The New Zealand herald.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 872, 30 August 1866, Page 3

The New Zealand herald.

SI'JiOTEMUR AGENDO. "Give every man thine ear, hut few thy voice : Take each man's censure, but reserve thy juditmen Tlub ahOvc all,—To thine own self be true And it rriiiHt follow, as the nißlit the day, Thou cunst hot then be false-to auy man." ■ ' "

AUCKLAND, THTjItSDAY, AUG. 30. 1866.

TtiE coalition Ministry is supposed in some quarters to be one having Very considerable strength. It is formed of the leading men of both the 'Weld and the late Stafford Ministry. Three of those whom Mr. Stafford displaced during the last session now form part of his cabinet, and Conspicuous amongst them, as JHative Minister, the man who, as editor of the Nelson Jjj.mininer, heaped every abuse upon Mr. Stafford when in office, even to the extent of designating that, gentleman as "an ape." The lambs, it seems, have gone to the lion's den, and, as thought by some, aro quietly seated therein intent on the pleasing prospect of picking the bones of the provinces, Tha latter are to be abolished, centralism is to reign supreme. Such, fear many, will bo the order of the day, if the new Ministry can only carry out its riows. The now happy family will not, however,; have- any very great length of time of undisturbed peaco and seronity if such really be their desiro and intentions, Mi\ Voge.l was to move yesterday that the House, go into Committee to consider four resolutions referring to the three-eighths of the Customs, and to unexpended votes.. ■'". The first resolution is—" That provision " appropriation by tho Provincial Councils " tlirce-eighths of the Customs revenue. " 2. That the •interest and sinking fund on " loans contracted by the provinces be made " a lirst chavgo Upon the three-eighths, 3, "That tho unexpended votes of the last " financial year be made to revert to the " Surplus r.even.uO' 4. That the provinces " bo credited with the amount taken from " revenue for tho unauthorised Grcneral " Government expenditure charged against " ' the revenuo of last vear,' " : .. :

It is clear, therefore, that the battle of the three-eighths, will be fought out on the floor of the. Assembly, in a vory short time. The ideas of tho Ministry with regard, to this great question* will probably be stated in a very much clearer manner than were those of tho late Ministry, in the financial statement made by Blr. Jollie. "We cannot see how any success could be expected to attend any attempt to sweep away tho three-eighths into the colonial chest at "Wellington. Those provinces, depending almost solely on this Customs revenue for their income, will, of necessity, fight hard to retain it, while tlvose who have now a large land revenue cannot forget that it is yeai'ly diminishing, and they will not yield their large Customs income -without a struggle, It would be a, severe loss to every province; and tho Southern provinces, if they will try arid piit sentiment on one side, will see one of tho strongest arguments for separation in the financial statement of H'r.. Stafford's late ministry. They will see that wo .are saddled with a very largo debt, that very large annual war expenses will have to be paid in order to keep up a standing army ; that if colonising continue to be, as it now is, greatly checked, the custom's revenue will ha pro, fata made less, that ireah taxes must be levied, or the Southern land revenue absorbed, that the taxes must be on property and income, and will, therefore, be more and more heavily felt by the .men of property in the South, and that, in fact, as each year proceeds, the taxation, of the South will bo heavier and heavier. When both North and South are ruined, or at least when they lie m a state of paralysis, then Southern politicians "will begin to -think that the hard matter-of-fact men of the Horth and of the South, who called out for separation of the Islands, were right, and that.the sentimentalists who talked about the cradle and the grave of that illshaped ancl JH-conditioned bantling, the Constitution, were entirely wrong.

The duty of the Auckland members seems to us clear bo firmly united, to vote, when it seems necessary, as one man, to be thus able to exert some influence in tho House, Even the iiew Ministry, strong as it may appear, will meet with a good deal of opposition froift other preyhiccs, It must be tho duty of the. Auckland, members to narrowly watch tho signs of the times, and, if necessary, assist to ffarm. a powerful oppQr sition if Mr. Stafford's new colleagues should prove strong enough to prevent hini from doing that justice to Auckland* which wo have every reason, to believe he is both willing and. anxious to afford 'her. Theee tactics would, under such circumBtances> afford iis the paly chance of doing:

any good for ourselveSj and. they must;, if necessary;, be .'perseyeriiigly followed. The power of a. minority 'acting in combination is" amply brought before our notice in the/ voting which - threw Out ths Kugsell and brought in. the Derby ministry. The liberals had"".sot/considerable majority in the: House ■■; but a certain , portion of the party determined ,to vote against the Ca- ■ binqt and join the. Conservatives, and hence the change of ministry. The Tory party did not upset Lord Eussell and Mr. Gfiad- ; stono and throw out tho Keforin BilL This couid by no possibility have been done. The Tories numbered fewer than the. Ministerial party; it was the combina- . tion of a few .leading, and independent members of that party that threw out Reform and the Liberal . ministry, and made Lord Derby Premier. So, our Auckland minOrityj fey judiciousness and unanimity, niay still prove a lion in. the path 1 of any cabinet that will persist in ignoring our just rights and trampling them under foot, But we confess to having much better hopes Of Mi\ Stafford, and cannot but think, ; that, when prejudice and excitement have subsided, it will be clearly seen that the grounds of such persistent opposition to and reviling of Auckland in certain quarters are of a perfectly illusory nature, and that she will receive as she deserves great ation at the hands of those in power.