THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1875.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4295, 19 August 1875, Page 2

THE New Zealand Herald. SPECTEMUR AGENDO. THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1875.

There can be no question now that the feeling of the very great majority of the people of this province is against the forced passage of tho Abolition Bill during the present session. All seem to be agreed that Provincialism as at present existing cannot continuo much longer, but demand in" an unmistakable manner that full timo be given the country for tho consideration of the billls now before tho House. Can any request bo more reasonable ? Eight meetings have been held sinco Saturday, and of tlieso eight—Otahiihu, Onchunga, Ponsonby, "VVaiwera, Coromandel, lvarangahape and"Archill, and Newmarket have gone in for postponement till after the elections. The Hamilton people seem quite ready to drop into tho General Government's hands, but even they would hardly claim the prerogative of forcing, against their will, tho great populations of Auckland and suburbs and tho other outlying districts into the same course. Yet the Government supporters and some of our contemporaries have the hardihood to claim'this prerogative for Ministers. We regard tho claim as imposed to tha common sense and dangerous to the independence of the people. Wo are quite sure that it cannot be pursued to extremity without producing a bitterness of feeling that may find awkward vent, and that will certainly derange tho policy of the colony, damage its credit, and seriously cripple its progress for many years. The immense expenditure since"Tß7o has given to the Government a compact band of faithful supportors. It is idle to attribute a good deal of the support thoy are receiving to any other cause. To tliij band must be added those who object to the present Constitution of the Colony as too democratic, and finally those who, with more or less reason, maintain that the outlying districts have not had a fair share of expenditure. With the tirst-mcntioned it is hopeless to argue. They have everything to gain by Government forcing the bill through the

House. The eighteen or twenty'Tery capital appointments that would follow the change fromTrovmoes to Provincial Districts, *is a consideration which this section of the House cannot be expected. to overlook, especially on the eve of a general election which would cause their present places to know them no more. With the second party .whom we have mentioned it is useless to reason ; but they may depend upon it the people will not recognise in them, nor in anyone else, the most remote pretension to form a "ruling class" in the government of the colony. This is the real point on which the great Auckland meeting turned. Every man present felt, whether he could express it or 110, that the whole career of the Assembly has been marked by the efforts of this small class to gain supremacy. From the first day of the Assembly's meeting it began to undermine the Constitution that had called it into existence. Working in the dark, out of reach of popular vigilance and popular sympathies, it has created new suffrages, re-arranged old districts, and altered, at its will, the representation of the people. This lias continued until wliatare called the outlying districts have become enabled, by alliance with,'thegoldfields, to force through the House of Representatives a bill which the great majority of the electors of the colony are loudly demanding should be held over till next session. Had Ministers come forward proposing to abolish all Provincial distinctions throughout the colon}-, to have one treasury, one administration, and one policy, they would have received hearty and enthusiastic support from the large majority of those now in unflinching opposition. This policy would have been intelligible. It would have been honest, and would have required only a reform of the Assembly itself, in both Upper and Lower Houses, to make it acceptable to all classes of the people. yEven the extreme Provincial party would have given way rather than continue a bootless strife. We cannot but believe that the bill will be remitted to the constituencies, despite the tall talk of those who say otherwise. Of that, after the late meetings, and after the meetings still to be held in Dunedin and Port Chalmers, we entertain no doubt. In the meantime it will be for the new party that has arisen from the ashes of the old Provincialism, to organise and rally around the leader they have chosen. /They must prepare themselves witly projects of genuine, honest constitutional reform— projects whicli will secure the rights of the people, protect them against class government, adjust moro equally the finances, and at the same time simplify and strongthen the administration of the colony. The proposed formation of the Korth Island into one independent Province and the South Island into another, each managing entirely its own internal affairs with a Federal Assembly meeting in Wellington to conduct Federal affairs alone, is a project that will recommend itself to all thinking men at a glance. With Auckland as the capital of the North Island, Christchurch or Dunedin as that of the South Island, and with Wellington the Federal capital of the colony, we might enter, without violent convulsions of any kind, on a new career of progress and security, while the perfect freedom and self-government which the people now enjoy would bemaintained in their integrity for all time to come. Sir George Grey has distinctly told I Ministers that if they leave the bill, after the second reading, to be considered at the next elections, lie and those working with him will not oppose them, but will let the second reading pass. The offer is a fair one, and we cannot believe that Ministers wsll disregard it, and take upon themselves the very grave responsibility of forcing the measure on an unwilling people. We need not dilate on the commercial and financial derangements which such [a course would create, and trust that Sir George Grey's very reasonable proposal has been accepted. If the Bill be right—if it really has received the votes in its favour of a genuine majority of the country, nothing will be lost by delay. If, on the other hand, its supporters "should find that they are really in a minority outside of the Assembly, very serious mischief would be done by the disquiet and uneasiness sure to follow the attempt to bring the Act, when passed, into operation.

