LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 6, Issue 291, 8 May 1862, Page 2

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

The Slauhter House. —A public meeting was held in Dunleavy’s hotel on .Friday, the 2nd inst., at which the following memorial was adopted:—

“Wanganui, May 2, 1862. « j'o Ilis Honor I. E. Fkatherstone, Esq., Superintendent of the Province of W ellington. «g IR> We the Undersigned Inhabitants of Wanganui, being desirous for the removal of the Public SlaughterHouse from its present site, do hereby request that you will be pleased to grant the site for the same on the banks of the Wanganui River, as chosen by a committee appointed at a public meeting called for the above purpose.

The Memorial* is to go to V ellington by to-day’s pot./ Crinoline aislong the Maories. A few (lays since a Maori woman belonging to a party camped near the Town entered a store to make purchases ; and among the articles displayed to tempt her was a meretricious garment, composed apparently of a flimsy tawdry unsaleable woollen net shawl, distended by steel hoops, and made up mt<> the semblance of a petticoat, h>mte dazzled, she made some very mild remarks about Lueh things suiting white women rather than

Maories ; but a feminine desire to be in the fashion, backed by the' arguments'of the. storekeeper’s wife, who urged that “ eveif||^

one wore them” and pointed out liow charmingly suited such garments were to tins sultry weather, overcame her scruples and led her to invest a pound in the article. Arrived near the camp she retired among some furze bushes to don her purchase, in order to inuke her debut with due effect; and then her troubles began.. M ben she tried to walk, the Sway of r the ''hoops ! *des-' troyed her equilibrium, and rendered a straight 1 course impossible, rolled into the camp and was greatly scandalised, by enquiries as to “ where she got the grog.” Warned by experience, a strong suspicion now crossed her mind of the impossibility of sitting down Maori fashion in such a rig, she therefore sat down on a log when the hoops caused the dress to project, in so absurd a manner, that she was fain to pass the evening in an erect posture, walking or standing about amid the jeers of her companions, who had divined the cause of her erratic movements. At length bed-time came and she essayed to lie down; when horror of honors!! —the dreadful garment kept her skirts still distended like (to use her own words) “ half of an enormous pumpkin and seemed to fill the tent. ’ Unable to endure it longer she amid the redoubled laughter of her companions, divested herself of the now hateful article ; and started early next morning on a round of visits to the neighbouring settlers houses, to try to tempt their wives to take her purchase off her hands at a great reduction from its prime cost. ... House-breaking.— On Tuesday night the bar-room of, the York Hotel was entered by a window at the back, and several decanters containing wine and spirits taken away, some of which were found lying in the street empty next day. The shop of Mr. Harding was broken into the same night, and a box of cigars, a cheese and a quantity of soap stolon. Some of the bars of soap were also found next day. The same night an attempt was made to force open the door of Mis. Stevenson’s shop. The burglars had removed one of the upright boards of which the door is made, and would have had uo difficulty in forcing an entrance, had not the noise awakened Mrs. Stevenson whose house is next the shop, and on her giving the alarm, the thieves decamped. A soldier who was arrested on Wednesday morning drunk, is supposed by the police to have some connection with these doings. Native Reports —We learn from Native sources* that the troops have letired from the Waikato territory, and given up the making of the road. The approach of winter is no doubt the reason for this, if it is true. The mail ro d between this and Taranaki remains shut up, and policemen have been appointed by the King natives to intercept any European attempting to pass along. Wanganui Victoria Rifle Club.— The Monthly Meeting took place on Tuesday Otli inst. Three shots at each range, at a single target any position. Mr. Porter won the Ist prize M 4s. The second prize was well contested tor, Mr. Howe and Mr. Powell who Were ties shot off at 200, the former scoring 3 points in three shots and the latter one point. The score is as follows :

T UR AKIN A. Firing for Messrs. Hebbekd «fc Go’s Rifles —The volunieers here met on Monday the sth in one of Mr. Gower’s paddocks to fire for these prizes. The day of firing had been altered from the one originally fixed, and the number of Volunteers .on the ground was consequently small. The following is the score .

To Feb. 26. (From our own Correspondent.) Loudon, 26th February, 1862. Since the departure of last mail nothing of very prime importance has occurred here. Parliament has been opened under circumstances of grave and quiet solem-

nity to which it has long been a stranger. The Queen’s speech contained, of course, to the lamented death of Prince Albert, and this allusion formed the text of many a discourse in the debates in both Houses that followed. Indeed, it and the Trent affair formed the staple of all the speeches, and the unanimity, while gratifying, was altogether wonder , ful. In the House of Lords, Lord Dufferin, an Irish peer of some literary pretensions, ;r and the . husband of the accomplished and beautiful word an who has written that. charming ballad, “The Bay of Biscay,” and some other sweet pieces, moved* the address. His speech was florid and fluent, while rather prolix, as became an Irisman. L ol 'd Shelburne, the son of the Marquis of Lansdowne, who seconded the address, was neat, sententious, and dignified, like a respectable old hereditary Whig, as he is. Lord Granville "was bland, urbane, and decorous, as befits the Preside..t of the Council. Earl Bussell was delicate, pointed, and sympathetic withal. While Lord Derby, in genuine eloquence, soared as usual far above all his compeers. All the speakers in both Houses were equally strong in eulogy of the late Prince —his disposition, his acquirements, and his intellectual power; but Lord Derby in his allusions to the Queen’s affection for hexhusband, spoke in a strain of romantic and tender sentiment, though in the best possible taste, somewhat unusual in a man of his years. On pui-ely political topics most of the speakers were l-ather reticent, though almost all approved the conduct of the Government in the affair of the Amei-ican complications, and even the faction which consists of Mi*. John Bright was silent. It must not, howevei-, be supposed that the Government have an easy time of it before them. Parties are so nearly balanced in the House of Commons that they may be put in a mi-noi-ity any. day, and, indeed, it may be said that the personal standing of its two leading membei-s alone keeps it in a position of comparative security. The boundless popularity of Lord Palmerston and the confidence felt in Eai-l Bussell’s management of Foreign affairs form the sheet anchor of the Government. On the former the venomous carping of John Bright and his small clique of antiBritish malignants has no moi-e effect than the gnawing of a viper on a file—the true steel remains unaffected by either the fangs or the poison. As to the latter, it may be said that Earl Bussell’s style of transacting the business of the Foi-eign Office has introduced a new era into di. plomacy—the era of straightforwai-dness-Stx-ange to tell, it is found to answer better than the old school of Talley r rand and Metternich—statesmen absolutely like to know exactly what a man means, and whether his yea is intended for yea, and his nay for nay, a circumstance which shows that they are but human, and also that, as our old text-book says, “ honesty is the best policy.” The Conservative party have lately achieved some important successes at elections. They have gained a seat for Oxfordshire, one for Lincoln, and one for Grimsby—three in all, counting six on a division.. These successes ai-e the more annoying to the Liberal party —that they result from unpax-donablemismanage-ment. A slight infusion of common sense in the tactics of the party would have prevented them all. In the case of Oxfordshire, the Libex-al candidate presented to the electors shewed principles of so neutral and dubious a tint that no enthusiasm was called fox-th in his behalf, and very faint efforts made at the poll. So the Conservative, Colonel Fane, won in an easy canter. But the Lincoln and Grimsby elections present perhaps the most astounding instances of stupid bungling that are to be found in the annals of electioneei-ing. Lord Worsley, the liberal member for Grimsby, vacated his seat on the death of his father, Lord Yarboi-ough, and, of coui-se, went to the House of Lords. A Conservative candidate, Mr. Chapman, a man of local influence, was immediately started for Grimsby. So far all is natural enough. But the genius of blunder and mis-rule being invoked by the Liberal party makes the following addition: A Liberal member for Lincoln, Mx\ Heneage vacates his seat for the pui-pose of standing for Grimsby. Immediately a Conservative candidate, Mr. Brain ley Moore of Liverpool, is started for Lincoln. Both Conservatives win. Thus there are two contests where, on every principle of common sense, there should only have been one, and two Liberal defeats whei-e, in common prudence, tliei-e should only have befen one. What can be said of a party exhibiting such demented fatuity, but that it courts defeat. There is no. promise of any important Bills before either House this session. The Lord Chancellor has introduced a Bill for facilitating the transfer of land. Sir John Ti*elawney is going to make another attempt to repeal Church rates; and Mr. Monckton Milnes has brought in the Bill for legalising marriage with a deceased wife’s sister, and got it read a second time by a majority of eleven. The little Bill we have incui-red owing to the Treiit affair has been also presented for acceptance, and the amount A 750,000 odd is only a quarter of what the alarmists anticipated. Considering that by this expenditxire we vindicated the national honour, reinforced Canada, taught the Yankees a lesson of civility and forbearance, and opened their eyes in a way that thoxigh it made them smart somewhat did certainly give them some new ideas, the amount cannot be grudged. Perhaps not the least satisfactory result was the successful management of our Admiralty and Horse Guai-ds departments. That a force of above 11,000 men, with several batteries of artillery,horses, stores, immense quantities of munitions of war, and of the supplies requisite for a winter’s campaign, should all have been shipped

