OUR MONTHLY LETTER HOME.

Southland Times, Issue 1576, 10 May 1872, Page 3

OUR MONTHLY LETTER HOME.

The following are extracts from our monthly summary for the mail, published on the afternoon of Tuesday last : — The General Assembly is to meet on the 29th inst., unless further prorogued, as is by no means unlikely. In view of the approaching session, several representatives have been addressing their constituencies, in accordance with the praiseworthy custom very generally followed in New Zealand. Of our four, local members— Mr Calder, Mr M'Gillivray, Mr Bell, and Mr Webster — Mr Bell is the only one who has, as yet, been at the trouble to favor us with his views on the questions of the day. Mr Bell, a New Zealand politician of long experience, represents the electoral district of Mataura, com prising the eastern half of the old ! Province of Southland, and a contiguous . part of Otago. He is Speaker of the House of Eepresentatives, and a supporter of the Government policy. His address comprised a review of the history of the session, and an explanation of the engagements entered into by the Government under the Public Works and Immigration Acts. Mr 8~1l strongly advised perseverance in the policy which had been inaugurated, on the ground that the Colony had now reached a point at which the only hope of a prosperous future lay in an energetic effort to develope our resources with all the means at our commaud. His remarks were favorably received by the meeting, but it was felt that more specific and detailed information, both as to what works were to be undertaken, and what they would cost, would have been appreciated. Mr Donald Eeid, M.H.R. for Taieri, and Provincial Secretary of Otago, gave his pre-sessional utterance at Outram a few days ago. He did not seem altogether to disapprove of the Public Works Policy, though an opponent of the Yogel Ministry ; but he did not like the way the Government were handling the money. He thought the Provincial authorities should have had it, both for i public works and immigration. This is evidently a sore point with our Provincial politicians, who do not like to feel that their occupation is gone., though the public have been aware of the fact for a long time. Mr Calder, M.H.E. for Invercargill, has been asked to speak, but declines, for the present at least, on the ground that if he told all he knew, the Government might be so annoyed as to retaliate on the constituency by refusing its fair share of the Public Works expenditure. This has raised great curiosity, and it is hoped that j Mr Calder may yet be induced to break ! his silence. Mr Vogel's mission to Victoria has borne fruit in an arrangement the results of which have at length been made public. Victoria is to pay £32,50Q and New Zealand £27,500, of the £60,000 subsidy Mr Webb requires. The San Francisco steamer goes to Auckland, and then to Port Chalmers. At Auckland, the Melbourne mails are taken up by the steamer of the previous month, which has been to Port Chalmers and back to Auckland, and now proceeds to Melbourne. From Melbourne she sails direct for San Francisco, only touching at Auckland to take in the New Zealand mails. Thus our Victorian friends, who labor under the impression that an import trade is injurious to the welfare of a country, leave us to have the through voyage from San Francisco, while they have the through voyage to that port. As the arrangements have yet to be ratified by the Parliaments of the two colonies, it is very likely they may be considerably modified before they are finally adopted. Though the service has lately been far from punctual, the present mail being indeed 14 days overdue, this San Francisco line is looked upon as a great advantage, and anything which tends to make the arrangement more permanent, while at the same time it lightens our share of the cost, will meet with public approval, if our share of the accommodation is at all fair. In this part of the colony some dissatisfaction is felt at the Bluff being so completely left out of the plan. It was thought, not unnaturally, that any arrangement with Melbourne would involve a steamer from Melbourne to Port Chalmers, which would pass the Bluff, and possibly land mails and passengers there.