The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1835, 10 April 1884, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1881

Equal and exact justic e to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and imbiibed by gam.

The speech delivered by the Premier at Hawera on Monday night is, on the whole, a very satisfactory one. It may not disclose sufficient to gratify ultra-opponent^, but there is sufficient in it, at any rate, to reassure those who wer« inclined to entertain doubts about the financial soundness of the colony. To be sure, Major Atkinson is not much of a pessimist when in power, and the temper in which he regards our condition may perhaps be a little too sanguine. But he is not blind, and when he tells us to cheer up, we have something like a warrant for disregarding the voice of the croakers. The fact of our expenditure having exceeded our revenue by £170,000 is, of course, not pleasant; but the Premier's explanation, while it cannot in the very nature of things be entirely satisfactory, nevertheless puts the matter in a much more favourable light than most people anticipated. Since the deficit became something more than a more possibility, the Government have honestly set themselves to work to meet it. Tho Treasurer has been blamed for basing his estimate of the Customs revenue on the extravagance of the people, but unless he had been endowed with something better than human prescience we do not see how he could have reckoned on a falling ofE of ,£120,000. The most enthusiastic member of the Blue Ribbon Army could not have anticipated that the people would have abandoned their evil ways to the extent implied in tills extraordinary decrease in the revenue. The Treasurer puts the action of the Government in revising the railway tariff in the best possible light, and so far as his defence affects the question of differential rates, it is not altogether illogical. We, however, join issue with him when he says that the railways must be made to pay, and that the only way to attain this end is by increasing the tariff. In the first place we do not believe that the lines can even be made to pay by the imposition of a tariff which must of necessity dry up some of the most valuable sources of revenue, and in the second place we hold that the railways were built as much for opening up the country as for any other purpose. It is hard to conceive what other object they were intended to serve, had that to which we refer not entered into the calculation. This, however, is a subject we shall deal with in a separate article. The only other point in the address which we shall notice just now is that relating to education. On this subject, it must be confessed, the Premier is lamentably unsound. Tho head of a Government committed to support the present system, Major Atkinson, gives us no room to doubt that he is altogether dissatisfied with it. But, notwithstanding the Premier's prediction that we must soon revert to denominationalism, we think the popularity of the present system has not begun to wane yet. It is, however, clearly no time for its friends to go to sleep.

A recent number of Punch contains a cartoon, which, as it to some extent indicates the popular feeling in England on the Egyptian question, possesses considerable interest. Mr Gladstone is represented holding back the muzzled British lion from joining in the fighting, which among dust and powder smoke, isprocoeding inthc background, while and John Bull, who is looking on in an indignant mood, says " Take the muzzle off, it ought never to have been put on." Without doubt a large section of the English people are as greatly perplexed to understand what the Government propose to do as any benighted New Zealander can possibly be. It boots not to enquire now whether England was iustified at the beginning in putting her finger into the Egyptian pie ; her actioii may, and very probably was unwarrantable ', but having inserted her first and second fingers under the crust, she ought to have pulled out the biggest plum she could find. It is the fashion of the time to condemn wholesale the foreign policy of the Government of Mr Gladstone, and to point in justification of the sneers levelled at the Cabinet to the mesa in Zululand, the inglorious ending oi the AfFghan Campaign, and the ignominy earned in the Transvaal war, We hear a great deal about the decay of England's prestige under the Liberal rsgime, and the need of a Tory revival ta mfc >re to the Empire the laurels she has lost ; and though, there is generally a great deal of Jingo bosh uttered the estimate the English, pppple have formed of the Egyptian) policy of the present Government is reasonably fair. Mr Gladstone's Administration is professedly one of peace and non-intervention, it is true, and as such, nobody could quarrel with it ; its fault is that it has departed from the traditions of its party to a degree sufficient to lose that party's confidence/ and not wide enough to gain the support

of tho other side. In a caseof this sort safety cau only be found iv extremes — there is no golden mean. At the outset of the campaign which terminated at Tel-el-Kebir, Mr Gladstone put up with the loss of an old and honoured colleague in order that he might serve the interests of a privileged class, the stock- jobbers of the Exchonge and the Bourse ; and now, with a perversity that is inexplicable, ho declines, in the very teeth of popular opinion, to complete the tusk by the subjugation of the Soudan. It may be better in the interests of Egypt itself, to say nothing of England, that the Soudan should be left to its own devices, but if that be so, where was the necessity for the naval demonstration at Suakim and the expedition against O.sman Uigna which General Graham brought to a close at Tamaneb 1 Ihe whole of the Soudan business, so far as England's part in it is concerned, is a mystery as impenetrable as that concealed in the stony eyes of the Sphinx, and the Prime Minister is probably not better able than the dullest of us to offer a solution of it. The worst feature in the whole affair is the apparently cold-blooded way in whioh the brave and intrepid Gordon is left to his fate. It is useless to say that the GovernorGeneral of the Soudan is a servant of the Khedive, and that the latter is therefore responsible for his safety, because it is well known that General Gordon presumed on the | assistance of the JEnglish Govern- ' ment ; else why should he threaten the rebels with British bayonets ? Besides which, the Khedive himself if no more than a sort of upper servant of the Empire on which the sun never sets. Mr Gladstone cannot, without the risk of tarnishing his reputation, retire from the land of the Pharoahs while one of the bravest of his countrymen remains looking out at death over the walls of Khartoum. The English people will certainly hold the Government i-esponsible. .should General Gordon meet the fate of Hicks Pasha.

