws and ideas, "no matter how, antagonistic or ill-adapted they may be to our free institutions. The highest ambition of every American dude seems to be to ape English customs and manners,' . Our civil service laws were borrowed from Great Britain, and although ib was loudly proclaimed that they were to renovate and purify - our whole political system, ■ and while they have tended to establish a permanent .'office-holding olass, ib is questionable whether they have been productive of any substantial or genuine reform. The political conditions of this country are bo different from those of England that the successful enforcement of English laws, or laws founded upon English ideas, must necessarily encounter great difficulties here, where political parties, rather than royal families, administer the government, and a frequent change of parties inevitably oocurs." -y' "- ' y .. ; / Field Marshal von Blumenthal, who is now in his eighty-fourth year, entered the Prussian army as seoond lieutenant eixtyseven years ago. The war with Denmark in. 1863 gave him his first opportunity for distinguishing himself, which he' did at I Missunde, in the storming of the trenches ! at Diippel and the passage on ' the island of Alsen, , For these achievements he was made a major-general, and when war was declared against Austria in 1866 he was appointed Chief of the General Staff of the army commanded by the Crown Prince. General von Blumenthal filled the same position in the Franco-Prussian War, and when, at its close, Prince Frederic was decorated by his father with the Iron Cross, he declared that the same distinction was equally due to his Chief of Staff. Von Blumenthal, who is recognised as one of the most distinguished strategists of modern times, was made d field marshal in 1888. In the New Review, the hon. secretary of the National Anti-Gambling League submits an explanation of its principles and programme, together with a copy of the Bill which is co be introduced foe, the suppression j of gambling. The necessity for such a mea- ' sure, it is urged, may be found in the fact that "bookmaking has come down to shillings, to suit slender purses. The banefuli profession of the small bookmaker—one of I whom lias recently acknowledged having received £1000 in one week, largely in shilling bets from boys and women—is combined with other callings, and spreads in a network over the whole kingdom. . There is no town, hardly a village, which does not enjoy the convenience of one of its minor representatives. We have found in our experience that nob only publicans, tobacconists, and hairdressers, bub greengrocers, | milkmen, newsvendors, butchers, and I private servants supplement their earnings jby working at this nefarious trade." ' . The Reichswehr reports that the Bavarian Diet has passed an Act imposing certain restrictions on the flying of carrier-pigeons. Our contemporary adds that harmless as this matter may appear ib is nevertheless of importance, as ib is well known that carrierpigeons will play an important part in the transmission of despatches during any future war. The Minister stated in his address to the House that in Western Bavaria attempts had been made to fly foreign carrier-pigeons to as great a number as 5000. Hence the necessity of putting a stop to what might become a serious matter in war times. This question is evidently receiving serious consideration in other countries as well, as, according to L'Avenir Militaire, a circular ! has been issued by the French War Office to the effect that foreign carrier pigeons will >be dealt with under the laws againsb espionage, unless marked with a certain sign on the wing, or with a ring round the foot. Now that war has been declared between Japan and China, both Powers are clearing their decks for action. China is showing great activity. Twenty thousand troops have been marched into Corea from Manchuria, while a strong naval force has been despatched from Cheefoo, which is within about 16 hours' steaming from Seoul, the capital of Corea. In the engagement at Yachan, which we do nob find marked on the maps, the Japanese are said to have lost two thousand. But the most important item of news is the reporb that eight Russian warships have left Yladivosbock under sealed orders, having troops on board. Should Russia in any way attempt to interfere in the struggle Great Britain will nob be able to maiutain a neutral position. Unless, however, the war is carried into Japan the struggle is nob likely to be of long duration. Ib practically resolves itself into a contesb for naval supremacy. Should Japan be able bo cripple the Chinese navy, the war may be prolonged " for an indefinite period. On the other hand should China succeed in smashing up the Japanese fleet the war will come to a speedy end, unless the conquerors resolve to follow up their victory on Japanese territory. Whatever may be the immediate results of the war, ib cannot be doubted that in the end China will be victorious. . But in the meantime the danger is that some of the European Powers may be drawn into the conflict. A fire in Chicago has done damage to the extent of £400,000. The Maxim flying machine has been successfully tested. By a boating accident in North Wales ten persons lost their lives. The whole of the Conservative party left the House of Commons when the Evicted Tenants Bill was under discussion as a protest against the application of the closure.