The Daily Southern Cross.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XX, Issue 2238, 22 September 1864, Page 4

The Daily Southern Cross.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22.

LTJCEO I? ON URO "If I havo been extinguished, jat there rise A thousand beacons from the spirk I bore "

The new policy of tlie Colonial OQlco is to make money of the colonies. " England 13 " tired of paying," so the pu.'se-stnngs are tightened, and not ouly is aid refused for the futuie, but repayment of the advances of a generous past is demanded in a churlish spirit. In thus forsaking the time-honoured traditions of the country, the Imperial Government do not surely count the cost. ]3emg pieoccupiod by matters of weighty import close at home, they bestow but little thought on the young commuuities planted by the parent State 111 tho four quarters of the globe, ' Great but distant interests are consequently trifled with, and the ■wants and wishes of the colonies either misunderstood or overlooked. When matters begin to assume an unpleasant aspect, however, tho shortcomings of the Colonial Office are covered by the imputation of blame against the colonists ; and as it is geueially impossible to call those high officials to an account for their conduct within any reasonable tiuio, or in a place where they could be made to feel the weight of condemnation which ought to follow exposure, it is not to be wondered at that the colonies so lectured usually remain under the imputation, and that the real offenders are regarded as e\emphus of wisdom aud admiui&tratne talent. For reasons that it is not necessary to name, this has been peculiarly the case v, ith ISJew Zealand. At one time petled, at another time snubbed, now indulged, and onon reprimanded ; — the settlers of New Zealand have undergone stiangc tiansformations 111 public opinion at home, which is usually moulded by the tocie of the Colonial Office despatches, and their echo in the newspapers 1 . Tho last manifestation of the prevailing spirit in the mother country is, undoubtedly, the worst The colonists are represented as cut-throats, a=i men who have brought on a bloody and exterminating war with a race of the most gentle and Christum savages the world has known, to obtain their land and make money out of the military expenditure , and we deeply deplore the fact that the piesent Chief Secretary for the Colonies is imbued with the same belief. Mr. Cardwell undoubtedly believes the libels against this colony, that have emanated in part from its own shores, or else he never would saciifice patriotism and tho interests of the mother country 111 this region, by adopting the policy, and almost the language, of the new school of mammon-worshippers who see no good in anything but money. But so it is; and an English Minister of State is not ashamed of identifying himself in this with, men who, if they had lived, in the days and in the

country of the Prophet of Galilee, would have been found amongst the herd of moneychangeis whom Jlo scourged out "of the temple of God. Let us see what Mr. Cardwell's proposals really amount to, and our readers will judge whether we have used too strong language in characterising them, lie tells the Governor thai nu army of ten thousand men is kept " at " his disposal" in New Zealand "fur ob/ccli of "great Imperial concern, and not for iho mere " attainment of any local object." He requires the colony of New Zealand to repay all moneys advanced by iho Imperial Exchequer in the maintenance of this army for Imperial and not for colonial purposes , demanding also that in future a sum of £10 per man per annum be paid for all in excess of one lcgiment, which we are to have for " nothing," or as Mr. Cardwell oxplains tlie word to mean, fora sum of £50,000 anmi-nlly-ratheraucw-fangled definition of "nothing," truly, and one which the iugeuious essayist who undertook the task of defining what "nothing" meant never hit upon. This looks very like making the colony pay for " nothing," aud pay handsomely too ; because, if tUe army is maintained hero for Tmpcual purposes, and not for the attainment of any local or colonial object, undoubtedly the colony derives no other advantage from this force than the stimulus to trade vi Inch the presence of so numerous a body of men neces=uuly creates But this advantage to our local trade is cleaily an accident of the Imperial policy, on Mr Card well's own showing, and w e are not to