The Evening Star. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1875.

Evening Star, Issue 3958, 1 November 1875, Page 2

The Evening Star. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1875.

We have been asked by several mombcrs of the Opposition to support a ■scheme for separate governments of the Ovo islands. This, we suppose, is to be the next move. Some years ago we looked upon it as at that time most desirable. War, to which there seemed no probability of a speedy end, was impoverishing both the North and South Islands. It was a war in wh'cli the South had no interest, but which enriched many in the North Island and found employment for many more. If our memory serves us correctly, we at one time % estimated, from official statistics, that one adult male in every four was directly interested in the perpetuation of hostilities, and that indirectly through commissariat contracts and family relationship, the probability was that only about one-tenth of the population was free from director indirect interest in war expenditure the South Island had to pay for this. Its revenues wore drained for the purpose of defending the property of the Northern Colonists obtained, no matter whether by fraud or force, through Auckland having been the seat of government, and the No: thorn Provinces the earlier settlements, there

was a preponderance of interest ' a the General Assembly in their f avo v wJneli prevented anything like dealing towards the'' Southern Provmces : and through the political training of so many leading men there, who wen; connected with the past, their inti nonce onty waned when lengthened experience proved that to continue their policy would lie min to New Zealand. What possible phance was there of even tin; barest justice when by the boasted Com.titudo", as at first granted, the North Island sent twenty-three members to die Assembly and the South only four. ;eeiU At that time Auckland*might

be said to be supreme, as it returned twelve members out of the thirty-seven of which the House of Representatives was composed. Otago hid the honor of sending three, Canterbury five, and Nelson six—in all fourteen for the Middle Island! It is true as the Colony progressed necessary alterations in the representation were made, and on its becoming evident that the Colony could not be advantageously governed from the extreme end of the North Island, it was decided to remove the seat of government to a central point, to be decided by commissioners from other Colonies, who unanimously agreed that Wellington was the most eligible position. We consider it necessary to refer to these matters, for although they are well known to us older colonists, they must necessarily be unknown to the larger proportion of our people who will be expected to vote at the ensuing election. The removal of the seat of government has always been a sore point with the Auckland members, and they do not disguise it. Their influence has gradually declined since that time, while that of the South Island has steadily increased. Until this session, excepting they had something to gain by it, when they gave a tricky sort of support to it, they have opposed Separation ; but now that Provincialism is dea.d, and the General Government claims the right of supervising money ad. vauced from the public revenue instead of handing it over to the Auckland Provincial Treasury to spend without accounting for it to the Colony, we suppose as a sort of revenge, they are prepaied to advocate Separation. It is somewhat singular, too, that Sir J. L. C. Richardson, one of its most strenuous opponents a few years back, has become a convert to it; as well as several others, who opposed it when as a remediable measure it seemed imperatively needed. Time has passed on and obligations have grown up on the faith of the unity of the Colony. The wise rule of the last few years has completely changed the aspect of affairs. The Maoris are no longer enemies, the war spirit has subsided, those in the North who lived and throve by the war have engaged in, we trust, profitable peaceful industries, and Auckland domination is becoming a thing of the past. We, therefore, wish that the advocates of separation will be outspoken, and make it clear to the electors what is now to be gained by it. There were many good reasons for it some seven years ago that no longer exist, and no new ones have sprung up that we know of in their places. It was pointed out then that the circumstances of the North Island were so dissimilar to those of the South, that special legislation was required for it. This appeared to be strictly true at the time ; but the Auckland members and those gentlemen now urging separation persisted in the necessity for unity of the Colony. On the faith of that unity, money has been borrowed abroad and engagements entered into; and he must be a bold politician who asserts and undertakes to prove that the conditions which I'endered separation desirable on the score of the necessity for diversity of legislation, any longer exist. Until good sound reasons are adduced for continuing the expensive and harassing course of double legislation, we do not feel inclined to enter upon the- controversy; but, like the electors who desire to see their way, we shall wait to be informed farther on the matter by the party advocating separation. If their reasons are gootf the sooner they are made public the better for their cause; and, if they make out a good case, we have no doubt every independent thinker will aid them.

