AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Globe, Volume I, Issue 92, 16 September 1874, Page 2

AUSTRALIAN NEWS.

Queensclippe, September 10. The Albion arrived this morning with supplementary English mails. She was detained by damage to her rudder. At the Ballarat Art Union drawing to-day, the second prize of £750 and the fourth prizes were drawn. The first prize of £2OOO is not known yet. Melbourne, September 10. The political news is without interest. The budget debate has closed without a division. The principal speech of the debate was made by Mr Langton, the ex-Treasurer. The Legislative Council has appointed a committee to consider the question of the reform of that House, and has carried a motion favoring the resumption of assisted immigration. Numerous petitions from local bodies have been presented in the Assembly in favor of immigration. The elections committee dismissed the petition against Mr Godfrey, the member for Ea"t Bourke, for bribery. The new tariff fees do not meet with general approval. A meeting of importers has been held to protest againt certain of the proposed changes, and the committee of the Chamber of Commerce, by resolution, has expressed its disappointment at the tariff changes as expressed by the Treasurer. Lady Rowen and family were passengers per steamer Nubia lately. Sir George Bowen is likely to proceed to England in December. The Californian mail steamer Midako arrived at San Francisco on the 30th August. Mr Parkes, the Sydney Premier, recently made a tour in Riverina, and was handsomely entertained. Very severe weather has been experienced in all the colonies, and very heavy gales. The Torres Straits steamer Jeddah has been floated from Eden, and is now in port there, previous to going into dock. The Melbourne Cricket Club is likely to send a team to New Zealand this season.

A slight shock of earthquake was felt on the evening of the 30th. The very rev Martin Crane, of Dublin, has accepted the R. C. bishopric of Sandhurst.

A new trial was refused the plaintiff, in the sporting case of Walker v George. The population of the colony, on the 30th June, was 797,000. The celebrated stud ram, Sir Thomas, was sold +he other day for 680 guineas. Madame Goddard gives three concerts this week.

Mr and Mrs Williamson are having a most successful run at the Theatre Royal. The Italian Opera Company proceeded to Adelaide, after a short but successful season. The failure of Peters, Barnard, & Co., of Launceston, for over £90,000, caused some excitement. Other firms are mentioned as involved, in Launceston. The mail steamer, Golconda, is likely to arrive here by the 19th inst. Disgraceful scenes have Occurred in the Tasmanian House of Assembly.

The Otago was tohave sailed yesterday, but was delayed in consequence of having stuck in the river for several hours. She takes a number of valuable horses and draught mares.

Two pure-bred rams, intended for shipment to New Zealand, from Hobarton, were destroyed yesterday, having shown unmistakeable evidence of foot and mouth disease.

An actress known as Miss Mortimer, fell down stairs at her hotel last night, and died this morning. A good deal of interest was felt over the Sydney races. The race for the Metropolitan takes place to-day. The creditors probably ranking on the estate of Peters, Barnard and Co., of Launceston, amount to £160,000; the other failures at Launceston are—Edlin and Co,, £IO,BOO ; Brand, £12,300 ; Nichols, £13,500; Hubbard, £ll,lOO ; others are spoken of.

Madame Arabella Goddard on her return was received with acclamation by crowded houses. She visits New Zealand in about three weeks.

Sydney. Parliament is summoned to meet on the 3rd November.

Governor Sir H. Robinson proceeds to Fiji on the 12th ; he will visit Norfolk Island before returning. He will be accompanied by the Hon W. Heley Hutchinson, as attach 6 to the mission.

The steamer Easby, outward bound for Dunedin, went k ashore at Bradley's Head.

