NEW ZEALAND.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2514, 28 April 1882, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

I~FBB PBESB ASSOCIATION. 1 AUCKLAND, April 27. The Maori KingTawhaio drove the first pile of the new Waipa bridge yesterday. There was little ceremony, and 300, mostly Natives, were present. An Example to ChristchurchThe Coffee Palace Company have adopted new plans prepared by Reals and Sons, aichitects, for the coffee palace. The cost is about £IO,OOO or £12,000. Tenders are to bo called for immediately. Sudden Death. George Aicken, oivil engineer, dropped dead at his residence at Epsom from heart disease. The Persecuted Jews. The Mayor is being requisitioned to convene a public meeting to express sympathy with the persecuted Jews in Russia. The Supposed Browned Man. Search parties are looking for the body of Dr. Kohl, drowned at the Waiuku. Shorter Hours. The Early Closing Association is widening its basis of union to include other classes of tradespeople than draper*' assistants. WANGANUI. April 27. Crime. At the Supreme Court to-day Xaraepe te Puke and Wm. Dodds, charged with forgery and uttering, were found guilty. Sentence deferred till to-morrow. WELLING/TON, April 27. A Gale. A heavy N. W. gale prevailed all day accompanied with torrents of rain, and still continues with unabated fury. As yet no damage is reported. The Premier. The Hon. F. Whitaker has been appointed to summon the Executive Council and preside during hia Excellency's absenoe. Appointment. Major Atkinson has been appointed Minister in charge of the Marine Department. TIMARD, April 27. Crime. A man named Mark Bishop was committed for trial to-day on a charge of rape on a girl eight years of ago. Racing. The following amounts were paid over the races to-night:—Hon. G. McLean, £47 10s ; Mr M. Studholme, £lO4 lOj ; Mr W. P. Lance, £266; Mr D. O'Brien, £IOB 6s ; Mr G. Frazer, £47 10s ; Mr O. W. Bourne, £2B 10j ; Mr Walters, £142 10s ; Mr M. Sherwin, £66 10« ; Mr J. Pilbrow, £9 10i ; Mr A. Muadell, £3B ; Mr P. Butler, £2B la. DUNEDIN, April 27. A Local GeniusA local electrician claims to have effected a great improvement in the transmission of telephonic communication. The instrument is a combination of the principal features of the Crosaley and Gower Bell microphone transmitters. Value of Land at Taieri A farm of 100 acres in the Taieri district was sold to-day at auction for £25 an acre. A Preternatural Ear. A gentleman resident at Blueskin, thirteen miles from Dunedin, distinctly heard the city fire bell at 7.30 a.m. yesterday, and was able to count the clangs by which the waTd was indicated. Harbour Improvements. The Engineer to the Harbor Board reports with regard to the new dredge that so far she has only attained about one-half her estimated lifting power, namely, about 180 tons per hour. The new moorings have notr arrived, and she will probably make her first trial on the bar next week. Consequent upon the finances of the Harbur Board \ having run out, the engineer has been asked to furnish an estimate for the moaifiI cation of the Harbor works upon the original proposals. At a meeting to-day be brought ; up hia report, which is to tbo following effect: ' Xhat for a total sum of £160,000 the main channel from Port Chalmers to Dunedin can ' be completed to|a bottom width of 150 ft, with , a depth of 18ft. That 2200 it of wharfage at Dunedin can be constructed. The works oommittee of the Board reommend that a ' modified scheme should be taken. The time to be oocupied would be two and a half years, ' and the estimate includes the cost of dredg ing the bar. The original estimate was based • uoon dredging the channel to a width of 300 ft.

[fbosi the "press"] WAIAU, April 27. An important ease has been progressing all day before O. Whitofocrd, Esq., R.M., regarding the right of the publio to a road upnu the Leslie Hills estate. Great interest is taken in it by the whole district. When tho evidence for the plaintiff had been concluded, Mr Holmes (rho appeared for Mr Butherford, owner of Leslie Hille) raised the question of want of jurisdiction, owing to tho question of title beiDg involved. The case will be concluded, if possible, to-night. The Waiau bridge, spanning the river thirty-nine chains, is to be begun by Messrs Hill and Thomas in a fortnight. A epeaial excursion by coach from the Waikari to the plape where the first pile will be driven is being arranged for.

