ENGLISH ITEMS.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 6, Issue 302, 31 August 1865, Page 2

ENGLISH ITEMS.

[feom ora own coheespondekt.] Yoeksuiee, June 16, 1865, Notice lias been given to the public by the postal authorities that the Australian mails had not arrived at Galle per Bombay ten days after being due, therefore we cannot expect it to arrive just yet. We generally receive the telegrams containing the princiciple items of ne>vs during the first week in each month, while the heavy portion of the mail, via Southampton, is not delivered in the country often before the 20th. On the other hand, we must post ours here for mail, via Southampton, on the 18th or 19th, while telegrams follow up to the 4th of the month ensuing;—correspondence, therefore, must be of necessity out of date. I fancy some of the New Zealand mails were missing last month, but have not seen any notice if such were the case. The eating of poor Mr Volkner’s brains, by the Opotiki natives, was the last item of news of great importance we have received from your side of the world ; and had it only have been aHadfield or a Grace over whom they had exercised their jaws, there would not have been the slightest cause to regret their repast, but of their victim, Mr Volkner, I know but very little; hut believe lie did not constitute one of their class.

I cannot say that I approve of the policy or doings of the Weld Ministry. I cannot believe that they are the men far the time. Yet I have a very high opinion of Mr Weld as a gentleman, but no faith in him as a politician Old Fitzherbert made a sad bungle of his budget, and will do the same with anything he has undertaken. Major Richardson is the only one upon whose politics I durst count, but as Postmaster-General he has the least power of the whole. Their sanctioning of the Panama contract, after Crosbie Ward had so far exceeded bis powers, was very bad work for the colony; though, in the existing state of parties with Wellington and Canterbury, holding the power and bent on carrying it out, it could not be otherwise. In Maori matters Sir G. Grey will, as usual, evidently do just as he pleases, and at the same time manage to make Weld and Co. responsible for his deeds. True, you have now got ministerial responsibility, but it is responsibility without power, and this is a vastly different thing from the responsibility that is to be desired and that is aimed at

by most politicians. It does not seem from Mr Weld’s explanations that he is aware of this difference. Southland, as it appears, has got into a mess, though it is difficult to estimate this correctly, as I have no means of judging except from a chance and probably hostile quotation. Are her railway works too heavy for her ? Perhaps they may be, but even this is better than the right royally spending of the public money, ala Fitz Gerald. Of our local affairs I have not much to say. The current month (June) has been marked in a more than usual manner by great railway accidents, resulting in serious loss of life. The Great Western bad a heavy excursion train thrown off the line with more than a dozen cases of fatal injury in Whitsun week. The South Eastern followed in the next week with a large train from Folkestone, from which even more fatal cases than that are expected to result; beside several more ordinary instances where one or two only have been killed which, being eclipsed by the heavier cases cannot be expected to attract much notice. In political matters, the near approach of the general election is causing a stir in many constituencies. Earl Russell’s son (Lord Amberly) is to go in for Leeds, and Mr Gladstone’s is to try for Chester. Mr Gladstone had been speaking a good word or two for his son to the enlightened electors of that old city. Meanwhile, his own seat (Oxford university) will be keenly contested. Should he be ousted from it, Lancashire or the West Riding will provide a borough for him. Parliament would not appear complete if he were absent. Both the great national parties appear confident of victory ; and, therefore it is impossible to predict how they will stand when the contest is over. Meanwhile, Lord Palmerston is failing; and his death, or retirement, would be a serious blow to his party, —they having no other recognised head. His name will be the best card of many a candidate at the hustings; but in all probability for the last time, as it cannot be expected that he will be in public life, even if alive, at another general election.