off in mid-wintei-, within ■ three weeks of the first order having been issued, and landed on the other side of the vexed Atlantic, without the loss of one life, notwithstanding a succession of hui-ricanes of almost unparalled severity, ip a circumstance of which we are all very proud. As for our navy, the number of men of war of all sizes, added to our ships in commission, fitted out for sea, fully manned, well stocked with Armstrong guns, and with seamen eager for the fi'ay, was something marvellous, and of that too we are pi-oud. And when, after all this, the cost at which it has been accomplished turns out to be a mei-e bagatelle in comparison with those tremendous Bills that ourdistracted brother Jonathan is running up, why we smile well pleased, and are benignant even to the tax-gatherer, when, inevitable as fate, he again confronts us.

All the leading members of both Houses of Parliament are in their places, looking much as usual. Lord Palmei-ston holds up wonderfully, but is beginning to show advancing years. His walk is slower, and less steady; eyes more dim and sunken; and his hearing is evidently much worse; but his aptitudes for the Parliamentary ax-ena are marked as ever; —no opponent can get the better of him in tactics, readiness of retort, and felicitous clearness of explanation. Mr. Bright tried an assault on the Government for their conduct in the Trent affair, as regarded the military preparations, and x-eceived for his pains a slap in the face, that, in a man less consumed with vanity and pi-ejudice, would have resulted in comparative silence for the x-est of the session. But of course he will speak; and the nature of his utterances may be predicted beforehand with absolute certainty. In any possible dispute between the British nation or. government aud any alien power, Mr. Bright will- take the side opposed to his own country without the slightest reference to the merits of the dispute, and will sustain the cause ofhis country’s enemies with all his resources of unscrupulous declamation. By what fatality it happens that on all occasions he is found to be on the opposite side to hi.-} own counti-ymen, it is impossible to explain, unless on the simple but not very elevated principle of a liking for singularity and contradiction. Take this principle, and add to it an intense hatred and envy of the British aristocracy—that is the aristocracy of birth, not of wealth —and you have, in my opinion, the clxxe to his whole political course, and to the aiiomalies and inconsistencies that now and again crop out to perplex even his select admirers. I need not here make any attempt to explain these, nor to show, for instance, how it caxi happen that a man who professes to be an ardent friend of liberty and refoi-m in this country where the influence of land and family is to be broken down should at the same time exhibit an unwholesome liking for Con-, tinental despotisms, notably for those of France and Bussia—nor why a blatant declainier in favour of humanity and justice should extenuate the unheard of atrocities of the Sepoys in the late rebellion, and denounce, not the ci’iminals, but their unfortunate victims—nor why a professed friend of peace should condemn only those wars in which Bx-itain takes a part, and yet hound on the Noi-theni States of America to the prosecution of one of the most gratuitous and aimless, while barbarous and vindictive, wars that ever cursed the earth—far be it from me, I say, to attempt to explain these inconsistencies, and indeed the subject is hax-dly worth the trouble. But as there are a good many people who believe Bright to be an honest man, though the victim of a distempered intellect—-it is perhaps worth asking if he is entitled' to even that credit. Now, I believe his honesty is about as doubtful as his pati-iotism, and one reason for my opinion is the following:—lf there is one point in John Bright’s political life which more than another raises • him in the estimation of religious and benevolent cix-cles, and in which he has been considex-ed most uni-fox-mly consistent and high-toned, it is his denunciation of wai\ Now, Mr. Bi-ight happens to be one of the pi-oprietors of a lead mine—the Dyliffe mine, as it is termed in Noi-th Wales—from which lie derives large profits. No one needs to be told that lead is one of the pi-incipal articles used in the manufacture of.munitions of war, and that it is as necessary for purposes of war and battle as sulphur or saltpetre. Of course Mr. John Bright knows this, and yet he has no scruples about supplying their most deadly ingredient to projectiles of all sorts, or about filling his pockets with the pi’ofits arising from this trade, which, on his principles, ought to be considered un-Christian, inhuman, and infamous. Is there much honesty or consistency in this ? On account of the demand for war purposes, lead is almost the only metal which has kept up at a high price for the last year or two. Mr. Brighc is thus most directly instrumental in aiding and abetting warlike preparations for the selfish object of replenishing an ali-eady well-filled purse. Of course, he may say that if he did not work the mine another man woxdd; but the same style of argument might be used for slave-trading, or any other crime. In the case of any other public -character, such a charge as this against Mr. Bright would have no point,—and, of course, from my point of view, lead-mining is as legitimate as any other mining, but when we hear him called “honest John Bright,” and when his toadies and admirers demand our homage to the Spai-tan integrity of his character, his unbought and unpayable sincerity, we are fairly entitled to point out a flaw in his moral harness sufficiently decided to render his consistency a mei-o name, and his boasted straightforwardness an impudent pretence.

There has been one “scene” in the House of Commons thus early in the session, the chief actors in which weie Sir

R. Peel and the O’Donoghue. The latter is member for Tipperary, and while not reckoned an adherent of either of the great parties is mainly distinguished for the silly offensiveness of his ulferamontanism. I call it silly—but were his fellow-countrymen in Ireland as silly as hmiself, it would be more than merely silly—it would be emphatically mischievious. When the news of the Ti'ent outrage'reached this country, a meeting of so-called sympathisers with America was held in Dublin, to expi*ess their admiration for the United States, the desire to receive the aid of that country in procuring the overthrow of English rule in Ireland, and their ineffaceable hatred to that rule. O’Donoghue was in the chair, but not one respectable person was present,, noi-, I think, more than one pi-iest. It was simply a weak attempt to obtain a cheap notoriety, at the sacrifice of decency and of all that courtesy, to say nothing of loyalty, which the O’Donoghue, who, no doubt, calls himself an Irish gentleman, might be expected to feel towards his Sovereign, and that Sovereign a woman. One result of the meeting was that O’Donoghue was deprived of the commission of the peace. Now Sir Bobert Peel, as li'ish Seci-etai-y, in a speech last week in the House of Commons, on the alleged distress in Ireland, made a very pungent allusion to the “manikin” traitors who, in this day, attempted to rival the doings of the “ cabbage garden ” heroes of 1848. The hit told, as it was no doubt intended, and eveiy one looked to the great O’Donoghue as the manikin alluded to. He sent a challenge through Major Gavin, the member for Limerick, to the outspoken secretaiy, which challenge the latter referred to Lord Palmerston. The Premier at once brought ,tlie matter before the House as a breach of its privilege, and the warlike O’Donoghue was compelled by the Speaker to reti-act his message, and promise to behave better for the future. He did this very ungraciously and clumsily, making a shabby attempt to .insinuate a sneer at Sir Bobert’s courage, but this the House at once put down, and so the not very creditable matter ended.

