The Globe. WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1877.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 902, 16 May 1877, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 1877.

While wc in New Zealand are apparently quite contented to leave to the chances of war millions worth of property, the other Australian Colonies are more alive to the importance of placing their chief towns in a state of defence. Colonel Scratchley and Sir 'William Jcrvoisc, specially appointed for the purpose, are inspecting the fortifications of Sydney. They then proceed to Melbourne, and afterwards to South Australia and Queensland. Victoria, as our readers are aware, possesses an ironclad, called the Cerberus. That ship is now fully manned, and efforts are being made to have the land fortifications made thoroughly effective. 'When that is done Melbourne will be comparatively safe, and she will be able to resist anything short of a combined naval attack. But while the other colonies are bestirring themselves, as far as wc can hear we in New Zealand are doing absolutely nothing. Affairs at the present moment are in such a position in Europe that any moment wc may have “ the enemy thundering at our gates.” As we have have said before, it is surely possible to have our harbours defended by a system of torpedoes at no great cost. At any rate the opinion of those best able to advise us might be obtained. If wc cannot afford to ask for the services of Colonel Scratchley and Sir 'William Jervoise, we might be able to secure that of the Commodore of the Australian station. What we want is some system of defence which will guard our ports against the attacks of solitary cruisers. The Russian naval force in the Pacific is not strong enough to place us in much danger of an attack from a hostile fleet. Indeed, according to Mr. Hunt, they have practically no ships of war in these waters at all. The “ Army and Navy Gazette” of February 21th says: — “In the House of Commons, in answer to Captain Pirn, who asked what precautions had been taken to guard against disaster in the Pacific, where, he asserted the Russians have a fleet of eleven corvettes, Mr. Hunt said tha it had been reported to him that on January 21th the Russians had but one corvette, two gun vessels, and three gun-boats in the Pacific. . . . In the event of British interests being threatened in any part of the world, he hoped the House would rely on the Government taking proper steps for their protection.” These words are certainly encouraging. They show that the present Cabinet are aware of their responsibilities, and arc prepared to fulfil them. But we are afraid that Mr. Hunt under-rated the strength of the Russian fleet. The Muscovite is not in the habit of throwing open his arsenals and dockyards to the inspection of the naval officers of all nations, so that we know but little of what is actually being done in the North Pacific. At any rate it would be in the highest degree foolish to allow the colony to continue undefended, if it is in our power, at a moderate cost, to render our harbours comparatively safe.

The result of the elections in Victoria must be discouraging to all those who had hoped that that colony was gradually opening her eyes to the evils of protection. The Stonewallers, as they are now called, have been returned by a considerable majority, and Sir James M'Culloch’s Cabinet has resigned. The experience of the last few years we would have thought, should have produced a different result. With New South Wales gradually undermining their commercial supremacy, with New Zealand rapidly beating them in the race of progress, we might have expected that the A ictorian electors would have questioned the wisdom of a policy which had landed them in such a position. But such has not been the case. Yet a portion

of the Melbourne press, the Anjn* i especially, is never weary of preaching the doctrine of free trade, and of comparing the position of Victoria with that of their neighbors, in a recent issue our contemporary makes the following comparison between New Zealand and Victoria: —“The correction of a mistake in the statement of the revenue of New Zealand made in ‘ Westgarth's Circular ’ has caused in that colony a comparison of the revenue of New Zealand with Victoria. And it is rather surprising to look through the details of the comparison. The revenue of Victoria for 1875 was £4,236,428, and that of Now Zealand for the same year was £2,841,953. But the population of this colony is 822,000, and that of New Zealand about 400,000, or loss than half. This being remembered we find that Customs in Victoria yielded £1,628,234 and in New Zealand£l,274,4oo; excise, which in this colony gave £32,474, in New Zealand returned £102,607; ports and harbors, £19,985 in 1 ictoria, and £18,667 in New Zealand; business licenses, £10,714 in Victoria, and £48,861 in New Zealand; posts and telegraphs, which here produce £198,325, there, with a population of less than half the number, yielded two thirds the sum, or £133,091. When we look for the great items of excess on the Victorian side wo find them accruing from railway income and land sales, in other words, from sources which are not strictly revenue at all. It is obvious that the damaging mistake made in the circular referred to has done the colony good by enabling it to put forward a statement showing how legitimate are its sources of revenue and what very large sums it derives from them. The statement goes to show a wise and skilful adjustment of burdens, and also to prove great business activity in a country which obtains so large a share from Customs and excise, ports and harbors, business licenses, and posts and telegraphs. To be active in the ways thus indicated is to work energetically, spend freely, consume largely, and enjoy to a high degree the advantages of civilised life.”