The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1880.

Patea Mail, Volume V, Issue 497, 6 March 1880, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays.) SATURDAY, MARCH 6, 1880.

Tur: news from Victoria is of a startling and instructive character. The Berry Government, that lias made such a noise in the world, has drawn all eyes to Victoria as to a hotbed of rampant democracy, and that prided itself on living the people’s Government, lias sustained a crushing defeat in its appeal to the electors. Tho d.-feal is complete and final, apparently rendering all attempts at bribery and corruption vain and hopeless. The Liberals of Victoria will now become disorganised and broken, will quarrel among themselves, seek new leaders, and scramble for the favor ot the victors, li is probable that for years to come Mr Berry will have to hide bis diminished iiead, and lie the chief of a party of one, that the more moderate portions of bis policy will be earned out by his opponents under a new name, that most of his colleagues have seen the last ol their official ami Parliamentary days, and that be will be remembered chiefly lor the faults that will live after him. We can imagine the wild joy of the late Opposition, who for years past have struggled (or dear life against Air Berry and Ids devoted followers. After a long period of political nothingness, to he suddenly placed tn the seat of power from which the tyrant has been dragged down, is probably inure than the most ardent hoped. There is no doubt that Mr Berry was an example of that high-handed and intolerant democracy that is always found Lading, in the name of liberty, in times of popular agiiatiou. Some of the most hideous tyrants of history have been the men ulio claimed to be putting down tyranny and absolute power. When Mr Berry could not get the Upper House to ! I , . ! i.-ivi n;y_ t.lixi /W ■ the colony, which had attached to it a Supply Bill, he did not try to get the Supply passed in any other way, but at once prepared to do without Supply, and for that purpose, discharged all magistrates, postal and telegraph officers, and the like luxuries, bringing about Black Wednesday. Not only did he subject tho colony to this frightful state of anarchy, but also threatened to throw op"ii prisons and asylums ! Ail that for Liberty ! When' he was about to start on his famous Embassy to England, the proprietor ot the Melbourne Punch got up an opposition Embassy, consisting ot an oily negro, who. it was reported, was to go to Europe in the same vessel as Berry. The Victorian Brenner condescended to stipulate with the company that they should not carry any son of Earn answering to the description of fienderson Afrieauns. The tyrannical littleness ot tho fallen Premier was strikingly, and most unwisely displayed a tew weeks ago in the city of Melbourne. A burlesque called “ Happy Land,” in which tho Berry party were considerably ridrnled, was announced for one of tho leading theatres in the city, hut the Liberal leader forbade the performance, and threatened to cancel tho license of the theatre. Even when the management tried to come to terms, by cutting out the obnoxious parts of the squib, MiBerry was inexorable. This kind ot Liberal tyranny cannot have a long run in a free country. Melbourne, representing a fourth of the population of Victoria, did not return a single supporter of Berryism. in the contest that is just over. Wo do not mean to say that this fact is to bo wholly accounted for by the potty tyrannies to which Air Bern stooped, though they were among the strong point? against him in tho popular mind. Mr Berry, like bir George Grey, had come to power in comparatively prosperous times, and remained in possession of the reins cf Government until in tho natural course of events, very hard Limes set in. This was Air Berry’s misfortune, not his fault; but in a country where manhood suffrage obtains, tho Ministry are liable to In; blamed almost for had weather and for anything else that goes wrong, and high class journals, like the Australasian, are not above feeding the popular lury. \Ve do not regard Mr Berry’s deleat as the end of Liberalism in Victoria., or as any indication that that country is henceforth to ho Conservative in its institutions and instincts. There was Liberalism before there was Berryism, as there was Liberalism before there was Greyism, and there will he Liberalism of the truest and highest type after both Berryism and Greyism are forgotten. But nations, like the individuals of whom they ear made up, are-unstable of purpose, and do what they do, in tho main, by spurts. The advance of Liberalism, all over the world, is like the waves of the incoming

