The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1875-12-18
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOrrtlser.
SATURDAY Y, DECEMBER Is
FROM NEW ZEALAND AND FIJI.

] y 49,
By tie Tasco De Gqu1a, from the Colonies. we
have Auckland papers to Nov. p, and sydney 70
the 10th. There Is no news Of Importance. The
Sydney mail says Of The Pacific Mail service
The Vdsco IL CANA, the 6rst steamer for the
Pacific Mail Service under the new contract. ar
rived in sydney on the 18th, after Z slower passage
from san Francisco than had been eXpected-the
cause. II Is said, being q foul bottom. though
intelligence has reached the colony that other
steamers to be employed on the service are IN a
forward state, II seems clear that the contractors
are not ready 10 enter upon their work. There Is
no steamer in New Zealand to carry the mail
thence to Fiji. and the General here
was requested TO permit the pdscO 70 sail for FIJI
by way of Auckland. But that would BE- i yaria-
ton of the terms of the contract, and the permis-
sion was therefore declined. Ii Is much IL be
regretted that the contractors should have at
tempted TO begin operations at a period too soon
to admit of full preparation. The service was
being we'll performed by the A. :. y. Company,
and it would have been far better to allow ar
engagements that have worked satisfactorily to con-
time a few months longer than 10 cause discredit
to fall upon the new contract, at the very outset
by entering upon the service at a disadvantage.
The Government resolved not to publish the usual
official notice of the departure OF the mail steamer,
but TO have q mail ready to place on board the
IuScO az II she were an ordinary steamer leaving
the port. This would place the Government in a
position to hold the company responsible for a
breach of contract in the event of the steamer
making the AucklauU ucLOuE. Inc occurrence OF
this hitch has caused a large amount of public
dissatisfaction. But though the proceedings OF the
contractors are disappointing. the collapse Of the
contract and the service would be recognized as =
serious injury to the public interest. As We were
going to press, however, there were rumors abroad
giving room to hope that the difficulty might be
surmOunted.
We clip the following paragraphs from the
Herald of Auckland
In our last summary was concluded the narrative
Of the proceedings of the session OF the Assembly,
which was prorogued on the goth of October, and
which is the last session of the fifth Parliament of
New Zealand. 1t may be remembered that the
fereest conflicts of the session were in respect to
the Abolition of Provinces Bill. The Government
and their supporters desired to force a measure
through the Assembly making a fundamental
change in the constitution of New Zealand, with
out any appeal to the people the Opposition, led
by Sir George Grey, commended that such changes
ought not to be made until after an appeal to the
people. So strong did the Opposition feel on this
ground, and so powerfully were they supported by
public meetings, throughout the country, that, al
though a minority, they succeeded in forcing the
Government to make q compromise, and to agree
that the Act should not be brought into force until
after the next session, which will be the first of
the new Parliament. The great question. therefore,,
now before the country is, What constitutional
changes should be made? 1t is agreed on all hands
that the provinces cannot be permitted to remain
in the position which they now hold. The Gov
eminent propose TO abolish all the provinces, and
to substitute q system of local government by
means Of Road Boards and Shire Councils. The
Opposition contend that the circumstances of the
colony render such o method of government mex
pedient, and that there ought to be more than one
centre of legislative action. The members of the
Opposition have not, however, pledged themselves
to any definite scheme.
Ministers appear to have been somewhat anxious
about a seat for Sir Julius VOgel. 1t was freely
spoken of some time since. that the additional seat
so unexpectedly given to Wanganui was meant for
his occupancy. A requisitiOn was got up in the
favored constituency, and Sir Julius VOgel's col
leagues apparently make it part ct their Minis
terial duty to intimate that he will accept the offer,
and sit for Wanganui.
1t is gratifying to observe that vigorous efforts
are being made to cultivate the trade to FIJI. The
A. 5. p. Company have provided a steamer well
adapted to the trade. and the manager of the
company departed by her for Fiji, In order that
the best means possible may be taken to develop
the Island trade. The ~company's manager will
also have power to negotiate with the Fijian Gov
eminent for the insular steam service. This is a
matter of great Importance. There are no less
than eighteen places where it is considered by the
Government desirable that a steamer should call.
Should this service be secured by an Auckland
company, 1t will bring many advantages to the
company and to the public generally.
Our Alexandra correspondent IN a recent COM
munication says that the eldest son OF the Maori
King, tn TawhiaO, is about to make a - progress
through Waikato, and then to come on here to ask
Sir George Grey to go up and pay his father q
visit. Our readers will observe, therefore, that
the statements We have recently made were we'll
founded, and that the Kingites really look TO Sir
George Grey to effect q reconciliation between
th m and the Europeans.