The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-29 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND.

The political news since the departure of the previous
steamer is of much interest. The Stafford ministry,
formed in June last, had been obliged to resign and a new
ministry had been formed. This was brought about by the
financial policy adopted by
.Mr. Jollie, Colonial Treasurer,
which was received with universal disapprobation from one
end of New Zealand to the other. A strong feeling of
opposition wss instantly aroused in the House of
Representatives, and resulted in a motion of want of con-
fidence being carried by a vote of 47 to 14.
After much negotiation a new ministry was formed by a
coalition between Mr. Stafford and the members of the
Weld ministry, which, ten months ago, he had been the
means of driving from office. The difficulty of forming a
coalition coesisted in this, that there was a strong feeling
of personal antagonism between Mr. Stafford and the Weld
party, but fortunately this was overcome, and ultimately a
ministry was formed, consisting of the following gentle-
men :—Mr. Stafford, Premier ; Mr. Fitaherbert, Colonial
Treasurer ; Mr. John Hall, Postmaster-General ; Mr. J. C.
Richmond, Commissioner of Customs ; and Colonel Haul-
thin, Defence Minister. The Hon. John Johnston and
Major Richardson are also numbers of the ministry with-
out portfolios. This ministry is the strongest that could
have been formed, and will probably remain in office for •
considerable time.
The policy of the ministry has been indicated in Mr.
Stafford's statement and Mr. Fitzherberre budget speech.
They are going to carry out a colonial policy ; they are
willing to dispense with the services of the imperial
troops—though if the imperial government choose to let
one regiment remain they are welcome to do so—and they
propose to provide for the defence of the colony by means
of a constabulary force. The defence estimates are re-
duced by sewn of 39,000!., and by imposing stamp duties
on the colony they are able to pay a large sum, amounting
to something like 318,000!. to the provinces as their share
of the customs revenue. This, we think, will satisfy
the ultra-provincialists, though we think it doubtful if
the 70,000/. set apart will prove sufficient for the defence
of the colony. It is estimated that the uew stamp duties
will secure a revenue of 50,000!., but business men out.
sikle the house think it will be considerably more.
The Kaikours, arrived at Wellington from Panama on
24th August, having made a very successful trip.
A telegraph cable has been successfully laid acres Cook's
Straits, and telegraphic communication is now perfectly
established between the two principal islands of New
Zealand. and the seat of government is thus brought into
instant communication with all the towns of the Middle
Island.
The steady prugrese of the West Coast gold fields con-
tinuos, and there are signs that a considerable rush of
diggers is about to set in again from Melbourne.
There is bat little reference made to the war with the
natives. From all accounts the aborigines appear to be
rapidly disappearing. Two gentlemen whose official duties
have taken them through the Northern Island lately, de-
clare that instead of there being between 40,000 and
50,000 natives left, there are 1106 more than 34,000. One
gentleman even states the number to be 27,000, and " cer-
tainly not more than 30,000."
William Thompson, the er-kingmaker, has paid a visit
to Wellington ; presented a petition that the Waikato
should be given back to him, which has been refused;
dined with the superintendents of some of the provinces,
who were also M.G.A.s, at a special dinner ; and returned
to the Waikato. He has been in very bad health.
From Auckland we hear of little but disastrous fires,
which seem to occur almost daily, and in most cases are
the work of incendiaries.
A dreadful fire occurred in Nelson on the 7th August.
Three hotels, the Temperance-hall, the Young Men's Chris-
tian Association Rooms, and thirteen other houses were
burned.

NEW SOUTH WALES.
Our :tea from Sydney are to Ist September. Parlia-
ment met on the 2-Ith July, and wits still in session. Its
proceedings have not been marked by any features of greet
interest. His excellency had assented to a bill introduced
by the Treasurer, called the Custouis Validation Bill.
The colony is considered as in a very prosperous condition.
A proclamation by the Queen has been published offi-
cially in the colony, declaring that gold sovereigns and
half-sovereigns coined at the Sydney Mint shall be a legal
tender for payincnta within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland. The charge for coinage of the gold at
the branch taint in Sydney is to be 3d. per ounce troy of
gold of standard fineness.