As I am on the track of personal sketches of M.P.’s, I may here mention another M.P., a very gi;eat man in his own estimation, but in the estimation of the general public, an undistinguishable atom in comparison with bui-ly John Bright. The member I allude to is Mr. W. S. Lindsay, the ship-broker, and the owner of some ships that are better known than trusted. Mr. Lindsay has been vei-y successful as a ship-bx-oker, and is reported wealthy, but, in an evil hour for his own comfort, and I have no doubt for his purse also, liis vanity led him to believe that he might shine in the halls of St. Stephens. He ultimately succeeded in getting a constituency to return him, and now after some ups and downs sits for Sunderland. To state the result in the mildest language his legislative career is an admitted failure, add ng another proof to the general axiom that a cobbler should stick to his last, and a shipbi-oker to his charterparties. That rough-and-i-eady enei-gy and pei-sevei’ance which might do with shipmasters and even City -men will not so certainly succeed with so nicely cx-itical an audience as the House of Commons, added to which Mi*. Lindsay has an air, iu his public appearances, of bullying assumption which the gentlemen of England soon see through and despise. As a speaker he is chiefly marked by a broad Scotch accent, a husky-voice, and that air of upstart pretentiousness which genei-ally distinguishes the snob from the gentleman. Of course his energy and t; self-possession, or rather impudeuce, have carried him successfully to a certain point, but tliei-e he stops, detected and measured at hia real dimensions and merits. Now one characteristic of Mr. Lindsays business cai-eer is the number of law suits in which he is always involved. We call him “ law suit Lindsay” in the City, where we happen to know a good deal about him To say nothing of fresh suits every year, he has had one running on for five years in the Vice Chancellor’s Court—the case of Pearce v Lindsay. It turns on a long account of bi*okei-ages derived from chartering American ships, which brokerages Pearce asserts he is entitled to a full moiety of, while Lindsay denies it. The case has been at one point or other agaiu and again appealed to the House of Lords, but the main point has been decided against Lindsay, and all that is-now being done is the adjustment of the details, the intricacy of which must be something awful. The expences on each side must be at least some thousands of pounds, and it is guessed that when the suit is finally wound up Lindsay will be a loser of £20,000 if not more. I have however introduced his name in connection with law suits to mention a ease just tried at the Guildhall in which he was plaintiff against some underwritex-s at Lloyds. Chief Justice Cockburn pronounced it the most important case connected with marine insurance that liad been tried for many years. It referred to a large iron steamex-, the “Harbinger,” of which Mr. Lindsay was chief owner, and which was insured to the extent of about 15000/. She left Calcutta for England, and receiving some damage on the voyage put into Algoa Bay, where, after a long series of mishaps, she was abandoned and sold as old iron for the sum of 200/. Lindsay then claimed from the underwx-iters for a total loss, and they resisted on the ground that she might have been repaired on the spot or, at Simon’s Bay, in which case they would only have been liable for a partial average. A great mass of evidence was given of the most contradictoxy character, and the trial was prolonged over five days. The summing up of the judge was decidedly in favour of the undei--writers, but, nevertheless, the verdict of the jury was foi Lindsay, on the ground that the captain had acted to the best of

his judgment, and that could not have been repaired on the spyjb; Considei'ing how often underwriters are plundered by having to pay 100 per cent, on ships condemned and sold, which ships are afterwards very frequently patched up and sail for years, it seems very natural that they should grudge the frightful sacrifk e at which this vessel was sold, when all the damage pi’oved was an ii;on plate off her bottom, and a few rivets loose. It is surmised that the jui-y were grossly ignorant of the merits of tbe case, and hence a new trial will likely he moved for. The difference to Lindsay, of the mode of settlement proposed by the underwriters, from’his claim of a total loss can scarcely be less than £IO,OOO, and, of course, there are costs besides. So it is an object worth fighting for. Tbe “ Great Eastern,” after a long season of inaction, begins to look alive again. She has just been put on the "irdiron at Milford to be examined, and another captain lias been appointed— Captain Walter Paton. I mention his name as some of your readers may know something of him. He is a native of the important burgh of Leith, where his father, a woi-thy retired ship-master, occupies the post of Lloyds’ surveyor. Capt. ■Patoix’s salary is to be £IOOO a-yeax*, with contingent advantages from passenger money, &c, which will probably add at least another £IOOO. If, however, lie carries the huge ship along successfully, he will be woi-th all that, and the delighted shareholders will be only too happy to reward the man who makes their shares once more saleable in the market.

The distressing colliery accident at Hai-tley, resulting in the loss of 250 lives, has been followed by two other mining mishaps. One was at a lead mine in North Wales, where twelve men were drowned; the other at a coal mine near Merthyr Tydvil, South Wales, where fifty lives were lost. The public sympathy in behalf of the Hartley suff'erex-s gushed forth so munificently that about £50,000 was actually subsci-ibed for the widows and orphans —much more than, what was wanted, aud the question was consequently raised, w-hat is to be done with the balance] It will pi-obably be transferred for the benefit of the sufferers from the other accident.

A letter has appeared in the Times hei-e, signed by the Deputy Adjutant General of the New* Zealand Militia and Bifles, Mi*. Balneavis, giving the result of the late rifle competition there, at which I observe the Wanganui Biflenxen were first in the order of merit. I allude to the letter with the view of correcting an inference he seems to have drawn as to the respective skill of the Scottish and New Zealand riflemen as tested by the last Monti*ose gathering. At the l-anges t of 100, 200, and 300 yards, he makes the New Zealandei-s excel their Scotch brethi’en. This is correct' enough, but is by no means a safe ci-iterion as to the general standing as marksmen of the respective bodies. It is at the long ranges the Scotch excel—6oo and up to 1000 yai-ds, and at the Wimbledon competition this was the max-ked feature in the case of those who won so many prizes—the Bosses, father and son,Moir of the Stilling Bifles, and others. For the shorter ranges below 300 yards, the Scotch scarcely attempt much. When your Colonists have got tbe length of 800 yards, then will be the time to make a comparison effectively. Thex-e is to he a grand volunteer review on Easter Tuesday*, at Bi*ighton, under the command of Lord Clyde. A muster of at least 20,000 volunteers is on the downs, chiefly ■metropolitan. The Great Exhibition Building is now handed over to the Boyal Commissioners, and exhibitors’ goods are beginning to arrive. The first in the -field has been the black republio of Liberia. Some of the goods from Auckland are also forward. Part of those fi-om Adelaide have come to grief in the “ Orient,” which vessel has been partially’' burned on the voyage home. Our Yankee friends having taken to sulk at the last moment, aud refused to pay any money towards expenses, it is possible that no exhibitors may be foiward from the States, for which deprivation we certainly shall not grieve umch.

The national monument to the Pi-ince Consort will be erected in Hyde Park, on the site of the Exhibition of 1851. It will be in the form of an obelisk, with statuary at the base. The Queen, who was appealed to, has decided in favour of this mode. It,is devoutly to be hoped we shall not bungle this like so many other monuments. There will be plenty of funds—£3s,ooo having already been subscribed. Edinburgh will also have its monument, so will Glasgow and Dublin. The news of your gold discoveries lias given a considerable impetus to tbe New Zealand trade. No less than fourteen vessels are now on the berth for the various ports, four being for Otago only. The Board of Trade returns of Fxports have just been published for the year 1861, and show naturally a heavy falling off from the previous year. The actual deex-ease is nearly eleven millions sterling of which cotton manufactui-es contribute no less than five millions. In woollens there is a decrease of £1,300,000 and odd, but an inci*ease in wool of £266,276, which is not so bad for the growers in the colonies.

Money market very easy, the bank rate of discount being still 2 J per cent. Cotton still rising, while corn is steadily falling, partly owing to the lax-ge impoi*tations, and pax-tly to the excellent promise of the growing crops in ail parts of the coui.trv.

