The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1872.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 169, 17 July 1872, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1872.

The speech of the Governor at the opening of the Assembly, which -we received by telegraph^ yesterday, possesses at least one merit — brevity. That this should form its most distinguishing feature, is perhaps, not altogether desirable, nor was it expected that tbe published programme of so important a session as it is anticipated ' the present one will prove to be, would be so extremely curt aud indefinite,*but we must learn to be thankful for small mercies, and since his Excellency's advisers had clearly determined to say nothing, they are deserving of our gratitude for having put that nothing into so few words. To the typhus fever which attacked tbe Prince of Wales, and to the smallpox which at the present time threatens New Zealand, tlie framers of the speech are indebted for furnishing them with themes upon which to base the leading paragraphs in the retrospect of the past ? and the programme for the coming, year. Native affairs, as might have been expected, occupy a prominent place in what we may presume is to be looked upon as a sketch of all such events as are considered worthy of mention that have occurred since last session^ and his Excellency is able to give a satisfactory account of his recent tour through districts " not long . §iric&& This is a

B uljecfc that will probably be dwelt upon at greater length in his dispatches to the Secretary of State, which, if equal to those in which he has described some of his previous travels, will prove very excellent reading. Iv the meantime we feel, bound to say that considerable praise is due to Mr. Maclean for his management of the Native department, to which, taken in connection with the severe lessous the Maoris received at the hands of the previous Government, is due the tranquility that now prevails. A very brief allusion is made to public works, with regard to which we are merely told, what we knew before, that a few contracts have been entered into, and that surveys of other lines are being proceeded with. Fuller information on this all important matter will probably be extracted from Ministers before ihe session is a fortnight old, and we shall then be in a better position to judge of the manner in which they have performed their executive functions under the Public Works Act. Of: the measures we ore told are to be introduced, that which will be viewed with the greatest aatisfaction here is the proposed amendment in the Stamp Act, whereby a reduction is lo be effected in the present duty upon receipts. Ever since it was first passed this tax: has been looked upon as a most obnoxious one, aud it has been evaded in every possible way. We shall be curious to learn how it has worked, and whether the result bus been to increase or decrease tha amount of revenue received under this head, us compared with that derived previous to the additional duty bring imposed. One other proposed change we are glad to notice, namely, the reduction of the postage on newspapers published within the colony. Tbis will prove a great boon, not only to newspaper proprietors, but also, and in a greater degree, to xhe public at large, many of whom are debarred from keeping themselves acquainted with passing events by a tax which is in many instances equivalent to the first cost of the journal to which they would subscribe. We should be still better pleased to see an amendment to the effect that the word "abolition" be substituted for "reduction" of the postage. It is proposed to swell the Statute Book by the introduction of several other Bills of more or less importance, but no allusion is made to certain measures to which we fully expected a place would have been accorded in the opening speech. What has become of the Education Act ? Is that to be suffered to drop, or is it deemed unworthy of notice ? Great constitutional changes were hinted afc last session, but to these no reference whatever is to be found. We should have ! liked to bear a little something about Mr. Vogel's chef oVozuvre, the San Francisco mafl contract, and whether it is still proposed, after the falling through of the "highly satisfactory partnership arrangement between Victoria aDd New Zealand," to consider ourselves bound by an agreement which is broken regularly once a month by the contracting party on the oto side. This, however, was probably considered a very delicate subject, and odb which, after the extremely disagreeable remarks that., id pot the most refined language, had been made about it iv the American Congress, would scarcely form a fitting topic to be introduced into the speech with which her Majesty's representative was to open the New Zealand Parliament. It may be that all, matters of more than ordinary importance are reserved for the Financial Statement, it not being deemed desirable to throw down a bone of contention so early in the session, and if so the Opposition will most probably take the speech for what it is worth, and allow it to pass without remark; indeed, almost the only criticism to which it is open is that it contains nothing. The last paragraph may certaioly be looked upon as suggestive, but nothing more. " These and other measures which may be brought before you," &cA We are very much inclined to think that the " other measures " will prove of far greater importance than " these."

have been postponed on account of the unfavorable state of the weather until Thursday and Friday evenings. A morning performance will also be given on Saturday. Magistrates' Court. — At the weekly meeting of Justices this morning, Charles Walker was charged by James Wilfred MarsdeD, of Stoke, with usiDg abusive and insulting language to him on the public thoroughfare. Defendant was fioed £l and costs, £1 Bs. 6d. — Several other cases of minor importance were heard. The Weather. — It is a very long time since we experienced such rough treatment lit the hands of the clerk of the weather as that to which we were exposed last night, when it blew a tremendous gale (tremendous, that is, for Nelson) and the raio fell iv torrents. There was so heavy a sweli ou the bar that the Albion, which just missed the morning's tide, was unable to enter the harbor in the afternoon, and she has now been lying outside for 36 hours, but will probably pet in about 5 o'clock this afternoon. The mails, including that via Suez, were uuable to .be lauded until this morning, when they arrived at the Post Office at 11 o'clock. The wind and rain appear to have been general throughout New Zealand, and at Blenheim, we are informed by telegraph, the rivers are very high. We learn from Captain Clouston that the total rainfall of yesterday and to-day is 7.14 inches.