The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1870.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2283, 31 August 1870, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 31, 1870.

The Session of the General Assembly rapidly drawing to a close has been the most remarkable that has been held in the Colony. If success is the measure ■of human ability, the present Executive must be pronounced the most efficient yet placed at the head of affairs. Coming into office twelve months ago with a narrow majority in their favor, they entered upon a course of policy that was looked upon with doubt even by their well-wishers. The chief difficulty they had to grapple with was the Native war, which was rapidly assuming such shape and extension as to give good grounds to fear it would result in a war of extermination. Preparations were going on for expensive military operations, a heavy war loan was proposed, men everywhere were asking how this unsettled state of affairs would end. In addition to these difficulties, there were differences with the Mother Country. We are not prepared to say that all these complications have been resolved by the wisdom of the

Executive. We quite believe that the results of their policy have been far more effectual than they themselves hoped. The alarm they displayed at the prospect of the withdrawal of the Imperial troops, and the unnecessary efforts made to raise European and other forces, showed that they had far over-estimated the danger to be appiehended from Native hostility, and under-estimated the means in hand to f'rapple with it. Accordingly they

themselves must have felt surprised when they found the Natives as ready for peace as the Government was to abandon war. Those opposed to the present Executive have labored hard to show that their Native policy is a continuation of that of their predecessors, because they have been persistent in their duty to check the ravages^ of an armed horde of ruffians under Te Kooti : as if an abandonment of offensive warfare implied offering up the population to unrestricted slaughter. We need not say anything in condemnation of their folly : it condemns itself. But so long as the success of

the ministerial Native policy was doubtful, there was a strong party against them. Now that it has proved successful, the former doubters became supporters of the Government. But this is not the only advantage they have achieved. The cessation of hostilities consequent upon the changed policy towards the Natives, has for the first time in the history of New Zea land enabled the General Government to turn attention to the industrial necessities of the Colony. The boldness of their measures took all by surprise. Those, like Mr Stafford, who had based the progress of the Colony upon the political reconstruction of its institutions, seemed to be at once checkmated. He appears to have been at a glance convinced that he had begun at the wrong end. He had evidently in his mind the intention of evolving the material prosperity of the Colony out of its political re-organisation. The school to which he belongs has too much of the abstract, and too little of the practical, about it. He and his supporters labored to conserve the unity of the Colony, without supplying the only tie that can secure it—community of interest. They saw barriers to unity in divided legislation, and they set themselves to undermine and sweep away Provincial, and to substitute a Central Government. The common sense of the Provinces rose tip against this theory. They could not be brought to see that there was likely to be so wise and equitable a prosecution of necessary public works, where local wants were either tin known or were likely to be disregarded, whenever political pressure was brought to bear upon the Ministry of the day. The public works scheme of the Eox Administration has professedly nothing political for a foundation. It is brought forward as a measure having for its object purely the material development of the Colony. Yet if the most profound politician had set himself to devise a plan by which the political unity of the Colony vu a to be preserved, he could not have hit upon one so surely tending to that end. r lhe Central Government, by the Public Works Bill just passed, has become the dispenser of Provincial benefits. Every line of railway formed must be under its direction and control. The reservoirs for supplying water to the goldfields are subject to their approval. Provincial Governments may recommend, but it is the Central Government that will have to execute. Political institutions will hereafter be evolved out of these changed circumstances j and the three feet six guage will be more potent in uniting Provinces in one common object, than the County or Road Board Bills of Mr Stafford, with their elaborate two or three hundred clauses each. Henceforth the Middle Island interests will be one, but there must still be division between North and South,

Dunedin Y outiis’ Mutual Improvement Society.—A lecture will be given to this society, to-morrow evening, by Mr Bell, on “ Means to an end.”