MR SAUNDERS* SPBECS AT FLEMINQTON. Mr Alfred Saunders, one of the candidates for the vacant seat in the Wakanui electoral district, addressed a meeting in the Flemington schoolroom on Wednesday evening. There were between fifty and sixty electors present, and Mr 0. Williamson was voted to the chair. Mr Saunders, who spoke for an hour and a half, oommenced his address by mentioning that Bince last speaking in the district & change had taken plaoe in the Government of the colony—a change that was very deeply to be deplored by the colony generally, but more especially by the people of Canterbury. The Hall Government without Mr Hall was like an aroh without its keystone. He had been the day and night worker, and had been most assiduous and unflinching in carrying out thoee large economies which were the glory of the Ministry. The thorough manner in which he went to the root and bottom of everything he undertook had raised the colony more than anyone would ever know. But Mr Hall undertook such an amount of work that no head could possibly stand, however strong, and he (the speaker) hoped that a period of rest would restore the late Premier to health. H:s vast duties could never have been pleasant to him, as, like Sir Robert Feel with the repeal of the corn laws, he had undertaken reforms that he did not himself believe in rather than leave the Government in the hands of reckless men that no one could believe in, and who had brought the colony so near to financial i»ln—men who had only dangled reform measures before the eyes of the electors to keep themselves in positions for whioh they were utterly untrustworthy, Mr Saunders then went on to show that the Hall Government wag the only Government that tad really effected any retrenchment in the civil service, and had effected its eoonomies mainly through the commissioners they had appointed. The cost of the Civil Service Commissioners was nothing compared to the saving it had effected, and no man could expect a Government -to do with less outside assistance than Mr Hall hadjsought. His mistake had been in seeking too little assistance from others, and undertaking to do far too much himself. But muoh as had been done in the way of economy, there was still a groat deal to do if the colony wished to pay its way. The reckless polioy of Sir Julius Vogel was called the Public Works and Immigration Policy, but it should have been called the Anti-Public Works and Immigration policy, as it would now stop both in a manner they never should have been stopped, and never would under more prudent and far-seeing management. It was a common belief that tho colony owed a large portion of its present population to the immigration introduced by borrowed money, but he (the speaker) believed the population of New Zealand would at the time have been greater if they had never borrowed a penny. In the three years between March, 1878, aud April, 1881,117,244 persons had come to the colony unassisted, whilst only 17,243 had either been wholly or partially paid for by borrowed money. In the same period there were 50,011 births, making a total increase of 192,498, of which the Government immigrants formed less than an eleventh part. Against this 100,000 had emigrated and 17,308 had died, leaving an increase in the three years of 75,190. Therefore, but a very small portion of the increase in population could bs attributed to the unnatural forcing system, and it was highly probable that, with less debt and taxation to frighten people from coming or staying here, our population: would have been much larger than it now is. Speaking more locally and referring to his present candidature, Mr Saunders said it was the practice of many candidates to start by telling their constituents what they intended to do for the district if sent up to the House of Representatives, He, however, should not do that, as he thought great mistakes were made by a member confining himself to continually advocating the claims of any particular district to have a road made here, a bridga constructed there, and so on. Such men no doubt were good men, but what was wanted in the House was men of large experience and those who could make their influence felt not only on looal requirements, but also on the great public and vital questions of the day, and men who had the welfare of the colony generally at heart, as well as that cf their own particular districts. Neither were men wanted who as soon as elected expended the greater portion of their political career in endeavoring to serve their own purpose and secure their own personal advancement. Tiie speaker then briefly referred to his political career in Nelson many years ago, and read extracts of letters written by som j of his strongest opponents at that time. He was prepared, he said, to address the Wakanui electors every night in the week if they chose to come and listen to him, but he did not intend to ask any man privately to vote for him. If they thought he was a fit man to represent the district, he would ask them publicly to giva him their support. With regard to the Upper House he would be prepared to support a measure to make the members an eleotive body, and he thought it was high time to do away with the power a Government now possessed of using the seats in the Upper House as a means of rewarding their own particular friends. The speaker here instanced the memorable occasion on which Sir Geo. Grey appointed nine of his friends to seats in the Legislative Council in one year. He (the speaker) then referred to the necessity of some alteration being made in the Qualification of Electors Aot, and finally brought his speech to a cloEe by giving his his views on the present educational system, urging that whatever else had to be given tip each child should have the means of acquiring a liberal education, as the country had nothiag to foar more than the possibility of its ever being governed by ignorant men. Replying to a question from an eleotor as to what was to become of the laboring man if the Government ceased borrowing money, Mr Saunders repeated that the system of borrowing was disastrous, and reminded the questioner that when a man commenced to live on borrowed money he, as a rule, came to grief. Replying to further questions, Mr Saunders said he was of opinion that the present railway tariff was unsatisfactory, but he was not prepared to go fully into the subject, as he was not well acquainted with the details of that department. At present everything Eeemed to be left in the hands of Mr Maxwell, and the appointment of a thoroughly good Minister of Publio Works was desirable. The present arrangements cf the Government were unsatisfactory, and he did not think it would last long after the House met. If Mr Hell had undertaken and done less work he would have lasted longer, and without him at the head of affairs things were likely to go wrong. Mr Whitakei was not a popular roan, and was not likely to give satisfaction for any length of time. He was connected with large land speculations, and should not have baen chosen as tho head of th.- ; Government. Mr John Bryce wbs much more able and popular, and better fitted in every respect to be at the head of affairs, and the Q-overnor would have done far better if he bad or trusted the formation of the Ministry to Mr Bryce instead of Mr Whitaker. After the candidate Lad replied to further questions, Mr Evans moved—" That a hearty vote of thanks be tendered to Mr Saunders for his able and instructive address." An amendment was moved that a vote of thanks and confidence be accorded, but it was subsequently withdrawn, and the original motion wa» put and oarried unanimously. Tho meeting was a most orderly one, and Mr Saunders was listened too with deep attention throughout.