The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1873.

Southland Times, Issue 1768, 18 July 1873, Page 2

The Southland Times. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1873.

His Excellency' a address on opening Parliament on the 15th instant assigns to the session an amount of work which, unless the proceedings in the two Houses as regards the execution of business shall greatly deviate from the ordinary course taken in legislation, will make the present session a very long one. The address itself possesses the very rare merit of being plain and straightforward. Passing over the merely congratulatory part of the address, the comment upon which will, as a matter of course, vary just as its readers are disposed or otherwise to' favor the course taken by the Government, we note some of the various matters with which it is proposed to deal. In connection with the matters of reciprocal tariff arrangements, and of cable communication between Australia and New Zealand, both of which may be regarded as important links in the chain of union by vvuuru' ilio li-ii^i^L-ito uiVtlio ■wliult) of the Southern hemisphere will be materially promoted and conserved, it follows naturally that a disposition should be expressed on the part of the Government to re-open, if possible, the postal service via California. Notwithstanding the failure of the late contract, there are many advantages to New Zealand held out by the establishment of this line, and the past experience, although it has been dearly purchased, will, it is to be hoped, lead to extreme caution, and the carrying out of the expressed intention — to make the approval of Parliament an absolute condition. As in the reference to the Estimates to be laid before the House of Representatives, prominence is given to the increase of the public revenue, it may be safely inferred that no additional taxation is contemplated. The measures proposed to be introduced are, many of them, such as, having been long before the public and freely canvassed, are of admitted necessity. With-respect to" the reconstruction of the constitution of the Legislative Council," we can but conjecture to what extent it is proposed to deal with that body, but, in suggesting that it be made elective, we express an opinion in favor of which, we think, the response will be all but universal. The Education question, heretofore shelved, should during this session have its. solution. It is, perhaps, but of little consequence to this Province, with the Ofcago Education Ordinance in force, but it is unquestionably desirable that while State education is recognized, a uniform system should be adopted throughout JVew Zealand. The amendment and consolidation of the electoral laws is a matter which requires immediate attention, and in reference to which stringent and more effectual provision should be made for the periodical' revision, addition to, and purging the electoral rolls. The present Bankruptcy Acts have so little to recommend them to the .trading portion of the community, and are withal so unjust to the honest debtor, as to make it almost a matter of certainty that their provisions will be evaded ; it is therefore a source of satisfaction to know that the subject is to be taken up during the session. We note Mr Bathgate has already given notice for the introduction of a new Insolvency Bill, which, if framed simply, with a view to the protection alike of creditors and honest bankrupts, as well as to the punishment of fraudulent debtors, will reconcile the community to the introduction of the Bill for the abolition of iatprisoninent for debt. Mr Bathgate is well acquainted with the points required to foe kept in view in legislating upon the insolvency question, and probably no person is better qualified to introduce a measure that shall meet the case. We trust how - ever that the Bill will possess the merit of simplicity, and utterly abolish the cumbrous and costly machinery of the present Bankruptcy Acts. The difficulty < of the session will probably be the Native i iiifieulty, and this we take to he most i jft'ectually disposed of by the few dpening i remarks in His Excellency's address i relative to the principle upon which the < jublic works have been undertaken, la, solving " not only a system pf arterial , roinmunication throughout the counlry i )ut the consequent settlement by^rune-

rous occupiers of the lands bo opened up." If the principle involved be honestly carried out, it will do far more to Bettle the Native question than any direct legislation upon the subject. The action of the Government in leaviug the oriininals in the "Waikato murder to the ordinary operation of the law, slow as that operation may be, is decidedly the best course which could have been pursued, j The vindictive counsels of extermination which have been so freely given have \ nothing on the score of reason to reeom- j mend them, and have besides the disadvantage of at once plunging the country into bloodshedding, in which the proportion of loss would be largely against us, while the expense would be all our own. If a war of extermination were resolved upon and commenced, it would in all human probability not be completed earlier than the time at which, in the course events are now taking, the Native difficulty will have been overcome by the operation of the agencies of peace and civilisation. It is also to be noted that the Government proposes to introduce special legislation for the benefit of the Natives by establishing a " Native District Council," and amending the laws relating to Native lands. The policy of the Government herein is in every respect deserving of encouragement and support, as being the only true solution of the difficulty. In tbe advocacy of the exterminating theory, no doubt there are many who have an eye to business, and to whom a guerilla warfare, protracted at great expense through a series of years, without decided advantage on either side, has weighty arguments in its fovor. The interests of the country are not to be sacrificed in this way, and it is far better, while dealing fairly with the Natives, and using every precaution, to rely for the ultimate disposal of the question upon the policy of railroads, roads, and public works, and their consequent occupation of the coun« try.