THE Otago Daily Times.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 119, 3 April 1862, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times.

" Invention viam aut Jaeiam." DCJNEJHN, THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 18G2. A very favorite stock character in small plaj's is that of a weak minded Young man, who, with excellent intentions, bungles through everything he has to perform, but who by some unaccountable process manages to bring matters right Jit the last before the curtain drops. Mr Crosbie Ward forcibly reminds us of this character, he is always getting into hoiwater for what he says, but he has the good sense to be conscious of the; deficiency of his intentions, and therefore to make a practice of disregarding them. His ambition appears to be to deserve a reversal of the epigrammatic saying that was applied t6 aJames the Ist— j who "never said a foolish thing and never did a wise oue." Of Mr Ward it may be said, he always saj's a foolish thing, but sometimes does a wise one.

Whatever the issue of Mr Ward's late postal-service-adjustment-tour, it must be confessed he has shown very little judgment in his negotiations with the individual provinces. He managed to make each one dissatisfied by offering vague proposals, the exact tenor of which it was found impossible to understand. We have attempted to unravel the sinuous modifications which from time to time since the first" notification of his intention?, he has made on his proposals at different places, but have found it impossible. Suffice it that lie amused the people of Nelson with a proposition which they thought would answer their purpese, until they came to find when he unravelled it at Wellington, that it was just the thing they did not want, and they have since found it necessary to publish a letter contradicting one of ,tbe Hon. Post-master-General's statements.' In the same way they found at Wellington,, after he left for Canterbury, that they'had been bamboozled with a proposition which did not bear examination, and "in hot haste," a letter was dispatched after him, expressing disapproval of his plans. At Canterbury he was , a different man, and naturally met with a dif : ferent reception. In the joy-of meeting his constituents, the stern duties of the General Government officer were, forgotten, and he absolutely consented to undertake a mission on behalf of the Province to negotiate th upsetting of a contract entered into with a" Melbourne firm. At Canterbury another step was gained, in the thick and thin advocacy of one of the local prints—the Lyttelton Times. Accompanied by an article from this journal, threatening all kinds of pains and penalties on the people of Otago if they do not accept the proposals, ■ their consent to which, was only asked as a matter of courtesy, Mr. Ward landed in Dunedin. The change that came over the spirjt of his dream there, is of so recent date as to be within the recollection of <jur rcadcrp. Mr. Ward reluctantly found himself compelled to yield to the firm position assumed by those with whom he had to deal,' ahd left for Melbourne, impressed probably with the conviction that he had much-to learn in the routine management of his department. .Whether by the mistake of the reporters, or ~by foolish

pretensions on his part,..it was announced b}' the Melhourne papers that he had come over to arrange the postal service between New Zealand and Australia—the which it niny be remembered he had expressly contracted with the Otago Government not to interfere in. One paper dignified him with the title of (he " l'ostniaster-Gcnenil of Ota^o,"' and (lie .Chief Secretary ■incidentally mentioned to a deputation that waited on him/ that "an otlieer" had come over from N'civ Zealand to arrange the mail service between Melbourne and Otago. Of Air. Ward's proceedings in Melbourne, we arc not in a position to speak positively, beyond that he has chartered two steamers to run up and down the JS'cw Zealand coast.. It would be premature to express a positive opinion concerning the arrangement entered into until we know the price agreed upon, but we are probably lorrect in hazarding the supposition that for the same money, each of the Provinces might have placed itself practically in direct communication with ', England by s ibsidising a steamer" between itself and Dunediu—to and from which place the English mails will now be forwarded and returned on arrival of the outward and in time to catch the homeward mail .steamer. This, however, is a question with which we do not desire to meddle : it resolves itself into one on which each Province is best able to judge for itself. It amounts to, this — are the advantages contingent on a coasting service, sufficient to compensate for the..delay which must be occasioned to the mail service. For instance, Wellington could gets mails 3G hours earlier by a direct steamer, but then the interim communication with Canterbury would be lost.

