NEW ZEALAND

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1873, 17 January 1870, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND

Quarrels often originate in misunderstand- | in"s, and we cannot help thinking that the present quarrel between the New Zealand colonists and the Colonial Office a wiser statesman than Lord Granville would have prevented, and not produced. The colonies at large—and we do not see that New Zealand is mi exception —have no desire to be a burden on the resources of the mother country. Thc v cherish no crafty designs upon the pocket of the British taxpayer, nor can we perceive that they anvwhere manifest a selfish inclination to shift toother shoulders tho onus of their proper responsibilities. We do not perceive how in their Imperial relations they can be reasonably suspected of selfishness or -want of spirit. In the troubles of the Empire, or of the individual parts of the Empire, they ever show themselves quite as ready to give as to take assistance according to their respective ability and the circumstances of the case.' They exhibited this feeling at the time of the Indian Mutiny, of the Lancashire famine, and of New Zealand's formidable Waikato war. In such mutual co-operation th»y ■would have played their part on a more important scale bad they been able ; and the d-.iy mav come when they will be as able as willing,* if such important help should be reijiiircff. And we believe that precisely the same sentiments prevail among the home public, ani that England would have cordially aided Xcw Zealand in her recent difficulty if the Government had not come to the conclusion that the colonists were trying to steal a inarch on John Bull—wanting him to do for them what they should do for themselves. There have been no grounds for the suspicion, which could only have been arrived at from an exceedingly imperfect acquaintance with the past and present position of the great island colony.

If '.New Zealand, after undertaking selfmanagement, was obliged tli9 other day to ask anew for Imperial assistance, the fact need not have excited so much surprise or condemnation. The colony is very peculiarly circumstanced—has difficulties to contend with from which other colonies are free. It is now a charge against her that she invited the total withdrawal of the Imperial troops after the \ Waikalo war; but instead of being blamed for the :ict it, should be placed favourably to her credit, as a proof of the self-reliant spirit which she is now accused of not possessing. That act alone might have saved the colonists from being suspected of an insidious design to cast their burden upon the British Government. In view of such a fact, it. is most unjust aud unworthy to say they neglected their defensive arrangements, believing that they had the Imperial Grevernment to fall back upon. They thought they could cope with the situation* themselves ; they imagined they could dispense in future with Imperial auxiliaries, aad certainly at the time they meant to do so. It seems that they made the mistake of over-estimating their capabilities ; but then a mistake is not a crime. It is true that their preparations were not what they ought to have been, but it is absurd to suppose that the deficiency was wilful, and that the inhabitants of such exposed settlements neglected to guard themselves from the perils and losses of an insurrection in their midst, on the doubtful chance that England would again in the long run do their fighting—assistance which could only arrive after terrible injury had been sustained ! They ought to have been better prepared : but we must not omit to remember the very serious obstacles which lie in the way of proper military preparation in many colonies. It is* even a, Very difficult matter in a gold country like sfew Zealand to enlist a number of men as soldiers notwithstanding a high rate of pay ; but is very hard to make thrin submit to a proper system of discipline and to keep them long enough to deserve the name of well-trained troops. Sucli enrolments, therefore, undergo a constant change of personnel, and a large proportion of the men are always only one degree removed from the raw recrvit. Thus it is that New Zealand has become so anxious for soldiers from the regular army, because they are soldiers already made The Europeans in the armed constabulary and oilier local corps were quite numerous enough to crush out (his last insurrection if they had known their business, but being raw troops, the Government had to frill back on native allies—an unwise proceeding if it could be avoided, and not very well calculated to jiialnI tain the prestige of the whites. The colonists , have manifested no inclination to cast their responsibilities upon the home Government— qnite the reverse. But mistakes and disappointments in their plans having made it necessary to ask help again, the Colonial Office, whose own action in Jfew Zealand was so often characterised by grave blunders, might very well have regarded the situation more considerately. And after all, what was the nature and what the amount of help asked ? Trifling, indeed, notwithstanding all the fuss raise,! over it. Some official countenance in obtaining a loau, or, what is more specially sought, the retention of a' British regiment of which the colony proposes to pay nil the expenses. Where in this is the exacting raid upon the British taxpayer ? Where any sign of the colonists wanting to shirk their troubles and place them on other people's shoulders ?

Though the war appears to be now virtually ended, a regiment of regulars in colonial pay is necessary for protection, for tiic reasons which we have explained. That the war sliould have come to a close under the management of the new Cabinet—-that the tribes in general are now showing a friendly disposition, and heartily betaking themselves to peaceful pursuits—that they are co-operating with the colonists in matters of mutual advantage, road-making, llax-givthering, leasing their pastures, and opening their auriferous lands to the digger—must all be accepted as clear evidence thai peace can be best insured, and win bo only insured, by such a course of conduct as will give the Maori confidence in the intentions of (lie authorities. But when Lord Crranvillc, in his despatch to Sir George Bowcn, lectures the colonists for not bavin™ previously adopted measures suitable for this and, ho forgets, or perhap? lie is n-.t aware, that the Colonial Ollice was chargeable with the same omissions while the management was in its hands. " The recognition of a Maori authority" which he alludes to, and which is so needful for the existence of order among the tribes, was neglected by his predecessors when i t .\iuld have been arranged under the :n>st. encouraging auspices ; and even on the subject confiscation, so fertile a cause of disturbance, the most contradictory and wavering recommendations were forwarded from Drnvniiigstroet. Now that New Zetland's great diflicti'ty is happily subsiding, it is too Ixkl that, resulting from it, there should be any disagreeable feeling iii England or the colonies us to their mat Hal relations, which, we repeat isdue tosheer lmsunderstanding, because certainly nothing unreasonable or unbecoming is in the spirit of the public on cither side. Theiv was no occasion at all for Lord Granviilo to have raised this question, for nothing unfair or troublesome wiw asked of him, though he appears to think ti'iat. there was. — Deo. 24.