Correspondence.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1306, 22 January 1868, Page 4

Correspondence.

Oor correspondence columns being open to all, we do not told ouraelTea responsible for any opinions exprosaed thermn Correspondents are requested to write only on one side olthe paper and, to prevent mistakes, they should write as lecibJv £s possible. . ' THE POSITION OF THE PROVINCE. To the Editor of tha Herald. Sib, —At suoh a conjuncture as the present, I conceive there can bo no impropriety in entering a sort of caveat against the courses some of our would-be politicians and legislators teem inclined to favour or openly, advocate. That the financial state of the Province is at present anything but flourishing cannot be denied, but while it will not at all justify the wild and cowardly project of Mr. Hugh Oarleton, and a few unscrupulous characters of this stamp, ever bent on mischief I should think and hope that the reflecting men of

the Province, will submit to many temporary inconveniences and hardships, tathor than voluntarily surrender our constitutional rights and privileges and consent to be ruled by the General Government. With care and prudence, and the lapse of a little time, our present difficulties will be gradually overcome, but I would have my follow colonists to bear in min >, that rights such as I have alluded to once surrendered can never be rocalled, and I must confess I feel humiliated to think that our Provincial Council should allow themselves to be eo hoodwinked and by an invisible pre*sur.?, as to- givo the senseless and unbecoming opposition to the present Superintendent and hii Executive thoy have latterly dono—an opposition that is all the more inexcusable, inasmuch us some of ibo very men who are so unsparing in their abuse against the Provincial authorities are the very men who were mainly instrumental in incurring tho debt that now pinches us. Our Superintendent is a far-seeing man, and unquestionably possesses, if one in the colony does, strong administrative powers. Ever since my arrival in tho Spring of 1859, I have narrowly watched his motions, and those have over been straightforward and consistent, oven to his private pecuniary disadvantage, for whilealraost, all at ono time, mad with excitement, eagerly rushed into the Maori war, the effects of whioh wo have cause to feel in a crushing taxation, ht> manfully opposed it, and foretold the disastrous consequencoa that would follow. Ho was atruo prophet, but received anything but thßuks at tho time. A proper consideration of such disinterested conduct ought to command both our respoct and support, and al«o our confidence in his just and enlightened administration of tho Government. Tt is notorious that Mr. Carleton is personally hostilo to Mr. Williamson, and has always been so. It is to be regretted that such has been the case, for a man of the kind of talents he admittedly possesses has it in his power to work much evil. It is oa?y at any time to embroil or pull down, but to construct hie labor hoc opus est. To revert, however, to what was in tnv mind when I sat clown, viz, tho danger and evils that would inevitably result from our being placed under tho dictation of the General Government. It is well known that the Executive' of tho General Governni"nt have no love to Auckland, hut on the contrary, have nil ulong hated it, and done all they could do to injure it. Wo complain now, and our complaint is just that we have to wait along time for an answer from Wellington on all occasions, whother the matter he the p'lymnnt of a paltry account, or ono of life or doith. With our present Constitution wo can at nny rote make our grievances known, if not redressed, but deprived of that we certainly should be treated as tho veriest step-children. What would they enro for our wants ? Th ey felt them not. Whether we had steam postal communication with the neighbouring colonies or not.or anything of a public nature that would be benoiicial to to us and I need not enumerate them, would be to them a matter of supreme indifferonce, for such would not concern them. I'efore I leave this part <>f the suHject I beg to remark that tho revenue of the Province by this inordinate high taxation is already reduced to a half of what it would be if the tariff hnd been moderate, and there is actually nothing left either for roads or bridges or anything else. And why so ? f imply this—excessive duties necessarily lead to smuggling, and thereby the revenue is defrauded. I fearlessly 86sert that in no part «f Her Majesty's dominions are tho people eo oppressively taxed. So much for the wisdom of our General Assembly, and that i§ an additional reason for persevering in our efforts for Separation.

Before I conclude I may state from my own personal knowledge, that the island of Capo Breton in British North America, once engaged a Constitution of its own, and a separate Government, but in an evil hour it consented to annexation with Nova Scotia, and from that day to this it has had cause bitterly to regret its folly and infatuation; for although it is reprefented in tho General Assembly of Nova Scotia, of what avail are the few members it has a right to send ? They are swamped by overwhelming nuaibers, and the little public money that is grudgingly doled out to ( ape Breton is altogether inadequate for its public wants, and not at all in proportion to the amount of revenue it contributes, and such would bo our case if we surrendered our Constitution. I say this of my own knowledge, and having lived in a colony not a hun !red miles from Cape Breton for upwards of thirty years, I should be wanting in duty if I did not caution the people of this Province agaiust an abandonment of tho Constitution that is still theirs, and will continue to be so, if they turn a deaf ear to the specious pleadings and coveit schemes of the party I have alluded to. P. E. J.