A .very general misapprehension is entertained of the part "^ Otago has taken in dealing with the postal question. It has suited Mr. ,Ward to attribute to it the desire of a selfish niopopoly, at the price of the convenience of the other Provinces; and by means of the journal alluded to above, the insinuation was bruited about in the broadest terms. fn fact, in the succeeding number of that paper, when the action taken by Mr. Ward was found to fall so far short of that which his champion.had attributed to him, the Lyttelton Times was compelled to eat its.own. words, and make an ungraceful lame sort of apology. It is desirable that" the conduct of the people of Otago should be represented in its true light to the.other Provinces; It is hot to be denied that they have been actuated.by a selfish motive, and that they have desired to make their port the terminal point of the Mail Service. But instead of doing this at the expense of the other Provinces, it has been, and is, their object to benefit the other Provinces, so as to make them willingly fall into the arrangement. Otago has, in fact, bid with Sydney : for the route of the mail steamers, and says, if you will have your mails by our way we will offer you superior advantages. That the offer can be fulfilled the experience of the last few days affords abandant proof. By Way of Otago, and with the somewhat slow service of the Airedale and Omeo, Wellington was in receipt of news by the January steamer a full day before the Mails arrived via Sydney. And not only Wellington, but the whole of the Provinces of. New Zealand, will have to thank Otago for the receipt of the December Mails brought down by the Aldinga, anil which would have been delayed a full month had they gone on to Sydney. The selfishness we plead guilty to ; but instead of gaming its purpose at the expense of the other Provinces, it does so for their benefit

The fact is, the cry of selfishness'and monopoly is raised, by those who are disappointed at not having themselves gained that which they pretend to be so indignant should be designed by others. la plain terms, Mr, Crosbie Ward was desirous that the Melbourne steamers should go on to Lyttelton, and so make the port of Canterbury the terminal point- Had that been arranged we shrewdly suspect there would have been no chartering coastal steamers, but each Province would have been assisted in subsidising a direct steamer to Lyttletan. As we have said, we have no desire to obtrude an opinion of the' relative advantages to the other Provinces, .between a coastal and, a direct service. Sooner or later, we are convinced e.icli Province will find itself in a position to have a steamer direct, —and will then gladly do so For instance, one or two delays, occasioned by calling in at Canterbury, would convince the Wellington people of the advantages of letting their little steamer —the Htorm Bird—bring down and convey their Mails. Kelson, too, the exigence of which Mr. Ward seems to have forgotten, will not be long be-fore it has steamers in direct communication with Otago At any rate the other Provinces may feel quite convinced thatOtago, a young competitor for their trade, instead of seeking to injure them or to-obtain monopolies at their expense, will endeavor to offer them all the facilities it can, to induce them to recognise it as the com meixial centre of New Zealand.. For this purpose it has taken the burden of the expense of bringing down and "returning the English mails, and probabty had Mr. Ward, instead of a coastal service, allowed each Pro.l; vince a direct, steamer, Otago would have contributed -itowards' each subsidy. In a few months Mr. Ward will learn the fallacies of his crude attempts at forcing traffic. As soon as a direct stream of emigration sets in to Otago direct from England, the other Provinces will be only too glad to put on direct steamers.

Tin? question of Separation is of too much importance to the best interests of the Provinces of the Middle Island to be treated with indifference. There are some -communities which contentedly acquiesce in everything that their rulers may choose to inflict upon, or demand, from them, providing their own immediate personal interests are not interfered with. I Judging from-p.ist experiences, the sensibilities ,of the people of Otago have been somewhat of i this character. So long as they wore allowed Ito ride the Provincial horse at their own respectable jog-trot pace, without bcing'bothered by political matters, they were quite contented to leave abstruse questions of public politics to their own Parliamentary dummies. Captain Grazer seems to have had a keen appreciation of tins temperament of his constituents, and has thought fit to desert them at a time when'above all others there is a necessity for powerful and united, action on the part 'of the Southern Provinces. The injury though is but . a negative one, the province had better be unrepresented than misrepresented, but in case Captain Frazer's resignation really is snugly bottled up by some of his admirers, who are only waiting a favorable opportunity to uncork it, it would be well for the electors of.the vacant constituency to wake up a little from their apathy, and send as thpir' representative some one worthy to be entrusted with the interests of a prosperous and pro: gressing people.

i Probably some may ask, what positive injustice is the South smarting under, that she should demand a separation from the North ? Why, the fact is, it is our chief complaint that the General Government is mainly powerful for evil in proportion to its being powerless for good, and it is its very imbecility that we object to. Otago, like the young wife who would "rather be the young man's slave than the old man's darling," would even prefer a little tyranny to the cold indifference with which it has been treated, and it now seeks a separation.; in t the -orthodox way, pleading •* incompatibility of temperaments." • There are pfybably in the whole Middle Island none, or, at any. rate, there can be very.few but what are in favor of separation. In Nelson and Canterbury the feeling, is unanimous on this ques-' tion. Both these Provinces are waitinstfor Otago to take the initiative, and it is all the more

necessary, therefore, that, this Province should show that it considers .this question" the paramount, one. Let it be the test of every candidate for public honours; let the representatives of the people be clearly pledged tc support the movement; and, if added to this. there lie tlie unmistakable and determined voice of public opinion, the victory must be gained. Without these means, if the colonists of the South are simply content with talking about it, so long as no positive glaring injury is inflicted upon them by the present Government; th-jy must ac;e{)t the altcrn-itive of seeing Olngo forfeit its true position,- and have its progress retarded by defective legislation. If, on the other hand, they would sec Otago raised to the eminence its wealth, population, and geographical position ' demand : if they would see its immense' resources properly developed ; its commerce extended ; its resources properly developed: and if tlie3 r would see Dmudin the prosperous metropolis of v powerful colony, then they will tinitc in systematically and determinedly agitating for separation.