THE CONTINENT- OF EUROPE.

Tbe main interest of European politics is just uuw loginning to be ceutred iu Ger-

many. Tin: agUitfion for-a 'Germanic Con- | federation, which in nue souse means a ! ('■mibiiiaiioii <>f Gt-nuan Stales 1 1> guarantee to /Austria iu*r Yrii'ftiun and Hungarian, or, , in other words, her non-Germanic territories, has resulted in one of those clearahd sharply defined differences of opinion which admit little hope of compromise, and which point distinctly enough to the probable future. Some, little time ago, the governments of. Austria, Bavaria, Wurtemberg, Saxony, and other States, addressed independent but identical notes to the Prussian government, protesting against the view it had taken of the question of Federal Reform in a previous communication to the Saxon Minister. This protest charges Prussia with des : gus dangerous to the fundamental principle on which the idea of a Germanic federation is founded, and having a direct tendency to the establishment of a system of centralisation of which Prussia should be the head, with certain of the German Powers bound to her, while, the other Powers would be excluded, and leftmuch in'the same position as if they were foreign nations.

To this remonstrance Prussia has transmitted a prompt and decisive answer, in which she denies the right of Austria and the other Powers to make such a protest, suggests that the notes of all the power* being identical deprives them of the character of a free exchange of opinions, assei tihat the scheme of a comprehensive Confederacy aiming at a .political consolidation which should comprise non-Germanic territories, would be far more perilous than the reforms proposed by Prussia, and declares that the constitution indicated in the protest is impracticable, and contrary to the views of Prussia, and, therefore, declines to enter into any discussion upon its details. 'l'he most superficial knowledge of the internal condition of Germany, and the external possessions of Austria, will enable the reader to perceive the drift of this correspondence, and to comprehend its importance. Austria, unequal to the tusk of keeping Yeiifctia a:.d Hungary single-handed, seeks to raise up a Confederacy in Germany, constructed with so keen a view to her own interests, as to commit its members to a defence of her foreign provinces. Prussia, on the other bund, desires that Federal reform should he based upon u purely national foundation ; that it should he a strict realisation of the theory of German unity; and that none of the States should be implicated in any responsibility connected with . individual ambition or with any views apart from the interests of the whole.

The probable result of tbs palpable dualism ami ineconcileable. opposition between Prussia and Austria and the States that, severally follow them is the severance of Germany into two Confederations, northern and southern, indeed, as matters stand at present, no..other issue seems possible; and if it be true that the Prussian government has recognised the kingdom of Italy, in the shape of a note to the Prussian representative at Turin under 4he hand of the A'uig, the disruption cannot be far oft. This new distribution of Germany cannot fail to involve momentous consequences to tho rest of Europe ; but that is a subject which it is premature to touch upon yet. Surely, the beginning of the end of fRoman question —so long looming neaivr and nearer —is close at hand at last The French Government Ims remonstrated with the Pope in a lend and anxious tone, but in a manner which bears very much the appearance of a filial appeal, and the Pope has ■ replied, through. Cardinal Antonelli, in words which might he translated into the famous Hibernian expression of olstinacy, “ 1 will oe drowned, ami nobody shall save me.” The Pope won’t he saved. He never will surrender up an inch of the sacred territory. What is to be done? France cannot, go on protecting Rome forever. The effect produced by the Pope’s answer on the French government is shuwn by a subsequent communication addressed to the Papal minister requiring an explanation respecting a circular sent, from Rome to the Gallican Bishops, summoning them to a meeting in May, such cr< ular not having been sent through the ,Stale authorities. The French government has since “ advised” the Bishops not to go to Rome except upon urgent diocesan business. It is impossible to mistake the policy of which these small incidents are significant indications. Prince Napoelon’s speech in the S mate on the Address presents another striking evi deuce of the growing impatience of Roman obstinacy. The prim-e openly declares against. the temporal power of the Pope, ami demands that.national education in France shall be taken out of the hands of the priests. These opinions delivered m the A'enate by a cousin of the Emperor looks very much as if the scabbard had been at last thrown away.

The arrival of the new Arciiuisbop in Warsaw has not hail the effect of calming ihe public mind He was officially/eceived by the clergy, hut it does appear that the people took any part, or showed any sympathy, in this ceremony. Great distrust was manifested reepectiug the alleged confession of the poor old Canon Bialobrzeski. In soma quarters its authenticity was called inquesiion,. and those who admitted it to be genuine believed that it was extorted from the weak mind of an old man, worn out by fear and suffering- The first act ul the new Archbishop was to reopen the churches, a solemnity which was performed with due magnificence, and not without an appropriate leference to the paternal wisdonv of the government (to whom the prelate owdd his appointment) and the quiescent duties of an obedient people. From the floor -if t e gorgeous cathedral, be ArelAislmp exhorted tne congregation to sing the prohibited liyms no mote, and assured them of the benevolent protection of the Emperor, if they would abstain from all such manifestations. The contrast between tub Aarchbishop ami the former must have struck the congregation to its heart’s core, and was not. very likely to reconcile them t<> the change. -—Home yews, Feb. 16,

AMERICA. The long expected and often promised advance of the great “ army of the Potomac” under General M'Clelland has not yet taken place, and it is now said that it will not take place before April or May ; but the Federals have, during the last month, pushed forward with such vigour tlieir operations in -Kentucky and Tennessee, that we are at length able to record a decided and important; progress in the conduct of the campaign. The object of the Federals has been not only to secure those States to the Union, but to adopt such an aggressive line of action as will compel the Confederates to detach troops from the main body of their arniy at Manassas for the protection of their Western frontier ; in this way to facilitate M'Clellan’s advance. The victories within the last few weeks have especially contributed to inspire the Northerners with fresh ardour. The former of these victories was gained at Somerset, in Kentucky. The Federal army advancing southward rested upon three positions, oj which a place near Bowling Green was the centre, and Mill Springs the left flank. The Southern general, Zollicoffer, an American of Swiss extraction,, hoped, by attacking Mill Springs, to turn the invaders’ flank r and accordingly, on the 20th of January, advanced in force. The battle lasted from daylight till 3 o’clock, when General Zollicoffer was mortally wounded, and his followers fled. They were followed, by General Thomas, who found their entrenchments deserted, and captured their cannon and commissariat. The Federal loss is not known, but the Confederatesleft 275 killed and wounded on the field. This victory relieved the Federal army from all danger of an attack in flank, and stimulated the Union sentiment iu Kentucky.

The second success of the Federals occurred on the 6tli of February. Fort Henry, on the eastern bank of the Tenessee River, and commanding the river for two miles, was attacked by a body of Union troops, supported by. four gunboats. The firing lasted an hour and a half, and was sharply answered from the Confederate batteries, till General Tilghman surrendered. The Federals lost only 37 men, and most of them from the bursting of a boiler, struck, by the enemy’s shot. The affair in itself may be considered trifling, but the position is an important one. The Confederates are j>;aid to have had 500 men collected near the fort, who fled on its capture, with the Union general in pursuit.

