THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam" DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, MARCH 23.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1017, 23 March 1865, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam aut faciam" DUNEDIN, THURSDAY, MARCH 23.

"to accept tlie irespoosibility-offered." This is a very skilful "Way of putting <*■ what, if stated more precisely, would conm tradict the assumption the writer rushes onto—that the Home Government Kave ™ been guilty of a breach of faith in fettering the Colony after promising it unlimited discretion. But in truth the Duke of Newcastle did not promise full responsible control. There were limitations, which it j

Ma. Fitzgerald's letter to Mr. Ad derley, published in the Times, lias raucl in it to recommend it. At a time whei the public men of New Zealand have: almost ceased to proclaim their own opinions—when, for the last two years, there has been nothing but a succession of compromises—it is refreshing to find one occupying so prominent a position aa Mr Fitzgerald adopting a bold and outspoken tone. Mr. Fitzgerald, too, ia one of the few public men to whom the charge of making a convenience of their opinions, or, to put it in less offensive language, of suppressing their opinions at the dictates of an emergency policy, docs not apply. However the constitutional privileges of the Colony may have been infringed, the Assembly itself has encouraged the invaRion by showing itself something more than indifferent to freedom of debate. The persuading members that it is necesKtiry to agree to all measures outside the house, and that to dUcuss them would exercise a baleful influence, is tantamount to changing the Assembly into a mere boys'debating society. No one who is acquainted with New Zealand affairs can deny that whatever blame may attach elsewhere, the Assembly has shown itself unmindful of it.H responsibilities; and in reply to the wholesale accusations launched by Mr Fitzgerald against the Imperial rcpresentafives, it is fair to answer that in a young Colony just endowed with constitutional Government, and which has such important Imperial interests in its keeping, constitutional privileges will be exactly respected in proportion to the worthiness with which they are exercised. Mr ijbgerald, therefore, practically contradfljf 9, himself when he owns his disapproval df the policy pursued by the Colony, and yet complains that it has not been less restrained in its freedom of action. It is justice, however, to Mr Fitzgerald to say that inconsistent, as notoriously he -13 in many particulars, he has yet pursued wiih steady purpose one main thread of a bold and significant policy. He at least is not amenable to the charge of playing fust and loose with the Home country. Steadily, and without deviation, for the last few years he has contended that the Colony should undertake the entire burden of its troubles. He accepted Mr. Weld's amended resolutions because he hoped they would lead to the result he <Jesired. He would have preferred the first resolutions, which pointed to an uncomproraising demand for the removal of the troops. But he is> wrong, and the Times is wrong, in speaking of him as a member of a party. Like the " Last Rose of Summer," he is left "blooming alone." The members of the so-called " peace party" showed themselves not strong enough to resist the local temptation* a local war off-Ted. Lait Session they were called upon to give effect to the opinions they had boasted, but they bnndoned them, and a Wellington war was the result. We are by no means disposed to admit the truth of all of what Mr. Fitzgerald calls his facts—and still less of the coloring he lends to them. In the uumeasured condemnation he showers on Sir George Grey he forgets, not O'.ily that His Excellency has had two masters to serve, but that each of these masters admitted that a certain amount of control belonged to the other. It is here that Mr Fitzgerald is radically wron:,'in his facts. The Imperial Government never protended to give the Colony full responsible control, and the Colony never understood that whilst Imperial assistance was lent to it, such a power was bestowed. Ilia verBion of the circumstances under which the Colony accepted the amount of re3ponsibility with which it is endowed, is some* thing more than inaccurate—not wilfully inaccurate. The inaccuracy evidently borrows its coloring from the strong views of the writer. Instead of stating—"When "Sir George Grey arrived, he record- •' mended that the Native matters should "be placed under the local miuittry," it would have been correct to#ay, the local ministry formally made the request that such control should be given them. Then we are told—"The Duke of Newcastle " assented, and charged the Colony with " all responsibility for the future. But "the Colony, menting the language his " Grace was pleased to use, which seemed "to intimate that the Home Government "having got the Colony into a acrape, " would leave it to get out of it as well as it " could without further assistance, declined