We find space elsewhere in our columns for a fuller account than has yet been published of the most destructive llood known in the history of the world during any period within the last three centuries. A dira catastrophe by -which one hundred thousand people have been rendered homeless and destitute ; by which twelve millions worth of property has been destroyed, several thousand houses washed away, and three thousand lives lost. This horrible calamity has brought with it a lesson which ought not to be disregarded. It is shewn that by proper precautionary measures a large share of the disaster might have been prevented ; and the reason assigned as to how it came to pass may serve as a warning to this, as well as to other countries. One cause, says a French writer, of this great flood is the destruction of large areas ot timber. Trees not only absorb water largely from the soil, but they also prevent the surface from being baked and hardened by the sun, and they check the rapidity and abruptness with which rain would otherwise reach the ground. When it falls unimpeded upon dry and barren hillsides, it will run from them almost as freely as from the sloping roofs of houses, and a few hours will carry the water of the mountain storm to swell the volume of the nearest river. It is easy to be wise after the event, but in a district so situated there is great room for measures of prevention, and the riparian authorities, whoever they may be, should be entrusted with powers commensurate to the magnitude of the recurring evils, which, by wise precautions, they might do much to mitigate or avert. Even the tiny Hoods which sometimes occnr in this country are often greatly aggravated by local neglect, by some silting up of the channel of a stream, or by some ill-placed bridge, which forms, an obstacle to the passage of an unusual body of water. In rivers which are liable to bo swollen by mountain torrents the channels should be made the objects of unceasing solicitude, and the span and construction of bridges should be determined by other than purely local considerations.

A FI'LL telegraphic report of the debate in the House upon the Abolition question is given elsewhere. Mr. Rollestou was ivarm upon the virtues of Provincialism. He was, however, confident that if the bill passed, its first effect would be the raising of a cry for separation in both Islands. He thought, moreover, that the introduction of the bill was inopportune. There never was a time when we were greater slaves to the Native difficulty than at present. It was inopportune for another reason—the House and the Ministry were never in a more disorganised state than now. What, he asked, is the position of the Ministry ? Is there a guiding spirit among them ? Was it not known that the member for Timaru pulled the strings of the Ministry ; but who, he wanted to know, pulled the strings of the member for Timaru 1 Mr. Bowen followed with a defence and explanation, and concluded with the following expression of opinion:—"There were two courses open to the Government. They must either carry out the expressed wish of the House, or else retire into obscurity, covered with the ignominy which was the lit punishment of cowardice," a sentiment which was received with loud chccring.