Personal. —In the debate on the defence estimates last night in the House of Representatives, Colonel Hanltain and the Imn. the Defence Minister eulogised the volunteer system in this Province, and spoke in very high terms of the services rendered by Captain and Adjutant Atkinson. Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society. —The usual fortnightly meeting of this society was held last evening in the room below the Athenonim, Mr Beveridge occupying the chair. The attendance was small. An essay of an interesting character was read by Mr Asher on “ The past history of Otago.” A second essay, by the same gentleman, on “ The present condition and future prospects of Otago,” will he read on Tuesday evening next, and not to-morrow, ns represented in the Times to-day. Flax.— At a recent meeting of the Canterbury Association, a resolution was carried approving of the action taken in the House of Representatives with regard to offering L 5,000 for the complete separation of gum from flax. The Association also agreed to memorialise Parliament in favor of an increased duty on imported cordage and rope, such only to be a rising of 3s per cwt. for the next four years.—At Oamaru a com-

pany has been organised with .the object of preparing gnmless flax fibre by Mr Donaldson’s process. The capital is LSOO. Samples prepared by this process were described by experts to be superior to any they had ever seen, and two ropemakers who wore present at the meeting stated they tested the strength of the fibre so prepared, and found it greater than that of any machine prepared fibre they had ever handled. The cost of the preparation, including cost of flav, labor, &c,, was stated to be about Ll3 per ton.

CITY Council. —The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held this afternoon, there being present —His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Barnes, Bagley, Griffon, Mercer, Thoncman, and Walter Amongst the correspondence read was a letter from the Provincial Secretary, enclosing an application by the superintendent of the Lunatic Asylum for additional exercise ground for the patients. The consent of the Council was asked to allow about 21. acres of the Town Belt to be converted into an ornamental garden, to he constructed by asylum labor, and to he open at all times to the public. The application was granted. The Deputy-Superintendent wrote thanking the City Council for bringing under bis notice tb.e condition of the road metal laid down in Princes street. The City auditors reported having inspected the balance sheet for the half-year, ending the 31st June ; and they testified with pleasure to the manner in which the books are kept by the Town Clerk. Reports from various committees were read and adopted. The tender of James Hickey, for painting Bell Towei', for Ll3 15s, and that of M. Hcffcrnan, for works in Graham street, for L 8 10s, were accepted. For the first-men-tioned work one Alexander Henderson had the modesty to ask LOS ! Air Walter moved his motion affirming the desirability of borrowing L3OOO for the purpose of constructing Corporation baths. After discussion it was referred to a sub committee. Twentyfour applications were received for the office of Inspe tor of Works. Tin: Clutiia Railway.— The Provincial Government have received the following letter from Captain Andley Coote, regarding the construction of the Clntha Railway:— “Hobart Town, Tasmania, August 3rd, 1870.—D, Reid, Esq., Secretary for Land nii'l Works, Dunedin, Otago, N.Z. Sir, —I. have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter of ;he 30th nit., in in which yon state your Government will he glad to receive an offer from my principals. I have now, on behalf of English capitalists, and of a company which is registered in London, to submit for the approval of your Government the following terms for the construction of the proposed railway. The company will undertake to construct, mamtain, and open for public traffic the railway from Dunedin to Bnlclntha, iqxm either a oft Jin, 4ft S.Vin, or a 3ft Gin gauge, at their own cost, upon your Government guaranteeing to the company the payment of interest at the rate of LG per centum per annum on the amount expended, for a period of 30 years fi'oui the opening of the line for traffic. The payment of interest by the Government would be required to he paid on the capital as it is raised, but it is not necessary to call up all the capital before it is wanted, so that interest during construction is not heavy. The company are prepared to give the Government the right of buying the entire line, upon giving twelve mouths’ notice in writing, at any time after the expiration of five years from the time the line is open for trafii ■. The company will bind themselves to divide with the Government the nett profits realised beyond seven per cent, on the amount of capital as expended. If the Government will undertake to amend the Act already passed, I will give yon a guarantee that work shall commence within six months from the time of the concession arriving in London. I now beg leave to state that I think no capitalists in England would undertake to construct and maintain the rsilway without an amendment of the Act. Ig ihp will consido.- this at an early (late, I should feel obliged ( and any further information in my power, I shall be happy to give. -I have, &c., Audlky Coote.”

We have received the August number of the 11/ustrated Ac/e Zealand Herald. It contains an excellent view of the Dunedin Athcmeum and another of Manipori Lake, besides several Australian scenes and a fair selection of reading matter.