CURRENT EVENTS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1400, 24 January 1860, Page 3

CURRENT EVENTS.

(From the European 'limes Nov. 18.) Every thing connected wilh the commercial expansion of the Australian group of Colonies is viewed with surpassing- interest by the . busr lies* men of Ei.g and, and considerable atten. turn has been accordingly fixed on the third annual report of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand, which came to hand by the last packet. This document, which now lies before us, treats more immediately of the local afi.iirs of the district, and the statemeiits are very encouraging. The intercolonial steam service being the first in importance, occupies the first place in the report afths Chamber.^ We learn from it that the propositions of an English company have met witu the approval of Her Majesty's Government and the local authorities, and that a contract extending over a term of yeaivs, has been the result, which will give itn' un'mmrmpted intercourse by steam between the several provinces of New Zealand and the Australian colonies. Of the guaranteed subsidy to the steam company, amounting to £24,000 per anniimn, the Imperial Government has handsomely enquired to contribute £14,000. Thus arrangement, it is added has already induced competition, and other steamers are now running regularly between the ports of the several provinces) and have created a trade which did not previously exist. The report ndtls, " Both on the east and westcnasts of New Zealand the settlements are regularly visited by powerful steamers, meeting at and radiating from Wellington as the natural focus for steam service." We learn also from this document that the internal postal arrangements have besn considerably extended dining, the year,— that Wellington was about to be lighted wilh gas, a company having be.-n formed for the purpose, —and that a lire brigade and other arrangements for the protection of property and the means of comfort were being carried out. The value of- Imports at the port (if Wellington in 1857. amounted to £24'3 t 6_)9. } and in the year following to £267.628, shewing "an" in" crease of £24,019, or nearly 10 pev cent. ; the exports for the' same periods to £93,517 and £118,002 respectively, giving an increase of £24,465, or 2j> per cent. ; affording satisfactory evidence of progression. These sums represent the aggregate values of shipments from and to Great Btitain and the Colonies. The total estimated value of Lands, Stock, Buildiugs, ice, reaches £2,403,849, and is thus divionally arranged: — lands, including town, subuihan, and others, £058,8J0 ; Live Stock, £(555,549 ; Stock in Trade, £207,000; Warehouse, Dwellings, &c , £812,500 ; total, £2,403,849. No bounds can be set to the progression of of the Brtish race in this recently opened up part of the globe, aud with it all the comforts and luxuries of life.

The official organ of the British Government the Gazette, contains this week a correspondence between Lord John Russell, My. Buchauan, the British Minister at Madrid, and the Spanish Minister, Senor Cullantes, respecting the objects /tu^wlnciU >Sp.aiu is undertaking the war wj'th Morocco^ 'Our Foreign Minister tells Mr. Buchanan' that, "if the Spanish Government only seek redress for wrongs, and vindication of their honour, Her Majesty's Government will not interpose any obstacle to their obtaining such, reparation ; but if the outrages of the wild Moorish tribes are to be made a ground for conquest", ami especially on the coast, her Majesty's Government are bound lo look to the fortress of Gibraltar." His lordship then instructed Mr. Buchanan to ask for an explanation, "If,"' says Lord John Russell, " the Spanish troops should, in thecourse of hostilities, occupy Tangier, that occupation must be temporary, and not extend beyond the ratification of a treaty of peace between Spain and Morocco; and hebeadds,an occupation till an indemnitj is paid might become a permanent occupation, and such permanent occupation her Majesty's Government considers inconsistent with the safety of Gibraltar. Accordingly, Mr. Bunhmnn waited upon Senor Collantes, read to him the despa'cb which had been forwarded from London, and received an. oral as well as a written assurance which satislied the wishes of the British Foreign Secretary, Spain he declares, will not hold Tangier after declaration of peace with Morocco has been effected, and Spain has no inlentiou of occupying any part of tiie Morocco coast which would in the least endanger the navigation of the Straits of Gibraltar. Some time ago, it was rumoured that Lord Palmerston looked with great distrust upon the possible results of the impending conflict between the Moors and Spain, and that he was doing his utmost to prevent hostilities. But the satisfactory assurances w' ioh have been so promptly tendered by the Madrid authorities have dispel'cd these apprehensions, for the war is not to be one of Conquest but of chastisement. " The Balance of Power" is a phrase constantly in the months of diplomatists ; hitherto it has had special reference to the affairs of Europe, but it seems now to be extended to Africa. Nevertheless, the jealousy with which we gua:d our possession of Gibraltar will be generally legarued by Englishmen as erring on the side of a wise discretion, and these explanatory intei changes before the war may prevent a good deal of embarrassment

war may prevent a goou deal 01 embarrassment after it. The quantity of raw spirits consumed in Scotland, us compared with the other portions of the United Kingdom, has again forttud a subject of controversy, commenced in this instance by the indomitable Duncan McLaren, who is anxious to rescue his countrymen from the imputation of being the most intemperate portion of the nation. Mr. McLaren bases

his deductions ou the new Parliamentary return, which shows the quantity of spirits consumed during the last ten years, as distinguished from the quantity on which the. duty Was paid in each country ; and he contends that a large decrease, amounting, according to his figures, to no less than thirty-four per cent., has been the result." The increased duly of 3s. 4rl. per gallon, which took place a few years back, has mainly contributed to this result, but the operation of the Forbes Mackenzie Act has not been without its influence in effecting the change. But nothing beyond a distant an proximo tion can be arrived at for these figures and this reasoning. Whisky is the national drink of Scotland, while beei' and other malt liquors are mainly consumed by the laboring Classes in England. Mr. McLaren's deductions have been assailed, with considerable force, in quarters where the charge of greater drunkenness ! against the population of the northern portion of the island originated, and something like national feeling has been imported into the disputation.