To-morrow (Good Friday) there will be Divine Services at S. Andrew's Cambridge and S. Peter's Hamilton at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., and at Cambridge West at 3 p.m. ! I

The grand stand &c, of the Cambridge Jockey Club is at present being thoumghly renovated and painted, and piomise-, to present a more attractive appearance at the next meeting of the club.

The annual monthly meeting of the Cambridge Town Board will be held next week when the matter of improving the Public State will be attended to.

We understand that Messrs AW. and Lewis O'Neill have bold their pioperty at Point Stanley, Auckland, 40 acres, unimproved, for £112 per acre.

About a dozen carpenters arrived from Auckland yesterday, to work on the htation buildings' contiact, WaikatoThaiues railway. They were driven out to Piako in one of Mr 0. It. Johnson's coaches.

Our Alexandra correspondent inform-) us that Capt. Capel and OG men of J the A.C. Force have left Alexandra to commence work on the new Kawhia road.

! Judge Brookfield, of the Native Lands Court, was a, passenger to Cambridge yesterday, whither, it is understood, he goes to consult Chief-Judge Macdonald, in regard to some of the East Coast businesb.

Te Kooti, with a large number of followers, passed Ituough Hamilton yesterday. They had just returned from Hauraki, and were on their way to the " King" Country.

A special train will leave Te Awamutu on Easter Monday for the Auckland races at 6.45 : Ohaupo, 7 ; and Hamilton junction at 7.38, arriving in time for the races, and leturning on Easter Tuesday after the last race.

The concert to celebrate the opening of the Tam.iheie School, which was announced to come off on Wednesday next, has, on account of various counter-attrac-tions, been postponed until Tuesday, the 22nd inst.

On Sunday last the altar, pulpit and prayer desk of S, Andrew's Church, Cambridge, were draped in mourning for the late Prince Leopold. The National Anthem was played at the close of the evening service.

The criminal sittings of the Supreme Court, at Auckland, closed on Tuesday. William Skelly, for larceny as a bailee of £5 10s, was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Alexander Grant, charged with maliciously shooting a horde, the property of a native, at Alexandra, was acquitted.

It has been decided not to move all the buildings at piesent in me by the Constabulary at Cambridge. The two buildings adjoining the court-house at present used as the officer's quarters, storeroom, &c, are to remain where they are, but what use they will ne\t bo appropriated for, we have not been able to learn.

The following special messages to the Press Association, dated London, April 7th, have been published : — The Doric has arrived with her carero of frozen meat in excellent condition. — The Imperial Government acquiesces in the New Zealand Government ceasing to contribute to the sinking fund of the guaranteed loan of 1850. — The New Zealand Land Investment and Loan Company has been successfullj' floated. j

On Good Friday all post offices will observe a close holiday. Telegraph offices which open to the public on Sundays will open from 9 to 10 a.m. and 7 to 8 p.m., instead of the usual Sunday hours. On Easter Monday post and telegraph offices will only open to the public between the hours of 0 and 10 a.m., and at combined sub-offices again in the evening from 7 to 8 p.m. Morning and evening mails will be received at and from all sub-post offices. I All mails usually closed at Hamilton Post Office on Monday, will be closed at 10 a.m.

Ag a striking instance of what can be attained by the blind (writes the Pall Mall Gazette), ifc [a worth noting that the young lady who has for the iasfc few nights been playing Ariel in the burlesque of the " Tempest," called " Prospero," at the Imperial Theatre, is quite blind. She was not originally cast for the part, but has taken it in the absence of Mr Hudspeth, and aha directs her action entirely by sound. More than this, owing to the temporary absence of the Miranda pf the burlesque on Friday last, this blind lady took the part of the heroine for that evening ; and although necessarily much prompted, and sometimes even " spoken for" by Miss Belayal — who, as Ferdinand, acts in a manner worthy of better surroundings—she actually went through the performance without exciting the slightest suspicion amongst the audience as to her condition. This blind actress is the daughter of one. of the property-keepers at the theatre.

The total emigration te the United States, according to an English paper, for the year, at all ports of the country lias been about 558,000, over 154,500 less than iaii ygar. Germany leads with nearly a third of all ar#iV*jjj, her total being 180,000. nearly 50,000 less than W year. Ireland sent nearly an eighth of all — about 05,000 against 69,000 last year. England, Scowanij an 4 \Vales show the only increase made this yea?,' thaw? fcotal being 100,0000, 93,000 last yaar. They ttinfc » full fifth. Norway and Sweden show a lar#e failing off, the total being about 50,000, against nearly 85,000 last year. They drop from nearly a BJnth of all to less than an eleventh.