= was felt at the time made the power on of mere sufferance, to continue unfettere only bo long as the Imperial authoritie pleased. It was this reason, together witi : a doubt, whether in the then state o affairs the colony was justified in tinder taking so grave a charge, that induced th Assembly to refuse; the Duke of New » castle's offer and virtually to repudiate thi demand made by Mr Fox's Government When Mr Fox, after an interval, agaii . t«)ok office, the Duke of Newcastle's answe had arrived in which he insisted on fh< Colony accepting tbe responsibility its Go veruxnent had originally invited. In re isolations proposed by Mr Fox, the Asncmbly did accept it. But Mr Fitzgerald is not correct in saying "It was adopted "on the faith of the solemn promise that " the Colony should determine its owr " course for the future. It was in faith o! . " the pledge given that we should do at "• we chose iv native matters, and that thi "Governor should follow the advice ol "his Ministers that we voted the money "last year. Ido not hesitate to say that " themoncy would never have been granted " unless the Colony had been solemnly " assured that the money would be ex- " pended in the prosecution of a policy " dictated by the Colonial Government, "unfettered by instructions from Eng- " limd." Now all this is wrong. The Ansembly when it accepted the responsibillity had no other course open to it, but it was fully conscious of its half and half nature. Thus we find Mr Dillon Bell saying—" There was ground, he feared, "of future danger from the acceptance of " responsibility in native affairs while the " Governor had control of the troops." Again, Mr J. C. Richmond " thought that '* honorable members would require qua- " rantecs very different from those offered "to them, before they would be satisfied " that without a great alteration in the in- " structions sent by the Secretary for the " Colonies to the Governor, there could "be real Ministerial power in native «affairs." Then Major Richardson « thought the propoeed arrangement to be » bad—that the real power would be with »«the Governor, the Ministers possessing "only the shadow." Mr Jollie "liked "neither the subject nor the mode in " which the Secretary for the Colonies " had handled it." Even Mr Fox in his reply admitted the very partial nature of the control. "It was not possible," he said, " the Ministry should have the con- " trol of the troops, but if they advised " a movement of the troops, and the Gover- " nor would not consent there would be "si Ministerial crisis. If the nativea made " overtures for peace, Ministers would " refer their proposal to .the Governor, " and if he refused to act on it, there " wollld necessarily be a crisis." After all l™» &is unnecessary to say the House lear!y understood the incomplete nature |of "the control with which the Coloay was endowed, and Mr Fitzgerald is altogether incorrect in alleging that the policy of 18G3 waa based "ou the solemn " promise that the Colony should adopt " its own course for the future"—" that " the money would never have been "'granted unless the Colony had been " solemnly assured that the money would "be expended in the prosecution of a " policy dictated by the Colonial Govern- " ment, unfettered by instructions Jrom " Englind" To make the matter worse, Mr Fitzgerald is the last man who should make such an accusaticiu, because professing the utmost love for responsible control, the policy of 1863 had his most vehement opposition. His lang«age was of the strongest possible nature:; and what .is more, it was well known he predicted for that policy the disallowance of the Home Government, li one were t0 read Mr Fitzgerald's speeches of 18G3, he would not know whether to wonder most at the assertion that the policy of that year was based on the " solemn promise that the Colony " should determine its own course for the *' future," " unfettered by instructians " fro* England," or at his usiug the policy as an argument against England carting any interference with the wiouy. There are many other points in the letter worthy of notice, and which we must lesivc to another occasion. Whilst disagreeing with much which it contains, we consider Mr. Fitzgerald entitled to much praise for it as a whole. He ably vindicate* the colonists, as a body, from the imputation of land greed, -whilst he -very fairly ; admits the peculiar commercial temptations the prosecution of a war holds out. Above all, he draws in a masterly manner the conclusions he arrives at—the two alternatives that present themselves to the Imperial country, Those may agree with his deductions who disagree with the process by which he has arrived at them. If the Assembly had had the courage to look the alternatives in the face the Auckland resolutions would have been, carried. Either withdraw the troops

or undertake the entire control of the war and suspend the constitution in. the Kbrthem Island, is wfcat Mr Fitzgerald says. He voted for Mr. Weld's resolution* because he believed they meant the withdrawal of ithe troops- But there were many, who'voted for them, for reasons which would have induced Mr. Fitzgerald to have rejected them and to cspoase the Auckland amendments.

