South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2950, 8 September 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1882.

No British Ministry has ever entered upon a foreign war under more advantageous domestic circumstances than tliose now surrounding the Cabinet of Mr Gladstone. Their opponents, their bitter, uncompromising opponents on every other question, have thrown in with the Ministry a hearty, loyal, and truly English support. The defection of Mr John Bright is more than counterbalanced by the enthusiastic cooperation of two members who had been looked upon as likely to desert them at the outbreak of the Egyptian disturbances, Sir Charles Dilke and Mr Chamberlain. Thus the Government is unfettered, and has only to push vigorously oh the operations in Egypt. If they want supplies, they are readily voted ; if they propose the strongest military measures they are heartily applauded; if danger threatens all parties rally loyally round them. It will therefore be their own fault if the task they have set themselves is undone or half completed. There is but little fear of either, however. Mr Gladstone, though the pioneer of a peaceful civilization,-the master-builder

. of England’s social and financial prosperity, has always been fully alive to the I necessity for preserving the Suez j Canal as the high road to India, and | has insisted that it must be preserved j by the strong hand of a superior naval force. When, therefore, this road is threatened, Mr Gladstone gives evidence of bis earnest conviction in the matter. And this is probably the only hostile demonstration to which he could be got to lend himself. We feel quite sure from the vigour of his action so far, that all that foresight and patriotism can suggest as necessary or expedient to secure the absolute freedom of the Canal route will be done before the British forces arc recalled. The vigour and success of British efforts in Egypt is, however, in strong contradistinction to utter failure of all efforts to pacify Ireland. The authority of England is there persistently defied, and pacification seems to be still a vision of the future, or to speak more correctly, perhaps, the very vision of pacification appears to be fading out of sight in the settled darkness of the endless night. It is not so much that authority is being defied, it is the apparent hopelessness of being able to assert it, the bitter unrelenting hatred manifested by the people towards the British Government, and' the very name of England—these strike us as the most appalling features of the crisis.

Electioneering partisans in this Borongh are in want of a test question. We will supply one, to be addressed to every candidate for ratepayers’ suffrages Will you water the streets 7 The warm weather has come on us .in good earnest, the roads are wholly'smothered in dust and yet we have, at our back, a tremendous supply of water, millions of gallons of which are running to waste. Still no attempt is made to lay the town dust. Why is this so 7 Surely the matter is important and pressing enough. Could not the ever-venerable water cart take a few turns round, if the Council are not disposed to use their hydrants for the purpose 7 Since writing the above we are pleased to see that nature is about to give us what .the Council denies, and that rain is at hand—but if we are to be thus scurvily treated throughout the summer, we shall have frequent cause to groan. It is very satisfactory to observe that the ratepayers are in earnest in their determination to bring down the water rate and obtain cheaper light, and to have the Borough valuation conducted in a satisfactory manner. It is unnecessary to enlarge upon the two first of these abuses. Everybody is fully alive to the fact that the charges must be reduced. The present water-rate appears to have been decided upon for the sole and express purpose of stifling manufacturinjg industry and discouraging people from availing themselves of the water supply. Regarding valuations, it is beyond question that these should be made by some person other than an officer of the Council. Rightly or wrongly, people are not satisfied that the present valuations are just and equitable, and the fadt that they were made by an officer of the Council does not tend to allay the irritation.