English and foreign Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 799, 27 June 1870, Page 3

English and foreign Items.

THE ANGLO-AUSTRALIAN in LONDON, [From the European Mail, 22nd April.] The Easter holidays have made a complete break in politics and business generally this month, and it would require orators of much more powerful calibre than even Messrs Youl, Sewell, and Blaine to arouse the public at this moment into any demonstra ive interest in colonial questions. The New Zealand Commissioners are still staying at the Ctiaring Cross Hotel, but have not made any particular stir recently in the special objects of their mission. They are however, quietly working in the interests of the colony, and the effects of their visit hero will prove, I believe, of great benefit to it, both directly and indirectly. Dr. Featherston has recovered from the temporary illness from'which he has lately been suffering, and intends, I understand, pro* ceeding on a visit to the Continent abou t July. He was some time ago elected an honorary member of the .Lieform Club. The Commissioners have applied to the Grovernment to guarantee a New Zealand loan for emigration purposes, and the question is now before the Cabinet, but there is little probability of its being favorably entertained.

There is not much confidence in the new line of steamers just started between Sjdney and San Francisco, as, amongst other objections, they are considered too small. If the company that propose to adopt a through route via Milford Haven and Portland can fairly get on their legs, they will have a capital field and eycry chance of success,

| The commission seat out to Australia in 'connection with the suit of Sir, Roger Doughty Tiehborne has returned, and the case is now only waiting for the Court of. Probate to fix a day for hearing in the ensuing Term. Sir Roger is at present re siding at Harley Lodge, Brompton,

Colonial topics have not' much occupied the attention of Parliament during the past month. On March 29 Mr Torrens pressed for the speedy prdduction of the Government correspondence with New Zealand. Mr W. H. Smith put a question to the Postmaster General on March 31, relative to the alteration —which has raised so much justifiable outcry—in the rate of colonial newspaper postage; and elicited the unsatisfactory reply that no ameliorof the new rates could be looked fo'\ The Government has just agreed to reduce the postage upon newspapers circulating here to a half-penny, and it seems hard that the colonists should have to suffer by being called upon to make up for this decreased charge by an oppressive extra payment on their part. It is difficult to understand such policy, and it is to be hoped that some active member of the House of Commons will take the matter up. I need soarcely say that the difficulty occasioned to the proprietors of the European Mail, amongst others, by the abrupt enforcemeut of the postal warrant in question, has been of no trifling character, but they have not. been daunted by it, and will, doubtless, to use a vulgarism, " tumble upon their legs." On April 11 the subject of the deportation of natives in the South Seas cropped up in Parliament, and Mr Childers' assurances that proper measures had been taken to regulate it, hardly seemed to satisfy a good many hon. members. Sit* Charles Dilke moved on April 11 " lor a return of the cost of the several colonies of the British Empire, in continuation of Parliamentary! Paper No. 80, of the present session." Prom the latter paper it appears that last year Western Au-tralia cost £78,984 ; South Australia, £1,975 ; Queensland, £3OO ; Victoria, £0'5,707 ; JSew South Wales £3,763; Tasmania, £35,118; and New Zealand, £173,255. A motion by Mr Tor rens stands first for discussion on the second day after the Easter-recess. He proposes "to call the attention of the House to the political relations subsisting between this country and the self-governing colonies ; and to move for a select committee to inquire into the political relations and modes of official intercourse between the self-governing colonies and this country, and to report whether any, or what, modifications may be desirable, with a view to the maintenance of a common nationality, cemented by cordial good understanding." Well might Mr Adderley ask Mr Torrens to explain somewhat more definitely what were the relations he proposed to discuss; and the response that it would require a long speech even to lay down the premises of the argument gives one a foreboding of the kind of debate the mover will probably inaugurate. " Vox etprcßterea nihil" may be applied to similar recent discussions out of doors, and it is only to be hoped that the fears that are entertained by a good many of a wordy and futile debate on Mr Torrens' motion, partly a 3 a consequence of its indefinite wording, may be disappointed. I was present in the House of Commons at the debate on Mr Taylor's motion for the payment of members ; and Victoria was brought forward as favoring the proposal being evident, as in the Report of the Victorian Commission on the subjeot. Lord Bury, the President of the Royal Colonial Institute, made a speech on the occasion which was- somewhat impatiently received, as it travelled wide of the question, and seemed principally made up of scraps of adventure culled from the note book of a colonial tour made by his lordship, who, whatever parliamentary success he may hereafter achieve, is certainly no orator. Mr M'Cullagh Torrens has also given notice of a motion to the effect " that a humble address be presented to her Majesty praying that she would graciously direct measures to be taken to provide intending emigrants with passages at such a cheap and uniform rate of charges as might be approved by competent authorities in case they might be disposed to go to the British colonies." This may give opportunity for some aspiring members of the House of Commons to air their eloquence on the rights of the working classes, but it is not likely to be seriously entertained by the Government, for it savors too much of advocating in an indirect form State aid to emigration, the policy of which has already been repudiated by Parliament. The other evening Mr Monsell, Under-Secretary, in

