THE Evening Star. TUESDAY, JULY 6, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1924, 6 July 1869, Page 2

THE Evening Star. TUESDAY, JULY 6, 1869.

By the northern mail we have details 'of transactions the heads of which have been given from time to time by telegraph. The most interesting are those relating to the future policy of the Government. The speech of Mr Fox on the 29th of June relates principally to it. After explaining in a few sentences the reasons why the whole of the vacant offices were not filled up, he proceeded to remark that, “ As far as “ the Government had yet been able to “ obtain an insight into Native affairs, “ they had been absolutely dismayed at “ finding the extensive nature of the “ operations in which the Colony was “ involved, the way in which it was “ committed to general hostilities “ against the Natives, and the enor- “ mous cost of the present force era- “ ployed. Many of the expeditions “ now on foot were attended with immi- “ nent danger to the forces engaged, “ and might involve the Colony in “ difficulties it would be impossible to « face.” He followed this short statement by the announcement that, as far as possible, the Government “would

“ retire from an aggressive position ; ’ that they purposed reducing the large force now employed, and holding fast the territory already acquired, although they would not pledge themselves not to abandon for a time some of the out settlements, they would not turn their backs on the enemy. Now, this is all very satisfactory, especially when coupled with the closing remarks of Mr Fox, that—

In regard to Native affairs, ho might say that while the Ministry would be no party to any actions of a barbarous character, unworthy of the civilisation of the .y,'e, they would suffer no interference from without to prevent their dealing promptly and decisively with the rebels, lie still thought the ordinary laws of the realm afforded the means of doing this ; but if they were found not to do so, a special Bill would be brought in to establish tribunals with retrospective jurisdiction, and capable of dealing promptly and summarily wuh the case brought before it, and inflicting such an amount of punishment as -would do real justice.

But so far as relieving the Middle Island from its share of the war expenditure, whatever that may amount to, excepting that it is professedly to be less than before, we see no change of policy. There seems no good reason why the principle of local liability for all purposes should not be broadly and fairly stated. The Wellington Evenhnj Post, in “ Notes from the Gallery,” reports Mr Fox to have said :

As to ffnancinl matters, his lion, colleague (Mr Vogel) had not had much time to make himself acquainted with the p '-ition oi matters, or to master the actual position of the Colony as 1o liab lity for past debts. As a general principle, however, he might say that the Government was acrecd that any expenditure for war or defence purposes should be borne by the Colony as a whole ; but, as it was likely that consider -bio expenditure might be necessary in the North Island in making roads and opening up the country, expenditure of a permanent, if not reproductive kind, they thought that if the ordinary revenue could not bear such calls, money might bo raised by loan, but the burden should be borne by the North Island alone. Hie Colony as a whole would have to pledge its credit to raise the money, but an Imperial Act might be obtained to make the North Island responsible to the Middle one.

It is no doubt something to be relieved from the expense incident to opening up the country, but Mr Stafford himself proposed that that should be borne by the North Island. Nor does it appear certain from the report of Mr Fox’s words, that even that small measure of justice is to be conceded, excepting a loan should prove to be necessary and the ordinary revenue insufficient. We presume, however, that it is meant in any case to charge those expenses on the North Island. The real question for Otago to consider is whether the relative positions of the North and Middle Islands have changed with the change of men 1 As far as we can at present see, the policy pursued by their predecessors is to be followed at a distance by the Fox Ministry. Every allowance is, no doubt, due to them in consequence of the difficulty of retiring from a position into which the country has been allowed to drift by the Stafford Ministry. We may corrcede the necessity for the modified action proposed to be taken. Nobody in Otago ever doubted the necessity for the Colonists holding their own against the Maoris; and, as a matter of policy, it may be advisable to support the Fox arrd Vogel Ministry, in preference to the Stafford and Fitzherbert, as being the less burdensome of the two. But the people of the Middle Island have not won their battle. They have only changed their antagonists. Tire principle is yet to be affirmed that the Middle Island has no right to pay anything towards the cost of Maori Avars. Mr Fox says —“ As a general prin- “ ciple, however, he might say that the “ Government avhs agreed that any ex- “ penditure for Avar or defence purposes “ should be borne by the Colony as a “ Avhole.” It seems to us that ambiguity in the use of the words “ Avar “ and defence purposes ” is purposely employed by statesmen, in order to make the Native difficulty appear a Colonial instead of a local question. Looking upon the Colony as a federation of distinct settlements united politically for common advantage, the terms “ Avar and .defence ” can only imply threatened danger or hostilities from without, for no insurrection in the North can be a common danger. As therefore it can only be local —confined to the North Island—the cost ol its suppression should be local too. It is time that clear notions should take the place of the illogical confusion induced by considering the Colony as having but one common interest. Assuming the report of Mr Fox’s speech from Avhich avg have quoted, to be correct, although for many reasons besides their views on Native affairs it is desirable to support the present in preference to the late Ministry, the Middle Island has yet to relieve itself from the burden of the present Avar.