[From the Southern Cross, July 12.]

Taranaki Herald, Volume X, Issue 470, 3 August 1861, Page 2

[From the Southern Cross, July 12.]

Our erudite cotemporary, the New Zealander, dwells, to a great extent, on a change supposed to have taken place in the minds of West Coast natives in consequence of the vote of Friday last. At least the article referred to would lead one to believe that the writer imagined that the Mokau natives — to whom only the passage can refer — had hailed the result of the vote of want of confidence, of Friday last as a favourable omen. In whatever light the natives there many choose to regard our parliamentary squabbles, we can only say that their veiws on the subject have not yet reached us, our telegraphic communication with Mokau being as yet incomplete.

Diphtheria. — The following is an extract from the Medical Times and Gazette: — " At a recentn t meeting of the medical Society of London, a very interesting paper on diphtheria was read by Dr. W. R. Rogers, who gave a concise history of the nature and pathology of the disease, illustrated by several cases which have fallen under his own notice. The work of Bretoneau was the foundation of our modern view on diphtheria ; and the descriptions of that accurate observer were found to be verified by the cases which had lately occurred in this country. Dr Rogers thought diphtheria was a totally distinct disease from scarlatina, with which, indeed, it had but few features in common ; although the fact that the throat was affected in both often led to errors in diagnosis. The best treatment of diphtheria consisted in the application of local remedies, such as hy. drochloric acid, with an equal quantity of glycerine and the administration of nutritious food and stimulating beverages — the quantity of beer and wine which patients could bear being often quite astonishing. Diphtheria should be regarded as a blood disease of a peculiar nature, attended invariably by the production ofa pseudo-membrane on some region of the body, and the early treatment consisted in cauterising the part where it first developed itself, and at the same time supporting the strength of the patient." The following is Dr Guy's opinion of dipththeria: — "This disease, which has recently been so prevalent in England, consists of a deep red inflammation of the mouth, tongue, fauces (gullet), attended by a false membrane covering the part affected, the inflammation extending to the air passage. The disease is characterised hy deep depression. The disease may occur at all ages, though most common in childhood. To support and to remove the false membrane is the direct treatment. To fulfil the one take nourishing diet and stimulants, and the other by the application of borax, or a weak solution of mineral acid*."

The Queen of Spain has signed a decree for the annexation of St. Domingo, against which the United States Government has protested.

A movement is «aid to be going forward successfully in this country amongst a large body of Nonconformists tor the establishment of a new settlement in New Zealand.— Home News, May 27.

