THE MAIL SERVICE.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 165, 29 May 1873, Page 3

THE MAIL SERVICE.

As the filial decision of tho British Government on the subject of the Suez mail service has not yet been made public, it (would be premature to pronounce definitely npon the course of recent events in connection with the several questions thut hare arisen. The position of the Colonial Office from the commencement was a difficult one, and we fear in this respect lias not been improved by fubsequent hesitancy and delay. Whatever the intention of the Home Ucvernment may have been when the proposals were first submitted to the colonies, it was clearly enough understood by the latter that the ultimate determn»hon ot all mutters of detail, including the question of terminus, was remitted to the colonies themselves. It was of course expected their decision would be arrived at after mature deliberation , and that a reasonable degree of agreement would bu secured. But absolute unanimity, we should say, was ne\er calculated upon by any one ; nor was anything so impracticable hinted at by the Bntibh Government itself In this -view of the whole subject it must be almitted thut the decision on the Suez mail question armed at by the Intercolonial Conference was highly creditable to the colonies. It may be questioned whether in any oth.r part ol the world an equal number of delegates, representing so muny conflicting mteicsts, could be found to muke so near an approach to unanimity on any large question submitted for their consideration. What more could be reasonably demanded ? This is a case where the Colonial Office may very easily damage its reputation, and lower its influence with the colonies, should it fad to carry out its own proposal in a fearless und bona fide manner. It must have been known to Lord Kimberley, when these proposals respecting the Suez subsidy -were made, that the colonies of Victoria and .New South Wales would not be likely to agree upon tho question between themselves. It was for this reason that a joint consultation of all thf colonies was recommended. Yet to what effect, unless it unintended to learo the matter finally in their bands? To resume the question onco more, and annul the original conditions, or ignore them, on the part of the Imperial Authorities, would hardly bo acting m good iaith. As yet the new proposals, wo may suppose, arc brought forward only in the shape of a suggestion, but unless that suggestion should be freely accepted as an equivalent by the large majority wluch decided tho question some months ago under the 01 iginal conditions, it would be most undignified not to say unfair, to enforce it upon them now, under the alternative of arbitrary withdrawal from the oiler altogether. It is to be hoped this will not be done. Far better the British Government had never interfered than that the combined ooiKiiltntions should bo terminate. New Zealand is not intminli'lv mtciested one way or other. It is not ot grail moment to us whether Sydney or Melbourne shall be the tei minus of the Suez hue ; but we are concerned to wo the service speedily made what it ought to be, an afficient one, in older that tho greatest measure of punctuality and despatch may be secured; and for thia reason wo shall be clod when the whole business » saiely and satisfactorily arrini"M» It is the British Government that is now standing k. 7lu- way. Having once remitted the question to the coloniiM for their consideration, the Colonial Ofbco will rvinc 11 «ne discretion by giving cttcct to the decision arn\eil at by the uU-but-unanimous consent ot the Intel colonial conference. — !)■ S. Crest.

The Hikuraia cx» rcnondent of »ho Thnmes Advertiser of vested^ says . -» xNearly all the Europeans who have been LMini-digRHiR about eight miles beyond tf iknta<a have shit ed to within about live miloi of Shortland. Some ssj that the reason t hey shifted,* as on account of tho unsociable and overbennng conduct of the natives working near them; others Any tlmt the gum is nearly woiked out. Mr Gibbons has uj) about twenty men to cut logs in tho bush at the back oi |tlie township. 1 have had occasion to visit Ohincnaun ttiic'l fccvoral yavlt of the up-country lately, owl could not help remarking tho entire change of the natnes tow aids Europeans. Many duels and othci a « horn I hare known for 3 ears to ahow friendship to whites now scowl \>poi> and avoid them. One old chief indeed condescended to shako bonds, but his Jmmlsbip ended on my iciu->ing to net him powder und caps " "The> firpd two shot* at bun," saul nn Irish repoit-'r ; " tbr lirbl killed buu, but Iho second was not latnl."

j The Degree of Kcbekah in connection with the I.OOF, i was conftrred rectntly at the lodgc-ioom, Friendly Societiue" } Hull, upon tbewuea ul seven numbers of tie Order. Grand { Miialoi Aiichin pic-mled, and Ihe vice-chair was occupied by ' DG.M Bro Brp.t! wj-te At tin- te'im at-on of initiation, 1 the Qiand Mastir (U-lnin v.l a sl.trt bin m.| uvuc addrejs ; to tie r.ewly-mitintid mi mj ni.o. in tli** course of his re- ! marks, stated thai t'x'U' w -re at pie cut llurt\ members nl o had taken tue Reockah in gree, and ho t uoiiglil they mustered ; sufficient lj etrviiir to found a lodge of their own, as there ! were several lodges m America formed solely by the Jrvlies, with the exception of tho Noble Grand, winch was filled b\ ; a brother of the Order. The meeting thm iv«olved info a social gathering, and dancing was kept up with ppTit until ; an advnnced hour. — Evening Star. Several of oar contemporaries appear to be gieatly troubled because the farmers are burning "corn " in lowa, finding it cheaper than wood. The Standard recently hoped such people would not be punished by some calamity, and cren the Daily News writes in on accent of i egret. Both <<rem to forget that " corn " m America does not mean wheat, but maize, which is not eaten here by men m any quantity, nnd thref -fourths of which is only fit for burning. As far j ns we are concerned, it is fodder rather than food which they are burning in lowa, where, by the way, tho clearances must have been of the most reckless kind, to mako wood so dear. Wheat used to be burned i.i the Punjab in enormous quantities merely to get rid of it, as it would not bear the ocean transit, but we hare not heard of ft case of the kind for jears — Spectator. It 13 some consolation says the Pall Mall Gazette to lefleut that when woman gains -her vights and man takes her place "as a mere drudge," there will be a great improvement in our dinners. The Nation, referring to the " morals and manners of the kitchen," truly observes that women have had the cooken of the world in their hands for eevcial thousand years, but all.lhe marked advances m the art, and, indeed, all the cultivation ot it, hate been the work of men. Whatever zeal women have displayed m it, have been tho result of influences in no w.u gastronomic, and which might perhaps be called emotional, Mich as u demotion to nialo relatives, or a desire to minister to the pleasure of men in general. Few or no women cook a dinner m an artistic spirit, and their success m doing it is nearly always tho result of atrection or loyalty, winch is of course, tantamount to saying that female "cook'er\ as .i whole is, and always has been compm ,it nely poor. As a proof of this, the Nation has declined at ,u>\ given time or phci — in the northern States of tho Union, for uv^timce— pan paisu with tho growth of female independence ; that is, as the habit or love of ministering to men's tistes has become weaker, the interest in cooking has fallen oil. Dr. BnioiiT'rt Puosrnofn\F —Multitudes o.f people are hopelessly suffering from Debility, Nervous and Liver Complaints, Depression of Spirits, Delusions, Unfltness for Business or Study, Failure of Hearing, SigVt, and Memory, Lassitude, Want of Power, «S.c , whoso cases admit of permanent euae by the new remedy Phosphodj ne (Oxonic O\ygen), which at once allays all untation and excitement, imparts new energy and lite to the enfeebled constitution, and rapidly cures every stage of these hitherto incurable ahd distressing maladies. Sold by all Chemists and Storekeepers througout the colonies from whom pamphlets containing testimonials may be obtained — Caution : Be particular to ask for Dr. Bright' s Pho«phod\ne as imitations are abroad; and avoid purchasing &mgle bottles, the genuine article being sold in cases only.— Auv