be taunted with the profits derivable fiom the presence of this army, because if "objects of great Imperial concern 1 ' did not demand their presence the3 r would not not be here, and they would be maintained elsewhere at the Imperial cost. Tins view of the case is borne out to the fullest by the statement that this large army has been placed solely at the Governor's disposal for Impenal pui poses ; and the Governor is reminded that " his " responsibility to the Ciown is paramount" In fact, the colony is to h<v\c no \oiec whatever m the disposal of the forces, showing plainly that the army is hoie for Imperial and not for colonial purposes , but then, w liy ask the colony to pay for this army 0 On what pnnciple of justice is this demand made s Let Mr. Cardwell aud the anti-coloniit paily answer these questions. Wo well know why tho deniaudhas been made at this time ]t is becauso the Impei i,il Government, or rather the new head of the Colonial OAiee, fiuds New Zealand m dilliculties. Impoveiishod b\ r four years of fighting— for the tiuco of 18G1-2 was as exhaustive as actual warfare— bleeding at every pore, Tictnns of a policy winch for twenty-tlireo years steadily promoted "ob]ects of gieat Imperial " concern " to the utter neglect of any mere local object, the Imperial Government demand from the innocent victims of its policy Iho amount of the past expenditure, m the control of which they had no voice, and a guarantee that in the fut me they will meet all dcniauds upon the Imperial exchequer for national purposes in New Zealand, on the explicit undeistaudmg that they can m no wise diminish or dispense with that expenditure. This is the new colonial policy of England, and the expen incut is, iiistmade with New Zealand. If it succeeds heie it will be tned elsewhere But will it succeed heio J Will the General Assembly of New Zealand ratify tins Shyloek's bond, in the vain hope that they will i\c\qv be called upon to meet it to the very letter ? We hope not, for if they do they will most surely be deceived. Tho colonies of England aie to be turned to good account m future They .vie to be coined into inonoy for tho promotion of " objects of gieat lmpciial concern," and they are to have no voice m the management of tho concern for w Inch they pay It is a bnlliant idea, worthy of the money-getting tendencies of the ago, aud one which, if successful, would iehe\e the Chancellor of the Exchequer from a hea\yloadof anxiety. But will the colonies assent to the justice or expediency of this policy? We think not. Ihey are strong enough to resist , and lesistancc would be justifiable. We say at once, if an ai my of leu thousand men is maintained hcie, at the sole disposal of the Governor, for objects of great Impeiial concern let the Impeiial Go\ eminent pay the cost. Tho affair is Ihens, not ours If w o pay we must have the control of the expenditure and the ducction of the troops. To suppose otherwise is an insult to common sense , and Mr. Cardwcll has offered terms to the colony which not only outi ago common sense but are positively an insult to any country possessing independent legislative functions and constitutional government. The demand of the Imperial Government in effect destioys the Constitution, for it controls the supplies The New Zealand Legislature cannot nppropnate its revenue to colonial purposes, seeing that to maiuteiiu the army in its strength, and guard the imperial mleicsts at stake in tho South Pacific as well as in New Zealand, the Crown absolutely lequires an annual vote of not less than £'150,000 — the gioss income of the colony. Such a piopositiou, we say, cannot be acceded to by the colony. We would rather see the whole of the Imperial forces withdrawn at once than submit to such degrading terms. We can maintain our own against internal enemies, if the woist come upon us , and it is no business of ours whether the objects of gieat Imperial concern, of which wo have heard so much, and for which we arc to pay so smartly, go to the wall in tho struggle. It is for the Imperial Government to look after its own interests in .ill parts of the globe, and to pay for it from Impeiial lcsomces ; and we w ill withhold our consent fiom any compromise which would place the colony under tho heel of a military dictator, and in effect, though not in appearance, suspend the Constitution. If it is necessary to suspend the Constitution, let it be done formally, and thon wo won't grumblo.