She was got off, after being lightened, uninjured. The new post office has been opened. Congratulatory messages were received from London and other places on the occasion. The war steamer Vire, with the French scientific staff for observing the transit of Venus, has left for Campbell's Island. Numerous writs have been issued against Hall on account of the Californian Mail Service. A Mrs French, whilst strolling on the cliffs at Coogee, overbalanced herself and fell over into the water beneath. The body has not been recovered. The ship Knight Commander reports meeting a vessel with her mainmast gone by the deck. By a collision between two trains on the Southern railway line, several persons have been injured. Mr Samuels is arranging for steamers to carry the Californian mails for the next two months. Holloway's sentence for the Paramatta murder, has been commuted to imprisonment for life. The Regatta Committee offer £IOOO as a prize for an Intercolonial gig race A great bush fire near Kiama, has laid bare a tract of twelve miles of country. SYDNEY RACES. September 5. AJ.C. DERBY. Sir H. Robinson' j Kingsborough 1 Mr J. Tait's Melbourne 2 Sir H. Robinson's Neredah 3 Won easily. September 10. THE SHORTS. Sweet Brier 1 MAIDEN STAKES. Sir H. Robinson's Nea 1 Mr J. Tait's Melbourne 2 LADIES' MILE. Baroness 1 METROPOLITAN STAKES. Mr T. Ivory's Sterling, 4 yrs 1 Mr J. Tait'a Goldsbrougb, 4 yrs... 2 Mr Winch's Maid of Avenel 3 Nineteen started. Time, 3min 36sec. COMMERCIAL. Markets continue very dull. Wheat, 6s to 6s 2d. Oats, 4s 9d to ss. Oriental kerosene Bold as low as Is 2Jd. Martell's 1870 brandy, 9s. Owing to favorable advices sugars have been in demand at advanced rates. Large sales of Cameron's tobacco have been made on the spot and to arrive. Hops continue in good demand. In Californian oats, a large line has been sold at 4s lOd. INTERPROVINCIAL. Auckland, September 15. The mail dispute is still unsettled. Negociations are proceeding, but the Post Office authorities do not expect to receive the mails for two or three hours. The Customs' authorities have ordered that no coals be put aboard the Macgregor pending the settlement. The A. S. P. Company have served a writ on the steamer for £267, for services rendered by the Star of the South while the Macgregor was on the reef at Eandavau. 6.25 p.m. The captain of the Macgregor was summoned before the police court for breach of the 29th Section of the post office regulations, by refusing to deliver certain mails in his possession on demand being made by the postmaster. Mr McCormick, for the defendant, 'said the captain was certainly entitled to some remuneration for bringing the mails. An endeavor will be made to settle the case amicably by consulting Mr Vogel. The Court adjourned till half-past one, to allow time for settlement. Mr Vogel addresses his constituents tonight. The charges against the captain of the McGregor are withdrawn. The counsel for the defendant stated that Captain Grainger was instructed to act as he had done by the owners of the vessel. He did not know he was breaking the law, but was now satisfied that it had been an unwarrantable course. He would give up the mails immediately. 8. p.m. The A.S.P. Co.'s claim against the Macgregor is just settled. She leaves at mid•night. MR VOGEL AT AUCKLAND. Auckland, Sept. 15. Mr Vogel addressed his constituents in the Choral Hall to-night. Mr Russell took the chair. The hall was crammed, there being barely standing room. In introducing the Premier, the chairman said this was the most difficult colony of the empire to govern. Mr Vogel explained that his addressing them at such short notice was in consequence of his leaving the colony to-night for some months. He expected to remain some days longer, but the arrival of the steamer had cut his visit short, and rendered it impossible for him to speak at the length he intended. He had always done what he could for local matters, but experienced considerable difficulty in ascertaining the feelings of his constituents. He asked them to go back with him to 1869, when he took office. The North Island was then in a most depressed state. It was impossible to penetrate the interior without risk of life. It was the general belief that war was inevitable, and the question was, would the South consent to the expenditure asked them. Let them compare the present with the past, and they would give him some credit for the part taken. Roads and telegraphs now penetrated through the whole Island, and settlement was extending everywhere. A large landed estate was being purchased, which would be available for settlement and revenue. There was no doubt in the future that this would result in the prosperity of the North Island, which would not be surpassed by any island of the same size. If he were asked what was the difference between the last five years and the preceding five years, it was this : that the present Government endeavored to make a peaceful conquest of the Island, and show that industrial arts would provide the excitement which was supposed to be inseparable from the interior of the North Island. Their policy had been a progressive one. Had the expenditure carried on during the last five years been proposed in 1869, it would have received very little support. It would have been a very easy matter for the Government to introduce such a policy, if only intended for the | Middle Island. The Assembly had voted £700,000 for the purchase of a landed estate in the north, and it was unfair for the I speakers at the recent meeting to have kept |

