The Marlborough Press. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1860.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 45, 10 November 1860, Page 2

The Marlborough Press. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1860.

Efficient postal communication is of such primary importance to any community, however small, as in most cases to engage the early attention of those on whom devolves the duty of establishing it in the first instance, and remedying any defects that may afterwards be found to exist. But in this respect the province of Marlborough is very unfortunate ; the overland post is timed without the slightest reference to the arrival or departure of the mail steamers: for instance, it leaves Nelson on the third of each month, and must necessarily return to Nelson a day or two after the steamer has taken her departure with the English and Australian mails. Again, the arrival of the steamer in Nelson usually takes place five oi- six days after the post has left on the 17th; .thus, in order to be in time for the Sydney and Melbourne mail, which leaves Nelson on the 11th instant, it was necessary to post letters on the 25th

ultimo, and the'English mail which arrived in Nelson on the 28rd ultimo, did notzeaoh this post-office until the 7th instant. The contractor for carrying the mail is in no way under the control of the local authorities, and provided he takes the mail' from the post-office at Nelson on the 3rd and l7th of each month, he appears to be bound by no stipulations whatever as to the time of hit arrival at, or departure from this province. This subject has been mooted in the Council, and commented on in our columns more than once, but notwithstanding our rapidly increasing requirements, the overland post is as inefficient and as infrequent as ever. We think there are good grounds for addressing a strong remonstrance to the Postmaster-General on the subjection support of which opinion we append a statement of letters and papers received and despatched, kindly furnished at our request by |he resident Postmaster. > The present state of affairs ip New Zealand renders it more than ordinarily the imperative duty of the Government jto give every reasonable facility for the transmission of intelligence with respect, to the* grave events, involving more or less the interests of the whole colony, which are occurring or impending in the Northern Island, mid to which many listen with anxious hearts and bated breath.. ! The following tables show the number* of Letters and Newspapers received at and despatched from the Blenheim Post Office, for the nine months ended September, 1859, and the corresponding period of I 860: 4 Lettebs and Newspatem Biceived. Letters. ***"*' V papers, v From Ist January to 30th Sep- ; tember, 1859 . . . 2505 . 4G6Q From Ist January to 30th September, 1860 . . . 2996 . 6296Lettebs and Newspafebs Despatched. Letters. Newa * papers. From Ist January to 30th September, 1859 . . . 371 . 1708 From Ist January to 30th Sep- , tember, 1860 . . . 3216 . 4430

a The plot thickens. About 800 Waikatoa have arrived, or are expected at Taranaki. The troops are between the deil and th* deep sea, and further retreat, excepting to the ships, is impracticable. What will General Pratt do in this emergency? Will he evacuate the place ? or will he, behind his defences, maintain a “ masterly inactivity ? We much fear that either course will be pursued rather than the energetio action which we firmly believe would be more consistent with true humanity than the temporising policy which has hitherto been pursued. Forbearance is construed 1 into timidity, and timidity invites further aggression. At the battle of the Sections Napoleon was supposed to have fired blank cartridges at first, in order to intimidate the insurgents. On being asked, many years afterwards, whether he really did so, he replied, “ No, it caused too great a sacrifice of life.” Our own country, too, within the memory of many of our readers, has furnished proof that when an appeal to arms becomes inevitable, prompt action is the truest humanity. On the occasion of the memorable Bristol riots the magistrates naturally shrunk from shedding blood, and the mob emboldened by impunity, proceeded to excesses which have not been equalled iu England since the Gordon riots. The consequence was that a much greater loss of life occurred, to say nothing of the destruction of property,- than would have been causedby a volley of musketry, which would have effectually suppressed the outbreak at its commencement. Similar scenes would doubtless have been repeated at Newport, but the Mayor was a man of action, and the insurrection (for such it was) was summarily put down, with little loss of life, by a single company of soldiers. Whether our rulers had it in their power to act with similar promptitude at Taranaki is a question on which we refrain for the present from expressing an opinion, but if they bad,, and they have failed to avail themselves of it, they are clearly responsible for all the disastrous consequences that might have been averted. Captain Cracroft, it is said, is removed. We presume to his ship. His notions do not appear to be in accordance with those of his military coadjutors. It is true that at ;Waireka he and his men ran fast enough, but with a blundering perversity only to be accounted for by the fact that sailors are in the habit of looking one way and moving another ; they ran in the wrong direction, and found themselves" in the pah instead of the camp, and pulled down a flag, and committed a little incendiarism, and conducted themselves generally in a most heterodox manner, after the fashion of liberty men ashore, all which of course justifies a little restraint on board ship. If Major Nelson can only be taught to temper his valour with a great deal more discretion, such escapades, may be avoided in future, to the great relief of the men of routine.

GENERAL-ASSEMBLY. In the House of 'Represtfnfatives, on the 25th of Septembery' Mr.bSeftell moved that the Native Offender^ l&ll be read that day six months.—TH&dm&biHbeing equal, Mr. Stafford withdrew'the bill.' On the 26 th,' Mr.Kellifig moved that the report of the Select- Committee on distillation be adopted.—Motion withdrawn until the report is printed. " Dr. Featherstori' moved the second reading of the Land' Revenue Appropriation Amendment Bill.—Motion carried by 21 to 13.—8i1l read a second- time, and reported without amendments'} read a third time, and passed [This bill was afterwards thrown out by the Legislative Council.] On the 9tK October/ Mr. Richmond moved that the Nelson and Marlborough Debt Apportionment Bill be read a second time. —Mr. Gillies moved that the bill be read this day six months. —For the amendment, 13; against, 19.—8i1l read a second time. On the 10th October, the report brought up by Mr. Kelling was negatived, without a division. , ' 4C;r The Militia Bill has been suffered to lapse. ' '' ;