The present is so evidently a period of transition for this northern island of Now Zealand, and more especially for tins province of it, that any new discovery or new development of its resources comes to most minds amongst ua as a matter of course — a thing pleasant indeed, but not at all wonderful or out of the natural order. Kolhing short of the discovery of a great goldfield would be likely to cause much excitement in our community now, and we have some doubts whether people would not for the most part content themselves with nodding suggestively to their next neighbour and remaiking, " I told you so." If this were all that came of it no gieat harm would bo done. We are not aware that much is gained by excitement at any tune — certainly nothing is gained by an e\-citcd state of feeling in a mercantile community. On the other hand we may be too calm. It is not only easy, it is absolutely a groat temptation, to some communities to let nothing rouse them from their ordinary jog-trot. This is a pity, for wo have no belief in the groat results obtained by jog-trotting in any

line of life whatever. Wo have a great future before us, and it is probablo tlint we shall roach that future pretty certainly even by going along at our own rate. The only thing is that we shall not reach it so soon. At the present crisis m the history of this colony it seems to vis that, in questions of progress and development of resources, the time when. 13 almost if not quite as important a consideration as the place attaiued. We may be left behind in the race of the -provinces. Our possessing great resources is highly advantageous to us — if we uso them, but of no advantage whatever if wo merely boast about them. Wo have boasted about our resources of all kinds for a longtime — quite long enough, as it seems to us — it is now time to do something more, as the boasting is losing its cfl'cct upon the public of the colony. They begin to say • Well, this is all very fine, but we don't see any result. Auckland professes to be endowed will all sorts of good things, but, if so, wo can't sco that she makes auy uso of them. Her resources do not show themselves m her exports. She spends a groat deal of money ; but, unless she sponges upon new-comers and Conimissari.il expenditure, we cannot sco whence it comes. — No doubt we could say a good deal on the other side of the question, but our neighbours can see thus much, and that comes home to them. Anything said on the side talion by people's own senses goes a long way towards convincing them, and it is no use denying that everything points towards a gradual conviction arising m the minds of our Southern neighbours that Auckland is not at all what she professes to be — that she lias no such resources as she lias boasted of — that, in a word, she has been an empty pretence winch collapses on being practically tested. At soms time this miglit not matter, but just now it is important. The rapid progress of Iho colony is mnking the provinces think of tnking their places for the final struggle for preeminence, and it is not at such a time that we can aH'ord to neglect any one element of success. We must, in a word, bestir ourselves so as to oonvmce our neighbours tint our boast has boon no idle one after all, but that Auckland is by nature, as well as by selection, tho piomier province of New Zealand. There aro man}'- ways in which 11ns may be done suggested readily by the things that turn up week by week, indications of wealth which only need following up to become wealth itself. Take for instance our coal discoveries. This most valuable mineral is found nearly everywhere in New Zealand, but here in this province onty does it appear to be found everyw here, and seemingly 111 unlimited quantities. The discoveiy, however, at the Bay of Islands, of a seam of coul different apparently 111 its nature from all that have before been found 111 this part of the colony, opens a new view of the subject. We have hcio a coal easily got at, 111 quantity quite incalculable, in quality all that could be wished for — as even the surface stuff is but little mfenor to the best Newcastle coal — nil w e have to do is to use it. It 13 not possible to estimate the value of such an e\poit as this to Auckland. At present cargoes upon cargoes arc imported at a great expense fiom Australia, and this might at once be saved. It would, however, be a small pait of our gain, Not content with ceasing to impoit our coal, we should at once seek to form an export. If the minoial is at all equal to its promise the field for exportation would be at least as large as the New Zealand pro's inccs, to each of which conl is impoitcd fiom New South Wales t present. The Exccutnc of the province lias clone its duly well m taking a bold initiative in this matter , it icmaius for the Council and the people of the pro-unco to proceed with tho woik and reap the benefit. The fact of such a source of wealth boni£> found in the Noith may bo looked upon as a special nd\antago to the province in lUelf. The NOlN 01 111 has been lather under a cloud oflate years, and places under a cloud arc apt to get but trifling attention In some respects the North has not h ad all tho atten tion it mci lied at our hands — such a discos cry as this of its coal fields ought to sot it at once in its right place The Bay of Islands holds nothing that can rival Auckland. Eusscll can never aspire to tho posi" tion of the capital of this province ; but it can, and we hope it will, aspire to and reach the position occupied by Newcastle in New South Wales, as only second 111 importance to the capital This one development alone w ould go far towards establishing the justice of Auckland's claims to importance m the colony.

