TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4955, 8 February 1877, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE MONTH.

i a s'? <i via :v-m a-ico / | - The quantities of gold exported from the colony for the year 1876, as compared with the export for 1875,’ are as follows ".-—From Auckland the number of ounces wa5'70,075, value £277,767; against 69,4860z5,, value £262,156 for the year 1875. Pict<sh?''4soozß>.;:;£l796 ; against 1159 ozs., £4636. Nelson, 68120z5., £26,387 ;; against 45770z5., £17,866. Westport, 21,774 mis., • £B747s:;!jagaiast:i 25,4480zy; : £93,877. Grey mouth, 68,9410z5., £275,765 ; against 89,0920z5., £357,048. , : ’Hokitika, 35,4870z5.,' £141,947; against 46,1380z5., £184,555. Duh-' edin, 108,9530z5., £435,278; against 115,442 ozs., £463,461. Invercargill, 95240za., £38,213;' against 59810z5., £24,171. Total for 1876; 322,0160z5., of the value of £1,284,326; againist 855.322 ? z5 >t - f Yalue; £1,407,;7 ; 70. for 1875. Tl}e total quantity entered for exportation from the ! colony to the 30th; r December, 1876, is stated at 8,277,31i0z5., valued at £32,269,114. j ~ .‘ATI • GTiA v- Ai. “-.-/’V:Au ) • Ip any proof .were required to show the unhealthy condition.of ithe-bity, it is to be found in the fact that during the first sixteen days of January 32jdeaths 'have been.registered as occurring in'Wellington, of which 23 have been children under the age of 12 years. The following table shows extraordinary and ordinary causes:— ■ t ‘ j Ages.. Adults.. . i Children. 28 —Phthisis,,; p Gi.A Diarrbma, .. ..12, 66—StrahgUlfttedherhla 1 A Diphtheria ■.. .. ;2 35—Heart disease Pulmonary .. .. [3 ,14—AccftUnt ■■, .. .. Typhoid, fever .. ■.. 1 '27—ehnsumptidn 1- " ■ " ‘-Dysentery .. ..52 68—Effusion on the brain Dentition .. .. j 1 65—Premature' old age t,--.Convulsions .. .. il ,45—Accident '/ ' ‘ Inanition .. --il £Utn’ ;'V ; *T' Toh d ■ •• S*.: Thus we have had more deaths in Wellington durihg the" past .fortnight, than usually occur, during a whole month. ' i • that Mr. Broomhall has’'completed the purchase of ja quantity: of laud in Auckland.-; The terms and conditions are pretty much as follows ; —The ;totsl>-area jpßircbASod!.46 j 45,700 .acres,'..fop ja sum of £22,850; that one-fifth of such total ■ajrea 0f•.45,700 acres shall; be.P.utlundgr .cultivation, oneaoreofdriinedswamp to be reckoned as equal to .two,*<H¥?;,of j;qultlvated:.j(a,udq-that sufficient land be set apart to provide for common school education for the population rto,rihe (placed" in,- trust for the purposes intended ; that Mr,.]Esroomhall shall erect not less than 150 'houses of weathe|.boards -or ; other- more permanent-, materials, l eacti house to contain ' not less" than threje rooms, to be of not less value'than £6O ; thsjt Mr,. Brpomliall shall bring, out ,aud place on theiahd 610 , adult'4mmigrahtis' : of- 1 18-years <fl age or up wardsS(t wo persona under 18 years of age to reckon as one adult immigrant); that ’as-iai guarantee, for .the due fulfirmeht. of these conditions, £11,425 shs.il bq.inyested as a de-. posit in New Zealand four and a half per cenj:., . bonds;.on - the understanding.,that the, coupoqs shall not be‘ detached • -that the purchase-; money, £22,850, be paid to the Agent-General in,Lpnddn,pp,or.befpre the 30th June, 1877, in, dieu orthe Keipriver of lyand Revenue in land on or before the Ist Feßriiary, 1877; that on receipt by the Agent-General in London of £22,850 in cash and £11,425 in New Zealand; four and a half per cent, bonds, he telegraph the Government of the receipt, when the Crowp. grant, reserving all precious metals, and con-taining-Sib l usual I’covenants 1 ’covenants tO-lay-out-roads,, shall be prepared and delivered to the manager of Ihefßanksoff.NewtZealaiid'in'Atieklahd.om the purchaser’s account. h ‘Of the } Customsrevenue past quarter, together with a comparative state-'" ment of ;the retumS'it each port during 18 7p~, and 1876, have been published for general in- -’ quarter are set'down at £294,128, as against £303,608 during the corresponding quarter of 1875.’ There was a comparative fall in’ the collections" under the ad valorem duties of nearly £10,00(|, aboui £3OOO on spirits imported, but the ex-‘ cise \ duty collected,;6n. New spirits shows •an Increase of about £2OOO. Wine and ibeer.thoffpc,' Sugafp andiothec /goods: show inCreases.! j The total revenue for the year ap-‘ IStbiLbeeii-jW» as against; £1,234,967' tor the preceding year. The com- 1 parative ireturnfffor the principal ports are:-i J

