The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1872. SUMMARY FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA.

Southland Times, Issue 1587, 4 June 1872, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 4, 1872. SUMMARY FOR EUROPE AND AMERICA.

The meeting of the General Assembly has been fixed for the 16th of next month, and it is now generally understood that there will be no further prorogation. The election fcr the city of Nelson, -which \ took place on the 27th ult., resulted in the return, by a large majority, of Mr Luckie, editor of the Colonist newspaper, and a decided supporter of the present Ministry. Mr Luckie was opposed by Mr J. C. Eichmond, a talented and prominent member of the Stafford party, and Mr Saunders, a well-known 1 local politician, both opponents of the Yogel Government. As Mr Luckie polled about a third more votes than the total obtained by the other two, there can be no doubt about the opinion of the constituency. The defeat of Mr Richmond is regarded as a serious loss by the opposition. By last mail we learn that the second instalment of the Public "Works and Immigration loan, amounting to one million, has been successfully negotiated in London, by our financial agents, Messrs Julyan and Featherstone, at the satisfactory figure of 100^. The Ministry therefore enter upon the Parliamentary campaign well provided with the sinews of war. The charges of recklessness and extravagance which have furnished the opposition with political capital during the recess, will, doubtless, be repeated in the Assembly, but it is not now thought likely that the policy of the Ministry will be reversed on its merits, or that there exists in the country a party strong and cohesive enough to wrest the administration from their hands. A powerful and well- organised opposition might do the country good service by a searching examination and criticism of the Government measures, especially if it were known to be strong enough to step in and assume the reins, in the event of incapacity or maladministration being proved against our present rulers. But it is not thought that the present composition of the Legislature affords the materials for such a combination. It is understood that the Ministry ! are now availing themselves of the power, j conferred last session, of negotiating with Messrs Brogden for the construction of railways to the extent of £1,000,000. Specifications for upwards of 200 miles, including our Invercargill and Mataura line, are reported to have been placed in the hands of that firm, who are under agreement to furnish tenders within a month. Nothing more definite has yet transpired. Mr Calder, our local representative, has at last addressed his constituents. A report of his speech last night in the Theatre appears elsewhere in our columns. Several of the Provincial Councils have been in session during the past month. The Otago Council commenced on the ' 30th April, and sat during the whole month of May. The attention of mem- j bers was directed to a very wide range of I subjects, and considerable talent was shown in the debates, but as the Council unfortunately does not possess the power of carrying out its decisions, many people are beginning to wonder whether as a mere debating club, it is worth the expense of maintaining. An uneasy feeling of the false position into which the Provincial Councils have gradually drifted with the current of Colonial legislation and social changes, seems at last to have found expression in the Council itself. Several proposals for simplifying the machinery of Provincial government were discussed ; but while all agreed that the present system is cumbersome, expensive, and inefficient, nothing better was decided on ; nor do those who know the materials of which the majority of the Council is composed, think it likely that any great change will ever be originated by them, so long as members continue to be paid at the rate of a pound a day for furnishing the public with the results of their political wisdom. The country is beginning to get thoroughly tired of " the farce of provincial responsible government," as a prominent member of the Council lately described itj and the mischievous effect of these subordinate legislatures on the general policy of the country is becoming gradually better understood. The efforts of the Council this session have resulted in the production of a Counties Ordinance, conferring greater powers of local organisa, tion on districts ; a series of Land Resolutions, in which the sale of land on deferred payments is the distinguishing feature ; •an Education debate, from which we gather that the majority of members are in favor of secular, as opposed to denominational education ; and an Appropriation Ordinance, in i which votes, far in excess of the Trea-

surer's most sanguine expectations of revenue, have been passed, to meet the views of private members. The reports of two select committees reveal that the Executive, under pressure from the Bank of New Zealand, made a sale of 40,000 acres of land to a capitalist, which is described as injurious to the public interest ; and at the suggestion of the Superintendent, then on the eve of reelection, released a firm of railway contractors from their engagements, at a loss to the public of £11,000. But these little mistakes do not in the slightest degree affect the stability of our " responsible Executive," whose chief difficulty seems to be that the General Government will not give them enough of money to spend. Our local timber trade is steadily increasing, and bids fair ere long to assume important dimensions. The forests of the Southland district are second to none in the south of New Zealand, and the i convenience of the Bluff as a port of shipment to Melbourne, together with the discovery that some descriptions of our timber are peculiarly suited for the Australian market, has already given rise +n a considerable export trade, in spite of the Victorian protective duties. Our Victorian neighbors are still in the protectionist stage of developement, and believe in " protecting native industry" by forbidding their producers to buy in the cheapest market. The meat preserving enterprise labors under no such disadvantage, its products being eagerly welcomed in the London market. Both our local companies are now in full working order, and continue daily to absorb large quantities of stock, for which, before their establishment, there was no marketwhatever. Our farmers and squatters can now calculate with certainty on a I steady return for all the fat stock they can produce ; and the squatters particularly are enabled to improve their flocks by the process known as "culling," for which no facilities previously existed. The result, in time, will be a great improvement in the quality and value of our Southland wools, which already bear favorable comparison with the produce of any other .district in New Zealand. Our Municipal Council continues to make steady progress iv its useful work of improvement. It is expected that steps will shortly be taken to reclaim and adorn the reserves attached to the town, which have hitherto been entirely neglected. These reserves, including a park of 200 acres adjoining the northern boundary of the town, are now to be handed over to the Council, with powers to lease them for grazing purposes, the money so arising to be laid out in planting and otherwise improving the grounds for the purposes of public recreation. "We have had more than the usual share of public amusement and gaiety this month. The match between the Invercargill and Riverton volunteers, which came off on the Queen's birthday, was followed by;; a dinner, and a ball in the evening in the Theatre, attended by more than 100 guests. Mr Morton Tavares and Miss Surtees, theatrical artistes of more than ordinary merit, with the assistance of a number of local amateurs, gave a scries of Shakpperian illustrations, which were well received by the public. And, finally, we have all been wondering for the last few nights at the clever performances of the famous necromancer, M. Haseltnayer, whose entertainments attracted large audiences last week. Winter weather has now fairly set in. The month of May did not belie its reputation for severity, and since our last summary, rain and hail storms have been of frequent occurrence. Frost \ seems now to have set in, and with it we may look for a continuance of good weather.