TV; Provincial Government of Canterbury have consulted to give two prizes—one i Idoo and the second L2so—for the best scheme with working plans, for the drainage of Christchurch and the suburbs. The Ballarat papers affirm that C. E. Jo. ea, who was imported to have been accidentally killed in America, is still in the neab, and coutemp’ates designs on a Victorian constituency. At the Supreme Court this morning, his honor Judge Williams sat in bankruptcy tor a few mi mites. Mr Stout applied for an order to vest the estate of cue Clarke in a trus'eo, which was granted. Mr Uenniston app'ied. f.,r a day to be fixed for the final exn lllU r^ 0U of X ' M‘lnt> ro, a bankrupt. His Honor appointed the 15th inat, for that purpose. 'J he continued drouth in the Dims tan district is being felt on all hands, and from the very httle snow lying on the ranges an unprecedented bad summer is expected for the mining comnuiniiiy, as, without wat r, everything is at a standstill. Die country, or a greater portion of it, between VVai Ived > eri Valley and Cliatto Creek, is said to bo a Virtual, living, creeping mass of caterpillars. As illustrating the necessity for extreme care on the part of the Gf.vernmu.it before they allow aurilerous lands to become alienated, the Hiiuatan ‘Times’ mentions ttiat a mining party, owning some private pronerby on ill ; banks of the Arrow itivor near its junction with the Kawarau, are making L. O per week per man by sluicing away the ground.

At the Press Clnb'o animal meeting on b&vUmay evening the following wore elected office-bearers for the ensuing year : - Prtsident Mr P.h, Lfary ; Vice-President, Mr !y Humphries ; Treasurer, Mr W. p, buchanaa ; Secretiry, Mr B. J LeOrove • Committee Meets J. Allen, T. Bracken, ,j.’ \lr U <> e ’a i V Co!e ’ aiul lTt - lin S; Auditor, it re' f e . L * G ' aham - '<‘ho anniversary of the Cub,, t . be celebrated by a dinner on I the 13 th ins t. The well-known Remit dy family are aow travelling in America, and an interesting letter from one of the brothers a published in a Tasmanian paper. The folio v mg extract reveals a peculiar style of i U . u £« r' 1 iu tln - gr‘-*at republic. He wiites from an inland town :—“On .-iinday we sang to the Sunday .School of the Baptist is held iu ilm Music Hal aero, Tim clergyman announced our concerts from the pulpit. He said they were

first-rate, for he had heard them in San Fran isco, and could guarantee th m good, and he would say mores but that “ the friends ” were present themselves ; and he hoped the congregation wouldn’t leave, but wait five minutes at the close, when thereM he a short interval for shading hands, ‘an 1 then our Scotch brother, who is now making a canvass of this country, would favor them with a song ’ You know us, aud you will also know how delighted we were at all this. During this long harangue I was feverishly busy looking up the Bible for the bonk of Jude, or Joel ; it didn’t matter which, We sang them the ‘ Cloudcapt Towers.’ ”

Twenty-nine single men, principally agricultural laborers, were forwarded to Palmerston by the immigration au'horities on Saturday. All the single g rls by the Auck'and have been engaged at from L2 j to L 35 per year. One married cmple found employment at f.,75 per annum ; and a number of single men, ploughmen, and agricu tural laborers have been engaged at from 1.50 to L 55. The statement contained in the ‘ Daily Times’ this morning that the Adamant had arrived at the Bluff is untrue. As showing how rapidly and well our mail service it now conducted, the ‘ Tribune ’ mentions the Oates connected with the last outgoing mail. The correspondence for New Zealand via Brindisi left London on the 3rd September, and arrived in Wellington on the -5 th ult., making fifty-two days. Hiving a day to answer letters, the mail left Wellington via San Francisco on the 26r,h. and is timed to be in London on the 13th December, or in forty-seven days—enabling English letters to be received and answered within 100 days. The household cat has become once more an article of commercial value in Otago, and from all we car. bear, “ good useful raousers are in a fair way of getting quoted in stock reports according to the rise and fa 1 of the market. < t Clyde and Alexandra notices are posted up offering 4a per head for active members of the feline tribe, aud for “cats with kittens at side ” higher rates are mentioned. The ‘Tuapeka Times’ says the reason assigned for the revival of this branch of commerce is that runs in the neighborhood have become completely infested with rabbits, and this expedient has been resorted to with the view of carrying out a war of extermination.