that fact back when urging the seizure of the southern lands. Although the north had made a bad bargain in 1856, yet they might now make a worse if they secured the land fund as colonial revenue. The lands of the north would ultimately support a larger population than the south, and therefore would be more valuable. The speaker next alluded to the State Forests Bill, and the importance of conserving the forests. When this was made a political question, it was naturally asked how much longer would the Provincial Governments interfere with great State questions, and it was concluded that, if Provincial Governments continued obstinate in this way, they must yield. The Government suffered many difficulties rather than make constitutional changes, but this was thought a favorable time for making those changes. The constitution of the colony rendered it extremely difficult to have any colonial policy. Provincial Governments combined could make any Government very weak. But this was not really the cause of the proposed change. Statements were made of the total Government expenditure in the North, which showed most startling results. During the five years ending 1874, no less than £3,389,000 had been expended by the Colonial Government, while only £IBO,OOO had been expended by the Provincial Governments. They then thought it was nseless to continue the cumbersome machinery to do so little work. Institutions in the North Island were not satisfactory. The Government found that while they were paying £BB,OOO capitation for gaols, hospitals, &c, in the provinces, only £51,000 were being expended. The licenses and gold fields revenue should be expended within the district where collected. While recognising that the land revenue should be preserved for a particular purpose, yet it was a fact that the consolidated revenue had been charged with things improperly. The Government had been compelled to refrain from charging on the land fund expenditure which properly belonging to it. Referring to the abolition resolutions, he said that the reason for combining the three resolutions brought down by him was that when the Government announced their intention to abolish the Northern provinces, the Superintendents assumed a most hostile attitude, one saying that it meant the loss of the land revenue, and another said " it means the removal of the seat of Government to Christchurch." As the Government could not constantly be contradicting misstatements, they deemed it waa necessary to state casually what they meant. There was no probability of the seat of Government being brought back to Auckland, and it was idle for anyone to believe otherwise. At a meeting held in his house, at which forty-five members were present, it was suggested that a vote for Government buildings would determine the question of the seat of Government without forcing the supporters of the resolutions into a direct expression of opinion. That was the general feeling of the meeting. With regard to the land fund, he did not think Mr Wood's version of the caucus was correct. When the Government proposed the third resolution affirming the compact of 1856, they meant it. It was not possible to alter that compact. Should it ever be reversed even if no such compact existed, it would not be desirable to mix the land revenue with colonial revenue. He believed the change in the constitution of the North Island would soon be remarked by the South Island with envy, and the time was not far distant when the Middle Island would say, " That is what we want." Apart from the agreement of 1856, it would still have been a statesmanlike policy for the Government to propose to secure the expenditure of the revenue from land upon works within defined areas. With reference to Mr O'Rorke, he reasserted that the Government were unaware of his intention to resign, although they knew he did not sympathise with the resolutions. Still he did not wish anything he said to be taken as a reflection on Mr O'Rorke for the course he had pursued. The members who voted against the resolutions were an extraordinary combination. One of them Mr Gillies opposed them merely because he (Mr Vogel) proposed them. Mr Gillies sees so little to support in anything he (Mr Vogel) proposed, that if he brought down a motion stating that Mr Gillies was a most excellent and estimable member, and an amendment was proposed, he believed Mr Gillies would vote for the amendment. It was quite certain either Mr Gillies was right and Mr Vogel was wrong, or he (Mr Vogel) waa right; either the whole public works, immigration, and peace policy was a mistake, or Mr Gillies was wrong. Mr Gillies had repeatedly made an attack upon him, but he did not wish to make any retaliation. Then it had been announced by telegraph that a caucus at which twenty-eight were present, opposed to resolutions, was held after the passing of the resolutions, yet in reality only eighteen members were there, and ten persons were picked up out of the street, in order to make the number appear large. No matter what was the opinion of that meeting, the country had endorsed the resolutions by an enormous majority. That meeting, he assumed from demonstration made by it, was favorable to the abolition of all the provinces. It was a mere matter of prejudice to object to receive good because only one part of the colony required euch legislation. In passing those resolutions, the Government contemplated giving the North the excellent institutions of the South. No one could fail to admire the institutions and educational system of Otago, and it waa to give the North excellent institutions in place of its present disgraceful institutions, that the Government desired the abolition of the provinces. The out districts would never be prosperous until real local Government was substituted for the present system. It was not desirable to define all the views of the Government. He thought the land fund should be set apart for the interest and sinking fund of provincial loans, educational purposes, to subsidise roads, and to be voted by Parliament for special district works. This would include harbors and branch railways. The capitation grant would support the public institutions. He would be very much disappointed if the licenses and goldfields revenue were not made local |revenue. The Government had determined to make the measure satisfactory, and had employed a barrister of colonial reputation who was instructed to visit every highway district in the colony and confer with the chairman before framing the Bill. He referred at length to the South Sea scheme, and its importance to the whole colony, but especially to Auckland. He considered this was what Auckland must mainly look to, and believed there was a great future before it. He desired to make some statement of the reason why he was now proceeding to England. He would,,be absent six or seven months. His