On Wednesday last the Prince of Wales attained his eighteenth year, and, in the event of a demise of the Crown, would rule in his own right as Albert the First. The Prince's natal day occurs on the 9th of November, the day when all the Corporations in the kingdom elect their Mayors, aud both events are accompanied by the merry ringing of bells, and other demonstrations of rejoicing", either <jf which celebrations would be an event in itself, but the com bined occurrences 'impart to the day a local as well as a national character. The Printing House square organ of the 11th, indulges in felicitations at the extraordinary ehannvs Which ha ye been Witnessed during the Prince's minority — " Although of no great political importance, the completion of the period at which the eldest son of Queen Victoria is competent to take upon himself, the duties of royalty cannot be announced without giving rise, in the mind of the most unthinking, to very serious reflections. How Fast are the changes which have taken place in the course of the life of this young Prince! Hew enormous the increase of wealth, how wide the spread of knowledge, how wonderful the progress in the arts which tend, to promote human happiness ; how wonderful, also, the progress in those arts which are demoted to the purposes of war and destruction ! Wbat may not be accomplished before the close of a career which, short aa it is, lias ahesMy witnessed wonders that in the sleepy old times would have been enough for the hwt'M'y of centuries 1" The article -.vinds up by a declaration which we hold to be indisputable, that the three most popular Sovereigns in Europe at the present moment are Queen Victoria the King of the Belgians, and the King' of Sardinia,— all limited monarchs, wiu have frankly accepted their position, and honourably and iu good faith discharged its duties.

The subject of tbe national defences of E-ig-land is urged in the press flay by clay, until the iteration becomes tiresome'; and the Irish journals, which have hitherto bee:>- all but silent with reference to it, are now m >destly Inquiring whether some provision ought not to he m.ule for a like end in that country. The Dublin Evening Mill says — " There are many considerations' ip the social state of this country as well as in 'the exposed and undefended conjdilion of our sea coast, to invite the attention o an enemy.' In many parts of our island an invader would expect to find himself in the midst ol a friendly population, anxious to minister lo his physical wants, and to "furnish him with information and every other aid which an active and-.intel!igen'l race could supply. It would he the contrary in England. There the foreigner would know himself lo be in an enemy's country, and crary stop he attempted- to. advance, would be retarded by the most steadfast "opposition, both moral and material, which a resolute and united people could raiseagaiust him." It is then shown that if the French succeeded in landing and keeping Ireland, the prestige of England would be seriously shaken, and precautions in time are strongly advocated. While this is tbe tone of the leading ultra paper on the Conversative side, a Roman Catholic journal the Cork Reporter, gives simultaneous expression to nearly the same views, except that the last named organ argues the case from a point of view which will not be very palatable to many of its co-religionists. It says — " England stands alone among the great European Powers as the champion of liberty, and with her downfall would be involved its prostration for centuries to come. On this point there can be no mistake. There is not a National schoolboy who can he ignorant of the fact that the British islands alone, in Europe, possess — among the first-class Powers— even the forms of free institutions, llussin, Prussia, Austria, France, are pure despotic m diarchies, with soros slight differences of form. Free individual action, free expression of opinion, exist in none of them. Political rigbls on the part ol the governed are utterly ignored. Some few of the minor Continent il States possess the external indications of liberty, it is true, but almost without exception, they arc 30 over shadowed by the great military despotisms that they hare to exeicise such privileges as they enjoy ' with bated breath,' and can hardly be said to have a real independence. In such circumstances it might be supposed that Irishmen, whose love of liberty has been the theme of self laudation almost ad nauseum, might feel deeply interested in sustaining Great Britain in any struggle in which she might be involved with the Powe/s of continental Europe. True, Ireland has sustained rnauy wrongs at the hands of England, and not a, few of them of too recent date. But a nation has a higher duty to perform than that of revenge. Were.it otherwise, farewell to human progress !" The article, which goes on in this strain at considerable length, is ably written and admirably argued. A Paris letter, received on the tlth, Says— The China expedition is vapidly growing into favour with both services in France, and the authorities, who, a short time back, had suspended their preparations, are now hastening them as fast as possible. A number both of the officers and men are volunteeis from other regiments of the China war. It is not intended to replace them in their old regimentsj to which they will return after the conclusion of the war. The force will consist of a full division of two brigades. The first brigade is to be composed of ihe 101 st Regiment of the Line and the 2nd bdUaltion of Foot Chasseurs. The2:id brigade is to be composed of the 102ud Regiment of the Line and of four companies fiom each of the four legiments of Marines, under the coin--111 md of Colonel <ie Va.ssnigues. The Field Artillery is to consist of four batteries (months) with the gunners carried on the limbers and caissons, the Engineers of two companies, and the Waggon Train of one light company. The division is to be accompanied- by 50.> sailors. The totsil effectives of the division, which may be called a corps d'armSe, will amount to 20,000 men of all ranks and of all arms. They are not expected to arrive in China before tbe month of April or May. The meu are to be carefully instructed in rifle practice up to the

tini-! of enbarlciivg: " TliV hir'ger' FfeiSch ships ofw=ir.itet> leaves. -Tnuloij beUvean tlve-2Ckh and 30th »f this month, and are rapidly filjing