tide*., There is no stonily - mu! constant advance, but a series of w.lcl rushes forward, separated From one another by wild rushes backward. The advance movement is, however, always longer than tiie retrograde movement, and so, as Macaulay says, although single waves may recede, the tide is undoubtedly coming in. All history illustrates to ns that Liberalism progresses by a long continued series of efforts, and that great advances are followed by great retrogressions as the highest tide is followed by the lowest ebb. The Reign of tho Saints was followed by the reign of the flesh in the person of Charles If. The swooping reforms of Mr Gladstone’s Government were followed by the tremendous overthrow of 1874, which, for a time, took away the great orator’s breath, ami led to his bemg described by his triumphant rival as one of a row of extinct volcanoes, 1 hough of late he has broken out again like Vesuvius in the last days of Pompeii. In Prance the wild anarchy of the Revolution was followed by tho despotism of Napoleon, as the second .Republic speedily gave way to the second Empire, in Germany the troubles of 1848, when tho King was made to take off his hat in the presence of the dead slain in tho street-tight between tho troops and tho pooulaee, was followed by the growth of the dark tyranny of blood and iron. But all these Conservative reactions wid in time bo followed by the advance of Liberalism on a truer and firmer basis. Liberalism is one of the pupils of adversity, and is too apt to forget its lesson, anil nm a muck when long out of school. It must therefore be sent back to the old wisdom mill over and anon to learn, not what a Minister drunk with power wants, but what mankind wants, and having learned the lesson it comes forth with power enough to do the thing wherennto it is sent, and no more. The world has not yet come to the stage of development in which Liberalism can rule generation after generation as the sole representative party of mankind. The tendency of Liberalism, as we know it, is to become itself conservative by absorbing into itself tho power and love of authority which it snatches from others, it is, therefore, one of the wise arrangements of this universe that Liberalism should not ho the piston rod of the machine of government, but rather a mere regulator which asserts itself upon occasion.

Mr \V. M. 'l'homson will hold a sale of stock, &c., at liawera, to-day. Owing to Mr Dale’s accident, the sale adveitised for to-day has been postponed.

Mr Coker, piano tuner for Messrs King and Collier, of Wanganui, is now in Carlyle.

Land in the Ngaire District, Alountain Road, will lie open for selection on deferred l'<i i iijv.ii(i ric i lie Oi oo ii Cj.ii ul O ill w Plymouth, and (he District Land Cilice, Carlyle, on Monday next. See advertisement in first page.

Mr F. McGuire has resigned his seat in the County Council, and it will be necessary for the Hawera electors to look about for a suitable person to fill his place.

No objections wore lodged against tho Carlyle Town Board and Patea East Road Board valuation lists.

A public meeting was held at the Albion Hotel on Wednesday evening, for the purpose of ascertaining what could he dune in the way of assisting the blind man Hudson on his arrival in England, tho Government having agreed to pay his passage homo. A committee was formed for the purpose of getting up an entertainment, to come off in about Jive weeks.

A meeting of Nos. 1 and 2 Cos. Patca Rifles was held at the Albion Hotel on Thursday evening, re district prize firing. It was resolved that the money for tho two Companies he thrown into one fund, and that sixteen prizes, varying from £1 10s to 2s Gd, bo fired for on Wednesday, the 24th instant. 'Hie ranges chosen were—--200, 300, 400, and 500 yards ; seven shots at the two first, and five each at the last two ; any position. That the Roman Catholics of the Patea County have acted most liberally towards alleviating the distress in Ireland, cannot hs doubted when we state that in answer to an appeal made by the Rev Father Grogan on Sunday last, the Carlyle congregation subscribed the handsome sum of £4O, and that of Waverley £l2. On the Sunday previous, the Catholics of Hawera subscribed £24 for the same purpose ; making a total of £7G. The Rev Lewis Hudson (Wesleyan), of New Plymouth, is announced to preach as follows to-morrow : —Hawera, 11 a.m.; Kakaramea, 3 p.m,; Carlyle, 7 pan. The Rev P. W, Fairclough is in New Plymouth,