An English writer potato out that to the end of 1882, 10,000 miles of railway had been constructed in India. On these Hne«, capital to the extent o* £140,936,776 hud b«en sunk, «f which, more than

£67,000,000 had been expended by private companies, on whose expenditure the Government had contracted to guarantee 5 per cent; over £34,000,000 is due to the East Indian Railway, originally the propei ty of » guaranteed company, but afterwards purchased by the State; and the remainder is capital raised by £he Government. The result of this expenditure is that India has been supplied with a system of railway communication which, to leave out of question its effect in the mitigation of famine, has already proved of the greatest benefit to the country, as a glance at the trade returns will show, and which produces a revenue which, after paying all working expenses, yielded a return for 1882 of 5.55 per cent on the capital invested. The net return not only covers the interest charges for the year on the expended capital, but leaves a sui plus in the hands of Government of over £1,000,000.

We have been requested to remind owners of horses, that the nominations for the Cambridge Jockey Club Autumn Meeting, on the 30th April and Ist May, will close with Mr Percival at Auckland, and the Secretary, Mr W. Scott, Cambridge? not later than Thursday 17th April. It is hoped that the entries for the close events will be large, that the club may receive some encouragement for their considerateness in this respect, to afford greater encouragemont^ to local owners to enter their horses for the Waikato Plate, and the Waikato Steeplechase. Messrs Lewis and Simpson's valuable prize has been specially given for the former, and Messrs Wingate, Burns and Co.'s Cup for the latter; and we hope that these inducements will have the desired effect.

On Monday evening last, after the Land Court had adjourned, the use of the Public Hall was afforded the successful claimants in the Whetu case, that they might meet and arrange the subject of names and other matters of an attendant nature. They had fairly settled down to business, when a gentleman named Nikorima, fresh from the haunts of Bacchus, intruded his presence on the company. He first became obstructive, and subsequently abusive. The daring invader is a very big man, and proportionately powedjij^and so strutted into the, room with the air of a man conscious of his own superiority. His very presence seemed to cause uneasiness, but until he became abusive little notice was taken of him. A swaithy native named Minehera Powha stood forth the champion of the meeting, and challenged the intruder to combat. The combat was not mortal, but Minehera had his face smacked for his trouble, and rethed much abashed at his defeat. Watching his opportunity, and assisted by a reinforcement, he attacked the enemy's rear, but the enemy planting his feet in position, and entangling himself with a few seats, repulsed the attack with ignominy. He now felt called upon to smack the individual faces of the attacking force, which he did. The chief Arekatera watched his oppoitunity, and determined on another rear attack, which he tried, but even Arekatera was repulsed, though unlike Minehera he had not his face slapped. The common enemy was not allowed to remain without further inteiference. The meeting was adjourned till the evening, when Mr Nikoiiina again made his appearance About eight o clock an awful noise was heaid outline the hall, which attracted many to the vicinity. The entire meeting had combined in the expulsion of thib modern Samson, and Samson seemed to have in hi-, embrace the entire .sitting accommodation of the building. Some person had thoughtfully made off with the light ; the women and old men made a speedy exit by the back-door, and what with the darkness, the rattling of seats and the swearing of the combatants, the interior of the building presented quite an interesting spectacle. It is needless to state that Nikorima was finally ejected, and all further disturbance was arrested by the interference of the police, who had the combatants arrainged at the Police Court, Cambridge, yesterday.

So long as France steers clear of the treaty ports it is piobablc that Western Euiope will not interfere in the quarrel. As, however, it is understood that the Chinese intended to lender unnavigable the southern approach to the Port of Canton, this contingency very natuially attracted the attention of Earl Granville, who is responsible to some extent for the free course of our foreign trade, so that if diplomacy is reticent m respect to suzerain rights—for which it hGoniH to to ha\e \ery little respect—it makes up for thin weakness, with the power of a cyclone, in respect to the multiplication of the almighty dollai. Not so much out of respect for the dollar, be it remembeied, as tor the political influence with which it is invested, Manchester is a power, so is Congleton, to say nothing of Bradford and Leeds; and, associating the products of the looms of these centres of industry with the requirements of China, which are mainly supplied through the treaty ports, what more natural, in the interest of poli. tical influence—when, at a not voiy distant period, the party now in power will bo casting about for votes—that Lord Granvillo should enter his protest against such an anomaly, and inquire whether Fi ance still maintains her intention of avoiding any measure that may di.sturb European trade by attacking treaty poits, without pievious notification to the Powers, or a formal declaration of war with China. Whether or not, under any other circumstances than the probable necessity of casting about for political power, this question would have been put in the jjeftinent sense indicated, we shall not stop to inquire, contenting oiu = selves with the assurance on tho part of France that a formal declaration of war will be communicated to the neutial Powers if the Chinese should attack Fiench ships or French subjects. This narrows the question at issue, so that if, when *;he French attack Bac-Ninh, that garrison is defended by Chinese troops, France, if she keeps her word to our Minister f')F Foreign Affairs, will have no alternative but so declare war against the Celestial Empire.—European Mail.