reply to Mr Macfie, stated that a circular had been sent to Western Australia, Tas* mania, and New Zealand, in order to learn what arrangements could be made and given effect to for promoting the occupa fcion of waste lands by agriculturists and artisans from the United Kingdom. In the speech on the Budget Mr Lowe made special allusion to the success which has recently attended sugar cultivation in Australia, which he thought would soon be in ( a position to send a regular supply of the article to the home market.

The woo l sales commeneed on April 7. The attendance of buyers has been very) numerous, and prices have been maintained firmly at about the closing rates of the last series. At the sale rooms on April 8 more than a hundred of the buyers stated that if the brokerage were not struck off they would discontinue to attend the sales. They then and there left the room, and did not return that day. Mr Schwartze proceeded with the sale notwithstanding their absence, and it is reported that prices did not suffer in consequence. Subsequeutiy the brokers conferred again on the subject, and determined not to yield the half per cent, charge which is borne by t:i*3 buyer. On April 9,-Mr Edenborough being the selling broker, the attendance was marked by the reappearance of the firms which had seceded on the previous day, the temporary " strike," so to speak, having come to an end. Since then there has been no renewed agitation, but it is evident that the question of brokerage is in a most unsatisfactory position, and that something must be done to adjust the differences. In regard to the vexed subjeot of New Zealand flax, I am sorry to say there is at present absolutely nothing doing in it whatever. It behoves growers to sound the market very cautiously if they would not be disappointed. The second of the periodical sales of Australian meats, under the direction of Mr Tallerman, took place, on April 5, at the Hop and Malt Exchange. The attendance was numerous, but the biidings, probably in consequence of its being Lent, were not very active. There was, however, apirited competition for some new importations of sugar-cured mutton hams, and Liebig's extract. Another sale is announced to take place at Liverpool on April 26, With the disappearance of cold weather, the demand for Mr Tallerman's stews and soups naturally dwindled away ; and ho is consequently substituting for them brawn and spiced mutton, &0., which make capital summer dishes. It is impos siblo to praise too much the energy and courage which he brings to his self-imposed mission of introducing Australian meat into ; general use here; and although he may not obtain all the success he anticipates he is nevertheless in the meanwhile rendering a great service in his generation to this country as well as to the colonies.

At the Royal Colonial Institute, on the 4th April, a paper was read by Mr H. E. Montgomerie, on the "Relations of the Colonies to the Parent State." Amongst the speakers were Messrs Westgarth, Youl, and Wilson, but no new light was thrown on the subject, the discussion being merely a resume of the old platitudes so often before heard in similar dilettante debates.

I proceed to string together, iu a desul - tory manlier, a few personal and miscellaneous items. Mr Gr. Verdon is a candidate for the fellowship of the Royal Society. Mr John Douglas has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. At the boat race between Oxford and Cambridge I noticed numerous Australians, Mr Connor, of South Australia, passed rae driving " unicorn" along Barnes Road. Another South Australian, Mr Francis Dutton, met with rather an unpleasant adventure on the occasion, having his pocket picked of his gold watch. I noticed a representative of Queensland amongst the spectators near Barnes in the person of Mr Sydney Dick, Melbourne. Mr Strachan, of the Cambridge boat, is claimed as a "Victorian.

There has been recently oirculafced amongst members of Parliament and others a copy of the latest correspondence between the South Australian Agent*G-eneral, and the manager of the Bank of South Austra lia, but I have no space to dilate upon it, and it appears merely a continuation of the discussion of the old differences. Some portions of it however, are highly diverting and amusing, and the whole leaves a strong impression on the mind of an unbiassed reader that the South Australian Grovernment have treated the Bank very scurvily, and in a manner altogether un worthy of a groq,t colony,