ne ' r •. . . ~!i, , .'., „",■ 'i.v'tt ed After occupying seven foil liaje, the trio eg of William Andrew Jarre], on a charge oJ jj, murdering faia wife, by the administrp.iion o o j- poison, was brought; to a closet at half-past r _ six o'clock lest evening. The jury then re . tired, and they were still in their room when we went to press a 5.15 o'clock. Dtirmg tin v" day, tho prisoner was apparently ac calm as lc on tho previous days of the trial. He to [*• taken hack to tho gaol when the jury retired in There he iieemcd not at - all anxious er —indeed, alter taking some supper ie he was at an early hour allowed lo j. go to bed, without thoroughly undressing, si jj. it would be necessary to bring him into Courl j. on the jury intimating1 that they had agreed I on their verdict. He lay quietly in bed : one , if he did not s3eep, ho seemed to. The Judg< remained in his room until midnight. He 1 then came into Court, and sent for the Fore- ~, man. Learning that the jury could not agree, His Honor laid that he should leave lfl the Court, bat a messenger would be dea|e patched for him as soon as tho jury intimated )f that they had agreed; and he hoped to arrivt y within half an hour, to receive their verdict, tt By the schooner Mount Alexander, which el arrived in port yesterday from Okitiki, we y have the first news direct from the West : . Coast Captain Bell reports that good finds y of gold have been made; beyond this,however, t the intelligence is meagre and deficient in ,' details. Provisions are very scarce and dear ' _ —flour fetching as much as LIOO a ton. Cr.pt. ! c Gibson, the Harbor Master from Canterbury, '* had arrived at Okitiki, and had erected a flat? ' stall*, &.C., for the purpose of signalling vessels '* in. Five hundred persona landed on the day M the Mount Alexander left, and the population U previously on the ground was estimated at about five thousand. The letter of Mr Fitzgerald to Mr Adderley, upon which we comment, and sorao local reports, will he found in our sixth page. The seventeentli anniversary ot the settlement of Otago will be observed to-day as a general holiday. It is notified that the Government offices* will bo closed, and we believes tho example will be followed generally by tho leading business establishments in town. The Banks have given notice to that effect. The various volunteer corps are summoned by their respective officers to meet in full dress uniform for parade, and a steam-boat excursion to tho Heads, and a gala at Vauxhall, are announced. We notice thali Mr John Dam. and Mr Bob Dale appear to-night at the Princess Theatre, in the farce of " Box and Cox." The " Sorcerer's Oak" and the burlesque of " Conrad tho Corsair," complete t the programme. Mr and Mrs Chas. Dillon are announced to make their appearance on their arrival in Knovrlen's tragedy of " Virginius." The Horticultural Society of Otago, held a show yesterday, in Farley's Hall, Princesstreet. Tho exhibition is fully eqnul, if not (superior, to the last; hold by the Society in the same place, but during yesterday, tho attention was very limited. It is announced that tho show will continue open during to-day, and holiday-keepers could not find a more agreeable manner of spending a pleasant hour than by paying it a visit. An adjourned sitting of Magistrates for transacting licensing business was held after the usual police busiiness had been disposed of, on Tuesday last. Mr Strode, R. M., and Mr Logic, J.P., were on the bench. The Bottta License of James Cahill, Maclagganstreet, was transferred to Hugh .Gallagher. General Business, wets granted to W. K. Cozens, for a new house in Stafford-street, mid to William Wilson, for a new house in Mnelnggan-streeC. Wholesale Licenses were granted to M'Callum, Neill and Co., and Lange and Thoneman. A General Night! License was granted to Godfrey Jacobs, of the Alhambra Hotel. Mr Smali takes his benefit to-night at Thatcher's entertainment at the Corinthian Hall. The " Provincial Government Gazette" formally notifies the election of Mr Donald Bl'Phcrson, as member of Council for Manulierikia, to fill the vacancy occasioned by this resignation of Mr Mutison. The appointment of Henry Stratford, Esq., to be Warden at tho sub-district of Cromwell is gazetted. We understand that tho return match between the North Dunedin and Port Chalmers Cricket Clubs, will be played on the South Dunedin Recreation Ground, {lent for the occasion), this day, at 10 a.m. The Port Chalinera Team are expected by the 9 o'clock boat. Tho following are the; resjeetive sides : Port Clmlmeira C. C—Style's; sen., Captain ; T. A. Manrtbnl, Wilson, T. Infrram, W. H. lag'raut, A. 10. Mansford, Lay, Dale, Styles, Morrison, Hollander. Horth D. C. C.—Drury, Banbury, Brown, Smith, Frazer, Horseman, Pike, Street, Glasgow, Jeffries, Young, Bell. It will be remembered that the Port Chalmers Team ■were very easily vanquished on the last occasion, nnd it is to be hoped that thisi match will be closer and more keenly contested than the former one. Last week an inquest was held before Dr Henry Jackson, the District Coroner at Miller's Flat, on the body of a. man found Seating in the Mblyneux, about two miles above the ferry. No post mortem was mode, there being no marks of violence upon the body, and the Coroner expressing himself satisfied as to the cause of death. The body was much decomposed, and appeared to have been in tho water for over a week. It had on no other clothing than a pair of trousers and laced-tip boots. The left arm was ma.rked —after the fashion of ueafaring men—with a female bearing a flag, and in one of the pockets of the trouseni there was found a chamois leather purse, containing a gold ring. In all probability it i» the body of some man drowned whilst engaged! raftiog timber from the lakes. A verdict of '"Pound drowned" waa returned.