These movements in the West have been considered of such consequence that General Beauregard himself has recently hurried into Kentucky. Beauregard has ■-?. no doubt been directed to defend the country in the neighbourhood of Bow—ling Green, and to prevent any march: 1 vs from that region to Nashville, the capitaLd! of Tennessee. This the successor of-di of Zollicoffer will very possibly be Vbldx. to accomplish. Provided he refrains the rashness which led to the defeat Somerset, it is not probable that the ad-..;-vance of the Federal troops southward;,; can be checked by an inferior force hold- . ing the strong positions which present;., themselves in a rough forest country/ . But another invasion of Tennessee is now • evidently intended by the Fedei*al generals. For a long time past Cairo, 8 tithe;., junction of the Ohio and Mississippi : rivers, has been made the scene of. great preparations. Not only has a very large' force been collected, but a fleet of.7gunboats and mortar vessels has beenr-con-structed at a great expense, for service, on the Western rivers. These, there -is , reason to believe, were originally insea-v ded for operations on the Mississippi., Even if we put aside as absurd the* plans, of a descent of the river to New Orleans,, it is still probable that the idea of the Federal generals was to get possession of the Mississippi, as far as Memphis, and to operate upon the rear of the Confederates in Tennessee, after having separated that State from its Western neighbours. But the attack upon this Fort Henry shows that the Federal plans have undergone a change. The flotilla, instead of being sent down the Missisip-. pi, has gone up the Ohio to its junction with, the Tennessee, and then sailed southward up this river. The Tennessee is a broad stream, and the gunboats have penetrated through the State of Kentucky to the State of Tennessee,, where just within its borders the Confederates, in expectation of this manoeuvre, had constructed the earthwork called Fort Henry. The facts reported concerning the capture of this fort would seem to indicate that the Federals are intent upon making a diversion which Will weaken General Beauregard, just as, ou a larger scale, the whole Western campaign is intended to weaken President Davis and General Johnston- on the Potomac. A campaign' in Western Tennessee, by which Nashville should be threatened from another quarter, > seems to be the object of the Federal general Halleck, in sending the gunboats up the river. Nashville is distant some 80 miles from the spot where the Union Flag has been planted on the soil of Tennessee, and to reach it even with a small and lightly-equipped force would be a difficult operation. But the necesssity of striking a blow in the West will, no doubt, instigate the Federals to make every effort. It is probable, therefor , that the Western campaign will in the, coming spring show great activity. Kentucky and Tennessee are States of such importance that the possession of them will be contested with the utmost vehemence on both sides. Western Ken- *■ tucky seems secured to the Union, but in the . central part there-will-doubtless be hard fighting, and the Federals of course calculate that tlieir diviriou in Western Tennessee will so far weakyu

General Beauregard as to force him to abandon the soil of Kentucky altogether, and to retreat to the southward.

A brief despatch from New York dated Feb. few-days later than the date of the news, above referred to—-con-tain evidence that the Federals are vigorously following up their recent victories. ,It,says :—“ The Federals have seized the bridge across the Tennessee river, thus cutting off the main communication between Memphis and Columbus. General Grant was going to attack Fort Donnel,son with eight batteries of artillery. The place |is reported to be occupied by 8000 Confederates. It is rumoured that the Confederates have evacuated Bowling Green,” The Western tactics of the Federals have been more successful than those on the sea-board. We referred in our last to the Beaufort and Hatteras'e-vpeditions, the object of which was to make a diversion by advancing with a few thousand men through the swamps of North Carolina. These enterprises have both as yet utterly failed. Another expedition however, which sailed lately from the North under General Burnside, promises to effect son ebbing. It has already taken possession of Roanoke Island at the mouth of the Albermarle Sound, and destroyed the Confederate vessels which were found in those waters. Subsequently. the expedition appears to have sailed up Posqulank Bay, and to have attacked and captured Elizabeth city, which the Federals now occupy. A very severe engagement took place at this point, the report stating that 1000 men were killed and wounded on each side. The Federal troops were advancing upon Eden city, and their ultimate destination was probably Norfolk, where a panic prevailed. General Burnside, we may state, has about 20,000 men under his command.

At the date of our last publication we had heard of the removal of Mr. Cameron from his post as Secretary at War. He was requested by the President to resign, according to one account, because of his anti-slavery opinions; according to another, because the Senate had ordered him to send in a list of contracts for inquiry. The first explanation seems doubtful, because tne President has summoned Cassius Clay, a strong Abolitionist, to take a command in the army,; and the second seems unlikely, while the Secretary to the Navy, who has been censured by the Senate for mismanagement of his contracts, remains in office. Mr. Cameron will replace Mr. Clay at St. Petersburg, and has been himself succeeded by Mr. Stanton, a Democrat, but acceptable to the Republicans.

In finance, the House of Representatives of Washington has taken, after much deliberation, a step of great importance. It has passed the Treasury Note Bill, with the legal tender clause, by a majority of 93 to 55. This bill limit' the number of notes to be issued to 150, 000,000 dollars, and makes the notes a legal tender for the payment of all dues within the United States. The New York Chamber of Commerce has also passed a resolution to the effect that no systbtn of'taxation bringing less than 150.000,000 dollars annually is adequate to meet the exigencies of the Federal government. [A New York telegram of February 12 states The Senate Finance Committee will report on the bill for the issue of 150,000,000 dollars of treasury notes as legal tender, a d making the interest on government bonds payable in coin. The assistanttreasurer will receive on deposit treasury notes in sums of not less than 500 dollars, and will name interest at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum on such deposits. These deposits must not at any time, exceed 25,000,000 dols, It is provided that the duties and the proceeds of the sales of government property shall be set apart for the payment in coin of the interest of the United States’ debt, and to purchase 1 per cent, of the entire debt yearly, which will be set apart as a sinking fund, the interest of which fund will be applied to the payment of the public debt.”] General M'Clellan has now managed virtually to head every regiment of his army with regularly trained military men' from West Point. It is managed in this way. He has formed very snA brigades ef about two regiments eacnf and .made every regular West Point officer, from captain upwards, into a brigadier. Thus, the brigadier now corresponds in fact to our colonel, and from the brigadier upwards all the officers are trained military men. / The American journals are very severe on the frauds discovered in contracts and the ‘Tribune’ says “contractors generally belong to the class who would scorn to sell their Saviour for 30 pieces of silver so long as there was a hope of getting 40.” Tne actual expenditure of the Federal States upon, their land and sea forces • is, says the ‘ Times’ in a recent article, “at the rate of £102,000,000 a year. If we are to suppose that the forces which are a match for these in the field are a match also in cost, we shall arrive at the conclusion that the two sections of the Union must be spending between them nearly £1,000,000 sterling a day. What has been done for this stupendous outlay it would puzzle anybody tu discover, the Southerners, it is true, have achieved a certain success, but by virtue of their pusilioii only. As they have nut been subdued, nor compelled to abandon their pretensions to independence, they may ciaim'a species of victory ; but their triumph js «lue to their situation, and not, to their military power. From the tone of their journals, which are written with far greater freedom than those of the .North, we infer that ihe Confederate army is strong in numbers, but indifferently equipped, and less Qarefully disciplined than that ; under Ge^

neral M‘C!e!!an. The relative advantages of the rival forces have been not unfairly contrasted by Southern critics. The Confederates have the advantage in the individual excellence of their troops,, in the military aptitudes of their population, in the number of -well-trained officers, 7 and probably in the more resolute determination of the men. The Federals, on the other hand, are superior in: artillery, in supplies aud in materials generally; they -have larger resources to back them, and General M'L’lellan, with a clear perception of what Was lacking, has laboured incessantly to give his army that mechanical power which springs from discipline and efforts can hardly have been thrown away, but his troops, after all, are but soldiers of six months’ standing, so that, if discipline is to be their chief reliance, they can have but little to depend upon. There is probably not a battalion in bis army which would be considered in tlrs country as qualified for active service. These accounts give a sufficient explanation of the military inaction which is at once so costly and so unpopular. General Beauregard is n >t strong enough to advance against the intreuchments by which Washington is protected, and behind which the Federal troops would fight to great advantage. General AT C’lel!an dares not invade a country impassable for his artillery and baggage, and occupied by a wary enemy who has twice taken him at a disadvantage, and who could probably perplex him more than ever by retreating before him without a blow, In the remoter districts the successes of the belligerents are pretty evenly balanced.

