THE ENGLISH MAIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 941, 11 December 1869, Page 1

THE ENGLISH MAIL.

The state of affairs in the mdt&e* country, as detailed in the telegrams we publish to-day, is on the whole satisfactory. From a commercial as well as a political point of view, the news is more or less favourable. Oiu' recent advices with respect to wool are confirmed — money is cheap and colonial securities arc in demand. There avci many here who will rejoice to learn tlmt the European Assurance Company has resumed business. The resitrre^ tion of that institution, indeed, will be a matter for general congratulation \ for tho disasters threatened by its fall affected, not individual sufferers merely, but tho whole business of Hfo insurance. Among the items relating to JNevr Zealand, wo look in v»iin for further information with reference to tho Company which — according toourlontintel* ligence from horne — had beon formed in London for the purpose of constructing a railway from Port Chalmers to DunOdin. Wo learn instead that Nelson will probably bo favoured with the assistance of English capital in her railway projects. The scheme to which allusion is made in tho telegram has: boon under consideration in London for many months past, Tho Nolson Government proposed to pay for the construe' tion of tho line in land, nt tho rate of bo' many acres for each milo of railway. Cotonol Maude expressed his approval of tho plan, adding tlwt tho capital of any Company which should bo formed fotf tho purpoao should bo two millions— inntoad of ono, as origiunlly proposed—tlioj Hurvoyors should bo Bent out to/ ' te»t tho ground in tho first instance— and tlmt two thousand labourers should aluo bevont out to construct tho line. Our w& Government will be »blr to form.

' views of '^^SXo^ll^@^^^^<subject '^^SM^S^m^i Zealand. %The ri&diMss ?wifch\ which 1 the Nelson scheme has appareritfy been* takeS^iS-L^TO with the^reception, -which the^o ? tago scheme, met with" a.s^hbri time ago. " T^ terms we offered for the construction ofthfe Cltittia line could scarcely have been 'expected to teriipt'a speculator. A Provincial Government; guarantee of eigtitV'pVcent for fif been; years goes' for' absqlutely nothing in tJHe estirriatioh of foreign" capitalists. 1 . There are only two* securities that can ■■ be ; • offered^ thorny with" any' chance of ; 'acceptance— a 1 General Government guarantee, 1 or a block oflandi With the latter, any Provincial Government >in the c6lony migHt obtain' a railway iit any moment ; ( but'withbut it; there' is little prospectof foreigfi' ckpital being invested in sueh 1 undertaking^: The laiid l itself would be put to very* proper' use if it were offered in payment for a line of rail running throiigh it. The histotfy of railways 1 in the r United I 'States tehds to show that no better means can be devised for securing the- construction of a railway by private enterprise, inasmuch as it also" secures ' the introduction of dtnigrarits'and their settlement on the-soij: In connection with this subject, it is satisfactory to notice that an attempt will be made to introduce Mr Fairlie's systera^bf cheap' railways in the colonies: The merits of that system' are imperfectly understood at present by the "general public; and sinee r it appears to be eminently adapted to' our circumstances, it is eminently deserving of our attention at 'the present time. As the subject of railway construction is about to engage the attention of the Provincial Council, it would do well to institute a thorough enquiry into the means,,aS ;t well as the system of constru(Hi6n v which' it may be desirable to adopt.

It is a singular circiipistance that the New Zealand Commissioners have no sooner started on their journey than a final intimation' as to the, intentions of the Imperial Government reaches the colony. The despatch referred to in the telegram was doubtless penned with a full knowledge of the proceedings in the House of Representatives with reference to the employment of troops and the means of obtaining them. Possibly it was penned with the view of sparing the colony the disappointment of a fruitless and expensive embassy. The reiterated orders with respect to the 18th regiment leave no room for further doubt as to the prospects of that embassy. The regiment must go, and once gone, no one will expect to B ee it back in New Zealand. Probably there are few who have not cherished a belief, throughout this unsatisfactory discussion, that the Imperial Government is * open to reason' on a question which affects the interests of the colony so nearly ; and that when the Commissioners had fulfilled their mission, their prayer would be cordially granted. It is not possible, in the face of this despatch, to entertain such expectations any longer. Good results were reasonably expected to flow from tho appointment of the Commissioners ; but judging from the present aspect of affairs, their mission may provo to be a groat mistake. Tho general question of the relations between tho colonies and the mother country has been taken up by the Social Science CongreHS. The fact aftbrdtf some evidence that the discussion haa excited a considerable degree of public interest ; although the list of speakers on the occasion suggests the idea that the « influential colonists' ■who started the discussion had merely transferred the arena of debate. Their action in tho mattor lias been loudly complained of in some directions ; but events will provo theiv best justification. Tho question whioh they have raised must necessarily have occupied public attention in England and the floppies Hooner or later. We owe it to them that it has been raised at a moat opportune moment, especially for tho interests of this colony. It is something that a question which affected New Zealand alone in the first instance jhtfuW, through fltffl ageaoy, W»vfl

:tcbi|inl4^^^af^jbhMjji/beftn^ JS^&t* ■ tofbear'upon our sioe; The~ |oheme^for r a Conference^in, 'Lond'on;"wmrSl^oughV #uV tip failure 6>i>thWfdeV will- not "i Mr SBWEDBrfit af>Jears,v, has followed, ,Mr;; Weld's example^ and issued, a pamphlet. , From the! brief allusion to, its contents with whjichvthe telegram supplies us, it con*, sists of something more than a, tame, narrative fof past events* with .a' disser- ; ta"tjwn on the beauties of Self-rreliance. Mi* Weld's production is probably [responsible to a large extent for the policy of the' Imperial from which the colony is now suffering. Mr SEWELL'has apparently treated the ! subject from a very different point of view. 1 He has. endeavoured to bring the Imperialt Government to a 1 sense of its (iniquities in the conduct, of Native affairs, and to obtain for the , colony .the 1 help to vrhioh it, is justly entitled. It i« a matter for some, surprise that this task should .not have been undertaken before by one or other of the very competent representatives of New Zealarid who are now residing in London. Our advocates need not have remained silent until thY case, was disposed of and the Court was about to rise.