JINGOISM IN NEW ZEALAND.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR:] SIR,—A New Zealand newspaper is responsible for the following paragraph :—" It has been mooted that, to show the strong feeling existing in this Colony against the policy of the Glad- stone Government in making humiliating concessions to Russia, a cable message expressing that feeling should be forwarded to Sir Stafford Northc,ote or some other leading member of the Opposition in the House of Commons. If sent, it would probably be read during the coming debate. Several gentlemen have offered to subscribe to the cost of sending such a message." Now I question whether any such "strong feeling" does exist in the Colony, except to a very limited extent. We are not all Jingoistic noodles in New Zealand, and we most of us lay claim to at least a modicum of common-sense. If I am not much mistaken, Mr. Gladstone is about as popular in New Zealand as he is in the Old Country ; and if he succeeds in averting war with Russia, I think we shall be very grateful to him. This Russian scare has already, it seems, cost the Colony half a million sterling in defence-works, a sum
wean ill spare, considering the necessity of applying every available penny to the important work of opening up the country by railways and roads. In our at present somewhat impecunious condition we cannot well afford to have two ware on our hands at the same time. We are at present engaged in a desperate straggle with the rabbits, and it would go hard with us to have to encounter Russians and rabbits simultaneously.— I am, Sir, &c.,
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