The Evening Star. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2548, 18 April 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 1871.

Although the news by the San Francisco mail is less exciting than the telegrams of the past months, which detailed the progress of the war that has destroyed the Napoleonic dynasty in France, it is on that account the more satisfactory in every point of view. It tells of conditions of peace proposed and accepted ; of wise modifications of the Russian Treaty, the provisions of which are no longer oi any moment to Great Britain; ot negotiations entered into for the settlement of disputed claims that fiity years ago would have been referred to the rucle arbitration of war; and of arrangements by which the most distant countries on the globe will be brought into as rapid communication as if they were near neighbors some few years sinceThat there is a party in Europe whose false code of honor cannot recognise these advantages, is no derogation from them. There are always men who take perverted views of moral and social duties, and who would involve the world in trouble, because they cannot recognise the duty of nation to nation and man to man. Such was Napoleon, who has fallen ; such are 'Mr Disraeli and the Marquis ol Salisbury. They have adopted or inherited mistaken ideas of honor and of national glory : they have taken thenstand upon them, and have not yet learnt that already their superficial and high-flown notions of international interference and feudal honor and prestige are becoming things of the past; and will one day be looked upon as of those strange delusions that have been the pest and torment of mankind, Mr Disraeli’s life has b.eon spent in attempts at delaying progress. Fortunately for the world at the terrible crisis through which Europe has passed, men of wider grasp of intellect, imbued with deep consciousness of responsibility, were at the head of Great Britain’s affairs; and they have had the firmness and courage to do what Mr Disraeli would have shrunk from : they have dared to assert the moral dignity of their country, and set an example of persistently abstaining from interference in a quarrel into which no other ground but that of an exploded chivalry could have led them, The interest of France, Prussia, and the world was peace j hut I unices rulei rushed into war for his own private ends. Both Napoleon and William had coquetted in an underhand manner for the possession of Belgium, and were quite ready, if terms had suited, to have united against England;: and ; yet men can be found who would have; had the world a-hlaze for the sake of : one or other of those intriguers! Unfor-: tunately France’s troubles are not over. The results of the interference _ ninety years ago of the party with which Mr Disraeli is identified, have never been overcome. Since that time, alternately under absolute tyranny or torn by faction, her people have not permanently advanced morally or in wealth, and that organisation, which might long since have been accomplished but for that interference, has yet to begin. We have no great faith in the men at the head of affairs in France ; but we have less in the people themselves. They are, however, so divided that they are powerless for evil excepting within their own territory; so that after a few years of internal trouble, they will in all probability struggle into something like a settled form of government, and recover the terrible and crushing disasters that have been brought upon them by the scourge they themselves placed in the late Emperor’s hands. The world is beginning to breathe freely again ; and already the blessings of peace are seen in improved demand for manufactures and raw material. New Zealand flax and Australian wool are in demand, and our securities have advanced in value. We never did believe peaceful relations with America would be interrupted ; and there are indications that the disputed questions between Great Britain and the United States will be amicably and peaceably settled. Under these circumstances there is good reason to hope that the depression that has hung over tbe Colony for so long a time is passing away; and that under improved auspices avc shall be enabled to advance in those plans for development and internal improvement which have been already begun.

circumstances as disagreeable as they were unexpected. It appears they had been out in a boat in the bay last evening, and between six and seven o’clock endeavored to bring it round from Pelichet Bay to the I! at tray street wharf. When off the end of the training wall the wind chopped round suddenly, and blew in such gusts that to wear the boat; round was an impossibility, liecourse was had to the oars, but a couple of hours’ hard pulling led to no bettor result, as no apparent headway was made. The men allowed the boat.to drift in the direction of Pelichet Bay, but through exhaustion they were unable to fetch the jetty there. Considerably after dark they were driven alongside the yacht Cygnet, to which they managed to make fast. They were forced to remain on the yacht until nearly two o’clock this afternoon, when their position was noticed for the first time. Eighteen hours in an open boat in such weather as we had last night is no joke. Government Land Sales.—Notwithstanding the rejoicings that have been indulged in by the opponents of the Hundreds Regulation Act, under the idea that it was unworkable, the Provincial Govern raent have decided upon at once proclaiming the Crookston and Wa'runa Hundreds open for application. They are enabled to do this in consequence of having arranged amicably with the pastoral tenants, who have not thrown any impediments in the Way. We understand also that arrangements are in rapid progress for at once throwing open the other Hundreds recommended to be preclaimed by the Provincial Council as well as agricultural blocks upon the goldfields t > the extent of some 20,000 .acres. Wc are glad to see those signs of movement, for they demonstrate unmistakably that no class is inclined to throw impediments in the way of settlement, and that notwithstanding the ir newness to office, the present Executive are making every effort to repair the errora of the last.

The San Francisco Service.— There are some discrepancies in the telegrams relating to the final contract made with Mr Webb by the Postmaster-General, but they arc not of such a character as to leave any doubt on the mind of anyone that the contract is in all respects a good one. Our Nelson correspondent telegraphs that ihe only difference between the new contract and that made with Mr Stewart, is that the former provides that the through service from London to Sydney and from London to Port Chalmers shill he accomplished iu fortyeight days. Power is given as before to the incoming vessels to run to Sydney; and with a four-weekly service alternating with tha 1- . by Suez, together with the character of the vessels employed, there can be no other result than that the New .South Wales Government will contribute to its maintenance. Mr Wtbb d cs not appear to have Ifccn deterred from entering upon the service by the refusal of Congress to vote the subsidy ip its favor which the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce so ably advocated. That the subsidy would pass was expected ; but there was almost as good ground for believing it would be rejected. Its importance was not denied, but unfortunately the matter was mixed up and entangled with a number of less worthy Subsidy Bills—or, as the JVeio t of the. World plainly calls them, “unmitigated swindles.” The Nevada, which will be comipanded by Cap'ain J. H. B'cthem, was to leave Ssn Francisco on the Bth of April is expected to re?.cb Auckland on or about the 3rd of May, and Port CJjalmers on the Sth ; she wi 1 start from Port Chalmers on tire 19th of May ; so that by this time the pioprer vessel of ,the service is fairly on her voyage. It is curious to watch the alteration in the tqjieof some of the opposition journals since the Stewart cum-Vogel contract was published ; and if we may judge by that alteration, we shall shortly have them giving to the Postmaster-General the credit .for arranging the service to which he D fairly entitled. The Erentuj Pod, for example, having expended its vials of wra'h on Mr Vogel’s head, is now reduced to giving publicity to every street rumor. The latest instance cannot he outdone for disingenuousuess : —“The famous San Francisco mail contract is likely to assume a new and rather curious £«poct, We have the authority of a gentleman eminent in the legal profession for staling that an Act o f the Imperial Parliament (10 and 17 Vm., fi. ICf) expressly forbids foreign vessels from engage ingin the coasting traffic of Her Majesty’s Colonial dependencies. Under ceitaiu restrictions, foreign vessels may be admitted to a share of the coasting traffic of the Mother Country ; but in regard to the Colonies the Act is imperative. Wo understand that the state of the law in this respect will shortly be brought under the notice of Commodore Stirling. v Mil E. Esquilant, of Manse .street, writes to us that he was not the defendant in the case of Solomon v. Esquilant, heard in the Resident Magistrate’s Court yesterday.