[From the Southern Cross, July 19.] On Tuesday last, Mr Fox made his Ministerial statement. We bad not anticipated any very brilliant or lucid exposition of policy, and were consequently not disappointed ; but we fear that many of the supporters of the present Ministry must have felt Tather crest-fallen when their leader sat down, after delivering one of the most timid, undecided, •and confused speeches ever delivered by' victorious politician in his hour of triumph. Mr Fox, however, had a very difficult task to perform, and one must not be too hard upon him. He had to give a novel and striking political programme, to say something new, and he had not any new materials. He had got into power by promts- j ing to adopt his opponents' policy, and so for very shame sake was obliged, to deal gently with it, on the first occasiou of addressing the House. Mr j "Fox was really to be pitied- He stood there in bor- I rowed garments, with the real owners sitting over j against him, and carefully scrutinizing button and button-hole. No wonder that he felt uncomfortable, and that the words came not forth as kindly as of old. Every allowance should be made for the pe. culiarity of the situation. Mr Fox, whilst in opposition, declined affording gentlemen oil the opposite side of the House an op1 portunity of " sucking his brains," as he elegantly expressed himstlf on a late occasion ; he appears to be still shy of undergoing the operation alluded to, j even for the benefit of the public. Nobody will be able to steal any political ideas from him in conse- j quence of his exposition of Tuesday, for political ideas there were really none expressed, save and except what we have often before heard. The speech was, in fact, a mere rechauffe of sage sayings and j truisms about native matters, with the addition of a few impracticable hints and suggestions thrown out as something original. It concluded with a touching appeal ad misericordiam quite in keeping with the poverty of the whole affair. „ With the hints and suggestions we have at present .to do. We are told much about negotiations, and the wonderful manner in which the present Ministry imagine they will be able to carry, them on. The great idea is to bring the Government of the Colony face to face with the natives. Mr Mantell, we presume, is to be chief negotiator ; but allsix of the Ministers, we suppose, are to bring their personal influence to bear upon the unfortunate king and his advisers. Featherston is to do the impressive, Fox the blarneying, R. Wood must gently chink the bag of gold which will be carried in the ministerial saddle-bags, Williamson will lay his hand on his heart and swear that the province does not want any more land, and Henderson will accompany the expedition as a pattern pakeha, who has got enough and is quite contented. If the kingites can resist such a deputation, their hearts must indeed be as hard as the nether mill stone. But they cannot ; the king's flag will be hauled down, and day after day we shall see natives rushing in and laying down their double-barrels at his Excellency's feet. Law and order, peace and plenty, will prevail, and all this in consequence of a majority of one. However, there are a few considerations in reference to these negotiations which must not be lost sight of. Mr Fox tells us that he is going to do all these wonderful things, but there is just a possibility that he may not be allowed to make the attempt. For our part we enter our protest against any such permission being granted to him, and trust that the lame view will be takeu of the subject in other quarters. We have heard enough of the present being " a settlers' war." The Fox Ministry are doing their best to make it so in the eyes of the world. The position of Responsible Ministers in reference to his Excellency on native questions is, of course, as is pretty well known to us all, rather undefined in theory. Practically, however, it has become more definite; and though one may not be able to lay down any geneial rule on the subject, still, in particular case I*,1 *, one is seldom at a loss to know whether the Ministry is neglecting their duty to the colony, or, on the other hand, encroaching on matters reserved to her Majesty's Representative. In the present instance there can be no doubt but that Mr Fox, in assuming the power of instituting negotiations, either misunderstands or wilfully ignores his true position. Even the late Native Minister .was precluded from communicating immediately with the natives, and all correspondence went through the hands of the Native Secretary. The Native Minister has no power direct over the natives; he is merely his Excellency's adviser on native matters, not the administrator of native affairs. His Excellency corresponds, through his own irresponsible Secretary, and merely refers to Responsible Ministers for advice, which he is not bound to follow. .Mr Fox speaks, however, as if on himself, and on himself alone, depended the conditions to be offered to insurgents, the manner in which the latter were to be communicated with, and the time to be . devoted to negotiations. He further actually tells the House that, if negotiations fail, he intends to go in for strong measures and heavy blows, forgetting, apparently, that he has as little power to strike as he has to prevent a stroke being given. These are the men who afford a pretext for calling this a " settlers' war," and the settlers will soon learn so by bitter experience. If the present Ministry were allowed to do what Mr Fox seems fondly to have imagined that they would be allowed to do, and negotiations failed — a contingency, the possibility of which Mr Fox contemplates— in what position should we find ourselves ? The blame of the war would be laid at our doors. Our representatives, it would be said, had undertaken to act on the part of the Crown of England, and in consequence of their failure, war ensued. The men who put those representatives into the position which they occupied must not object if they are held responsible for their acts. If the settlers choose to think that the movements of her Majesty's troops are to depend upon the result of a division in their petty parliament, they are welcome to think so ; but they must not refuse to take their share, and a good heavy share, of the cost, in return for the privilege allowed them. The Wellington Ministry, with all their assumed desiie to see peace in the country, are the first men who Jiave expressed their readiness to declare war against the uatives. Former Ministers lent their advice to his Excellency, but did no more. The Fox Ministry, in their desire to act as negotiators,

are willing to incur serious responsibilities. They confess that negotiations may fail, and a failure, they say, must be immediately followed up by a 1 war, A declaration of failure on the part of the negotiators will, therefore, amount to a declaration of war against the natives, and this must come from the lips of Messrs Fox, Featherston, Mantell, & Co. However, we do not believe that his Excellency will attempt to divide a responsibility entrusted'wholly to himself, and it does not appear probable that the gentlemen desirous of enjoying simultaneously ambassadorial and administrative honors will have the opportunity allowed them. We believe that they would totally fail, where far better men than themselves have already failed, and if they did, the colony, in the eyes of the whole world, will be implicated in the failure, and held responsible for after results. We trust that men elected by the country for one purpose will not be allowed to occupy themselves with other matters, to the injury of the colony. Mr Fox, when he declares war, intends to recommend to his Excellency an energetic and vigorous prosecution of hostilities. The recommendation, it is to be hoped, will be duly forwarded to General Cameron, and lead al the head of regiments on pavade. It may possibly be a novel idea to that distinguished officer and his troops — an idea that has never occurred to them yet — and, if 80, Mr Fox, when he reflects over his good deeds in after times, may recollect with pleasure that he it was whose words first sent an electric shock through the British ranks, and taught British soldiers how to strike home ; a thing they had never done before, notwithstanding all we read and all Mr Cracroft Wilson tells us to the contrary. General Cameron's Visit. — H. M. S. S Miranda sailed for Avickland direct yesterday morning at daylight, having been detained longer than was anticipated by the S. E. Wind. Much disappointment has been felt that the General has not been able to visit Wanganui. The object of General Cameron's visit to Wellington was to form an idea in reference to its defence, lightly judging that a few hours personal observation would be worth a cartload of reports. On Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the vessel anchored the General visited Thorndon and Te Aro Barracks, inspected the troops, Volunteers, had an interview with the Deputy Superintendent, and obtained as much personal information as was possible. On Thursday, he rode up Kai Warra road to Johnsonville and returned down the Ngahauranga to the gorges at the Hutt. Since then the vessel was waiting a wind, and the General remained on board, the weather preventing any further visits to the country. Both the General and Captain Carr Glyn of the Miranda have spoken very favourably of Wellington, and we may reasonably hope that this impression will be to our advantage. — Wellington Independent, July 23.