Mr. Lincoln ordered a short time back that privateersmen were to be treated as prisoners of war. The Southern journals hove of late begun to take a very gloomy view of the prospects of the Confederate cause. Some of them indulgi iu .very plain spoken invectives agaii st the “ despotism” of Mr. Davis. The hopes of that portion of the Federals who are desirous that the war shouid he made distinctly an anti-slavery one, arc centered in several measures about to be submitted to Congress. The programme which wins most favour is to abolish slavery iu the district of Columbia, to apply the principle of compensated emancipation to the Border States, and to reduce the rebel states to the status of territories, at the same time restoring the ordinance of 1787, prohibiting slavery in the. National Territories.— Home News, Feb., 20.

THE ADDRESS OF HIS HONOR THE SUB ERIN TEND ENT.

The following is the remainder of the address for which we had not room in our last number:—

You are aware that the two bills, the one repealing the clause of the Land Revenue Appropriation Act of 1858, under which one-sixth of your Land Revenue was authorised to be retained by the General Government : tlie other compelling a refund of the amount, so impounded, which were passed by the House of Representatives in/1860, and rejected by tho Legislative Council, were again introduced last session, and agreed to by the House of Representatives without a division, but that the Legislative Council again threw them out. It is satisfactory to know that before next session'the Legislative Council will be so far reformed by an addition to its numbers, that it will scarcely be in a position again to defeat the repeated decisions of the House of Representatives on a money bill, with which it has constitutionally no right to interfere. In the meanwhile the present General Government has advanced to the province as a nominal loan, the whole amount of the “ Reserved Sixths” received up to October last, on the security of a portion of the land in process of reclamation, and I have no doubt they .will continue to hand over the accruing sixths as often as we may ask for them, especially as under the change just mentioned in the Land Purchase department, the onus of providing the funds for land purchases will devolve not upon tlie General but the Provincial Government

During the last session of the General Assembly the rppresentatives of Hawke’s Bay and of this province, after repeated conferences, upon the subject of the apportionment of the public debt, agreed to submit the case of their respective provinces to the auditor general, not as an arbitrator, but with tlie view of obtaining his opinion as to conditions and principles, by which in the event of an arbitration being agreed to the. arbitrators should be guided, and upon the understanding that the report should be laid before the provincial councils of jtlie two provinces for their sanction, previous to any further action being taken in the matter. Tlie Auditor General, after hearing the statements of the two parties and fully considering the whole question, ultimately gave it as his opinion, that the permanent debt of the original province must be taken at the date of separation at £TOO,OOO ; and that the apportionment should be based on population rather than territory ; and accordingly recommended that Hawke’s Bay should be charged with £25,000 of the 100,000/. Your representatives at once offered either to adopt the Auditor General’s recommendations provided the same principle of appoitionment was applied to the land purchase loans, or to adopt the territorial basis of appointment for the £IOO,OOO, ibv finally,' by way of compromise, to aecept the sum of £35,000 ; but the Hawkes Bay representatives did not feel themselves justified in agreeing to any of these three proposals. It is under these circumstances that in redemption of a pledge given to the House of Representatives, I shall submit a bill appointing commissioners with full powers to adjust the debt with tlie Hawke’s Bay Government. Without expressing my emiie concurrence iu the conclu.

slops arrived at by'the Auditor General I ‘ yet willingly admit that he has so far cleared the way for a settlement, that I do not apprehend that there will be any serious difficulty in satisfactorily arranging this vexed question, if the Hawke’s Bay Government is prepared to enter upon the proposed negotiations in the same spirit as we do. The shortness of the last session having precluded the possibibility of our examining the claims preferred against this province by Messrs. Gladstone and Go. in respect of the Ann Wilson's immigrants, I must again ask you to take the matter into your consideration, with the view of enabling tlie government to give a decided and definite answer to Messrs. Gladstone and Co. The commissioners decided that the government of Wellington could not be compelled to pay for the immigrants by the Ann Wilson, but they nevertheless concluded their report with a recommendation that it should pay the whole amount of the passage-money, less the sum of .£6OO on'account of the non-issue of the legal allowance of water. Now as the second question was clearly contingent upon the answer given to the first, which was given in favour of tlie government, I have always contended the commissioners exceeded their powers in even entering Upon it—that in short, having decided that the Provincial Government was not liable, there was an end of the reference. Nevertheless seeing that no blame really attaches to Messrs. Gladstone and Co, it would not redound to the credit of the province if the whole loss was thrown upon them, and I therefore feel assured that you will meet their .claim in a fair and liberal spirit. I shall have peculiar pleasure in laying before .you tlie reports of the visiting justices of the gaol; for from them, you will gather, thanks to the zealous and judicious superintendence of the visiting justices, and also to the faithful manner in which their instructions have been canned out by tlie warden, how different is tlie state of the gaol to what it was a few years ago. The discipline is so much improved that whereas formerly, most of the prisoners were kept in fron,t there are now only 2. The classifiation is so far improved, that debtors are no longer obliged to herd with prisoners,' it the penal servitude men are kept separate from the hard-labor men. Additional accommodation is, however, required for females, and for men awaiting trial. This it is proposed to provide by adding on to the N,W. Wing. What, however, is wanting, is the establishment of certain rules and conditions under which certain prisoners can by good conduct in the gaol win for themselves a remission or mitigation of their sentences As long as no such hope is held out, the heavier the sentence, the less inducement to reform the stronger their desire at any risk, to oscape. Under the present system justice simply defeats itself. Nor is the state of tlie Lunatic Asylum less satisfactory. From tlie reports both of the late and of the present medical officer, you will leai*n that restraint is seldom had recourse to—that however violent patients may be when admitted, they soon owing to the lenient and judicious treatment now, pursued, become quiet, and render the most implicit obedience to those in charge of the asylum. Pay a visit to the asylum and you will probably find its residents engaged in carpentering, gardening, cutting firewood, or some other useful occupation. The building however, being too small to allow off any classification, I have placed a sum on the estimates to build an additional wing. Crown grants of the Town Belts of Wellington and Wanganui and also., qf the Reserve known as the Canal Basin, have been issued to the Superintendent. Bills will be submitted to you, vesting the management of the Town Belt of Wellington in a Board of three Commissioners, who will be empowered to lease it in moderate size allotments for a term of 21 years, and to apply the rents to such Town improvements as lby may deem expedient; unless you should specify in the Act works which the Commissioners shall be bound to carry out.

Though the Canal and Basin will be vested in the same Board, yet it is provided in the Bill that they shall be reserved as a Public Park, a certain portion of which is further to be set apart as . a Cricket Ground. A similar Bill will be inquired for the town < belt of. Wanganui, ' ; 1 While providing a Public Park at Te Aro, it seems only fair to make a similar provision for Thorndon, and as it is desirable for several reasons to purchase the acre in front, I would suggest the purchase of the two or three acres behind, with a view of having the whole block planted and laid out, part being made 1 a Botanical Garden.

It having been determined that the next session of the General Assembly shall be held here in June, it will in all probability be necessary to build one or two rooms in connection with “Bellamy’s,” and to provide additional furniture. Although the General Assembly may be willing to defray these expenses, still it appears to me so wholesome a rale to lay down—that any Province which seeks for the meeting of Wte General Assembly at its capital!should tdke upon itself the sole burthen of providing the buildings and accommodation which a compliance with its claims entails, that I shall not hesitate to ask you to vote whatever sum may be necessary to meet the requirements of the General Assembly of which I shall in all probability be advised by the next mail. • ! I shall again ask you for the appoint' ment of a committee to receive and report upon the claims to compensation, of those parties who complain-that they