We regret to announce that Mr W. Dale met with an accident on Thursday last, by which his loft leg was broken. He had been to Mokoia on horseback, and was returning, driving another horse in front. This side of tho Manutahi Gorge, the animal turned up the road leading to Mr Balmforth’s, and Mr Dale tried to head il, when the horse kicked out, and broke the leg just above tho ankle. Mr Dale at once made for Mr Balmforth’s, and leaving the horse he was riding at tho gate, crawled on to the verandah, when to his horror he found that there was no one at borne. Seeing a man in a field some distance away, Air Dale called out as loud as he could, and after repeated calling, the man eventually made his way to theliou.se, not knowing what was the matter. Tho man at once went to Manutahi and procured Mr Foreman’s trap and assistance, and Mr Dale was brought to Carlyle. The accident happened about 1 o’clock, and an hour and a half elapsed before the trap arrived to removchim from Mrßalmforth’s, so Mr Dale must have suffered great agony during that time and also during the time lie was being conveyed to Carlyle. On arrival tbe leg was set by Dr Croft, and we are happy to say that the patient is doing as well as can be expected.

There not being a sufficient number of members presenton Wednesday, the County Con noil was adjourned till Tuesday next, at 11 a.m.

The Taranaki Herald of Wednesday last says—“ In reference to the outbreak which late European telegrams state is threatened by the Nihilists to take place to-day, it may he mentioned that there is said to exist in Russia a fundamental law, dating from before the lime of Peter the Great, that no sovereign can reign over that Empire for more than twenty-five years. After this period he is supposed to abdicate in favor of the heir presumptive to the Imperial Crown, or else remain on the throne in defiance of the nobles and people. The only sovereign who has, however, outlived this period, was the late Emperor, Nicholas 1., who tlied(by violence it is believed) on March 2nd, 1855, after a reign of 30 years. 11 is successor, the present Emperor Alexander !., has therefore been on the throne for exactly 25 years, and to-day enters upon the 26th year of his reign. If, therefore, ho should loose his life in the expected outbreak, it will probably appear that the Nihilists have been looking forward to the day as one of special good omen to their enterprise.” At the meeting of the Taranaki Land Board on Monday last, a memo, was read from the Chief Surveyor, relative to the deviations of roads in the Whakarnara Block, mentioned in the letter received by the Board from the Chairman of thcllawera Hoad Board. The Chief Surveyor stated that the roads in the Whakarnara district were proposed to bo deviated to the extent of mile, and in the Military Settlers’ block to about the same extent. The deviations in the Whakarnara district were confined to the crossing of the Otoki Gorge. He considered it would only be fair to grant the request of the Hawcra Hoad Board.—On the motion of Mr Standish, seconded by Mr Syme, the further consideration of the maUcr was deferred until the Chief Surveyor had inspected the roads and reported upon them.

llathcr an amusing item of news (says the Wellington Chronicle) comes, by telegram, from Auckland. 10Icier Pearce, the Mormon apostle, has been preaching and seeking converts in the Northern city. He won the heart and soul of a Jisherman's wife, whom he had placed, with her three children, on a vessel bound to America. The interesting plot got, to the ears of the husband, when he obtained a warrant, and thus gained possession of his, in this respect, “ worse half.” Some of the good citizens of Auckland would do a righteous and noble deed were they to seize this man, Elder Pearce, tie him up in a sack, and throw him into the harbor.

The Wellington Chronicle says Mr Thomas Uick, the senior member for Dunedin City, has at last consented to join the Hall Government, having accepted the portfolio of Colonial Secretary —previously held by the Premier. The Government tried hard to persuade Mr Dick to join them long before the close of last session ; but, with that caution which characterises Ins countrymen, ho thought he hail “ better bide awoo.” Mr Dick, as Superintendent of Otago, displayed considerable practical ability, and his accession will strengthen the Ministry. It is said in one of the OurcilllllUiil ti* o bll 1 t WI C portfolio will shortly be allotted. Now, as it happens there is no other portfolio to allot, wc fail to see how the allotment is to take place., Onr contemporary, though it is in the confidence of the Government, seems to be oblivions of the fact that the Bill to increase the nninher of Ministers was dropped in the closing hours of last session. Our contemporary, speaking of course from inspiration, says that as soon as the Ministry is complete a rc-arrange-ment of portfolios will be made. By the accession of Mr Dick the Ministry is already complete, so that, we presume, the rearrangement will lake place forthwith.