The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 4058, 31 December 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1881.

Those who have to describe the events of the year now dying, in a metropolitan paper will have important details to consider and results to describe. A far easier task falls to our lot—the doings of some half-million of people. There is no doubt but that the lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, and thai our circumstances as a people hare been more prosperous than any other 600,000 souls, taken as a whole, in the British Empire, and for that matter perhaps in any other part of the world. We have fewer sick, maimed, or poor per cent. The magnitude of our indebtedness does not disturb our digestion, nor the burden of our taxation Cause us to stoop by the wayside. Most of us know that, we can evade the dual obligation by going to any other part of the world. The payment of our colonial debt we transfer to posterity. Perhaps the less we say on this subject the better. There are two events in our year which stand out in prominent relief. Mr Bryce's raid on Parihaka, and the dissolution of Parliament under the Triennial Act. Other events are of minor importance in our eyes. With one aspect of Mr Bryce's raid only shall we make comment. When it was known that Sir Arthur Gordon was appointed Governor of New Zealand as well as Hi fc h Commissioner of'the Pacific, manypersons entertained a well founded belief that the dual appointment meant the annexation of Fiji to New Zealand, j and an absorption by our merchants of the main portion of the Island trade. The bad terms which have existed between His Excellency the Governor and the Premier has rendered any chance of this profitable arrangement being carried out very problematical. The causes of this discontent has been the Parihaka trouble. When Sir Arthur Gordon goes to England we may assume it as a certain thing that he will not advise the Home Government to place any other colored race under the control of a New Zealand Executive. Although the action of Mr Bryce throughout has been utterly lawless we all have the consolation of knowing that the result has been bloodless—perhaps to the disappointment of certain members of the Ministry, there is ho need to print out names. It is very nearly 200 years since the Triennial Parliaments Act came into TOque in England. William of Orange had first negatived the Act before assent* ing to its becoming law. It was repealed as we all know after the rebellion of 1715. Many people among us speak of the Triennial Bill as a light thing, but not in this light did our forefathers regard it. Some day, perhaps, we may tell the story of the repeal of the measure at length for the instruction of our readers. Our Kepresentatives have now only two years instead of four for offence, and but one for atonement. There is no doubt but what Triennial Parliaments obtain the approval of the people whatever they may of the candidates. They are a great safeguard against corrupt Government. There are still some people who talk and dream about annual Parliaments, but our ways of life must change much before their Adoption is desirable. The Corrupt Practices Bill has proved a lamentable failure. No one ever thought it would be any good, and the Ministry only adopted it at the eleventh hour on the urgent solicitation of Mr Saunders, the late member for Cheviot. Most of the papers through the colony insist on maintaining that the late elections have been favorable to the Government. We hold a different opinion; and look forward to a Coalition Ministry. Whoever may be in power there will be very serious work to be done. The main question will be that of future borrowing. It the House decides against an immediate increase of our debt, the Colonial Treasurer will be called upon to make bricks without strawWhether we get any fresh loan or not the material wealth of the country will be little influenced by its possession, as the money passes away and wastes in the using, while the resources of the colony remain intact. A retrospect of the year from a local aspect gives us little to chronicle. We have had nothing of special character—no startling yields of gold, no very great excitement over mining stock, and no .seasons of marked depression. We have gono on the even tenor of our way, ever hoping far better times, yet contented with our lot. Miners, as a class, are sanguine, and it is well that they are, for none but the sanguine could succeed in their calling. Hope ever tells a flattering tale to them— better crushings next time, better stone at the next level, and a patch of specimens at a certain depth in the winze— " It is sad to lose hope, Care not for the coming thing, And feel all things go to decay with us A- 'twere our life's eleventh month."

We look to the coming year to increase our prosperity. We expect the Upper Country to yield a large share of golden ore, and before its close we hope to see a large population in the Thames Valley. Our railway we have msou from the late utterances of Mr Whitaker to expect completed before we are called upon to write in December 1882; and so in the hope of

better times we individually feel prepared to tight the battle of life aud look with confidence to the future. While thanking our friends and subscribers for past favors, we can bid them with all confidence to count hopefully upon the future, which they will be wise to avoid discounting, and in doing so express a hope that they may eujoy % 1« SMr %m.