were- prevented! by a variety of .causes from preferring them within the time prescribed by law. A block of land at Manawatu estimated to contain some twenty-five thousand acres has been recently' handed over to the Provincial Government, but as the greatest portion of this is swamp, which in the hands of individuals would be comparatively useless, it is proposed that the Government should undertake to drain it before it is thrown open for purchase ; the Enginer’s report as to the practicability of draining it is being just obtained. A Bill authorising .this will probably be necessary. Under the Provincial Audit Act of the General Assembly (1861,) it is necessary that the Provincial Council and Superintendent should concur iu the nomination of an Auditor and Deputy Auditor of the accounts of the Province, who will then after such nomination be appointed by the Speaker,' and further, that provision for their salaries should be made by a Provincial Act. While I shall readily concur in your nomination, I yet feel bound to submit, that, considering the faithful and efficient manner in which the present Auditors have for several years discharged tlieir duties, and their entire independence both of the Executive and Legislature, it will be difficult to .find others so well qualified for the offices, and therefore, unwise to dispense with their services, if they are willing to continue them. ! As it is essential that the Custom-house 1 should be as close as possible to tlie Cus-tom-lioui e Wharf, I felt it my duty to lose no time after the contract for the wharf had been taken, in having plans prepared for a Custom-house, and also for a Post office, in consequence of the PostmasterGeneral having authorised the Postmaster To secure at once a more suitable building. These plans having been approved by the Commissioner of Customs, tenders were called for, and one has been accepted, subject to your sanction. It being desirable that these buildings should lie ready for occupation by tlie time the wharf is completed, you will, I trust, intimate your decision with as little delay as possible. But ,thes_e are not the only public buildings which are required. By the last mail I received a communication from the General Government, pressing upon,me the desirableness of making provision not only ; for these buildings, but also for a Supreme Court by a loan with a sinking fund, to which his Excellency will be prepared to assent; at the same time intimating that, the “ General Government is so deeply impressed with the necessity of making provision by a loan for these objects, that unless the Provincial Legislature will make such provision by a loan, Ministers will feel themselves called upon to propose to the General Assembly, in its next session, to sanction the necessary expenditure, the amount being brought to account as a local charge against the revenue of the Province.” I not only coincide in the opinion thus expressed, as to the necessity of the buildings in question, but lam anxious that you should also sanction the building of a Police Court and Station—also to be included in the loan. The site proposed for the Supreme Court and Police Court is the reserve near tlie Scotch Church. I need not point out that by erecting these public buildings either on or in the immediate vicinity of the reclaimed land, you will materially enhance its value, and ensure a speedy demand for it. Considering tlie large sums thus proposed to be expended in this city during the current year, the .many public works wliich are required in different parts of the country, the inroad already made upon the revenue by the damages recently done to public works, the fact of the cost of the Lighthouse having been defrayed out of the revenue instead of, as was intended, out of the loan of £25,000 disallowed by tlie late Ministry, and especially the probability that large funds may be required for land purchases, I feel that it is only fair and reasonable that the cost of the Custom- house Wharf should, equally with the buildings just mentioned, be provided for by loan. I accordingly intend laying a Bill before you, authorising a loan of £25,000.

Lest any objection should be urged against increasing the public debt, it is perhaps right to remind you that at the same time that tlie permanent annual charges are increased fresh sources of revenue are created. Assuming that the proposed loan will entail an annual charge of £2,000, still estimating the wharfage dues at £1,500 a-year, the road tolls also at £1,500, aud the light (lues (the levying "of which will it is expected be authorised by the General Assembly in the ensuing year) at £SOO, you have an addition of £3,500 a-year to your income to meet an increased charge of £2,000.

But while thus proposing to increase the debt of the Province. I am anxious that steps should at the same time be taken, for providing a Sinking Fund for the extinction, not only of the Loan now proposed, but of the whole public debt. You may remember that in a previous session I threw out a suggestion* that' a portion of the public estate should be set apart for that purpose, but after more maturely considering the subject, I readily acknowledged the validity of the objections urged to the suggestion then made; and I now propose ■ that each year, a sum (•say) of £2OOO should he paid over to Commiissionersvrto be termed Commissioners for life extinction of the Public Debtthat these sums and interest accruing thereon should be invested iu mortgages on" Freehold Land

within the Province; tkiat such payments should be a first charge upon the Revenue of the Province, after paying interest on Loaus; and that the: and accruing interest so invested should'Be applied-by the Commissioners at stated periods, or from time to time, to redeeming a portion of the public debt. The advantages of such a scheme are sufficiently obvious—the annual charge

would be trifliuji—the Province would receive a higher rate of interest on the money it lent, than it paid on the money it borrowed ;—its sinking -fund instead of being sent out of the Province to be invested in foreign securities, would be employed in developing the resources of the Province—and i a the event of the Province requiring further loans, it . would go into the money market with much higher credit, than it would do, were no provision made for the liquidation of its previous debt. To show the operation of this scheme—if the public debt was £100,000;' it would be extinguished within 19 years ; but it is not proposed, that the sinking fund should g> on accumulating for 18 or 19 years when it would be equal to the amount of the debt of .£IOO,OO0 —but. that the Commissioners should from time to time apply the whole or a portion of it to redeeming a portion of the Public Debt. Should this proposal of a Sin cing- Fund meet with your approval, a Bill giving effect to it will be laid before you. The audited accounts up to the 31st of last month will at once be laid before you. From these and also certain other returns, you will find that, with three or four exceptions, all the Works for which you made Appropriations last year have either been completed 'or are in progress. With reference to the proposed expenditure for the current.year, you will necessarily find many of the Appropriations of last year on the present Estimates. Taking the expenses of the Ordinary Departments of the Government at £14,000; of the Surveys and Roads Departments, at £SOOO ; the permanent charges (». e. interest on Loans) at £9,500, you will find on the Estimates under the head of Sundry Undertakings, the following items proposed : for Education, £750; Council Library, £150; .Explorations and Geological Survey, £llOO ; ; Subsidy to Local Steam Navigaton Company, £1000; for Inter-Colonial Steam, £1,500; for Repairs, Insurances, Furniture, /nternatioual Exhibition, <fec., £950 ; making a total expense under the head of Public Undertakings of £5,340. Under thehead of Bridges, you will find: for the Pakuratahi, £825, for the Silver Stream, £129,;” for. the Hqrokhyi, £BS; for the Wangaehu, £1000: for the , Hutt, £300; the Taueru, £629; the Pahautanui, £B3, the Porirua, £203 ; the Tutai Nui, £150; a total expenditure on Bridges of £3,400. Under the head of Roads, the following votes are proposed : for repairs of the two trunk lines, including Ngliauranga and the TTutt. Gorges, £4,700 ; for the Beach road, Wellington, £100; for the Rangitikei-Wanganui trunk line £3,000; for No. 3 line, Wanganui, (inclusive of the appropriation of last year) £IOOO ; (and the following votes all include balances of previous appropriation, unexpended on the Ist of January last): for Featherstoii to Masterton, £1,000; FeathPiston to Te Kopi, £250 ; Masterton to Castle Point, £750 ; Belmont Road, £310; Wai-nui-o-mata, £SBO ; Remutaka, £6" 0 ; bridle track to Mungiroa, £300; Upper Rangitikei to Turakina, £SOO ; Karori diversion, £SOO ; and grants in aid, £4,500; giving a total proposed expenditure on roads of £18,130. Under the bead of Buildings and Sundry Works, votes are proposed,—-for reclaiming land, £3.000; Piling bank of Wanganui river. £200; Meteorological Observatory and Instruments, £200; for additions to Gaol at Wellington, £750; to Gaol at Wanganui, £500; to, Lunatic Asylum, Karori, £400; for purchase of three Acres adjacent to Government Offices,. £1,600 ; for 1011-bar at Kai-warra, £350; contingencies for public works, £2,000 ; Deep Water. Wharf (including metal sheathing, cranes, and plant), £IB,OOO ; Custom House and Post Office (including shed=. warehouses, and furniture), £3,000; Supreme Court, £3000; Police Court and Station, £2,000; making (with a few other items) a total expenditure on public 'buildings and sundry works of £36,500.

