South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1883.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3338, 13 December 1883, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1883.

The Levels Eoad Board at its meeting on Tuesday last, received a request from the residents of the suburb known as Attenborough for the formation of a road in the vicinity of that township. Attenborough is peculiarly situated. Access may be had to it by an excellent road, but that is a roundabout way and a road cut through the rough ground in the rear would give a short cut to town, and that of course would be a very great convenience to the householders. There are, at present, 28 houses in the township, and it is beyond question that some convenience of this sort is much needed. The question is, how is it to be provided. A member of the Board expressed the opinion that the owner of the property ought to place it in communication with the main roads and bear at least some share of the cost of such road-making. He contended that it was unfair for a property holder to dispose of his property to excellent advantage, and throw the burden upon the public. Against this excellent reasoning, the only argument that can be advanced is that a new township is an additional source of revenue. Each side, the Board and the petitioners, may find ample grounds for holding its own view. The Board may object that this is not a legitimate public work ; the petitioners, in turn, may submit that they collectively provide the Board with a portion of its income. In this, as in everything else, there is a medium course. The formation of a road to Attenborough is a semi-public work and the ratepayers may fairly claim some consideration at the hands of the Board, since they contribute to its revenue. On the other hand, the Board cannot fairly be expected to sanction a large expenditure on a now locality, from which no great amount has yet been derived by them. This being the position of the parties, the difficulty would be best met by the residents voluntarily assisting the Board to make the road. To strike a rate is, of course, open—but undoubtedly the voluntary contribution scheme is preferable in cases of this 'kind, and the residents would do well to adopt it.

The Revue des Deux Mondes is undoubtedly one of the most admirable periodicals in Europe. Its articles on scientific and philosophic subjects have always been of the first order of merit; and its most noticeable feature always used to be, when we were in the habit of reading it regularly, its absolute freedom from extravagance and spurious patriotism. It was the

production of scholars and thinkers, and not the pulpit of mob-orators. Recently, however, a French naval officer got into print in its pages, and delivered a discourse on “ Italy and the Levant.” We are surprised to find an old cry revived in the pages of the Revue, in this article, viz., that the maritime power of England is overrated. According to this naval officer, England is a gigantic humbug, a Colossus with feet of clay,” pretentious in appearance, but miserably weak iu reality, a blusterer, but a coward. This is not offensive ; it is amusing. It pleases Monsieur, and assuredly it does not hurt us; and though we may deplore the evident decadence of a journal which admits such balderdash into its once select pages, and fear that the j ßevue has fallen into its dotage, we see no occasion for anger. We do not quarrel with the naval writer on account of his inferences, but he makes one statemont which we take leave to challenge, viz.—“ That not one of the powerful colonies, on behalf of whom she has never waged a colonial war, would assist her with a single man, or a guinea in a purely English quarrel, where their material interests, so distinct from hers, would not themselves be in peril. The Dominion of Canada, the free States of Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand would quickly proclaim their independence and their national autonomy. English statesmen know this well, and her naval officers know it better still. The sailors know this, and are constantly raising the cry of alarm, “ Our great peril if war overtakes us lies in the present state of our navy.” This cry England hears, and comprehends its gloomy menace. N'importt 1 She may double the number of her ironclads and fast cruisers, she knows well they will be useless to save her commerce—but war will not overtake her, for she will draw back from war whenever her commerce would be endangered on the bloody field of battle.” This writer may have seen a good deal of the world, but he does not know the British colonies. Let him and his brethren bring up their forces, and put the loyally of the colonists to the test, and, after the struggle is over let him tell his experiences, through the “ Revue.” The story of Thermopylie was repeated at Rorke’s Drift; the story of the Nile, or of Trafalgar may also be repeated in the Pacific—and we trust this naval officer may be there to see the fun.