The Thames, Mongonui, Wanganui, Napiei?, yf»iraau £*“ lari V Invercargill, ana Riverton all showed der creases, in some;'j instances, such as Nelsori, very alight (say £000), and comparatively : •large,in .other.,cases,..sufli Napier,, Wan-., ganui, arid Txinaf u, between £2OOO and £3OOO. ( -ad^ ! ; mouth, doubtless owing to Uie stimulus given. to trade br and general t activity in the mining interest. Russell, Hokianga, Poverty Pay, and other small ports also show alight increases.

"It appears that the proposal of the Otagj> Convention, \a send Sir and Mi*. Macandrew to England will come to nothing.')' So runs the telegram, s and there are very fewpeople who will notmentally add "a good thing .too".—The-colony has-been, dragged through 'Mcmvv ; qui',?. l Iwsfwsk)?* ? b f u * d i ett< ?lj and telegrams being sent Home, and there is every cause forthankfulness if we are to be spared the ridiculous spectacle which the Otag9 Convention was desirous of enforcing upon üB. The present is a most convenient time for Sir George Grey,,to .retire from the business alto r gether. " 'He has fought very valiantly to save {Provincialism; and has failed .;r.the enthusiasm of his followers is fast dying out, as witness the reception 1 of .Mr. Recain Auckland lately; and

if Sir George Grey continues to fight he will stir up out of present indifference active opposition, the probable result, being more prayers that he may see the erftsa grow in the streets of Auckland. He cannot;save,the country; he had better see to preserving his own reputation as a patriot. .This may be done by a judicious retirement. As to the chieftain of Otago, he will be himself again in a shor.t time, only that instead of dabbling with provincial politics we shall: see'him giving his whole attention to the:.. amelioration of the evils of the of colonial finance." When the Convention considers the position, it should decide to return the people their money, and tell them there is to be no <", show."

We learn that of Assistant Law • Officer to the Government has been offered to and .accepted by Mr. -Edward Stafford, of the well-known firm of Moorhouse and Stafford, solicitors, of ,this city. -Mr. Stafford' was for several; years Examiner of Titles under the Land Transfer Act, for the province of . Wellington, arid; weTbelieye discharged the duties of that j office to the entire satisfaction of thelfiovernment. Indeed, this may be inferred from- the fact that some fifteen monttis ago he entered into partnership with Mr. Moorhouse, EH.B., who had been the head of the department and, brought the Act into practical operation throughout the colony. Wearesoniewhat surprised that Mr. Stafford should: prefer the at; present ill-paid office now offered him to the emoluments i>f such a large and lucrative business as that in ; which he, is'a ,nbw a'partner^'but havelittle doubt that he will soon attain professional distinction in the path he has chosen," and that I without the ceaseless labor, pare, and anxiety which make life' of a practising solicitor in a large' business one little to,' be envied. His legal acumen and knowledge of the commercial wants of community the defects in the yforklngjjpf ,OuV Taws," which, coupled with a Jdnflly genial'disposition, haye made him desetvedly popular with all 'classes of the community,*.wili render his services invaluable to the colony, arid We heartily congra-, tulate the ■ Government on having sopractically recognised and given effect to the.generally expressed desire that a professional man of experience and ability' should-receive the appointment./,; '- :.:■■ t ■•; !,'

1875. 1878. Incrse. Decree.' Auckland 1 200*40 ¥■ £ i ■ 38,422 : Wellington .. 153 641 161,980 8,317. -1 Lyttelton .. 170,732 _ 189,300 18,568 10,336' Dunedin .. 362,336' 351,990 —