There was anothci large attendance at tlie Militaiy Races, yestenlay, the spoit being excellent, and eveiy thing passing off most successfully, with the exception of the lace for tl c Posseniskie Cup, m contesting which event we legiet to '•ay that lili. Calveit, who was luhng Melon Chief at the tune, met with a most seveio accident!, his lioise hawng cumoned against another belonging to a pnvate ol the Mihtaiy Tiain, who was employpd in nss'sling to" keep the eouise clear. Both hoises weie thiown down by thefoiee of the collision, Maon Cbiof dislociting his shonldei, whilst his udei was seveiely shaken and bruised, no bones being, howevei, bioUen, 1101 any veiy dangeious wounds lecened. Among tho sights on the load leading to the lacecomso we must not foiget to mention Cobb and Co. 'height hoise coach, which was literally ciammed with passenger-., it being quite a favom to get a ude m it. Until about four o'clock in the afteinoon the wcathci was beautifully fine, when the course was visited \\ ltli two or three rather xma.it showers, which weio not luckily of sufficiently long duration to m any way mm mateiiall} the success of the day's spoit. Among the visitois to the races, yesteulay, ueio Goncinl Su D. A. Cameion, K.U.B. ; BiigadieiGeneial Carey, C B. ; and Majoi Gcncial Galloway. We aie glad to see that fiesh blood has been iutioduced from England foi the unpiovement of the heavy dianjfht hones of the movince. The hoise we allude to is Matchless, a magnificent she of his class, unpoited this yeai by way of Sydney, and descended by sue and dam horn the best breed of cart hordes in England. His sue was Old Matchless, the piopetty of Mr. Daclc, of Lincolnshue, the most famous stallion of his class in England ; his giandsne, Actne, wan ft famous hoise in his day, having won seventeen agricultural prizes and being the champion horse of his class. Matchless is five years old, and stmds sixteen hands thiee inches. Ho 11 at Mi. Cunningham's, Newmarket Hotel. We lopnut au aiticlo to-day fiom the United Service Gazette, under the heading of " Our Soldieis in New Zealand," and the unjust and gioundlcss attack upon Geneinl Sir Duncan Cuneron contained in it will, we feel assured, be consideied heie as the most infamous pioduction of the kind which has hithoito emanated fiom that poition of the English pies 1 ! which is so often displaying the most lamentable ignoiance of New i Zealand affans. The membeis of tho vaiious ciickets clubs in town took advantage of the geneial holiday yesterday to play ciicketin the Domain, and continued tho spoit until nightfall. The name of the man who was nin over and killed while returning fiom the lacei on Tuesday evening is not yet known to the police, but he has been identified by Mr. Chappell, a builder, as a person who had been ■working for him as a labouier. Ho was heaid to say bofore leaving Auckland that he would buy a box of

oigar» and sell them at the races, ai that would pay him better than Btone-breaking, but whether he occupied himself so is uot kaown. We have received the following additional particulars with respect to the accident .—lt. — It occurred about: half past five o'clock on Monday evening, near (as we have already stated) Mr. Wrigley's store, at Newmarket. There were throe persons in the cart which ran over the deceased, and one of them took charge of it after the accident took place, in consequence, it is said, of the driver being intoxicated. The horse and cait were subsequently handed over to the police, and the driver, whose name ii Matthew Short Teesdale, wai given in custody. An inquest on the body of deceased, as also on that of the late Mr. Wood, who was killed by a fall fiom bin hone on the same day, will be held at the Piovinoial Hospital this morning. We take the following from the Australian and New Zealand Gazelle — Last yeai Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer, of Nazing Paik, Essex, sent out to Messrs Bethuue, Hunter, and Co., of Wellington, in New Zealand, one of hia Eoyal Highness the Prince of W ales' wedding cakes, with insti notions that it should bo divided amongst some of the mosb loyal of the New Zeilaud chiefs. Mr 3. Aichdeacon Hadfield, in wiiting to the lady of the Bishop of Wellington, writes as follow* :— " Otaki, Jauuaiy 9, 18C-t —We had Thompson's feast on the Ist January. The dinner table was veiy pretty, and the l?nnce of Walcs's wedding cake, sent by Colonel Palinei, excited gieat adnination. 