SUMMARY FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA.

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 9274, 21 April 1891, Page 2 (Supplement)

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA.

OUR LETTER HOME.

SOCIAL AND POLITICAL GOSSIP. Foreign politics have stirred us up a little during the month. The National Convention of Australia, at which wo were represented, and very well represented, by Sir G. Grey, Sir Harry Afltinaon, and Captain Russel), has cloned its labours. The result is a Constitution Bill, cut and dried, complete in every detail, which will be before the various Colonial Legislatures shortly. Our people have been greatly astonished at the rapidity of the whole business. The unexpected lias happened, and what looks like a united Australia seems to have accepted the same. Time will throw light on this presently. Now Zealand public opinion, however, after the first astonishment, has entirely recovered its equanimity, and the public mind cannot bo described ns anything but languid on thn subject of I'edoration with Australia. The Go vernment is, as a whole, against it, there is no party in the State anxious (so far as any expression of opinion haa boon tjivon) to take up tne question and make it a leading principle of policy, the newspapers do not discuss the matter closely or with any approach to activity, the man in the street is not talking much about Federation. The chances are that the Bill will come to the Legislature and die a natural death there. Of the delegates, only one out of the throe (Sir G. Grey) is against joining ; the others admit to have come round to the view that it, will be n serious disadvantage to New Zealand to stay out. The Te iroha seat has been declared vacant by the Petition Court on tho ground that the frieuds of the sitting member employed an elector as a paid agent. The Judges have visited this moat unexcusably stupid mistake on tho head of Mr Allen, on the usual legal principle of responsibility for the acts of friends, though lie was away in England at tho tinm of the election by disqualifying him for twelve months for further candidature. The Government is conSdont of securing the seat. The Speaker, who determined to wait, when the question arose at the end of last session of declaring the seat vacant by reason of the absence of Mr Allen without leave, is relieved from all difficulty by the verdict of the Court. Retrenchment continues to be the order of the day. Last month tho Departments of Public Works and Defence felt tho sweep of tho pruning knife. The other day the public was astonished, and the Civil Service startled by the changes and retrenchment in the Survey, Lands Department, and Stock Departments. The particulars are set forth in another column, with the reasons given hy Government for the course adopted. There ban been a great outburst of criticism, but the Ministerial explanation has to a largo ex tent settled matters. It is unpleasant work for all concerned, but necessary in the interest of economy, and in the interest of the Service.

The Native Department is to bo extensively retrenched, and bo is Justice, but the particulars have not transpired yet. The Native Lands Court, as will bo seen from details elsewhere published, ia extensively reduced.

Miniature have spent most of the month in examining into the working ot their several Departments ; hence the retrenchments. Since their return they have been in Cabinet considering their Policy Bills. The crucial point of their policy, the change in the incidence of taxation, has not yet been considered. It is a very difficult question ; but the Government means to carry out its pledges in the matter. The policy is nearly ready for discussion by the Cabinet, we learn, and some definite intelligence about it may be shortly expected. Amongst the Bills either approved, or awaiting final revision, are the following;— the Law of Partnership, a Consolidation Measure; the Newspaper Libel Bill, an adapiation from the mest recent of the English Acts on the subject; an Electoral Bill, the main provisions of which are to follow up the “ one man one vote” law by confining registration to one locality for each voter to simplify the residence quali fication ; and to strike off the roll all names of voters who do not exercise their privilege. The Criminal Code Bill will be again brought forward; there will be a Bankruptcy Bill, and a Land Bill; a Conciliation Bill, and the Labour Bills of last year, with modifications ; a Civil Service Bill, providing for classification of the Service and the appointment of a Board of Advice.

Tho effect of the retrenchment now pending and announced will, it is estimated, bo a saving of L 50,000 a year. This with tho savings made in committee last year adds LIOC,OO to the savings of tho Atkinson Government. The year’s surplus is estimated at about LUO,OOO. Making allowance for the L3G.000 brought forward from last year. The ordinary revenue has exceeded the estimate by L 145,000, bat the expenditure has also exceeded the estimate largely. Railways, which were estimated to give the Treasury a net return of L 402.000, have yielded L 410.000 more or less. The land revenue has bettered tho estimate by L 68,000, enabling a number of tho previous year’s liabilities to bo wiped out. News has reached here that the loan conversions announced in January (as authorised by the present Government) are proving an unqualified success, thanks to the assistance of the Bank of England. The result will bo a release of sinking fund accretions to the extent of some L 400.000. An absurd journal has denounced this operation as “ the bad faith of New Zealand." Whore is the bad faith of paying debentures as they fall duo ? On the whole the finances of the Colony are looking remarkably rosy. The accident at Shelly Bay has been (the subject of a Coroner’s inquest, the

report of which is to bo seen elsewhere. At the present stage all comment is irnporsiolo, except the comment that tho report will bo found very well worth reading. No news has been received of the unfor: utia'o Kuliunui (luring the rnifi.ih. A Mini- bus linen found at the G'h'u 10-. in:", wi'cli is supposed to have belonged to her. But this in merely C'liijrcl lin . By tho way, there seems little dou l, t that ihe wreckage previously found at (he Glial hams belonged lo the Acsayo, and that it came from the Snares, where tho bones of (hat illfated vessel were found (lie th..ught) by Captain Fairchild, ot Lbo llinomoa, on his last trip thero a couple ol months ago. A very good auction sale of Mr Kennedy Macdonald’s, elsewhere referred to, shows a healthy state of things. Wo have pleasure in adding that a large advance in the price of cattle stock has just taken place. The Autumn meeting of the Wellington Racing Club passed off satisfactorily. One prominent feature was the farewell luncheon to Mr J. ti M. Thompson, tho retiring vice-Presi-dent, who goes to Castlcmaine to sot up in business there.