THE TRIAL OF 11rsx ALLAH BEY.-The examina-
tion of witnesses for the prosecution closed on Friday, and
that for the defence began. M. Janaen,a gunsmith, bad been
called on Thursday to prove the impossibility of suicide ;
and one of the first witnesses on the other side was M.
Charrince, a lieutenant in the Belgian army, who had
official experience of the way in which soldiers generally
killed themselves. They commonly use the muaket,
letting it off by the action of the great toe on the trigger.
A slipper was found on Readly's bed, whence M. Char-
rinee inferred that he had thrown it off in order to try
this method of suicide, but had not succeeded.
After various technical explanations of the way in which
suicide might have been committed, M. Cbarrince said
that he bad doubted the possibility of suicide when he
commenced his examination ; that his investigations had
forted on him the conviction that Readly did commit
suicide ; and that if he wanted to do the same (which he
hoped would never be). he should do it in the same way.
Ant ho explained the fact that no shot was heard by the
remark that when a gun is held close to the body, the
sound is very alight : for example, at Namur a corporal
killed himself with a musket-shot in the room where his
I comrades were talking, and they did not notice it. On
Saturday two of the five rainmakers, Messrs. Jansen and
Martigny, and also Dr. Schoppens, the Antwerp surgeon,
withdrew the opinion they had expressed on Friday, that
the shot which killed Readly might possibly have been
fired by his own hand. The proceedings stood adjourned
I until to-day (Monday).
THE HEAVY BOMBAY MALLS.-SOUTHAMPTON,
Ocr. 27. -The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Pere, Captain Sabot, with the above mails and 59
passengers, including the Lord Bishop of Gibraltar, ar-
rived this morning. The Pere has on freight 13 packages
specie, value 2,8001., and a general cargo, including 470
packages of ivory from India. Across the Bay of Biscay
the Pera experienced a strong gale from the N.W., with a
heavy sea ; up the Channel fine weather. Her Majesty's
ships Assurance and Hibernia were at Malta. Gibraltar,
22nd : The steamer Britannia from London, Cadiz from
London, schooner Mona's Pride from Cardiff, and steamer
Syria from Southampton, have severally arrived here since
the 14th inst. Exchanges are
.quoted-On London, 90 days'
date, 49i ; Paris, 8 days' sight. sf. 10c. to 12c. ; Mar-
' eeilles, 53. 124. ; Madrid, 2 dis. ; Cadiz (pay in gold), par;
I Seville (psi in gold), die. ; Malaga, 1} dis. ; Valencia,
1 par. Premium on five-franc pieces, per cent. Freights
i are without alteration.
LONDON Gams Massays.-On Saturday there
were large supplies, and among the importations of game
from Scotland were several hampers of the capercafirie,
or " cock of the wood." The prices were as follows :-
Phessan's, 6s. to Bs. per brace • partridges, 2s. to 3e.;
grouse, 3s. '
to Is. 6d.; black game, 64. to 75.; the caper...nil-
sae, 10s. 6rL to 14a. per do.; hares, 3e. to 4s. 6d. each ;
small leverets, 2a. to 35., and wild rabbits, ls. to Is. 4d.
each woodcocks, 4s. 6d. to 7s. a couple ; and snipes,
Is. 6d. to 3s. per do. Venison : Haunches off prime
bucks, Is. 4d. to Is. 6d. per lb., and forequarters, and doe
venison, Sd. to Is. per do.
DISPENSARY FOR SKIN DISEASES, 56, GREAT
MARLBOROUGH-STRUT, RZGENT-STRZET.-011e hundred
1 and twenty-seven patients were relieved at this dispel:orgy
during the week ending Oet. 27.
ROYAL Fun HoerrrAL, GRAVS-111N-ROAD.-
IThe number of patients relieved at this hospital during the
week ending Oct. 27 was 3,084, of which 1,010 were new
UM.