The Evening Star MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1872

Evening Star, Issue 2850, 8 April 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, APRIL 8, 1872

The San Francisco mail readied Auck land on Saturday evening, having been brought from Honolulu by the Nevada in eighteen days. The delay through the snow stoppage has afforded an opportunity for abuse of the Government by journalists who seem to imagine they can persuade men that all contingencies can be provided against in any arrangement made. They have a different vocabulary to describe events according to whether the mail is to arrive via Suez or via San Francisco. If it goes to the bottom at Point de Galle, it is a serious disaster, although man may be to blame : if in the course of nature snow blocks the transcontinental railway, it is Mr Vogel’s fault, according to them. We suppose he ought not to have let the snow fall until the train had passed. Suez may confer every benefit on Victoria and none on New Zealand : San Francisco lias proved an immense boon to New Zealand, and promises to benefit Victoria too : no matter, Mr Vogel allowed the snow to fall, and a month to elapse before the mail arrives in safety ; so Suez is to be preferred, although when a Suez mail roaches the bottom of the ocean and is fished up again, very few of the letters or documents arrive at their destination. We recommend these one-eyed journalists to reflect that in such childish attempts to lead public opinion, they insult men of common sense by treating them as if they were incapable of judging between light and wrong, that every such attempt tends to lower the status of the Press, and especially to bring the journals adopting such a course into well-merited contempt. The European news brought by the Nevada, transmitted by telegraph, throws but little additional light upon the Alabama question. It seems very probable that good will result from the investigation of it, and that the duties of neutrals in regard to belligerent nations will be more clearly defined than hitherto. The summary of the British statement of the case, on many points looks very much like a number of pleas in mitigation of damages rather than a denial of responsibility. We have little apprehension of war, but there in ay be a good round of squabbling, for there can be no doubt of the absurdity of most of the American claims. The Gladstone Government appear likely to weather the session notwithstanding the narrow majority of twenty-seven, which sanctioned what ai’e termed their “ obnoxious appointments.” That is they were “ obnoxious” to twenty-seven members fewer than those who approved of them : and since amongst that minority there will be men disappointed through not having friends or relatives put into office, who in other respects agree with the Ministry on most points of policy, the probability is they will as a rule command fair majorities. It seems extremely likely that in the reformed House of Commons ministers will have to be satislied with narrower majorities than formerly. Probably our contemporary, the Daily Tim??, whose profound knowledge of the progress of Republicanism in Great Britain has been shown in several recent articles, anent Sir Charles Duke and the Prince of Wales, may feel somewhat astonished at the account of the loyal demonstration on the thanksgiving day for his Royal Highness’s recovery. If Sir Charles Dilke had addressed three or ~ four thousand people, three-fourths of whom went to listen through curiosity, our astute contemporary would have seen signs of the extinction of Royalty. - The expression of the sympathy with Her Majesty of four millions of her people, we suppose, will go for nothing in his estimation. Royalty in England and Mr Vogel in New Zealand excite the anger of the Daily Times as a red rag does the rage of an unreasoning bull. The continental political news is unimportant. As is natural, France and Spain are unsettled, and must remain so for many years. The people have not learnt to govern themselves, and there is, therefore, room for intrigue and plot and counterplot, for the sake of position and power. Markets for colonial produce continue favorable. Flax and wool continue in good demand, and prices are maintained with an upward tendency. This is really all that can be gathered from the advices in the absence of specific prices and specified dates. It will he seen that the United States has not been slow to adopt the course we pointed out some time ago—they have undertaken the protection of the Navigators Islands. We do not much regret this, for it will secure the inhabitants from that oppression to which they might have been subjected, had Europeans settled there without any controlling power. Wo should have been glad had there been sufficient New Zealand enterprise to have secured

the transit of their produce by this route. We ave forestalled by American forethought, but much depends upon ourselves whether or not we profit by the new coaling station. If, with some of the best coal in the world easily obtainable, we allow the trade to go to Newcastle, we shall deserve to suffer for our supineness.