The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-19 00:00:00

fined to Captain Percy and one or two privates
wounded. Upwards of 100 of the Whakatane na-
tives have voluntarily submitted, and, a 3 tley sur-
rendered all their arms, it may safely le assumed

they are in earnest, otherwise scarcely anything will
induce the nativesto give up more than an old worn-

out musket or two. None of the murderers of Mr.

Volkner or of Mr. Fulloon have yet been captured,

but they are known to be still in the neighbour-
hood. In the Opotoki district, as in that of Waipu,
pahs are springing up which will try the mettle of
the forces. Matters are quiet at the Waikatoi and

there is nothing new from Taranaki.
In political circles the absorbing event is the re-
signation of the Weld Ministry, which took place
on the 12th inst. When the Assembly opened, 11
weeks ago, the Opposition was of the most weak
and desultory character ; but in some measure,
from that want of tact which so often accompanies
strong Ministries, the Opposition has gradually
made head, or, more properly speaking, Mr.Weld's
supporters have one by one dropped off into what
are called the independent ranks, until the position
of the Ministry had become one of sufferance.
Although the policy of self-reliance--i.e, the de-

pendenee on a purely colonial force—had been and
still is much applauded in sentiment, yet, as it be-
came daily reduced to money figures, much of its
roseate hue has faded away. The long unmarketable
character of New Zealand loans has brought about

temporary financial difficulties in several of the

Southern Provinces, and every shilling of revenue is
consequently wanted by them. The reduction of the
proportion of the Customs' revenue hitherto granted
to all the Provinces, which will more or less cripple
the whole of them, was, perhaps, not unnaturally a

very unpopular step for Mr. Weld's Government to

take at such a juncture. Then came the conaidera-

tion of Militia, Volunteer, and other Defence Bills,
involving large expenditures, together with one
authorising the imposition of £lOO,OOO or so of fresh

;taros in the ships of stamp dutie.s. Unpopular as

measures for the increase of taxation always are

he Assembly saw plainly that there was no help for
t, as the large demands which the war is likely to

make for a long time to come must be provided for
in anticipation, even if only on the Statute. book.
A proposal for fresh loans was out of the question,
seeing that a million and a half of the last loan re-
mains hypothecated because the debentures cannot
be sold at legitimate rates. There was, in fact, no
other resource but the very business-like one of
making the year's income pay tlie year's expenses.
Bitter as the pill was (especially to Middle Island
members) it had to be swallowed, and the Assembly
was prepared to swallow it accordingly ; but, as
Parliament expires in a couple of months, members
have been anxious to put the best face on it, with a
view to the coming election, by proposing and voting
for all sorts of substitutes for the proposed taxation.
With a good working majority, whenever it actually
came to a pinch, Ministers found themselves daily
embarrassed by propositions most inimical to their
own policy, securing votes now of this and then of
that section of their supporters ; the House all the
while either mustering strongly in favour of the
Government whenever the threat of resignation had
to be held out, or else counselling the Opposition
members to retire on a division. As a notable

illustration of this I may mention that a few weeks

ago a motion asking for information relative to the

exemption of certain murderers from punishment by
the peace proclamation was carried on the voices, but

on the division the " ayes" walked out. The mem.

bers left in the house being all on one side (that of
the Government) no division could be recorded, and
the motion was therefore decided in favour of the
voices, and against the Ministry. This result was
purely accidental, but Ministers determined to re-