The seventh report of the New Zealand Institute tells us that there have been 4,813 specimens added to the Colonial Museum during 1874-75, over 4,000 of wh : ch have been collected in the field by the officers of the department. Owing to the extensive alterations which have been going on in the Museum building, the number of presentations for the past year fails short of what it has been in former years. A large and valuable collection has been taken to England by Dr Hector with a view to identification and exchange, so that next year considerable additions may be looked for in the objects of interest in the Museum The lower part of the Queen’s Theatre was inconveniently filled on Saturday night, and the dress circle unusually wed pa-ronised, when “The Fallen Saved,” a capitallywritten drama, was produced. There arc few actors in the Colonies who c m play the part of a drunkard better than Mr Bates, and the manner in which he acted as Edmund Middleton, depicting the man dragged down by bis ha itual drunkenness, and his after conversion to temperate habits, deservedly secured him a large amount of applause. Mrs Bales played naturally as Ma y Wilson, and pleasingly sang “ Home, Sweet Homo ” in the final act. The other characters were ably represented. To-night “School” will be played. Some time after a fraud summons had been struck out in the Resident M gistrato’s Court this morning, owing to the non-appear-ance of plaintiff, application was made by Mr Bathgate, plaintiff’s solicitor, to have the case reinstated. The application was refused, his Worship saying that as the law under which judgmentsummonsesare brought was so stringent he must allow every laxity to defendants, and would decline to allow such cases, once erased from the Court roll, to be re-instated. His Worship also said he would like the opinion of the Supreme Court as to whether all sections regulating the process of the Resident Magistrate’s A ct, 1807. applied to judgment summonses, as to which he had a doubt. Store-keepers holding bottle-licenses cannot do better than carefully read the remarks of Mr Bathyate, R.M,, in giving judgment to-day in the case of Robertson v. Montalk. r lhe claim was for groceries and spirits supplied, and defendant had confessed to judgment, ma Worship, however, declined to give a verdict for the full amount, and deducted from the account L 5 19s, the charge for thirty-four bottles of whiskey supplied. He said that any storekeeper supplying spirits on credit could not expect to recover in that Court.

Ex-pup Is of the High School who intend competing at the Athletic Sports are requested to send in their names not later than Thursday next. A summoned meeting of the Court Pride of Dunedin, A.0.F., will be held in the South Australia Hotel to-morrow evening at eight o’cl ck. Members of the Deutscher Verein are rerequested to attend a general meeting respecting the formation of a Liedertafel at the European Hotel on Wednesday next, at 9 p.m. A meeting of the Standard Property Investment Society, for receiving subscriptions, &c., will be held at the office op Wednesday evening next, between six and eight o’clock. The Union Steamship Company have issued a handy time-table, which, besides giving the dates of the departure of their vessels, furnishes the railway time-tables of Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, Marlborough, Taranaki, and Auckland, for November. There were twenty-four admissions, and an equal number o’ discharges from the hospital last week. The deaths were: —Margaret Brown, aged 32, native of Caithness, died from broncho-pneumonia; Mary l ettley, aned s(j, native of Liverpool, died from disease of the stomach ; Alexander Petty, aged 56, carpenter, native of Buckinghamshire, from pleuro-pueu-monia; and John Bernstein, aged 45, native of Berlin, from disease of the brain. VVe would advise those who desire to become acquainted with the early history of this < olony to attend ttir George Grey's lecture, at the Tempoiance Hall, to-morrow evening. More information will be gained by listening to Sir George lor a couple of hours than by mouths’ reading of books. The chair is to he taken by Sir J, L. C. Richardson. The ‘ New Zealand Clin veil News’ for November is an interesting number. In its leading columns it counsels the members of the Anglican Church not to at once withdraw their support from the Female Kefuge, but to wait at least to see what course the re-ap-pointed eommitte are disposed to take in the matteisjcomplainedof. It adds “should there be no alteration upon those and similiar points, there will bo just reason, in our opinion, to ask for a genera] meeting of the subscribers,' and thereat or thereafter to take such aciiou as the circumstances may demand,”

A Gfoo 1 Plea for Total Abstinence.—Super stitous people ought to be temperate—they are so afraid of spirits. Tue follow ing recipe for acquiring madness in the shortest maimer possible is furnished by an American paper “Be an editor ; let the devil be waiting for copy; sit down to write an article, and put a few sentences down ; then let an acquaintance drop in and be i>i to teh you stones and gossips of the town and let him sit, ami ait, and sit. This is the quickest way we «a,u think of to go raving distracted mad,”