1 think I told you what it was like. When the cutting of the cake commenced, there was a geneial ciy lint only a small piece was to be cut, that those chiefs and their fuends who weie absent might all have a shaie, which I thought lather good coining fiom Maoiis. i expected to heal them say what was the good of eating such a small piece, and felt rather lelieved to heai the lequest. Theie is a piece leserved for you and the bishop, which I will send on Monday, also some for Maneiuata and a small piece for Mr. Taylor. All seemed to enjoy themselves. The cheers foi the Queen weie almost deafening. A newspaper containing T.imihana to Raupcraha's speech upon the occasion will be sent to Colonel Palmer. — KvrE Had held." The Panama Royal Mail Company's s s. ' Egmont was to leave London foi Melbourne, Sydney, and New Zealand on the 30th July. An cmeigency meeting of the United Service Lodge of Fieemasons is to be held this evening at the Masonic Hotel, at half -past seven o'clock p in. The Supreme Conit will sit m its insolvency j'uiisdiction to-day. It will be seen by an advertisement that Mr. Daniel Lynch has lesigned his seat in thePiovincial Council for the City of Auckland West. It will be peicoived by oui adveitising columns that Mi. Michael Waid, having deteinnned to gi\o up the law business, intends to sell the whole of his city, subuiban, aud conntiy propcities, particulars of which will bB given in a fntiue advertisement. The diama of "Eugene Aram; or the Muuler at St. Robeit's Cave," was lepeated at theTheatie Royal last evening, ami was followed, by especial desire, with the comedy of "Used Up." Theie was an excellent attendance— eveiy portion of the hall being crowded. Mi. G-. F.ivvcett'* impel sonation of Eugene Aram was u mnsteily piece of acting thioughout, eveiy minute detail necessaiy to the part bein^ elaboiately worked out The chaiacter of Walter Leslei was ably delineated by Mr. Mauley, and the role of Houseman — the only living witness to Aiam's deed of guilt at the ca\o — was entiusted to Mi. T Fawcett. The hopes and joys, distresses, and last sad scene of all in ths eventful life of the unfoituuate Madeleine Lester, weie impersonated by Miss M Dunn in a mannei which won the undivided approbation of the audience. Miss E Royal and Miss K. Giant took tLe chai actors of Khnoi Lestei and Dame Darkmans. Dining the inteihule Miss Royal sing two chaiming ballads, and which drew down gieat applause. The comedy of " Used Up," a tianslation fiom the Fiench — " L'Homme Blaze " —followed, in which Mi. 0 Fawcett appeared as Sir Charles Coldfetieim, and Mi. Dunn as lionbiace. The comic svymgs ami doings of these two gentlemen kept the house in a continued loai of laughtei — fiom the time of Sir Chiles deelaiing that he had travelled all ovei the woild, and found nothing in it, at the same time offering a thousand pounds to his two confidential friends if they could invent some excitement to make his puKe beat ten tlnobs quicker in a minute — to the moment win ii Ironbiace and Sn Clmles meet again after an l niginaiy drowning, at Kingston upon '1 hiiues. Wo have been m fanned that some Amateur Theatricals, undei (he dnection and management of the I Batteiy, will bo given iv the Thcatie Royal on Monday evening next, the entire poiformmce being foi the special benefit of the widowsandchildicnof the lately deceased Seigeauts Egan and Gicen, whose untimely deaths we have had occasion to lefer to in foinipr issues. The euteitainment will bo a public one, undei the patiounge of the commandant of the ganison and the vmious officeis. With such a chan table object in view wo have no doti'it that there will be a lai-je attendance piesenfc. We are glad to announce, too, that the pioceeds of the gate at the lace couise today will ,be given to widows vnd children of the above. There was a good attendance at the Cal'fornian Cucus last evening, and the peifoiniances weie gone thiough with cieilit to the troupe and satisfaction to the spectatois. The equeshiau displays of Madame Tollmen and Signor Raphael, and the feats of agility and stiencrth peifouned by Moffitt, together with the tight-iope dancing of Mr. Jones, formed the most attiactive features in the enteitainment, and weio desenedly applauded. The inteilude? weie agioeahly filled up by Mr. Aney, the clown ) whoso mimifal looks and gesfcuies, exubeiance of lnivth, nimble witticism 5 !, and apposite conundiuin", many of which had a local significance, pioduced much laughter among the audience, who seemed highly delighted with the entiio performance, if we may judge fiom their repeated plaudits. At the Piince of Wales Thcatie last evening, the peifoimanccs were under the patronago of the stewards of the military races, and, as everybody expected, the house was filled almost to ovei flowing. The pieces pel foi mod were a lepetition of those given on Tuesday — namely, "Damon and Pythias," and the builesque of "Rumtifoozle." Both pieces passed off most successfully.