The total expenditure proposed for the year being £91,880, but it must be understood that this, expenditure on public works, &c., is intended to extend over the period, commencing on the Ist of last January and ending bn the 31st ot March, 1863. For in making my present statement I am placed in this difficulty, in consequence of your having decided upon April as the most convenient month for holding your session, and sanctioned an expenditure in your, last Appropriation Act for the first four months of the present year ended the 31st .December last, but without making any specific appropriations for these four mouths, and without changing your financial year, I am necessarily obliged to make a financial statement for the, year ended on the 31st of December, instead of for the year ending the 31st of next March. To obviate this difficulty (which practically is not of the slightest importance, for your financial position —both as regards revenue and expenditure, as you will see by referring to the audited accounts —was almost precisely the same on the first of this month as it was on the first of January,) 1 propose submitting to you two Appropriation Bills—one covering the actual expenditure of the last three months already sanctioned, and the other for the year commencing the Ist of April and ending the 31st of March next. With regard to the means of meeting the large expenditure proposed I apprehend you will see no difficulty. On the Ist of January (and it is the same now) the balance in the hands-of' the Treasurer was <£17,605 ; balance due on account of reserve sixths, £2,881 ; balance to the credit of the Province in England, £3,925; interest due from Hawke’s Bay, £2,500 ; I estimate the 3-Bths grossfoiistoms at £14,500 : licenses, auctioneers? j; and publicans’, at £1,900; pilotage, £p00; assessment on sheep, £250 ; Hospital and Lunatic Asylums (subsistence money) £250 :Incidentalreceipts, £IOO ; . Immigrants’ Promissory Notes. £2,000; Rates on. Land and Contributions from Grants in Aid* £2,000 ; : Pasture Licenses and Rents,. £ 1,000 , Land Sales £25,000; Proceeds of- Reclaimed Land’.

£6,000; , Refund of Reserved -Sixths, £4.000; making the total Receipts £84," 361, to cover an estimated expenditure of? £91,880, exclusive of any liability on account of the Ann h ilsons, of additions that may possibly be made "To . the Estimates before they are finally passed. This apparent excess of expenditure over income lias already been explained by, the intimation that £25,000 of it is to be provided by loan. Haying thus explained to you tin present position of the Province, and brought before you the matters'Which: appear to me of; the ; most importance, it simply remains for me to assure you of my readiness to co-operate with you in «ny other measures, you may deem calculated to promote its interests, and to express my earnest hope that, recognising, as I believe we all do, the critical period through which we have passed—the imminent dangers we have escaped—and the brighter prospects opening before us—we < may not forget how much the ultimate suesess of that wise and pacific policy', in which we are all so deeply interested, and wliieb, in spite of the predictions of disappointed men and the sinister influences of nnseen opponents, is steadily making its way—depends upon the Provincial Councils and Governments of this Island, not merelp living to it a passive, lukewarm, lifeless adherence,—but upon their availing them selves of every possil le opportunity to declare their approval of it, and their determination to give it their cordial and active support. [ln the course of his speech his Honor referred to the recent postal arrangements. We only gave part last week. The whole of them 1 are as follow Satisfactory as were the steam arrangements made some years since with the Coleman Company, the modification of them recently proposed by the Postmaster-General does not seem to have met with the approval of any one of the Southern Proviuces. As far as I understood the scheme of the-Postmaster-General it was this—A steamer was to leave Sydney on the arrival of the English mails from Auckland ?; two interprovincial steamers were to keep up a fortnightly communication between Auckland and the Bluff, calling both going and. returning at the intermediate ports; and another inter-provincial boat was to nm once a fortnight between .Munukau, Taranaki, NeEson, and . Wellington. The English mails for Napier, Taranaki, and .Nelson were to be brought by the Sydney steamer to Auckland and forwarded on by the inter-provincial boats ; the mails for the other Southern Provinces were to be sent from Melbourne to Otago, and forwarded on also by the 4 other Inter-provincial boats ;the insuperable objection.to that scheme was, that it deprived all the, Proviuces except, Auckland of direct steam communication with Sydney. This objection has, however, to a certain extent been removed; for it is now proposed to run a steamer once a month aud back between Sydney and any two of. the three Provinces of Nelson, Wellington, and Canterbury, which shall join in giving a subsidy of £3OOO. a-year, to be supplemented by the General Government with a further sum of £2,000.' Admitting the force of the objections urged to tlie scheme as thus monified, by the Chamber of Commerce, and others, still, as it virturlly makes Wellington the Head-quarters of Steam, and as it .is most ; important not to merely maintain direct Steam with -Sydney, but especially during the Meeting of the General Assembly to keep up frequent communication with all the other Provinces, I think it .would be unwise in us to decline joining either Nelson or Canterbury in the proposed subsidy, even though I deem it excessive, considering that the . line between Sydi ey • and Cobk’s : ' Straits pays the Company better than any other..

MARKETS. Wanganui, May .B,—-Wheat •6» barley ss, oats ss, maize 6s per bushel,. flour (at Netlye.inill) £l7, (in town) £lB per 2000 lbs, potatoes £3 per ton, bread—-41b. loaf la, butter Is 3d per lb, eggs 2s 6d per doz. Holloway 1 s Ointment and Pills. —Changes of temprature.—Rheumatism, neuralgia,; sorethroat, coughs, colds, constantly occur at the change of seasons, when treated in their early stages they one and all give way before this cooling and purifying Ointment. To arrest the malady, relieve pain, and place the patient out of danger nothing further is required than rubbing this Ointment very' well upon the skin near the affected part- It will penetrate, reach and rectify aiiy organ which may be disordered, or whose functions may be indifferently performed. It is generally advisable to take Holloway’s Pills, while rubbing in the Ointment, as the one materially assists the other. No disease can long resist their conjoint curative powers._ 33

CALENDAR. _ CFulI Moon; May 34 10.39 a.m Moon £Lasl Quarter May 21 3.17 a.m

Agents for the “ Wanganui Chronicle”

TM)-a7cjHfl-rr-Messr3.-;FitANKLiN and Hurst. Rangitikei—ilTts Thos: : Scott.; IVeitington — W. Lyon, Esq. Auckland— Messrs. Williamson and

. Wilson : . Nelson —Messrs. C. & J. Elliott. \ew Plymouth—F. U. Glf.dHill, Esq London— Messrs. .Smith, Elder ,&;Co

GO 00 00 05 ►-> fs < Eh o o <M o co O H Mr. G. Beaven . 5 5 1 2 13 „ T. Garner . 8 8 2 1 14 „ K. Gray . . . 6 4 2 1 13 „ G. Howe . 6 7: 3 3 19 Major Logan . 6 8 1 0 10 Mr. W. T. Owen ..... . 6 5 5 1 17 „ John Peake . 8 3 3 3 17 „ D. Porter . 6 6 4 4 20 „ T. Powell ... 7 6 2 4 19 „ Fredk. Parkes . 7 6 3 0 16- „ Frank Parkes .. . 6 7 0 0 13 Capt. Short .. 6 2 2 4 14

4 4 05 ►3 ■ - o © © . o © © © Mr. D. Willcox 8 7 7 22 „ H. Willcox 8 12 o 20 „ G. Bruce 6 6 3 15 „ C. Smitlx 9 4 1 14 J. Johnston 7 3 2 12 „ A. Wilson 8 2 2 12 „ B. Bruce 6 0 1 7 „ J. Hurst 4 1 1 6 „ R. Knox 3 0 0 3 59 35 17 111Ho. of Bull’s Eyes ... 3 3 0 6 „ Centres 16 8 6 30 v Outers 18 10 5 33 „ Misses 8 24 34 66 Average Humber of Hits, per man 7.66 Average Humber of Points, per man 12.33 EURO PE AH HEWS

May. S. rises . S. sets. High water at Head 8 7 5 4 53 5 34 5 58 9 7 6 4 52 6 22 6 46 10 7 7 4 51 7 10 7 34 11 7 .8 4 50 7 58 8 22 12 7 9 4 49 8 46 9 10 13 7 10 4 48 9 34 9 58 14 7 11 4 47 10 22 10 46 15 7 : 12 4 46 11 13 11 317