Among the articles we imported in 1574 for use, consumption, or amusement, were 87 packages of fireworks, 1700 packages of bottled fruits ; glue, nearly eight tons ; jams and jellies, 18,000 cases and packages ; and while we sent away from the colony 24,000 cwt. of preserved and potted meats, we imported 1400 packages of the same. What in the nature of New Zealand should call for nearly 4000 gallons of castor oil, we are bewildered when we think of it. Still it is so, for the official figures are before ns. We also imported epium to the value of £6000. Who is it uses all this narcotic ? The value of imported tobacco pipes is just that which we paid for castor oil, and may be ranked under the class of funny coincidences. We found ourselves indifferent to salt beef, bacon and hams, of our own curing, and so gave orders to the amount of £4000. As a proof of colonial cleanliness, besides the many thousands of tons manufactured in the colony, we imported £4000 worth of soap, For seasoning our soups, pies, and puddings, and for making other condiments pleasant to the palate, we required spices to the value of close upon £13,000. Yet there are those who will say we are a crushed and do«n-troddeu people. Wc have most descriptions of valuable timber in our own forests possessed of a grain tough enough for the broadside of a " seventyfour," and fine enough for the making of the most delicate piece ot cabinet work, yet did we send beyond seas for timber in logs,_ palings, posts, shingles, &c., to the value of £140,000. We have delighted, petted, and, it is to be feared, sometimes spoiled, onr children, by bringing within their reach toys to the value of £7000 ; while we have gratified our adult taste for acids by importing vinegar to the value of £SOOO. Our respect for being up to time is shewn by importing 1072 packages of clocks and watches. \\ e think something of a moral might lie drawn from much of the above, or a problem worked in political economy. For instance, we export fat and tallow, of which soap is made; but we import soap notwithstanding. Why do we thi3 ? Could we not, in our extreme poverty (as some persons assert is our state), have dispensed with close on 2000 packages of bottled fruits ? And why did we want 1400 packages of preserved meats, of which we ~ have shipped away so much ? Why, indeed! Who shall answer this ? Could we not make onr own glue from the animal refuse we have at command ? And does not the castor ail plant flourish in our North Island ? Glancing roughly over the table of articles we import there are quite fifty different things we could grow, manufacture, or produce for ourselves. Let us enquire why we need import IS,OOO cases of jams and jellies while the trees in our orchards, in season, are actually encumbered*witli the very best description of fruits ?

Some of the returns shewing the quantity and value of the imports into and the exports out of the colony of New Zealand for the year 1574 are interesting, and here and there unique and curious in their way. For instance, we imported 155,443 gallons of beer in bottle and 29,530 gallons in bulk. We also imported and placed in warehouse 17,235 casks, 21,533 cases, and 351 packages of bottled beer; and 542 lilids., and 437 barrels of bulk beer. In the same year we exported 416S gallons of bottled beert and nearly 13,000 gall ons of the same beverage in bulk. We imported 200,000 fire bricks, and exported $50. We imported 25 cwt. cheese, while we exported 132G cwt. If we make more cheese than we consume, why should we import any at all ? Will anyone deep enough in the subject of 2?otes and Queries be kind enough to answer this question ? We imported 125,000 tons of coal, and exported 1500 tons. We may presume, when our coal mines are duly fostered and successfully worked, the order of the above figures will be reversed. Among other anomalies, we imported plain and fancy biscuits to the value of nearly £5000, and exported plain aud fancy biscuits of our own making to the value of nearly £2000. All this is very curious and quite incomprehensible. Two meetings were held last evening by the suburban electors, both of which were well attended, while the proceedings were conducted in a most orderly manner. One of these was attended by the ratepayers of the Archill and Karangahape district to discuss the Abolition and Local -Government Bills. A resolution, which emphatically protested against the bills being passed until the voice of the people had been heard at the next general elections, was carried unanimously. The resolution contained « request that the Auckland members would support by every legal and constitutional means the efforts of Sir George Grey to combat the Ministry. The second meeting, at Newmarket, was held to confirm the proceedings of a previous meeting, which has already been reported in the Herald ; as, also, to condemn an unauthorised telegram sent to Wellington, as has been alleged, by Mr. George Jones, jun., but of which that gentleman denies being the author.