SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5791, 10 September 1880, Page 2

SUMMARY FOR EUROPE.

POLITICAL AND GENERAL. Parliament rose on the Ist instant, after a session of a little over three months. About eighty bills were passed, some of them of considerable importance, but none entitled to the appellation of great measures. Among the number is one which sets at rest the long-disputed question of marriage ■with a deceased wife's sister. This trill is reserved for the Royal assent, "which, as a matter of course, will lie given, similar bills passed iv other Colonies having received it. Two bills giving the Government exceptional powers in regard to Native affairs are likely to be fraught with important results. One of these enables the Government to deal at discretion with the Native lands on the West Coast (North Island), making what reserves they jdease and selling the rest, and awards *■» term of imprisonment for two years ■ to any Natives found guilty of obstructing, by fences or otherwise, the progress of roadtnaking. The other bill gives full powers over the Waikato confiscated lands. These bills are passed in accordance with tbe recommendations •of the Native Commissioners, Sir WiLiiAM Fox and Sir F. D. Bell, who iiave done their work exceedingly well, and produced admirable and exhaustive xeports, which clear the way to a final settlement of long-outstanding disputes. Still Te Whiti holds aloof, and encourages bis supporters to go on fencing, foitch after batch being either arrested ©r turned off. The last batch numbered 59, and these men are said to be con-, aiderably chagrined to find that they will Tae probably condemned to two years' imprisonment, with hard labonr. We .anusthave between four and five hundred prisoners in all, and it is fully time that this strange comedy were at an end, as it is costing the Colony a large »nm of money. The Hon. Mr Bryce, Minister, and Sir F. D. Bell are jdow near Parihaka, making certain arrangements to facilitate the opening up: for sale of a block or blocks of land and the fencing off of Native reserves. We hope that the matter will be brought to an issue one way or other: "within the next month or two. We, lave every confidence in the shrewdness; and tact-of the Native Minister, as well as in his firmness and determination. The Government, in order to bring the session to a conclusion, had to abandon many of their measures—among them the Representation Bill, the Licensing Sill, and the Local Government Bill. They also sustained a defeat on the beer duty, which was reduced by the r Mouse from 6d to 3d, and they then■abandoned their proposed reduction of the property tax by the exemption of personal effects in use and works of art. The tax stands, therefore, as it •did at first, without these exemptions,; and very unpopular it is, and willoontinue to be. Retrenchment in the Civil Service*is keing carried out relentlessly. Many Public Works oificers are being disanissed, and the salaries of all public servants, of whatever grade, are being seduced by 10 per cent. A strike mearly ensued on the railways in conse•qnence of these reductions, and a scale was subsequently aa^tod providing for * «yen larger reductions in in>».- r _ caaeß though not so great in others, bni lolding out the hope of promotion in each class from a lower to a higher grade. The msn seem likely to accept this, 'with some slight modifications. .The JOwest rate lor labour m this scale is 6d per day of eight hours, as compared ■with the rate of 7s hitherto paid. The 3-eductioas will fall very heavily on those Jjpartments which, like the! Department, were already: ''' underpaid ; and between high taxation. and low wages the Government will, raise up for themselves a host of . enemies. But the financial exigency is great, and it is only by such severe remedies that our receipts and expenditure «an be brought to a state of equilibrium. There is now a lull in the political "■rorld, and nothing very stirring is Jikely to take place during the next six months. The seat vacated by the death of the late Mr Ireland (Waikaia) is teing conte3ted by Mr Horace Bastings, the former member, and Mr .Morris, a local man. Mr Bastikos as almost certain to be returned ; he stands on an independent ticket, andi Jiot as a supporter of either the Government or Sir George Gkey. The ex-; Premier has been deserted by more than! half his party, and it is not at all probable that he will again be asked to| take the lead or to accept office. He is at; present only weakening the Opposition, i l>y dividing them. The proceedings at the annual meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce will be found in another column, and the Committee's report affords a iair view of our commercial position, the tendency being towards improvement. Money has been lent on mortgage during the month at 7 per cent., «nd it is understood that large Hums are available for investment. Great caution, however, characterises mil transactions, and there is very little activity in the buying and selling of land. Prices of grain show an upward tendency, especially of oats, which lave been exceptionally low. Fair accounts have been received of shipments of this cereal sent to England, and further g shipments are being made. If only we could find a ready market for all our productions we should soon be a wealthy Colony in spite of our heavy taxation. The cry of the unemployed has entirely ceased during the last month or two, though those employed on Government x. works complain that they are made- tl quately paid. Hardly any new con- *| tracts for railway lines are being made ; a the Government are contenting them- tl# selves for the most part with completing m those now in hand, and there is of ca course much disappointment all over B the Colony where lines had been pro- in jected and sanctioned, but are now for C o ■ the time abandoned. Several new °° sections will be opened during the next *|J six months, the most important of ooi which in this Provincial District is the Hl branch line to Tapanui, opening up a £*! fine farming district. Our railway coi revenue has shown up well during the L f 3 last three months, and there are signs °la that we are at the turning-point as lie regards the profitable use of our lines, T{ and that this year's accounts will °l exhibit a great improvement pn the wa last. cla