first object was to arrange a cable with Australia, whicb, he believed would soon be undertaken. The next was with reference to immigration. Although in exceptional cases there might be a case of hardship to immigrants, yet all must have noticed the extraordinary absorption of the immigrants who arrived, which was mainly due to distributing them over the country. The conduct of the immigration department was now satisfactory, but circumstances at home rendered it necessary for a Minister to confer with the Agent-General, in order to obviate the irritating correspondence of the past. The Government had resolved to bring the home department more into harmony with the views entertained in the colony. His third object was with reference to financial matters, which could not well be dealt with by correspondence. He did not appear before them that night to sue for a renewal of their confidence. Perhaps they might find a representative more in accordance with their views, and he might find a constituency who would take his part better in his absence than they had done. Circumstances had arisen which might perhaps render it undesirable that he should again represent an Auckland constituency, and he had been asked to stand for nearly every city in the colony ; but he was yet undecided. In New Zealand and out of it there was a growing impression that the colony was rising from the depressed condition of 1869 to be the foremost colony of Australasia, and they might yet see her take a chief position. He desired to see Auckland equally as prosperous as the other parts of the colony, and that hope kept him at work when he might desire rest from his arduous labors. The province had, however, been contending against many drawbacks, but when the railroad was made throughout the Waikato, possibly connecting it with the rich lands of Taranaki, and opened up by the operation of the public works policy, she would yet have a great future. He concluded by stating that he did not come there to commence a discussion with popular orators, but would answer any reasonable questions. The speech, during its delivery was frequently interrupted by demonstrations of disapprobation, which prevented the speaker proceeding, and sometimes by applause. At the close there were loud cries of " Bees, Rees." After waiting some time, the chairman said, as no electors came forward, he declared the meeting at an end. Mr Rees, barrister, here jumped on the platform, and said he intended to speak. The Chairman said he was not an elector. Mr Rees, with an electoral roll in hand, said he was. There was great tumult, the Chairman and Mr Vogel essaying to speak, and being stamped down. Ultimately, Mr Vogel obtained a hearing, and said he had called a meeting of the City Bast electors to explain his views and not to hear Mr Rees speak, and wished them " a good night." The chairman then vacated the chair, and with Mr Vogel and others retired from the platform amid prolonged howling. Mr Rees then commenced to speak, and the meeting was about to elect a new chairman when some one extinguished one of the chandeliers. This caused confusion. Mr Rees proceeded amid much applause to say that the action which had just taken place was most disgraceful. What would the people of Sydney and England say when they heard how Mr Vogel had left a public meeting in the colony. Fancy Mr Gladstone afraid to take an expression of public opinion on his actions at a meeting called to ventilate his views. He would not detain them, but wonld take the sense of the meeting. Were there eix electors of the City East who approved of Mr Vogel's action, or considered him worthy of their confidence ? [Loud cries of "No, no."] The meeting after cheering Mr Rees, gradually dispersed. Nearly two thousand persons were packed in the building, and many went away unable to obtain admittance. Mr Vogel and Mr Russell are proceeding to Sydney, in the Macgregor, at midnight.