The Globe. SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1879.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1600, 5 April 1879, Page 2

The Globe. SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1879.

The innate viciousnoss of tho subsidy system lias long- boon apparent, but it lias never boon brought into more startling prominence than it has boon lately in the County of Waimato. In this district, affairs have assumed a most curious phase. Tho County Council, for the solo purpose of extorting money from tho Consolidated Fund, aro imposing rates, when tho whole time thoir exchequer is overflowing. And they aro doing this, in direct opposition to tho very [people who have elected them. For, as tho Comity Council have determined to carry out a series of works and labour must bo obtained, it is tho farmers from whom that labour must bo abstracted. Tho latter find thoir men quite indifferent as to whether they work for thorn or not, as they can always got high wages for working for tho county. So that, as the Timnno Herald puts it, “ tho unfortunate farmers get hit on both sides of tho face at once. They have to pay tremendously heavy rates, for purposes which have tho direct effect of diminishing thoir profits or increasing thoir losses, as the case may bo. Mean- while, tho only people who gain much by tho process aro tho publicans.”

British relations with regard to Burmah are becoming somewhat strained. With two wars already on our hands it is sincerely to bo trusted f hat wo may not come to any rupture with the Burmese power. Tho news received among today’s cablegrams is, however, of grave import. A revolution has broken out, and a revolution in a country where the Monarchy is absolute means something serious. Morovor, tho Chief Commissioner of British Burmah hints that it may not altogether bo easy to protect British subjects from external violence. The Indian Government has strengthened the garrison of British Burmah, although it has decided to maintain a defensive attitude. When the present King of Burmah came to the throne it was hoped that our relations with him would remain on a cordial footing. Ho was enlightened and disposed to do away with many vexatious restrictions that had hampered foreigners in their transactions with his country. But tho possession of absolute power is a curse from which only tho greatest minds can escape. The King of Burmah has yielded himself over to that spirit of cruelty and revenge, which seems an attribute of all eastern despots. He has indiscriminately massacred all those whose presence ho considers a menace to his throne, and not only this —for such a wholesale butchery of relatives and connections is considered nothing out of tho way in these parts—hut his cruelties have extended their area. His whole kingdom is now in a disturbed condition, and its contiguity to British Burmah renders tho position of affairs serious. In case of war, however, wo have, in this instance, a fine base of operations. We possess tho sea coast and tho command of the river Irawady.

It [is to be trusted that the Banks will not, during the pi’osont commercial crisis, become quite as crazy as they have been on the other side of the water. Various stories are wafted to us from Australia of their playful peculiarities in dealing with customers. But now a Northern journal gives us a story of a certain Mr. W. James, manufacturer and importer of furniture, who has been obliged to file his schedule, not through any want of moans, but owing entirely to Bank pressure and inability to realise cash. The estate is calculated by good judges to bo able to pay some (50s in the £. The assets are stated to amount to £33,000 and the liabilities to £9OOO.

It is a very comfortable affair that of being a Now Zealand Minister in these days. The present Executive travel in gorgeous ’state. They order out the Government steamers on the slightest occasion, and think no more of running a “ special ” than they would of hiring a carriage and pair. Sir George Grey lately had the Hiuoraoa comfortably moored off Kawau, so that, whenever ho wished to turn a first sod or perform any other great national work, he might stop on board at once. How different all this from what takes place in England. From Portsmouth we hoar that the Admiralty have ordered two alpaca waterproofs, of the most approved cut and principals, to bo supplied to the Admiral’s yacht Fire Queen, for use by Cabinet Ministers when embarking and disembarking on visits to Her Majesty at Osborne. These waterproofs are to bo used by Cabinet Ministers and by nobody else. What splendid economy ! How Sir Goorgo with steamers and “ specials,” and, doubt loss, countless ministerial waterproofs, must sneer at the English Cabinet.