The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1888. CURRENT TOPICS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1851, 26 May 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1888. CURRENT TOPICS.

1 It is generally thought that England is the Queen of the Wave so far as the r size and equipment of her fleet is concerned, but Lord Wolseley thinks our ! sea forces are neither large nor strong enough. At a dinner m London, recently, he gave vent to his opinions on tho British Navy and his estimate of it. In the course of his remarks he said : — That as far ob the officers and men of the navy were concerned they left nothing to be desired, and it was to be wished that the same thing could be said of the size of Her Majesty's navy. He knew it was the custom on great occasions for men m high position to speak of the navy as though it were also everything that could be desired, and that England had a preponderance on the sea But ho had a prejudice for taking the opinion of Admirals and captains of experience, and knew that these did not hold the opinion that the navy was so strong as it ought to be. Considering the duties tho nary had to perform, the important interests it had to guard, it could not be said we had a sufficient number of ships afloat. He was one of those foolish people who believed m the possibility of invasion, and if any disaster befel our fleet our shores woald at once be open for an enemy and the military forces would have hard work. If our home fleet wore defeated, there would at once be a cry to recall every ship we had abroad, leaving tho protection of commercial routes and the guarding of tho means of food supply. He confessed to feeling strongly on this point, because the navy was by no means as strong as it should be. His Lordship deplored that Ministers did not &blc Parliament for the supplies necessary to put the navy m a proper condition, for he "had never known such demands to ba refused when they were necessary. All had read of the patriotism recently displayed m tho German Parliament — the Parliament of a poor nation — when their great statesman came forward and asked for 14,000,000 for military purposes ; and was sure the British Parliament woulc vote with equal readiness the few millions to put our navy m a proper condition. The news from Europe is more and more portent and the preparations by England to get her defences m a thoroughly sound condition are being hurried on. The war cloud which now darkens the whole continent may burst at any time. Though assurances of peace aro baing given on the part of Borne of tho Greater Powers yet there is constant news of their arming, which news is rather at variance with peaceful intentions. The different squadrons are being strengthened by additional ironclads, and troops are being held m readiness for action at the first sign of open war. Germany, Austria, Russia and Turkey, as well as Italy, France and Great Britain, are all on the alert. Under such an unsettled state of affairs trade and commerce must bo interfered with seriously, and it will be a brighter day for Britain when those wars and rumors of wars are at an end. The sharp earthquake tho other day startied a few of the people between Blenheim and Napier and not without some cause. The effects of a sharp shock would be very disastrous, m Wellington for instance, and lately there has been plenty of damage and suffering throughout tho world by earthquakes and upheavals to make people anxious when they experience a quake. Those who make the subject of earthquakes their Bpeoial study are at a loss to fix upon the exact cause of these earth tremors which come so irregulary and without warning of their immediate approach. Those who think that something more serious will ultimately follow these motions of the earths surface may be assured that as yet nothing has been discovered to lead to any such belief.

. I I constantly preaching economy j k tho Atkingou Government ere always J

giving evidence that they' never practice it under any, circnmsffinorq yrhere they have not the continual pressure of the House to compel them to keep within bounds. The latest phase of extravagance is the expenditure of £300 on railway passes for members. They are made of gold m the shape of a sovereign, and inscribed with tho name of the constituency which the holder represents. They are intended to han# on the watch chain, and be the outward and visible sign of a New Zealand legislator. Mr j Taylor, the elect of Sydenham, has i brought the matter of the unnecessary extravagance under the notice of the House, and has asked the Government if the outlay was at all necessary, seeing that so many unemployed people are to be found m the colony, and where the very poorest of the civil servants have had to submit to a reduction m salary. The answer to Mr Taylor's query was by no means satisfactory, and we think more notice should have been taken of this item of unnecessary expenditure by the House, Printed . railway passes have hitherto Berved the purpose admirably, and why they should have been replacad by an expensive bauble m these depressed and retrenchment days is something of a marvel. But it is like Sir Harry all over.