SHALL WE GOVERN OURSELNES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1690, 31 May 1867, Page 5

SHALL WE GOVERN OURSELNES

{To th: E<.liu,r »f thr Otaoo I>aii.v TiMi-x)

Shi—The- Province of Otago h now | .passing through a severe ordeal, and upon our own unremitting exertions entirely depends the solution of tho quentio'i, Shall wo Govern Ourselves ? 'fhut great •dissatisfaction exists as to the rclstiive j constitutional powers of thu General and Provincial Governments must be patent : to ; the merest observer; but who are the immediate sullerers, and have greatest ca\iso of complaint, and on what grounds, demands, at this crisis, tho immediate and serious attention of every'well wisher of Otago. No one "taking a general retrospect of the political alfeirs of Now Zealand for the last year or two, can, shut liis eyes to tho fact that Centralisation, at the expense of Provincial progress, lias been tho growing aim, persevcringly persisted in, by our leading politicians in the Northern Island. Interference on the one hand, ' and utter neglect on the other, have aliko sickened and disgusted even those amongst us who for long set their faces most strenuously against anything pertaining to Separation ; but the burden has become grievous to bo tome, and a resolute stand must now be made against <mr taskmasters, and the insults and indignities, which arc being daily heaped ■\ipon us, must bo resented. To point out the large proportion of revenue accruing to tho exchequer from our Province, as .also the widely different interests'of the two islands, would merely be goin* over -ground already trod, and combated by no thinking' rotisonable man ; but, when nnblushingly, wo are insulted, both in tho person of our Superintendent > whom we delight to honor, and in the face o! our Provincial Council, constitutionally appointed ; when tho management of duo of our greatest, intcrosts-rtho Goldfields of Otago—is ruthlessly snatched from our hsnus, a upon the doubly false pretence that there is no confidence either in his Honor

.the Superintendent or the gentlemen cotn- ; posing our Council; as also tluit thore '- O3dsts.&:4ißpositio» in the minds of our mining population that their wants would b© better attended to by a managing' -power at Wellington than by our own .Parliament, composed, aa it is, of memhats representing^.cyciy district and ©very

jntermi in iheProvince—.study, Igay, Sir, 'tis high time to take a determined stand. ■Notonly so, but not content with dele-

gating the Governor's powers to tho present Premier, we are, forsooth, to have saddled <Jh ua a whole regiment of incapabJes and most unserupuloua adventurers, whose honesty of purpose and powers of governing could cwriJy be excelled by any dozen of working men whom, had they th'o power, the minors themselves would elect. Tho interference and assumption of power by these Wellington magnates is altogether so monstrous and unbearable, no wonder the Provincial Council felt bound, in order to ascertain,the minds of thepeople, to pass an Ordinance during this session called tho Ooldfields Provincial Government Ordinance ; and following tip the Kamo in a- business-like, c-sser-

\ gt-tic manner, a proclamation has boon j issued in the (J'cxlk, appointing the several places for taking tie votes under the provision of «aid Ordinance, stick voting to take place HJinultaneously throughout the length and breadth of thu .Province on Saturday next, the list June. All thai lh<>. Superintendent and House | can do has been done, and done right I well ; 'tis for us— every one of uk, young and old—-to tally round our Provincial authorities, and by our decisive votes give Stafford, his Ministry, and all hi« dastardly hireling crew, unniiStakcably to understand that no longer shall we leave a stone unturned to repel unjust encroachmerits, and, at the same time, hoist our banner, never to \m furled till the victory la won, and let the legible inscription thereon bo, " Otago'a Eights and Liberj ties."-—I am, &c. } Ba knock buen. Dunc'lin, 23th May, 1867.