THE WAR AND THE COLONIES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 859, 5 November 1870, Page 2

THE WAR AND THE COLONIES.

Referring to the war in Europe, and the great interest taken in the struggle by the German and French residents of Queensland, the Brisbane Courier, 3rd Oct., says:—The interest in the war taken by the colonists of British birth or descent is none the less because it has not been displayed at public meetings. When the mails via Califoruia or Suez arrive at Sydney or Adelaide, a signal is immediately hoisted at the Brisbane Observatory. On the last two occasions there has been a great ami excited concourse of people wailing for the issue of the Extraordinaries which we published shortly afterwards, of telegraphic intelligence in anticipation of the arrival of the mails at Brisbane. Should Great Britain unhappily be into the war —and in these times it is impossible to tell what will or will no' take place —we can do little or nothing to help the mother cquntry beyond once more subscribing to a patriotic Fund. The possibility of this colony becoming subject to' the hostile attack of a cruiser that may be in these seas, should the mother country engage in war, has not, we believe, been lost sight of by the Government. The war news has also had the effect of increasing the number of volunteers at the metropolis ; and although the drills are more frequent than they have been before, the attendance in proportion tQ those enrolled is large. New volunteer corps lave been established at South Brisbane, Warwick, and Maryborough; another is in course of. formation at Dalby, and the Rockhampton corps is again being reorganised. The Governor has accepted the oifers of services made by volunteers, but has explained that he has no funds available, until granted to him for that purpose. Unfortunately tbere will be no meeting of Parliament until the middle of November, when the squatting supporters of Government will have had their sheepshearing operations well started, or nearly over ; and so any provision for the volunteer service will have to meet the fate of other demands upon Government, of more or less importance, and he deferred until the time when the Ministry can depend upon having the suppoit of all their friends.