NOTES BY COLONUS.

Bruce Herald, Volume VI, Issue 347, 21 December 1870, Page 3

NOTES BY COLONUS.

THE IMMIGRATION AND PULLIC WORKS

ACT

Our Provincial Council seem to havf adopted s very judicious course in coming to a resolution that ii would take no action under the' Im migration and PuUtHTWoV-ks Act, until the whole policy of that. Act hud been reconsidered by a new Plouse of Assembly. A wilder or more preposterous scheme than this Act propd-es to carry out, probaVly seldom emanated from the fertile, brain ot any individual or individuals. Our Superintendent see tns strongly wedded to the scheme, so [much so that a suspicion is induced that he had something to do with the hatching of it, that there was some confabulation on " the matter when Fox was down this way last. However that may be, surely the Council merit considerable praise for the firm stand they have taken. Giving our Superintendent credit for every sincerity of intention, still we ought to be extremely cautious thitt we are not led astray by the very sanguine nature of that {gentleman. Mr Macandrew is not wanting' in a certain amount of talent, and in common with other clever men he entertains a most confirmed conviction that he himself is in the right, and that all who oppose him are in ttie wrong". No doubt Mr Macandrew has talent, but- whether t ha character of his intellect is of that, nature, and his judgment of that solid character such a* to make, him a ** leader of men , " whether or not, he does more mischief than good at the head of affairs, is another question altogether. Mr Macandrew has also displayed a disposition to. dominate and ride roughshod ; a sort of disposition wjjich when exhibiied in an indiv'dual always rouses feelings of anger and opposi;ion in the 5-tubborn breasts of Uritisb men. It was observed by some member of the Council that if we did not come in under the scheme we should not receive any benefit from it ; in other words, if we did not behave ourselves like good children we would get none of the c«ke. But bless us ! where is the cake'/ All very well talking and proposing to do this work and that, but the loan is not obtained yet, nor is there any great likelihood that it will be. In th^ first place we do not know whether tile new Assembly may nor, it is fervently to be he'jied it will, revoke the Art in toto; and even if it does nor, we aiay h« uua »le to borrow on suitable terms. There are many men, both in our Provincial Uouncil and out, who will strongly dissent from t;ie ireiieral policy ot the Act, namely, that ot the General Government superseding the functions of the Provincial Governments, in the application of revenue and loans, and the initiating and camiug out of public works. li will be the opinion of many men that the state of colonization in iNew Zealand is not yet in that ripe state that a General Government can well assume this power, bjit that for the present it is desirable that certain provinces' at least shotilii have entire control over such expenditure aa may be appropriated for the locality. It is not desirable that the. several provinces should assume the position ot separate states. L-iws should be made by the Geueretl Assembly to bind the whole ot New Zealand, and the Assembly should exercise control over the general affairs of 'the colony at home and abroad ; out as far-as financial matters are concerned, and the land estate is concerned, and works are concernsd, let each province manage it own affairs without the interference of the General Government, such Government affording such assistance as it is able to do, as in the guaranteeing of interest on such loans, as each province umy from time to time be allowed to negotiate.

No doubt it is a difficult question as to what He :ire to do with respect to the impoverished provinces such as Wellington and others; but it would be most false economy and ruinous to the general prosperity of New Zealand to draw heavily on the resources ot, and impoverish such provinces as are naturally disposed to pro* u-ress in order that ihn poor provinces provinces should be bolstered up. Lei us rid ourselves ot the mean and disgusting jealousy of each province considering itself a little kingdom. We are all one country, and if there be a chance of New Zealand going a-head in any particular direction, let it do so, and do not let us put a stop to progress and colonization in that quarter in order that we may lorce progress in another quarter. Wit 1 respect to any polio}' initiated by the Generd Assembly which may lie detrimental to the welfare of the Middle Island, it is a question whether the.-afety ot the southern provinces does not lie in combination. There is no doubt, as things are at present, the Council of 0 ago must bend before the power of the General Assembly ; still the action ot our Council may do something towards preventing or delaying ihe carrying out of what some people have a strong suspicion is one of the wildest and most mischievous I schemes ever proposed for the ruin and j desolation of a young colon}'.

A parson once preface? bis sermon with, " My friends, let us say a few words lie/ore we begin-" I'his is about equal to the m:iu who took a short, nap before he wen c to sleep. The New Proverbial Philosophy. — Ask no woman her age. Never joke with a policeman. Do not play at chess with a widow. Never contradict a man who stutters. Be civil to rich uncles and aunts. Your oldest hat, of course, for an evening party. Alwaj'S sit next the carver, it you <:an, at dinner. 'Keep your own secrets. Tell no human being you dye your whiskers. Wind u» your conduct, like your watch, once every day, minutely examining whether you are fast or slow. Make friends with ti»e steward ou board a steamer ; there's no knowing" how soon you may be in his power.