Tun wars and rumor.l! of war, with which we were for some time regaled, which created a panic in Melbourne, a '■ Form, 'form, JRiibmcn form!" meeting in Canterbury, and vastly frightened the old lady and unprotected female community, have now subsided. The alarmists must hide their diminished heads for a while, and the worthy captains of merchant vessels may discharge their innocent feux de joie and pilot signals without being reported as ruthless, Paul Jones', or blood-thirsty buccaneers going about under the American flag, seeking whom they may devour. The SouthernjCommissioners are restored, and Captain Wilkes of the San Jacinto 'must for the future sheath his pretty presentation sword against British ships carrying Slidells and Masons.

There can be no doubt that it is a highly pleasurable thing to receive the thanks of the Parliament of one's country on the bene meruit principle; and we can well1 imagine the delighted feelings of the gallant commander o the " San Jacinto," the deeper glow on his swarthy cheek, the sparkle-in his eye, and the tight lip-compression, that the smile of proud elation and gratified ambition may not be too evident, as he bows undei* the weight of a frog versus bull dignity, and the thanks of Congress. We can see him later and methinks we see him now, striking statuesque attitudes in the bur of Astor House or some such leviathan hotel, and holding a levee in the style of Martin Chuzzlewit's steamer friend" with the umbrella, who was the most remarkable man in the United States. Oh! for the mint juleps consumed on -the occasion! Nothing short of a Babbage or a calculating machine could furnish their statistics. Still later we see him the honored guest at the Presidential mansion, his best suit of navy blue he has put on, and his presentation, sword slung'behind him. The wine flows freely, crusty old port and Longfellow's Catawba. Our hero is on his legs, a trifle staggering; perhaps, and his martial tones are heard,-re-turning thanks for the honor, &c.,and proposing midst the cheers of everybody in general, and the war minister in particular, " Everlasting smash to the Britishers, and confusion to international law!" And the applause and clatter of glasses, are now so-loud that even with our wonderful^ears (we hope they are not those of Midas) we can hear no more of the postprandial oratory.

Confusion to international law: Oh I there's a toast which every Yankee will drink enthusiastically, especially they who were 'so loud in their gloreals over the capture of the Commissioners. Guided by no precedent, controlled by ho authority,'with little or no past, inflamed with mad wrong-headed impulse, Brother Jonathan infringes the laws of nations—the laws recognised by his own lawgivers and interpreted by his own lawyers. Chancellor Kent et hoc genus omne upwards and downwards, arc against him, but he is not disconcerted—he" pulls Tip* lys limp shirt collar and whittles vigorously, and inwardly repeats what was said of _Byron, as applicable to himself, " the orbit of the child of genius is eccentric."

There are men of education in the United States—of liberal views and of gentlemanly bearing, but the clamor of the oi polloi is so deafening, the ribald, graceless shouts'of the populace so loud, that them we seldom hear ; so seldom that we can scarcely accept their existence. When a member of Congress,,one who lrom his position ought at least to talk like a gentlemen, in the most scurrilous language publicly bequeaths to his children and children's children, ■ a senseless, unmeaning, hereditary hatred of England and everything English, what are we to argue of his constituents? When such is the conduct of th'eruler, what are we to expect of the people infatuated, given over to a mock-hero worship. Inconsistant and inconstant, fickle as the veriest. woman, the Congress first besmears Captain Wilkes, its herq- <b.p the time, with praise and thanks, and presentation siyords, and the next moment -.utterly repudiates him .aud his exploit, "lie had no instructions from head-quarters to seize the Southern Com-1 missiouers—he acted entirely 'by his own lights; if the laws of nations were contravened, which we deny—it is the contravention of the' individual,' not of the nation. We are not respoi sible—what do you mean by in- | suiting us with your accusations ?" And Brother Jonathan again hitches up his limp shirt collar. Does there exist." a Job on the face of this quet;r earth of ours whose patience will bear with our transatlantic : brother and his defiant sophistries ? And the commander of the San . Jacinto, alas! poor Wilkes, howr hath thy glory departed! It is our belief, that in the'future there are some ver}', very hare} lessons for our'frfonds qf tl)e Stars and Stripes, to be learnt of that sad stern schoolmaster whose school-fees are reputed to be so heavy, and the sooner they learn them the better.