ENGLISH ITEMS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1274, 7 May 1880, Page 2

ENGLISH ITEMS.

The following interesting items have been telegraphed to the Dunedin §t^r Organisations on a large scale are being formed both in Elngland and Scotland to aid the emigration of farmers and to supply them with information " where to go." It is advertised as from arithmetic channels. As to the farmers, Punch says, " Last year they lived on faith; this year they are living on hope ; and next year they will live on charity." The election speeches of the great political leaders contain many allusions to the Colonies, Mr. Gladstone and Lord Hartington declaring that the best way of maintaining the loyalty of the Colonies was by giving them the freest constitutions and making them feel bound by a voluntary tie which England was proud to preserve, and to do all it can to help them in time of danger, and to defend them with all the force of the British Empire in time of war. Lord Granville declared that the bond between England and the | Colonies was one based on a common ; interest and common feeling whioh they I would never attempt to hold by force if the Coloniea themselves wished to relax that bond. Pursuing that policy had strengthened the good feeling existing with the Colonies. He added, with regard to New Zealand, "It was my duty to carry into effect, contrary to violent opposition on the part of the Colonial Government, the policy which had been announced by the Duke of Buckinghanij when my predecessor, but whioh he had failed to carry into effect. Jt not a pleasant matter to be attacked in and out of Parliament by competent persons' telling one that what I was doing would have, the effect of ruining New Zealand and of separating it from the Mother Country. *Bnt I persisted, and my colleagues persisted, because we knew we were right. What has been the result ? That since the creation of the Colony of New Zealand there has never- been such a period of order, peace, prosperity, and goodwill towards the Mother Country as now. i

Sir Julius Vogel, in his address to the electors of Falmouth, referred to his success in the Parliament of New Zealand, to having led that Parliament for a long period, and only retired from the Government of that Colony after seven years, af office on account o.f ill-health, He accounted for his preference for the Conservative interest by charging the Liberals with disintegrating the Colonies, which he considered against the interests of the nation. The following squib was circulated during the election :—" 1. Are you one of three or four land speculators who stand to make 80,000 by the sale of huge rabbit warrens to Englishmen through the agency of the New Zealand Agricultnral Company i 2. Have you .not received absolute instruction from the New Zealand Government to clear out of the Company forthwith ? 3- Aye you not aware that your jnere election move of substituting Ealmoqth fox Plymouth for the calling of outward-hound emigrant ships is universally laughed at in New Zealand. 4- What guarantee do you give us that then if we swallow the bait any real advantage will accrue to us after you have seoured your end—a seat in the English Parliament 1 5. Is it not the fact that your candidature is strongly condemned by the New Zealand Government 1 6. Is it not consequently tolerably certain that if we are foolish enough to sell you our votes for some imaginary advantage that in reality you are without the power to give it, and that we shall find ourselves at once both bought and sold? 7. Under all the circumstances, would not the constituency which distinguished jtself by sending a brother speculator, '■ Baron' Grant, to, Parliament be a wore suitable one for your particular

genius to operate upon t Men of Falmouth, beware of this astute Hebrew." At the first general meeting of the New Zealand Agricultural Company Sir Julius Vogel presided. In moving the adoption of the report he said the net profits up to July 31 ill the Colony and to October 31 in England amounted to L 54,851. After deducting various amounts set forth in the profit and loss account, including the interim dividend already paid, there remained L 12,952. They proposed to place L3OOO to the reserve fund account and pay a dividend of 2s 6d per share on L 7 10s paid up, of which, including the demand on the vendors' shares, would, amount to L 7384, and to carry forward the balance of L 2594. They had recovered from the vendors L 5030 aa compensation for the short lambing season of 1878, which had not been determined until some time after it aroße. Tho directory proposed to be able to pay regularly half-yearly dividends. The value of wool had risen all round about 40 per cent., and the present clip was reported good. The railway was not quite completed, but it would be finished in May* and would greatly benefit the company. The chairman, in reply to a question, said the company had insured nearly 12,600 shares; 4000 more were required to bo sold to obtain a quotation on the Stock Exchange. They proposed giving the shareholders and! others an opportunity of taking them up. The amount paid to the vendors up to the present time waa L120,000—L350,000 in shares. Tho report was unanimously adopted.